bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phase II trial of high‐dose, intermittent calcitriol (1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3) and dexamethasone in androgen‐independent prostate cancer
Authors: Trump Donald L. , Potter Douglas M. , Muindi Josephia , Brufsky Adam , Johnson Candace S. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractBACKGROUNDData suggest that vitamin D plays a role in the treatment and prevention of prostate cancer. The combination of high‐dose, intermittent calcitriol (1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3) plus dexamethasone was studied based on evidence that dexamethasone potentiates the antitumor effects of calcitriol and ameliorates hypercalcemia.METHODSOral calcitriol was administered weekly, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (MTW), at a dose of 8 μg, for 1 month, at a dose of 10 μg every MTW for 1 month, and at a dose of 12 μg every MTW thereafter. Dexamethasone at a dose of 4 mg was administered each Sunday, and MTW weekly. Calcium and creatinine were determined weekly and radiographs of the urinary tract were performed every 3 months. All patients were considered evaluable for toxicity.RESULTSForty‐three men with androgen‐independent prostate cancer were entered; 37 received at least 1 month of calcitriol given at a dose of 12 μg every day × 3 per week. The majority of patients had bone metastases and rising prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels. All had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1. Eight patients (19%) experienced partial responses by PSA criterion (PSA decline of ≥50%, persisting for ≥28 days). Subjective clinical improvement occurred in some patients. Toxicity was minimal: urinary tract stones in 2 patients; and a readily reversible, CTC (v.3.0) Grade <2 creatinine increase in 4 patients. Throughout the study only 4 patients ever had a serum calcium level >11.0 mg/dL and no patient had a calcium level >12.0 mg/dL.CONCLUSIONSThe response rate reported in the current study (19%) was not found to be clearly higher than expected with dexamethasone alone. High‐dose intermittent calcitriol plus dexamethasone appears to be safe, feasible, and has antitumor activity. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Complementary expression pattern of Zfhx1 genes Sip1 and δEF1 in the mouse embryo and their genetic interaction revealed by compound mutants
Authors: Miyoshi Tomoya , Maruhashi Mitsuji , Van De Putte Tom , Kondoh Hisato , Huylebroeck Danny , Higashi Yujiro 
Published: April 2006

AbstractIn mouse embryos, the Zfhx1 transcription factor genes, Sip1 and δEF1, are expressed in complementary domains in many tissues. Their possible synergism in embryogenesis was investigated by comparing the phenotype of Sip1−/−;δEF1−/− double homozygotes with single homozygous embryos. Unexpectedly, in Sip1−/− embryos δEF1 was ectopically activated, suggesting a negative regulation of δEF1 expression by Sip1. Sip1−/−;δEF1−/− embryos were similar to Sip1−/− embryos in short somite production and developmental arrest around E8.5, but showed more severe defects in dorsal neural tube morphogenesis accompanied by a larger reduction of Sox2 expression, ascribable to the loss of the ectopic δEF1 expression. Sip1+/−;δEF1−/− embryos develop various morphological defects after E10 that were absent in δEF1−/− embryos even in tissues without significant overlap of Sip1 and δEF1 expression, and arrested during mid gestation earlier than δEF1−/− embryos. These findings indicate that complex synergistic interactions occur between Zfhx1 transcription factor genes during mouse embryogenesis. Developmental Dynamics 235:1941–1952, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Neuromuscular stimulation causes muscle phenotype‐dependent changes in the expression of the IGFs and their binding proteins in developing slow and fast muscle of chick embryos
Authors: McEntee G.M. , Simbi B.H. , Bayol S.A. , Macharia R.G. , Stickland N.C. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractInsulin‐like growth factor (IGF) ‐1 and ‐2 and binding protein (IGFBP‐2, ‐4, and ‐5) expression can be affected by several environmental factors, but the impact of movement on the IGF axis during late embryogenesis has yet to be fully characterized. Movement was promoted in chick embryos during mid‐embryogenesis using 4‐aminopyridine (4‐AP). The results indicate an increase in IGF‐1 (P < 0.01) and a decrease in IGFBP‐2 (P < 0.05) mRNA expression in slow muscle of the stimulated group compared with the control group. In fast muscle, there was a decrease in IGF‐2 (P < 0.01) on embryonic day (ED) 16 and an increase in IGFBP‐2 (P < 0.01) and IGFBP‐4 (P < 0.05) and in IGFBP‐5 (P < 0.05) expression on ED18 in the stimulated group compared with the control group. These results indicate that neuromuscular stimulation with 4‐AP influences IGF axis gene expression in a muscle fiber type‐dependent manner. Consequences of the changes in the IGF system for each muscle are discussed. Developmental Dynamics 235:1777–1784, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Interleukin‐4‐triggered, STAT6‐dependent production of a factor that induces mouse mast cell apoptosis
Authors: Hu Zhi‐Qing , Zhao Wei‐Hua , Shimamura Tadakatsu , Galli Stephen J. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractIL‐4 can suppress mast cell development from mouse spleen, bone marrow and peritoneal cells by an indirect process that is dependent on the presence of macrophages. Mast cells undergo apoptosis when exposed to supernatants collected from cultures of IL‐4‐stimulated peritoneal cells due to the IL‐4‐induced production of an apoptosis‐inducing factor in the cultures. This effect of IL‐4 is shown to be dependent on STAT6 signaling, because IL‐4 and IL‐13 do not suppress mast cell development from the spleen and peritoneal cells of STAT6–/– mice. Moreover, supernatants from cultures of IL‐4‐ and IL‐13‐stimulated peritoneal cells of STAT6–/– mice do not exhibit apoptosis‐inducing activity. We confirm, by using deficient mice, neutralizing antibodies and recombinant cytokines, that IL‐4‐induced apoptosis is not related to the well‐known apoptosis‐inducing factors Fas, Fas ligand, TNF‐α, TRAIL, TGF‐β or perforin. These results demonstrate a novel mechanism whereby IL‐4 and IL‐13 can suppress mast cell development by inducing the production of an apoptosis‐inducing factor from macrophages.
Endocrine disruptors that deplete glutathione levels in APC promote Th2 polarization in mice leading to the exacerbation of airway inflammation
Authors: Kato Takuma , Tada‐Oikawa Saeko , Takahashi Kazuo , Saito Kanako , Wang Linan , Nishio Akiyoshi , Hakamada‐Taguchi Rie , Kawanishi Shosuke , Kuribayashi Kagemasa 
Published: April 2006

AbstractEndocrine‐disrupting chemicals (EDC) are ubiquitous in environment and may have various undesirable effects on human health. In the present study, we have shown that some EDC [benzophenone, p‐octylphenol, and tributyltin chloride (TBT)] promoted strong Th2 polarization via suppression and augmentation of Th1 and Th2 development, respectively, from naive CD4+ T cells primed with anti‐CD3 and splenic antigen‐presenting cells (APC). The effect was indicated to be indirect via suppression of IL‐12 production and augmentation of IL‐10 production of APC, which are critical for the Th1 and Th2 development, respectively. Such modulation of cytokine production by EDC was associated with reduction of intracellular glutathione levels in APC. IL‐10 deprivation or the addition of N‐acetylcysteine, which replenishes intracellular glutathione level during priming, cancelled the effect of EDC on the promotion of Th2 polarization. Oral administration of TBT, which most effectively promoted Th2 polarization in vitro, exacerbated airway inflammation in a murine model of allergic asthma with concomitant enhancement of Th2‐type immunity. Collectively these results suggest that EDC such as benzophenone, p‐octylphenol, and TBT promote Th2 polarization indirectly via the depletion of glutathione in APC and subsequent modulation of IL‐10 and IL‐12 production that might result in the exacerbation of allergic diseases.
Soil erosion modelling with EUROSEM at Embori and Mukogodo catchments, Kenya
Authors: Mati B. M. , Morgan R. P. C. , Quinton J. N. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThe applicability of the European Soil Erosion Model (EUROSEM) in Kenya was tested on two subcatchments: Embori, which lies within a large‐scale commercial wheat‐ and barley‐growing region on the slopes of Mt Kenya; and Mukogodo, a dry rangeland region used for communal grazing, which lies at lower altitudes. For both catchments, EUROSEM was used to simulate interrill erosion from single storm events on plots of 10 m by 2 m. The model was calibrated and validated for a barley crop at Embori and three treatments of bare, grass and shrub covers at Mukogodo. The results indicated that EUROSEM was applicable to the Embori catchment, as correlation coefficients of 0·91 and 0·84 were obtained between observed and simulated runoff and soil loss, respectively. However, for Mukogodo, the model did not adequately predict soil loss from vegetated plots having grass or shrubs, although it could predict runoff from bare plots and grass quite well (R2 = 0·97, R2 = 0·60, respectively) as well as soil loss from bare plots (R2 = 0·58), but the standard errors of estimate at 4·67 mm were rather high (P = 0·95). Thus, EUROSEM requires improvements in terms of being able to predict runoff and soil loss in semi‐arid regions of Kenya, so that it can accommodate multiple vegetation covers, rangeland conditions and soils with surface sealing properties. In addition, the model requires further testing to sample a wider range of climatic and land use types for it to be applicable to Kenya and rangeland conditions generally. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Controlling sediment at source: an evaluation of erosion control geotextiles
Authors: Rickson R. J. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThe detrimental environmental impacts of soil erosion and sediment production are well documented, and this has increased pressure on landscape architects, construction engineers and site contractors to ensure that ‘best management practice’ is used to prevent sediment movement from vulnerable slopes. European Union policy in this area aims to minimize soil erosion losses in order to protect water, land and soil resources.Geotextiles (or erosion control mats and blankets), made from natural or synthetic fibres, can be installed on bare soil slopes, to protect against the erosive forces of wind, surface runoff, rainfall and waves. However, the extensive range of products available and yet limited performance data on erosion control geotextiles can make the selection process difficult for end users.This paper presents one method to evaluate the effectiveness or ability of geotextiles in controlling soil erosion. Taking a geomorphological approach, the sub‐processes of erosion (rainsplash and overland flow) are simulated separately to assess the ways in which different geotextile products interact with, and thus influence, the processes of soil detachment and transport.The results show that some products are successful at controlling rainsplash detachment and transport, but are less efficient at controlling the erosivity of overland flow. Other products have the opposite effect. This level of analysis helps identify effective products, as well as highlighting the physical characteristics required of a geotextile to maximize its effect on limiting detachment and transport of soil particles. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamic changes in the direction of the theta rhythmic drive between supramammillary nucleus and the septohippocampal system
Authors: Kocsis Bernat , Kaminski Maciej 
Published: April 2006

AbstractNeurons in the supramammillary nucleus (SUM) of urethane‐anesthetized rats fire rhythmically in synchrony with hippocampal theta rhythm. As these neurons project to the septum and hippocampus, it is generally assumed that their role is to mediate ascending activation, leading to the hippocampal theta rhythm. However, the connections between SUM and the septohippocampal system are reciprocal; there is strong evidence that theta remains in the hippocampus after SUM lesions and in the SUM after lesioning the medial septum. The present study examines the dynamics of coupling between rhythmic discharge in the SUM and hippocampal field potential oscillations, using the directionality information carried by the two signals. Using directed transfer function analysis, we demonstrate that during sensory‐elicited theta rhythm and also during short episodes of theta acceleration of spontaneous oscillations, the spike train of a subpopulation of SUM neurons contains information predicting future variations in rhythmic field potentials in the hippocampus. In contrast, during slow spontaneous theta rhythm, it is the SUM spike signal that can be predicted from the preceding segment of the electrical signal recorded in the hippocampus. These findings indicate that, in the anesthetized rat, SUM neurons effectively drive theta oscillations in the hippocampus during epochs of sensory‐elicited theta rhythm and short episodes of theta acceleration, whereas spontaneous slow theta in the SUM is controlled by descending input from the septohippocampal system. Thus, in certain states, rhythmically firing SUM neurons function to accelerate the septal theta oscillator, and in others, they are entrained by a superordinate oscillatory network. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss Inc.
Generation of the BCR/ABL fusion gene in a Philadelphia chromosome‐negative chronic myeloid leukaemia: insertion of 5.6 Mb of 9q34 into the BCR region of chromosome 22
Authors: Valle Laura , Fernández Victoria , Pérez‐Pons Concepción , Sánchez Félix García , Benítez Javier , Urioste Miguel 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThis report describes a chronic myelogenous leukaemia patient with an apparently normal bone marrow karyotype but BCR/ABL fusion‐gene‐positive. Commercial FISH probes showed an atypical pattern and the BCR/ABL fusion transcript was detected by RT‐PCR, but not the reciprocal ABL/BCR. Consecutive FISH assays clarified the mechanism of the masked Ph. The ABL gene and the following 5.6–5.7 Mb of 9q are inserted into the BCR region of chromosome 22. There is no transference of 22q material to chromosome 9 or to any other chromosomes. Clinical features and evolution of the patient are similar to those cases with classic Ph chromosome. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adhesion of mesenchymal stem cells to polymer scaffolds occurs via distinct ECM ligands and controls their osteogenic differentiation
Authors: Chastain Sara R. , Kundu Anup K. , Dhar Sanjay , Calvert Jay W. , Putnam Andrew J. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThe osteogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) cultured on poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) (PLGA) or poly(caprolactone) (PCL), two widely used polymeric biomaterials that have been reported to differentially support osteogenic differentiation, was compared in these studies. Here we report that MSCs cultured in 3‐D PLGA scaffolds for up to 5 weeks significantly upregulate osteocalcin gene expression levels. By contrast, osteocalcin expression was markedly downregulated in 3‐D PCL‐based constructs over the same time course. We hypothesized that differential adsorption of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins present in serum‐containing culture medium and subsequent differences in integrin‐mediated adhesion are responsible for these differences, and tested this hypothesis using thin (2‐D) polymeric films. Supporting this hypothesis, significant amounts of fibronectin and vitronectin deposited onto both materials in serum‐containing osteogenic media, with type‐I collagen present in lower amounts. Adhesion‐blocking studies revealed that MSCs adhere to PCL primarily via vitronectin, while type‐I collagen mediates their attachment to PLGA. These adhesive mechanisms correlated with higher levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity after 2 weeks of monolayer culture on PLGA versus PCL. These data suggest that the initial adhesion of MSCs to PLGA via type‐I collagen fosters osteogenesis while adhesion to PCL via vitronectin does not, and stress the need for an improved molecular understanding of cell–ECM interactions in stem cell‐based therapies. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2006
Hydrophilic molecularly imprinted poly(hydroxyethyl‐methacrylate) polymers
Authors: Oral Ebru , Peppas Nicholas A. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractHighly cross‐linked 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate with poly(ethylene glycol) of molecular weight 600 (PEG600DMA) were molecularly imprinted with hydrophilic templates glucose and proxyphylline using water as a solvent. Glucose‐imprinted polymers showed increased recognitive capacity compared to nonimprinted polymers as well as increased glucose uptake compared to structurally similar galactose and methylglucopyranoside. Increasing glucose concentration in the imprinting mixture resulted in higher capacity and selective binding. Similar results were obtained for proxyphylline‐imprinted P(HEMA‐co‐PEG600DMA) polymers, where the proxyphylline uptake was higher than structurally similar theophylline. Glucose‐imprinted networks also showed diffusion coefficients on the order of 10−6 cm2/s, conducive to applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering. This work showed that using pairs of hydrogen‐bonding monomers and templates, selective, high‐affinity sites could be created despite nonspecific binding. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2006
Are there morally acceptable alternatives to blastocyst derived ESC?
Authors: Rao Mahendra S. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractESC derivation, use and SCNT have raised many moral and ethical issues. In this opinion piece I have focused on the argument that morally less ambiguous alternatives to ESC derived from the ICM of blastocysts exist. These possibilities range from using multiple adult stem cell populations each of which is uniquely suited for a particular disease target or identifying adult ESC‐like populations, using transdifferentiated ESC‐like cells or alternate methods of deriving ESC. I suggest that while it is important to support such efforts current results do not provide sufficient compelling data to allow one to stop the use of ESC and perhaps adult cells will never be a reliable alternative. All options need to be fully explored and decisions need to be made with scientific rigor and respect for each individuals moral compass. J. Cell. Biochem. 98: 1054–1061, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Involvement of phosphatidylcholine‐selective phospholipase C in activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathways in imidazoline receptor antisera‐selected protein
Authors: Li Fei , Wu Ning , Su Rui‐Bin , Zheng Jian‐Quan , Xu Bo , Lu Xin‐Qiang , Cong Bin , Li Jin 
Published: April 2006

AbstractImidazoline receptor antisera‐selected protein (IRAS) is considered as a candidate for the I1‐imidazoline receptor (I1R), but the signaling pathway mediated by IRAS remains unknown. In our study, the signal transduction pathways of IRAS were investigated in CHO cells stably expressing IRAS (CHO‐IRAS), and compared to the native I1R signaling pathways. Rilmenidine or moxonidine (10 nM–100 µM), I1R agonists, failed to stimulate [35S]‐GTPγS binding in CHO‐IRAS cell membrane preparations, suggesting that G protein may not be involved in IRAS signaling pathway. However, incubation of CHO‐IRAS with rilmenidine or moxonidine for 5 min could induce an upregulation of phosphatidylcholine‐selective phospholipase C (PC‐PLC) activity, and an increase in the accumulation of diacylglycerol (DAG), the hydrolysate of PC‐PLC, in a concentration‐dependent manner. The elevated activation of PC‐PLC by rilmenidine or moxonidine (100 nM) could be blocked by efaroxan, a selective I1R antagonist. Cells treated with rilmenidine or moxonidine showed an increased level of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in a concentration‐dependent manner, which could be reversed by efaroxan or D609, a selective PC‐PLC inhibitor. These results suggest that the signaling pathway of IRAS in response to I1R agonists coupled with the activation of PC‐PLC and its downstream signal transduction molecule, ERK. These findings are similar to those in the signaling pathways of native I1R, providing some new evidence for the relationship between I1R and IRAS. J. Cell. Biochem. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
RUNX3: A new player in myeloid gene expression and immune response
Authors: Puig‐Kröger Amaya , Corbí Angel 
Published: April 2006

AbstractRUNX transcription factors function as scaffolds for interaction with various coregulatory proteins during developmental processes such as hematopoiesis, neurogenesis, and osteogenesis. The current view places RUNX proteins within the TGF‐β signaling pathway, although each one exhibits cell‐ and tissue‐specific functions. In the case of RUNX3, recent data have suggested its function as a tumor suppressor factor and highlighted its involvement in immune cell differentiation and activation. The molecular mechanisms for the pleiotropic effects of Runx3 deficiency are not completely understood. The present article will summarize the known functional activities of RUNX3, emphasizing its role in myeloid cell gene expression and its potential contribution to the migratory and adhesive capabilities of this cell lineage. J. Cell. Biochem. 98: 744–756, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Integrin signaling and cell spreading mediated by phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate treatment
Authors: Lee Mi‐Sook , Kim Yong‐Bae , Lee Sung‐Yul , Kim Jeong‐Geun , Kim Sung‐Hoon , Ye Sang‐Kyu , Lee Jung Weon 
Published: April 2006

AbstractSpreading of SNU16mAd gastric carcinoma cells was previously shown to be regulated via a signaling network from transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) to integrins signaling, through a mediation of protein kinase C δ (PKCδ). However, in the previous study, the roles of PKCδ appeared complicated. In this study to clarify the roles of PKCδ in the spreading of the gastric carcinoma cells, we questioned if PKC activation via phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) treatment could mimic the TGFβ1 effects. An acute PMA treatment increased phosphorylations of focal adhesion (FA) kinase, paxillin, c‐Src, and cofilin, just as TGFβ1 did. Furthermore, cell spreading mediated by TGFβ1‐ or acute PMA treatment correlated with activation of RhoA, which regulates actin reorganization and FA formation. However, stress fiber formation was prominent in TGFβ1‐treated cells, compared to cortical actin organization in PMA‐treated cells. Altogether, these observations indicate that acute PMA treatment could mimic the TGFβ1 mechanisms for cell spreading through subtly different effects on actin reorganization. J. Cell. Biochem. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.