A simple, quantitative method for assessing angiogenesis and antiangiogenic agents using reconstituted basement membrane, heparin, and fibroblast growth factor.

BACKGROUND: Blood vessel growth is necessary for normal tissue homeostatis and contributes to solid tumor growth. Methods to quantitate neovascularization should be useful in testing biological factors and drugs that regulate angiogenesis or to induce a vascular supply to promote wound healing. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: An extract of basement membrane proteins (Matrigel) was found to reconstitute into a gel when injected subcutaneously into C57/BL mice and to support an intense vascular response when supplemented with angiogenic factors. RESULTS: New vessels and von Willebrand factor antigen staining were apparent in the gel 2-3 days after injection, reaching a maximum after 3-5 days. Hemoglobin content of the gels was found to parallel the increase in vessels in the gel allowing ready quantitation. Angiogenesis was obtained with both acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors and was enhanced by heparin. Several substances were tested for angiostatic activity in this assay by coinjection in Matrigel with fibroblast growth factor and heparin. Platelet-derived growth factor BB, interleukin 1-beta, interleukin-6, and transforming growth factor-beta were potent inhibitors of neovascularization induced by fibroblast growth factor. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha did not alter the response but was alone a potent inducer of neovascularization when coinjected with Matrigel and heparin. Consistent with the previously demonstrated importance of collagenase in mediating endothelial cell invasion, a tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases that also inhibits collagenases was found to be a potent inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor-induced angiogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: Our assay allows the ready quantitative assessment of angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors and should be useful in the isolation of endothelial cells from the capillaries that penetrate into the gel.     

Phosphatidylserine externalization in human sperm induced by calcium ionophore A23187: relationship with apoptosis, membrane scrambling and the acrosome reaction

BACKGROUND: Translocation of phosphatidylserine (PS) from the inner to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane is a modification of the lipid architecture occurring in sperm. This is one of the earliest signs of apoptosis that can be monitored by the calcium-dependent binding of annexin V. METHODS AND RESULTS: Flow cytometric analysis of annexin V binding was performed. Calcium ionophore A23187 led to a significant increase in the proportion of living sperm with PS exposure: 7.3 3.2% of cells in the untreated ejaculate versus 47.5 5.6% of cells after 1 h of incubation with A23187. Conversely, diminution of mitochondrial membrane potential [DiOC6(3)/propidium iodide (PI) assay], caspase activation [fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (VAD-FMK)/PI assay], increased plasma membrane permeability (Yo-Pro-1/PI assay) and increased DNA fragmentation [TdT (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase)-mediated dUDP nick-end labelling assay], which are among the main signs of apoptosis, were not observed in sperm, even after 4 h of incubation with A23187. However, A23187 significantly increased the proportion of sperm with plasma membrane scrambling and with a reacted acrosome, as detected with the merocyanine 540 probe (M540) and the monoclonal anti-human CD46-PE antibody respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that PS exposure in human sperm, as induced by A23187, is mainly related to the acrosome reaction rather than to apoptosis.     

Patients'' experiences of GP consultations for psychological problems: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: The vast majority of patients with psychological problems are seen solely by their GP, but little is known about patients' perspectives regarding the variety of consultation skills that may be used in routine GP consultations with these patients. AIM: To identify which aspects of GP consultations patients presenting with psychological problems experience as helpful or unhelpful. DESIGN: Qualitative study. SETTING: Nine general practices in north central London. METHOD: Twenty patients, who had discussed psychological problems as a significant part of their index GP consultation, were asked in detail using the tape-assisted recall (TAR) method, about aspects of the consultation they had experienced as helpful or unhelpful. RESULTS: All patients described how the relationship with the GP helped or hindered them in discussing their problems; this was central to their experience of the consultation. An underlying attitude of genuine interest and empathy, within a continuing relationship, was highly valued. Patients also described how the GP helped them make sense of, or resolve their problems, and supported their efforts to change. CONCLUSION: These patient accounts suggest that routine GP consultations for psychological problems can have a powerful impact, at least short-term. The GP role in providing a safe place where patients feel they are listened to and understood should not be underestimated, particularly in the mental health context. Further research is required to investigate the longer-term impact of different GP behaviours on patient health outcomes. The TAR method has potential applications in primary care research and in the training of GPs and other health professionals.     

Regulation of hepatocyte activator inhibitor-1 expression by androgen and oncogenic transformation in the prostate

Hepatocyte activator inhibitor-1 (HAI-1) is a transmembrane serine protease inhibitor that regulates the conversion of latent to active hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Studies supporting a role for the HGF pathway in prostate carcinogenesis prompted an analysis of HAI-1 expression in the prostate. Here we analyze the regulation of HAI-1 expression by androgen, oncogenic transformation, and cancer progression. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that HAI-1 expression was restricted to prostate epithelium, where staining occurred primarily in basal and atrophic luminal epithelial cells. Compared to normal glands, HAI-1 expression was significantly increased in localized prostate cancer and was present in most prostate cancer metastases. HAI-1 protein expression levels were sensitive to androgen in normal epithelium but not in cancer. Although androgen did not increase HAI-1 protein expression levels in LNCaP cells, it decreased HAI-1 surface expression, consistent with previous data from our group (Martin DB, Gifford DR, Wright ME, Keller A, Yi E, Goodlett DR, Aebersold R, Nelson PS: Quantitative proteomic analysis of proteins released by neoplastic prostate epithelium. Cancer Res 2004, 64:347-355). HAI-1 overexpression in cancer was predictive of prostate-specific antigen recurrence (relative risk, 1.24). These results suggest that HAI-1 regulates the HGF Met axis on prostate epithelial cells and influences HGF mediated tumor invasion and metastasis.     

Alcoholism and drug abuse in three groups — bipolar I, unipolars and their acquaintances

Objective: Previous work has shown that manic-depressive illness and alcohol abuse are linked. This study further explores the relationship of alcohol and drug abuse in bipolar I patients and unipolar depressives and a comparison group obtained through the acquaintance method. Method: Diagnosis was accomplished according to Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC): controls=469; bipolars=277; unipolar depressives=678. Systematic data were gathered using the SADS on lifetime and current drug abuse and alcoholism. Both patients and comparison subjects were then followed prospectively for 10 years. First degree family members were interviewed using the RDC family history method. Results: The group of bipolar patients and the group of unipolar patients had higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse than the comparison group when primary and secondary affective disorder patients were combined. However, primary unipolar patients did not have higher rates of alcohol or drug abuse than the comparison group. In contrast, primary bipolar patients had higher rates of alcoholism, stimulant abuse, and ever having abused a drug than the primary unipolar group and the control group. In an evaluation of the bipolar patients, drug abusers were significantly younger at intake and had a significantly younger age of onset of bipolar disorder. There was a significant increase in family history of mania or schizoaffective mania in the drug-abusing bipolar patients as compared to the non-abusing bipolar patients. Limitation: As in all adult samples of patients with affective illness, the chronology of alcohol and substance problems vis-à-vis the onset of illness was determined retrospectively. Conclusions: (1) Alcoholism and drug abuse are more frequent in bipolar than unipolar patients. (2) The drug abuse of bipolar patients tends toward the abuse of stimulant drugs. (3) In a bipolar patient, familial diathesis for mania is significantly associated with the abuse of alcohol and drugs. (4) More provocatively, these findings suggest the hypothesis of a common familial-genetic diathesis for a subtype of bipolar I, alcohol and stimulant abuse. Clinical implications: The present analyses, coupled with two previous ones from the CDS, suggest that drug abuse may precipitate an earlier onset of bipolar I disorder in those who already have a familial predisposition for mania. Furthermore, in dually diagnosed patients with manic-depressive and alcohol/stimulant abuse history, mood stabilization of the bipolar disorder represents a rational approach to control concurrent alcohol and drug problems, and should be studied in systematic controlled trials.     

Differential expression of cdk inhibitors p16, p21cip1, p27kip1, and cyclin E in cervical cytological smears prepared by the ThinPrep method

Our objective was to correlate p16, p21cip1, p27kip1, and cyclin E protein expression with the degree of dysplasia on ThinPrep Papanicolaou (Pap) smears using a modified immunoperoxidase staining. Smears read as normal, atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), or high-grade SIL (HSIL) were identified and tested for high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV). Additional smears were processed for immunoperoxidase for p16, p21cip1, p27kip1, and cyclin E. Thirty-four smears were satisfactory for study. The p16 was positive in all nine HSIL, in four of nine LSIL, and in one of seven ASC-US. The p27kip1 was positive in all nine HSIL, in eight of nine LSIL, and in one of seven ASC-US. The p21cip1 was positive in all nine HSIL, in one of nine LSIL, and in one of seven ASC-US. Cyclin E was positive in seven of nine HSIL and in one of nine LSIL and in none of the ASC-US smears. Normal smears were negative for all the antigens. There was poor correlation of protein expression and HR-HPV infection. We concluded that p16, p21cip1, p27kip1, and cyclin E can be demonstrated on Pap smears and they are expressed differentially in dysplastic cells, with highest expression in HSIL. The p21cip1 and cyclin E showed the greatest correlation with HSIL.     

Two methods of whole-genome amplification enable accurate genotyping across a 2320-SNP linkage panel

Comprehensive genome scans involving many thousands of SNP assays will require significant amounts of genomic DNA from each sample. We report two successful methods for amplifying whole-genomic DNA prior to SNP analysis, multiple displacement amplification, and OmniPlex technology. We determined the coverage of amplification by analyzing a SNP linkage marker set that contained 2320 SNP markers spread across the genome at an average distance of 2.5 cM. We observed a concordance of >99.8% in genotyping results from genomic DNA and amplified DNA, strongly indicating the ability of both methods used to amplify genomic DNA in a highly representative manner. Furthermore, we were able to achieve a SNP call rate of >98% in both genomic and amplified DNA. The combination of whole-genome amplification and comprehensive SNP linkage analysis offers new opportunities for genetic analysis in clinical trials, disease association studies, and archiving of DNA samples.