Medical Specialties Commons^™

Age Based Evaluation Of Nut Aspiration Risk., Jill N D'Souza, Taher S Valika, Bharat Bhushan, Jonathan B Ida

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Objective: To identify an age at which initiation of whole nut into the pediatric diet could be considered safe, by evaluating the age distribution of children undergoing bronchoscopy with removal of nut or seed material from the airway. Method: A retrospective chart review over a ten-year period identifying children age 0–18 that have undergone bronchoscopy with retrieval of airway foreign bodies. A statistical analysis of demographic data was carried out to identify age distribution of aspiration events. Results: Sixty-four cases of foreign body aspiration were identified, of which 43 (67%) were of organic origin, specifically nuts. A Fisher's exact test …

Identification Of Plasma Glycosphingolipids As Potential Biomarkers For Prostate Cancer (Pca) Status, Ashley J. Snider, Michael C. Seeds, Laurel Johnstone, Justin M. Snider, Brian Hallmark, Rahul Dutta, Cristina Moraga Franco, John S. Parks, Jeannette T. Bensen, Corey D. Broeckling, James L. Mohler, Gary J. Smith, Elizabeth T.H. Fontham, Hui Kuan Lin, William Bresette, Susan Sergeant, Floyd H. Chilton

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common male cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in United States men. Controversy continues over the effectiveness of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for distinguishing aggressive from indolent PCa. There is a critical need for more specific and sensitive biomarkers to detect and distinguish low-versus high-risk PCa cases. Discovery metabolomics were performed utilizing ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) on plasma samples from 159 men with treatment naïve prostate cancer participating in the North Carolina-Louisiana PCa Project to determine if there were metabolites associated with aggressive PCa. Thirty-five identifiable plasma small molecules were …

A Hyperpigmented Plaque In A Female Patient, Harel G. Schwartzberg, Alexandra Bourgeois, Amber Souers, Jeremy Atkinson, Pamela Martin

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Intratumoral Translocation Positive Heterogeneity In Pediatric Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma Tumors Correlates To Patient Survival Prognosis, Katrina Gleditsch, Jorge Peñas, Danielle Mercer, Ayesha Umrigar, James Briscoe, Matthew Stark, Fern Tsien, Andrew D. Hollenbach

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is characterized by one of three translocation states: t(2;13) (q35;q14) producing PAX3-FOXO1, t(1;13) (p36;q14) producing PAX7-FOXO1, or translocation-negative. Tumors with t(2;13) are associated with greater disease severity and mortality than t(1;13) positive or translocation negative patients. Consistent with this fact, previous work concluded that a molecular analysis of RMS translocation status is essential for the accurate determination of prognosis and diagnosis. However, despite this knowledge, most diagnoses rely on histology and in some cases utilize fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probes unable to differentiate between translocation products. Along these same lines, diagnostic RT-PCR analysis, which can differentiate …

Acute Exacerbations Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Primer For Emergency Physicians, Randy Sorge, Peter Deblieux

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) impose a significant burden on patients and the emergency health care system. Patients with COPD who present to the emergency department (ED) often have comorbidities that can complicate their management. Objective: To discuss strategies for the management of acute exacerbations in the ED, from initial assessment through disposition, to enable effective patient care and minimize the risk of treatment failure and prevent hospital readmissions. Discussion: Establishing a correct diagnosis early on is critical; therefore, initial evaluations should be aimed at differentiating COPD exacerbations from other life-threatening conditions. Disposition decisions are based …

Immune-Related Gene Expression And Cytokine Secretion Is Reduced Among African American Colon Cancer Patients, Jenny Paredes, Jovanny Zabaleta, Jone Garai, Ping Ji, Sayed Imtiaz, Marzia Spagnardi, Joussette Alvarado, Li Li, Mubarak Akadri, Kaylene Barrera, Maria Munoz-Sagastibelza, Raavi Gupta, Mohamed Alshal, Maksim Agaronov, Henry Talus, Xuefeng Wang, John M. Carethers, Jennie L. Williams, Laura A. Martello

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most deadly cancer among African Americans (AA). When compared to Caucasian Americans (CA), AA present with more advanced disease and lower survival rates. Here, we investigated if differences in tumor immunology could be contributive to disparities observed between these populations. Methods: We examined gene expression of tumor and non-tumor adjacent tissues from AA and CA by whole transcriptome sequencing, and generated scores for immune cell populations by NanoString. In addition, we utilized “The Cancer Genome Atlas” (TCGA) database from AA and CA as a validation cohort. Finally, we measured the secretion of cytokines characteristic …

Folic Acid Supplementation In Patients With Elevated Homocysteine Levels, Alan D. Kaye, George M. Jeha, Alex D. Pham, Mitchell C. Fuller, Zachary I. Lerner, Gerald T. Sibley, Elyse M. Cornett, Ivan Urits, Omar Viswanath, Christopher G. Kevil

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: Folic acid is the most important dietary determinant of homocysteine (Hcy). Hcy serves as a critical intermediate in methylation reactions. It is created from methionine and either converted back to methionine or transformed into cysteine. This process is aided through several enzymes and three vitamins, folic acid, B12, and B6. Daily supplementation with 0.5–5.0 mg of folic acid typically lowers plasma Hcy levels by approximately 25%. Hyperhomocysteinemia is a known risk factor for coronary artery disease. In this regard, elevated levels of Hcy have been found in a majority of patients with vascular disease. Methods: A literature review of …

Dha Modulates Manf And Trem2 Abundance, Enhances Neurogenesis, Reduces Infarct Size, And Improves Neurological Function After Experimental Ischemic Stroke, Ludmila Belayev, Sung Ha Hong, Raul S. Freitas, Hemant Menghani, Shawn J. Marcell, Larissa Khoutorova, Pranab K. Mukherjee, Madigan M. Reid, Reinaldo B. Oria, Nicolas G. Bazan

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Aims: Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) is a secretory neurotrophic factor protein that promotes repair after neuronal injury. The microglia cell surface receptor (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2; TREM2) regulates the production of pro- and antiinflammatory mediators after stroke. Here, we study MANF and TREM2 expression after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) and explore if docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) treatment exerts a potentiating effect. Methods: We used 2 hours of the MCAo model in rats and intravenously administered DHA or vehicle at 3 hours after the onset of MCAo. Neurobehavioral assessment was performed on days 1, 3, 7, and 14; …

Direct Delivery Of Antisense Oligonucleotides To The Middle And Inner Ear Improves Hearing And Balance In Usher Mice, Jennifer J. Lentz, Bifeng Pan, Abhilash Ponnath, Christopher M. Tran, Carl Nist-Lund, Alice Galvin, Hannah Goldberg, Katelyn N. Robillard, Francine M. Jodelka, Hamilton E. Farris, Jun Huang, Tianwen Chen, Hong Zhu, Wu Zhou, Frank Rigo, Michelle L. Hastings, Gwenaëlle S.G. Géléoc

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Usher syndrome is a syndromic form of hereditary hearing impairment that includes sensorineural hearing loss and delayed-onset retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Type 1 Usher syndrome (USH1) is characterized by congenital profound sensorineural hearing impairment and vestibular areflexia, with adolescent-onset RP. Systemic treatment with antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting the human USH1C c.216G>A splicing mutation in a knockin mouse model of USH1 restores hearing and balance. Herein, we explore the effect of delivering ASOs locally to the ear to treat hearing and vestibular dysfunction associated with Usher syndrome. Three localized delivery strategies were investigated in USH1C mice: inner ear injection, trans-tympanic membrane …

Pregnancy Rates From Intrauterine Insemination Are Equivalent Following 1- Versus 5-Day Letrozole Administration For Ovulation Induction: A Retrospective Study, Kaitlin Mcgrail, Susan Conway, John Storment, Sarah Buzhardt, Neil Chappell

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Objective: To compare the efficacy of single-dose letrozole (25 mg) with a 5-day course (5 mg/day) for ovulation induction (OI). Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Hospital. Patient(s): Patients undergoing first round of OI and intrauterine insemination with letrozole from January 2015 through December 2017. Intervention(s): Patients received letrozole as either a single 25 mg dose for 1 day (1D) versus 5 mg daily for 5 days (5D). A secondary analysis was performed on patients also receiving gonadotropins (GND). Main Outcome Measure(s): Pregnancy rate (PR) determined by positive human chorionic GND. Result(s): There were 847 patients included in the study, 302 …

Endocrine Significance Of Sars-Cov-2'S Reliance On Ace2, Eric Lazartigues, Mirza Muhammad Fahd Qadir, Franck Mauvais-Jarvis

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The current COVID-19 pandemic is the most disruptive event in the past 50 years, with a global impact on health care and world economies. It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a coronavirus that uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as an entry point to the cells. ACE2 is a transmembrane carboxypeptidase and member of the renin-angiotensin system. This mini-review summarizes the main findings regarding ACE2 expression and function in endocrine tissues. We discuss rapidly evolving knowledge on the potential role of ACE2 and SARS coronaviruses in endocrinology and the development of diabetes mellitus, hypogonadism, and pituitary and …

Efficacy Of A Novel Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide In A Porcine Model Of Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Thomas E. Sharp, Zhenwei Gong, Amy Scarborough, Eric S. Goetzman, Murtuza J. Ali, Pablo Spaletra, David J. Lefer, Radhika H. Muzumdar, Traci T. Goodchild

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

With the complexities that surround myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury, therapies adjunctive to reperfusion that elicit beneficial pleiotropic effects and do not overlap with standard of care are necessary. This study found that the mitochondrial-derived peptide S14G-humanin (HNG) (2 mg/kg), an analogue of humanin, reduced infarct size in a large animal model of MI/R. However, when ischemic time was increased, the infarct-sparing effects were abolished with the same dose of HNG. Thus, although the 60-min MI/R study showed that HNG cardioprotection translates beyond small animal models, further studies are needed to optimize HNG therapy for longer, more patient-relevant periods of cardiac …

Prospective Trial Of Sacroiliac Joint Fusion Using 3d-Printed Triangular Titanium Implants, Vikas Patel, Don Kovalsky, S Craig Meyer, Abhineet Chowdhary, Harry Lockstadt, Fernando Techy, Casey Langel, Robert Limoni, Philip S. Yuan, Andy Kranenburg, Daniel Cher, Gabriel Tender, Travis J. Hillen

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Prior trials provide strong evidence supporting minimally invasive sacroiliac joint (SIJ) fusion using triangular titanium implants (TTI) for chronic SIJ dysfunction.

Objective: To assess the safety and effectiveness of SIJF using a 3D-printed TTI.

Methods: Fifty-one subjects with carefully diagnosed SIJ dysfunction underwent SIJF with 3D TTI. Subjects completed pain, disability and quality of life questionnaires at baseline and 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Functional tests were performed in the clinic at each visit. Pelvic CT scans were independently evaluated for radiolucency, bridging bone and other endpoints.

Results: Ninety percent had 12-month follow-up. Dysfunction due to pain (Oswestry …

Pancreatic Stromal Gremlin 1 Expression During Pancreatic Tumorigenesis, Joy M. Davis, Binglu Cheng, Madeline M. Drake, Qiang Yu, Baibing Yang, Jing Li, Chunhui Liu, Mamoun Younes, Xiurong Zhao, Jennifer M. Bailey, Qiang Shen, Tien C. Ko, Yanna Cao

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a major risk factor of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). How CP promotes pancreatic oncogenesis remains unclear. A characteristic feature of PDAC is its prominent desmoplasia in the tumor microenvironment, composed of activated fibroblasts and macrophages. Macrophages can be characterized as M1 or M2, with tumor-inhibiting or -promoting functions, respectively. We reported that Gremlin 1 (GREM1), a key pro-fibrogenic factor, is upregulated in the stroma of CP. The current study aimed to investigate the expression of GREM1 and correlation between GREM1 and macrophages within the pancreas during chronic inflammation and the development of PDAC. By mRNA in …

Novel Rvd6 Stereoisomer Induces Corneal Nerve Regeneration And Wound Healing Post-Injury By Modulating Trigeminal Transcriptomic Signature, Thang L. Pham, Azucena H. Kakazu, Jiucheng He, Bokkyoo Jun, Nicolas G. Bazan, Haydee E.P. Bazan

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The high-density corneal innervation plays a pivotal role in sustaining the integrity of the ocular surface. We have previously demonstrated that pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) promotes corneal nerve regeneration; here, we report the mechanism involved and the discovery of a stereospecific Resolvin D6-isomer (RvD6si) that drives the process. RvD6si promotes corneal wound healing and functional recovery by restoring corneal innervation after injury. RvD6si applied to the eye surface elicits a specific transcriptome signature in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) that includes Rictor, the rapamycin-insensitive complex-2 of mTOR (mTORC2), and genes involved in axon growth, whereas genes related …

Human Polyomavirus Jcpyv And Its Role In Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy And Oncogenesis, Luis Del Valle, Sergio Piña-Oviedo

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The human neurotropic virus JCPyV, a member of the family, is the opportunistic infectious agent of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML), a fatal disease seen in severe immunosuppressive conditions and, during the last decade, in patients undergoing immunotherapy. JCPyV is a ubiquitous pathogen with up to 85% of the adult population word-wide exhibiting antibodies against it. Early experiments demonstrated that direct inoculation of JCPyV into the brain of different species resulted in the development of brain tumors and other neuroectodermal-derived neoplasias. Later, several reports showed the detection of viral sequences in medulloblastomas and glial tumors, as well as expression of the …

Leptin Produced By Obesity-Altered Adipose Stem Cells Promotes Metastasis But Not Tumorigenesis Of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer In Orthotopic Xenograft And Patient-Derived Xenograft Models, Rachel A. Sabol, Annie C. Bowles, Alex Côté, Rachel Wise, Benjamen O'Donnell, Margarite D. Matossian, Fokhrul M. Hossain, Hope E. Burks, Luis Del Valle, Lucio Miele, Bridgette M. Collins-Burow, Matthew E. Burow, Bruce A. Bunnell

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the USA. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a clinically aggressive subtype of breast cancer with high rates of metastasis, tumor recurrence, and resistance to therapeutics. Obesity, defined by a high body mass index (BMI), is an established risk factor for breast cancer. Women with a high BMI have increased incidence and mortality of breast cancer; however, the mechanisms(s) by which obesity promotes tumor progression are not well understood. METHODS: In this study, obesity-altered adipose stem cells (obASCs) were used to evaluate obesity-mediated effects of TNBC. Both in vitro …

Agenda (Pdf), Department Of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology Resident Research Day

The 31st Annual LSU School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Resident Research Day was held on Friday, May 17, 2019 at the Human Development Center (HDC).

The Keynote Speaker was Haywood L. Brown MD.
7 oral presentations and 11 poster presentations were included.

Browse the attached agenda for event details, abstracts, and posters.

Pediatric Erythromelalgia Treated With Epidural Ropivacaine Infusion, Caroline E. Lee, Kelly Paulk, Kristen Garvie, Elizabeth Grieshaber, Jeffrey Carter, Brian Ball

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ribonucleotide Reductase Inhibitor 3-Ap Induces Oncogenic Virus Infected Cell Death And Represses Tumor Growth, Lu Dai, Jungang Chen, Yueyu Cao, Luis Del Valle, Zhiqiang Qin

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent of several human malignancies, particularly Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS), which preferentially arise in immunocompromised patients such as HIV+ subpopulation while still lacking of effective therapeutic options. We recently found that the ribonucleotide reductase (RR) subunit M2 is potentially regulated by the key oncogenic HGF/c-MET pathway in KSHV-related lymphoma cells. One of RR inhibitor, 3-aminopyridine-2-carboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (3-AP) effectively induced apoptosis of KSHV+ lymphomas and suppressed tumor progression . In the current study, we found that 3-AP treatment selectively inhibited the proliferation of KSHV-infected endothelial cells, the major cellular components of KS, through inducing DNA …

Notch Signaling Regulates Mitochondrial Metabolism And Nf-Κb Activity In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells Via Ikkα-Dependent Non-Canonical Pathways, Fokhrul Hossain, Claudia Sorrentino, Deniz A. Ucar, Yin Peng, Margarite Matossian, Dorota Wyczechowska, Judy Crabtree, Jovanny Zabaleta, Silvana Morello, Luis Del Valle, Matthew Burow, Bridgette Collins-Burow, Antonio Pannuti, Lisa M. Minter, Todd E. Golde, Barbara A. Osborne, Lucio Miele

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients have high risk of recurrence and metastasis, and current treatment options remain limited. Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) have been linked to cancer initiation, progression and chemotherapy resistance. Notch signaling is a key pathway regulating TNBC CSC survival. Treatment of TNBC with PI3K or mTORC1/2 inhibitors results in drug-resistant, Notch-dependent CSC. However, downstream mechanisms and potentially druggable Notch effectors in TNBC CSCs are largely unknown. We studied the role of the AKT pathway and mitochondrial metabolism downstream of Notch signaling in TNBC CSC from cell lines representative of different TNBC molecular subtypes as well as …

Agenda (Pdf), Department Of Orthopaedic Surgery

Dept. of Orthopaedics: Robert D. D’Ambrosia Lectureship & Research Day

No abstract provided.

Changes In The Gut Microbial Communities Following Addition Of Walnuts To The Diet, Lauri O. Byerley, Derrick Samuelson, Eugene Blanchard, Meng Luo, Brittany N. Lorenzen, Shelia Banks, Monica A. Ponder, David A. Welsh, Christopher M. Taylor

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, phytochemicals and antioxidants making them unique compared to other foods. Consuming walnuts has been associated with health benefits including a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiome has been linked to several chronic diseases. One potential mechanism by which walnuts may exert their health benefit is through modifying the gut microbiome. This study identified the changes in the gut microbial communities that occur following the inclusion of walnuts in the diet. Male Fischer 344 rats (n=20) were randomly assigned to one of two diets for as long as …

Role Of Heme Oxygenase-1 In The Pathogenesis And Tumorigenicity Of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus, Lu Dai, Jing Qiao, David Nguyen, Amanda P. Struckhoff, Lisa Doyle, Karlie Bonstaff, Luis Del Valle, Chris Parsons, Bryan P. Toole, Rolf Renne, Zhiqiang Qin

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent of several malignancies, including Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS), which preferentially arise in immunocompromised patients such as HIV+ subpopulation and lack effective therapeutic options. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has been reported as an important regulator of endothelial cell cycle control, proliferation and angiogenesis. HO-1 has also been found to be highly expressed in KSHV-infected endothelial cells and oral AIDS-KS lesions. We previously demonstrate that the multifunctional glycoprotein CD147 is required for KSHV/LANA-induced endothelial cell invasiveness. During the identification of CD147 controlled downstream genes by microarray analysis, we found that the expression of HO-1 is significantly …

Activation Of C-Myc And Cyclin D1 By Jcv T-Antigen And Β-Catenin In Colon Cancer, Michael J. Ripple, Amanda Parker Struckhoff, Jimena Trillo-Tinoco, Li Li, David A. Margolin, Robin Mcgoey, Luis Del Valle

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

During the last decade, mounting evidence has implicated the human neurotropic virus JC virus in the pathology of colon cancer. However, the mechanisms of JC virus-mediated oncogenesis are still not fully determined. One candidate to mediate these effects is the viral early transcriptional product T-Antigen, which has the ability to inactivate cell cycle regulatory proteins such as p53. In medulloblastomas, T-Antigen has been shown to bind the Wnt signaling pathway protein β-catenin; however, the effects of this interaction on downstream cell cycle regulatory proteins remain unknown. In light of these observations, we investigated the association of T-Antigen and nuclear β-catenin …

Systematic Analysis Of A Xenograft Mice Model For Kshv+ Primary Effusion Lymphoma (Pel), Lu Dai, Jimena Trillo-Tinoco, Lihua Bai, Baoli Kang, Zengguang Xu, Xiaofei Wen, Luis Del Valle, Zhiqiang Qin

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus is the causative agent of primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), which arises preferentially in the setting of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Even with standard cytotoxic chemotherapy, PEL continues to cause high mortality rates, requiring the development of novel therapeutic strategies. PEL xenograft models employing immunodeficient mice have been used to study the in vivo effects of a variety of therapeutic approaches. However, it remains unclear whether these xenograft models entirely reflect clinical presentations of KSHV(+) PEL, especially given the recent description of extracavitary solid tumor variants arising in patients. In addition, effusion and solid tumor cells …

Hiv-1 Tat Protein Promotes Neuronal Dysfunction Through Disruption Of Micrornas, J Robert Chang, Ruma Mukerjee, Asen Bagashev, Luis Del Valle, Tinatin Chabrashvili, Brian J. Hawkins, Johnny J. He, Bassel E. Sawaya

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Over the last decade, small noncoding RNA molecules such as microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators in the expression and function of eukaryotic genomes. It has been suggested that viral infections and neurological disease outcome may also be shaped by the influence of small RNAs. This has prompted us to suggest that HIV infection alters the endogenous miRNA expression patterns, thereby contributing to neuronal deregulation and AIDS dementia. Therefore, using primary cultures and neuronal cell lines, we examined the impact of a viral protein (HIV-1 Tat) on the expression of miRNAs due to its characteristic features such as release …

Deregulation Of Micrornas By Hiv-1 Vpr Protein Leads To The Development Of Neurocognitive Disorders, Ruma Mukerjee, J Robert Chang, Luis Del Valle, Asen Bagashev, Monika M. Gayed, Randolph B. Lyde, Brian J. Hawkins, Eugen Brailoiu, Eric Cohen, Chris Power, S Ausim Azizi, Benjamin B. Gelman, Bassel E. Sawaya

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Studies have shown that HIV-infected patients develop neurocognitive disorders characterized by neuronal dysfunction. The lack of productive infection of neurons by HIV suggests that viral and cellular proteins, with neurotoxic activities, released from HIV-1-infected target cells can cause this neuronal deregulation. The viral protein R (Vpr), a protein encoded by HIV-1, has been shown to alter the expression of various important cytokines and inflammatory proteins in infected and uninfected cells; however the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Using a human neuronal cell line, we found that Vpr can be taken up by neurons causing: (i) deregulation of calcium homeostasis, (ii) endoplasmic …

Ros Accumulation And Igf-Ir Inhibition Contribute To Fenofibrate/Pparalpha -Mediated Inhibition Of Glioma Cell Motility In Vitro, Justyna Drukala, Katarzyna Urbanska, Anna Wilk, Maja Grabacka, Ewa Wybieralska, Luis Del Valle, Zbigniew Madeja, Krzysztof Reiss

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Glioblastomas are characterized by rapid cell growth, aggressive CNS infiltration, and are resistant to all known anticancer regimens. Recent studies indicate that fibrates and statins possess anticancer potential. Fenofibrate is a potent agonist of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) that can switch energy metabolism from glycolysis to fatty acid beta-oxidation, and has low systemic toxicity. Fenofibrate also attenuates IGF-I-mediated cellular responses, which could be relevant in the process of glioblastoma cell dispersal. METHODS: The effects of fenofibrate on Glioma cell motility, IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) signaling, PPARalpha activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, mitochondrial potential, and ATP production were …