Alpha emitter radium-223 and survival in metastatic prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Radium-223 dichloride (radium-223), an alpha emitter, selectively targets bone metastases with alpha particles. We assessed the efficacy and safety of radium-223 as compared with placebo, in addition to the best standard of care, in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer and bone metastases. METHODS: In our phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we randomly assigned 921 patients who had received, were not eligible to receive, or declined docetaxel, in a 2:1 ratio, to receive six injections of radium-223 (at a dose of 50 kBq per kilogram of body weight intravenously) or matching placebo; one injection was administered every 4 weeks. In addition, all patients received the best standard of care. The primary end point was overall survival. The main secondary efficacy end points included time to the first symptomatic skeletal event and various biochemical end points. A prespecified interim analysis, conducted when 314 deaths had occurred, assessed the effect of radium-223 versus placebo on survival. An updated analysis, when 528 deaths had occurred, was performed before crossover from placebo to radium-223. RESULTS: At the interim analysis, which involved 809 patients, radium-223, as compared with placebo, significantly improved overall survival (median, 14.0 months vs. 11.2 months; hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55 to 0.88; two-sided P=0.002). The updated analysis involving 921 patients confirmed the radium-223 survival benefit (median, 14.9 months vs. 11.3 months; hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.83; P<0.001). Assessments of all main secondary efficacy end points also showed a benefit of radium-233 as compared with placebo. Radium-223 was associated with low myelosuppression rates and fewer adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, which was terminated for efficacy at the prespecified interim analysis, radium-223 improved overall survival. (Funded by Algeta and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals; ALSYMPCA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00699751.).

Stable isotope analysis reveals whether soil-living elaterid larvae move between agricultural crops.

Tracking the movement of soil-living herbivores is difficult, albeit important for understanding their spatial ecology as well as for pest management. In this study the movement of Agriotes obscurus larvae between plots harbouring isotopically different plants was examined. Neither between maize and wheat nor between maize and grassland movement could be detected. These data suggest that Agriotes larvae rarely disperse between crops as long as local food supply is sufficient. Moreover, the current approach provides a new means to study the dispersal of soil invertebrates in situ.

Carvedilol targets human K2P 3.1 (TASK1) K+ leak channels.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Human K(2P) 3.1 (TASK1) channels represent potential targets for pharmacological management of atrial fibrillation. K(2P) channels control excitability by stabilizing membrane potential and by expediting repolarization. In the heart, inhibition of K(2P) currents by class III antiarrhythmic drugs results in action potential prolongation and suppression of electrical automaticity. Carvedilol exerts antiarrhythmic activity and suppresses atrial fibrillation following cardiac surgery or cardioversion. The objective of this study was to investigate acute effects of carvedilol on human K(2P) 3.1 (hK(2P) 3.1) channels. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Two-electrode voltage clamp and whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology was used to record hK(2P) 3.1 currents from Xenopus oocytes, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (hPASMC). KEY RESULTS: Carvedilol concentration-dependently inhibited hK(2P) 3.1 currents in Xenopus oocytes (IC(50) = 3.8 µM) and in mammalian CHO cells (IC(50) = 0.83 µM). In addition, carvedilol sensitivity of native I(K2P3.1) was demonstrated in hPASMC. Channels were blocked in open and closed states in frequency-dependent fashion, resulting in resting membrane potential depolarization by 7.7 mV. Carvedilol shifted the current-voltage (I-V) relationship by -6.9 mV towards hyperpolarized potentials. Open rectification, characteristic of K(2P) currents, was not affected. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The antiarrhythmic drug carvedilol targets hK(2P) 3.1 background channels. We propose that cardiac hK(2P) 3.1 current blockade may suppress electrical automaticity, prolong atrial refractoriness and contribute to the class III antiarrhythmic action in patients treated with the drug.

PCR-based species identification of Agriotes larvae.

Click beetle larvae within the genus Agriotes (Coleoptera: Elateridae), commonly known as wireworms, are abundant ground-dwelling herbivores which can inflict considerable damage to field crops. In Central Europe up to 20 species, which differ in their distribution, ecology and pest status, occur in arable land. However, the identification of these larvae based on morphological characters is difficult or impossible. This hampers progress towards controlling these pests. Here, we present a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based approach to identify, for the first time, 17 Agriotes species typically found in Central Europe. Diagnostic sequence information was generated and submitted to GenBank, allowing the identification of these species via DNA barcoding. Moreover, multiplex PCR assays were developed to identify the nine most abundant species rapidly within a single-step reaction: Agriotes brevis, A. litigiosus, A. obscurus, A. rufipalpis, A. sordidus, A. sputator, A. ustulatus, A. lineatus and A. proximus. The latter two species remain molecularly indistinguishable, questioning their species status. The multiplex PCR assays proved to be highly specific against non-agrioted elaterid beetles and other non-target soil invertebrates. By testing the molecular identification system with over 900 field-collected larvae, our protocol proved to be a reliable, cheap and quick method to routinely identify Central European Agriotes species.