S100 beta Protein Expression: Gender- and Age-Related Daily Changes

S100 beta is a soluble protein released by glial cells mainly under the activation of the 5-HT1A receptor. It has been reported as a neuro-trophic and -tropic factor that promotes neurite maturation and outgrowth during development. This protein also plays a role in axonal stability and the plasticity underlying long-term potentiation in adult brains. The ability of S100 beta to rapidly regulate neuronal morphology raises the interesting point of whether there are daily rhythm or gender differences in S100 beta level in the brain. To answer this question, the S100 beta expression in adult female and male rats, as well as in adult female CD-21 and S100 beta -/- female mice, were investigated. Scintillation counting and morphometric analysis of the immunoreactivity of S100 beta, showed rhythmic daily expression. The female and male rats showed opposite cycles. Females presented the highest value at the beginning of the rest phase (5:00 h), while in males the maximum value appeared in the beginning of the motor activity period (21:00 h). These results confirm previous S100 beta evaluations in human serum and cerebrospinal fluid reporting the protein`s function as a biomarker for brain damage (Gazzolo et al. in Clin Chem 49:967-970, 2003; Clin Chim Acta 330:131-133, 2003; Pediatr Res 58:1170-1174, 2005), similar behavior was also observed for GFAP in relation to Alzheimer Disease (Fukuyama et al. in Eur Neurol 46:35-38, 2001). The data should be taken into account when considering S100 beta as a biomarker of health condition. In addition, the results raise questions on which structure or condition imposes these rhythms as well as on the physiological meaning of the observed gender differences.

Early Changes in Gene Expression Induced by Tobacco Smoke: Evidence for the Importance of Estrogen within Lung Tissue

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, surpassing breast cancer as the primary cause of cancer-related mortality in women. The goal of the present study was to identify early molecular changes in the lung induced by exposure to tobacco smoke and thus identify potential targets for chemoprevention. Female A/J mice were exposed to either tobacco smoke or HEPA-filtered air via a whole-body exposure chamber (6 h/d, 5 d/wk for 3, 8, and 20 weeks). Gene expression profiles of lung tissue from control and smoke-exposed animals were established using a 15K cDNA microarray. Cytochrome P450 1b1, a phase I enzyme involved in both the metabolism of xenobiotics and the 4-hydroxylation of 17 beta-estradiol (E(2)), was modulated to the greatest extent following smoke exposure. A panel of 10 genes were found to be differentially expressed in control and smoke-exposed lung tissues at 3, 8, and 20 weeks (P < 0.001). The interaction network of these differentially expressed genes revealed new pathways modulated by short-term smoke exposure, including estrogen metabolism. In addition, E(2) was detected within murine lung tissue by gas chromatography-coupled mass spectrometry and immunohistochemistry. Identification of the early molecular events that contribute to lung tumor formation is anticipated to lead to the development of promising targeted chemopreventive therapies. In conclusion, the presence of E2 within lung tissue when combined with the modulation of cytochrome P450 1b1 and other estrogen metabolism genes by tobacco smoke provides novel insight into a possible role for estrogens in lung cancer. Cancer Prev Res; 3(6); 707-17. (C) 2010 AACR.

Sexual blinging of women : Alice Walker's african character tashi and issue of female genital cutting

This thesis provides a reading of the different forms of representation that can be attributed to the character Tashi, the protagonist of the novel Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992), written by the African American writer Alice Walker. Before this work Tashi had already appeared in two previous novels by Walker, first, in The Color Purple (1982) and then, as a mention, in The Temple of My Familiar (1989). With Tashi, the author introduces the issue of female circumcision, a ritual Tashi submits herself to at the beginning of her adult life. The focus of observation lies in the ways in which the author’s anger is transformed into a means of creative representation. Walker uses her novel Possessing the Secret of Joy openly as a political instrument so that the expression “female mutilation” (term used by the author) receives ample attention from the media and critics in general. The aim of this investigation is to evaluate to what extent Walker’s social engagement contributes to the development of her work and to what extent it undermines it. For the analysis of the different issues related to “female genital cutting”, the term I use in this thesis, the works of feminist critics and writers such as Ellen Gruenbaum, Lightfoot-Klein, Nancy Hartsock, Linda Nicholson, Efrat Tseëlon and the Egyptian writer and doctor Nawal El Saadawi will be consulted. I hope that this thesis can contribute as an observation about Alice Walker’s use of her social engagement in the creation of her fictional world.

Sex differences in the phenotypic expression of obsessive-compulsive disorder: an exploratory study from Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effect of amniotic membrane transplantation on corneal healing and proteoglycan expression in an experimental model of limbal deficiency in rabbits

PURPOSE. Amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) has been used as a graft or as a dressing in ocular surface reconstruction, facilitating epithelization, maintaining normal epithelial phenotype, and reducing inflammation, vascularization, and scarring. The corneal transparency is due, at least in part, to the arrangement in orthogonal lamellae of collagen fibrils, surrounded by proteoglycans (PGs). These PGs regulate fibrilogenesis, the matrix assembly, and ultimately the corneal transparency. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of AMT upon the corneal PGs after severe limbal injury.METHODS. Experiments were performed on the right corneas of 22 New Zealand female albino rabbits, and their left corneas were used as matched controls. These animals were divided into 3 groups: G1 (n = 10): total peritomy and keratolimbectomy, followed by application of 0.5 M NaOH; G2 (n = 10): submitted to the same trauma as G1, and treated by AMT; G3: no trauma, only AMT (n = 2). The right corneas of G2 and G3 were covered by DMSO 4 cryopreserved human amniotic membrane, fixed by interrupted 9-0 mononylon sutures, with its stromal face toward the ocular surface. After 7 or 30 days, the corneas were removed and PGs were extracted.RESULTS. Normal corneas contained approximately 9 mg of PGs per gram of dry tissue. AMT on intact cornea (G3) did not cause any changes in the concentration of PGs. In contrast, injured corneas contained much less PGs, both on the seventh and on the 30th day posttrauma. The PG concentration was even lower in injured corneas treated by AMT. This decrease was due almost exclusively to dermatan sulfate PGs, and the structure of dermatan sulfate was also modified, indicating changes in the biosynthesis patterns.CONCLUSIONS. Although beneficial effects have been observed on clinical observation and concentration of soluble proteins after AMT, the normal PG composition of cornea was not attained, even 30 days postinjury, indicating that the normal ocular surface reconstruction, if possible, is a long-term process. (Eur J Ophthalmol 2010; 20: 290-9)

Immunohistochemical detection of estrogen receptor beta in alveolar bone cells of estradiol-treated female rats: possible direct action of estrogen on osteoclast life span

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Variations in maternal care alter corticosterone and 17beta-estradiol levels, estrous cycle and folliculogenesis and stimulate the expression of estrogen receptors alpha and beta in the ovaries of UCh rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

IGFR-I expression and structural analysis of the hard palatine mucosa in an ethanol-drinking rat strain (UChA and UChB)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Acid phosphatase activity in gerbil prostate: comparative study in male and female during postnatal development

The prostate is present in both male and female mammals. It is composed of secretory epithelium, connective stroma, smooth muscle and neuroendocrine cells, which are under hormonal regulation. Acid phosphatases catalyze the hydrolysis of orthophosphate monoesters. We have compared the expression of acid phosphatases in gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) prostate glands in both sexes using young, adult and old animals. Eighteen prostates were isolated, frozen, sectioned, fixed, incubated with sodium beta-glycerophosphate sodium, washed with acetate buffer solution, treated with ammonium sulfide and counterstained with Methyl-Green aqueous solution. Ultracytochemical analyses were also conducted. This substrate revealed total acid phosphatase activity. The expression of the enzyme was heterogeneous, occurring in all ages during postnatal development. The data. revealed that the female prostate matured before the male prostate. In addition, acid phosphatase activity in both sexes was regulated by androgen variation concomitant with development. (C) 2004 International Federation for Cell Biology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Testosterone stimulates growth and secretory activity of the female prostate in the adult gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

The prostate of the female gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) is similar to the human female prostate (Skene gland) and, despite its reduced size, it is functional and shows secretory activity. However, virtually nothing is known about its physiological regulation. This study was thus undertaken to evaluate the behavior of the gerbil female prostate in a hyperandrogenic condition. Adult females received subcutaneous injections of testosterone cypionate (1 mg/kg body weight every 48 h) up to 21 days. Circulating levels of testosterone and estradiol were monitored, and the prostate and ovaries subjected to structural and immunocytochemical analyses. The treatment resulted in sustained high levels of circulating testosterone, and caused a transient increase in estradiol. There was an increase in epithelial cell proliferation accompanied by significant reorganization of the epithelium and an apparent reduction in secretory activity, followed by a progressive increase in luminal volume density and accumulation of secretory products. Immunocytochemistry identified the expression of androgen receptor and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-related antigen in prostatic epithelial cells. A circulating PSA-related antigen was also found, and its concentration showed strong negative correlation with circulating estrogen. Epithelial dysplasia was detected in the prostate of treated females. Analysis of the ovaries showed the occurrence of a polycystic condition and stromal cell hyperplasia. The results indicate that testosterone has a stimulatory effect on the female prostate, inducing epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation, secretory activity, and dysplasia. The results also suggest that prostatic growth and activity, polycystic ovaries, and ovarian stromal cell hyperplasia are related to a hyperandrogenic condition in females.

Immunolocalization of estrogen and progesterone receptors in neuroendocrine tumors of lung, skin, gastrointestinal and female genital tracts

Expression of estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors has traditionally been associated with hormone-responsive organs, such as breast, ovary, and endometrium, and carcinomas arising therefrom. More recently, examples of ''unexpected'' ER or PR expression have been reported, particularly in tumors of endocrine tissues, such as thyroid and pancreatic islet cells. We tested the hypothesis that neuroendocrine tumors of various primary and metastatic sites might also express ER or PR or both by performing a retrospective immunohistochemical study in a series of 59 formalin- or mechacarn-fixed neuroendocrine carcinomas of various sites, including lung, skin, gastrointestinal and female genital tracts, and including carcinoid and atypical carcinoid tumors, small cell carcinomas, and Merkel cell carcinomas. We employed the anti-ER monoclonal antibody 1D5 and the anti-PR monoclonal antibody PgR1A6 using standard immunohistochemical techniques after microwave-based heat-induced epitope retrieval. Two of 28 carcinoid tumors demonstrated ER positivity; six of 30 cases were positive for progesterone receptor only. In addition, PR expression was found in one of two cases of atypical carcinoid, in five of 25 cases of small cell carcinoma, and in one of two cases of Merkel cell carcinoma. None of the atypical carcinoids, small cell carcinomas, or Merkel cell carcinomas were ER positive. In most cases, the fraction of tumor cell nuclei that were positive was <50%. These studies add the spectrum of neuroendocrine tumors that can express these hormone receptors. Similar to the pattern previously described in the subsets of meningiomas and islet cell tumors, PR but not ER is detectable in most cases. These results underscore the caution that should be exercised in determining tissue origin of metastatic carcinomas based only on detection of hormone receptors by immunohistochemistry.

Effects of histone hyperacetylation on the preimplantation development of male and female bovine embryos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Interleukin-8 expression associated with canine mammary tumors

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Expression of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) in non-trophoblastic elements of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: possible relationship with the prognosis.

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder is a neoplasm with variability in its clinical behavior. Although there are several studies correlating stage and ABO isoantigen expression with invasiveness, there is no single predictor factor to assess the potential invasiveness, especially in the low grade, non-invasive TCC. In the present study we evaluated the correlation of histological grade plus stage and the expression of beta human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG), in 100 cases of TCC, with the clinical behavior. These features were correlated with tumor progression in patients with at least two years of follow up. We observed more aggressiveness in G4 group (high grade and invasive) (93% had tumor progression) when compared to G1 group (low grade and superficial) (11% had tumor progression). However in 25.5% of the TCC cases (groups G2: low grade and invasive and G3: high grade and superficial) the clinical behavior was intermediate, showing some limitation in using grading and staging only, as a predictive factor. There was an expression of beta-hCG in 21.4% of the cases in up to 25% of the tumor cells without any trophoblastic morphology. These beta-hCG producing TCC had a strong correlation with aggressiveness: 39.1% and 12.8% of the TCC expressed beta-hCG with and without tumor progression, respectively.

Variation of genetic expression during development, revealed by esterase patterns in Aedes aegypti (Diptera, Culicidae)

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to analyze esterase patterns during development of Aedes aegypti from the cities of Marília and São José do Rio Preto (SJRP), Brazil. The zymograms showed a total of 23 esterase bands, 22 of which were in the specimens from Marília and 19 in those from SJRP. These esterase bands were considered to be the product of 23 alleles distributed tentatively in eight genetic loci. Most of the alleles were developmentally regulated. The larval stage expressed the greatest number of them (19 alleles, from the eight loci, in Marília; and 17 alleles, from seven loci, in SJRP). The pupal stage expressed 10 alleles from seven loci, in both populations, and the adult stage expressed 8 alleles from five and six loci in SJRP and Marília, respectively. Some alleles that were active in every stage were developmentally controlled at the level of expression (amount of product). A single allele was constitutively and highly expressed, in larvae, pupae, and adults, in both populations. Differences in esterase synthesis among stages are probably due to regulatory mechanisms acting in agreement with the requirements of a variable number of processes in which esterases are involved. The larval stage is the most active in developmental processes and shows very intense intake of food and very high mobility. These features may demand increased esterase production at that stage. Comparison of the two populations examined showed (besides the existence of alleles that they do not share) that they exhibit differences in the control of expression of other alleles. Such findings may reflect genetic differences between founders in each population, but the possibility of involvement of the intensive use of insecticides in SJRP is also discussed.