ACCUMULATION OF CYCLIC ADENOSINE 3', 5'-MONOPHOSPHATE IN ADULT AND NEWBORN MOUSE SKIN: RESPONSES TO ISCHEMIA AND ISOPROTERENOL

Levels of cyclic adenosine 3', 5' -monophosphate in adult mouse skin pieces were rapidly increased on incubation at 37°C, or on exposure to isoproterenol. Accumulation of the cyclic nucleotide under both conditions was greatly decreased in newborn mouse skin, or in adult skin treated with the tumor promotor 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate

Ultraviolet radiation-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha, which is linked to the development of cutaneous SCC, modulates differential epidermal microRNAs expression

Chronic exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is linked to the development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a non-melanoma form of skin cancer that can metastasize. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, is linked to UVR-induced development of SCC. To find clues about the mechanisms by which TNFα may promote UVR-induced development of SCC, we investigated changes in the expression profiling of microRNAs (miRNA), a novel class of short noncoding RNAs, which affects translation and stability of mRNAs. In this experiment, TNFα knockout (TNFα KO) mice and their wild type (WT) littermates were exposed to acute UVR (2.0 kJ/m2) and the expression profiling of epidermal miRNA was determined 4hr post UVR exposure. TNFα deletion in untreated WT mice resulted in differential expression (log fold change\u3e1) of seventeen miRNA. UVR exposure in WT mice induced differential expression of 22 miRNA. However, UVR exposure in TNFα KO mice altered only two miRNAs. Four miRNA, were differentially expressed between WT+UVR and TNFα KO+UVR groups. Differentially expressed selected miRNAs were further validated using real time PCR. Few of the differentially expressed miRNAs (miR-31-5p, miR-196a-5p, miR-127-3p, miR-206-3p, miR-411-5p, miR-709, and miR-322-5p) were also observed in UVR-induced SCC. Finally, bio-informatics analysis using DIANA, MIRANDA, Target Scan, and miRDB algorithms revealed a link with major UVR-induced pathways (MAPK, PI3K-Akt, transcriptional mis-regulation, Wnt, and TGF-beta)

PKCε Overexpression, Irrespective of Genetic Background, Sensitizes Skin to UVR-Induced Development of Squamous-Cell Carcinomas

Chronic exposure to UVR is the major etiologic factor in the development of human skin cancers including squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC). We have previously shown that protein Kinase C epsilon (PKCε) transgenic mice on FVB/N background, which overexpress PKCε protein approximately eightfold over endogenous levels in epidermis, exhibit about threefold more sensitivity than wild-type littermates to UVR-induced development of SCC. To determine whether it is PKCε and not the mouse genetic background that determines susceptibility to UVR carcinogenesis, we cross-bred PKCε FVB/N transgenic mice with SKH-1 hairless mice to generate PKCε-overexpressing SKH-1 hairless mice. To evaluate the susceptibility of PKCε SKH-1 hairless transgenic mice to UVR carcinogenesis, the mice were exposed to UVR (1–2KJm−2) three times weekly from a bank of six kodacel-filtered FS40 sunlamps. As compared with the wild-type hairless mice, PKCε overexpression in SKH-1 hairless mice decreased the latency (12 weeks), whereas it increased the incidence (twofold) and multiplicity (fourfold) of SCC. The SKH hairless transgenic mice were observed to be as sensitive as FVB/N transgenic mice to UVR-induced development of SCC and expression of proliferative markers (proliferating cell nuclear antigen, signal transducers and activators of transcription 3, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2). The results indicate that PKCε level dictates susceptibility, irrespective of genetic background, to UVR carcinogenesis

Tissue-specific conditional PKCε knockout mice: a model to precisely reveal PKCε functional role in initiation, promotion and progression of cancer

PKCε is a transforming oncogene and a predictive biomarker of various human cancers. However, a precise in vivo link of PKCε to cancer induction, progression and metastasis remain undefined. To achieve these goals, we generated tissue specific conditional PKCε knockout mice (PKCε-CKO) using cre-lox technology. Homozygous PKCεLoxP/LoxP mice have normal body weight and phenotype. To determine what effect loss of PKCε would have on the prostate, the PKCεLoxP/LoxP mice were bred to probasin cre (PB-Cre4+) mice which express cre specifically in the prostate epithelium of postnatal mice. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses showed reduced levels of PKCε specifically in the prostate of PKCε-CKO mice. Histopathological analyses of prostate from both PKCεLoxP/LoxP and prostate PKCε-CKO mice showed normal pathology. To determine the functional impact of prostate specific deletion of PKCε on prostate tumor growth, we performed an orthotopic xenograft study. Transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) cells (TRAMPC1, 2×106) were implanted in the prostate of PKCε-CKO mice. Mice were sacrificed at 6th week post-implantation. Results demonstrated a significant (P\u3c0.05) decrease in the growth of TRAMPC1 cells-derived xenograft tumors in PKCε-CKO mice compared to wild type. To determine a link of PKCε to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure-induced epidermal Stat3 phosphorylation, PKCεLoxP/LoxP mice were bred to tamoxifen-inducible K14 Cre mice. PKCε deletion in the epidermis resulted in inhibition of UVR-induced Stat3 phosphorylation. In summary, our novel PKCεLoxP/LoxP mice will be useful for defining the link of PKCε to various cancers in specific organ, tissue, or cells

OsJAZ11 regulates phosphate starvation responses in rice

Main conclusion: OsJAZ11 regulates phosphate homeostasis by suppressing jasmonic acid signaling and biosynthesis in rice roots. Abstract: Jasmonic Acid (JA) is a key plant signaling molecule which negatively regulates growth processes including root elongation. JAZ (JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN) proteins function as transcriptional repressors of JA signaling. Therefore, targeting JA signaling by deploying JAZ repressors may enhance root length in crops. In this study, we overexpressed JAZ repressor OsJAZ11 in rice to alleviate the root growth inhibitory action of JA. OsJAZ11 is a low phosphate (Pi) responsive gene which is transcriptionally regulated by OsPHR2. We report that OsJAZ11 overexpression promoted primary and seminal root elongation which enhanced Pi foraging. Expression studies revealed that overexpression of OsJAZ11 also reduced Pi starvation response (PSR) under Pi limiting conditions. Moreover, OsJAZ11 overexpression also suppressed JA signaling and biosynthesis as compared to wild type (WT). We further demonstrated that the C-terminal region of OsJAZ11 was crucial for stimulating root elongation in overexpression lines. Rice transgenics overexpressing truncated OsJAZ11ΔC transgene (i.e., missing C-terminal region) exhibited reduced root length and Pi uptake. Interestingly, OsJAZ11 also regulates Pi homeostasis via physical interaction with a key Pi sensing protein, OsSPX1. Our study highlights the functional connections between JA and Pi signaling and reveals JAZ repressors as a promising candidate for improving low Pi tolerance of elite rice genotypes

Androgen receptor and its splicing variant 7 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in circulating tumor cells in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Androgen receptor (AR) signaling remains crucial in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Since it is also essential in immune cells, we studied whether the expression of AR full-length (ARFL) and its splicing variant ARV7 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) predicts systemic treatment response in mCRPC in comparison with circulating-tumor cells (CTC). We measured ARFL and ARV7 mRNA in PBMC and CTC from patients prior to receiving abiraterone (AA), enzalutamide (E), or taxanes by a pre-amplification plus quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. They were also tested in LNCaP-ARV7-transfected and in 22RV1 docetaxel-resistant (22RV1DR) cells. We studied 171 PBMC from 136 patients and from 24 non-cancer controls, and 47 CTC from 22 patients. High PBMC ARV7 levels correlated with worse AA/E and better taxane response. In taxane-treated patients high PBMC ARFL also correlated with longer progression-free survival (PFS). High ARV7 and ARFL expression were independently associated with better biochemical-PFS. Conversely, high CTC ARV7 and ARFL correlated with shorter radiological-PFS and overall survival, respectively. High ARV7 in 22RV1DR and LNCaP-ARV7 cells correlated with taxane resistance. In conclusion, ARFL and ARV7 at PBMC or CTC have a different predictive role in the taxane response, suggesting a potential influence of the AR pathway from PBMC in such response modulation

PPAR-γ Ligands Repress TGFβ-Induced Myofibroblast Differentiation by Targeting the PI3K/Akt Pathway: Implications for Therapy of Fibrosis

Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) induced differentiation of human lung fibroblasts to myofibroblasts is a key event in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Although the typical TGFβ signaling pathway involves the Smad family of transcription factors, we have previously reported that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) ligands inhibit TGFβ-mediated differentiation of human lung fibroblasts to myofibroblasts via a Smad-independent pathway. TGFβ also activates the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathway leading to phosphorylation of AktS473. Here, we report that PPAR-γ ligands, 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) and 15-deoxy-(12,14)-15d-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2), inhibit human myofibroblast differentiation of normal and idiopathic pulmonary fibrotic (IPF) fibroblasts, by blocking Akt phosphorylation at Ser473 by a PPAR-γ-independent mechanism. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and a dominant-negative inactive kinase-domain mutant of Akt both inhibited TGFβ-stimulated myofibroblast differentiation, as determined by Western blotting for α-smooth muscle actin and calponin. Prostaglandin A1 (PGA1), a structural analogue of 15d-PGJ2 with an electrophilic center, also reduced TGFβ-driven phosphorylation of Akt, while CAY10410, another analogue that lacks an electrophilic center, did not; implying that the activity of 15d-PGJ2 and CDDO is dependent on their electrophilic properties. PPAR-γ ligands inhibited TGFβ-induced Akt phosphorylation via both post-translational and post-transcriptional mechanisms. This inhibition is independent of MAPK-p38 and PTEN but is dependent on TGFβ-induced phosphorylation of FAK, a kinase that acts upstream of Akt. Thus, PPAR-γ ligands inhibit TGFβ signaling by affecting two pro-survival pathways that culminate in myofibroblast differentiation. Further studies of PPAR-γ ligands and small electrophilic molecules may lead to a new generation of anti-fibrotic therapeutics

Measuring the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries : a baseline analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

Background In September, 2015, the UN General Assembly established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs specify 17 universal goals, 169 targets, and 230 indicators leading up to 2030. We provide an analysis of 33 health-related SDG indicators based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015). Methods We applied statistical methods to systematically compiled data to estimate the performance of 33 health-related SDG indicators for 188 countries from 1990 to 2015. We rescaled each indicator on a scale from 0 (worst observed value between 1990 and 2015) to 100 (best observed). Indices representing all 33 health-related SDG indicators (health-related SDG index), health-related SDG indicators included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG index), and health-related indicators not included in the MDGs (non-MDG index) were computed as the geometric mean of the rescaled indicators by SDG target. We used spline regressions to examine the relations between the Socio-demographic Index (SDI, a summary measure based on average income per person, educational attainment, and total fertility rate) and each of the health-related SDG indicators and indices. Findings In 2015, the median health-related SDG index was 59.3 (95% uncertainty interval 56.8-61.8) and varied widely by country, ranging from 85.5 (84.2-86.5) in Iceland to 20.4 (15.4-24.9) in Central African Republic. SDI was a good predictor of the health-related SDG index (r(2) = 0.88) and the MDG index (r(2) = 0.2), whereas the non-MDG index had a weaker relation with SDI (r(2) = 0.79). Between 2000 and 2015, the health-related SDG index improved by a median of 7.9 (IQR 5.0-10.4), and gains on the MDG index (a median change of 10.0 [6.7-13.1]) exceeded that of the non-MDG index (a median change of 5.5 [2.1-8.9]). Since 2000, pronounced progress occurred for indicators such as met need with modern contraception, under-5 mortality, and neonatal mortality, as well as the indicator for universal health coverage tracer interventions. Moderate improvements were found for indicators such as HIV and tuberculosis incidence, minimal changes for hepatitis B incidence took place, and childhood overweight considerably worsened. Interpretation GBD provides an independent, comparable avenue for monitoring progress towards the health-related SDGs. Our analysis not only highlights the importance of income, education, and fertility as drivers of health improvement but also emphasises that investments in these areas alone will not be sufficient. Although considerable progress on the health-related MDG indicators has been made, these gains will need to be sustained and, in many cases, accelerated to achieve the ambitious SDG targets. The minimal improvement in or worsening of health-related indicators beyond the MDGs highlight the need for additional resources to effectively address the expanded scope of the health-related SDGs.Peer reviewe

X-ray investigations on the growth of cadmium whiskers

Whiskers of “pure” and “spectroscopically pure” cadmium grown in vacuum of the order of 10-6 mm Hg and in an inert gas atmosphere were studied. Deliberate introduction of spec. pure tin and lead as impurities was tried in some cases. Tin did promote whisker growth but not through the VLS mechanism. Lead remained inactive. The direction of growth was mainly observed to be [I2I0]. Three new directions of high index orientations were detected. The studies of imperfections were carried out with the Laue technique combined with a microfocus X-ray source. It was found that the imperfections vary much along the lengths and sides of the whiskers. Cases were detected where the structure of whiskers got drastically simplified towards the tip. Single twist around the growth axis of the whiskers was not found, but curvature of the planes inside the whiskers was commonly observed. They varied from several tenths to several tens of centimetres. They varied perfect whiskers showed some substructure (splitting of diffraction spots into doubletsin the nonequatorial reflections). It was found experimentally that the apparent simplicity of the equatorial layer spots is not a lattice property but is due to the geometry of the reflection itself. The structure of two kinked whiskers was also studied. In one case the kink occured as a continuation of the more perfect part of the crystal, in the other, a secondary crystal formation was the cause of the kinking