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Stimulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors is believed to underlie long-term memory formation, and excessive NMDA receptor activation has been linked to several neuropathological conditions. Phosphorylation and activation of p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK) is believed to mediate many of these effects, but the downstream targets of ERK in response to NMDA activation have not been determined. In primary cultures of rat cortical neurons, we found that NMDA was able to elevate phosphorylation of mitogen- and stress-activated kinase 1 (MSK1) as well as ERK. Likewise, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) treatment increased phosphorylation of MSK1 and ERKs. The NMDA-induced MSK1 phosphorylation was sensitive to the MEK inhibitor 2'-amino-3'-methoxyflavone (PD98059) and the p38 inhibitor 4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-methylsulfinylphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)1H-imidazole (SB203580). MSK1 activation by NMDA was transient, although ERK remained phosphorylated within the neuronal cytoplasm for several hours. Although BDNF increased ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) phosphorylation, NMDA had no discernable effect on the phosphorylation of RSKs. Thus, phosphorylation and activation of MSK1 but not RSK could be an important step in the pathway linking NMDA-induced ERK phosphorylation to the activation of transcription factors required for the formation of long-term memory.

The Majorana Collaboration is constructing the Majorana Demonstrator, an ultra-low background, 40-kg modular high purity Ge detector array to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 76Ge. In view of the next generation of tonne-scale Ge-based neutrinoless double-beta decay searches that will probe the neutrino mass scale in the inverted-hierarchy region, a major goal of the Demonstrator is to demonstrate a path forward to achieving a background rate at or below 1 count/tonne/year in the 4 keV region of interest around the Q-value at 2039 keV. The current status of the Demonstrator is discussed, as are plans for its completion.

Expression of progesterone receptors (PR) was studied in human osteoblast-like cell lines and primary human osteoblast cultures at the molecular level. Using the sensitive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and oligonucleotide primers which flank the progesterone-binding domain of human PR, progesterone receptor (PR) mRNA was detected in three osteoblast-like cell lines-HOS-TE85, MG-63, and SAOS-2. When compared with ß-actin gene expression, levels of PRmRNA transcripts varied between cell lines (PRmRNA in HOS-TE85>MG-63 » SAOS-2). In addition, RT-PCR confirmed the presence of PRmRNA transcripts in primary human osteoblast cells cultured from collagenase-treated bone. Immunostaining was used to visualize PR protein in cells. All osteoblast-like cell lines showed specific staining for PR. Immunoreactivity was distributed equally in the nucleus and cytoplasm. The level of staining was significantly lower than that detected in PR-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells though well above background levels obtained for PR-negative HeLa cells. The finding that PR is expressed at both the level of mRNA and protein in several osteoblast-like cell lines as well as in human primary osteoblast cultures indicates that bone-forming osteoblast cells are direct targets for progesterone action.

Summary: The polytopal association scheme for PBIB designs is introduced and studied utilizing the concept of clustering of treatments.

Lipocortin-1 (annexin-1) is an endogenous peptide with antiinflammatory properties. We have previously demonstrated lipocortin immunoreactivity in certain glial cells and neurons in the rat brain (Strijbos, P.J.L.M., F.J.H. Tilders, F. Carey, R. Forder, and N.J. Rothwell. 1990. Brain Res. In press.), and have shown that an NH2-terminal fragment (1-188) of lipocortin-1 inhibits the central and peripheral actions of cytokines on fever and thermogenesis in the rat in vivo (Carey, F., R. Forder, M.D. Edge, A.R. Greene, M.A. Horan, P.J.L.M. Strijbos, and N.J. Rothwell. 1990. Am. J. Physiol. 259:R266; and Strijbos, P.J.L.M., J.L. Browning, M. Ward, R. Forder, F. Carey, M.A. Horan, and N.J. Rothwell. 1991. Br. J. Pharmacol. In press.). We now report that intracerebroventricular administration of lipocortin-1 fragment causes marked inhibition of infarct size (60%) and cerebral edema (46%) measured 2 h after cerebral ischemia (middle cerebral artery occlusion) in the rat in vivo. The lipocortin-1 fragment was effective when administered 10 min after induction of ischemia. Ischemia caused increased expression of lipocortin-1 around the area of infarction as demonstrated by immunocytochemistry. Intracerebroventricular injection of neutralizing antilipocortin-1 fragment antiserum increased the size of infarct (53%) and the development of edema (29%). These findings indicate that lipocortin-1 is an endogenous inhibitor of cerebral ischemia with considerable therapeutic potential.