Ontogenetic profile of glutamate uptake in brain structures slices from rats: sensitivity to guanosine

The excitotoxicity of the neurotransmitter glutamate has been shown to be connected with many acute and chronic diseases of the CNS. High affinity sodium-dependent glutamate transporters play a key role in maintaining adequate levels of extracellular glutamate. In the present study, we used slices of striatum, hippocampus and cortex from rat brain to describe the in vitro profile of glutamate uptake during development and ageing, and its sensitivity to guanosine. In all structures, glutamate uptake was higher in immature animals. There was a maximum decrease in glutamate uptake in striatum and hippocampus in 15-month-old rats, which later increased, while in cortex there was a significant decrease in rats aged 60 days old. The effect of guanosine seems to be age and structure dependent since the increase in basal glutamate uptake was only seen in slices of cortex from 10-day-old animals.     

c-myc反义寡核苷酸对肿瘤细胞表面抗原和对CD3AK杀伤敏感性的调节作用

目的：观察c-myc反义寡核苷酸上调人高转移性肺巨细胞腺癌PG细胞表面抗原分子的表达水平，提高免疫效应细胞杀伤敏感性的作用和机制。方法：PT－PCR方法检测c-myc mRNA表达水平的变化。MTT法检测细胞增殖活性和CD3AK杀伤活性的变化。流式细胞术检测细胞表面抗原表达的变化以及c-myc蛋白表达水平的变化。结果：c-myc反义寡核苷酸（1μmol/L）明显地抑制PG细胞c-myc mRNA和蛋白表达水平，显著提高细胞表面HLA－ABC、ICAM－1分子的表达，其表达率分别从68．44％、38．40％增高到83．16％和42．09％（P＜0．01）。CD3AK对反义寡核苷酸处理的PG细胞的不同效靶比杀伤活性，分别从40．0％、65．0％、74．0％增高到52．0％、74．0％、91．0％（P＜0．01）。结论：c-myc反义寡核苷酸通过抑制PG细胞c-myc mRNA和蛋白表达，上调PG细胞表面HLA－ABC、ICAM－1分子的表达水平，提高其对免疫效应细胞的杀伤敏感性。     

硫酸软骨素酶ABC对大鼠脊髓损伤修复的影响

为了探讨硫酸软骨素酶ABC对脊髓损伤后损伤局部瘢痕形成和脊髓传导功能修复的影响,本研究首先制作大鼠脊髓全横断损伤动物模型,并将其分为脊髓损伤组(A组)和脊髓损伤治疗组(B组)。在观察期内对动物的行为学表现进行BBB评分;用免疫荧光组织化学方法观察损伤4周后硫酸软骨素酶ABC对损伤局部的硫酸软骨素蛋白聚糖(CSPGs)的裂解作用;用辣根过氧化物酶(HRP)示踪法观察损伤8周后神经纤维的再生情况。结果显示:A组与B组之间动物的行为学评分B组优于A组,有显著性差异(P<0.01);B组动物脊髓内硫酸软骨素蛋白聚糖阳性物质的表达明显低于A组,具有显著性差异(P<0.05),而硫酸软骨素核心蛋白的表达无显著性差异(P>0.05);HRP示踪法显示B组脊髓损伤头端可见少量HRP标记的神经元胞体和纤维。本研究结果提示硫酸软骨素酶ABC能够裂解CSPGs中的葡胺聚糖链,减少瘢痕,促进损伤的神经纤维再生。     

载脂蛋白A-Ⅰ对三磷酸腺苷结合盒转运体A1的影响

目的：以THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞为研究对象，观察载脂蛋白A-I对THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞胆固醇流出和三磷酸腺苷结合盒转运体A1(ABCA1)的影响,从而探讨载脂蛋白A-I对动脉粥样硬化(As)发生发展的影响。方法:用液体闪烁计数器检测细胞内胆固醇流出, 高效液相色谱分析细胞内总胆固醇、游离胆固醇和胆固醇酯含量, 运用逆转录-多聚酶链反应和Western 印迹分别检测ABCA1 mRNA 与ABCA1蛋白的表达,用流式细胞术检测细胞平均ABCA1荧光强度。 结果:载脂蛋白A-I引起THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞总胆固醇、游离胆固醇与胆固醇酯呈时间依赖性减少, 而ABCA1蛋白质水平、细胞平均ABCA1荧光强度以及细胞内胆固醇流出呈时间依赖性增加,但ABCA1 mRNA没有明显变化。巯基蛋白酶抑制剂(leupeptin 和ALLN)增加ABCA1蛋白质水平,而其它蛋白酶抑制剂(pepstatin A、aprotinin及phosphoramiddon)不增加ABCA1蛋白质水平,蛋白体抑制剂(lactacytin)和溶酶体抑制剂(NH4Cl)也不影响ABCA1蛋白质水平。 结论:巯基蛋白酶可降解THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞ABCA1蛋白质,而载脂蛋白A-I可阻碍巯基蛋白酶降解ABCA1蛋白质,从而提高THP-1巨噬细胞源性泡沫细胞ABCA1 蛋白质水平, 增加细胞内胆固醇流出, 降低细胞内胆固醇聚积。     

Changes in the infectivity, pyruvate kinase activity, acid phosphatase activity and P-glycoprotein expression in glibenclamide-resistant Leishmania mexicana

We previously demonstrated susceptibility of Leishmania sp. to glibenclamide, a K⁺-ATP transport blocker which interacts with members of the superfamily of adenosine 5′ triphosphate-binding cassette transporters. In order to characterize the molecular differences between a sensitive Leishmania strain, NR(Gs), and an experimentally selected glibenclamide-resistant strain, NR(Gr), specific biochemical and functional parameters have been evaluated both in the wild type and in the resistant strain. Most noteworthy, NR(Gr) exhibit an increased expression of P-glycoprotein and a decreased activity of functional key enzymes such as acid phosphatase, a prominent virulent factor of the parasite, and pyruvate kinase, a key control enzyme for both carbohydrate and protein metabolism. The specific biochemical, metabolic and functional changes observed in the resistant strain correlated with a reduced infectivity of stationary phase NR(Gr) in J774 macrophages and suggested a mechanism to overcome the effect of glibenclamide. Received: 21 January 2000 / Accepted: 1 March 2000     

High expression of MDR1, MRP1, and MRP3 in the hepatic progenitor cell compartment and hepatocytes in severe human liver disease

An increase in bile ductular structures is observed in diverse human liver diseases. These structures harbour the progenitor cell compartment of the liver. Since ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters may have a cytoprotective role in liver disease, an immunohistochemical study was performed on human liver specimens from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, submassive cell necrosis, and normal liver. The expression of MDR1, MDR3, BSEP, MRP1, MRP2, and MRP3 was determined using specific antibodies. Dilution series were constructed to determine the critical staining level in order to estimate the factor of up-regulation. In normal liver, hepatocytes showed canalicular staining for MDR3, BSEP, and MRP2. MDR1 stained the canalicular membrane of hepatocytes as well as that of cholangiocytes. MRP3 showed low immunoreactivity of bile duct epithelial cells and centrilobular hepatocytes only. Normal liver showed no immunoreactivity for MRP1. In diseased liver, the expression of MDR3, BSEP, and MRP2 was relatively stable. In PBC, HCV, and submassive necrosis, the expression levels of MDR1, MRP1, and MRP3 were increased. The strongest immunoreactivity was seen after submassive necrosis, where remaining islands of hepatocytes showed strong canalicular staining for MDR1 and MRP3. Regenerating bile ductules at the interface of portal tracts and necrotic areas stained intensely for MDR1, MRP1, and MRP3. In conclusion, MDR1, MRP1, and MRP3 are up-regulated in hepatocytes in severe human liver disease. Strong MDR1, MRP1, and MRP3 reactivity is seen in regenerating human bile ductules.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel gene of Candida albicans,CDR1, conferring multiple resistance to drugs and antifungals

By functional complementation of a PDR5 null mutant of Saccharomyces cervisiae, we have cloned and sequenced the multidrug-resistance gene CDR1 of Candida albicans. Transformation by CDR1 of a PDR5-disrupted host hypersensitive to cycloheximide and chloramphenicol resulted in resistance to cycloheximide, chloramphenicol and other drugs, such as the antifungal miconazole, with collateral hypersensitivity to oligomycin, nystatin and 2,4 dinitrophenol. Our results also demonstrate the presence of several PDR5 complementing genes in C. albicans, displaying multidrug-resistance patterns different from PDR5 and CDR1. The nucleotide sequence of CDR1 revealed that, like PDR5, it encodes a putative membrane pump belonging to the ABC (ATP-binding cassette) superfamily. CDR1 encodes a 1501-residue protein of 169.9 kDa whose predicted structural organization is characterized by two homologous halves, each comprising a hydrophobic region with a set of six transmembrane stretches, preceded by a hydrophilic nucleotide binding fold.     

Molecular genetics of pseudoxanthoma elasticum: type and frequency of mutations in ABCC6

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is a systemic heritable disorder that affects the elastic tissue in the skin, eye, and cardiovascular system. Mutations in the ABCC6 gene cause PXE. We performed a mutation screen in ABCC6 using haplotype analysis in conjunction with direct sequencing to achieve a mutation detection rate of 97%. This screen consisted of 170 PXE chromosomes in 81 families, and detected 59 distinct mutations (32 missense, eight nonsense, and six likely splice-site point mutations; one small insertion; and seven small and five large deletions). Forty-three of these mutations are novel variants, which increases the total number of PXE mutations to 121. While most mutations are rare, three nonsense mutations, a splice donor site mutation, and the large deletion comprising exons 23-29 (c.2996_4208del) were identified as relatively frequent PXE mutations at 26%, 5%, 3.5%, 3%, and 11%, respectively. Chromosomal haplotyping with two proximal and two distal polymorphic markers flanking ABCC6 demonstrated that most chromosomes that carry these relatively frequent PXE mutations have related haplotypes specific for these mutations, which suggests that these chromosomes originate from single founder mutations. The types of mutations found support loss-of-function as the molecular mechanism for the PXE phenotype. In 76 of the 81 families, the affected individuals were either homozygous for the same mutation or compound heterozygous for two mutations. In the remaining five families with one uncovered mutation, affected showed allelic compound heterozygosity for the cosegregating PXE haplotype. This demonstrates pseudo-dominance as the relevant inheritance mechanism, since disease transmission to the next generation always requires one mutant allelic variant from each parent. In contrast to other previous clinical and molecular claims, our results show evidence only for recessive PXE. This has profound consequences for the genetic counseling of families with PXE.     

Regulation of organic cation transport

Transport of organic cations (OC) is important for the recycling of endogenous OC and also a necessary step for detoxification of exogenous OC in the body. Even though the identification and characterisation of numerous OC transporters in recent years has allowed the elucidation of molecular mechanisms underlying OC transport, elucidation of the regulation of this transport is just beginning. This review summarises the general properties of OC transport and then analyses the literature on the regulation of these processes. Studies on short- and long-term regulation of OC transport are considered separately. Important aspects of short-term regulation have been clarified and the regulatory pathways of several OC transporters have been characterised. Short-term regulation appears to be transporter subtype-, tissue- and species-dependent and to involve transporter phosphorylation. Transporter phosphorylation may alter the affinity for substrates or/and expression on the plasma membrane. Even though several studies have shown long-term regulation of OC transport, the pathophysiological meaning of these changes are not well understood. In this case, regulation seems to be subtype-, tissue- and gender-specific. Further research is necessary to clarify this important issue of regulation of OC transport.     

Mg2+ Transporters in Digestive Cancers

Despite magnesium (Mg²⁺) representing the second most abundant cation in the cell, its role in cellular physiology and pathology is far from being elucidated. Mg²⁺ homeostasis is regulated by Mg²⁺ transporters including Mitochondrial RNA Splicing Protein 2 (MRS2), Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Subfamily M, Member 6/7 (TRPM6/7), Magnesium Transporter 1 (MAGT1), Solute Carrier Family 41 Member 1 (SCL41A1), and Cyclin and CBS Domain Divalent Metal Cation Transport Mediator (CNNM) proteins. Recent data show that Mg²⁺ transporters may regulate several cancer cell hallmarks. In this review, we describe the expression of Mg²⁺ transporters in digestive cancers, the most common and deadliest malignancies worldwide. Moreover, Mg²⁺ transporters’ expression, correlation and impact on patient overall and disease-free survival is analyzed using Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets. Finally, we discuss the role of these Mg²⁺ transporters in the regulation of cancer cell fates and oncogenic signaling pathways.