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Positron emission tomography tracers [ 11 C]ABP688 and [ 18 F]FPEB target the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 providing quantification of the brain glutamatergic system in vivo. Previous [ 11 C]ABP688 positron emission tomography human test-retest studies indicate that, when performed on the same day, significant binding increases are observed; however, little deviation is reported when scans are >7 days apart. Due to the small cohorts examined previously (eight and five males, respectively), we aimed to replicate the same-day test-retest studies in a larger cohort including both males and females. Results confirmed large within-subject binding differences (ranging from -23% to 108%), suggesting that measurements are greatly affected by study design. We further investigated whether this phenomenon was specific to [ 11 C]ABP688. Using [ 18 F]FPEB and methodology that accounts for residual radioactivity from the test scan, four subjects were scanned twice on the same day. In these subjects, binding estimates increased between 5% and 39% between scans. Consistent with [ 11 C]ABP688, mean absolute test-retest variability was previously reported as <12% when scans were >21 days apart. This replication study and pilot extension to [ 18 F]FPEB suggest that observed within-day binding variation may be due to characteristics of mGluR5; for example, diurnal variation in mGluR5 may affect measurement of this receptor.

In addition to reproductive tissue, sex hormones induce transcriptional events in many connective tissue cells, including osteoblasts. Some sex hormone receptor modulators with bone sparing effects selectively target estrogen or androgen receptors, whereas others appear more promiscuous, in part through enzymatic metabolism. Rat osteoblasts express significant oxidative 3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity, which can convert precursor substrates to potent androgen receptor agonists. Here we show that they also express 3-ketosteroid reductase activity, exemplified by 7-methyl-17-ethynyl-19-norandrostan-5 (10)en-3-one (tibolone) conversion to potent estrogen receptor alpha agonists. Conversion was rapid and quantitative, with 3alpha-hydroxytibolone as the primary metabolite. Consistently, tibolone induced estrogen receptor alpha-dependent gene promoter activity through cis-acting estrogen response elements, increased the stimulatory effect of TGF-beta on Smad-dependent gene promoter activity, and enhanced prostaglandin E2-induced activity of transcription factor Runx2. Rat osteoblasts express the 3-ketosteroid reductase AKR1C9, an aldo-keto reductase gene family member. Exposure to prostaglandin E2 increased AKR1C9 gene promoter activity and mRNA expression. AKR1C9 promoter activity was also enhanced by overexpression of protein kinase A catalytic subunit or transcription factor C/EBPdelta, and the effect of PGE2 was reduced by dominant negative C/EBPdelta competition or C/EBPdelta antisense expression. Moreover, prostaglandin E2 increased the amount of functional endogenous nuclear C/EBPdelta that could bind specifically to a distinct domain approximately 1.8-kb upstream from the start site of AKR1C9 transcription. In summary, in addition to 3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, rat osteoblasts express significant and regulatable 3-ketosteroid reductase activity. Through these enzymes, they may selectively metabolize precursor compounds into potent steroid receptor agonists locally within bone.

Alternative mechanisms of steroid action, through both traditional nuclear receptors and indirect pathways of gene activation, are emerging. Recent studies suggest that the synthetic steroid, 4-estrene-3alpha,17beta-diol (estren), has nongenotropic as well as sex-nonspecific osteogenic effects in ovariectomized and orchidectomized mice. We found limited estrogen receptor-dependent effects by estren on gene expression in primary osteoblast cultures and showed that it binds poorly to estrogen and androgen receptors in vitro. However, estren potently regulated direct and indirect androgen receptor-dependent effects on gene expression by osteoblasts. Consistent with this, osteoblasts produced the potent androgen 19-nortestosterone from estren by way of a 3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-like activity. Moreover, recombinant 3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (AKR1C9) and osteoblast-derived cell lysate each effectively converted estren to 19-nortestosterone in vitro, and mRNA encoding this enzyme occurs in osteoblasts. In addition to its androgenic activity, estren potently stimulated androgen receptor-dependent effects on gene expression through conventional estrogen-sensitive transcriptional elements in osteoblasts. Therefore, through local metabolism, estren indirectly activates the androgen receptor to regulate both androgen- and estrogen-like transcriptional responses by bone-forming cells.

Unlabelled: We describe the preparation of 7 alpha-[125I]iodo-5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (7 alpha-[125I]IDHT) and its characterization as a ligand for the androgen receptor., Methods: We designed a route to prepare the radioiodine-labeled androgen on microscale through treatment of the 7 beta-tosylate of 7 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone-17 beta-p-nitro-benzoate with Na125I, followed by alkaline hydrolysis. The radiolabeled steroid was tested as a ligand for the androgen receptor in cytosol from MCF-7 cells, and for its in vivo tissue distribution in the rat. In addition, we tested 7 alpha-[125I]IDHT as a ligand in a novel assay for the detection and quantification of the ligand activated androgen receptor by in vitro autoradiography., Results: The above synthetic route produced the 17 beta-p-nitrobenzoate of 7 alpha-[125I]IDHT in carrier-free form and in good yield. The 17 beta-ester was removed with alkali and the resulting 7 alpha-[125I]IDHT was purified by HPLC. 7 alpha-[125I]IDHT bound with high affinity, Kd = 0.26 nM, to the androgen receptor and showed low nonspecific binding. Since the ligand was carrier free and thus of very high specific activity, approximately 2,200 Ci/mmole, the sensitivity of the assay was much greater than with [3H]R1881, the classical androgen receptor ligand with which it was compared. When tested as a ligand for in vitro autoradiography, 7 alpha-[125I]IDHT produced excellent autoradiograms of the activated receptor with very low nonspecific binding and with only overnight exposure of the film., Conclusion: These studies demonstrate that 7 alpha-[125I]IDHT is an excellent ligand for the androgen receptor.

Three bleomycin (BLM)-resistant sublines were isolated from a human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line (A-253); these sublines (C-10, D-10, and G-11) were 4-, 9-, and 21-fold resistant to BLM A2, respectively. These sublines were selectively resistant to other members of the BLM class, namely BLM B2, peplomycin, talisomycin S10b, and bleomycinic acid; none of the sublines displayed cross-resistance to vincristine, doxorubicin, cis-diamminedichloroplatinum or melphalan; only one subline (G-11) was cross-resistant to X-irradiation. None of the BLM-resistant cell lines demonstrated resistance to the novel BLM analogue liblomycin, which contains a lipophilic terminal amine. The cell cycle distributions of the clonally derived BLM-resistant cell populations were similar to the distribution of the parental cell population. In vitro BLM hydrolase activity in homogenates of D-10 and G-11 BLM-resistant cell lines was two- to threefold higher than that in homogenates of A-253 or C-10 cells. Nonetheless, no deamido BLM A2 was found associated with any cell type or in the culture medium and more than 80% of the radioactivity in all cells appeared as unmetabolized BLM A2 by high pressure liquid chromatography. Thus, the appearance of large quantities of the deamido BLM metabolite was not a prominent feature of acquired resistance to BLM in these human tumor cells. The cellular accumulation of radiolabeled BLM A2 by C-10 and G-11 cells during a 1-h incubation with [3H]BLM A2 was 1/2 that seen with A-253 and D-10 cells. C-10 cells maintained a lower nuclear content of radioactivity than A-253, G-11, or D-10 cells. Initial single strand DNA damage, based upon alkaline elution analysis, also was lower in C-10 cells compared to A-253 cells. D-10 cells, in contrast, exhibited high initial genomic DNA damage but demonstrated a greater repair rate than either A-253 or C-10 cells. Thus, multiple BLM-resistant phenotypes can be obtained from a population of human squamous carcinoma cells, and modification of the terminal amine in the BLM molecule can produce compounds capable of circumventing all of these BLM-resistant phenotypes. Liblomycin, which appears to be a nonclassical BLM, may be a useful therapeutic agent with a spectrum of activity distinct from other members of the BLM class.

The cytosolic estrogen receptor (ERc) and progestin receptor (PRc) levels were measured in 56 human epithelial ovarian tumors. The maximum ERc content in a tumor sample was 163 fmol/mg cytosolic protein. Forty-six of the tumor samples were evaluable for clonogenic growth in soft agar, and 19 samples produced 15 or more colonies per 10(5) cells plated. Four of the samples that grew had ERc levels of greater than 30 fmol/mg cytosolic protein. No correlation, however, between growth in soft agar and ERc or PRc content was observed. The antiproliferative properties of the antiestrogen, tamoxifen, were studied. Although no decrease in colony formation was observed after a 1-hr exposure to 0.2 or 2 microM tamoxifen, continuous exposure of cells to 2 microM tamoxifen reduced clonogenicity in 8 of 18 solid ovarian carcinomas examined. The maximum diminution in colony formation was approximately 50% of that of the control and was seen in 2 tumor samples. Both tumors that displayed the maximum response to continuous tamoxifen treatment had ERc and PRc levels greater than 30 fmol/mg cytosolic protein. None of the 14 tumors with ERc levels less than or equal to 30 fmol/mg cytosolic protein exhibited a decrease in colony formation of more than 50%. Exposure of cells for 1 hr to the combination of doxorubicin and tamoxifen produced a significant antagonism of the individual doxorubicin or tamoxifen antiproliferative effects in 7 of 9 samples examined. These data suggest that in a subset of human ovarian epithelial carcinomas tamoxifen alone can have some direct antiproliferative action on the clonogenic cells. The maximum antiproliferative effect of tamoxifen observed was related to ERc content in ovarian tumors.