Dysregulated gene expression predicts tumor aggressiveness in African-American prostate cancer patients.

Molecular mechanisms underlying the health disparity of prostate cancer (PCa) have not been fully determined. In this study, we applied bioinformatic approach to identify and validate dysregulated genes associated with tumor aggressiveness in African American (AA) compared to Caucasian American (CA) men with PCa. We retrieved and analyzed microarray data from 619 PCa patients, 412 AA and 207 CA, and we validated these genes in tumor tissues and cell lines by Real-Time PCR, Western blot, immunocytochemistry (ICC) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses.

Drug-induced gynecomastia.

Drugs account for about 20% of gynecomastia cases in men. As a number of factors can alter the estrogen:androgen ratio, several pathophysiologic mechanisms are associated with drugs causing this disorder. Antiandrogens, protease inhibitors, and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors are the most common drug causes of gynecomastia, whereas first-generation antipsychotics, spironolactone, verapamil, and cimetidine are less common causes.

Bilateral cingulotomy and anterior capsulotomy applied to patients with aggressiveness.

Objective: To perform a preliminary study on the effects and safety of bilateral cingulotomy and anterior capsulotomy in patients with aggressive behavior.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-three psychiatric patients showing aggressive behavior refractory to conventional treatment were initially evaluated. The subjects were clinically selected using the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS) and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF).

Maternal hepatic growth response to pregnancy in the mouse.

Pregnancy is characterized by physiological adjustments in the maternal compartment. In this investigation, the influence of pregnancy on maternal liver was examined in CD-1 mice. Dramatic changes were observed in the size of the maternal liver during pregnancy.

Human growth hormone: 45-kDa isoform with extraordinarily stable interchain disulfide links has attenuated receptor-binding and cell-proliferative activities.

Background: Human growth hormone (hGH) is a complex mixture of molecular isoforms. Gaps in our knowledge exist regarding the structures and biological significances of the uncharacterized hGH molecular variants. Mercaptoethanol-resistant 45-kDa human growth hormone (MER-45 kDa hGH) is an extraordinarily stable disulfide-linked hGH homodimer whose biological significance is unknown.

Gene profiling of maternal hepatic adaptations to pregnancy.

Background: Maternal metabolic demands change dramatically during the course of gestation and must be co-ordinated with the needs of the developing placenta and fetus. The liver is critically involved in metabolism and other important functions. However, maternal hepatic adjustments to pregnancy are poorly understood.

O-Glycosylated 24 kDa human growth hormone has a mucin-like biantennary disialylated tetrasaccharide attached at Thr-60.

MS was used to characterize the 24 kDa human growth hormone (hGH) glycoprotein isoform and determine the locus of O-linked oligosaccharide attachment, the oligosaccharide branching topology, and the monosaccharide sequence. MALDI-TOF/MS and ESI-MS/MS analyses of glycosylated 24 kDa hGH tryptic peptides showed that this hGH isoform is a product of the hGH normal gene. Analysis of the glycoprotein hydrolysate by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection and HPLC with fluorescent detection for N-acetyl neuraminic acid (NeuAc) yielded the oligosaccharide composition (NeuAc(2), N-acetyl galactosamine(1), Gal(1)).

Hypoxia-inducible factor-dependent production of profibrotic mediators by hypoxic hepatocytes.

Background/aims: During the development of liver fibrosis, mediators are produced that stimulate cells in the liver to differentiate into myofibroblasts and to produce collagen. Recent studies demonstrated that the transcription factor, hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha), is critical for upregulation of profibrotic mediators, such as platelet-derived growth factor-A (PDGF-A), PDGF-B and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in the liver, during the development of fibrosis. What remains unknown is the cell type-specific regulation of these genes by HIF-1alpha in liver cell types.

MAP dendrimer elicits antibodies for detecting rat and mouse GH-binding proteins.

The membrane-bound rat GH-R and an alternatively spliced isoform, the soluble rat GH-BP, are comprised of identical N-terminal GH-binding domains; however, their C-terminal sequences differ. Immunological reagents are needed to distinguish between the two isoforms in order to understand their respective roles in mediating the actions of GH. Accordingly, a tetravalent MAP dendrimer with four identical branches of a C-terminal peptide sequence of the rat GH-BP (GH-BP(263-279)) was synthesized and used as an immunogen in rabbits.

Pregnancy and lactation modulate maternal splenic growth and development of the erythroid lineage in the rat and mouse.

Maternal physiology changes dramatically during the course of gestation and lactation to meet the needs of the developing fetus and newborn. In the present study, we examined the influence of pregnancy and lactation on growth and erythroid gene expression patterns of the maternal spleen. Holtzman Sprague-Dawley rats and CD-1 mice were killed at various stages of gestation and post partum.

Preparative alkaline urea gradient PAGE: application to purification of extraordinarily-stable disulfide-linked homodimer of human growth hormone.

The 40-60 pituitary human growth hormone (hGH) isoforms are so similar in their physico-chemical properties (charge, size, hydrophobicity) that the limited resolutions of chromatographic separation methodologies have not permitted most of them to be isolated. However, application of high-resolution preparative alkaline urea gradient PAGE has facilitated isolation of a disulfide-linked mercaptoethanol-resistant (MER) 45 kDa hGH dimer. Human pituitary extracts were separated by Sephadex G-100 chromatography under alkaline conditions.

Prolactin-like protein-f subfamily of placental hormones/cytokines: responsiveness to maternal hypoxia.

The prolactin (PRL) family of hormones/cytokines is involved in the maintenance of pregnancy and adaptations to physiological stressors. In this report, we identify and characterize a new member of the rat PRL family, examine the impact of maternal hypoxia on placental PRL family gene expression, and investigate maternal adaptive responses to hypoxia. Perusal of the PRL gene family locus in the rat genome resulted in the identification of a putative new member of the rat PRL family.

2-D native-PAGE/SDS-PAGE visualization of an oligomer's subunits: application to the analysis of IgG.

A 2-D native-PAGE/SDS-PAGE method for detecting the subunit components of protein oligomers at low picomole sensitivity is presented. IgG was electrophoresed in a native acidic polyacrylamide gel in amounts ranging from 51 pmol to 60 fmol. Silver-staining (native fast silver stain, ammoniacal silver stain, permanganate silver stain), Coomassie-staining (R-250, G-250), metal ion-reverse-staining (zinc, copper), and fluorescent chromophore-staining (SYPRO Ruby) methods were used to visualize the IgG oligomers.

Separation of proteins with a molecular mass difference of 2 kDa utilizing preparative double-inverted gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions: application to the isolation of 24 kDa human growth hormone.

A method for separating proteins with a molecular mass difference of 2 kDa using SDS-PAGE under nonreducing conditions is presented. A sample mixture containing several human growth hormone (hGH) isoforms was initially separated on a weak anion-exchange column. Fractions rich in 24 kDa hGH as determined by analytical SDS-PAGE were pooled and further separated by cation-exchange chromatography.

Extraordinarily stable disulfide-linked homodimer of human growth hormone.

Although a 22-kDa human growth hormone (hGH) is the predicted protein product of the hGH-N gene, a pleiotropic collection of uncharacterized molecular weight and charge isoforms is also produced. Using chromatography and preparative SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions we isolated an unusually stable mercaptoethanol-resistant (MER) 45-kDa hGH. A 5-h incubation at 100 degrees C in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol was required to convert approximately 90% of MER-45-kDa hGH into a 22-kDa hGH.