Co-expression of midkine and pleiotrophin predicts poor survival in human glioma.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether co-expression of midkine (MK) and pleiotrophin (PTN) has prognostic relevance in human gliomas. Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the expression of MK and PTN proteins in 168 patients with gliomas. The levels of MK and PTN mRNA in glioma tissues and paratumor tissues were evaluated in 45 paired cases by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

Activation of protease-activated receptor 2 reduces glioblastoma cell apoptosis.

Background: The pathogenesis of glioma is unclear. The disturbance of the apoptosis process plays a critical role in glioma growth. Factors regulating the apoptosis process are to be further understood.

Nitric oxide inhibits ghrelin-induced cell proliferation and ERK1/2 activation in GH3 cells.

Ghrelin stimulates growth hormone release and cell proliferation, which strongly supports a significant role for this peptide in the control of growth hormone-releasing adenomas function and growth. Nitric oxide can influence the stimulatory effects of ghrelin on growth hormone secretion in growth hormone-releasing adenomas. However, the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on ghrelin-induced cell proliferation and the mechanism of this effect in the adenoma were not clarified.