BackgroundWe previously established a three-dimensional (3-D) colonic crypt model using HKe3 cells which are human colorectal cancer (CRC) HCT116 cells with a disruption in oncogenic KRAS, and revealed the crucial roles of oncogenic KRAS both in inhibition of apoptosis and in disruption of cell polarity; however, the molecular mechanism of KRAS-induced these 3-D specific biological changes remains to be elucidated.ResultsAmong the genes that were upregulated by oncogenic KRAS in this model, we focused on the phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B) of which expression levels were found to be higher in clinical tumor samples from CRC patients in comparison to those from healthy control in the public datasets of gene expression analysis. PDE4B2 was specifically overexpressed among other PDE4 isoforms, and re-expression of oncogenic KRAS in HKe3 cells resulted in PDE4B overexpression. Furthermore, the inhibition of PDE4 catalytic activity using rolipram reverted the disorganization of HCT116 cells into the normal physiologic state of the epithelial cell polarity by inducing the apical assembly of ZO-1 (a tight junction marker) and E-cadherin (an adherens junction marker) and by increasing the activity of caspase-3 (an apoptosis marker) in luminal cavities. Notably, rolipram reduced the AKT phosphorylation, which is known to be associated with the disruption of luminal cavity formation and CRC development. Similar results were also obtained using PDE4B2-shRNAs. In addition, increased expression of PDE4B mRNA was found to be correlated with relapsed CRC in a public datasets of gene expression analysis.ConclusionsThese results collectively suggested that PDE4B is upregulated by oncogenic KRAS, and also that the inhibition of PDE4 catalytic activity can induce both epithelial cell polarity and luminal apoptosis in CRC, thus highlighting the utility of our 3-D culture (3 DC) model for the KRAS-induced development of CRC in 3-D microenvironment. Indeed, using this model, we found that PDE4B is a promising candidate for a therapeutic target as well as prognostic molecular marker in CRC. Further elucidation of the signaling network of PDE4B2 in 3 DC would provide a better understanding of CRC in vivo.
Tespa1 has been recently reported to be a critical molecule in T-cell development, however, the precise molecular mechanisms of Tespa1 remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that Tespa1 shows amino-acid sequence homology to KRAS-induced actin-interacting protein (KRAP), an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) binding protein, and that Tespa1 physically associates with IP3R in T and B lymphocytes. Two-consecutive phenylalanine residues (Phe185/Phe186) in Tespa1, which are conserved between Tespa1 and KRAP, are indispensable for the association between Tespa1 and IP3R. These findings suggest that Tespa1 plays critical roles in the immune system through the regulation of the IP3R.
It was shown that the 2P-1-2-1 antibody specifically stained the pancreatic acinar cells and tumours of acinar cell origin, such as ACCs. Although it remains unclear at this time to which proteins the monoclonal antibody 2P-1-2-1 is directed, it is suggested to be useful for the pathological diagnosis of ACCs and for the exclusion of other pancreatic tumours.
Tight junctions (TJs) of the epidermis play an important role in maintaining the epidermal barrier. TJ breakdown is associated with skin problems, such as wrinkles and transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Clinical studies have reported that topical nifedipine is effective in reducing the depth of wrinkles and improving TEWL. However, it remains unknown whether nifedipine influences the TJ function in the epidermis. In the present study, we investigated the effect of nifedipine on epidermal barrier dysfunction in normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) treated with sodium caprate (C10), a TJ inhibitor. Nifedipine reversed the C10-decreased transepithelial electrical resistance values as a measure of disruption of the epidermal barrier. Immunocytochemical observations revealed that nifedipine improved the C10-induced irregular arrangement of claudin-1, a key protein in TJs. Taken together, these findings suggest that nifedipine prevents epidermal barrier dysfunction, at least in part, by reconstituting the irregular claudin-1 localization at TJs in C10-treated NHEKs.Key words epidermal barrier function; nifedipine; sodium caprate; transepithelial electrical resistance; normal human epidermal keratinocyte Skin is the interface between air and water, and provides a barrier function that prevents invasion of toxic or infectious substances and escape of moisture.1,2) Disruption of the skin barrier results in not only several pathological conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, but also cosmetic problems, such as dry skin, aged skin, and acne.2,3) The most important skin barrier function is the physical barrier. This barrier is maintained by the lipid bilayer in the stratum corneum, the acidic pH of the epidermis, a calcium gradient that influences cellular turnover and differentiation of the epidermis, and tight junctions (TJs) formed by cells of the granular layer.1,2) Breakdown of each component produces hyperpermeability of the epidermis, leading to a variety of dermatological symptoms and signs.Recently, clinical studies have reported the efficacy of topical nifedipine for the treatment of facial wrinkles.4,5) Specifically, topical application of nifedipine for 90 d was effective for reducing the depth of wrinkles and improving transepidermal water loss (TEWL) as a measure of disruption of the epidermal barrier. In mice with epidermal barrier disruption induced by acetone, nifedipine accelerated the recovery of TEWL.6) These reports suggest that nifedipine is useful for facilitating epidermal barrier maintenance, although its mechanisms remain obscure.Sodium caprate (C10), an epithelial transport enhancer, is known to disrupt not only the epithelial barrier, but also the epidermal barrier, resulting in hyperpermeability. 7) C10 decreases the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) values by disrupting the arrangement of TJ proteins, such as claudin-1 and occludin, in cultured keratinocytes.7) Considering that claudin-1-deficient mice show wrinkled skin and TEWL, 8) C10-treated keratinocytes in culture are tho...
Abstract. Pancreatic cancer (PC) has a poor clinical prognosis with a <10% 5-year survival rate. Because there are no specific biomarkers of PC, it is difficult to detect small PC tumors and most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Specific biomarkers are useful tools for the early detection of cancer. However, PC-related biomarkers, such as CA19-9 lack specificity and sensitivity. In this study, we took an immunological approach to establish novel monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for the pancreatic juice from PC patients, which would be potentially useful in the diagnosis of PC. Mice were immunized by subtractive immunization using mixed pancreatic juices from chronic pancreatitis and PC patients as the tolerogen and the immunogen, respectively. After screening by Western blotting, four mAbs were obtained: 2P-1-2-1, 2P-1-17-1, 6P-3-2-4 and 7P-9-11-6. The mAb 2P-1-2-1 showed reactivity against the tolerogen at 115 and 120 kDa, but only the 120-kDa antigen was also reactive to the immunogen. The mAb 2P-1-17-1 showed an intense smear reactivity at ~150 kDa against the immunogen. Finally, the mAbs 6P-3-2-4 and 7P-9-11-6 showed PC-specific reactivity to the immunogen at >250 kDa and at ~70 kDa, respectively. We propose that investigation of pancreatic juice samples with these mAbs may enable us to perform reliable differential diagnosis of benign and malignant diseases. Furthermore, we demonstrated that subtractive immunization is a useful method for producing mAbs specific for the pancreatic juice from PC patients.
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