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Background and Aims: The incidence of breast cancer is increasing day by day, especially in women. The search for new drugs against breast cancer is the focus of attention in research. Breast cancer and prostate cancer have remarkable biological similarities. Therefore, the 4-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-(1-(2-fluoro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)ethyl)-5-((4-fluorobenzyl)thio)-4H1,2,4-triazole (SGK597) compound that is suppressing cell proliferation in prostate cancer, was studied in MCF-7 breast cancer and MCF-10A mammary epithelial cell lines. Methods: The WST-8 method was used to determine cell viability and cytotoxicity of SGK597 in MCF-7 and MCF10-A cell lines. The JC-1 test was applied to determine changes in mitochondrial membrane potential. The protein expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2, and c-PARP associated with apoptosis were determined using Western blot analysis. Results: After 24 and 48 hours of incubation of SGK597, the IC50 values were 28.74 μM and 17.28 μM for MCF-7; 65.9 μM and 50.5 μM for MCF-10A, respectively. Mitochondrial membrane potential showed a tendency toward depolarization in MCF-7 cells as a result of increasing concentration of SGK597, while the same tendency was not seen for MCF-10A. As a result of western blot experiments, no increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and c-PARP expression level was observed, indicating no apoptosis. Conclusion: It was observed that the compound SGK597 suppressed MCF-7 cell proliferation. These results indicate that SGK597 may be a candidate compound for use as an anticancer agent.

Purpose To investigate development of radiation pneumonitis (RP) in relation to pulmonary function, dosimetric factors, and transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFβ1) expression in irradiated breast cancer patients. Methods A total of 49 breast cancer patients who received post-operative radiotherapy (RT) were evaluated in terms of pulmonary function tests (PFTs), quality of life (QoL), development of RP, dosimetric factors, cytokine levels, and lung highresolution computed tomography (HRCT) before and after RT. ROC analysis was performed for performance of dosimetric factors in predicting RP, while frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped for TGFβ1 (rs11466345 and rs1800470) were also evaluated. Results All cases with RP (10.2%) recovered clinically at the end of third post-RT month. PFT and HRCT parameters were similar before and after RT overall, as well as by RP and the radiation feld subgroups. ROC analysis revealed the signifcant role of the ipsilateral V5 (cutof value of 45.9%, p=0.039), V10 (29.4%, p=0.015), V20 (23%, p=0.017), and MLD (1200 cGy, p=0.030) in predicting RP. Higher post-RT TGFβ1 levels (p=0.037) were noted overall and in patients with RP. Patient and control groups were similar in terms of frequencies of SNPs genotyped for TGFβ1 (rs11466345 and rs1800470). EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR-23 scores were similar in patients with vs. without RP. Conclusion Our fndings revealed signifcant role of dosimetric factors including MLD, V20 as well as the low dose-volume metrics in predicting the risk of RP among breast cancer patients who received post-operative RT. Implementation of RT, extent of radiation feld or the presence of RP had no signifcant impact on PFTs

© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.Background: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy has long been accepted as a method to improve survival and lifetime quality of rectal cancer patients. However, physiologic effects of these therapies largely depend on the resistance of cells to the radiation, type of chemotherapeutic agents and individual responses. As one of the signaling cascades involved in chemo- or radiation- resistance, the present study focused on several proteins involved in pTEN/Akt/mTOR pathway to explore their prognostic significance. Materials and methods: Samples from advanced stage rectal cancer patients were analyzed to detect expression levels of pTEN/Akt/mTOR pathway related proteins pTEN, mLST8, REDD1, BNIP3, SAG and NOXA, together with p53, by RT-qPCR. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to assess expression-survival relation and correlations among all proteins and clinicopathological features were statistically analyzed. Results.: Except p53, none of the proteins showed prognostic significance. High p53 expression presented clear impact on overall survival and disease free survival. It was also significantly related to pathologic complete response. p53 showed high correlation to local recurrence as well. On the other hand, strong correlation was observed with PTEN expression and tumor response, but not with survival. High associations were also observed between mLST8/REDD1, PTEN and NOXA, confirming their role in the same cascade. Conclusion: The contentious role of p53 as a prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer was further affirmed, while PTEN and REDD1 could be suggested as potential candidates. Additionally, NOXA emerges as a conjunctive element for different signaling pathways.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder causing common health problem with increasing age. Evidences show that the key symptoms of AD are mainly caused by cholinergic system dysfunction which has a role in cognitive disorders. Cholinergic pathways especially muscarinic receptors like M1 subtype also have a major role in learning, memory, cognitive functions and emotional state. There is no available permanent treatment currently to cure AD or to change its progression. This study was designed to investigate the factors that play important role in pathogenesis of AD and to compare the effects of Galantamine treatment with effects of Myrtus communis treatment. The expression level of M1, ACh, BDNF; AChE activity, GSH level, MDA and MPO activity and AChE gene expression were investigated in scopolamine-induced rat model. Results showed that, administration of MC significantly improves the SCOP-induced reduction of latency and object recognition time; increasing BDNF, M1 and ACh receptor expression levels in the different brain regions. Additionally, MC showed an increased in AChE by enhancing GSH activity and reducing MDA level and MPO activity. In conclusion MC considered as a possible novel therapeutic approach that can be a valuable alternative way in the prevention and treatment of AD.

© 2022New thiosemicarbazides (3, 5-6), 1,2,4-triazoles (14-15) and thioethers (22-68) from derived (S)-Naproxen were synthesized in this study. The structure of these compounds were elucidated by spectral (FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR) methods, besides elemental analysis and TLC. The molecular binding of the compounds on MetAP-2 was performed. Anticancer effects of the synthesized compounds were studied by using MTT assay method on MCF-7 (includes oestrogene and progesterone receptors) and MDA-MB-231 (lacks estrogen and progesterone receptors) adenocarcinoma cell lines at 0, 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 μM concentrations for 24 h. The IC50 values of novel (S)-Naproxen derivatives were determined between from 5 to 100 μM on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. The apoptotic activity of selected compounds 22 and 42 were first analyzed by Annexin V staining using Tali Image-Based Cytometer. Mitochondrial membrane potential changes determined in fluorescence plate reader following JC-1 stain for compounds 22 and 42 in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. The effect of these compounds on the cell viability 4T1 mouse mammary tumor cell line was tested at 1 to 5 times of calculated IC50 value (IC50x1, IC50x2, IC50x3, IC50x4, and IC50x5). Next in order to determine the toxicity of the combination of compound 51 and Docetaxel, WST-1 cell viability and proliferation assay was performed with 4T1.

In the 21st century, cancer is seen as the biggest obstacle to the prolongation of life expectancy and the most important cause of death in every country in the world. According to the GLOBOCAN 2018 report produced by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), it is predicted that 18.1 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed based on all age groups and genders for 2018 and approximately 9.6 million people will die due to cancer. Considering all these situations, as well as the studies to increase the effectiveness of classical methods for cancer treatment, the search for alternative treatment methods have been accelerated. High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is a promising method for cancer researchers in recent years. Dosimetric studies are required for the widespread use of HIFU in the clinic. In this study, temperature characterization results, which are the basis of our research for the application of HIFU with dosimetric approach to colon cancer cell lines, are given. &nbsp

Understanding cell responses to the topography they are interacting with has a key role in designing surfaces due to the distinctiveness in the responses of different cell types. Thus far, a variety of surface textures have been fabricated, and the cellular responses of diversified cell lines to the surface textures have been assessed together with surface chemistry. However, the results reported in the literature are contradictory, and also not in-depth for inferring the relevance between cells, surface chemistry, and surface topography. Starting from this point of view, we focused on fabricating surfaces having extracellular matrix-like surface patterns and investigated the influence of patterning on human ovarian cancer cells. In this study, hemispherical protrusion-shaped, nanotextured surfaces were prepared via colloidal lithography and polymer casting methods using monolayer templates prepared from 280 nm, 210 nm, and 99 nm polystyrene particles and polydimethylsiloxane moulds. Then, the surface textures were transferred to biocompatible polycaprolactone films. After the characterisation of the surfaces via atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements, the cellular response to topography was evaluated by cell attachment, viability, and apoptosis studies. The results were compared with non-textured surfaces and control plate wells. The results showed that human ovarian cancer cell attachment increased with nanotexturing, which suggests that nanotexturing may be a promising approach for cancer cell modulation, and may have the potential to introduce new strategies for cancer treatment.

Regulation of telomerase activity is thought to participate in the cellular response to ionizing radiation. Epigenetic mechanisms play a role in this regulation, as well as other mechanisms such as transcription, phosphorylation, etc. Here, we investigated chromatin modifications in telomerase promoter upon exposure to ionizing radiation in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) and telomerase-immortalized hMSCs (hMSC-telo1) together with a hMSC-telo1 cell line in which TRF2 expression was partially repressed (siTRF2 hMSC-telo1). Histone methylations and acetylations were compared in all cell lines after exposure to various doses of ionizing radiation (0.1, 1, 2.5 and 15 Gy) using chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. hTERT gene was shown to be quickly regulated through H3, H4 acetylations, as well as with H3K4 and H3K9 methylations, following radiation exposure, although the kinetic of hMSC-telo1 cells were different, indicative of the higher radioresistivity of these cells. To the author's surprise, there was an upregulation of endogenous telomerase activity in the hMSC-telo1 cells, even though the cells had already expressed high levels of ectopic hTERT. Our results show that telomerase regulation is one of the primary actions in response to damage and epigenetic factors play a major role in this regulation. Our results also suggested that partial silencing of TRF2 enhances the radiosensitivity of these cells, and endogenous telomerase is upregulated upon radiation, even under ectopic expression of hTERT in these cells.

An approach for cancer treatment is modulation of tumor microenvironment. Based on the role of extracellular matrix in cell modulation, fabrication of textured materials mimicking extracellular matrix could provide novel opportunities such as determining cancer cell behaviour. With this background, in this work, we have fabricated doxorubicin hydrochloride loaded nanotextured films which promote topographical attachment of cancer cells to film surface, and eliminate cells by release of the anti-cancer drug encapsulated within the films. These films are designed to be placed during surgical removal of the tumor with the intent to prevent ovarian cancer recurrence by capturing cancer cell residuals. With this aim, hemispherical protrusion shaped surface textures were acquired using colloidal lithography technique using 280 nm, 210 nm or 99 nm polystyrene particles. Once moulds were formed, nanotextured films were obtained by casting water-in-oil stable polycaprolactone emulsions encapsulating doxorubicin hydrochloride. Films were then characterized, and evaluated as drug delivery systems. According to results, we found that template morphologies were successfully transferred to films by atomic force microscopy studies. Hydrophilic surfaces were formed with contact angle values around 40 degrees.In-vitrodrug release studies indicated that nanotextured films best fit into the Higuchi model, and similar to 30% of the drug is released from the films within 60 days. Cell culture results indicated increases in the attachment and viability of human ovarian cancer cells to nanotextured surfaces, particularly to the film fabricated using 99 nm particles. Our results demonstrated that delivery of anti-cancer drugs by use of nanotextured materials could be efficient in cancer therapy, and may offer new possibilities for cancer treatment.

WOS: 000504006700001 The first mixed ligand Mn (II) and Cd (II) complexes containing 4-methoxy-pyridine-2-carboxylic acid (4-mpic) and 4,4 '-dimethyl-2,2 '-bipyridine (dmbpy) were synthesized in this study. The geometric structures of [Mn(4-mpic)(2)(dmbpy)] (complex 1) and [Cd(4-mpic)(2)(dmbpy)] (complex 2) were determined by single crystal X-Ray diffraction method. FT-IR and UV-Vis spectra were also recorded to investigate vibrational and electronic properties of complexes 1 and 2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also carried out to provide a deep understanding in geometric, spectroscopic, electronic and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of complexes 1 and 2. The first-order hyperpolarizibility (beta) parameter calculated as 332.9736 x 10(-30) esu demonstrated that complex 1 is an extremely promising candidate to NLO materials. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis not only verified the distorted octahedral geometries of central metal ions, but also found out the high-energy interactions responsible for biological activities for complexes 1 and 2. Anti-cancer activities of complexes 1 and 2 were tested on human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7 (ER and PR positive, HER2 negative) and the triple negative breast carcinoma cell line MDA-MB 231 (ER, PR and HER2 negative). Dose-response relationship derived from MTT assays indicates that complexes 1 and 2 are showing concentration-dependent effects, which could suggest a potential use for these drug combinations in cancer cell lines.

The dopamine transporter (DAT) plays a role in the termination of dopaminergic neurotransmission; thereby it is accepted as the primary target of various psychostimulants. N-terminal phosphorylation of DAT has been proposed as a regulator in different DAT functions, such as amphetamine-induced efflux or PKC/PKA-mediated responses. To understand the role of N-terminal conformational changes in dopamine transporter structure and function, the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) method was applied to various DAT constructs fluorescently labeled at the N-terminus and substrate-induced conformational changes were determined using rhodamine-labeled cocaine analog JHC1-64 in three DAT mutants. The results indicated that the construct with YFP inserted into the N-terminal position-55 displayed effective interaction with the substrate and simultaneous mutation of two serine residues (S7 and S12) to alanine or aspartic acid demonstrated similar phenotypes as their wild-type (WT) counterparts. FRET was detectable for N-terminal p55 YFP WT, Ser/Ala, and Ser/Asp forms, but there was no significant difference among the three mutants, contrary to our expectations based on the previously proposed roles of these serine residues. In addition, three mutants (K264A, D345A, and Y335A) implemented in the position-55 YFP background were also investigated and the importance of Y335 in the translocation cycle and in the process of substrate release was verified.

Telomere repeat binding factor TRF2 is a member of shelterin complex with an important role in protecting and stabilizing chromosomal ends. In the present study, we investigated the effect of partial knockdown of TRF2 on radiosensitivity of telomerase immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC-telo1), which have a higher radioresistance compared to non telomerized counterpart. Partial knockdown of the protein achieved 15-20% reduction in TRF2 protein levels. The study compared the effect of 2.5Gy radiation in two-four days after irradiation for hMSC-telo1 cells and the cells transfected with siTRF2 and null control vector. Radio-response of the cells were examined using senescence associated β-Gal assay (β-Gal), colony forming assay (CFU) and γ-H2AX phosphorylation. TRF2 deficiency substantially increased radiosensitivity of cells compared to controls in both proliferation and senescence assay (2.4 fold increase in β-Gal, 1.6 fold decrease in CFU). In addition, it increased the γ-H2AX foci as revealed by both immunfluorescence and Western blot analysis. Our data suggests that partial knockdown of TRF2 in hMSC-telo1 cells cause increased γ-H2AX foci which led to fail TRF2 to protect telomeres from radiation thus TRF2 deficiency led to a 1,5-2 fold increase in the radiosensitivity of hMSC-telo1 cells through telomere destabilization.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used as anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents. This family of drugs suppresses prostaglandin synthesis through inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. Recent studies showed that anti-carcinogenic effects of these drugs are especially mediated by COX-2 enzyme. Etodolac is a COX-2 inhibitor and though not perfectly selective, it exhibits “preferential selectivity„ for COX-2. In this study, the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of etodolac and its hydrazone or triazole derivatives (SGK 206 and SGK 242, respectively), were investigated on prostate cancer cell line PC-3 and human colorectal carcinoma cell line HT-29. Our data showed that SGK 206 and SGK 242 were more effective in the inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis compared to etodolac in both cell lines.

The anticancer activity of Zingiber officinalis (ginger) is an area of active research. However, data is quite limited regarding its action and mechanism, especially in hematologic cancer types. Here, antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of whole extract of the rhizome of Zingiber officinalis (ZOWE), was investigated in K562 cell line derived from a chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patient. Various concentrations of whole extract (0, 10, 25, 50 and 100 μM) were tested in K562 cultures. Cytotoxicity and apoptosis was assessed with appropriate methods, as well as cellular ROS levels. In this study, we showed that ZOWE inhibited proliferation of K562 cells substantially, when compared to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from healthy donor. Increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and increased PARP cleavage demonstrated that ZOWE inhibited proliferation by induction of apoptosis. These changes were coupled with an increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Furthermore, ZOWE addition to the culture also reduced expression levels of survival proteins pAkt and survivin, in a concentration dependent manner. Our results clearly mark that ZOWE causes to a reduction in cell viability, an induction of apoptosis and elevation in ROS levels in chronic myeloid leukemia cells and effects are significantly different from healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cells, further supporting its potential therapeutic value.

Telomeres are the tandem repeats (TTAGGG) present at the ends of the chromosomes that ensure chromosome stability and protect chromosomes from degradation. Telomeres in somatic human cells shorten after every cellular division and are linked to the cellular senescence. In this study we have investigated telomere length and expression of shelterin genes in aborted fetus material from idiopathic recurrent pregnancy losses. Telomere length was measured using Telomere Restriction Fragment Length (TRF) analysis. The gene expression levels for important shelterin complex proteins (TRF1, TRF2, POT1, and TPP1) were determined by Real-time Quantitative Reverse Transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). Our results demonstrated down regulation of TRF2 and TPP1 and a strong decline in average telomere length in abort material from women suffering from idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss. We suggest that shorter telomere length and downregulation of the major shelterin components TRF2 and TPP1 leading to "telomere uncapping", might play a critical role in recurrent pregnancy loss.

In this study, biological effects of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), which offer an effective treatment options for the treatment of solid tumors in recent years, will be determined on the colon cancer cell lines.

Tolmetin hydrazide and a novel series of tolmetin hydrazide-hydrazones 4a-l were synthesized in this study. The structures of the new compounds were determined by spectral (FT-IR, (1)H NMR) methods. N'-[(2,6-Dichlorophenyl)methylidene]-2-[1-methyl-5-(4-methylbenzoyl)-1H-pyrrol-2-yl]acetohydrazide (4g) was evaluated in vitro using the MTT colorimetric method against the colon cancer cell lines HCT-116 (ATCC, CCL-247) and HT-29 (ATCC, HTB-38) to determine growth inhibition and cell viability at different doses. Compound 4g exhibited anti-cancer activity with an IC50 value of 76 μM against colon cancer line HT-29 (ATCC, HTB-38) and did not display cytotoxicity toward control NIH3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cells compared to tolmetin. In addition, this compound was evaluated for caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, and annexin-V activation in the apoptotic pathway, which plays a key role in the treatment of cancer. We demonstrated that the anti-cancer activity of this compound was due to the activation of caspase-8 and caspase-9 involved in the apoptotic pathway. In addition, in this study, we investigated the catalytical effect of COX on the HT-29 cancer line, the apoptotic mechanism, and the moleculer binding of tolmetin and compound 4g on the COX enzyme active site.

4-Chloro-3-({[(substitutedamino)carbonothioyl]amino}sulfonyl)-N-(2-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-indole-1-yl)benzamide (1–20) and 4-chloro-3-({[3-(substituted)-4-oxo-1,3-thiazolidine-2-ylidene]amino}sulfonyl)-N-(2-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-indole-1-yl)benzamide derivatives (21–31) were synthesized from 4-chloro-N-(2-methyl-2,3-dihydroindol-1-yl)-3-sulfamoylbenzamide (indapamide). 4-Chloro-3-({[(4-chlorophenyl) amino) carbonothioyl]amino}sulfonyl)-N-(2-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-indole-1-yl)benzamide 12 demonstrated the highest proapoptotic activity among all synthesized compounds on melanoma cell lines MDA–MB-435 with 3.7% growth inhibition at the concentration of 10 µM. Compound 12 (SGK 266) was evaluated in vitro using the MTT colorimetric method against melanoma cancer cell line MDA–MB435 growth inhibition for different doses and exhibited anticancer activity with IC50 values of 85–95 µM against melanoma cancer cell line MDA–MB435. In addition, this compound was investigated as inhibitors of four physiologically relevant human carbonic anhydrase isoforms, hCA I, II, IX and XII. The compund inhibited these enzymes with IC50 values ranging between 0.72 and 1.60 µM.

Hypertension is a multifactorial disorder that constitutes a major risk factor for the cardiovascular system. Heterotrimeric G-proteins, which couple receptors for diverse extracellular enzymes or ion channels, are correlated with disease mechanisms. Several studies have demonstrated an association between G protein polymorphisms and essential hypertension in some populations, although contradictive results also exist. In this study, we have investigated the potential role of the C825T, C1429T, and G5177A polymorphisms of the β3 subunit of G-proteins in essential hypertension in a group of Turkish subjects. Genomic DNA from 106 normotensive individuals (117.4 ± 13.1, 75.2 ± 10.5; systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) levels, respectively) and 101 hypertensive subjects (152.3 ± 18.0, 92.5 ± 11.6; SBP and DBP levels, respectively) were studied by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and direct sequencing methods for these polymorphisms. Allele frequencies of the polymorphisms were consistent with Hardy Weinberg equilibrium, except for the C825T polymorphism (χ(2) = 7.8). The frequencies of the 825T and 1429T variants were higher in hypertensive subjects compared to those of controls. Differences between hypertensives and controls were not statistically significant, though difference was very close to significance for C825T (p = 0.056 and 0.099 for 825T and 1429T, respectively). T allele frequency in overall population showed significant association with hypertension for C825T (0.0134). The prevalence of the 5177A-variant was very low and all subjects carrying it were heterozygotes in both groups.

We have introduced tetracysteine motifs into different positions of the dopamine transporter (DAT) for specific FlAsH labeling. Two of the constructs expressed at the cell surface and were functional as determined by [ 3 H] dopamine uptake experiments. The N-terminally modified transporter showed uptake levels comparable to the wild-type DAT, while the construct with tetracysteine motif at position 511 displayed an uptake level about 1/3 of its wild-type counterpart. In addition, these two transporter constructs were visualized on the cell surface following labeling with a fluorescent cocaine analog. YFP introduced into the same N-terminal position was also shown to have surface staining in agreement with activity tests. We propose that these two sites are suitable targets for tetracysteine labeling to be used in FlAsH staining studies, while p134, p342, p427, p433 and p517 sites are not.

Tolmetin hydrazide and a novel series of tolmetin hydrazide-hydrazones 4a-l were synthesized in this study. The structures of the new compounds were determined by spectral (FT-IR, (1)H NMR) methods. N'-[(2,6-Dichlorophenyl)methylidene]-2-[1-methyl-5-(4-methylbenzoyl)-1H-pyrrol-2-yl]acetohydrazide (4g) was evaluated in vitro using the MTT colorimetric method against the colon cancer cell lines HCT-116 (ATCC, CCL-247) and HT-29 (ATCC, HTB-38) to determine growth inhibition and cell viability at different doses. Compound 4g exhibited anti-cancer activity with an IC50 value of 76 μM against colon cancer line HT-29 (ATCC, HTB-38) and did not display cytotoxicity toward control NIH3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cells compared to tolmetin. In addition, this compound was evaluated for caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, and annexin-V activation in the apoptotic pathway, which plays a key role in the treatment of cancer. We demonstrated that the anti-cancer activity of this compound was due to the activation of caspase-8 and caspase-9 involved in the apoptotic pathway. In addition, in this study, we investigated the catalytical effect of COX on the HT-29 cancer line, the apoptotic mechanism, and the moleculer binding of tolmetin and compound 4g on the COX enzyme active site.

BACKGROUND: Telomeres are protective caps consisted of specific tandem repeats (5′-TTAGGG-3′). Shortening of telomeres at each cell division is known as "mitotic clock" of the cells, which renders telomeres as important regulators of lifespan. TRF2 is one of the critical members of shelterin complex, which is a protein complex responsible from the preservation of cap structure, and loss or mutation of TRF2 results in DNA damage, senescence or apoptosis. Since cancer is frequently associated with aberrant cell cycle progression, defective DNA repair or apoptosis pathways, TRF2 could be one likely candidate for cancer therapy. Here we investigated the prognostic role of TRF2 levels in cervical cancer patients. Fold-induction rates were evaluated with respect to median values after real-time PCR analysis. Overall survival, distant disease-free and local recurrence-free survival rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier long rank test. RESULTS: Both five year overall- and disease-free survival rates were longer in patients with higher TRF2 expression compared to lower expression, but results were not statistically significant (69.2% vs 28.9%, respectively). Mean local recurrence-free survivals (LRF) were very close ( 58.6, CI: 44.3-72.9 vs 54.5, CI: 32.1-76.9 months) for high and low expressions, respectively. Cumulative proportion of LRF at the end of five year period was 76.9% for high and 57.1% for low TRF2 expression (P = 0.75). Statistically significant difference was found between survival ratios and Bcl-xL and p53 gene expressions, but not with TRF2. A respectable correlation between TRF2 expression and apoptosis along with distant metastasis was noted (P = 0.045 and 0.036, respectively). Additionally, high TRF2 expression levels had a positive impact in five year survival rate of stage IIIB-IVA patients (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the role of TRF2 in apoptosis and imply a positive relation with distant metastases and survival in advanced stage patients. The remarkable difference in survival periods of patients with different TRF2 expressions suggest that TRF2 may be a candidate factor to estimate survival for cervical cancer, a preliminary observation which should further be verified with a larger cohort.

Dopamine has been shown to influence blood pressure by regulating renal sodium excretion through direct interaction with the dopamine receptors, especially with the Dopamine D1 receptor (DRD1). To better understand the role of polymorphisms in those effects, we investigated the association between two polymorphic sites in the DRD1 promoter region (A-48G, G-94A) and essential hypertension in the Turkish population. The DRD1 variants were genotyped by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. A total of 205 unrelated individuals were enrolled in the study. We found that genotype distributions and allele frequencies of the control and hypertensive subjects were very similar and did not show any significant difference with respect to blood pressure (BP) and hypertension. Contribution of the gene variances in BP or hypertension by sex differences and dependence on body mass index (BMI) were also evaluated. Distribution of genotypes and allele frequencies were found to be in line with previous reports. However, increments detected in hypertensive subjects were far from being statistically significant.

The aim of study was to investigate the fate and the morphology of the cells which constitute the spermatogenic line, and to determine the distribution of occludin in the testis in adult vasectomized Wistar rats. The rats were divided into two groups: control group (sham-operated) and vasectomized group. One, 3 and 6 months after sham and vasectomy operations, testis samples were examined. The weight of the testes was found to be reduced 3 and 6 months after vasectomy. There was vacuolization in the seminiferous tubules one month after vasectomy. The tubules showed severe atrophy 3 and 6 months after vasectomy. The occludin immunolabeling in the 3- and 6-month groups was weak and diffuse, and the density of the protein was found to be decreased. The increase in the number of apoptotic cells was accompanied by a time-dependent decrease in the number of haploid, diploid and tetraploid cells. This study demonstrated that vasectomy causes degeneration in the seminiferous tubules with alterations in occludin distribution with a decrease in the number of spermatogenic cells. Moreover, these alterations increase in a time-dependent manner.

AIM: To investigate the association between prognosis of rectal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and expression of sensitive-to-apoptosis (SAG), B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-XL) and Bcl-2 homologous antagonist/killer (Bak). METHODS: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the expression of proteins of interest, namely SAG, Bcl-XL, Bak and beta-actin, in rectal carcinoma patients who had a follow-up period of 3 years after CRT. Biopsy specimens were excised from the rectal tumor preceding CRT. RESULTS: SAG, Bcl-XL and Bak proteins showed significant correlations with each other. In multivariate analysis, patients with high vs low SAG expression showed a statistically significant difference in 2-year survival rates: 56\% vs 73\%, respectively (P = 0.056). On the other hand, there were no significant correlations between the expression levels of all three genes and metastatic rates or tumor responses to CRT. Mean overall survival in the patients with elevated SAG expression was 27.1 mo +/- 3.9 mo {[}95\% confidence interval (CI): 19.3-34.9], and in patients with reduced expression, it was 32.1 mo +/- 2.5 mo (95\% CI: 27.3-36.9). The corresponding values for Bcl-XL were 28.0 mo +/- 4.1 mo (95\% CI: 19.9-36.1) and 31.7 mo +/- 2.9 mo (95\% CI: 26.0-37.5), and those for Bak were 29.8 mo +/- 3.7 mo (95\% CI: 22.5-37.2) and 30.6 mo +/- 2.4 mo (95\% CI: 25.5-35.0), respectively. CONCLUSION: Two-year survival rates significantly correlated with low SAG expression, and SAG may be a candidate gene for good prognosis, independent of therapeutic response of different individuals. (C) 2011 Baishideng. All rights reserved.

Amac: Dopamin tasiyicilar (DAT) dopaminin sinaptik gerialimindan ve boylelikle sinirsel iletinin cabuk sonlanmasindan sorumludur. Bu proteinler aliskanlik yapici kokain, amfetamin gibi maddelerin de etki merkezlerini olusturur. Proteinin N-ucunda bulunan Serin 7 ve 12’nin fosforilasyon bakimindan kritik amino asitler oldugu bilinmektedir. Bu calismada N-ucu ile kokain baglama bolgesi arasindaki uzaklik, yaban tip ve Ser7/12Asp ve Ser7/12Ala mutantlarinda belirlenmistir. Gerec ve Yontem: Sari-floresan protein (YFP) ve mutasyonlar DAT’in N-terminal ucuna 2-asamali PCR ile yerlestirilmistir. Dopamin geri-alim testleri yapilmis ve konfokal mikroskopta verici-agartma yontemi ile Forster rezonans enerji transferi (FRET) mesafeleri belirlenmistir. Bulgular: Tum N-ucundan YFP-etiketlenmis DAT proteinleri duzgun olarak hucre yuzeyine tasinmistir. Km degerleri sirasiyla yaban tip, Ser7/12Ala and Ser7/12/Asp mutantlari icin 0.76, 0.75 ve 1.24 mM olarak saptanmistir. FRET etkinligi yaban-tip DAT icin 0.15 olarak bulunmus ve FRET uzakligi 68.4 A olarak bulunmustur. Diger konstraktlarda FRET etkinlikleri negatiftir ve enerji transferi saptanmamistir. Sonuc: Veriler bize N-ucu bolgesinin kokain baglama bolgesi ile FRET mesafesinde oldugunu ve kritik serin rezidulerinin mutasyonlarinin (Ser7/12Asp) bu mesafeyi arttirdigini gostermektedir

Pinar Mega Tiber,1 Latife Baloglu,2 Sevgi Ozden,3 Zerrin Ozgen,4 Hazan Ozyurt,3 Makbule Eren,3 Oya Orun11Department of Biophysics, Marmara University, School of Medicine, Maltepe, Istanbul, Turkey; 2Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institute Biomedical Laboratory Science, Stockholm, Sweden; 3Clinic of Radiation Oncology, Dr Lutfi Kirdar Kartal Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; 4Department of Radiation Oncology, Marmara University, School of Medicine, Kaynarca, Istanbul, TurkeyObjective: To evaluate the expressions of several apoptotic pathway proteins in relation to clinical parameters and survival in patients with cervical carcinoma.Methods: A total of 20 patients with clinically advanced staged carcinoma of cervix (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO] stage IIB-IVA) aged from 40 to 75 years were included in this study. The expression profile of anti-apoptotic protein (sensitive to apoptosis gene [SAG]), mitochondrial apoptotic proteins (B-cell lymphoma-extra-large [Bcl-xL] and Bcl-2 homologous antagonist/killer [Bak]), and tumor suppressor proteins (p73 and p53) were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction experiments along with their relation to clinical parameters and survival analyses during follow-up for 5 to 8 years.Results: No significant difference was found in the expressions of SAG, Bcl-xL, Bak, p73 and p53 proteins with respect to stage and grade of tumor. A significant positive correlation was noted between SAG and Bcl-xL genes (r=0.752, P

1. The affinities of 10 selective muscarinic receptor antagonists against [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) binding were determined to characterize the muscarinic receptors present in guinea-pig gallbladder smooth muscle. The highest correlation was obtained for the comparison between the pKi values for the gallbladder smooth muscle and M2 sites. Pirenzepine revealed two binding sites with affinities indicating the presence of muscarinic M2 receptors in abundance and a minor population of an additional site(s). 2. Carbachol produced gallbladder contractions, stimulated phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis and inhibited cAMP formation concentration-dependently with pD2 values of 6.12 +/- 0.11, 5.18 +/- 0.33 and 7.19 +/- 0.15, respectively. 3. Pirenzepine, 4-DAMP, HHSiD, pF-HHSiD, AF-DX 116, methoctramine, AQ-RA 741, guanylpirenzepine and AF-DX 384 showed competitive antagonism against carbachol-induced gallbladder contractions. There was no correlation between the pA2 values for the gallbladder and pKi values for the M2 sites, whereas significant correlations were found for the M1, M3 and M4 sites, the best correlation being between the pA2 values for the gallbladder and M4 subtypes. 4. Finally, the presence of both m2 and m4 receptor proteins were demonstrated by Western blot analysis. It is concluded that guinea-pig gallbladder smooth muscle has both muscarinic M2 and M4 receptors, which are coupled to adenylate cyclase inhibition and PI hydrolysis. 5. Although it seems likely that M2 receptors do not play a primary role in carbachol-induced guinea-pig gallbladder contraction, the characterization of the muscarinic subtypes which mediate these contractile responses needs further evidence.