The utility of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue blocks for quantitative analysis of N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-O-sulfotransferase mRNA expressed by colorectal cancer cells.

N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-O-sulfotransferase (GalNAc4S-6ST) is a sulfotransferase responsible for biosynthesis of chondroitin sulfate E (CS-E). CS-E plays important roles in numerous biological events, such as neurite outgrowth. However, the role of GalNAc4S-6ST in tumor progression remains unknown.

RNA interference-mediated knock-down of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 prevents forepaw inflammatory hyperalgesia in rat.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV)1 is a ligand-gated cation channel expressed by primary sensory neurons, including those in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). TRPV1 plays an essential role in development of inflammatory thermal hyperalgesia after tissue injury and its expression in rat lumbar DRG is increased after hindpaw inflammation. However, the identity of factors mediating forepaw inflammatory hyperalgesia has remained elusive.

Natural antibiotic function of a human gastric mucin against Helicobacter pylori infection.

Helicobacter pylori infects the stomachs of nearly a half the human population, yet most infected individuals remain asymptomatic, which suggests that there is a host defense against this bacterium. Because H. pylori is rarely found in deeper portions of the gastric mucosa, where O-glycans are expressed that have terminal alpha1,4-linked N-acetylglucosamine, we tested whether these O-glycans might affect H.