Comparison between the intermalleolar distance measured on the couch and on the floor in axial spondyloarthritis.

The aim of this study was to assess whether axial spondyloarthritis (axial SpA) patients' supine position on the couch (OC) or on the floor (OF) affects intermalleolar distance (IMD) measurement and its Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI) scoring, using all three versions of BASMI index. OC- and OF-IMDs were obtained for 43 axial SpA patients (M:F = 19:24). Age, gender, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), disease type and disease duration were also collected.

Angiogenic functions of voltage-gated Na+ Channels in human endothelial cells: modulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling.

Voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) activity has previously been reported in endothelial cells (ECs). However, the exact isoforms of VGSCs present, their mode(s) of action, and potential role(s) in angiogenesis have not been investigated. The main aims of this study were to determine the role of VGSC activity in angiogenic functions and to elucidate the potentially associated signaling mechanisms using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) as a model system.

Transgenic overexpression of HSP56 does not result in cardiac hypertrophy nor protect from ischaemia/reperfusion injury.

Heat shock proteins are known to be induced during and following different forms of cardiac stress. It has previously been shown that their expression is beneficial for the heart following trauma such as ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Heat shock protein 56 (HSP56) belongs to the family of FK506-binding immunophilin proteins and is found in steroid receptor complexes, notably the glucocorticoid receptor.

Estrogen and non-genomic upregulation of voltage-gated Na(+) channel activity in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells: role in adhesion.

External (but not internal) application of beta-estradiol (E2) increased the current amplitude of voltage-gated Na(+) channels (VGSCs) in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer (BCa) cells. The G-protein activator GTP-gamma-S, by itself, also increased the VGSC current whilst the G-protein inhibitor GDP-beta-S decreased the effect of E2. Expression of GPR30 (a G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor) in MDA-MB-231 cells was confirmed by PCR, Western blot and immunocytochemistry.

Alternative splicing of Nav1.5: an electrophysiological comparison of 'neonatal' and 'adult' isoforms and critical involvement of a lysine residue.

In developmentally regulated D1:S3 splicing of Nav1.5, there are 31 nucleotide differences between the 5'-exon ('neonatal') and the 3'-exon ('adult') forms, resulting in 7 amino acid differences in D1:S3-S3/S4 linker. In particular, splicing replaces a conserved negative aspartate residue in the 'adult' with a positive lysine.

Cardiac expression of Brn-3a and Brn-3b POU transcription factors and regulation of Hsp27 gene expression.

The Brn-3 family of transcription factors play a critical role in regulating expression of genes that control cell fate, including the small heat shock protein Hsp27. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Brn-3a and Brn-3b and Hsp27 expression in the developing rodent heart. Brn-3a and Brn-3b were detected from embryonic days 9.

Identification and characterization of the promoter region of the Nav1.7 voltage-gated sodium channel gene (SCN9A).

The Nav1.7 sodium channel plays an important role in pain and is also upregulated in prostate cancer. To investigate the mechanisms regulating physiological and pathophysiological Nav1.

Post-transcriptional regulation of the Brn-3b transcription factor in differentiating neuroblastoma cells.

The post-transcriptional control of mRNA levels is a very powerful mechanism which allows cells to quickly change the amount of specific proteins. In this study, we wanted to analyze whether the Brn-3b transcription factor, essential for the proper development of mouse retinal ganglion cells, is subjected to such post-transcriptional regulation. In particular, due to its conservation amongst different species, we wanted to study the role of its 3' untranslated region (3'UTR).

p300 activation by Presenilin 1 but not by its M146L mutant.

The transcriptional co-activator p300 plays an important role in regulating gene expression in a number of different cell types. We have shown that wild type (WT) Presenilin 1 (PS1) stimulates the transcriptional activity ability of CREB Binding Protein (CBP), a close homolog of p300, whereas the Alzheimer's disease (AD) associated mutant of PS1 does not have this effect. A recent report has suggested that mutant PS1 can also disrupt the TCF/beta-catenin/CBP interaction but has no effect on the TCF/beta-catenin/p300 interaction.

The neonatal splice variant of Nav1.5 potentiates in vitro invasive behaviour of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells.

Upregulation of functional voltage-gated Na+ channels (VGSCs) occurs in metastatic human breast cancer (BCa) in vitro and in vivo. The present study aimed to ascertain the specific involvement of the "neonatal" splice variant of Nav1.5 (nNav1.

A novel polyclonal antibody specific for the Na(v)1.5 voltage-gated Na(+) channel 'neonatal' splice form.

Voltage-gated Na(+) channel (VGSC) diversity is achieved through a number of mechanisms: multiple subunits, multiple genes encoding the pore-forming VGSC alpha-subunit and multiple gene isoforms generated by alternative splicing. A major type of VGSCalpha alternative splicing is in D1:S3, which has been proposed to be developmentally regulated. We recently reported a D1:S3 spliced form of Na(v)1.

Voltage-gated sodium channel expression and potentiation of human breast cancer metastasis.

Purpose: Ion channel activity is involved in several basic cellular behaviors that are integral to metastasis (e.g., proliferation, motility, secretion, and invasion), although their contribution to cancer progression has largely been ignored.

T-lymphocyte invasiveness: control by voltage-gated Na+ channel activity.

Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings showed that a sub-population (10%) of Jurkat cells, a model of human T-cells, expressed a functional voltage-gated sodium channel, which was tetrodotoxin (TTX)-resistant. Expression of voltage-gated sodium channel protein was confirmed by western blots. Semi-quantitative PCR analysis revealed that mRNAs for the alpha-subunits of multiple voltage-gated sodium channel subtypes were present but indicated that Na(v)1.