Interleukin 17 acts in synergy with B cell-activating factor to influence B cell biology and the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Studies have suggested involvement of interleukin 17 (IL-17) in autoimmune diseases, although its effect on B cell biology has not been clearly established. Here we demonstrate that IL-17 alone or in combination with B cell-activating factor controlled the survival and proliferation of human B cells and their differentiation into immunoglobulin-secreting cells. This effect was mediated mainly through the nuclear factor-kappaB-regulated transcription factor Twist-1. In support of the relevance of our observations and the potential involvement of IL-17 in B cell biology, we found that the serum of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus had higher concentrations of IL-17 than did the serum of healthy people and that IL-17 abundance correlated with the disease severity of systemic lupus erythematosus.

P-Glycoprotein 1 Affects Chemoactivities of Resveratrol against Human Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Resveratrol has been proposed to prevent tumor growth and the different steps of carcinogenesis; nevertheless, these biological effects are sometimes discordant between different cell types. Several hypotheses and works have suggested that the metabolism of resveratrol could be at the origin of a different cellular response. We show here, using colorectal tumor cell lines, that the biological effects of RSV result mainly from its carriage by carriers of the superfamily of ABC transporter, i.e., P-gP, MRP, or BCRP. Using cell lines overexpressing these different transporters, we have been able to highlight the importance of P-gP in the response of cells to RSV. These results were confirmed by invalidating the gene coding for P-gP, which restored the sensitivity of colorectal cells resistant to the polyphenol. Subsequently, the status of P-glycoprotein expression is an important element to be taken into consideration in the cytotoxic activity of resveratrol in colorectal cancer cells.

Polymorphisms in genes involved in the corticosteroid response and the outcome of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Considerable variability in sensitivity to corticosteroids (CS) has been observed among individuals with regard to both the natural and synthetic compounds. The role of genetic polymorphisms in modulating CS function, and hence in disease susceptibility, has been extensively analyzed. Their impact on therapeutic response still remains to be explored. The role of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 in corticosteroid metabolism, and that of the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) in regulation of responsive genes, renders CYP3A4 and NR3C1 polymorphisms as potential candidates for pharmacogenetic analysis. AIM: The aim of the study was to analyze the role of these polymorphisms in the outcome of a disease treated with CS drugs. METHODS: Towards this aim we analyzed the CYP3A4-290A/G substitution and three NR3C1 polymorphisms (200G/A, 1220A/G and BclI RFLP) in 222 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) whose treatment protocols, among other components, contained corticosteroid drugs. RESULTS: The analysis of survival probabilities in relation to the indicated genotypes showed only an association between homozygosity for allele G of the NR3C1 BclI RFLP polymorphism and overall survival (univariate and multivariate hazard ratio [HR] 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0, 7.6 and 5.2, 95% CI 1.4, 18.9, respectively). The association reflects a correlation with disease progression and prognosis, and may vary depending on risk of relapse. CONCLUSION: A reduction in survival probability in children with ALL was associated with homozygosity for G allele of the NR3C1BclI RFLP polymorphism, particularly in certain patient subgroups. Further analysis is required to replicate this finding and to understand the mechanism underlying the observed association.

Selective modulation of P-glycoprotein activity by steroidal saponines from Paris polyphylla.

Bio-guided fractionation of the roots of Paris polyphylla (Trilliaceae), based on inhibition of P-glycoprotein-mediated daunorubicin efflux in K562/R7 cell line, led to isolation and identification of the three saponins 3-O-Rha(1-->2)[Ara(1-->4)]Glc-pennogenine, gracillin and polyphyllin D, and the two ecdysteroids 20-hydroxyecdysone and pinnatasterone. These compounds were tested for multidrug reversion on P-glycoprotein (ABCB1) with both drug-selected and transfected cell lines, and also on Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP/ABCG2). By contrast to a weak efficiency on BCRP, the three saponins displayed significant effects as inhibitors of P-glycoprotein-mediated drug efflux.

Discovery of a new series of jatrophane and lathyrane diterpenes as potent and specific P-glycoprotein modulators.

A new series of diterpenes, the jatrophanes euphoscopin M (1), euphoscopin N (2) and euphornin L (3), and the lathyrane euphohelioscopin C (7) were isolated from plants of Euphorbia helioscopia L., together with four other known analogues, euphoscopin C (4), euphornin (5), epieuphoscopin B (6) and euphohelioscopin A (8). The new compound stereostructures were elucidated by NMR analysis and computational data. The resulting isolated diterpenes were found to be potent inhibitors of P-glycoprotein (ABCB1), while showing an absence of significant activity against BCRP (ABCG2), despite the high substrate overlapping of these transporters, thus including them in the third-generation class of specific multidrug transporter modulators.

Induction of EMT by twist proteins as a collateral effect of tumor-promoting inactivation of premature senescence.

Twist1 and Twist2 are major regulators of embryogenesis. Twist1 has been shown to favor the metastatic dissemination of cancer cells through its ability to induce an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Here, we show that a large fraction of human cancers overexpress Twist1 and/or Twist2. Both proteins override oncogene-induced premature senescence by abrogating key regulators of the p53- and Rb-dependent pathways. Twist1 and Twist2 cooperate with Ras to transform mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Interestingly, in epithelial cells, the oncogenic cooperation between Twist proteins and activated mitogenic oncoproteins, such as Ras or ErbB2, leads to complete EMT. These findings suggest an unanticipated direct link between early escape from failsafe programs and the acquisition of invasive features by cancer cells.