Screening of common CYP1B1 mutations in Iranian POAG patients using a microarray-based PrASE protocol

Purpose: The gene coding cytochrome P4501B1 (CYP1B1) has been shown to be a major cause of primary congenital glaucoma in the Iranian population. More recently it was shown to also be important in juvenile-onset open angle glaucoma (JOAG). We aimed to further investigate the role of CYP1B1 in a larger cohort of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients which included late-onset patients. We also aimed to set up a microarray based protocol for mutation screening with an intent of using the protocol in a future population level screening program. Methods: Sixty three POAG patients, nine affected family members, and thirty three previously genotyped primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) patients were included in the study. Clinical examination included slit lamp biomicroscopy, IOP measurement, gonioscopic evaluation, fundus examination, and measurement of perimetry. G61E, R368H, R390H, and R469W were screened by a protocol that included multiplexed allele specific amplification in the presence of a protease (PrASE), use of sequence tagged primers, and hybridization to generic arrays on microarray slides. The entire coding sequences of CYP1B1 and myocilin (MYOC) genes were sequenced in all individuals assessed by the microarray assay to carry a mutation. Intragenic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotpes were determined for mutated alleles. Results: Genotypes assessed by the array-based PrASE methodology were in 100 concordance with sequencing results. Seven mutation carrying POAG patients (11.1) were identified, and their distribution was quite skewed between the juvenile-onset individuals (5/21) as compared to late-onset cases (2/42). Four of the seven mutation carrying Iranian patients harbored two mutated alleles. CYP1B1 mutated alleles in Iranian PCG and POAG patients shared common haplotypes. MYOC mutations were not observed in any of the patients. Conclusions: The PrASE approach allowed reliable simultaneous genotyping of many individuals. It can be an appropriate tool for screening common mutations in large sample sizes. The results suggest that CYP1B1 is implicated in POAG among Iranians, notably in the juvenile-onset form. Contrary to POAG patients studied in other populations, many mutation harboring Iranian patients carry two mutated alleles. We propose an explanation for this observation. © 2008 Molecular Vision

The Comparison of The Effects of Silybin and Silybin-Phosphatidylcholine on Viability and ESR Expression in Human Breast Cancer T47D Cell Line

Objective: Silybin is a polyphenol with anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. The poor bioavailability of some polyphenols can be improved by binding to phosphatidylcholine. In recent years, studies have been conducted to evaluate the anti-cancer effect of silybin. We studied the effect of silybin and silybin-phosphatidylcholine on ESR1 and ESR2 gene expression and viability in the T47D breast cancer cell line. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, a 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-Yl)-2,5- Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide test (MTT test) was used to determine doses for cell treatment, and the gene expression was analyzed by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT- PCR). Results: Significant dose- and time-dependent cell growth inhibitory effects of silybin and silybin-phosphatidylcholine along with ESR1 down-regulation were observed in T47D cells. In contrast to ESR1, the T47D cell line showed negligible ESR2 expression. Conclusion: This study suggests that silybin and silybin-phosphatidylcholine down-regulate ESR1 in ER+ breast cancers. Results also show that in the T47D cell line, silybinphosphatidylcholine has a much higher growth inhibitory effect and a more significant down-regulation of ESR1 compared with silybin

The effect of steroid hormones on the mRNA expression of oct4 and sox2 in uterine tissue of the ovariectomized mice model of menopause

Background: The uterus is a dynamic tissue responding to hormonal changes during reproductive cycles. As such, uterine stem cells have been studied in recent years. Transcription factors oct4 and sox2 are critical for effective maintenance of pluripotent cell identity. Objective: The present research evaluated the mRNA expression of oct4 and sox2 in the uterine tissues of ovariectomized mice treated with steroid hormones. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, adult virgin female mice were ovariectomized and treated with estradiol 17β (E2), progesterone (P4), and a combination of E2 and P4 (E2 & P4) for 5 days. Uterine tissues were removed, and immunofluorescent (IF) staining and quantitative real-time PCR of oct4 and sox2 markers were performed. Results: IF showed oct4 and sox2 expression in the uterine endometrium and myometrium among all groups. The mRNA expression of oct4 (p=0.022) and sox2 (p=0.042) in the E2-treated group significantly were decreased compared to that in the control group. By contrast, the mRNA expression of oct4 and sox2 in the P4 (p=0.641 and 0.489 respectively) and E2 & P4-treated groups (p=0.267 and 0.264 respectively) did not show significant differences compared to the control group. Conclusion: The results indicate ovarian steroid hormones change the expression of oct4 and sox2 in the mice uterine tissues, which suggest the involvement of steroid hormonal regulation in uterine stem cells

Screening for MIR184 mutations in Iranian patients with keratoconus

Purpose: To investigate whether microRNA (MIR)-184 mutations make a substantial contribution to keratoconus (KCN) among affected Iranian patients. Methods: A total of 47 Iranian KCN patients, diagnosed based on family history, clinical examinations using slit lamp biomicroscopy, refraction and corneal topography were enrolled in this study. The pri-miR-184 encoding gene obtained from the DNAs of all participants was amplified using polymerase chain reaction and subsequently sequenced by the Sanger dideoxynucleotide protocol. The sequences were compared to MIR184 reference sequence in order to identify sequence variations. The potential effects of a single variation observed on RNA structure was predicted. Results: Only one sequence variation, +39G >T, was observed within the pri-miR-184 encoding sequence in one proband. The patient's KCN-affected sister harbored the same variation. The variation was not novel and was recently shown to be present at similar frequencies among large cohorts of KCN patients and control individuals. Conclusion: Mutations in MIR-184 are not a major cause of keratoconus among Iranian patients. The pri-miR-184 sequence needs to be screened in larger cohorts in order to establish whether mutations in the gene are present at low frequencies among Iranian patients

Vitrification affects the expression of matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors of mouse ovarian tissue

Background: One of the most major obstacles of ovarian tissue vitrification is suboptimal developmental competence of follicles. Matrix metalloproteinases 2 (MMP-2) and 9 (MMP-9) and their tissue inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 are involved in the remodeling of the extracellular matrix in the ovaries. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 genes in the preantral follicles derived from vitrified mouse ovaries. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the gene expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 in the isolated preantral follicles derived from fresh and vitrified ovaries of 14-16 days old female mice through real time qRT-PCR was evaluated. Developmental parameters, including survival rate, growth, antrum formation and metaphase II oocytes were also analyzed. Results: The developmental parameters of fresh preantral follicles were significantly higher than vitrified preantral follicles. The TIMP-1 and MMP-9 expression levels showed no differences between fresh and vitrified preantral follicles (p=0.22, p=0.11 respectively). By contrast, TIMP-2 expression significantly decreased (p=0.00) and MMP-2 expression increased significantly (p=0.00) in vitrified preantral follicles compared with to fresh ones. Conclusion: Changes in expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 after ovarian tissues vitrification is partially correlated with decrease in follicle development

Cyclic AMP Pathway Modifies Memory Through Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule Alterations in the Rat Hippocampus

Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules (NCAMs) are known to influence memory by affecting neural cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix junctions. This study investigated the possible role of cAMP pathway in the expression of hippocampal NCAM and its polysialylated derivative (PSA-NCAM). The following pharmacological tools were employed for manipulation of cAMP pathway: a) forskolin; the activator of adenylyl cyclase (AC), b) 8-Br-cAMP; a protein kinase A (PKA) agonist, c) 8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP; a selective enhancer of exchange protein activated by cAMP (Epac) and d) Rp-cAMP; a PKA inhibitor. Memory acquisition was tested by passive avoidance paradigm after injecting the above compounds for three consecutive days into the CA1 region of dorsal hippocampus of rats. Forskolin and 8-Br-cAMP enhanced memory retrieval while Rp-cAMP significantly reduced memory and NCAM levels. 8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP failed to alter memory performance or NCAM levels as compared to vehicle. We observed no significant changes in PSA-NCAM, however the expression of St8sia4 and St8sia2 (the polysialyltransferase isoforms) were altered. The mRNA levels of St8sia4 was down-regulated by 8-Br-cAMP, Rp-cAMP and 8-pCPT while forskolin led to almost 3 and 5 fold increase in mRNAs of St8sia2 and St8sia4, respectively. The current insight might endorse the predominant role of PKA as compared to Epac in cAMP pathway in expression of NCAM and memory function