A retrospective analysis of risk factors for IPP reservoir entry into the peritoneum after abdominal wall placement.

Placement of an inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) is the most effective treatment modality for men with ED refractory to medical management. We have previously demonstrated a protocol for IPP reservoir placement within the abdominal wall musculature, which was shown to be a safer location than traditional placement in the retropubic space of Retzius. The aim of this study was to review our complications with IPP reservoir entry into the peritoneum after abdominal wall placement of the reservoir. We retrospectively reviewed our two patients with peritoneal entry of the reservoir after posterior to transversalis fascia and anterior to transversalis fascia placement during virgin and compromised IPP cases, respectively. Our goal was to assess common inherent patient and surgical factors that resulted in this complication in order to develop a management algorithm to prevent future occurrence during alternative reservoir placement. Peritoneal reservoir entry was identified in two patients. These patients were both noted to be thin (mean body mass index (BMI) 18.5 kg/m2), current or former smokers. Peritoneal entry was identified early after reservoir placement. Neither of the patients suffered bowel injury and both subsequently underwent successful reservoir removal and IPP replacement. Both are currently doing well with functional IPPs on follow-up. Peritoneal entry of the reservoir occurs very rarely and, in our series, occurred in a cohort of patients with low BMI and tobacco use history. We recommend early identification of similar patients and subsequent reservoir placement anterior to transversalis fascia with caution to prevent peritoneal entry.

An oligonucleotide microarray for mouse imprinted genes profiling.

Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon unique to mammals that causes some genes to be expressed according to their parental origin. It results in developmental asymmetry in the function of the parental genomes. We describe here a method for the profiling of imprinted genes based on the development of a mouse imprinting microchip containing oligonucleotides corresponding to 493 genes, including most of the known imprinted genes (IG = 63), genes involved in epigenetic processes (EPI = 15), in metabolism (= 147), in obesity (= 10) and in neurotransmission (= 256) and housekeeping reference genes (= 2). This custom oligonucleotide microarray has been constructed to make data analysis and handling more manageable than pangenomic microarrays. As a proof of concept we present the differential expression of these 493 genes in different tissues (liver, placenta, embryo) of C57BL6/J mice fed different diets. Appropriate experimental strategies and statistical tools were defined at each step of the data analysis process with regard to the different sources of constraints. Data were confirmed by expression analyses based on quantitative real-time PCR. These oligochips should make it possible to increase our understanding of the involvement of imprinted genes in the timing of expression programs, tissue by tissue, stage by stage, in response to nutrients, lifestyles and other as yet unknown critical environmental factors in a variety of physiopathological situations, and in animals of different strains, ages and sexes. The use of oligonucleotides makes it possible to expand this microchip to include the increasing number of imprinted genes discovered.

[Nutritionnal epigenomics: consequences of unbalanced diets on epigenetics processes of programming during lifespan and between generations]. / Epigénomique nutritionnelle: impact de régimes alimentaires déséquilibrés sur les processus épigénétiques de programmation au cours de la vie et transgénérationnels.

Epigenetic changes associated with DNA methylation and histone modifications leading to chromatin remodeling and regulation of gene expression underlie the developmental programming of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome. This review focuses on converging data supporting the hypothesis that, in addition to "thrifty genotype" inheritance, individuals with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome (MetS) with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases have suffered improper "epigenetic programming" during their fetal/postnatal development due to maternal inadequate nutrition and metabolic disturbances and also during their lifetime, that could even be transmitted to the next generation(s). We highlight the susceptibility of epigenetic mechanisms controlling gene expression to environmental influences due to their inherent malleability, emphasizing the participation of transposable elements and the potential role of imprinted genes during critical time windows in epigenetic programming, from the very beginning of development, throughout life. Increasing our understanding on epigenetic patterns significance and their role in development, evolution and adaptation and on small molecules (nutrients, drugs) that reverse epigenetic (in)activation should provide us with the means to "unlock" silenced (enhanced) genes, and to "convert" the obsolete human thrifty genotype into a "squandering" phenotype.

Expression using vectors with phage lambda regulatory sequences.

In the expression system described here, plasmids (pSKF) utilize regulatory signals--such as the powerful promoter pL--from the bacteriophage lambda. Transcription from pL can be fully repressed and plasmids containing it are thus stabilized by the lambda repressor, cI. The repressor is supplied by an E. coli host which contains a integrated copy of a portion of the lambda genome. This so-called defective lysogen supplies the lambda regulatory proteins cI and N but does not provide the lytic components that would normally lead to cell lysis. Thus, cells carrying these plasmids can be grown initially to high density without expression of the cloned gene and subsequently induced to synthesize the product upon inactivation of the repressor. This system also ensures that pL-directed transcription efficiently traverses any gene insert, which is accomplished by providing the phage lambda antitermination function, N, to the cell and by including on the pL transcription unit a site necessary for N utilization (Nut site). The N protein interacts with and modifies the RNA polymerase at the Nut site so as to block transcription termination at distal sites in the transcription unit. In order to express the coding sequence, efficient ribosome-recognition and translation-initiation sites have been engineered into the pL transcription unit. Expression occurs after temperature or chemical induction inactivates the repressor (see first and second basic protocols). Restriction endonuclease sites for insertion of the desired gene have been introduced both upstream and downstream from an ATG initiation codon. Thus, the system allows either direct expression or indirect expression (via protein fusion) of any coding sequence, thereby potentially allowing expression of any gene insert. Protocols describe direct expression of "authentic" gene products, as well as heterologous genes fused to highly expressed gene partners generates chimeric proteins that differ from the native form. In the latter case, the fusion partner can be removed to obtain an unfused version of the gene product.

Intravenous pamidronate for treatment of reflex sympathetic dystrophy during breast feeding.

A 39-year-old woman presented in the first month of pregnancy with reflex sympathetic dystrophy involving both lower legs. Symptoms became so severe that she could not walk unassisted, and the pain worsened after delivery. Radiographs showed patchy reduction in apparent density in the tarsal bones and around the ankles and knees. Uptake was increased in these areas on technetium methylene diphosphonate bone scan. Bone density (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) was reduced in the spine, hip, and radius. Biochemical tests were normal except for an increase in urinary excretion of the N-telopeptide cross-linking region of type I collagen (NTx). Because the patient wanted to continue breast-feeding, intravenous pamidronate was administered at monthly intervals. Breast milk was collected for 48 h after the infusion. The pain began to decrease soon after drug administration was initiated, and it was virtually gone by 6 months. NTx excretion fell by 78% and bone density increased by as much as 18.9% over the 6-month treatment interval. The baby was healthy and grew normally. Milk expressed after the first treatment was assayed for pamidronate content by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. None was detected (limit of quantitation, 0.4 micromol/liter). This case shows that pamidronate may be considered for treatment of lactating women.

Molecular characterization of a human scavenger receptor, human MARCO.

Murine MARCO has been identified recently in subsets of macrophages located in the peritoneum, marginal zone of the spleen, and the medullary cord of lymph nodes, where it has been proposed that it serves as a bacteria-binding receptor. A scavenger receptor family member with an extended collagenous domain, murine MARCO has also been demonstrated in atherosclerotic lesions of susceptible mice. We report here the identification, tissue and chromosomal localization, and pharmacological characterization of human (h)MARCO. hMARCO was identified from a macrophage cDNA library by electronic screening with the murine MARCO sequence. Nucleotide sequence analysis confirmed that the full-length hMARCO clone encoded a 519-amino acid protein sharing 68.5% identity with murine MARCO. RNA blot analysis indicated that the hMARCO transcript is 2.0 kb in length and is predominantly expressed in human lung, liver, and lymph nodes. Radiation hybrid mapping localized hMARCO to chromosome 2q14. Ligand-binding studies of COS cells expressing hMARCO demonstrated significant specific binding of both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In contrast, the hMARCO receptor expressed in COS cells did not specifically bind the scavenger receptor ligand acetylated low-density lipoprotein (LDL), despite its similarity to the elongated collagen-like binding domain of the macrophage scavenger receptor. In addition, acetylated (Ac)LDL and oxidized (Ox)LDL did not inhibit E. coli binding to hMARCO. These data suggest that hMARCO may play an important role in host defense, but it has no obvious role in the accumulation of modified lipoproteins during atherogenesis.

Post-event review in older and younger adults: improving memory accessibility of complex everyday events.

Recalling an event at 1 time often increases the likelihood that it will be remembered at a still later time. The authors examined the degree to which older and younger adults' memory for everyday events that they watched on a videotape was improved by later seeing photographs or reading brief verbal descriptions of those events. Both older and younger adults recalled more events, in greater detail, with than without review. Verbal descriptions enhanced later recall to the same degree as reviewing photographs. Younger adults generally gained more from review than older adults on measures of the absolute number of details recalled and when facilitation was assessed relative to a no-review control condition, but not when memory for reviewed events was expressed as a proportion of each individual's total recall. Post-event review has clear potential practical benefits for improving memory of older adults.

False recollection induced by photographs: a comparison of older and younger adults.

Looking at photographs constitutes an important everyday memory activity for older adults. The authors found that reviewing photographs of events seen earlier in a videotape increases the likelihood that both older and younger adults remember specific details from the reviewed event (W. Koutstaal, D. L. Schacter, M. K. Johnson, K. E. Angell, & M. S. Gross, 1977). In the present study, the authors report 2 experiments demonstrating that photo review can also produce false recollection in elderly adults: After reviewing photos of events that had not been shown earlier in a videotape, older but not younger adults were later more likely to "remember" that those events had been shown in the videotape. False recollection induced by photo review appears to reflect an age-related deficit in source-monitoring abilities.

Neutralizing murine monoclonal antibodies to human IL-5 isolated from hybridomas and a filamentous phage Fab display library.

Conventional hybridomas and combinatorial Ab libraries were used to develop neutralizing murine mAbs to human IL-5. Mice were immunized with rIL-5. Spleens from two mice were used to generate hybridomas. Spleens from an additional three mice were used to construct a combinatorial library. In both instances, Abs were identified and selected by ELISA using 96-well plates coated with rIL-5. These Abs were tested for the ability to block binding of iodinated rIL-5 to the alpha-chain of the human IL-5 receptor (IL-5R alpha) and to inhibit proliferation of IL-5-dependent cells. By hybridoma technology, 16 mAbs were obtained, 11 of which blocked binding to IL-5R alpha, including three that inhibited proliferation. Quantitative binding assays and sequence analysis revealed that these latter three mAbs were closely related. Combinatorial cloning and selection by phage display was used to isolate 24 bacterial colonies secreting Fabs that bound to 125I-rIL-5 and to rIL-5-coated plates. Sequencing of 10 of the Fabs indicated that four unique Abs were obtained, comprising one predominant VH paired with one of two different VL. The sequence of the Fabs was distinct from the sequences of the neutralizing mAbs. In contrast to the mAbs, none of the Fabs blocked binding of 125I-IL-5 to IL-5R alpha or neutralized the biologic activity of IL-5. The inability to identify neutralizing Fabs was shown not to result from their monovalency, because a Fab derived from one of the neutralizing mAbs, by cloning and expression of its Fd and kappa light chains, retained neutralizing activity. By chain shuffling, pairing of the Fd fragment of the heavy chain of one of the neutralizing mAbs (2B6), with the light chain library derived from the IL-5-immunized mice, neutralizing Fabs were obtained. These Fabs contained light chain sequences closely related to the original light chain of 2B6. Hence, chain shuffling allowed detection of a light chain sequence that was not evident upon two-chain combinatorial selection. The results reveal differences in the Abs obtained from a combinatorial library vs hybridomas and demonstrate how these approaches can be used in concert to select mAbs with neutralizing activity.

Molecular characterization of the gene encoding high-level mupirocin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus J2870.

The nucleotide sequence of the ileS gene conferring high-level resistance to mupirocin in Staphylococcus aureus J2870 has been determined. The gene sequence is substantially different from that of the native ileS gene of S. aureus, indicating that high-level resistance to mupirocin results from the acquisition of a novel ileS gene.

Identification of germline mutations in the RB1 gene by denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis and polymerase chain reaction direct sequencing.

Germline mutations in the RB1 gene confer hereditary predisposition to retinoblastoma. The majority of these mutations occur de novo and differ from one patient to another. Cytogenetics and Southern blotting were shown to detect less than 15% of constitutional rearrangements. In this study we used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined with denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to detect point mutations or small deletions and insertions in a pool of 120 unrelated retinoblastoma patients. Partial DGGE analysis of the RB1 gene enabled us to identify sequence alterations generating stop codons, leading to amino acid substitution or affecting splice sites as well as several polymorphisms. Most of the nucleotide changes detected are flanked by direct repeats. The approach described here has proved to be a useful method for the detection of germline mutations in the RB1 gene.

Mucin 4 (MUC4) gene: regional assignment (3q29) and RFLP analysis.

The use of a probe (JER64) containing a mucin 4 (MUC4) cDNA insert of 1.83 kb allowed to assign by in situ hybridization, the MUC4 gene to 3q29. This probe detected RFLPs with all restriction enzymes used (BamHI, HindIII, PstI, EcoRI, and TaqI). Particularly numerous alleles were observed with PstI, EcoRI and TaqI, in a small sample of unrelated DNAs (25 digested with PstI, 8 with EcoRI and 8 with TaqI). The PIC values were 0.69, 0.63 and 0.70 for PstI, EcoRI and TaqI respectively. The polymorphisms observed of variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) type are in relation with the presence of tandemly repeated nucleotide sequences in MUC4 gene.

The human ASM (adult skeletal muscle) gene: expression and chromosomal assignment to 11p15.

A rat adult skeletal muscle probe (Asm15) originated from a rhabdomyosarcoma was used to isolate the human homologous sequence from a placenta cDNA library. Among several positive clones the longest EcoRI-EcoRI insert (ASM1) obtained was 1875 bp long with 72% homology with rat Asm15 cDNA sequence. Important variations of ASM1 RNA level were observed in different adult skeletal muscles. Expression of a 29kD ASM1 protein was demonstrated in human adult skeletal muscle lysates using an antiserum (PB1579) raised against the C terminal region of the rat Asm15 protein. The human ASM gene was assigned by somatic cell analysis with human (ASM1) and rat (Asm15) probes to chromosome 11, and by in situ hybridization with the human probe to 11p15, a chromosome region involved in human embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas. Except for the presence of a HindII restriction site, the results obtained for the restriction map and the sequence of ASM1 cDNA (data not shown) exhibited extensive homology with the human H19 DNA sequence which have been mapped with a mouse probe also in 11p15. This suggests that ASM/Asm and H19 may represent the same sequence (in this hypothesis the presence of the supplementary HindII site in our ASM1 probe is explained by polymorphic variability). However it was reported that human and mouse H19 mRNA did not encode for a protein but acted as an RNA molecule whereas in our present study ASM protein was detected in human adult skeletal muscle. This could be explained by important regulation of ASM protein expression during development and cell differentiation. However we cannot exclude for the different species studied (mouse, rat, and man) the hypothesis that H19 and ASM/Asm mRNA may represent two distinct messengers from the same gene or even from duplicated genes.

The human placental protein 14 (PP14) gene is localized on chromosome 9q34.

PP14 protein (placental protein 14) is abundantly secreted by the human endometrium under the influence of progesterone. Human PP14 is homologous to beta-lactoglobulin, the main component of equine, bovine, and ovine milk whey. A genomic PP14 probe (PP14G1) was used for the chromosome assignment of the PP14 gene. Somatic hybrid cells enabled PP14G1 to be assigned to chromosome 9. In situ hybridization further refined this assignment to 9q34. The localization of the PP14 gene in the region of the ABO locus is consistent with the linkage described in bovines between beta-lactoglobulin and the J blood group (homologous to the human ABO group).

Molecular cloning and chromosomal localization of a novel human tracheo-bronchial mucin cDNA containing tandemly repeated sequences of 48 base pairs.

A lambda gt11 cDNA library constructed from human tracheo-bronchial mucosa was screened with a polyclonal antiserum raised to chemically deglycosylated pronase glycopeptides from human bronchial mucins. Out of 20 positives clones, one partial cDNA clone was isolated and allowed to map a novel human tracheo-bronchial mucin gene. It contains 48 nucleotide tandem repeats quite perfectly identical which encodes a protein containing about 50% of hydroxy amino-acids. This clone hybridized to polydisperse messages produced by human tracheo-bronchial and human colonic mucosae. The gene (proposed name MUC 4) from which cDNA is derived maps to chromosome 3.