Background: Aldehyde dehydrogenase isozymes ALDH1A1 and ALDH3A1 are highly expressed in non small cell lung cancer. Neither the mechanisms nor the biologic significance for such over expression have been studied.

Stem cells are known for their capacity to self-renew and differentiate into at least one specialized cell type. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were isolated initially from bone marrow but are now known to exist in all vascularized organ or tissue in adults. MSCs are particularly relevant for therapy due to their simplicity of isolation and cultivation. The International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) has proposed a set of standards to define hMSCs for laboratory investigations and preclinical studies: adherence to plastic in standard culture conditions; in vitro differentiation into osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondroblasts; specific surface antigen expression in which !95% of the cells express the antigens recognized by CD105, CD73, and CD90, with the same cells lacking ( 2% positive) the antigens CD45, CD34, CD14 or CD11b, CD79a or CD19, and HLA-DR. In this review we will take an historical overview of how umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, adipose-derived, placental and amniotic fluid, and menstrual blood stem cells, the major sources of human MSC, can be obtained, identified and how they are being used in clinical trials to cure and treat a very broad range of conditions, including heart, hepatic, and neurodegenerative diseases. An overview of protocols for differentiation into hepatocytes, cardiomyocytes, neuronal, adipose, chondrocytes, and osteoblast cells are highlighted. We also discuss a new source of stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) and some pathways, which are common to MSCs in maintaining their pluripotent state.

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Insulin’s metabolic effects in the liver are widely appreciated, but insulin’s ability to act as a hepatic mitogen is less well understood. Because the Insulin Receptor (IR) can traffic to the nucleus, and calcium (Ca2+) signals within the nucleus regulate cell proliferation, we investigated whether insulin’s mitogenic effects result from activation of Ca2+ signaling pathways by IRs within the nucleus. Insulin-induced increases in Ca2+ and cell proliferation depended upon clathrin- and caveolin-dependent translocation of the IR to the nucleus, as well as upon formation of inositol 1,4,5,-trisphosphate (InsP3) in the nucleus, whereas insulin’s metabolic effects did not depend on either of these events. Moreover, liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy also depended upon formation of InsP3 in the nucleus but not the cytosol, whereas hepatic glucose metabolism was not affected by buffering InsP3 in the nucleus. Conclusion: These findings provide evidence that insulin’s mitogenic effects are mediated by a subpopulation of IRs that traffic to the nucleus to locally activate InsP3-dependent Ca2+ signaling pathways. The steps along this signaling pathway reveal a number of potential targets for therapeutic modulation of liver growth in health and disease.

Intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) is a highly versatile second messenger that regulates a wide range of functions in every type of cell and tissue. To achieve this versatility, the Ca2+ signaling system operates in a variety of ways to regulate cellular processes that function over a wide dynamic range. This is particularly well exemplified for Ca2+ signals in the liver, which modulate diverse and specialized functions such as bile secretion, glucose metabolism, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. These Ca2+ signals are organized to control distinct cellular processes through tight spatial and temporal coordination of [Ca2+]i signals, both within and between cells. This article will review the machinery responsible for the formation of Ca2+ signals in the liver, the types of subcellular, cellular, and intercellular signals that occur, the physiological role of Ca2+ signaling in the liver, and the role of Ca2+ signaling in liver disease.

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BACKGROUND & AIMS Most cholestatic disorders are caused by defects in cholangiocytes. The type 3 isoform of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (ITPR3) is the intracellular calcium release channel detected most frequently in cholangiocytes. ITPR3 is required for bicarbonate secretion by bile ducts, and its expression is reduced in intrahepatic bile ducts of patients with cholestatic disorders. We investigated whether the nuclear factor, erythroid 2-like 2 (NFE2L2 or NRF2), which is sensitive to oxidative stress, regulates expression of ITPR3. METHODS The activity of the ITPR3 promoter was measured in normal human cholangiocyte (NHC) cells and primary mouse cholangiocytes. Levels of ITPR3 protein and mRNA were examined by immunoblot and PCR analyses, respectively. ITPR3 activity was determined by measuring calcium signaling in normal human cholangiocyte cells and secretion in isolated bile duct units. Levels of NRF2 were measured in liver tissues from rats with cholestasis (induced by administration of alpha-napthylisothiocyanate) and from patients with biliary diseases. RESULTS We identified a musculo-aponeurotic fibrosarcoma recognition element (MARE) in the promoter of ITPR3 that bound NRF2 directly in NHC cells and mouse cholangiocytes. Increasing binding of NRF2 at this site resulted in chromatin remodeling that reduced promoter activity. Mutant forms of the MARE did not bind NRF2. Activation of NRF2 with quercetin or by oxidative stress reduced expression of ITPR3 and calcium signaling in NHC cells; quercetin also reduced secretion by bile duct units isolated from rats. Knockdown of NRF2 with small interfering RNAs restored expression and function of ITPR3 in NHC cells incubated with quercetin. Bile ducts from rats with cholestasis and patients with cholangiopathic disorders expressed higher levels of NRF2 and lower levels of ITPR3 than ducts from control rats or patients with other liver disorders. CONCLUSIONS The transcription factor NRF2 binds to the promoter of ITPR3 to inhibit its expression in cholangiocytes, leading to reduced calcium signaling and bile duct secretion. This could be a mechanism by which oxidative stress inhibits these processes and contributes to cholangiopathies.

Exercise initiates a coordinated series of physiological responses, including hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system activation, that, in combination, lead to the appropriate selection and utilization of metabolic substrates. Physical activity acts as a powerful stimulus for the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, leading to the liberation of several neuroendocrine hormones. The nature of this stimulation varies according to the kind of exercise (intensity, duration, aerobic, strength) and subject characteristics (gender, previous training), as well as depending on the time of the day and meal ingestion. As a whole, the neuroendocrine responses to exercise represent an accurate regulator of fuels (glucose, free fatty acids) homeostasis in a special situation characterized by a drastic increase of the energy requirements at muscle level. In this article the current knowledge about this topic is reviewed.