Inhibition of protein kinase CK2 suppresses angiogenesis and hematopoietic stem cell recruitment to retinal neovascularization sites.

Ubiquitous protein kinase CK2 participates in a variety of key cellular functions. We have explored CK2 involvement in angiogenesis. As shown previously, CK2 inhibition reduced endothelial cell proliferation, survival and migration, tube formation, and secondary sprouting on Matrigel. Intraperitoneally administered CK2 inhibitors significantly reduced preretinal neovascularization in a mouse model of proliferative retinopathy. In this model, CK2 inhibitors had an additive effect with somatostatin analog, octreotide, resulting in marked dose reduction for the drug to achieve the same effect. CK2 inhibitors may thus emerge as potent future drugs aimed at inhibiting pathological angiogenesis. Immunostaining of the retina revealed predominant CK2 expression in astrocytes. In human diabetic retinas, mRNA levels of all CK2 subunits decreased, consistent with increased apoptosis. Importantly, a specific CK2 inhibitor prevented recruitment of bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem cells to areas of retinal neovascularization. This may provide a novel mechanism of action of CK2 inhibitors on newly forming vessels.

Physical rehabilitation and burnout: different aspects of the syndrome and comparison between healthcare professionals involved.

AIM: The aim of this study is to investigate burnout syndrome among physical rehabilitation professionals focusing on the differences between 4 categories of healthcare professionals involved. METHODS: The experimental group consisted of 124 physiotherapy workers chosen among physicians, nurses, therapists, and technicians. The variables we chose to measure were: the presence of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment), feelings of depression and anger, symptoms of psychological uneasiness and the level of perceived stress. RESULTS: Overall the level of burnout experienced was medium-low. Emotional exhaustion was more prevalent among physiotherapists, while depersonalization was higher among physicians. Moreover mild feelings of depression emerged among technicians. No differences were found among the 4 categories when feelings of anger were considered, although anger was present at different levels (and more or less expressed) throughout the working environment. CONCLUSIONS: Some considerations on the nature and possible causes of psychological distress emerged from the work carried out with the groups of healthcare professionals and some possible areas of intervention are suggested.

Inhibition of heat shock factor activity prevents heat shock potentiation of glucocorticoid receptor-mediated gene expression.

Using mouse L929 cells stably transfected with a glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-responsive murine mammary tumor virus-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (MMTV-CAT) reporter gene (LMCAT2 cells), we have shown that cellular stress (heat or chemical shock) can cause a dramatic increase in the levels of dexamethasone (Dex)-induced CAT gene expression. We refer to this response as the heat shock potentiation effect, or HSPE. As the cellular heat shock response also involves the activation of heat shock transcription factor (HSF), we have, in the present study, examined the role of HSF in the stress potentiation of GR by use of a flavonoid compound, quercetin, recently shown to selectively inhibit the stress response in a variety of human and murine cell lines. Analysis of the HSPE, as well as heat shock protein synthesis and activation of HSF during time-courses of recovery following heat shock, revealed a similar pattern for each response, with peak activities occurring about 16 h after stress. These data suggest a correlation between the activation of both GR and HSF in stressed cells. In L929 cells stably transfected with a CAT reporter plasmid under the control of the HSF-responsive hsp70 promoter (LHSECAT cells), pretreatment with quercetin was found to cause a dose- and time-dependent inactivation of HSF activity following heat shock, but only when added before the stress event. In LMCAT2 cells, quercetin similarly inhibited both heat and chemical shock potentiation of Dex-induced GR activity. This activity of quercetin was not the result of post-transcriptional or general cytotoxic properties, as quercetin (1) did not significantly affect GR or HSF activities when added after the stress event, (2) did not reduce CAT gene expression as controlled by the constitutive SV40 early promoter, and (3) did not alter normal (non-stress), Dex-induced MMTV-CAT expression. Thus, quercetin appears to be an effective and selective inhibitor of HSF stress-induced activation and its ability to prevent the stress potentiation of GR suggests either a direct or indirect involvement by stress-activated HSF in this process, or the existence of a regulatory step common to both the heat shock and HSPE responses.

Differential effect of pp120 on insulin endocytosis by two variant insulin receptor isoforms.

The insulin receptor is expressed as two variably spliced isoforms that differ by the absence (isoform A) or presence (isoform B) of a 12-amino acid sequence encoded by exon 11 at the carboxy terminus of the alpha-subunit. Coexpression of the A isoform and pp120, a substrate of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase, in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts increased receptor A-mediated insulin endocytosis and degradation by two- to threefold compared with cells expressing receptors alone. Because B is the predominant isoform in the liver and binds insulin with lower affinity than A, we have examined the effect of pp120 on receptor B-mediated endocytosis. In contrast to isoform A, the effect of pp120 on isoform B-mediated insulin internalization and degradation in stably transfected NIH 3T3 cells was minimal.

Differential phosphorylation of pp120 by insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptors: role for the C-terminal domain of the beta-subunit.

pp 120, a plasma membrane glycoprotein expressed by hepatocytes, is a substrate of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase. Since insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin receptors are structurally homologous, we investigated whether pp120 is also a substrate of the IGF-1 receptor tyrosine kinase. IGF-1 receptor failed to phosphorylate pp120 in response to IGF-1 in stably transfected NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. However, replacement of the C-terminal domain of the beta-subunit of the IGF-1 receptor with the corresponding fragment in the insulin receptor restored ligand-stimulated pp120 phosphorylation, suggesting that this domain plays a regulatory role in pp120 phosphorylation. Since pp120 is the first identified substrate specific for the insulin vis-à-vis the IGF-1 receptor tyrosine kinase, the pp120 signaling pathway may constitute a novel mechanism for the distinct cellular effects of insulin and IGF-1, the former being principally involved in metabolism, and the latter in mitogenesis.