Reduction of Ketones with LiAlH4 Complexes of α,α,α\u27,α\u27-Tetraaryl-1,3-dioxolane-4,5-dimethanols (TADDOLs) A Combination of Enantioselective Reduction and Clathrate Formation with a Discussion of LAH Reagents Bearing C2-Symmetrical Ligands

A complex prepared from one equivalent each of LiAlH4, EtOH and a TADDOL (α,α,α\u27,α\u27-tetraaryl-1,3-dioxolane-4,5-dimethanol) reduces aryl alkyl ketones to sec. alcohols with enantiomer ratios (er) up to 96 : 4. The chiral LAH derivative is used in two-fold excess in THF solution and at dry ice temperatures. The ability of TADDOLs to form clathrates diastereoselectively can be exploited to increase the er of the initially formed alcohols by a simple modification of the work-up procedure and hence, products of very high en- antiopurity (er 99 : 1) can be isolated. When (7i,/i)-TADDOLs (from (ZiA)-tartrate) are applied in the reaction, the 1-aryl-alkanols formed preferentially have (S) configuration, as for the products obtained with the corresponding (P)-BINOL and (P)-BIPHENOL derivatives. A common mechanistic model is discussed

The host response to the probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917: Specific up-regulation of the proinflammatory chemokine MCP-1

BACKGROUND: The use of live microorganisms to influence positively the course of intestinal disorders such as infectious diarrhea or chronic inflammatory conditions has recently gained increasing interest as a therapeutic alternative. In vitro and in vivo investigations have demonstrated that probiotic-host eukaryotic cell interactions evoke a large number of responses potentially responsible for the effects of probiotics. The aim of this study was to improve our understanding of the E. coli Nissle 1917-host interaction by analyzing the gene expression pattern initiated by this probiotic in human intestinal epithelial cells. METHODS: Gene expression profiles of Caco-2 cells treated with E. coli Nissle 1917 were analyzed with microarrays. A second human intestinal cell line and also pieces of small intestine from BALB/c mice were used to confirm regulatory data of selected genes by real-time RT-PCR and cytometric bead array (CBA) to detect secretion of corresponding proteins. RESULTS: Whole genome expression analysis revealed 126 genes specifically regulated after treatment of confluent Caco-2 cells with E. coli Nissle 1917. Among others, expression of genes encoding the proinflammatory molecules monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 ligand 2 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-2 alpha (MIP-2α) and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 beta (MIP-2β) was increased up to 10 fold. Caco-2 cells cocultured with E. coli Nissle 1917 also secreted high amounts of MCP-1 protein. Elevated levels of MCP-1 and MIP-2α mRNA could be confirmed with Lovo cells. MCP-1 gene expression was also up-regulated in mouse intestinal tissue. CONCLUSION: Thus, probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 specifically upregulates expression of proinflammatory genes and proteins in human and mouse intestinal epithelial cells

Eotaxin/CCL11 expression by infiltrating macrophages in rat heart transplants during ongoing acute rejection

Eotaxin/CCL11 chemokine is expressed in different organs, including the heart, but its precise cellular origin in the heart is unknown. Eotaxin is associated with Th2-like responses and exerts its chemotactic effect through the chemokine receptor-3 (CCR3), which is also expressed on mast cells (MC). The aim of our study was to find the cellular origin of eotaxin in the heart, and to assess whether expression is changing during ongoing acute heart transplant rejection, indicating a correlation with mast cell infiltration which we observed in a previous study. In a model of ongoing acute heart transplant rejection in the rat, we found eotaxin mRNA expression within infiltrating macrophages, but not in mast cells, by in situ-hybridization. A five-fold increase in eotaxin protein in rat heart transplants during ongoing acute rejection was measured on day 28 after transplantation, compared to native and isogeneic control hearts. Eotaxin concentrations in donor hearts on day 28 after transplantation were significantly higher compared to recipient hearts, corroborating an origin of eotaxin from cells within the heart, and not from the blood. The quantitative comparison of eotaxin mRNA expression between native hearts, isografts, and allografts, respectively, revealed no statistically significant difference after transplantation, probably due to an overall increase in the housekeeping gene's 18S rRNA during rejection. Quantitative RT-PCR showed an increase in mRNA expression of CCR3, the receptor for eotaxin, during ongoing acute rejection of rat heart allografts. Although a correlation between increasing eotaxin expression by macrophages and mast cell infiltration is suggestive, functional studies will elucidate the role of eotaxin in the process of ongoing acute heart transplant rejection

Loss of PBRM1 expression is associated with renal cell carcinoma progression

Although von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene alterations dominate the genetic landscape of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), recent studies have identified new ccRCC genes, including SETD2, KDM6A, KDM5C, BAP1 and PBRM1. Strikingly, all these genes fall into a category of histone/chromatin regulators. Polybromo-1 (PBRM1) is the second most frequently mutated gene after VHL; however, the clinical relevance of its loss in ccRCC has not yet been reported. Here, we analyzed the expression of PBRM1, the product encoded by PBRM1, in ccRCC cell lines and in more than 300 RCC tumor samples. The data were correlated with clinicopathological parameters and VHL mutation status. We found that a significant number of ccRCC cancer cell lines lack detectable PBRM1 expression. Loss of PBRM1 was predominant in the clear cell subtype of RCC (∼ 70%) and correlated with advanced tumor stage (p < 0.0001), low differentiation grade (p = 0.0002) and worse patient outcome (p = 0.025), but not with the VHL mutation status. Our results indicate a critical role for PBRM1 in the suppression of ccRCC progression. Moreover, the results suggest that functional inactivation of PBRM1 in the context of pVHL loss-of-function may represent a key event in facilitating the development of key aspects of an aggressive tumor behavior. Given the role of PBRM1 in chromatin modification, the gene expression pathways disrupted by the inactivation of this protein may lead to new treatment strategies for ccRCC

Determination of leukotriene A4 stabilization by S100A8/A9 proteins using mass spectrometry

Leukotriene A4 (LTA4) is the precursor for the formation of bioactive leukotrienes, but is highly susceptible to nonenzymatic hydrolysis. Although it is chemically reactive, LTA4 participates in the process of transcellular metabolism, which requires the transfer of LTA4 from one cell to another for the production of additional leukotrienes. Due to the susceptibility of LTA4 to hydrolysis, various methods have been used to measure the half-life of LTA4 in the presence of different proteins in efforts to understand how it is transported between cells. In this work, a new liquid chromatography mass spectrometry technique was developed to improve upon these previous assays that analyzed LTA4 directly. The new technique derivatizes LTA4 to stable compounds for analysis and removes the potential for sample decomposition between analytical runs. This assay was used in measuring the capabilities of the S100A8/A9 protein complex isolated from human neutrophils to stabilize LTA4. It was determined that the S100A8/A9 protein complex protects LTA4 from hydrolysis in a Ca2+ dependent manner and increases LTA4 half-life to in excess of 35 and 5 min at 4°C and 37°C, respectively