Cytogenomics of cancers: From chromosome to sequence

The role of acquired chromosomal rearrangements in oncogenesis (cytogenomics) and tumor progression is now well established. These alterations are multiple and diverse and the products of these rearranged genes play an essential role in the transformation and growth of cancer cells. The validity of this assumption is demonstrated by the development of specific inhibitors or antibodies that eliminate tumoral cells by targeting some of these changes. Imatinib, an inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase ABL, the prototype of these targeting drugs, is yielding complete remissions in most CML patients. Knowledge of chromosomal abnormalities is becoming an essential contribution to the diagnosis and prognosis of cancers but also for monitoring minimal residual disease or relapse. The concept of the “cytogenetic uniqueness” of each cancer has resulted in personalized treatment. This investigation will expound upon, besides the recurrent genomic alterations, the numerous products of perverted Darwinian selection at the cellular level.     

Chromosomal Mapping of Genetic Locus Associated with Thymus-size Enlargement in BUF/Mna Rats

The thymoma-prone rat of the BUF/Mna strain is a useful model for human thymoma. In this strain thymoma development is regulated by a single autosomal susceptible gene, Tsr-1. At pre-thymoma age, BUF/Mna rats have extremely large thyrauses, when compared to those of other strains of rats. Genetic studies in crosses between BUF/Mna rats with large thymuses and WKY/NCrj rats with small thymuses suggested the presence of a major autosomal gene, Ten-1 , which contributes to thymus enlargement in a backcross population. Linkage studies between Ten-1 and microsatellite markers in backcross rats of (WKY/NCrj×BUF/Mna)Fl×BUF/Mna have led to the localization of Ten-1 in chromosome 1. This result may provide an approach to clone Tsr-1 , which could be allelic to Ten-1.     

HFE codon 63/282 (H63D/C282Y) dimorphism in German patients with genetic hemochromatosis

Abstract: Genetic hemochromatosis (GH) is closely associated with genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on chromosome 6. Recently, a candidate gene for GH, with structural similarities to MHC class I genes, designated HLA-H and presently named HFE, has been cloned. The HFE gene is localized telomeric to the MHC and several reports have indicated that the HFE gene is mutated in GH patients. In the present study we have analyzed the relationship of HFE gene variants and disease manifestation in GH patients and family members. Fifty-seven patients with GH, 73 family members and 153 healthy blood donors were studied for the amino acid dimorphism at codon 63 (His63Asp=H63D) and codon 282 (Cys282Tyr= C282Y) of the HFE gene. The codon 63 and 282 dimorphism were defined by PCR amplification of genomic DNA samples and restriction enzyme digestion using RsaI/SnaBI for C282Y and Bcll/Mbo 1 for H63D. Ferritin, transferrin serum levels and total iron-binding capacity were determined prior to therapeutic intervention. The Tyr-282 substitution occurred in 53 (93%) of patients compared with 8 (5.2%) of controls (OR=169, P >0.0001). Fifty-one (90%) patients were Tyr-282 homozygous. In contrast, the Asp-63 substitution was present in 5 (8.8%) of the patients compared with 34 (22%) of controls (OR=0.39, P =NS) with none of the patients being homozygous. In Tyr-282 homozygous GH patients serum ferritin levels, transferrin saturation, liver iron and liver iron index were elevated significantly compared to Tyr-282-negative patients, whereas no difference was observed between Tyr/Cys-282 heterozygous and Tyr-282-negative patients.     

聚合酶链反应在鼠疫菌检测中的应用 研究

本文采用聚合酶链反应（ＰＣＲ）技术，通过扩增鼠疫菌９．５ｋｂ质粒ｐｌａ基础上一个４７８ｂｌ片段，用于鼠疫菌检测，被试的４５株鼠疫菌扩增产物经琼脂糖凝胶电泳分析均呈现单一ＤＮＡ带，其分子量大小与预期结果符合。而假结核菌和一株缺６ＭＤ质粒鼠疫菌未见扩增带，洽部实验可在４ｈ内完成。本法具有快速、特异、敏感等优点，可用于不同生态型鼠疫菌的快速诊断和流行病学研究．     

大豆皂甙和神经肽Y在下丘脑后核引起的心血管效应中的关系

微量注射大豆皂甙（Ｔｓ）到下丘脑后核（ＰＨＮ）能引起平均动脉压（ＭＡＰ）升高，心率加快，其效应与向ＰＨＮ内注入神经肽Ｙ（ＮＰＹ）相似。分别注入不能引起血压、心率发生明显变化的微量Ｔｓ、ＮＰＹ，如果合并注入ＰＨＮ则可引起血压、心率的显著变化，表明二者互有加强作用。Ａｔｒｏｐｉｎｅ可以对抗Ｔｓ、ＮＰＹ或Ｔｓ＋ＮＰＹ同时注入ＰＨＮ的升压效应，提示ＮＰＹ是通过激活脑内Ｍ受体而实现升压效应的，而Ｔｓ的心血管效应又可能是经过脑内ＮＰＹ介导和加强的。     

Neonatal exposure to estradiol prevents the expression of ovarian hormone-induced luteinizing hormone and prolactin surges in adulthood but not antecedent changes in neuropeptide Y or adrenergic transmitter activity: Implications for sexual differentiation of gonadotropin secretion

Sex differences in adult patterns of mating behavior and gonadotropin secretion in rats are determined in part by the presence or absence of gonadal steroids during a perinatal critical period. For example, male rats and female rats exposed neonatally to androgen do not exhibit LH surge patterns when treated appropriately with ovarian hormones in adulthood, and there is evidence that this may be due to a failure of ovarian hormones to activate the hypothalamic neuronal systems that stimulate LH secretion in such animals. Because considerable evidence suggests that estradiol formed centrally from testosterone is responsible for the permanent defeminization of mating behavior and gonadotropin secretion, the present studies compared normal females with normal males and with females treated neonatally with estradiol on the ability of ovarian hormones to induce several important neurochemical changes antecedent to the LH surge, including changes in neuropeptide Y (NPY) and LH-releasing hormone (LHRH) concentrations in the median eminence, as well as changes in turnover rates for catecholamine transmitters in the medial basal hypothalamus and medial preoptic area. Normal ovariectomized female rats responded to sequential treatment with estradiol followed by progesterone with afternoon LH and prolactin (PRL) surges, and with sequential accumulation followed by decline in concentrations of LHRH and NPY in the median eminence prior to the LH surge. In addition, administration of progesterone increased the turnover rates of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI) in the arcuate-median eminence region of normal females. Gonadectomized male rats receiving the same ovarian hormone treatment failed to exhibit LH or PRL surges and displayed none of the changes in neurotransmitter turnover or peptide concentrations characteristically seen in the normal female. Unexpectedly however, when females that were treated with estradiol benzoate on days 1–3 postpartum were ovariectomized and treated with ovarian hormones in adulthood, they showed the same accumulation/decline in median eminence NPY concentrations and the same activation of NE and EPI turnover in the arcuate-median eminence region as normal females, even though they showed no LH or PRL surges or changes in median eminence LHRH concentrations. These results suggest that estradiol may not mediate all of the defeminizing actions of androgen exerted during the early neonatal period, and particularly those actions that result in a lack of responsiveness in central noradrenergic, adrenergic and NPY systems in adulthood. However, an action of neonatal estradiol may result in uncoupling of the LHRH neurosecretory system from normal excitatory neurochemical influences.     

慢性神经病理性痛大鼠背根神经节P2Y2受体mRNA的表达

目的评价背根神经节（DRG）P2Y2受体mRNA的表达在大鼠慢性神经病理性痛中的作用。方法SPF级大鼠24只,体重150～200g,雌雄不拘,随机分为2组：假手术组（S组）和慢性神经痛组（N组）,每组12只。N组结扎左侧坐骨神经建立大鼠慢性压迫性损伤（CCI）模型,S组只暴露,不结扎左侧坐骨神经。2组分别于CCI前1d、CCI后1、4、7、10、14 d进行行为学观察,测定大鼠双后肢热痛阈和机械痛阈,并分别于CCI后7、14 d各取6只大鼠断颈处死,取双侧L（4-6）背根神经节,RT-PCR法测定P2Y2受体mRNA的表达。结果两组CCI后4 d热痛阈、机械痛阈明显降低（P〈0.05）,持续至CCI后14 d;N组左侧DRG P2Y2受体mRNA表达较右侧明显下调,CCI后14 d较CCI后7 d下调（P〈0.05）;与S组右侧比较,N组DRG P2Y2受体mRNA表达差异无统计学意义（P〉0.05）。结论背根神经节P2Y2受体mRNA的表达下调参与了大鼠慢性神经病理性痛的形成。     

Immunohistochemical Localization of Neuropeptide Y in Nerves of the Male Genital Tract of the Photoperiodically Responsive Djungarian Hamster, Phodopus Sungoras/Immunhistochemische Lokalisation von Neuropeptid Y in Nerven der männlichen Genitalorgane des photoperiodisch sensiblen Djungarischen Zwerghamsters, Phodopus sungorus

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in nerves of the male genital tract of Phodopus sungorus at long (LD 16:8) und short (LD 8:16) photoperiods. No immunoreactive nerve fibres could be demonstrated in the testis, caput and corpus epididymidis and the ventral prostate gland. Dense networks of NPY-containing nerve fibers were demonstrated in the smooth muscle layer of the sperm-transporting duct, beginning in the cauda epididymidis with increasing density towards the distal part of the ductus deferens, and in the smooth muscle layer of the seminal vesicles. At short photoperiods, the density of the NPY-containing nerve plexus decreased only in the smooth muscle layer of the ductus deferens. A "trophic" influence of the large smooth muscle cells of the ductus deferens on their nerves not only in regard to their noradrenaline, but also on their NPY content is discussed.     

Cytogenetic characterization of ten cases of Ph1-positive acute myelogenous leukemia

Chromosome banding analyses were made on 10 cases of Ph1-positive AML (7 M1 and 3 M2). The standard type Ph1 translocation, t(9q +;22q -), was identified in all of them. Karyotypically normal cells were observed in 6-65% of bone marrow metaphases at the initial cytogenetic examination of 7 patients, whereas the remaining 3 patients had only Ph1-positive cells at diagnosis. Follow-up studies performed in 5 cases indicated that the frequency of karyotypically normal cells increased up to 81-100% when the patients were in remission, whereas it was much reduced in relapse. In 5 cases, there was observed a clone of cells in which the Ph1 translocation was the sole karyotypic abnormality. Various types of other chromosome abnormalities, in addition to the Ph1, were observed in all cases, among which-7 was the most frequent, being found in three cases as a stem line. Other additional changes encountered were + Ph1, del(5), i(17q), - 10, + 18, + X, and various numerical and structural changes including certain secondary translocations that occurred in the Ph1 (22q -) or its partner (9q +). The types and frequencies of these additional changes appeared to be different from those found in the acute phase of CML or in Ph1-positive ALL.     

120例精子发生障碍的遗传缺陷研究

目的探讨无精子症,严重少精子症和少、弱精子症患者的遗传缺陷与男性不育的关系。方法采用外周血染色体核型分析技术和Y染色体基因微缺失检测方法,对120例无精子症,严重少精子症和少弱精子的患者进行了遗传咨询。结果在被筛查患者中发现异常染色体核型13例,异常核型发生率为10.83%;而其Y染色体微缺失检测中存在AZFc/SPGY基因缺失31例,缺失率25.83%。结论染色体核型异常和Y染色体微缺失与精子生成障碍有直接逻辑关系。Y染色体AZFc/SPGY区域的微缺失是中国男性不育的重要原因,因此,中国男性不育症患者有必要进行Y染色体AZFc/SPGY微缺失的常规筛查。