Background: Several studies have shown that NDRG2 mRNA is down-regulated or undetectable in various human cancers and cancer cell-lines. Although the function of NDRG2 is currently unknown, high NDRG2 expression correlates with improved prognosis in high-grade gliomas, gastric cancer and hepatocellular carcinomas. Furthermore, in vitro studies have revealed that over-expression of NDRG2 in cell-lines causes a significant reduction in their growth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: It has recently been shown that NDRG2 mRNA is down-regulated or undetectable in several human cancers and cancer cell-lines. Although the function of NDRG2 is unknown, high NDRG2 expression correlates with improved prognosis in high-grade gliomas. The aim of this study has been to examine NDRG2 mRNA expression in colon cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTwo phenotypes exist in the human population with regard to expression of lactase in adults. Lactase non-persistence (adult-type hypolactasia and lactose intolerance) is characterized by a decline in the expression of lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) after weaning. In contrast, lactase-persistent individuals have a high LPH throughout their lifespan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToxicol Appl Pharmacol
September 2004
The UDP glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract have a crucial role in protection against the toxic effects of lipophilic chemicals in the environment. UGTs such as UGT1A7, UGT1A8, and UGT1A10 are exclusively expressed in gastrointestinal tissues, each with a unique tissue distribution pattern that is subject to interindividual variation. The factors regulating this tissue-specific expression and that contribute to variability are beginning to be elucidated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) -1A8 and -1A10 are exclusively expressed in extrahepatic tissues and primarily in the gastrointestinal tract, whereas UGT1A9 is expressed mainly in the liver and kidneys. We have demonstrated previously that the UGT1A8 and UGT1A10 genes, in contrast to the UGT1A9 gene, are regulated via an initiator-like element in their proximal promoters. To determine the elements that contribute to the gastrointestinal expression of UGT1A8 and -1A10, we conducted deletion analysis of the UGT1A8, -1A9, and -1A10 promoters in the colon-derived cell line Caco2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases, UGT1A8, 1A9, and 1A10, are closely related in sequence and have a major role in the elimination of lipophilic chemicals by glucuronidation. UGT1A8 and 1A10 are expressed exclusively in the gastrointestinal tract, whereas UGT1A9 is expressed mainly in the liver and kidneys. To determine the factors contributing to the extrahepatic expression of these UDP-glucuronosyltransferases, we have cloned and characterized the promoters of the UGT1A8, 1A9, and 1A10 genes and studied their regulation in the colon cell line, Caco2.
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