芹菜素对NCI-H446细胞系球细胞自我更新和uPAR表达的影响

目的：研究芹菜素对人小细胞肺癌NCI-H446细胞系球细胞自我更新的影响及机制。方法：采用干细胞条件培养基超低黏附板悬浮培养法从体外培养NCI-H446细胞系得到球细胞。测定球形成率用以评价0(0.1% DMSO对照组),5.0,10.0,20.0 μmol/L芹菜素对NCI-H446细胞系球细胞自我更新的抑制作用;Western印迹分析球细胞尿激酶型纤维蛋白酶原激活物受体(urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor,uPAR)的表达。结果：0,5.0,10.0,20.0 μmol/L 芹菜素呈剂量依赖性抑制NCI-H446细胞系第2代球细胞的球形成率[球形成率分别为(18.2±1.9)%,(13.6±1.7)%,(10.6±1.6),(6.9±1.3)%],并呈浓度依赖性下调uPAR蛋白的表达(P<0.05)。结论：芹菜素抑制人小细胞肺癌NCI-H446细胞系球细胞自我更新作用,可能与下调uPAR表达相关。     

Exploring soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor and its relationship with arterial stiffness in a bi-ethnic population: the SAfrEIC-study

Introduction

Elevated soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) indicates an inflammatory state caused by conditions such as HIV and cancer. Recently suPAR was identified as an indicator of cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is highly prevalent in black South Africans, but the potential role of suPAR is unknown. We investigated suPAR as a possible marker of arterial stiffness in Africans and Caucasians.

Methods

This study involved 207 Africans and 314 Caucasians (aged 20-70 yrs). C-reactive protein (CRP) and suPAR were determined in fasting blood samples. We measured blood pressure, pulse wave velocity (PWV) and Windkessel arterial compliance (Cwk).

Results

Africans displayed higher suPAR, CRP, PWV and lower Cwk (p < 0.001) compared to Caucasians. SuPAR was elevated in Africans irrespective of gender and smoking. We found strong relationships between PWV and suPAR (r = 0.27; p < 0.001) and Cwk and suPAR (r = − 0.39; p < 0.001) in the whole group, but found no independent relationship of any arterial stiffness measure and suPAR in Africans after adjustment for confounders. Caucasian men indicated a weak significant independent association between Cwk and suPAR (β = − 0.09; p = 0.028).

Conclusion

Africans had higher levels of suPAR and arterial stiffness than Caucasians (p < 0.001), but there was no independent relationship between arterial stiffness and suPAR in the Africans. It is speculated that due to the inflammatory role of suPAR, it will have stronger relationships with atherosclerosis, which has not yet manifested in this relatively young population group. SuPAR may therefore not be an ideal early marker of cardiovascular dysfunction, but may rather indicate established CVD.     

子宫内膜腺癌组织中尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活系统的表达及其临床意义

目的:研究尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活系统在子宫内膜腺癌的发生、发展及浸润转移中的规律及其对临床的指导意义.方法:应用免疫组织化学方法测定24例正常子宫内膜、30例子宫内膜增生过长及62例子宫内膜腺癌组中uPA、uPAR、PAI-1的表达,并分析与良恶性、临床分期、组织学分级、基层浸润深度及淋巴结转移的关系.结果:uPA、uPAR、PAI-1在子宫内膜腺癌组中的表达较正常子宫内膜组和子宫内膜增生过长组中的表达显著升高(P均<0.05),而正常子宫内膜组和子宫内膜增生过长组中的表达无显著性差异(P>0.05).uPA、uPAR、PAI-1的高表达与肿瘤分化、临床分期、肌层浸润深度和淋巴结转移有关(P<0.05).结论:uPA、uPAR、PAI-1的表达与子宫内膜腺癌的发生、发展及浸润转移密切相关,可作为判断预后的重要指标.     

Design and Synthesis of Fragment Derivatives with a Unique Inhibition Mechanism of the uPAR·uPA Interaction

There is substantial interest in the development of small molecules that inhibit the tight and highly challenging protein–protein interaction between the glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored cell surface receptor uPAR and the serine protease uPA. While preparing derivatives of a fragment-like compound that previously emerged from a computational screen, we identified compound 5 (IPR-3242), which inhibited binding of uPA to uPAR with submicromolar IC₅₀s. The high inhibition potency prompted us to carry out studies to rule out potential aggregation, lack of stability, reactivity, and nonspecific inhibition. We designed and prepared 16 derivatives to further explore the role of each substituent. Interestingly, the compounds only partially inhibited binding of a fluorescently labeled α-helical peptide that binds to uPAR at the uPAR·uPA interface. Collectively, the results suggest that the compounds bind to uPAR outside of the uPAR·uPA interface, trapping the receptor into a conformation that is not able to bind to uPA. Additional studies will have to be carried out to determine whether this unique inhibition mechanism can occur at the cell surface.     

皮质发育不良大鼠脑皮质中尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活剂受体的表达

目的观察γ-射线照射诱导的皮质发育不良(CD)模型大鼠皮质尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活剂受体(uPAR)的表达,探讨其在癫痫发病机制中的作用。方法建立CD模型,按大鼠的不同年龄分为新生组、幼年组(又分为2周龄和4周龄)和成年组(2.5个月龄)。分别利用苏木精-伊红染色、免疫组化及免疫荧光染色,光镜下观察不同组之间大脑皮质的病理变化及uPAR阳性细胞表达的情况。结果免疫组化显示各组中均有uPAR阳性表达细胞;随着年龄的增长,阳性表达细胞逐渐减少,但CD模型组阳性表达细胞在皮层中所占比例明显高于正常对照组;免疫荧光双标显示uPAR阳性表达细胞主要是神经元。结论uPAR在CD发病过程中对神经组织的迁移发挥着关键作用,而较高比例的阳性神经元表达可能在CD致癫过程中发挥着重要作用。     

Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor on invasive cancer cells: a prognostic factor in distal gastric adenocarcinoma

Gastric cancer is the second cancer causing death worldwide. The five-year survival for this malignancy is below 25% and few parameters have shown an impact on the prognosis of the disease. The receptor for urokinase plasminogen activator (uPAR) is involved in extracellular matrix degradation by mediating cell surface associated plasminogen activation, and its presence on gastric cancer cells is linked to micrometastasis and poor prognosis. Using immunohistochemistry, the prognostic significance of uPAR was evaluated in tissue samples from a retrospective series of 95 gastric cancer patients. uPAR was expressed by neoplastic cells, macrophages, myofibroblasts and neutrophils in both intestinal and diffuse subtypes. No association was demonstrated between the expression of uPAR on cancer cells and histological subtype (p = 0.64) or TNM stage (p = 0.75). Univariate analysis revealed a significant association between the expression of uPAR on tumor cells in the peripheral invasion zone and overall survival of gastric cancer patients (HR = 2.16; 95% CI: 1.13-4.14; p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis showed that uPAR immunoreactivity in cancer cells at the invasive front is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in gastric cancer (HR = 2.39; 95% CI: 1.22-4.69; p = 0.011). In consequence, scoring of uPAR-positive cancer cells may be a direct measure for the invasive potential of gastric adenocarcinomas.     

Decreased serum levels of hepatocyte growth factor in male adults with high-functioning autism

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of autism are currently unknown. Given the role of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in brain development, we hypothesized that HGF plays a role in the pathophysiology of autism. In this study, we studied whether serum HGF levels are altered in subjects with high-functioning autism. METHODS: Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we measured serum levels of HGF in 17 male adults with high-functioning autism and age-matched 18 male healthy subjects. RESULTS: The serum levels (503.5+/-160.5 pg/mL (mean+/-SD)) of HGF in the subjects with high-functioning autism were significantly (Mann-Whitney U=34.0, p<0.001) lower than those (817.6+/-232.4 pg/mL (mean+/-SD)) of control subjects. However, there were no correlations between serum HGF levels and clinical variables in the patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that reduced HGF levels may play a role in the pathophysiology of high-functioning autism.     

Expression of urokinase plasminogen activator, its receptor and type-1 inhibitor in malignant and benign prostate tissue

The plasminogen activation (PA) cascade participates in degradation of extracellular matrix during cancer invasion. We have studied the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) mRNA, uPA receptor (uPAR) mRNA and immunoreactivity, and type-1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) mRNA and immunoreactivity in 16 prostate adenocarcinomas and 9 benign prostate hyperplasias. uPA mRNA and uPAR mRNA expression were found in 9 and 8 of the adenocarcinomas, respectively, and in 7 and 6 of the benign hyperplasias, respectively. In both malignant and benign lesions, expression of these 2 mRNAs was predominantly seen in cells identified as macrophages, which in most of the carcinomas (approximately 90%) were located in the interstitial tissue between the tumor cell islands, while in most of the benign hyperplasias they were located in the lumen of the glands and were in only a few cases (approximately 30%) found in the interstitial tissue. uPAR immunoreactivity correlated with the mRNA expression and was, in addition, found in neutrophils. PAI-1 mRNA was detected in 13 of the 16 carcinomas and in 8 of the 9 benign hyperplasias, located in scattered fibroblast-like cells in both groups, in some vascular structures and in a few macrophages located in the interstitial tissue of both malignant and benign lesions. A similar expression pattern was found for PAI-1 immunoreactivity. In 8 of the 16 carcinomas, all 3 components were present, and in several areas colocalization was observed in stromal cells in close proximity to cancer cell islands. No immunoreactivity and/or mRNA expression of uPA, uPAR or PAI-1 was observed in cancer cells or in other epithelial cells in any of the cases.     

Differential localization and expression of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), its receptor (uPAR), and its inhibitor (PAI-1) mRNA and protein in endometrial tissue during the menstrual cycle

Normal endometrium is a highly dynamic tissue, which responds to ovarian steroids with cyclic proliferation, differentiation (secretion), and degradation (menstruation). The urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA)-dependent proteolytic cascade as well as ligand activation of the uPA receptor (uPAR) is critically involved in physiological as well as pathophysiological aspects of tissue expansion and remodelling. Cyclic variation and distribution of uPA, uPAR and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) mRNA were examined by in situ hybridization, real-time PCR and northern blot in normal endometrium. Their corresponding proteins were localized with immunohistochemistry. uPA mRNA is exclusively expressed by stromal cells, whereas uPA protein is present in both epithelial and stromal cells. Immunostaining for uPA protein is reduced or undetectable at midcycle, thus coinciding with peak concentration of uPA in the uterine fluid. uPAR mRNA is expressed by epithelial cells in the proliferative phase and by stromal cells in the secretory phase. However, epithelial cells stain for uPAR protein throughout the cycle, suggesting that uPAR may detach from stromal cells and then bind to epithelial cells in the secretory phase. PAI-1 mRNA is located in vessel walls. The late secretory phase has greatly increased expression of all three mRNA and their proteins, mainly in pre-decidual cells in the superficial stroma. Discordant localization of the mRNA and proteins suggest that uPA is produced by stromal cells, released and bound to epithelial cells in both the proliferative and secretory phases, whereas uPAR is released from the stroma and bound to epithelial cells in the secretory phase. Also, the present data together with earlier reports suggest that uPA is released from the epithelial cells to the uterine fluid.