Heteropolytopic arsanylarylthiolato ligands: cis-trans isomerism of nickel(II), palladium(II), and platinum(II) complexes of 1-AsPh2-2-SHC6H4.

Heteropolytopic arsanylthiolato ligands 1-AsPh(2)-2-SHC(6)H(4) (AsSH), PhAs(2-SHC(6)H(4))(2) (AsS(2)H(2)), and As(2-SHC(6)H(4))(3) (AsS(3)H(3)) have been prepared by lithiation-electrophilic substitution procedures. The 2:1 reaction of AsSH with NiCl(2)·6H(2)O, Na(2)[PdCl(4)], and [PtI(2)(cod)] (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) in the presence of NEt(3) afforded the square-planar complexes trans-[Ni{(AsS)-κ(2)S,As}(2)] (1), cis-[Pd{(AsS)-κ(2)S,As}(2)] (2), trans-[Pd{(AsS)-κ(2)S,As}(2)] (3), and cis-[Pt{(AsS)-κ(2)S,As}(2)] (4). In the cases of nickel and platinum, only one isomer was isolated.

Heteropolytopic phosphanylarylthiolato ligands: formation of cis isomers of nickel(II), palladium(III) and platinum(III) complexes with 1-P(Biph)-2-SHC6H4 (Biph = 1,1'-biphenyl-2,2'-diyl).

Reaction of the ditopic phosphanylarylthiol 1-P(Biph)-2-SHC(6)H(4) (BiphPSH, Biph = 1,1'-biphenyl-2,2'-diyl), prepared by lithiation-electrophilic substitution, with NiCl(2)·6H(2)O, Na(2)[PdCl(4)] and [PtI(2)(cod)] (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) in a 2:1 ratio and in the presence of NEt(3) led to formation of exclusively cis isomers of the square-planar complexes cis-[M{(1-P(Biph)-2-S-C(6)H(4))-κ(2)S,P}(2)] ([M{(BiphPS)-κ(2)S,P}(2)]; M = Ni (1), Pd (2), Pt (3)). Density functional calculations support the assumption that this is probably due to intramolecular π-π interaction of the biphenyl groups, which results in enhanced stability of the cis isomers. Compound 1 is the first example of a structurally characterised mononuclear cis-bis(phosphanylthiolato)nickel(III) complex.

Reaction of a heterotopic P,SAs ligand with group 10 metal(II) complexes: As-S bond cleavage and the formation of two unusual trinuclear structural isomers for Pd and Pt.

The synthesis of the heterotopic P,SAs ligand, 1-Ph(2)AsSC(6)H(4)-2-PPh(2) (1) and its reaction with [PdCl(2)(cod)], [PtI(2)(cod)] (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) and NiCl(2)·6H(2)O is reported. Cleavage of the As-S bond of 1 and coordination of the resulting phosphanylthiolato ligand (SC(6)H(4)-2-PPh(2))(-) (SC(6)H(4)-2-PPh(2) = P,S) was observed with formation of [M(P,S)(2)] (M = Ni, Pd, Pt). In the case of Pd and Pt, not only the mononuclear complexes [M(P,S)(2)] formed, but also the trimers of [MX(P,S)] ([MX{(μ-S-SC(6)H(4)-2-PPh(2))-κ(2)S,P}](3) [M = Pd, X = Cl (2) and M = Pt, X = I (4)]).

Association of K-ras mutational status and clinical outcomes in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving panitumumab alone.

Background: Identifying predictive biomarkers is important to optimally treat patients. This analysis evaluated the association of K-ras, BRAF, and PIK3CA gene mutations with tumor resistance to panitumumab alone.

Patients And Methods: From 3 phase II panitumumab metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) studies, 62 of 533 patient samples were available.

Targeted deletion of the sclerostin gene in mice results in increased bone formation and bone strength.

Introduction: Sclerosteosis is a rare high bone mass genetic disorder in humans caused by inactivating mutations in SOST, the gene encoding sclerostin. Based on these data, sclerostin has emerged as a key negative regulator of bone mass. We generated SOST knockout (KO) mice to gain a more detailed understanding of the effects of sclerostin deficiency on bone.

Continuous RANKL inhibition in osteoprotegerin transgenic mice and rats suppresses bone resorption without impairing lymphorganogenesis or functional immune responses.

Receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) is an essential mediator of osteoclast formation, function, and survival. The effects of RANKL are inhibited by a soluble decoy receptor called osteoprotegerin (OPG). Total ablation of RANKL in knockout mice leads to high bone mass, lymph node agenesis, and altered lymphocyte differentiation.

[Acute massive pulmonary embolism].

To establish the diagnosis of the acute massive pulmonary embolism is critically urgent for the doctors, because the life saving causal therapy should be introduced as soon as possible. The combined use of the estimated clinical probability and the results of one or more noninvasive examinations increase the accuracy in confirming the diagnosis of embolism. The most important methods to confirm or rule out the suspicion of pulmonary embolism are the noninvasive perfusion pulmonary isotopic scanning, spiral CT, echocardiography and the invasive "gold standard" pulmonary angiography.

Regulation of cancer cell migration and bone metastasis by RANKL.

Bone metastases are a frequent complication of many cancers that result in severe disease burden and pain. Since the late nineteenth century, it has been thought that the microenvironment of the local host tissue actively participates in the propensity of certain cancers to metastasize to specific organs, and that bone provides an especially fertile 'soil'. In the case of breast cancers, the local chemokine milieu is now emerging as an explanation for why these tumours preferentially metastasize to certain organs.

Anti-Epo receptor antibodies do not predict Epo receptor expression.

Investigators using anti-EpoR antibodies for immunoblotting and immunostaining have reported erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) expression in nonhematopoietic tissues including human tumors. However, these antibodies detected proteins of 66 to 78 kDa, significantly larger than the predicted molecular weight of EpoR (56-57 kDa). We investigated the specificity of these antibodies and showed that they all detected non-EpoR proteins.

CD4+CD45RBHi T cell transfer induced colitis in mice is accompanied by osteopenia which is treatable with recombinant human osteoprotegerin.

Background And Aims: Transfer of CD4+CD45RBHi T cells into semi syngeneic immunodeficient mice represents a model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). As patients with IBD often suffer from osteopenia, we studied if this T cell transfer in mice results in osteopenia in addition to colitis, and if treatment with osteoprotegerin (OPG) has effects on the bone mineral density of T cell transferred mice. We also investigated whether osteopenia was due to malabsorption as a result of a dysregulated digestive tract or as a consequence of the inflammatory process.

Lack of a hypotensive effect with rapid administration of a new aqueous formulation of intravenous amiodarone.

Hypotension is the most frequent adverse event reported with intravenous amiodarone. Hypotension has been attributed to the vasoactive solvents of the standard formulation (Cordarone IV) and is not dose related, but related to the rate of infusion. Drug labeling calls for intravenous amiodarone to be administered over 10 minutes.

[Keratinocyte growth factor significantly improves healing of left-sided colon anastomoses].

Inadequate healing and consequent leakage from large bowel anastomoses are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality following large bowel surgery. Systemic application of KGF has been shown to promote mucosal healing in models of colitis in rats and mice. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of systemic Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF) administration on healing of colonic anastomoses in rats.

Characterization of cells and gene-targeted mice deficient for the p53-binding kinase homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 1 (HIPK1).

The tumor suppressor p53 is regulated in part by binding to cellular proteins. We used p53 as bait in the yeast two-hybrid system and isolated homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 1 (HIPK1) as a p53-binding protein. Deletion analysis showed that amino acids 100-370 of p53 and amino acids 885-1093 of HIPK1 were sufficient for HIPK1-p53 interaction.

DREAM is a critical transcriptional repressor for pain modulation.

Control and treatment of chronic pain remain major clinical challenges. Progress may be facilitated by a greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying pain processing. Here we show that the calcium-sensing protein DREAM is a transcriptional repressor involved in modulating pain.

Osteoprotegerin inhibits osteolysis and decreases skeletal tumor burden in syngeneic and nude mouse models of experimental bone metastasis.

Certain malignancies, including breast cancer, frequently metastasize to bone, where the tumor cells induce osteoclasts to locally destroy bone. Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, is a negative regulator of osteoclast differentiation, activation, and survival. We tested the ability of recombinant OPG to inhibit tumor-induced osteoclastogenesis, osteolysis, and skeletal tumor burden in two animal models.

APRIL and TALL-I and receptors BCMA and TACI: system for regulating humoral immunity.

We report that the tumor neurosis factor homolog APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand) stimulates in vitro proliferation of primary B and T cells and increases spleen weight due to accumulation of B cells in vivo. APRIL functions via binding to BCMA (B cell maturation antigen) and TACI (transmembrane activator and CAML-interactor) and competes with TALL-I (also called BLyS or BAFF) for receptor binding. Soluble BCMA and TACI specifically prevent binding of APRIL and block APRIL-stimulated proliferation of primary B cells.

Brca1 required for T cell lineage development but not TCR loci rearrangement.

Brca1 (breast cancerl, early onset) deficiency results in early embryonic lethality. As Brca1 is highly expressed in the T cell lineage, a T cell-specific disruption of Brca1 was generated to assess the role of Brca1 in relation to T lymphocyte development. We found that thymocyte development in Brca1-/- mice was impaired not as a result of V(D)J T cell receptor (TCR) recombination but because thymocytes had increased expression of tumor protein p53.

Osteoprotegerin reverses osteoporosis by inhibiting endosteal osteoclasts and prevents vascular calcification by blocking a process resembling osteoclastogenesis.

High systemic levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG) in OPG transgenic mice cause osteopetrosis with normal tooth eruption and bone elongation and inhibit the development and activity of endosteal, but not periosteal, osteoclasts. We demonstrate that both intravenous injection of recombinant OPG protein and transgenic overexpression of OPG in OPG(-/-) mice effectively rescue the osteoporotic bone phenotype observed in OPG-deficient mice. However, intravenous injection of recombinant OPG over a 4-wk period could not reverse the arterial calcification observed in OPG(-/-) mice.

Severe B cell hyperplasia and autoimmune disease in TALL-1 transgenic mice.

TALL-1/Blys/BAFF is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand superfamily that is functionally involved in B cell proliferation. Here, we describe B cell hyperplasia and autoimmune lupus-like changes in transgenic mice expressing TALL-1 under the control of a beta-actin promoter. The TALL-1 transgenic mice showed severe enlargement of spleen, lymph nodes, and Peyer's patches because of an increased number of B220+ cells.

Synergistic growth factors enhance rat liver proliferation and enable retroviral gene transfer via a peripheral vein.

Background & Aims: Genetic diseases reflecting abnormal hepatocyte function are potentially curable through gene therapy. Retroviral vectors offer the potential for permanent correction of such conditions. These vectors generally require cell division to occur to allow provirus entry into the nucleus, initiated in many experimental protocols by partial hepatectomy.

RANK is the intrinsic hematopoietic cell surface receptor that controls osteoclastogenesis and regulation of bone mass and calcium metabolism.

We have generated RANK (receptor activator of NF-kappaB) nullizygous mice to determine the molecular genetic interactions between osteoprotegerin, osteoprotegerin ligand, and RANK during bone resorption and remodeling processes. RANK(-/-) mice lack osteoclasts and have a profound defect in bone resorption and remodeling and in the development of the cartilaginous growth plates of endochondral bone. The osteopetrosis observed in these mice can be reversed by transplantation of bone marrow from rag1(-/-) (recombinase activating gene 1) mice, indicating that RANK(-/-) mice have an intrinsic defect in osteoclast function.