4-Hydroxy Estradiol-Induced Oxidant-Mediated Signaling Is Involved In The Development Of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a disease associated with excess exposures to estrogens. While the mode of cancer causation is unknown, others have shown that oxidative stress induced by prolonged exposure to estrogens mediates renal, liver, endometrial and mammary tumorigenesis though the mechanism(s) underling this process is unknown. In this study, we show that 4-hydroxyl 17β-estradiol (4-OHE2), a catechol metabolite of estrogen, induces mammary tumorigenesis in a redox dependent manner. We found that the mechanism of tumorigenesis involves redox activations of nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF1); a transcriptions factor associated with regulation of mitochondria biogenesis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), as well as mediation of cell survival and growth of cells during periods of oxidative stress. Key findings from our study are as follows: (i) Prolonged treatments of normal mammary epithelial cells with 4-OHE2, increased the formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). (ii) Estrogen-induced ROS activates redox sensitive transcription factors NRF1. (iii) 4-OHE2 through activation of serine-threonine kinase and histone acetyl transferase, phosphorylates and acetylate NRF1 respectively. (iv) Redox mediated epigenetic modifications of NRF1 facilitates mammary tumorigenesis and invasive phenotypes of breast cancer cells via modulations of genes involved in proliferation, growth and metastasis of exposed cells. (v) Animal engraftment of transformed clones formed invasive tumors. (vi) Treatment of cells or tumors with biological or chemical antioxidants, as well as silencing of NRF1 expressions, prevented 4-OHE2 induced mammary tumorigenesis and invasive phenotypes of MCF-10A cells. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that 4-OHE2 induced ROS epigenetically activate NRF1 through its phosphorylation and acylation. This, in turn, through NRF1-mediated transcriptional activation of the cell cycle genes, controls 4-OHE2 induced cell transformation and tumorigenesis

Clinical Presentation and Outcome of Ribavirin Treated RT-PCR Confirmed Lassa Fever Patients in ISTH Irrua: A Pilot Study

Background: Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever that is endo-epidemic in Edo state, with case fatality of 90-100% if not treated. It has been claimed that early treatment with Ribavirin reduces mortality to less than 20%. This study was carried out to assert/confirm or refute/reject this claim.Aim: To review the clinical features, laboratory findings of Lassa fever and the outcome of confirmed cases treated with Ribavirin.Methodology: The study was a case series study of the first 41 cases that were treated with Ribavirin in the Lassa fever isolation ward from 28th November 2010 to 26th May 2011.Results: Up to 63.4% of cases presented late (onset of illness greater than 6 days at presentation). Fever remains the predominant presenting feature of the disease (97.5%). Of the cases that were admitted, 41 were treated, 31 recovered and 9 died, giving a case-fatality rate of 22%. One discharged against medical advice. Conclusion: Lassa fever victims still present late at the hospital and fever remains the predominant presenting feature. Early Ribavirin treatment improves treatment outcome of Lassa fever in confirmed cases.Recommendations: The Federal, States and Local government area council members must make efforts to create public awareness on early presentation, diagnosis and prompt treatment with Ribavirin

Redox signalling to nuclear regulatory proteins by reactive oxygen species contributes to oestrogen-induced growth of breast cancer cells

Background: 17β-Oestradiol (E2)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in regulating the growth of breast cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanism of this is not clear. Here we show how ROS through a novel redox signalling pathway involving nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1) and p27 contribute to E2-induced growth of MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Methods: Chromatin immunoprecipitation, qPCR, mass spectrometry, redox western blot, colony formation, cell proliferation, ROS assay, and immunofluorescence microscopy were used to study the role of NRF-1. Results: The major novel finding of this study is the demonstration of oxidative modification of phosphatases PTEN and CDC25A by E2-generated ROS along with the subsequent activation of AKT and ERK pathways that culminated in the activation of NRF-1 leading to the upregulation of cell cycle genes. 17β-Oestradiol-induced ROS by influencing nuclear proteins p27 and Jab1 also contributed to the growth of MCF-7 cells. Conclusions: Taken together, our results present evidence in the support of E2-induced ROS-mediated AKT signalling leading to the activation of NRF-1-regulated cell cycle genes as well as the impairment of p27 activity, which is presumably necessary for the growth of MCF-7 cells. These observations are important because they provide a new paradigm by which oestrogen may contribute to the growth of breast cancer

4-hydroxy estradiol-induced oxidant-mediated signaling is involved in the development of breast cancer

Breast cancer is a disease associated with excess exposures to estrogens. While the mode of cancer causation is unknown, others have shown that oxidative stress induced by prolonged exposure to estrogens mediates renal, liver, endometrial and mammary tumorigenesis though the mechanism(s) underling this process is unknown. In this study, we show that 4-hydroxyl 17β-estradiol (4-OHE2), a catechol metabolite of estrogen, induces mammary tumorigenesis in a redox dependent manner. We found that the mechanism of tumorigenesis involves redox activations of nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF1); a transcriptions factor associated with regulation of mitochondria biogenesis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), as well as mediation of cell survival and growth of cells during periods of oxidative stress. Key findings from our study are as follows: (i) Prolonged treatments of normal mammary epithelial cells with 4-OHE2, increased the formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). (ii) Estrogen-induced ROS activates redox sensitive transcription factors NRF1. (iii) 4-OHE2 through activation of serine-threonine kinase and histone acetyl transferase, phosphorylates and acetylate NRF1 respectively. (iv) Redox mediated epigenetic modifications of NRF1 facilitates mammary tumorigenesis and invasive phenotypes of breast cancer cells via modulations of genes involved in proliferation, growth and metastasis of exposed cells. (v) Animal engraftment of transformed clones formed invasive tumors. (vi) Treatment of cells or tumors with biological or chemical antioxidants, as well as silencing of NRF1 expressions, prevented 4-OHE2 induced mammary tumorigenesis and invasive phenotypes of MCF-10A cells. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that 4-OHE2 induced ROS epigenetically activate NRF1 through its phosphorylation and acylation. This, in turn, through NRF1-mediated transcriptional activation of the cell cycle genes, controls 4-OHE2 induced cell transformation and tumorigenesis

COVID-19 crisis and stock market volatility in Nigeria: A GARCH model approach

The economic downturns locally and internationally due to the COVID-19 crisis were the main motivation for this study. However, rather than broadly examining economic indices, this paper focused on the reaction of the Nigerian stock market in terms of volatility to the crisis. The specific objectives of the study were to identify differences in market performance due to the COVID crisis, determine volatility persistence and ascertain the leverage effects of the news on stocks on the stock exchange floor. Adopting an ex-post facto research design, monthly time-series All-Share Index data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, GARCH(1,1), and EGARCH models. It was found that volatility existed in the market during the COVID-19 crisis however volatility persistence was low. EGARCH results showed asymmetric parameters did not exist revealing the form of leverage effect COVID-19 posed to the market. The market thus had identical responses to both bad and good news of COVID-19 announcements of the same magnitude. It was recommended that regulatory authorities and policymakers be proactive in their approach to forecasting market performance to reduce the negative effects of bad news on market indices

Reactive Oxygen Species via Redox Signaling to PI3K/AKT Pathway Contribute to the Malignant Growth of 4-Hydroxy Estradiol-Transformed Mammary Epithelial Cells

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 17-β-estradiol (E2)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the induction of mammary tumorigenesis. We found that ROS-induced by repeated exposures to 4-hydroxy-estradiol (4-OH-E2), a predominant catechol metabolite of E2, caused transformation of normal human mammary epithelial MCF-10A cells with malignant growth in nude mice. This was evident from inhibition of estrogen-induced breast tumor formation in the xenograft model by both overexpression of catalase as well as by co-treatment with Ebselen. To understand how 4-OH-E2 induces this malignant phenotype through ROS, we investigated the effects of 4-OH-E2 on redox-sensitive signal transduction pathways. During the malignant transformation process we observed that 4-OH-E2 treatment increased AKT phosphorylation through PI3K activation. The PI3K-mediated phosphorylation of AKT in 4-OH-E2-treated cells was inhibited by ROS modifiers as well as by silencing of AKT expression. RNA interference of AKT markedly inhibited 4-OH-E2-induced in vitro tumor formation. The expression of cell cycle genes, cdc2, PRC1 and PCNA and one of transcription factors that control the expression of these genes – nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1) was significantly up-regulated during the 4-OH-E2-mediated malignant transformation process. The increased expression of these genes was inhibited by ROS modifiers as well as by silencing of AKT expression. These results indicate that 4-OH-E2-induced cell transformation may be mediated, in part, through redox-sensitive AKT signal transduction pathways by up-regulating the expression of cell cycle genes cdc2, PRC1 and PCNA, and the transcription factor – NRF-1. In summary, our study has demonstrated that: (i) 4-OH-E2 is one of the main estrogen metabolites that induce mammary tumorigenesis and (ii) ROS-mediated signaling leading to the activation of PI3K/AKT pathway plays an important role in the generation of 4-OH-E2-induced malignant phenotype of breast epithelial cells. In conclusion, ROS are important signaling molecules in the development of estrogen-induced malignant breast lesions