Fatty acid-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress in vivo: differential response to the infusion of Soybean and Lard Oil in rats.

Background: In cell systems, saturated fatty acids, compared to unsaturated fatty acids, induce a greater degree of ER stress and inflammatory signaling in a number of cell types, including hepatocytes and adipocytes. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of infusions of lard oil (enriched in saturated fatty acids) and soybean oil (enriched in unsaturated fatty acids) on liver and adipose tissue ER stress and inflammatory signaling in vivo.

Methods: Lipid emulsions containing glycerol, phosphatidylcholine, antibiotics (Control, n=7) and either soybean oil (Soybean, n=7) or lard oil (Lard, n=7) were infused intravenously into rats over a 4 h period.

Analysis of cycle gene expression in Aedes aegypti brains by in situ hybridization.

Even though the blood-sucking mosquito Aedes aegypti is one of the most important disease vectors, relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying processes involved in the temporal pattern of its activity and host seeking behavior. In this study, we analyzed the expression of the cycle (cyc) gene, one of the core components of the circadian clock, in Ae. aegypti brains by in situ hybridization at two different time points in light-dark conditions and compared the results with those obtained using a quantitative PCR assay (qPCR).

Phytochemical indicaxanthin suppresses 7-ketocholesterol-induced THP-1 cell apoptosis by preventing cytosolic Ca(2+) increase and oxidative stress.

7-Ketocholesterol (7-KC)-induced apoptosis of macrophages is considered a key event in the development of human atheromas. In the present study, the effect of indicaxanthin (Ind), a bioactive pigment from cactus pear fruit, on 7-KC-induced apoptosis of human monocyte/macrophage THP-1 cells was investigated. A pathophysiological condition was simulated by using amounts of 7-KC that can be reached in human atheromatous plaque.

Simultaneous imaging/reflectivity measurements to assess diagnostic mirror cleaning.

Practical methods to clean ITER's diagnostic mirrors and restore reflectivity will be critical to ITER's plasma operations. We describe a technique to assess the efficacy of mirror cleaning techniques and detect any damage to the mirror surface. The method combines microscopic imaging and reflectivity measurements in the red, green, and blue spectral regions and at selected wavelengths.

VEGF-mediated phosphorylation of eNOS regulates angioblast and embryonic endothelial cell proliferation.

To evaluate potential roles of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of the endothelial lineage and neovascular processes (vasculogenesis and angiogenesis) we evaluated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and phosphorylated eNOS (p-eNOS) expression in 7.2-8.5 days post-coitum (dpc) mouse embryos.

Drosophila as a tool for studying the conserved genetics of pain.

Survival of all animals depends on an accurate representation of the world, and an organism must be capable of prioritizing and responding to potentially hazardous conditions. This ability is dependent on nociception, the sensory process allowing animals to detect and avoid potentially harmful stimuli. Nociception is the sensory process that results in the subjective experience of 'pain' in humans.

Trans-epithelial transport of the betalain pigments indicaxanthin and betanin across Caco-2 cell monolayers and influence of food matrix.

Purpose: This study investigated the absorption mechanism of the phytochemicals indicaxanthin and betanin and the influence of their food matrix (cactus pear and red beet) on the intestinal transport.

Methods: Trans-epithelial transport of dietary-consistent amounts of indicaxanthin and betanin in Caco-2 cell monolayers seeded on Transwell(R) inserts was measured in apical to basolateral (AP-BL) and basolateral to apical (BL-AP) direction, under an inwardly directed pH gradient (pH 6.0/7.

Unraveling the two entities of endometrioid ovarian cancer: a single center clinical experience.

Objective: Due to the increasing prevalence of the benign condition, ovarian carcinoma arising from endometriosis is emerging as a relevant clinical entity with an unclear biological signature. We have investigated clinical and histologic features of endometriosis-associated endometrioid ovarian cancer using an institutional retrospective database.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with endometrioid ovarian cancer at our institution were divided into two groups according to the fulfillment or not of Sampson's and Scott's criteria for the detection of endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer.

Dermatology Life Quality Index score in vitiligo patients: a pilot study among young Italian males.

Aim: A negative impact on vitiligo patients in terms of quality of life (QoL) has been suggested. The aim of this report was to study the QoL in a sample of Italian vitiligo patients by using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire.

Methods: A sample of forty seven vitiligo subjects, identified among 34,740 potential conscripts resident in southern Italy underwent the Italian version of the DLQI questionnaire.

Rhodopsin 5- and Rhodopsin 6-mediated clock synchronization in Drosophila melanogaster is independent of retinal phospholipase C-β signaling.

Circadian clocks of most organisms are synchronized with the 24-hour solar day by the changes of light and dark. In Drosophila, both the visual photoreceptors in the compound eyes as well as the blue-light photoreceptor Cryptochrome expressed within the brain clock neurons contribute to this clock synchronization. A specialized photoreceptive structure located between the retina and the optic lobes, the Hofbauer-Buchner (H-B) eyelet, projects to the clock neurons in the brain and also participates in light synchronization.

Transvaginal ultrasound predicts delayed response to chemotherapy and drug resistance in stage I low-risk trophoblastic neoplasia.

Objectives: Methotrexate (MTX) resistance is defined on the basis of the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) curve. The aim of this study was to identify low-risk non-metastatic patients with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) who can achieve resolution by continuing MTX treatment despite a transient hCG plateau.

Methods: Before starting chemotherapy, 24 patients with FIGO Stage I GTN underwent transvaginal ultrasonography with power Doppler in order to identify myometrial lesions (areas of increased echogenicity and increased power Doppler signal).

A novel epidermal growth factor receptor variant lacking multiple domains directly activates transcription and is overexpressed in tumors.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is essential to multiple physiological and neoplastic processes via signaling by its tyrosine kinase domain and subsequent activation of transcription factors. EGFR overexpression and alteration, including point mutations and structural variants, contribute to oncogenesis in many tumor types. In this study, we identified an in-frame splice variant of the EGFR called mini-LEEK (mLEEK) that is more broadly expressed than the EGFR and is overexpressed in several cancers.

Experimental evidence for therapeutic potential of taurine in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

The incidence of obesity is now at epidemic proportions and has resulted in the emergence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as a common metabolic disorder that can lead to liver injury and cirrhosis. Excess sucrose and long-chain saturated fatty acids in the diet may play a role in the development and progression of NAFLD. One factor linking sucrose and saturated fatty acids to liver damage is dysfunction of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).

Polymeric proanthocyanidins from Sicilian pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) nut extract inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response in RAW 264.7 cells.

Background: Positive effects of pistachio nut consumption on plasma inflammatory biomarkers have been described; however, little is known about molecular events associated with these effects.

Purpose: We studied the anti-inflammatory activity of a hydrophilic extract from Sicilian Pistacia L. (HPE) in a macrophage model and investigated bioactive components relevant to the observed effects.

Epigenetic regulation in myelodysplastic syndromes: implications for therapy.

Introduction: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and dysplasia in one or more lineages, produce life-threatening cytopenias and progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Growing evidence suggests that targeting epigenetic mechanisms improves MDS/AML pathophysiology.

Areas Covered: This review provides an understanding of studies investigating novel agents published up to January 2011 aimed at normalizing and monitoring the epigenetic profile of the MDS cancer cell.

Fatty acids and the endoplasmic reticulum in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a burgeoning public health concern in westernized nations. The obesity-related disorder is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver failure. Although the underlying pathogenesis of NAFLD is unclear, increasing evidence suggests that excess saturated fatty acids presented to or stored within the liver may play a role in both the development and progression of the disorder.

Competition between high- and higher-mutating strains of Escherichia coli.

Experimental studies have shown that a mutator allele can readily hitchhike to fixation with beneficial mutations in an asexual population having a low, wild-type mutation rate. Here, we show that a genotype bearing two mutator alleles can supplant a population already fixed for one mutator allele. Our results provide experimental support for recent theory predicting that mutator alleles will tend to accumulate in asexual populations by hitchhiking with beneficial mutations, causing an ever-higher genomic mutation rate.

Lenalidomide in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Introduction: insights into the role of the tumor microenvironment and of immune dysfunction in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have opened the way for further augmenting the therapeutic armamentarium for CLL patients. In this respect, lenalidomide represents an exciting drug since it is able to eliminate CLL cells without immunosuppression.

Areas Covered: mechanism of action and clinical trials of lenalidomide in CLL, and suggestions for its future utilization are reviewed.

Rituximab for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder that originates from antigen-experienced B lymphocytes that do not die and hence accumulate due to external survival signals or undergo apoptosis and are replenished by proliferating precursors. These neoplastic lymphocytes exhibit a characteristic immunophenotype of CD5(+)/CD19(+)/CD20(+)/HLA-DR+/CD23(+)/sIgdim. Thus, the CD20 antigen has been an appealing target for therapy.

Janus kinase 2 inhibitors in myeloproliferative disorders.

Importance Of The Field: JAK2 is an obligatory kinase for the proliferation and differentiation of erythroid cells and megakaryocytes thus representing a relevant therapeutic target for agents that specifically inhibit its activity particularly in myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) harboring JAK2(V617F) mutations.

Areas Covered In This Review: We discuss the physiopathology of the JAK2 signaling pathway and review clinical trials of JAK2 inhibitors for the treatment of MPD using papers and meeting abstracts published up to September 2010.

What The Reader Will Gain: This review helps in understanding the potential role of JAK2 inhibitors in MPD clinical trials and provides a comprehensive review regarding their efficacy and safety in these disorders.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

The underlying causes of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are unclear, although recent evidence has implicated the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in both the development of steatosis and progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Disruption of ER homeostasis, often termed "ER stress," has been observed in liver and adipose tissue of humans with NAFLD and/or obesity. Importantly, the signaling pathway activated by disruption of ER homeostasis, the unfolded protein response, has been linked to lipid biosynthesis, insulin action, inflammation, and apoptosis.

C-reactive protein does not impair insulin suppression of glucose release in primary hepatocytes.

Recent studies have suggested that CRP may interfere with insulin signaling in skeletal muscle and endothelial cells. The aim of this study was to determine whether highly purified CRP increased the rate of glucose appearance in primary hepatocytes in the absence or presence of insulin. Primary rat hepatocytes were provided glucose-free media containing 10 mM lactate, 1 mM pyruvate, 0, 1 or 10 nM insulin, and 0 or 10 μg/ml of purified CRP for 6h.

Fatty acids regulate CREBh via transcriptional mechanisms that are dependent on proteasome activity and insulin.

Excess fatty acids are closely associated with metabolic dysfunction. The deleterious effects of fatty acids relate, in part, to their ability to up-regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines and propagate a state of systemic inflammation. CREBh is a recently identified transcription factor that appears to be required for hepatic synthesis of C-reactive protein.

Vitiligo and autoimmunity: an epidemiological study in a representative sample of young Italian males.

Background: It is stated that patients with vitiligo have an increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of autoantibodies or overt autoimmune diseases in a group of vitiligo patients examined among a sample deemed to be representative of the general population of young men living in southern Italy.

Methods: A total of 60 vitiligo patients were identified among 34,740 potential conscripts visited to evaluate their fitness to compulsory service in Italian Navy, obtaining a prevalence of 0.