Bile acids profile and redox status in healthy infants.

BACKGROUND: At birth, human neonates are more likely to develop cholestasis and oxidative stress due to immaturity or other causes. We aimed to search for a potential association between bile acids profile, redox status, and type of diet in healthy infants. METHODS: A cross-sectional, exploratory study enrolled 2-month-old full-term infants (n = 32). We measured plasma bile acids (total and conjugated), and red blood cell (RBC) oxidative stress biomarkers. The type of diet (breastfeeding, mixed, formula) was used as an independent variable. RESULTS: Plasma total bile acids medium value was 14.80 µmol/L (IQR: 9.25-18.00). The plasma-conjugated chenodeoxycholic acid percentage (CDCA%) correlated significantly and negatively with RBCs membrane-bound hemoglobin percentage (MBH%) (r = -0.635, p < 0.01) and with RBC-oxidized glutathione (r = -0.403, p < 0.05) levels. RBC oxidative stress biomarkers (especially MBH%) were predictors of conjugated CDCA%, and this predictive ability was enhanced when adjusted for the type of diet (MBH, r = 0.452, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the bile acid profile might play a role in the regulation of redox status (or vice versa) in early postnatal life. Eventually, the type of diet may have some impact on this process. IMPACT: The conjugated CDCA% in plasma is negatively correlated with biomarkers of RBC oxidative stress in healthy infants. Specific biomarkers of RBC oxidative stress (e.g. MBH, GSH, GSSG) may be promising predictors of conjugated CDCA% in plasma. The type of diet may influence the predictive ability of hit RBC oxidative stress biomarkers (e.g. MBH, GSH, GSSG). Our findings suggest a link between plasma bile acids profile and the RBC redox status in healthy infants, eventually modulated by the type of diet. The recognition of this link may contribute to the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies for neonatal cholestasis.

Genetic polymorphisms in key hypoxia-regulated downstream molecules and phenotypic correlation in prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: In this study we sought if, in their quest to handle hypoxia, prostate tumors express target hypoxia-associated molecules and their correlation with putative functional genetic polymorphisms. METHODS: Representative areas of prostate carcinoma (n = 51) and of nodular prostate hyperplasia (n = 20) were analysed for hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α), carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), lysyl oxidase (LOX) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFR2) immunohistochemistry expression using a tissue microarray. DNA was isolated from peripheral blood and used to genotype functional polymorphisms at the corresponding genes (HIF1A +1772 C > T, rs11549465; CA9 + 201 A > G; rs2071676; LOX +473 G > A, rs1800449; KDR - 604 T > C, rs2071559). RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry analyses disclosed predominance of positive CAIX and VEGFR2 expression in epithelial cells of prostate carcinomas compared to nodular prostate hyperplasia (P = 0.043 and P = 0.035, respectively). In addition, the VEGFR2 expression score in prostate epithelial cells was higher in organ-confined and extra prostatic carcinoma compared to nodular prostate hyperplasia (P = 0.031 and P = 0.004, respectively). Notably, for LOX protein the immunoreactivity score was significantly higher in organ-confined carcinomas compared to nodular prostate hyperplasia (P = 0.015). The genotype-phenotype analyses showed higher LOX staining intensity for carriers of the homozygous LOX +473 G-allele (P = 0.011). Still, carriers of the KDR-604 T-allele were more prone to have higher VEGFR2 expression in prostate epithelial cells (P < 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Protein expression of hypoxia markers (VEGFR2, CAIX and LOX) on prostate epithelial cells was different between malignant and benign prostate disease. Two genetic polymorphisms (LOX +473 G > A and KDR-604 T > C) were correlated with protein level, accounting for a potential gene-environment effect in the activation of hypoxia-driven pathways in prostate carcinoma. Further research in larger series is warranted to validate present findings.

Human periprostatic white adipose tissue is rich in stromal progenitor cells and a potential source of prostate tumor stroma.

A body of growing evidence now implicates white adipose tissue as a relevant source of stromal progenitor cells recruited to the tumor microenvironment to form supportive tumor stroma. While the role of periprostatic (PP) adipose tissue in prostate cancer progression has been barely appreciated, we sought to determine the progenitor cell population in PP adipose tissue and the association with prostate cancer. We isolated and characterized CD31(-)CD34(+)CD45(-)CD146(-) progenitor cells (adipose-derived stem cells [ASC]) in paired samples of PP and preperitoneal visceral adipose tissue from prostate tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of prostate cancer and nodular prostatic hyperplasia patients. ASC were quantified by flow cytometry and confirmed through target gene expression. Here we show a significantly higher amount of ASC in PP than in visceral adipose tissue, independent of body mass index and prostatic disease. In the prostate, ASC are increased in cancer compared with prostatic nodular hyperplasia patients. Concordantly, adipsin gene (CFD) expression, which is known to be up-regulated in adipose stem cells, was overexpressed in PP adipose tissue, in the prostate of cancer patients and in prostate CD31(-)CD34(+)CD45(-)CD146(-) sorted cells. ASC were found at higher levels in the blood of prostate cancer patients simultaneously overweight/obese. Present findings indicate that PP adipose tissue is a reservoir of progenitor cells with the potential to migrate towards prostate tumors, although its clinical significance merits further evaluation.