A trip through the signaling pathways of melanoma

Many cellular signaling pathways are involved in the development of cancer. Depending on the tumor entity, the nature as well as the mode of activation can differ. Some signaling pathways frequently show changes as all tumor cells have to fulfill some basic requirements such as independence from growth factors or insensitivity against apoptosis. In this review, the possibilities of a tumor to manipulate signaling pathways to reach these goals are exemplified based on an archetypical melanoma cell. In addition, new therapeutic options based on the knowledge of signaling pathways will be discussed.     

Optimizing the efficiency of high-field multivoxel spectroscopic imaging by multiplexing in space and time.

A new strategy to yield information from the maximum number of voxels, each at the optimum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) per unit time, in MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) is introduced. In the past, maximum acquisition duty-cycle was obtained by multiplexing in time several single slices each repetition time (TR), while optimal SNR was achieved by encoding the entire volume of interest (VOI) each TR. We show that optimal SNR and acquisition efficiency can both be achieved simultaneously by multiplexing in space and time several slabs of several slices, each. Since coverage of common VOIs in 3D proton MRSI in the human brain typically requires eight or more slices, at 3 T or higher magnetic fields, two or more slabs can fit into the optimum TR (approximately 1.6 s). Since typically four or less slices would then fit into each slab, Hadamard encoding is favored in that direction for slice profile reasons. It is demonstrated that per fixed examination length, the new method gives, at 3 T, twice as many voxels, each of the same SNR and size, compared with current 3D chemical shift imaging techniques. It is shown that this gain will increase for more extensive spatial coverage or higher fields.     

热缺血再灌注损伤影响肝脏细胞周期检查点调控的基因表达分析

目的动态观察肝脏热缺血再灌注损伤（WIRI）对细胞周期检查点基因的表达影响，研究其分子机制帮助了解那些与热缺血再灌注相关的疾病。方法采用成组对照的实验设计，利用微阵列芯片和逆转录-聚合酶链反应（PCR）联合分析技术，分析SD大鼠热缺血再灌注损伤处理后的基因表达变化（其中芯片分析8只、RT-PCR定量分析16只）；运用系统生物学分析方法对功能基因进行聚类。结果分别得到了热缺血再灌注损伤处理后肝脏的细胞周期各检查点基因及早期即刻基因表达数据，将其中与细胞周期密切相关的的功能基因（上调的223条、下调的62条变化幅度均大于3倍）做进一步分析。结论肝脏热缺血再灌注损伤通过细胞周期／检查点控制基因影响细胞周期G1／S、G2／M的运行，抑制DNA的合成和染色体的分裂。推测可能影响受损的DNA双链自我修复和后期的组织细胞再生、凋亡。     

Skp2、p27kip1在大肠癌中的表达及其临床意义

目的研究Skp2、p27kip1在大肠癌组织中的表达,探讨它们之间的关系及其临床意义。方法采用免疫组化方法检测Skp2、p27kip1蛋白在83例大肠癌、18例大肠腺瘤和20例大肠正常黏膜中的表达。结果大肠癌组织中Skp2蛋白阳性率(28.65±12.60)%,显著高于大肠腺瘤组织(17.28±10.66)%(P<0.01)和大肠正常黏膜组织(6.60±5.54)%(P<0.01)。Skp2蛋白表达与细胞分化程度、肿瘤分期及淋巴结转移呈正相关(P<0.01)。大肠癌组织中p27kip1蛋白阳性率(24.61±11.27)%,显著低于大肠腺瘤组织(49.94±13.22)%(P<0.01)和大肠正常黏膜组织(65.40±15.74)%(P<0.01)。p27kip1蛋白表达与细胞分化程度、肿瘤分期及淋巴结转移呈负相关(P<0.01)。大肠癌组织中Skp2与p27kip1表达呈负相关(r=-0.430,P<0.01)。结论大肠癌中Skp2蛋白的过度表达与p27kip1蛋白降解有关,提示Skp2蛋白可能在大肠癌的发生发展中起重要作用。     

Morphine exposure prevents up-regulation of MR and GR binding sites in the brain of adult male and female rats due to prenatal stress

Our previous work demonstrated that the hormone response to stress and the negative feedback inhibition to these hormones are sex-dependently altered by prenatal morphine exposure in adult rats. An alteration in the glucocorticoid negative feedback inhibition is mediated by glucocorticoid receptors (GR) that are distributed throughout the brain, and mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) localized mainly in the hippocampus and involved in a tonic influence of brain functions. Therefore, the present study examined the binding characteristics of MR and GR in young adult male and female rats exposed prenatally (E11-E18) to morphine (10 mg/kg/2 x /day), saline or no treatment at all (controls). At 60-90 days of age, animals were adrenalectomized (ADX) 24 h prior to decapitation. The hippocampus and hypothalamus were dissected for saturation binding assays. The data demonstrate that prenatal stress due to maternal saline injections up-regulates MR and GR binding in the hippocampus of adult male rats and this effect is prevented by prenatal morphine exposure. There is no effect of prenatal morphine exposure on GR binding in the hypothalamus of males. In female rats, prenatal morphine exposure does not affect the binding of MR and GR in the hippocampus or GR in the hypothalamus relative to controls; however, they are affected by ovarian hormone fluctuation. Moreover, prenatal stress decreases MR binding in the hippocampus of diestrous females and GR binding in the hypothalamus of estrous females. Both decreases are prevented by prenatal morphine exposure. Thus, the present study demonstrates that: (1) prenatal stress due to maternal saline injections alters MR and GR binding of adult male and female rats and is prevented by prenatal morphine exposure; (2) the MR and GR binding in adult female rats are affected by ovarian hormone fluctuations.     

1,25(OH)2Vitamin D3 induces elevated expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p18 in a squamous cell carcinoma cell line of the head and neck

BACKGROUND: 1Alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25(OH)(2) Vitamin D(3)] induces growth inhibition in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines of the head and neck by arresting the cells in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, probably due to an enhanced expression of p21, which could be demonstrated in other cell lines (JPPA, SCC9) before. In SCC25, a SCC cell line isolated from tongue, growth inhibition but no overexpression of p21 was detected. The retinoblastoma gene, as a direct target of G1 cyclin-CDK complexes, showed an obvious shift from the hyperphosphorylated to the hypophosphorylated form under 1,25(OH)(2)Vitamin D(3), which indicates that the growth inhibition takes place in the G0/G1 phase. To explore the possible pathway of growth inhibition in SCC25 we investigated other cell cycle inhibitors (p18, p19, p27). METHODS: Synchronized cells were treated with 1,25(OH)(2)Vitamin D(3) over 96 h. The cell cycle status and expression of cell cycle-regulating proteins was determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and Western blotting. An overexpression of p18 in 1,25(OH)(2)Vitamin D(3) vs. ethanol-treated cells was determined until 30 h in SCC25. No influence was detectable on the expression of p27 and p19. CONCLUSION: One mechanism by which 1,25(OH)(2)Vitamin D(3) controls cell growth might be the upregulation of p21. As p21 was unsusceptible to 1,25(OH)(2)Vitamin D(3) in SCC25, other inhibiting proteins were necessary to be tested. The proven upregulation of p18 seems to be the responsible step for growth inhibition of 1,25(OH)(2)Vitamin D(3) in SCC25.     

Ocular autonomic function in progressive autonomic failure

Ocular autonomic function was assessed in 4 patients with progressive autonomic failure (PAF) and age-matched control subjects, by measurement of the pupil cycle time, and determination of autonomic denervation hypersensitivity of the iris. Pupil cycle time was abnormal in all patients with PAF; sustained pupil cycling was absent in 5 of the 8 eyes tested of the PAF patients, compared with only 16 eyes from 70 control subjects. Pupil constriction in response to 2.5% methacholine, indicative of parasympathetic denervation hypersensitivity, was significantly increased in patients with PAF (p < 0.001), whilst pupil dilation in response to 0.5% phenylephrine, indicative of sympathetic denervation hypersensitivity, was also significantly higher in the PAF patients (p < 0.001). The results suggest that ocular autonomic function may provide a sensitive early indicator of generalised autonomic dysfunction.     

Acoustic rhinometry in pre-school children

Acoustic rhinometry was performed in 35 normal nose-breathing children between 3 and 6 years. The average cross-sectional areas at the nasal valve, at the anterior end of the turbinates, and in the nasopharynx were 0.34±0.06 cm², 0.35±0.08 cm² and 1.37±0.48 cm² respectively. The average minimal cross-sectional area was 0.29±0.06 cm². The minimal cross-sectional area was located at the nasal valve in 14 and at the anterior end of nasal tubinates in 21 of the 35 children. As would be expected, the cross-sectional areas at different sites of the nasal cavity increased with increasing age of the children. But, whereas the minimal cross-sectional area increased by 0.024 cm² per year, the nasopharyngeal cross-sectional area increased by 0.20 cm² per year. No significant differences were found between boys and girls. Measurements of the posterior nasal and nasopharyngeal cross-sectional areas were unreliable, whenever the minimal cross-sectional area was less than 0.2 cm². Furthermore, assessment of the nasopharynx may be difficult because of involuntary movements of the soft palate.     

Motivated behavior and the estrous cycle in rats

(1) The estrous cycle in the rat may be used to study recurrent changes in motor behaviors and motivation which are strongly related to cyclic hormonal and CNS changes. (2) The peak in motivated behaviors occurs during a sharply defined period on the night between proestrus and estrus and is evident in facilitated wheel-running, lordosis, and intracranial self-stimulation. (3) Behaviors without a clearly motivated character do not show an estrous cyclicity. (4) The estrous cyclic variation in intracranial self-stimulation was observed at a specific locus — the pars campacta of the substantia nigra. (5) A neurochemical link between sexually motivated behavior, wheel running and intracranial self-stimulation is suggested. This link is in part dopaminergic but is probably also activated by many other systems.