Volume 48 (2002) No. 5
Immunotherapeutic Approaches for Renal Cancer
G. PIZZA1, C. DE VINCI1, D. VIZA2.....................................167
1Immunotherapy Module, Operative Unit of Urology, Department of Nephrology and Urology,
S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy
Laboratoire d'Immunobiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France*
Corresponding author: Giancarlo Pizza, Immunotherapy Module, Operative Unit of Urology, Department of Nephrology and Urology, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Via P. Palagi 9, 401 38 Bologna, Italy.
Tel.: +39-051-6362478; fax: +39-051-6362476; e-mail: gpizza@med.unibo.it.
No Abstract.
Full text. 167-169 170-172 173-175 176-178 179-181
Original Articles
Cloning and Expression of PARP-3 (Adprt3) and U3-55k, Two Genes Closely Linked
on Mouse Chromosome 9
P. URBÁNEK, J. PAČES, J. KRÁLOVÁ, M. DVOŘÁK, V. PAČES.....................182
Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague,
Czech Republic
Corresponding author: Pavel Urbánek, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences
of the Czech Republic, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 37 Prague, Czech Republic. Tel.: +420-2-20183404;
fax: +420-2-24310955; e-mail: urbanek@img.cas.cz.
Abstract.
Full text. 182-184 185-187 188-189 190-191
Evaluation of Locally Induced Osteoarthritis by the Complete and Incomplete Freund's
Adjuvant in Mice. The Application of DEXA Measurements
K. H. WLODARSKI1, G. R. DICKSON2.......................................192
1The Chair and Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Warsaw,
Warsaw, Poland
2Trauma Research Group, Centre for Infection, Inflammation and Repair, Anatomy Department,
School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The Queen's University of Belfast, Ireland, UK
Corresponding author: Krzysztof H. Wlodarski, The Chair and Department of Histology
and Embryology, Medical University of Warsaw, 5 Chalubinskiego, Warsaw 02004, Poland.
Tel.: 0048 226281044; fax: 0048 226295282; e-mail: kwlodar@ib.amwaw.edu.pl.
Abstract.
Full text. 192-194 195-196 197-199
Influence of Lithium on Growth and Viability of Thyroid Follicular Cells
S. GABERŠČEK1, M. KALIŠNIK2, M. PEZDIRC2, K. PAVLIN1, S. HOJKER1..............200
1Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department for Nuclear Medicine, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2Institute of Histology and Embryology, Medical Faculty in Ljubljana, Slovenia
Corresponding author: Simona Gaberšček, Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department for Nuclear
Medicine, Zaloška 7, 1525 Ljubljana, Slovenia. Tel.: +386 123019 71; fax: +386 15222237;
e-mail: simona.gaberscek@kclj.si.
Abstract.
Full text. 200-201 202-204
Short Communication
Steroidogenic and Structural Differentiation of New Leydig Cell Population Following Exposure of Adult Rats to Ethane Dimethanesulphonate
M. BAKALSKA1, I. KOEVA2, N. ATANASSOVA1, P. ANGELOVA1, B. NIKOLOV1, M. DAVIDOFF3.............................................................205
1Institute of Experimental Morphology and Anthropology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
2Department of Histology and Embryology, Higher Medical Institute, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
3Institute of Anatomy, University of Hamburg, Germany
Corresponding author: Mariana Bakalska, Institute of Experimental Morphology and Anthropology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 25, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mail: mbakalska@abv.com.
Cloning and Expression of PARP-3 (Adprt3) and U3-55k, Two Genes Closely Linked on Mouse Chromosome 9
Post-translational modification of nuclear proteins by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is involved in the regulation of DNA repair, cell death, and maintenance of genomic stability. Recently, several PARP-1 homologues have been identified constituting a family of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ating proteins. We cloned and sequenced the cDNAs of the mouse PARP-3 (Adprt3) gene encoding poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 3 and of the closely linked U3-55k gene coding for the U3 small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein complex-associated 55-kilodalton protein. The two genes are located in a head-to-head orientation on mouse chromosome 9 and are linked by an approximately 1.5-kb putative bi-directional promoter region. This gene arrangement is conserved between mouse and human orthologues. Three alternative non-coding 5’-end exons were found in the mouse PARP-3 mRNA. The expression patterns of PARP-3, U3-55k, PARP-2, and PARP-1 genes were determined using Northern blot with mRNA from various adult mouse tissues and organs. PARP-3 expression was found to be regulated in a tissue-specific manner. The highest expression of PARP-3 was detected in the skeletal muscle, high to moderate levels were found in the lung, liver, kidney, ovary, spleen and heart, while thymus, small intestine and colon contained lower levels of the PARP-3 transcripts. Notably, PARP-3 expression was barely detectable in the whole brain and testis mRNA. In contrast to PARP-3, the other three genes showed ubiquitous expression with less variable mRNA levels. Interestingly, the mouse and human PARP-2 gene has recently been shown to be connected via a bi-directional promoter with the gene for the RNase P RNA subunit (Amé et al., J. Biol. Chem. 276: 11092-11099, 2001). As both the U3-55k protein and the RNase P RNA are involved in the processing of precursor RNAs of the protein-synthesizing machinery (pre-rRNA and pre-tRNA, respectively), it is tempting to hypothesize that expression of some members of the two groups of genes (i.e. PARP vs. protein-synthesizing machinery RNA-processing genes) may be coordinately regulated under certain physiological or pathological conditions and/or in some cell types.
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K. H. WLODARSKI, G. R. DICKSON
The inflammatory reactions elicited in mice by subcutaneous injections of IFA and CFA had opposite effects when tested on local metacarpal shank bones and the distal epiphysis of shank bones. Although the intensity of the immune reactions was similar, IFA induced bone loss, while CFA induced bone formation, which was mostly periosteal in nature.
BMC and BMD measurements were assessed by means of high resolution DEXA, using a hologic 4500A bone scanner with software dedicated for the analysis of small animal bones. DEXA scans were evaluated and related to histological and bone ash content analyses. The morphological and quantitative ash weight analyses of bones exposed to the adjuvants were consistent with DEXA bone density scan measurements.
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S. GABERŠČEK, M. KALIŠNIK, M. PEZDIRC, K. PAVLIN, S. HOJKER
Lithium accumulates in the thyroid gland and can cause goiter or thyroid dysfunction. The aims of our work were: 1) to verify whether lithium stimulates proliferation of thyroid cells; as methods, the 3H-thymidine incorporation assay and the MTT assay (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) were used; as a model system the FRTL-5 (Fischer rat thyroid cells in low serum) cell line was selected, 2) to test whether lithium can have a cytotoxic effect on FRTL-5 cells, using the cytotoxicity assay with 51Cr release and the trypan blue exclusion method. Without TSH stimulation, lithium at 0.35–2 mM concentrations significantly increased the 3H-thymidine incorporation. A similar effect was observed in the case of the MTT assay: without TSH stimulation, lithium at 0.4–2 mM concentrations showed a significant stimulation of proliferation. Surprisingly, under TSH stimulation, lithium at the 2 mM concentration significantly inhibited proliferation of FRTL-5 cells. With the cytotoxicity assay, lithium was found to increase 51Cr release at 1.4–2 mM concentrations. Additionaly, the percentage of viable FRTL-5 cells at 0.35–2 mM concentrations of lithium was lower than in the controls without lithium. In conclusion, lithium was found to stimulate proliferation of FRTL-5 cells in conditions without TSH and, surprisingly, lithium in higher concentration diminished proliferation of FRTL-5 cells under TSH stimulation. A cytotoxic effect of higher lithium concentrations was observed.
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Steroidogenic and Structural Differentiation of New Leydig Cell Population Following Exposure of Adult Rats to Ethane Dimethanesulphonate
M. BAKALSKA, I. KOEVA, N. ATANASSOVA, P. ANGELOVA, B. NIKOLOV, M. DAVIDOFF
EDS alkylating agent has been shown to selectively and temporarily kill LCs in adult rats. The first newly formed single LCs appeared at 14th day post ESD and showed detectable activity for 3beta-HSD and NADH2-diaphorase, which became progressively stronger with time after treatment. The ultrastructural study revealed that the progenitor LCs differentiated into immature LCs within a week, and two weeks later they were transformed into mature LCs. Therefore, the restoration of new LC population after EDS treatment repeated the dynamics of normal LC development within a similar time range. The dynamics of enzyme activity correlated with structural differentiation of the new LC population.
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