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Obstetrics and Gynecology Commons

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Donghai Dai

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Full-Text Articles in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Immunomodulatory And Transcriptional Effects Of Progesterone Through Progesterone A And B Receptors In Hec50co Poorly Differentiated Endometrial Cancer Cells, S. Davies, Donghai Dai, D. Wolf, Kimberly Leslie Apr 2013

Immunomodulatory And Transcriptional Effects Of Progesterone Through Progesterone A And B Receptors In Hec50co Poorly Differentiated Endometrial Cancer Cells, S. Davies, Donghai Dai, D. Wolf, Kimberly Leslie

Donghai Dai

OBJECTIVE: Derivatives of progesterone, progestins, are used to treat endometrial cancer; however, the pathways activated by the hormone have not been fully investigated. Progesterone acts through two receptor isoforms, progesterone receptors A and B (PRA and PRB), transcription factors that control the expression of downstream genes leading to endometrial differentiation. The purpose of this study was to perform an expression analysis to identify the mechanisms underlying progesterone's growth suppressive and immunomodulatory effects in endometrial cancer. METHODS: To study the molecular effects of progesterone, PRs were introduced into Hec50co cells. Expression array analyses followed by confirmatory semiquantitive reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction …


Progesterone Inhibits Human Endometrial Cancer Cell Growth And Invasiveness: Down-Regulation Of Cellular Adhesion Molecules Through Progesterone B Receptors, Donghai Dai, D. Wolf, E. Litman, M. White, Kimberly Leslie Apr 2013

Progesterone Inhibits Human Endometrial Cancer Cell Growth And Invasiveness: Down-Regulation Of Cellular Adhesion Molecules Through Progesterone B Receptors, Donghai Dai, D. Wolf, E. Litman, M. White, Kimberly Leslie

Donghai Dai

Progesterone is a critical steroid hormone that controls cell proliferation and differentiation in the female reproductive tract. Progesterone acts through two nuclear receptor isoforms, progesterone receptors A and B (PRA and PRB, respectively), each with unique cellular effects. Loss of PRB has recently been linked to the development of poorly differentiated endometrial tumors, a lethal form of cancer. To study the molecular effects of progesterone, progesterone receptors were introduced into Hec50co endometrial cancer cells by adenoviral vectors encoding either PRA or PRB. Progesterone induced the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21 and p27, thereby significantly reducing the percentage of proliferating cells. Cancer …


The Nitric Oxide-Cyclic Gmp Pathway Plays An Essential Role In Both Promoting Cell Survival Of Cerebellar Granule Cells In Culture And Protecting The Cells Against Ethanol Neurotoxicity, N. Pantazis, J. West, Donghai Dai Apr 2013

The Nitric Oxide-Cyclic Gmp Pathway Plays An Essential Role In Both Promoting Cell Survival Of Cerebellar Granule Cells In Culture And Protecting The Cells Against Ethanol Neurotoxicity, N. Pantazis, J. West, Donghai Dai

Donghai Dai

NMDA has two beneficial effects on primary neuronal cultures of cerebellar granule cells (CGCs) established from 10-day-old rat pups. First, NMDA is neurotrophic and will enhance survival of CGCs in culture in the absence of ethanol. Second, ethanol exposure will induce cell death in CGC cultures, and NMDA can lessen this ethanol-induced cell loss, i.e., NMDA is neuroprotective. Because NMDA can stimulate production of nitric oxide (NO), which can in turn enhance synthesis of cyclic GMP, this study tested the hypothesis that the NO-cyclic GMP pathway is essential for NMDA-mediated neurotrophism and neuroprotection. Inhibiting the synthesis of NO with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine …


Transfection Of C6 Glioma Cells With Glia Maturation Factor Upregulates Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor And Nerve Growth Factor: Trophic Effects And Protection Against Ethanol Toxicity In Cerebellar Granule Cells, N. Pantazis, A. Zaheer, Donghai Dai, S. Zaheer, S. Green, R. Lim Apr 2013

Transfection Of C6 Glioma Cells With Glia Maturation Factor Upregulates Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor And Nerve Growth Factor: Trophic Effects And Protection Against Ethanol Toxicity In Cerebellar Granule Cells, N. Pantazis, A. Zaheer, Donghai Dai, S. Zaheer, S. Green, R. Lim

Donghai Dai

Glial cells play active roles in neuronal survival, as well as neuroprotection against toxic insult. Recent studies suggest that the brain protein glia maturation factor (GMF) is involved in intracellular signaling in glia. This study investigated whether or not GMF plays a role in the survival-promoting and neuroprotective functions of glia. C6 glioma cells were transfected in vitro with GMF utilizing an adenovirus vector. The transfected cells overexpressed GMF intracellularly, but did not secrete the protein. The conditioned medium (CM) was obtained from the GMF-transfected cells (CM-GMF) and tested on primary neuronal cultures, consisting of cerebellar granule cells (CGC). The …


Fgf-2, Ngf And Igf-1, But Not Bdnf, Utilize A Nitric Oxide Pathway To Signal Neurotrophic And Neuroprotective Effects Against Alcohol Toxicity In Cerebellar Granule Cell Cultures, D. Bonthius, B. Karacay, Donghai Dai, N. Pantazis Apr 2013

Fgf-2, Ngf And Igf-1, But Not Bdnf, Utilize A Nitric Oxide Pathway To Signal Neurotrophic And Neuroprotective Effects Against Alcohol Toxicity In Cerebellar Granule Cell Cultures, D. Bonthius, B. Karacay, Donghai Dai, N. Pantazis

Donghai Dai

Neuronal death is a prominent neuropathological component of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Identification of molecular agents and pathways that can ameliorate alcohol-induced cell loss offers possible therapeutic strategies for FAS and potential insight into its pathogenesis. This study investigated the effects of growth factors on cellular survival in alcohol-exposed cerebellar granule cell (CGC) cultures and examined the role of the nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP-PKG (cGMP-dependent protein kinase) pathway in the cell survival-promoting effects of these growth factors. Primary CGC cultures were exposed to 0 or 400 mg/dl ethanol, accompanied by either no growth factor or 30 ng/ml fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), …