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S Li

Publications and source records attributed to S Li.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Assembly of tapasin-associated MHC class I in the absence of the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP).

The assembly of MHC class I molecules is regulated by a multi-protein complex in the endoplasmic reticules (ER) termed the loading complex. Tapasin is suggested to be one of the molecules forming this complex on the basis of its interaction with both the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) and MHC class I molecules. To address whether TAP is indispensable for the processing of the assembly of tapasin-associated MHC class I molecules, we studied the association of MHC class I molecules with tapasin, the assembly of tapasin-associated MHC class I with peptides and the peptide-mediated dissociation of MHC class I from tapasin in TAP-mutant T2 cells. In the absence of TAP, MHC class I heavy chain and beta(2)-microglobulin dimers were found to be properly associated with tapasin. The stable MHC class I dimer was required for its association with tapasin in the ER. In the absence of TAP, tapasin retained MHC class I molecules much longer in the ER than in the presence of TAP. This low off-rate of MHC class I from tapasin was due to the absence of high-affinity peptides in the ER of TAP-mutant cells but not to the absence of TAP per se. The introduction of peptides into permeabilized microsomes of TAP-mutant cells led to effective loading of the peptides onto tapasin-associated MHC class I and to the subsequent dissociation of MHC class I from tapasin. These results demonstrate that regulation of the assembly of tapasin-associated MHC class I is independent of the interaction of tapasin with TAP, but is dependent upon the peptides transported by TAP.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed2001

Distinct differences in association of MHC class I with endoplasmic reticulum proteins in wild-type, and beta 2-microglobulin- and TAP-deficient cell lines.

In this study we have compared the interaction of human MHC class I molecules with IgG heavy chain (HC) binding protein (BiP), calnexin, calreticulin, tapasin and TAP in beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)m)- or TAP-deficient cells, as well as in wild-type B-LCL cells. Distinct differences between the association of HC and these endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins were found in the three cell lines. In the absence of beta(2)m (Daudi cells), HC associated with both BiP and calnexin. A prominent portion of HC was complexed simultaneously to both chaperones, as indicated by co-precipitation with either anti-calnexin or anti-class I antisera. In the presence of beta(2)m, but absence of TAP (T2 cells), HC could be co-precipitated with calnexin, whereas no detectable interaction with BiP could be demonstrated. This suggests that calnexin interacts with HC at a later stage than BiP. In B-LCL cells, HC-beta(2)m associated with calreticulin and tapasin, whereas no interaction with calnexin and BiP was observed. In the absence of beta(2)m, HC were rapidly degraded in the ER, while the ER retained HC were stabilized in the presence of beta(2)m, even in the absence of TAP. The dissociation of class I molecules from TAP in B-LCL cells correlated with the kinetics of appearance of class I molecules on the cell surface, suggesting that TAP retains peptide-free class I molecules in the ER. Taken together, our results suggest the model that BiP and calnexin sequentially control the folding of MHC class I, before MHC class I molecules associate with the loading complex.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed2001

Wheat bran and soy protein feeding do not alter urinary excretion of the isoflavan equol in premenopausal women.

The capacity to convert the soy isoflavone daidzein to equol in vivo is presumably determined by an individual's intestinal microfloral populations; however, diet may also influence this conversion. The objectives of the present study were to determine whether a 1-mo supplementation of dietary fiber as wheat bran increases urinary equol excretion in equol excreters and stimulates equol production in nonexcreters and whether longer-term soy isoflavone intake increases equol production or alters overall urinary isoflavone excretion. First, we screened 74 women, ages 20-40 y, and determined their equol-excreter status. In these women, health and lifestyle patterns and habitual dietary intake did not differ according to equol-excreter status. Next, 26 of the women (13 equol excreters and 13 nonexcreters) were assigned (blocked on equol-excreter status) to either longer-term (1 mo) or short-term (4 d) soy protein supplementation. Within each soy treatment group, women participated in two 1-mo intervention periods (the exact length was determined by each woman's menstrual cycle) during which they consumed their usual diets supplemented daily with either 0 or 16 g dietary fiber in a randomized crossover design. A 1-mo washout period separated the two diet periods. Among the 19 women who completed both periods, fiber supplementation did not increase equol production in equol excreters or nonexcreters. In addition, isoflavonoid excretion did not differ by fiber dose or length of soy intervention. These results suggest that a daily 16 g-fiber dose as wheat bran and the addition of soy protein do not alter significantly the capacity of colonic microflora to produce equol.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Personal dose monitoring of employees at the institute of modern physics, China.

The radiation field at the accelerator facility consists of radiation produced immediately and of secondary radiation induced by activation etc. As the accelerator building and the experimental hall are closed and inaccessible during accelerator operation, the exposure received by the employees at the IMP (Institute of Modern Physics) comes almost totally from the induced radiation. The methods and the results of personal dose monitoring from 1986 to 1999 at the IMP are presented. During the period, the total number of monitored individuals was 1960, and the average annual effective dose was 0.10 mSv. The number recording less than 0.1 mSv of effective dose was 1471 individuals. amounting to 77% of the total. Only six individuals had received effective doses between 5.0 mSv and 10 mSv. The maximum effective dose of 10 mSv was received by workers repairing the accelerator.

Calibration↗
PubMed2001

The recovery of cognitive function after general anesthesia in elderly patients: a comparison of desflurane and sevoflurane.

UNLABELLED: We evaluated the cognitive recovery profiles in elderly patients after general anesthesia with desflurane or sevoflurane. After IRB approval, 70 ASA physical status I-III consenting elderly patients (> or =65 yr old) undergoing total knee or hip replacement procedures were randomly assigned to one of two general anesthetic groups. Propofol and fentanyl were administered for induction of anesthesia, followed by either desflurane 2%-4% or sevoflurane 1%-1.5% with nitrous oxide 65% in oxygen. The desflurane (2.5 +/- 0.6 MAC. h) and sevoflurane (2.7 +/- 0.5 MAC. h) concentrations were adjusted to maintain comparable depths of hypnosis using the electroencephalogram bispectral index monitor. The Mini-Mental State (MMS) test was used to assess cognitive function preoperatively and postoperatively at 1, 3, 6, and 24-h intervals. The use of desflurane was associated with a more rapid emergence from anesthesia (6.3 +/- 2.4 min versus 8.0 +/- 2.8 min) and a shorter length of stay in the postanesthesia care unit (213 +/- 66 min versus 241 +/- 87 min). However, there were no significant differences between the Desflurane and the Sevoflurane groups when the MMS scores were compared preoperatively, and postoperatively at 1, 3, 6, and 24 h. Compared with the preoperative (baseline) MMS scores, the values were significantly decreased at 1 h postoperatively (27.8 +/- 1.7 versus 29.5 +/- 0.5 in the Desflurane group, and 27.4 +/- 1.7 versus 29.2 +/- 1.0 in the Sevoflurane group, respectively). However, the MMS scores returned to preoperative baseline levels within 6 h after surgery. At 1 h and 3 h after surgery, 51% and 11% (versus 57% and 9%) of patients in the Desflurane (versus Sevoflurane) Group experienced cognitive impairment. In conclusion, desflurane is associated with a faster early recovery than sevoflurane after general anesthesia in elderly patients. However, recovery of cognitive function was similar after desflurane and sevoflurane-based anesthesia. IMPLICATIONS: Desflurane was associated with a faster early recovery than sevoflurane after general anesthesia in elderly patients. However, recovery of cognitive function was similar with both volatile anesthetics.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Rhenium-188 HEDP to treat painful bone metastases.

PURPOSE: Rhenium-188 hydroxyethylidine diphosphonate (HEDP) is a new and attractive radiopharmaceutical that localizes in skeletal metastases and emits beta particles that may be therapeutically beneficial. In this study, the therapeutic efficacy of Re-188 HEDP was investigated in an uncontrolled initial trial of 61 patients with different types of advanced cancer for the palliation of painful bone metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-one patients with painful bone metastases of lung, prostate, breast, renal, rhinopharyngeal, and bladder cancers were treated with 1.1 GBq (31 mCi) to 6.9 GBq (188 mCi) Re-188 HEDP. After treatment, the patients were followed at weekly intervals for the first 2 months and monthly thereafter for as long as 1 year. Hematologic function tests were also performed before and after treatment for 6 weeks. Pain responses were scored according to a three-point pain-rating scale as complete, significant, and minimal. RESULTS: Prompt and significant relief of bone pain occurred in 80% of patients overall. Of the specific tumor types, pain relief was achieved in 77% of patients with lung cancer, in 80% with prostate cancer, in 83% with breast cancer, in 100% with bladder cancer, in 50% with renal cancer, in 50% with rhinopharyngeal cancer, and in 87% of patients with other tumor types, with no severe side effects or hematopoietic toxicity. CONCLUSION: This large clinical trial verified that Re-188 HEDP is a useful radiopharmaceutical agent to treat painful bone metastases from various tumor types.

Bone Neoplasms↗
PubMed2001

Visual inspection of the prostate biopsy specimen: aid to diagnosis and management.

The purpose of this article is to assess if the visual inspection of the prostate biopsy specimen can be used as a guide when deciding whether to attempt to sample another core of tissue from the same area if a less than adequate specimen was obtained during the first attempt. Five hundred thirty-seven specimens from 84 patients, referred because of an increased prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level and/or a suspicious result on digital rectal examination (DRE), were sampled and prospectively graded based on the lack of formation and amount of liquid in the specimen (grade I) compared to a highly rigid, solid core (grade V). Specimens were then fixed in formalin and retrospectively compared, and the pathologic diagnosis was compared with the subjective visual grade assigned to the specimen. Receiver-operator curve techniques were used to quantify the results and to test for statistical significance. Rigid biopsy specimens were cancer, and liquid, formless specimens were benign. Most biopsy specimens were solid, with moderate consistency, and could not be diagnosed accurately by visual inspection. Diagnosis of prostate cancer, despite the use of PSA, DRE, or diagnostic endorectal ultrasound, requires biopsy for definitive confirmation. Although the use of spring-loaded biopsy needles routinely yields good-quality cores of tissue for pathologic analysis, there are many occasions when a less than optimal specimen is obtained. The question of whether a repeat biopsy in that region is indicated always arises. These data suggest that if the initial specimen is grade I or II, repeat biopsy is probably not indicated. If the initial specimen is grade IV or V, repeat biopsy is recommended.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Genomic anatomy of a premier major histocompatibility complex paralogous region on chromosome 1q21-q22.

Human chromosomes 1q21-q25, 6p21.3-22.2, 9q33-q34, and 19p13.1-p13.4 carry clusters of paralogous loci, to date best defined by the flagship 6p MHC region. They have presumably been created by two rounds of large-scale genomic duplications around the time of vertebrate emergence. Phylogenetically, the 1q21-25 region seems most closely related to the 6p21.3 MHC region, as it is only the MHC paralogous region that includes bona fide MHC class I genes, the CD1 and MR1 loci. Here, to clarify the genomic structure of this model MHC paralogous region as well as to gain insight into the evolutionary dynamics of the entire quadriplication process, a detailed analysis of a critical 1.7 megabase (Mb) region was performed. To this end, a composite, deep, YAC, BAC, and PAC contig encompassing all five CD1 genes and linking the centromeric +P5 locus to the telomeric KRTC7 locus was constructed. Within this contig a 1.1-Mb BAC and PAC core segment joining CD1D to FCER1A was fully sequenced and thoroughly analyzed. This led to the mapping of a total of 41 genes (12 expressed genes, 12 possibly expressed genes, and 17 pseudogenes), among which 31 were novel. The latter include 20 olfactory receptor (OR) genes, 9 of which are potentially expressed. Importantly, CD1, SPTA1, OR, and FCERIA belong to multigene families, which have paralogues in the other three regions. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that 12 of the 13 expressed genes in the 1q21-q22 region around the CD1 loci are immunologically relevant. In addition to CD1A-E, these include SPTA1, MNDA, IFI-16, AIM2, BL1A, FY and FCERIA. This functional convergence of structurally unrelated genes is reminiscent of the 6p MHC region, and perhaps represents the emergence of yet another antigen presentation gene cluster, in this case dedicated to lipid/glycolipid antigens rather than antigen-derived peptides.

Antigens, CD1↗
PubMed2001

A genome-wide analysis of Arabidopsis Rop-interactive CRIB motif-containing proteins that act as Rop GTPase targets.

The plant-specific Rop family GTPases are versatile molecular switches in many processes during plant growth, development, and responses to the environment. To understand how Rop achieves its functional versatility in signaling, we performed a genome-wide identification of putative Rop targets using a combination of the yeast two-hybrid method, bioinformatic tools, and a robust functional assay in pollen. In this study, we have identified 11 Arabidopsis genes encoding novel proteins, termed RICs (for Rop-interactive CRIB motif-containing proteins), that contain a CRIB (for Cdc42/Rac-interactive binding) motif required for their specific interaction with GTP-bound Rop1. RICs are divergent and classified into five groups that share little sequence homology outside of the conserved Rop-interactive domain. Overexpression in tobacco pollen tubes of the nine Ric genes that are expressed in Arabidopsis pollen causes distinct phenotypes, implying distinct functions for various RICs. RIC3 (group III) and RIC4 (group V) both cause depolarized growth like Rop1 and display Rop1-enhanced localization to the tip of pollen tubes, suggesting that these RICs may be two distinct targets of Rop1. In contrast, RIC10 (group I) promotes pollen tube elongation but does not affect pollen tube growth polarity and shows Rop1-independent localization to the cytoplasm, suggesting that RIC10 may participate in a Rop1-independent pathway probably controlled by a different Rop. Expression of all other RICs causes various degrees of growth inhibition in pollen tubes. Furthermore, these inhibitory RICs also exhibit distinct patterns of localization in pollen tubes. Our results suggest that various RICs have evolved to interact with Rops differentially and to perform distinct functions in pollen tubes. Reverse transcriptase-mediated polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that six of the nine RICs are expressed in various parts of Arabidopsis plants. On the basis of these observations, we propose that RICs function as Rop GTPase targets that control various Rop-dependent signaling pathways in plants.

Amino Acid Motifs↗
PubMed2001

Binding of phosphate and pyrophosphate ions at the active site of human angiogenin as revealed by X-ray crystallography.

Human angiogenin (Ang) is an unusual homolog of bovine pancreatic RNase A that utilizes its ribonucleolytic activity to induce the formation of new blood vessels. The pyrimidine-binding site of Ang was shown previously to be blocked by glutamine 117, indicating that Ang must undergo a conformational change to bind and cleave RNA. The mechanism and nature of this change are not known, and no Ang-inhibitor complexes have been characterized structurally thus far. Here, we report crystal structures for the complexes of Ang with the inhibitors phosphate and pyrophosphate, and the structure of the complex of the superactive Ang variant Q117G with phosphate, all at 2.0 A resolution. Phosphate binds to the catalytic site of both Ang and Q117G in essentially the same manner observed in the RNase A-phosphate complex, forming hydrogen bonds with the side chains of His 13, His 114, and Gln 12, and the main chain of Leu 115; it makes an additional interaction with the Lys 40 ammonium group in the Ang complex. One of the phosphate groups of pyrophosphate occupies a similar position. The other phosphate extends toward Gln 117, and lies within hydrogen-bonding distance from the side-chain amide of this residue as well as the imidazole group of His 13 and the main-chain oxygen of Leu 115. The pyrimidine site remains obstructed in all three complex structures, that is, binding to the catalytic center is not sufficient to trigger the conformational change required for catalytic activity, even in the absence of the Gln 117 side chain. The Ang-pyrophosphate complex structure suggests how nucleoside pyrophosphate inhibitors might bind to Ang; this information may be useful for the design of Ang antagonists as potential anti-angiogenic drugs.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed2001

Estrogen-associated genes in uterine leiomyoma.

Uterine leiomyomas or fibroids are classified as a benign uterine disease in that the polyps display no malignant growth. However, uterine leiomyomas are a leading cause of morbidity, infertility, and hysterectomy in women. Since leiomyomas are known to be sensitive to estrogen for their growth, we have examined uterine genes known to be estrogen responsive in affected and unaffected uterine tissue. This information will be useful in determining the contribution, if any, of hormonally active environmental chemicals to this highly prevalent reproductive disorder.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

A dose texture plot in a moving frame as a new planning tool for single-plane implants in HDR brachytherapy.

A dose-texture plot is a print of dose values on the points of interest in a super-plane. The super-plane is a moving frame across the treatment depth-surface(s) with a fixed distance from surgical bed. The moving frame has an axis tangent to the midline of two neighboring catheters and the other axis perpendicular to the midline. By setting the scales of the two axes in units of the dwell step-size and the local distance between the two catheters, we can easily locate the basal-dose points with pairs of integers. A dose-texture plot on the basal-dose points in the super-plane provides the dose and location information in one picture. Such a picture can concisely represent the dose distribution in the treatment depth and allows us to quickly and quantitatively evaluate the effect of the source-dwell times and positions. This treatment-planning-evaluation tool has been used for development of an iteration optimization algorithm. The results of the iteration optimization on clinical cases demonstrated significant improvements over the optimization algorithms used in a commercial planning system.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2001

Growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible protein GADD34 assembles a novel signaling complex containing protein phosphatase 1 and inhibitor 1.

The growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible protein, GADD34, was identified by its interaction with human inhibitor 1 (I-1), a protein kinase A (PKA)-activated inhibitor of type 1 protein serine/threonine phosphatase (PP1), in a yeast two-hybrid screen of a human brain cDNA library. Recombinant GADD34 (amino acids 233 to 674) bound both PKA-phosphorylated and unphosphorylated I-1(1-171). Serial truncations mapped the C terminus of I-1 (amino acids 142 to 171) as essential for GADD34 binding. In contrast, PKA phosphorylation was required for PP1 binding and inhibition by the N-terminal I-1(1-80) fragment. Pulldowns of GADD34 proteins expressed in HEK293T cells showed that I-1 bound the central domain of GADD34 (amino acids 180 to 483). By comparison, affinity isolation of cellular GADD34/PP1 complexes showed that PP1 bound near the C terminus of GADD34 (amino acids 483 to 619), a region that shows sequence homology with the virulence factors ICP34.5 of herpes simplex virus and NL-S of avian sarcoma virus. While GADD34 inhibited PP1-catalyzed dephosphorylation of phosphorylase a, the GADD34-bound PP1 was an active eIF-2alpha phosphatase. In brain extracts from active ground squirrels, GADD34 bound both I-1 and PP1 and eIF-2alpha was largely dephosphorylated. In contrast, the I-1/GADD34 and PP1/GADD34 interactions were disrupted in brain from hibernating animals, in which eIF-2alpha was highly phosphorylated at serine-51 and protein synthesis was inhibited. These studies suggested that modification of the I-1/GADD34/PP1 signaling complex regulates the initiation of protein translation in mammalian tissues.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Effects of long-term enalapril and losartan therapy of hypertension on cardiovascular aldosterone.

BACKGROUND: Plasma aldosterone escape is found during long-term angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy. Evidence for aldosterone production in cardiovascular tissues raised the question of whether or not aldosterone escape occurs in these tissues. METHOD: Spontaneously hypertensive rats were treated with enalapril (20 mg/kg/day) and losartan (50 mg/kg/day) for 20 weeks; untreated spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar rats were used as positive and normal controls, respectively. Ex vivo mesenteric artery and heart perfusion, high-performance liquid chromatography, and radioimmunoassay for aldosterone were performed. RESULTS: The results showed that enalapril failed to significantly inhibit aldosterone production in mesenteric artery, myocardium and plasma. Losartan significantly inhibited aldosterone production to that of Wistar rats in the mesenteric artery, myocardium and plasma. CONCLUSION: This study provides the first evidence that long-term angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition therapy induces aldosterone escape in hypertensive cardiovascular tissues, and angiotensin II subtype 1 receptor antagonist does not induce aldosterone escape in mesenteric artery, myocardium and plasma of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Aldosterone↗
PubMed2001

Differential inhibition by nimesulide of the early and late phases of intravenous- and intracerebroventricular-LPS-induced fever in guinea pigs.

OBJECTIVES: The findings that inducible cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, but not constitutive COX-1, is upregulated in the brain of conscious rats approximately 1.5 h after intraperitoneal pyrogen administration, that the systemic administration of COX-2 inhibitors abolishes fever, and that COX-2-deficient mice do not develop fever in response to intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) have strongly implicated COX-2 in the mediation of the febrile response. However, the biosynthesis of COX-2 is significantly slower than the onset of the fever produced by intravenously injected LPS. It consequently seems improbable that inducible COX-2 could play a role in the initiation of this febrile response, but a role for COX-1 has not yet been categorically ruled out; or, alternatively, a constitutive isoform of COX-2 could have such a role. We have studied, therefore, the effects of the non-selective COX inhibitor indomethacin, the COX-1-selective inhibitor SC-560, and the COX-2-selective inhibitor nimesulide on the characteristically biphasic fever induced by intravenous LPS in conscious guinea pigs; it has an onset latency of approximately 10 min. METHODS: We injected the inhibitors 30 min before LPS, in various combinations of doses and routes; their respective vehicles were the control solutions. Core temperatures (T(c)) were monitored continuously, and plasma and brain PGE(2) levels were measured before and at 2-hour intervals after LPS administration. RESULTS: Intraperitoneal indomethacin at 10 mg kg(-1) attenuated both phases of intravenous LPS (2 microg kg(-1)) fever, but the first more so than the second; at 50 mg kg(-1), it inhibited the febrile response completely. Intraperitoneal SC-560 (5 mg kg(-1)) did not affect the febrile response to intravenous LPS (2 microg kg(-1)). Intraperitoneal nimesulide (0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg kg(-1)) dose dependently attenuated intravenous LPS (0.1 and 2 microg kg(-1)) fever; the second phase of the biphasic T(c) rise was affected significantly more than the first. Intraperitoneal nimesulide also prevented the associated rises in plasma and brain PGE(2) levels. Intracerebroventricular LPS (150 ng kg(-1)) evoked a monophasic fever with a long onset latency ( approximately 30 min); it was accompanied by a rise in brain PGE(2) only, implying that the febrigenic PGE(2) was generated directly in the brain. This response, however, was completely abolished by intraperitoneal nimesulide (3 mg kg(-1)), indicating that nimesulide crosses the blood-brain barrier. Intracerebroventricular nimesulide at 0.3 mg kg(-1) prevented the rise in plasma PGE(2) after intravenous LPS (2 microg kg(-1)) and again attenuated the second febrile peak significantly more than the first. CONCLUSIONS: COX-1 is not involved in intravenous LPS fever production, and COX-2 appears to play a greater role in the late than in the early phase of intravenous LPS fever in guinea pigs. The involvement of a constitutive COX-2 is inferred in the early phase.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Reactive oxygen species regulate heat-shock protein 70 via the JAK/STAT pathway.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) activate intracellular signal transduction pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. H(2)O(2) is a mitogen for rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and protein tyrosine phosphorylation is a critical event in VSMC mitogenesis. Therefore, we investigated whether the mitogenic effects of H(2)O(2), such as stimulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)2, are mediated via activation of cytoplasmic Janus tyrosine kinases (JAKs). JAK2 was activated rapidly in VSMCs treated with H(2)O(2), and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) STAT1 and STAT3 were tyrosine-phosphorylated and translocated to the nucleus in a JAK2-dependent manner. Inhibition of JAK2 activity with AG-490 partially inhibited H(2)O(2)-induced ERK2 activity, suggesting that JAK2 is upstream of the Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase-ERK/ERK mitogenic pathway. Because heat-shock proteins (HSPs) can protect cells from ROS, we investigated the effect of H(2)O(2) on HSP expression. H(2)O(2) stimulated HSP70 expression in a time-dependent manner, and AG-490 abolished H(2)O(2)-induced HSP70 expression. H(2)O(2) activated the HSP70 promoter via enhanced binding of STATs to cognate binding sites in the promoter. Regulation of chaperones such as HSP70 via activation of the JAK/STAT pathway suggests that in addition to its growth-promoting effects, this pathway may help VSMCs adapt to oxidative stress.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Delusions and suicidality.

OBJECTIVE: Delusions have been considered a risk factor for suicidal behavior. To determine whether specific delusion types are related to suicidal behaviors, the authors compared the clinical characteristics of patients with mood disorders and schizophrenia who did and did not have a history of suicide attempts. METHOD: After admission for inpatient or outpatient psychiatric treatment, 429 patients (ages 14-72 years; 47.1% male; and 73.0% Caucasian) were assessed with a structured clinical interview that generated axis I and II diagnoses. In addition, their psychiatric symptoms, history of suicide attempts, and overall functioning were rated. RESULTS: Data for three diagnostic subgroups (223 patients with major depression, 150 with schizophrenia, and 56 with bipolar disorder) were analyzed separately. Multivariate analyses did not find evidence of a relationship between delusions and history of suicidal ideation or suicide attempts in any of the diagnostic groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study did not find evidence that the presence of delusions distinguished persons with or without a history of suicide attempt.

Adolescent↗