A Variant in the IRF6 Promoter Associated with the Risk for Orofacial Clefting.

The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2235371 (IRF6 V274I) is associated with nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) in Han Chinese and other populations but appears to be without a functional effect. To find the common etiologic variant or variants within the haplotype tagged by rs2235371, we carried out targeted sequencing of an interval containing IRF6 in 159 Han Chinese with NSCL/P. This study revealed that the SNP rs12403599, within the IRF6 promoter, is associated with all phenotypes of NSCL/P, especially nonsyndromic cleft lip (NSCLO) and a subphenotype of it, microform cleft lip (MCL). This association was replicated in 2 additional much larger cohorts of cases and controls from the Han Chinese. Conditional logistic analysis indicated that association of rs2235371 with NSCL/P was lost if rs12403599 was excluded. rs12403599 contributes the most risk to MCL: its G allele is responsible for 38.47% of the genetic contribution to MCL, and the odds ratios of G/C and G/G genotypes were 2.91 and 6.58, respectively, for MCL. To test if rs12403599 is functional, we carried out reporter assays in a fetal oral epithelium cells (GMSM-K). Unexpectedly, the risk allele G yielded higher promoter activity in GMSM-K. Consistent with the reporter studies, expression of IRF6 in lip tissues from NSCLO and MCL patients with the G/G phenotype was higher than in those from patients with the C/C phenotype. These results indicate that rs12403599 is tagging the risk haplotype for NSCL/P better than rs2235371 in Han Chinese and supports investigation of the mechanisms by which the allele of rs12403599 affects IRF6 expression and tests of this association in different populations.

Effect of Lianhuaqingwen capsules on inflammatory cytokines and junction protein expression in mice with acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharides / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of Lianhuaqingwen capsules ( LHQW ) on junction protein expression in mouse lung tissue of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury ( ALl). METHODS 120 male mice were randomly divided into six groups: normal control, model, model+dexa-methasone 5 mg.kg-1 , model +LHQW 2, 4 and 8 g.kg-1 groups. Dexamethasone and LHQW were administered orally, once daily, for 7 d. 24 h after the last administration, LPS solution was instilled into the tracheas of mice except the normal control group to prepare the mouse model of ALl. 24 h after the establishment of the ALl model, the mice were sacrificed and the pathological changes in the mouse lung tissue were observed by optical microscopy and ultrastructure of alveolar epithelium was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The cell percentage of positive expression of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in the peripheral blood T lymphocytes was detected by flow cytometry. The expressions of con-nexin 43 ( Cx43), occludin and zonula occludens protein-1 ( ZO-1) in lung tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Under the light microscope, the mouse lung of model group showed a large amount of inflammatory cell infiltration and alveolar wall thickening. Compared with model group, inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced in model+dexamethasone, model+LHQW 2,4 and 8 mg.kg-1 groups. Under the electron microscope, the mouse alveolar epithelial cells of model group showed injury. Compared with model group, the damage was reduced in model+dexamethasone, and model+LHQW 2, 4 and 8 mg.kg-1 groups. The cell percentage of TNF-α positive expression in peripheral blood T lympho-cytes in normal control, model, model+dexamethasone, model+LHQW 2,4 and 8 mg.kg-1 groups was (3.6±0.9)%, (6.4±0.8)%, (2.8±0.7)%, (4.7±1.6)%, (4.0±1.5)% and (3.6±1.2)%, respectively. The percentage in model group was obviously higher than that in normal control group( P<0.01), but was lower in the four drug treatment groups than in model group(P<0.05, P<0.01). The expression of Cx43, occludin and ZO-1 in lung tissue of model group was lower than that of normal control group(P<0.01), but higher in model+dexamethasone, model + LHQW 4 and 8 mg.kg-1 groups than in model group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION LHQW may alleviate ALl induced by LPS and play a protective role by inhibiting inflammatory cell infiltration and improving protein connection expression in alveolar epithelial cells and pulmonary vascular endothelial cells.

Biological evaluation of boronated unnatural amino acids as new boron carriers.

There is a pressing need for new and more efficient boron delivery agents to tumor cells for use in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). A class of boronated unnatural cyclic amino acids has demonstrated a remarkable selectivity toward tumors in animal and cell culture models, far superior to currently used agents in clinical BNCT. One of these amino acids, 1-amino-3-boronocyclopentanecarboxylic acid (ABCPC), has shown a tumor to blood ratio of 8 and a tumor to normal brain ratio of nearly 21 in a melanoma bearing mouse model. This work represents further biological characterization of this compound for tumor targeting in an EMT6 murine mammary carcinoma mouse model and a T98G human glioblastoma cell line. Female BALB/c mice bearing EMT6 tumors were injected with the fructose complex form of racemic mixtures of cis and trans isomers of ABCPC in identical concentrations. Boron concentrations were measured in the tumor, blood, brain, skin, and liver tissues at 1, 3, and 5 h post-injection. These observations revealed a remarkable difference in racemic mixtures of cis and trans isomers in tumor targeting by boron. This implies that further separation of the L and D forms of this compound may enhance tumor targeting to an even higher degree than that provided by the racemic mixtures. Since the uptake measurements were made in homogenized tumor and normal tissues, little is known about the subcellular location of the boron arising from the various isomeric forms of the amino acid. To study subcellular delivery of boron from ABCPC in T98G human glioblastoma cells, we employed secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) based technique of ion microscopy, which is capable of quantitatively imaging isotopic (elemental) gradients in cells and tissues at 500 nm spatial resolution. The T98G cells were exposed to the nutrient medium containing 100 ppm boron equivalent of a mixture of both L and D isomers of ABCPC in the form of a fructose complex for 1 h. Following this treatment, the cells were fast frozen, freeze-fractured, and freeze-dried for SIMS analysis. Within an hour of exposure, ABCPC provided partitioning of intracellular to extracellular boron of 3/1. SIMS imaging revealed that boron from ABCPC was distributed throughout the cell, including the nucleus. This level of boron delivery within an hour of exposure is superior to p-boronophenylalanine (BPA) and sodium borocaptate (BSH), which have been previously studied by SIMS in the same cell line. These encouraging observations provide compelling support for further isomeric separations of ABCPC into the D and L forms for enhanced tumor targeting and continued testing of these compounds as new boron carriers in BNCT.

The syntheses and in vivo biodistribution of novel boronated unnatural amino acids.

A series of boronated, unnatural amino acids were prepared and their biodistribution determined in melanoma bearing mice. The unnatural amino acids were prepared utilizing recently developed borylation. The majority of the syntheses utilize metal catalyzed additions of diboron agents to unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Biodistribution studies in mice bearing melanoma tumors indicated that all the boronated amino acids were taken up by the melanoma tumors. The data for the cyclic five-membered ring analogue, 1-amino-3-boronocyclopentanecarboxylic acid, was most striking, exhibiting a nearly 22:1 ratio of boron concentration for tumor to brain at the 2 h time point, dropping to 7.3 after 6 h. The tumor to blood and tumor to skin ratios were also quite high. It is important to note that all of the amino acids were synthesized as racemic and diastereomeric mixtures. Thus there is a high probability that a single enantiomer of 1-amino-3-boronocyclopentanecarboxylic acid might exhibit far higher selectivity.