Utility of gene methylation evaluated with the HPLC method as a pharmacogenomic biomarker to predict asparaginase sensitivity in BCP-ALL.

Asparaginase is an important agent for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), but it is occasionally associated with severe adverse events. Thus, for safer and more efficacious therapy, a clinical biomarker predicting asparaginase sensitivity is highly anticipated. Asparaginase depletes serum asparagine by deaminating asparagine into aspartic acid, and ALL cells are thought to be sensitive to asparaginase due to reduced asparagine synthetase (ASNS) activity.

Quantification of DNA methylation for carcinogenic risk estimation in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Background: In recent years, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has become the main cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As a means of improving the treatment of NASH-related HCCs based on early detection, this study investigated the feasibility of carcinogenic risk estimation in patients with NASH.

Results: Normal liver tissue (NLT), non-cancerous liver tissue showing histological findings compatible with non-alcoholic fatty liver from patients without HCC (NAFL-O), non-cancerous liver tissue showing NASH from patients without HCC (NASH-O), non-cancerous liver tissue showing non-alcoholic fatty liver from patients with HCC (NAFL-W), non-cancerous liver tissue showing NASH from patients with HCC (NASH-W) and NASH-related HCC were analyzed.

Assessment of MGMT methylation status using high-performance liquid chromatography in newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

Background: The utility of O-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene promoter methylation status as a prognostic marker in patients with glioblastoma (GBM) has been established. However, the number of CpG sites that must be methylated to cause transcriptional silencing remains unclear, and no significant consensus exists on the optimal method of assessing MGMT methylation. We developed a new high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method that enables accurate analysis of DNA methylation levels using long PCR products.

Clinical utility of a type 4 portable device for in-home screening of sleep disordered breathing.

Background: Portable monitoring devices have been developed for in-home screening and to aid in the diagnosis of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) while increasing accessibility and reducing costs. Although there are many different devices available in the market, most have not undergone rigorous validation. Therefore, although such devices are promising, more research on their clinical utility is necessary.

Establishment of diagnostic criteria for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma based on genome-wide DNA methylation analysis.

The aim of this study was to develop a less invasive and accurate diagnostic system for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) based on genome-wide DNA methylation profiling. Genome-wide DNA methylation screening was performed using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip, and DNA methylation quantification was verified using pyrosequencing. We analysed 26 samples of normal control urothelial tissue (C), an initial cohort of 62 samples (31 samples of non-cancerous urothelium [N] from UTUC patients and 31 samples of the corresponding UTUCs), a validation cohort of 82 samples (41 N and 41 UTUC samples), and 14 samples of urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC).

Establishment of permutation for cancer risk estimation in the urothelium based on genome-wide DNA methylation analysis.

The aim of this study was to establish permutation for cancer risk estimation in the urothelium. Twenty-six samples of normal control urothelium obtained from patients without urothelial carcinomas (C), 47 samples of non-cancerous urothelium without noticeable morphological changes obtained from patients with urothelial carcinomas (N), and 46 samples of the corresponding cancerous tissue (T) in the learning cohort and 64 N samples in the validation cohort, i.e.

Novel method for DNA methylation analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography and its clinical application.

The aim of this study was to develop a new methodology that is suitable for DNA methylation diagnostics and to demonstrate its clinical applicability. We developed a new anion-exchange column for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrostatic and hydrophobic properties. Both cytosine and thymine, corresponding to methylated and unmethylated cytosine after bisulfite modification, respectively, are captured by electrostatic interaction and then discriminated from each other by their hydrophobic interactions.

Allantopyrone A interferes with multiple components of the TNF receptor 1 complex and blocks RIP1 modifications in the TNF-α-induced signaling pathway.

Allantopyrone A is a fungal metabolite that uniquely possesses two α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moieties. We recently reported that allantopyrone A inhibited the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in human lung carcinoma A549 cells. In the present study, the mechanism by which allantopyrone A inhibits the TNF-α-induced signaling pathway was investigated in more detail.

Spatiotemporal patterns of the Huntingtin-interacting protein 1-related gene in the mouse head.

Huntingtin-interacting protein 1-related (Hip1r) was originally identified due to its homology to Huntingtin-interacting protein 1, which contributes to the development of Huntington's disease (HD). We studied the expression of the mouse Hip1r (mHip1r) gene in the mouse head by in situ hybridization. In early embryogenesis at embryonic day (E) 13, mHip1r expression was especially prominent in the olfactory epithelium, cerebral cortex layer 1, cortical plate, and dentate gyrus.

Cytotrienin A, a translation inhibitor that induces ectodomain shedding of TNF receptor 1 via activation of ERK and p38 MAP kinase.

Cytotrienin A, a member of the triene-ansamycin family, was initially identified to be an inducer of apoptosis and recently shown to be an inhibitor of translation that interferes with eukaryotic elongation factor 1A function. In human lung carcinoma A549 cells, cytotrienin A was found to inhibit more strongly the cell-surface expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α than the expression induced by interleukin (IL)-1α. Cytotrienin A induced the ectodomain shedding of TNF receptor 1 by TNF-α-converting enzyme (TACE).

Mycotrienin II, a translation inhibitor that prevents ICAM-1 expression induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin-1α (IL-1α), trigger the activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor-κB, a molecule that induces the expression of a variety of genes, including intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Here, we report that mycotrienin II, a member of the triene-ansamycin group, inhibited the cell-surface ICAM-1 expression induced by TNF-α more strongly than that induced by IL-1α in human lung carcinoma A549 cells. Mycotrienin II was found to inhibit protein synthesis in intact living cells, as well as in cell-free translation systems.

Ursolic Acid Inhibits Na+/K+-ATPase Activity and Prevents TNF-α-Induced Gene Expression by Blocking Amino Acid Transport and Cellular Protein Synthesis.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, induce the expression of a wide variety of genes, including intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Ursolic acid (3β-hydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid) was identified to inhibit the cell-surface ICAM-1 expression induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines in human lung carcinoma A549 cells. Ursolic acid was found to inhibit the TNF-α-induced ICAM-1 protein expression almost completely, whereas the TNF-α-induced ICAM-1 mRNA expression and NF-κB signaling pathway were decreased only partially by ursolic acid.

Peperomins as anti-inflammatory agents that inhibit the NF-kappaB signaling pathway.

The transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) induces the expression of various inflammatory genes. In the common NF-kappaB signaling pathway, peperomin E and 2,6-didehydropeperomin B inhibited IkappaB degradation upon stimulation with TNF-alpha or interleukin-1. Consistent with these results, peperomin E and 2,6-didehydropeperomin B blocked the TNF-alpha-induced activation of IkappaB kinase, while they had no direct effect on the IkappaB kinase activity.

Photovoltaic conversion using Zn chlorophyll derivative assembled in hydrophobic domain onto nanocrystalline TiO2 electrode.

Photovoltaic conversion using zinc chlorin-e6 (ZnChl-e6), which is zinc chlorophyll-a derivative, and fatty acid (myristic acid or cholic acid) co-adsorbed nanocrystalline TiO2 layer onto ITO glass (OTE) electrode is developed. The maximum peaks of photocurrent action spectrum of the ZnChl-e6 adsorbed TiO2 layer onto OTE (ZnChl-e6/TiO2) are 400, 660 and 800 nm, respectively. Especially the IPCE value at 800 nm (7.

Near-IR light-sensitized voltaic conversion system using nanocrystalline TiO2 film by Zn chlorophyll derivative aggregate.

A Zn chlorophyll-a derivative, Zn chlorin-e6 (ZnChl-e6), adsorbed onto a nanocrystalline TiO2 film (ZnChl-e6/TiO2) electrode was prepared, and the photovoltaic properties of the ZnChl-e6/TiO2 electrode were studied. The absorption peaks of ZnChl-e6/TiO2 observed at 420, 654, and 795 nm were attributed to the ZnChl-e6 molecules aggregating onto TiO2 film. The fluorescence attributed to the ZnChl-e6 monomer and aggregate was observed at 710 and 820 nm, respectively, and the fluorescence in both cases was quenched by TiO2 particles.