Effect of alpha tocopheryl succinate on cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activity in murine B-16 melanoma cells in culture

d-Alpha tocopheryl succinate (vitamin E succinate), which inhibited growth and survival, and induced differentiation in murine B-16 melanoma cells in culture, increased adenosine 3',5'cyclic monophosphate-(cAMP)-dependent protein kinase (PK) activity without increasing the cellular cAMP level. Prostaglandin (PG)A2, which produced changes in melanoma cells similar to those produced by vitamin E succinate, also increased cAMP-dependent PK activity without changing the intracellular level of cAMP.     

Derangement of the E-cadherin/catenin complex is involved in transformation of differentiated to anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Anaplastic thyroid cancer arises, or transforms, from pre-existing differentiated thyroid cancer. E-cadherin functions as a cell-cell adhesion molecule that complexes with catenin proteins for function. The objective of this study was to evaluate the change in E-cadherin/beta-catenin expression in the transformation of differentiated to anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. METHODS: A tissue microarray was constructed from 12 anaplastic thyroid tumors and their adjacent associated differentiated foci. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate tumor expression of E-cadherin and beta-catenin. RESULTS: There was decreased expression of E-cadherin and beta-catenin by the anaplastic tumors when compared with the differentiated thyroid tumors from which they evolved. The expression of E-cadherin and beta-catenin was 92% and 67%, respectively, by the differentiated thyroid carcinoma, and 17% and 50%, respectively, by the anaplastic tumors. CONCLUSIONS: This report shows that derangement of the E-cadherin/catenin complex is associated with the transformation of differentiated into anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.     

Different effects of GABAergic receptors located in the ventral tegmental area on the expression of morphine-induced conditioned place preference in rat

In the present study, an unbiased conditioned place preference paradigm was used to study the effects of intra-ventral tegmental area injections of Gama-amino-butyric acid (GABA)-A and B (GABA(A) and GABA(B)) receptor agonists and antagonists on the expression of morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in rats. Subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of morphine sulfate (5 mg/kg) induced CPP. Intra-ventral tegmental area administration of the GABA(A) receptor agonist, muscimol (6 microg/rat) reduced the expression of morphine-induced CPP. Muscimol (25 microg/rat) increased the expression of CPP induced by morphine. A reduction of the expression of morphine-induced CPP was observed on intra-ventral tegmental area injection of GABA(A) receptor antagonist bicuculline (25 microg/rat). Bicuculline (10 microg/rat) increased the expression of CPP induced by morphine. Baclofen (12 microg/rat) increased where as (19 and 25 microg/rat) reduced the expression of morphine-induced CPP. Injection of CGP38345 (10, 19, 25 and 50 microg/rat) into the ventral tegmental area significantly reduced the expression of CPP induced by morphine. It is concluded that GABA(A) and GABA(B) receptor subtypes within the ventral tegmental area may have different effects on the expression of morphine-induced CPP.     

Platinum and Palladium‐triazole Complexes as Highly Potential Antitumor Agents

The palladium complexes [(dppe)Pd(L)₂PdCl₂], [(dppe)Pd(L)₂PtCl₂], [(dppp)Pd(L)₂PdCl₂], [(dppm) Pd(L)₂NiCl₂], and [(dppm)Pd(L)₂SnCl₄] 15–19 were prepared. The antiproliferative activity of the newly synthesized complexes as well as their previously prepared analogues 3–14 and 20–26 were screened against a large panel of human cancer cell lines derived from haematological CD4⁺ human T‐cells containing an integrated HTLV‐1 genome (MT‐4). The complex 12a , b exhibited remarkable antiproliferative activity against MT‐4, CD4⁺ human acute T‐lymphoblastic leukemia (CCRF‐CEM), human splenic B‐lymphoblastoid cells (WIL‐2NS), human acute B‐lymphoblastic leukemia (CCRF‐SB), skin melanoma (SK‐MEL‐28), and prostate carcinoma (DU145) cell lines (CC₅₀ = 0.5 μM, 0.4 ± 0.05 μM, 0.6 ± 0.05 μM, 0.4 ± 0.1 μM, and 0.8 ± 0.2 μM, respectively), meanwhile, 9a , b , 14a , b , and 23 showed significant activity against the CCRF‐SB cell lines (CC₅₀ = 0.6 ± 0.06 μM, 0.7 ± 0.05 μM, 0.6 ± 0.05 μM, and 0.8 ± 0.15 μM, respectively). Further, 19 exhibited activity against the CCRF‐CEM cell line (CC₅₀ = 0.4 ± 0.05 μM).     

Time-course study of high fat diet induced alterations in spatial memory,hippocampal JNK,P38, ERK and Akt activity

Metabolic Brain Disease - Consumption of high fat diet (HFD) is a health concern in modern societies, which participate in wide range of diseases. One underlying mechanism in the HFD mediated...