Prenatal stress increased Snk Polo-like kinase 2, SCF β-TrCP ubiquitin ligase and ubiquitination of SPAR in the hippocampus of the offspring at adulthood

Exposure to excessive glucocorticoids during fetal development period contributes to later life psychopathology. Prenatal stress decreases dendritic spine density and impair LTP in the hippocampus of rat pups, however, the mechanisms regulating these changes are still unclear.     

Therapeutic potential of tyrosine kinase 2 in autoimmunity

Introduction: Tyrosine kinase 2 (Tyk2) is a Janus kinase family member that is crucial for signaling transduction in response to a wide variety of cytokines, including type I IFNs, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-23. An appropriate expression of Tyk2-mediated signaling might be essential for maintaining normal immune responses.

Areas covered: This review summarizes that Tyk2 is essential for the differentiation and function of a wide variety of immune cells, including natural killer cells, B cells, as well as T helper cells. In addition, Tyk2-mediated signaling promoted the production of autoimmune-associated components, which is implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis. Aberrant expression of Tyk2 was observed in many autoimmune conditions.

Expert opinion: Until recently, no patent filings had claimed selective inhibitors of Tyk2. Both CP-690,500 and CMP6 failed to be used in clinical treatment due to the difficulties of finding suitable selective leads or due to detrimental toxicities. Although the result of Cmpd1 is promising, it remains to be seen how specific the Tyk2 inhibitor is and how they are working. Currently, structure-based drug design (SBDD) technology has provided us with a quite useful window for SBDD of Tyk2 inhibitors.     

姜黄素通过新型蛋白激酶-θ亚型抑制大鼠海马神经元中通道的研究

目的探讨姜黄素对Ca2+通道电流的选择性抑制作用。方法使用10 mmol/L的钡离子作为电荷载体,利用膜片钳技术记录大鼠海马神经元的全细胞电流;免疫印迹法检测大鼠海马神经元中蛋白激酶C(PKC)的分型;进行全细胞膜片钳技术分析。结果姜黄素浓度依赖性抑制高电压门控Ca2+通道电流(IBa),姜黄素对Ca2+型通道的激活无显著影响,但能够使Ca2+通道的失活曲线向超极化方向移动;此外,在体外培养的大鼠海马神经元中,细胞内应用PKC-θ的抑制肽PKC-θ-IP,能消除黄素诱导抑制的作用;新型PKC-δ、PKC-ε和PKC-θ,但不包括PKC-η在神经元中内源性表达。结论姜黄素在大鼠海马神经元中通过新型的PKC-θ依赖途径抑制IBa,这个结论可能有利于证明姜黄素的神经保护作用。     

Sex-specific endothelial dysfunction induced by high-cholesterol diet in rats: The role of protein tyrosine kinase and nitric oxide

Background and aimsAtherosclerosis is a chronic process playing a crucial role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Sex-specific differences in the incidence of atherosclerosis indicate that estrogen has a protective effect on the cardiovascular disease. However, the role of sex on endothelium responses in animal models of high cholesterol (HC) diet-induced atherosclerosis has not been fully investigated. This study was aimed to investigate vascular responses in HC-fed rats.Methods and resultsMale and female Sprague rats (12-week-old) were treated with either a standard diet (n = 12 of each sex) or an HC enriched diet (n = 12 of each sex) containing 2% cholesterol for 24 weeks. HC treated animals (both sexes) showed increased levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride and blood pressure (BP) compared to control rats. While the BP of control rats (both sexes) was increased following aminoguanidine administration (AG, 100 mg/kg i.p.), it was not changed in HC animals (both sexes). The hypotensive effect of acetylcholine was significantly impaired in male HC-treated rats. In vitro experiments demonstrated that aortic rings from HC group (both sexes) had an increased contractile response to phenylephrine and a decreased vasodilatory response to acetylcholine. The vasorelaxant effect of acetylcholine in HC rats (only male) was improved by applying 10^?5 M genistein (tyrosine kinase inhibitor) or AG.ConclusionHC diet alters endothelium function through Nitric oxide (NO) and tyrosine kinase pathways in male rats.     

Dutch Melanoma Treatment Registry: Quality assurance in the care of patients with metastatic melanoma in the Netherlands

BackgroundIn recent years, the treatment of metastatic melanoma has changed dramatically due to the development of immune checkpoint and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase inhibitors. A population-based registry, the Dutch Melanoma Treatment Registry (DMTR), was set up in July 2013 to assure the safety and quality of melanoma care in the Netherlands. This article describes the design and objectives of the DMTR and presents some results of the first 2 years of registration.MethodsThe DMTR documents detailed information on all Dutch patients with unresectable stage IIIc or IV melanoma. This includes tumour and patient characteristics, treatment patterns, clinical outcomes, quality of life, healthcare utilisation, informal care and productivity losses. These data are used for clinical auditing, increasing the transparency of melanoma care, providing insights into real-world cost-effectiveness and creating a platform for research.ResultsWithin 1 year, all melanoma centres were participating in the DMTR. The quality performance indicators demonstrated that the BRAF inhibitors and ipilimumab have been safely introduced in the Netherlands with toxicity rates that were consistent with the phase III trials conducted. The median overall survival of patients treated with systemic therapy was 10.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.1–11.1) in the first registration year and 12.7 months (95% CI 11.6–13.7) in the second year.ConclusionThe DMTR is the first comprehensive multipurpose nationwide registry and its collaboration with all stakeholders involved in melanoma care reflects an integrative view of cancer management. In future, the DMTR will provide insights into challenging questions regarding the definition of possible subsets of patients who benefit most from the new drugs.     

骨髓增生异常综合征治疗新药开发

骨髓增生异常综合征(MDS)是克隆性造血干细胞疾病,临床表现呈现多样性和异质性,以血细胞减少为特征,少数有进展为急性白血病的危险。近十年出现了多种新的治疗方案,本文综述近年上市的以及目前处于临床研究阶段的治疗MDS的新药开发进展。