The correlation of salivary telomere length and single nucleotide polymorphisms of the ADIPOQ, SIRT1 and FOXO3A genes with lifestyle-related diseases in a Japanese population.

Background: It has been reported that genetic factors are associated with risk factors and onset of lifestyle-related diseases, but this finding is still the subject of much debate.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation of genetic factors, including salivary telomere length and three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may influence lifestyle-related diseases, with lifestyle-related diseases themselves.

Methods: In one year at a single facility, relative telomere length and SNPs were determined by using monochrome multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction and TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays, respectively, and were compared with lifestyle-related diseases in 120 Japanese individuals near our university.

Chloroquine Inhibits Self-Renewal of Blast Progenitors Synergistically With Phytochemicals or Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs in Hematological Malignant Cell Lines.

Background: This study examined whether and how chloroquine inhibits blast progenitor self-renewal (SR) synergistically with phytochemicals or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in seven hematological malignant cell lines.

Materials And Methods: Vitamin C, resveratrol, cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor NS-398 and indomethacin heptyl ester (Ind) were added to cell culture with or without 3 μM chloroquine.

Results: Chloroquine synergistically inhibited blast colony formation in methylcellulose with vitamin C, resveratrol, NS-398 and Ind in one, two, none and one cell lines, respectively, in a total of four out of 28 conditions.

Establishment of a quenching probe method for detection of mutations in acute myeloid leukemia cells.

Nucleophosmin (NPM1) mutations, generally consisting of a four base-pair insertion, are present in ~60% of all cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases. The mutation is clinically significant as an important prognostic factor. Direct sequencing is the current standard method of mutation detection, however, it is quite costly and time consuming.

Promotion of the self-renewal capacity of human leukemia cells by sonic hedgehog protein.

Background: Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is involved in cancer cell growth. However, the effects of Hh stimulation on leukemia cells are unknown.

Materials And Methods: The effects of recombinant sonic Hedgehog (Shh) protein on the in vitro growth of one B-lymphoma and four myeloid leukemia cell lines were examined.

Cyclopamine and quercetin suppress the growth of leukemia and lymphoma cells.

Background: Hedgehog (Hh) and Wnt signaling pathways are involved in the stimulation of growth of leukemia and lymphoma cells. In the present study, whether or not the Hh inhibitor, cyclopamine, and the Wnt inhibitor, quercetin, suppress cell growth was investigated.

Materials And Methods: The effects of cyclopamine and quercetin on the in vitro growth and protein expression of ten acute leukemia and B-cell lymphoma cell lines were examined.

Promotion of the self-renewal capacity of human acute leukemia cells by Wnt3A.

Background: Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is involved in the growth of various types of cancer cells. Wnt3A has been reported to promote the self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells.

Materials And Methods: The effects of recombinant Wnt3A protein on the in vitro growth of four acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and four acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cell lines was examined.