Cows with different Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations showed comparable expression levels of hepatic growth hormone receptor (GHR). Suppressor of cytokine signaling 2 (SOCS2), could be responsible for additional inhibition of the GHR signal cascade. The aims were to monitor cows with high or low antepartal IGF-I concentrations (IGF-I(high) or IGF-I(low)), evaluate the interrelationships of endocrine endpoints, and measure hepatic SOCS2 expression. Dairy cows (n = 20) were selected (240 to 254 days after artificial insemination (AI)). Blood samples were drawn daily (day -17 until calving) and IGF-I, GH, insulin, thyroid hormones, estradiol, and progesterone concentrations were measured. Liver biopsies were taken (day 264 +/- 1 after AI and postpartum) to measure mRNA expression (IGF-I, IGFBP-2, IGFBP-3, IGFBP-4, acid labile subunit (ALS), SOCS2, deiodinase1, GHR1A). IGF-I concentrations in the two groups were different (p < 0.0001). However, GH concentrations and GHR1A mRNA expression were comparable (p > 0.05). Thyroxine levels and ALS expression were higher in the IGF-I(high) cows compared to IGF-I(low) cows. Estradiol concentration tended to be greater in the IGF-I(low) group (p = 0.06). It was hypothesized that low IGF-I levels are associated with enhanced SOCS2 expression although this could not be decisively confirmed by the present study.
Animals ; Cattle ; Estradiol/blood ; Female ; Growth Hormone/blood ; Insulin/blood ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2/analysis ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3/analysis ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 4/analysis ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/*analysis/physiology ; Liver/chemistry ; Pregnancy/metabolism/physiology ; Pregnancy, Animal/*metabolism/physiology ; Progesterone/blood ; Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins/analysis ; Thyroid Hormones/blood

Many studies have shown that insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I & IGF-II) are implicated in the autocrine and paracrine growth of various tumors. Alterations in serum IGFs and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) profiles have been reported in lung cancer. In this study, we measured serum levels of IGF-I and IGFBPs in 41 patients with lung cancer (small cell lung cancer, SCLC, 9; non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC, 32) by radioimmunoassay and Western ligand blot (WLB). The serum IGF-I level in patients with lung cancer was significantly lower than in controls (207.9+/-62.6 vs 281.3+/-53.9 ng/mL, p<0.01). Patients with NSCLC showed significantly lower serum levels of IGF-I compared with SCLC patients (194.0+/-62.9 vs 258.4+/-27.8 ng/mL, p<0.01). Patients with squamous cell carcinoma tended to show lower serum levels of IGF-I than in those with adenocarcinoma (187.9+/-63.6 vs 215.9+/-59.5 ng/mL, p>0.05). The concentration of IGFBP-3 in lung cancer was 48% of that found in controls by WLB. The serum level of IGFBP-2 was markedly elevated in patients with lung cancer compared with controls (1303.7+/-618.0 vs 696.2+/-300.5, p<0.01). However, there was no significant difference between SCLC and NSCLC groups. This result showed that serum level of IGF-I/IGFBPs may be useful markers for diagnosing and identifying tumor types in lung cancer and further studies are needed.
Adenocarcinoma/diagnosis ; Adenocarcinoma/blood ; Adult ; Aged ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Small Cell/diagnosis ; Carcinoma, Small Cell/blood* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/diagnosis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/blood ; Female ; Human ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3/blood* ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/metabolism* ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II/analysis ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Binding Protein 2/blood* ; Lung Neoplasms/diagnosis ; Lung Neoplasms/blood* ; Male ; Middle Age ; Radioimmunoassay ; Tumor Markers, Biological

OBJECTIVE: Endometrial carcinoma is the most common gynecological malignant disease in industrialized countries. However, the molecular bases for endometrial tumoriogenesis are not clearly elucidated. Our hypothesis is that there may be some difference in gene expression patterns between normal endometrium and endometrial cancer lesion. In this study, we analyzed the difference of gene expression profile with cDNA microarray. METHODS: Normal endometrial tissues and cancer lesions were gathered from three patient with endometrioid endometrial cancer. cDNA microarray technique (KNU 4.8K chip) was applied to screen the different gene expression profiles. RESULTS: Many genes such as interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1), bifunctional apoptosis regulator (BFAR), paraneoplastic antigen MA2 (PNMA2), zinc finger protein 257 (ZNF257), ras homolog gene family, member F (in filopodia) (ARHF), cell division cycle 27 (CDC27) were over-expressed in the endometrial cancer tissue. The genes were down-regulated in the endometrial cancer samples included fibronectin 1 (FN1), meiotic checkpoint regulator (MCPR), transforming growth factor beta-stimulated protein TSC-22 (TSC22), programmed cell death 4 (neoplastic transformation inhibitor) (PDCD4), transcript variant 2, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 4 (IGFBP4), retinoblastoma binding protein 7 (RBBP7), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3), downregulated in ovarian cancer 1 (DOC1). CONCLUSION: The result of this analysis supports the hypothesis that the endometrial cancer tissue has distinct gene expression profile from normal endometium. But, the vaildation of gene expression with RT-PCR and the further study are needed.
Apoptosis ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Death ; Developed Countries ; DNA, Complementary* ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Endometrium ; Female ; Fibronectins ; Gene Expression* ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 4 ; Interleukin-1 Receptor-Associated Kinases ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis* ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Retinoblastoma-Binding Protein 7 ; Transcriptome* ; Transforming Growth Factors ; Zinc Fingers

AIMUnderstanding the response of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to mechanical strain and their consequent gene expression patterns will broaden our knowledge of the mechanobiology of distraction osteogenesis.

METHODOLOGYIn this study, a single period of cyclic mechanical stretch (0.5 Hz, 2,000 microepsilon) was performed on rat bone marrow MSCs. Cellular proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was examined. The mRNA expression of six bone-related genes (Ets-1, bFGF, IGF-II, TGF-beta, Cbfa1 and ALP) was detected using real-time quantitative RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe results showed that mechanical strain can promote MSCs proliferation, increase ALP activity, and up-regulate the expression of these genes. A significant increase in Ets-1 expression was detected immediately after mechanical stimulation, but Cbfa1 expression became elevated later. The temporal expression pattern of ALP coincided perfectly with Cbfa1.

CONCLUSIONThe results of this study suggest that mechanical strain may act as a stimulator to induce differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts, and that these bone-related genes may play different roles in the response of MSCs to mechanical stimulation.

Alkaline Phosphatase ; analysis ; Animals ; Antigens, Surface ; analysis ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone Marrow Cells ; physiology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Differentiation ; physiology ; Cell Proliferation ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit ; analysis ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; analysis ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; analysis ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; physiology ; Osteoblasts ; physiology ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; Pluripotent Stem Cells ; physiology ; Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1 ; analysis ; Rats ; Stress, Mechanical ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; analysis ; Up-Regulation ; physiology