The Wnt antagonist sFRP1 is downregulated in premalignant large bowel adenomas

Our previous studies have implicated the Wnt antagonist, sFRP1, as a tumour suppressor gene in advanced colorectal cancer. In this study, we set out to investigate the relationship between sFRP1 expression and large bowel adenomas, a precursor of colorectal cancer. The induction of β-catenin/TCF mediated transcription is both a frequent early event in colorectal neoplasia, and a key downstream effect of wnt growth factor signalling. Lithium treatment of a small bowel mucosal cell line (FHs 74 int) induced sFRP1 within 8 h, indicating that this gene is positively regulated by β-catenin, contrasting with the suppression of sFRP1 expression, we saw previously in advanced colorectal cancers. We therefore investigated a series of 12 adenomas and matched large bowel mucosa samples. Real-time RT–PCR analysis showed a reduction in sFRP1 expression in all 12 dysplastic lesions (median 485-fold, IQR 120- to 1500-fold), indicating factors other than β-catenin influence sFRP1 levels. In a second series of 11 adenomas, we identified methylation of the sFRP1 promotor region in all 11 samples, and this was increased compared with the surrounding normal mucosa in seven cases. Immunohistochemical analysis using a polyclonal antibody supported these findings, with sFRP1 expression reduced in many of the adenoma samples examined. sFRP1 staining in normal mucosa adjacent to the dysplastic tissue was also reduced compared with the normal controls, suggesting that sFRP1 expression may be suppressed in a field of mucosa rather than in individual cells. This study identifies sFRP1 inactivation at the premalignant stage of colorectal cancer development, indicating that these pathways may be useful targets for chemoprevention strategies in this common solid tumour

Experimentelle Untersuchungen der optischen Uebergaenge und des elektrischen Ladungstransportes in undotierten und dotierten Bi GeO - und Bi SiO -Einkristallen

SIGLECopy held by FIZ Karlsruhe; available from UB/TIB Hannover / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Measurement of the internal quantum efficiency of InGaN quantum wells

The internal quantum efficiency as a function of the internal electric field was studied in InGaN/GaN based quantumwell heterostructures. Most striking, we find the IQE to be independent of the electron hole overlap for a standard green-emitting single quantum-well LED structure. In standard c-plane grown InGaN quantum wells, internal piezo-fields are responsible for a reduced overlap of electron and hole wavefunction. Minimization of these fields, for example by growth on non-polar m- and a-planes, is generally considered a key to improve the performance of nitride-based light emitting devices. In our experiment, we manipulate the overlap by applying different bias voltages to the standard c-plane grown sample, thus superimposing a voltage induced band-bending to the internal fields. In contrast to the IQE measurement, the dependence of carrier lifetime and wavelength shift on bias voltage could be explained solely by the internal piezo-fields according to the quantum confined Stark effect. Measurements were performed using temperature and bias dependent resonant photoluminescence, measuring luminescence and photocurrent simultaneously. Furthermore, the doping profile in the immediate vicinity of the QWs was found to be a key parameter that strongly influences the IQE measurement. A doping induced intrinsic hole reservoir inside the QWs is suggested to enhance the radiative exciton recombination rate and thus to improve saturation of photoluminescence efficiency

Vanadium characterization in BTO: V sillenite crystals

Visible and Infrared Optical Absorption and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) techniques have been used to characterize the intrinsic defects in sillenite type crystals: nominally pure Bi12TiO20 (BTO) and doped with vanadium (BTO:V). Optical quality crystals, with the composition Bi12.04±0.08Ti0.76±0.07V0.16±0.02O20, have been grown. Results obtained by these different techniques have shown unambiguously the 5+ valence state of the vanadium ion in BTO:V crystals. In pure BTO samples, the EPR and optical spectra show strong evidence of the presence of the intrinsic defect BiM3+ + ho+, which consists of a hole h+, mainly located on the oxygen neighbors of the tetrahedrally coordinated Bi3+ ion. After doping with vanadium, results have shown that the characteristic bands, associated to this hole defect center, disappear, suggesting its transformation in single Bi3+. Anisotropy of the EPR spectra , at 20 K, is related to Fe3+ impurities