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ABSTRACT: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer of the white blood cells most commonly found in childhood with a peak incidence at 2-5 years of age. The ubiquitin degradation pathway facilitates degradation of damaged proteins and regulates the growth and stress response. This pathway is activated in various cancers, including ALL. It has been previously reported that the newly characterized human gene UBE2Q2, a putative member of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme family, is over-expressed in the tumor mass and invasive epithelium in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and breast cancer.
Here, we have used quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to assess expression of the UBE2Q2 gene in bone marrow samples of 20 children with ALL. Whole blood samples of 20 normal children were used as control specimens.
RT-PCR revealed the expression of UBE2Q2 mRNA in 80% of the bone marrow samples from ALL patients as well as in 85% of leukemic normal peripheral blood cells. According to the results of quantitative RT-PCR, the levels of UBE2Q2 mRNA expression in the bone marrow cells of 11 out of the 20 children with ALL (55%) were significantly higher (> 2-47 fold) than those in blood cells of normal children.
Our data suggest that the newly characterized human gene, UBE2Q2, may have implications for the pathogenesis of ALL and could be used for molecular diagnosis purposes in the future.
Archives of Iranian medicine 06/2012; 15(6):352-5. · 0.97 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a role in mediating molecular, cellular, and behavioral adaptations underlying drug addiction. Here, we examined the influence of withdrawal from repeated morphine treatment on the expression of BDNF mRNA in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and locus coeruleus (LC) of the rat brain. We also studied whether alternations in mRNA levels of BDNF in these tissues are associated with histone modifications around promoters II and III of the BDNF gene. Thus, chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP) and quantitative (q)-PCR were employed to assess acetylation of histone H3 at K9/K14 and trimethylation of histone H3 at K9. Results of qRT-PCR showed that levels of BDNF mRNA in both VTA and LC were significantly increased 7 days rather than 2 h or 24 h following the last injection of morphine. Consistently, CHIP and qPCR analysis revealed that on day 7 of morphine abstinence, both VTA and LC levels of histone methylation at BDNF promoters II and III of morphine treated rats were significantly lower than control animals. Morphine withdrawal caused only a significant increase in H3 acetylation at the promoter II in the LC. These data demonstrate the involvement of histone H3 methylation in the regulation of gene expression in the VTA and LC of rats during forced abstinence of morphine.
Neurochemical Research 03/2012; 37(7):1517-23. · 2.24 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The novel human gene, designated ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2Q family member 1 (UBE2Q1) maps to chromosome 1q21.3. The gene has an open reading frame corresponding to 422 amino acids and contains a RWD domain and an E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme domain. Here, we investigated the expression levels of both mRNA and protein of UBE2Q1 gene in cancerous versus normal parts of breast specimens from 26 patients. Real-time PCR data showed that the relative expression level of UBE2Q1 mRNA was significantly greater in cancers than in non-cancerous tissues of breast specimens (Mean ± SEM, 0.064 ± 0.015 for cancers and 0.026 ± 0.01 for noncancerous tissues, P < 0.05 Mann-Whitney test). A rabbit polyclonal antibody was generated against an amino acid sequence predicted from the DNA sequence of UBE2Q1 gene. This antibody was used to perform Western blotting on 21 cases in our cohort of breast specimens. Thus, 13 (61.904%) of the cases showed an increase in the UBE2Q1 immunoreactivity in their cancerous tissues as compared with the corresponding normal tissues. This result along with the real-time PCR data shows that the novel human gene, UBE2Q1, is expressed in human breast and may have implications for pathogenesis of breast cancer.
Molecular Biology Reports 12/2011; 39(5):5135-41. · 2.93 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Resveratrol is a plant polyphenolic compound. Evidence indicates that resveratrol has beneficial effects against aging and neurodegenerative diseases. The goal of our study was in vivo examination of the effects of resveratrol on the abundance of mRNA encoding Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of rat brain. Rats were administrated orally by different doses (2.5-20 mg/kg bwt) of resveratrol for 3, 10 and 30 days. Saline was used as control and 10% ethanol in saline was used as vehicle for resveratrol. Measurement of BDNF mRNA by Real-time RT-PCR showed that levels of the mRNA for BDNF were significantly and dose dependently elevated in the hippocampal tissues of rats. The findings suggest that the neuroprotective effects of resveratrol may be at least partly due to its inducing effects on the expression levels of the BDNF mRNA.
Neurochemical Research 01/2011; 36(5):761-5. · 2.24 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway facilitates the degradation of damaged proteins and regulates growth and stress response. This pathway is activated in various cancers, including breast cancer. We have previously reported that the novel human gene, UBE2Q2, is a putative ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme that is located on chromosome 15 and is overexpressed in tumor mass and invasive epithelium in head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma. Here, real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the expression levels of UBE2Q2 gene in a collection of 21 breast cancer tissues matched with normal adjacent counterparts. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot testing were also performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections by using a rabbit polyclonal antibody that we generated against an amino acid sequence predicted from the DNA sequence of UBE2Q2 gene. In the 21 cases investigated, a high increase in the expression of UBE2Q2 mRNA was found in 8 breast cancers (38.1%), a moderately increased UBE2Q2 expression was observed in 7 cases (33.3%), and no significant changes were detected in 6 cases (28.6%) of tumor samples when compared with corresponding normal tissues. Consistently, a higher level of immunoreactivity for UBE2Q2 protein was detected in invasive epithelium of cancerous tissues when compared with that in the normal epithelium. Our data suggest that the novel human gene UBE2Q2 may have implications for pathogenesis of breast cancer and could be used in molecular diagnosis purposes in the future.
Cancer genetics and cytogenetics 03/2010; 197(2):101-6. · 1.54 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In this study, the effects of bright light (BL) on the rhythms in body temperature, plasma melatonin, plasma cortisol and subjective alertness, in 34 shift work nurses at a university hospital were assessed. They were exposed to very BL (4,500 lx) during 2 breaks (21:15-22:00 and 3:15-4:00) or dim light (300 lx). The subjects were studied under 24 h of realistic conditions during which their plasma cortisol and melatonin were measured at 3-h intervals; their body temperature was also measured during and after night shift work. Subjective alertness was evaluated with the Karolinska sleepiness scale. Administration of BL significantly suppressed night-time melatonin levels. A one-way ANOVA revealed that BL tended to increase cortisol levels and body temperature and significantly improved alertness. These results demonstrate that photic stimulation in a hospital setting can have a powerful influence on the adjustment of the circadian system.
International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics: JOSE 01/2010; 16(4):477-85. · 0.35 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The present study compared the effects of four isocaloric diets containing (1) fresh sunflower oil not supplemented with selenium (Fresh), (2) oxidized sunflower oil not supplemented with selenium (Oxidized), (3) fresh sunflower oil supplemented with 1 ppm selenium as sodium selenite (Fresh+Se), (4) oxidized sunflower oil supplemented with 1 ppm selenium as sodium selenite (Oxidized+Se) on serum MDA concentrations, liver GPx activity and serum and liver selenium contents in growing male Sprague Dawley rats during a period of 43 days. The oxidized oil used was prepared by heating fresh sunflower oil at 180 degrees C for 48 h. Serum and liver selenium contents and liver GPx activity were significantly higher in the selenium supplemented groups compared to the non-selenium supplemented groups, but these parameters did not differ significantly between the oxidized oil fed groups and the fresh oil fed groups. Serum MDA concentrations increased significantly in the Oxidized group compared to the Fresh group. This suggests that the ingestion of oxidized oil resulted in, in vivo lipid peroxidation. Serum MDA concentrations remained significantly higher even in comparison of the Oxidized + Se group with the Oxidized group. Our results emphasize that the consumption of oxidized oil increases in vivo lipid peroxidation and thus can be deleterious to health. However, we did not observe a significant beneficial effect of selenium supplementation upon the ingestion of thermally oxidized oil on lipid peroxidation.
Food and Chemical Toxicology 10/2008; 46(11):3501-5. · 3.00 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Adrenomedullin (AM) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) are structurally related, interact with each others receptors and show overlapping biological activities. Immunoreactivity (IR) and mRNAs along with binding sites for both CGRP and adrenomedullin have been shown in the rat spinal cord. CGRP mediates the transmission of nociceptive information at the spinal cord level and both peptides has shown to induces c-fos expression and accumulation of cAMP in spinal cells. In this study, HPLC methods were used to investigate the effects of AM and CGRP on the basal and K+-evoked release of serotonin, glutamate (Glu), aspartate (Asp), glycine (Gly) and gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) from the slices prepared from the rat spinal cord. Neither CGRP (10(-7) and 10(-6) M) nor AM (10(-7) and 10(-6) M) had significant effects on the basal release of serotonin and the amino acids tested in this study. However, CGRP produced statistically significant increases in the K+-evoked release of Asp and Glu, whereas AM failed to do so. Neither AM nor CGRP (10(-7) and 10(-6) M) showed any significant effects on the K+-evoked release of serotonin, GABA and Gly. Present data suggest that the stimulatory effects of CGRP on the release of Asp and Glu were exerted by distinct types of CGRP receptors.
Neuroscience Letters 07/2007; 420(3):193-7. · 2.11 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common abdominal emergency. The appendix has abundant serotonin containing cells. Upon inflammation, serotonin is released in the blood and converted into 5-HIAA (5-hydroxy indole acetic acid). Measurement of the urine 5-HIAA (U-5-HIAA) could be a reliable marker of inflammation of the appendix. We have compared the powers of test performance of spot U-5-HIAA and spot U-5-HIAA/creatinin with other routine laboratory tests used for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
Urine, serum, and blood samples of 110 patients who were admitted and observed in the emergency units of two university hospitals were studied. 5-HIAA was measured using HPLC, C-reactive protein by immunoturbidometry, WBC by electronic cell counting, and urine creatinine by the Jaffe method. Diagnostic accuracy of the various tests was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.
The mean of spot U-5-HIAA in 39 patients with AA (nongangrenous) was 32 +/- 2.6 micromol/L, which was much higher than the mean of 40 non-appendicitis patients (NA) (5.5 +/- 0.6), 10 follicular hyperplasia (7.5 +/- 2.1), and 50 healthy control cases (4.1 +/- 0.5) with P < 0.001. The concentration of U-5-HIAA in 21 patients with gangrenous appendicitis (GA) (13.8 +/- 2.1) was also higher than NA patients and healthy individuals but lower than AA cases (P < 0.05). Considering 10 micromol/L as the cutoff point, this test shows 84% sensitivity and 88% specificity, with 90% and 81% positive and negative predictive values, respectively. The area under ROC curve (AUC) of U-5-HIAA in the diagnosis of AA (AUC = 0.903) was much larger than AUCs of U-5-HIAA/Cr (0.787), WBC (0.703), and CRP (0.660).
: Urinary secretion of 5-HIAA increases significantly in acute appendicitis and measurement of spot U-5-HIAA gives higher diagnostic accuracy than other routine laboratory tests. While the inflammation progresses to necrosis of the appendix, the concentration of 5-HIAA decreases. This decrease could be a warning sign of perforation of the appendix.
Clinical Biochemistry 12/2004; 37(11):985-9. · 2.08 Impact Factor
