Phenylglycine and sulfonamide correctors of defective delta F508 and G551D cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator chloride-channel gating

Mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel cause cystic fibrosis. The delta F508 mutation produces defects in channel gating and cellular processing, whereas the G551D mutation produces primarily a gating defect. To identify correctors of gating, 50,000 diverse small molecules were screened at 2.5 microM (with forskolin, 20 microM) by an iodide uptake assay in epithelial cells coexpressing delta F508-CFTR and a fluorescent halide indicator (yellow fluorescent protein-H148Q/I152L) after delta F508-CFTR rescue by 24-h culture at 27 degrees C. Secondary analysis and testing of >1000 structural analogs yielded two novel classes of correctors of defective delta F508-CFTR gating ("potentiators") with nanomolar potency that were active in human delta F508 and G551D cells. The most potent compound of the phenylglycine class, 2-[(2-1H-indol-3-yl-acetyl)-methylamino]-N-(4-isopropylphenyl)-2-phenylacetamide, reversibly activated delta F508-CFTR in the presence of forskolin with K(a) approximately 70 nM and also activated the CFTR gating mutants G551D and G1349D with K(a) values of approximately 1100 and 40 nM, respectively. The most potent sulfonamide, 6-(ethylphenylsulfamoyl)-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid cycloheptylamide, had K(a) approximately 20 nM for activation of delta F508-CFTR. In cell-attached patch-clamp experiments, phenylglycine-01 (PG-01) and sulfonamide-01 (SF-01) increased channel open probability >5-fold by the reduction of interburst closed time. An interesting property of these compounds was their ability to act in synergy with cAMP agonists. Microsome metabolism studies and rat pharmacokinetic analysis suggested significantly more rapid metabolism of PG-01 than SF-03. Phenylglycine and sulfonamide compounds may be useful for monotherapy of cystic fibrosis caused by gating mutants and possibly for a subset of delta F508 subjects with significant delta F508-CFTR plasma-membrane expression.     

A novel alternative approach for prediction of radiation response of squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck

Accurate prediction of human tumor response to radiation therapy and concomitant chemoradiation would be an important tool to assist the physician in making recommendations for tumor treatment. Most of the studies that define the molecular markers for prediction of radiation response are based on the observation of gene expression using immunostaining, Northern blot, or Western blot analysis of a single or several genes. The results vary among different studies, and some results are contradictory. However, the studies agree that the change in expression of the tumor-related gene affects the radiation response. In this study, we explored a novel approach to predict the radiation response of human tumor using Atlas human cancer 1.2 cDNA array to analyze the expression profile of 1187 tumor-related genes in radiation-resistant and radiation-sensitive tissues. Sixty tumor-related genes were selected as predictors of radiation response of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Using the expression intensity of these 60 tumor-related genes, in combination with cluster analysis, we successfully predicted the radiation identity of two tumor samples.     

Needle aspiration biopsy in cystic papillary carcinoma of the thyroid

The records of 11 patients with cystic papillary carcinoma of the thyroid who had undergone preoperative sonography and fine-needle aspiration biopsy were retrospectively reviewed. The lesions varied from 1.5 to 5 cm in diameter. In only six (55%) of the 11 patients was the correct diagnosis made preoperatively. In the other 45%, the lesion was initially misdiagnosed as a benign or hemorrhagic cyst. These data indicate that needle aspiration often yields false-negative results in patients with cystic papillary carcinoma. All patients diagnosed on sonography and fine-needle aspiration as having benign cysts should have continued clinical follow-up. If lesions do not disappear either clinically or by sonography, a more aggressive approach should be taken.     

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration in newborn infants with presumed sepsis: significant induction of peripheral and bone marrow neutrophilia

Host defenses in the human neonate are limited by immaturity in phagocytic immunity. Such limitations seem to predispose infected newborns to neutropenia from an exhaustion of the neutrophil reserve. Among the critical defects thus far identified in neonatal phagocytic immunity is a specific reduction in the capacity of mononuclear cells to express granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) after stimulation. However, the safety, pharmacokinetics, and biological efficacy of administration of recombinant human (rh)G-CSF to infected human newborns to compensate for this deficiency is unknown. Forty-two newborn infants (26 to 40 weeks of age) with presumed bacterial sepsis within the first 3 days of life were randomized to receive either placebo or varying doses of rhG-CSF (1.0, 5.0 or 10.0 micrograms/kg every 24 hours [36 patients] or 5.0 or 10.0 micrograms/kg every 12 hours [6 patients]) on days 1, 2, and 3. Complete blood counts with differential and platelet counts were obtained at hours 0, 2, 6, 24, 48, 72, and 96. Circulating G-CSF concentrations were determined at hours 0, 2, 6, 12, 14, 16, 18, 24, and 36. Tibial bone marrow aspirates were obtained after 72 hours for quantification of the bone marrow neutrophil storage pool (NSP), neutrophil proliferative pool, granulocyte progenitors, and pluripotent progenitors. Functional activation of neutrophils (C3bi expression) was determined 24 hours after rhG-CSF or placebo administration. Intravenous rhG-CSF was not associated with any recognized acute toxicity. RhG-CSF induced a significant increase in the blood neutrophil concentration 24 hours after the 5 and 10 micrograms/kg doses every 12 and 24 hours and it was sustained as long as 96 hours. A dose-dependent increase in the NSP was seen following rhG-CSF. Neutrophil C3bi expression was significantly increased at 24 hours after 10 micrograms/kg every 24-hour dose of rhG- CSF. The half-life of rhG-CSF was 4.4 +/- 0.4 hours. The rhG-CSF was well tolerated at all gestational ages treated. The rhG-CSF induced a significant increase in the peripheral blood and bone marrow absolute neutrophil concentration and in C3bi expression. Future clinical trials aimed at improving the outcome of overwhelming bacterial sepsis and neutropenia in newborn infants might include the use of rhG-CSF.     

Estimation of the niacin requirements for tilapia fed diets containing glucose or dextrin.

Two 12-wk experiments were conducted to determine the adequate dietary niacin levels for juvenile hybrid tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus x O. aureus, when diets containing either 38% D(+)-glucose or 38% dextrin (type III, from corn) as the carbohydrate source were fed. In Experiment 1, we used 0, 40, 80, 120, 160 and 200 mg/kg of supplemental niacin in both the glucose- and dextrin-containing diets. In Experiment 2, 0, 10, 25, 40 and 55 mg/kg or 0, 10, 25, 40, 80, 120 and 160 mg/kg of supplemental niacin was incorporated in diets containing glucose or dextrin, respectively. In both experiments, fish fed niacin-deficient diets grew poorly. They developed skin, fin and mouth lesions and hemorrhages; the snout was deformed and there was gill edema. These pathologies began 6 wk after the experiments started. Plasma glucose concentrations were higher in fish fed glucose diets than those fed dextrin diets. Weight gain analyzed by broken-line regression indicated that the adequate dietary niacin level for maximal growth in rapidly growing tilapia fingerlings is 26 mg/kg in fish fed the glucose diet and 121 mg/kg in fish fed the dextrin diet.     

Rapid inactivation and phosphorylation of pyroglutamyl peptidase II in Y-79 human retinoblastoma cells after exposure to phorbol ester

Pyroglutamyl peptidase II (EC 3.4.19.-), a membrane-bound metalloproteinase, is a highly specific TRH-degrading enzyme. Exposure of Y-79 human retinoblastoma cells to 12-0-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) decreased the activity of this enzyme in a time- and concentration-dependent manner (IC50 5 x 10(-9) M). After 15 min of TPA treatment, only 10% of pyroglutamyl peptidase II activity remained. TPA treatment did not affect the activity of the cytosolic enzyme pyroglutamyl peptidase I (EC 3.4.19.3) or the membrane-bound enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase IV (EC 3.4.19.3). Pretreatment of the cells with the protein kinase C inhibitors H-7 or sphingosine prevented the inactivation of pyroglutamyl peptidase II by TPA. The time course of the TPA-mediated effect paralleled the time course of translocation and activation of protein kinase C in this cell line. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that inactivation of pyroglutamyl peptidase II was not due to dissociation or internalization of this enzyme molecule. Incubation of TPA-activated Y-79 cell membranes with gamma-[32P]-ATP followed by immunoprecipitation revealed a time-dependent phosphorylation of a 48 kilodalton subunit of pyroglutamyl peptidase II. These studies indicate that the phorbol ester effect is mediated by protein kinase C, and reveal a mechanism of potentiation of the action of TRH at its target sites.     

Membrane Depolarization was Required to Induce DNA Synthesis in Murine Macrophage Cell Line PU5-1.8

The role of membrane potential (Em) on the initiation of DNA synthesis in murine macrophage cell line PU5-1.8 was investigated with fluorescent probes bis-oxonol and diS-C_3-(5). Incubation of PU5-1.8 cells in high K⁺-HEPES buffer or with gramicidin at 37°C for lh that depolarized the membrane induced L3H]-thymidine incorporation and expression of early response gene such as c-myc and c-fos. When PU5-1.8 cells were treated with a number of agents including fetal calf serum (FCS), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), epidermal growth factor (EGF), N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) and bradykinin (BK), only FCS caused DNA synthesis and membrane depolarization. Other agents had no effect on these events. the FCS-mediated DNA synthesis in PU5-1.8cells was inhibited by clamping the membrane potential with valinomycin. Moreover, intracellular alkalinization induced by nigericin at pH 7.9, which is believed to be a permissive signal for mitogenesis, caused membrane depolarization. On the other hand, challenge of cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13 acetate (PMA) suppressed the K⁺-mediated DNA synthesis. However, the treatment of cells with PMA did not change the membrane potential but suppressed the gramicidin-mediated membrane depolarization. These observations suggest that there is a correlation between membrane depolarization and initiation of DNA synthesis in PUS-1.8 cells. PKC may be acting as a modulator in this transducing pathway.