Background: The expression of carcino-embryonic antigen by colorectal cancer is an example of oncogenic activation of embryonic gene expression. Hypothesizing that oncogenesis-recapitulatingontogenesis may represent a broad programmatic commitment, we compared gene expression patterns of human colorectal cancers (CRCs) and mouse colon tumor models to those of mouse colon development embryonic days 13.5-18.5.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) are highly invasive soft tissue sarcomas that arise within the peripheral nerve and frequently metastasize. To identify molecular events contributing to malignant transformation in peripheral nerve, we compared eight cell lines derived from MPNSTs and seven normal human Schwann cell samples. We found that MPNST lines are heterogeneous in their in vitro growth rates and exhibit diverse alterations in expression of pRb, p53, p14Arf , and p16INK4a proteins. All MPNST cell lines express the epidermal growth factor receptor and lack S100B protein. Global gene expression profiling using Affymetrix oligonucleotide microarrays identified a 159-gene molecular signature distinguishing MPNST cell lines from normal Schwann cells, which was validated in Affymetrix microarray data generated from 45 primary MPNSTs. Expression of Schwann cell differentiation markers (SOX10, CNP, PMP22, and NGFR) was downregulated in MPNSTs whereas neural crest stem cell markers, SOX9 and TWIST1, were overexpressed in MPNSTs. Previous studies have implicated TWIST1 in apoptosis inhibition, resistance to chemotherapy, and metastasis. Reducing TWIST1 expression in MPNST cells using small interfering RNA did not affect apoptosis or chemoresistance but inhibited cell chemotaxis. Our results highlight the use of gene expression profiling in identifying genes and molecular pathways that are potential biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets for treatment of MPNST and support the use of the MPNST cell lines as a primary analytic tool. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(5): 2584-91)

No abstract

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor TrkB play an important function in neuronal development and synaptic plasticity. Recently we have established that cyclothiazide (CTZ) is a novel convulsant drug inducing robust epileptiform activity in hippocampal neurons both in vitro and in vivo. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying such convulsant action of CTZ is unknown. Here, we investigated potential roles of BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway in the CTZinduction of epileptiform activity. In anaesthetized rats, CTZ dose-dependently induced epileptiform activity characterized by progressing of multiple peaks of population spikes, spontaneous spiking events, and synchronized epileptiform bursts. Pre-injection of a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor K252a or a specific antibody for TrkB receptors before intracerebroventricular injection of CTZ significantly suppressed the epileptiform activity induced by CTZ. Similarly, in cultured hippocampal pyramidal neurons, pretreatment with CTZ together with K252a or TrkB receptor antibody also inhibited the CTZ-induction of epileptiform activity. Furthermore, we demonstrated that acute application of K252a in hippocampal cultures inhibited epileptiform bursts and action potential firing. We conclude that activation of BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway is fundamentally important during the CTZ-induction of epileptiform activity both in vitro and in vivo.

Apoptosis of cardiomyocytes plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Numerous studies have shown that generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is involved in this pathological process. Recent studies also suggested that acetylcholine (ACh) prevented the hypoxia-induced apoptosis of mouse ES cells by inhibiting the ROS production. However, whether ACh can inhibit the action of angiotensin II (Ang II) and subsequently prevent CVD development remains unclear. In this study, H9c2 cells were stimulated by 10(-6) M Ang II for 24 h with or without 10(-5) M ACh, 10(-5) M ACh + 10(-4) M atropine respectively. The results demonstrated that Ang II increased apoptosis index by fourfold (vs. the control group, P < 0.01), which were significantly diminished by ACh. However, the atropine (ACh receptor [AChR] inhibitor) treatment blocked the protective effect of ACh. Subsequently, Ang II significantly increases the expression and activity of NADPH oxidase so that ROS production is increased by sevenfold (vs. control group, P < 0.01). The activity and expression of caspase-3 along with the Bax/Bcl2 ratio and the levels of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation also appeared to follow a similar trend. Furthermore, we observed that ACh could reduce up-regulation of AT1 receptor expression induced by Ang II. However, all these effects of ACh were inhibited by atropine. In conclusion, ACh prevents Ang II-induced H9c2 cells apoptosis through down-regulation of the AT1 receptor and inhibition of ROS-mediated p38 MAPK activation as well as regulation of Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is an important mechanism in myocardial ischemia and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase is one of major sources of ROS in the heart. Previous studies showed that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is beneficial in treating ischemic heart diseases. However, the effect of VNS on ROS production remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the role of VNS onischemia-induced ROS production. Our results demonstrated that VNS alleviated the myocardial injury, attenuated the cardiac dysfunction, reserved the antioxidant enzyme activity and inhibited the formation of ROS as evidenced by the decreased NADPH oxidase (Nox) activity and superoxide fluorescence intensity as well as the expression of p67phox, Rac1 and nitrotyrosine. Furthermore, VNS resulted in the phosphorylation and activation of adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK), which in turn led to an inactivation of Nox by protein kinase C (PKC); however, the phenomena were repressed by the administration of a muscarinic antagonist atropine. Taken together, these data indicate that VNS decreases ROS via AMPK-PKC-Nox pathway; this may have potential importance for the treatment of ischemic heart diseases.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), a nuclear enzyme activated in response to DNA strand breaks, has been implicated in cell dysfunction in myocardial reperfusion injury. PARP-1 has also been shown to participate in transcription and regulation of gene expression. In this study, we investigated the role of PARP-1 on the signal transduction pathway of activator protein-1 (AP-1) and heat shock factor-1 (HSF-1) in myocardial reperfusion injury. Mice genetically deficient of PARP-1 (PARP-1(-/-) mice) exhibited a significant reduction of myocardial damage after occlusion and reperfusion of the left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery compared with their wild-type littermates. This cardioprotection was associated with a reduction of the phosphorylative activity of JNK and, subsequently, reduction of the DNA binding of the signal transduction factor AP-1. On the contrary, in PARP-1(-/-) mice, DNA binding of HSF-1 was enhanced and was associated with a significant increase of the cardioprotective heat shock protein (HSP)70 compared with wild-type mice. Microarray analysis revealed that expression of several AP-1-dependent genes of proinflammatory mediators and HSPs was altered in PARP-1(-/-) mice. The data indicate that PARP-1 may exert a pathological role in reperfusion injury by functioning as an enhancing factor of AP-1 activation and as a repressing factor of HSF-1 activation and HSP70 expression.

. Microarray-based discovery of highly expressed olfactory mucosal genes: potential roles in the various functions of the olfactory system.