RESUMO
The interaction between enteral nutrients (ENs) and drugs co-administered through a nasogastric (NG) tube reportedly affects the absorption and resultant plasma concentrations of the respective drugs. However, the gastrointestinal absorption of carbamazepine (CBZ), an antiepileptic drug, co-administered with liquid ENs through an NG tube has not been clarified. In this study, we measured the recovery rate (%) of CBZ (Tegretol® powder) passed through an NG tube when co-administered with distilled water or ENs (F2α®, Racol® NF, Ensure Liquid®, and Renalen® LP) of different compositions, frequently used in Japan. We also measured the plasma CBZ level in 26 rats after oral co-administration of CBZ with liquid ENs. The CBZ recovery rate was close to 100% in rats of all EN groups after passage through the NG tube. Furthermore, CBZ area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to 9 h (AUC0â9h) of the Ensure liquid® group decreased compared with that of control group (P < 0.05) and Renalen® LP group (P < 0.01). However, the AUC0â9h of CBZ remained unchanged when co-administered with Ensure liquid® 2 h after initial CBZ administration. In conclusion, the co-administration of CBZ with Ensure Liquid® caused a reduction in the absorption of CBZ from the gastrointestinal tract, without adsorption on the NG tube. The administration of Ensure Liquid® 2 h after CBZ is a way to prevent a decrease in plasma CBZ concentration. Our findings suggest that carefully monitoring the plasma levels of CBZ is necessary in co-administation with Ensure liquid® to prevent the unintended effects of the interaction between CBZ and liquid EN.
Assuntos
Anticonvulsivantes , Carbamazepina , Administração Oral , Animais , Área Sob a Curva , Nutrientes , RatosRESUMO
Cancer cells employ programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), an immune checkpoint protein that binds to programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and is highly expressed in various cancers, including cervical carcinoma, to abolish T-cell-mediated immunosurveillance. Despite a key role of PD-L1 in various cancer cell types, the regulatory mechanism for PD-L1 expression is largely unknown. Understanding this mechanism could provide a novel strategy for cervical cancer therapy. Here, we investigated the influence of ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) family scaffold proteins, crosslinking the actin cytoskeleton and certain plasma membrane proteins, on the expression of PD-L1 in HeLa cells. Our results showed that all proteins were expressed at mRNA and protein levels and that all ERM proteins were highly colocalized with PD-L1 in the plasma membrane. Interestingly, immunoprecipitation assay results demonstrated that PD-L1 interacted with ERM as well as actin cytoskeleton proteins. Furthermore, gene silencing of ezrin, but not radixin and moesin, remarkably decreased the protein expression of PD-L1 without affecting its mRNA expression. In conclusion, ezrin may function as a scaffold protein for PD-L1; regulate PD-L1 protein expression, possibly via post-translational modification in HeLa cells; and serve as a potential therapeutic target for cervical cancer, improving the current immune checkpoint blockade therapy.
Assuntos
Proteínas do Citoesqueleto , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero , Citoesqueleto de Actina , Apoptose , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Feminino , Inativação Gênica , Células HeLa , Humanos , LigantesRESUMO
Obesity-induced inflammation contributes to the development of metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. In this study, we investigated whether the combination of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and capsaicin could protect against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and related metabolic disorders. The experiments were performed using male C57BL/6J mice that were fed one of the following diets for 10 weeks: standard chow (5.3% fat content) (normal group), a HFD (32.0% fat content) (HFD group), or a HFD supplemented with either 4% (w/w) EPA (EPA group) or a combination of 4% (w/w) EPA and 0.01% (w/w) capsaicin (EPA+Cap group). Our results indicated that the body, fat and liver tissue weights and levels of serum glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase were significantly higher in HFD group mice than in normal group mice (p<0.05 in all cases). However, the body and fat tissue weights and serum glucose levels and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance were significantly lower in EPA+Cap group mice group than in HFD and EPA group mice (p<0.05 in all cases). Thus, our study suggests that the combination of EPA and capsaicin might be beneficial for delaying the progression of obesity-related metabolic dysregulation and subsequent complications.
Assuntos
Capsaicina/farmacologia , Dieta Hiperlipídica , Ácido Eicosapentaenoico/farmacologia , Obesidade/metabolismo , Adiposidade/efeitos dos fármacos , Alanina Transaminase/sangue , Animais , Aspartato Aminotransferases/sangue , Glicemia/análise , Peso Corporal/efeitos dos fármacos , Insulina/sangue , Lipídeos/sangue , Fígado/efeitos dos fármacos , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Tamanho do Órgão/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
We investigated the ability of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to prevent high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Male C57BL/6J mice were fed standard chow (5.3% fat content), an HFD (32.0% fat content) or an HFD + EPA (1 g/kg/day EPA for the last 6 weeks) for 12 weeks. Serum total cholesterol, hepatic triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were significantly increased in the HFD group, in comparison with those of normal mice (p < 0.01). In contrast, hepatic triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were significantly decreased in the HFD + EPA group, in comparison with those of the HFD group (p < 0.05). In addition, EPA decreased the body weight of obese mice and improved hepatic function. Hepatic superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione levels were significantly decreased in obese mice, but increased with EPA administration. Our data suggest that EPA supplementation has a beneficial effect on NAFLD progression.
Assuntos
Antioxidantes/uso terapêutico , Dislipidemias/tratamento farmacológico , Ácido Eicosapentaenoico/uso terapêutico , Metabolismo dos Lipídeos/efeitos dos fármacos , Fígado/efeitos dos fármacos , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/tratamento farmacológico , Estresse Oxidativo/efeitos dos fármacos , Animais , Antioxidantes/metabolismo , Antioxidantes/farmacologia , Colesterol/sangue , Colesterol/metabolismo , Dieta Hiperlipídica/efeitos adversos , Suplementos Nutricionais , Dislipidemias/etiologia , Dislipidemias/metabolismo , Ácido Eicosapentaenoico/farmacologia , Fígado/metabolismo , Masculino , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/etiologia , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/metabolismo , Obesidade/tratamento farmacológico , Obesidade/etiologia , Obesidade/metabolismo , Triglicerídeos/sangue , Triglicerídeos/metabolismoRESUMO
Previous studies have reported that elderly assisted-living residents use multiple drug combinations and inappropriate drugs.The aim of this study was to assess the drug use and its consequences in residents of a nursing facility.We examined the prescriptions of all residents in a nursing facility in Osaka from their medical records.Of the total 67 residents, 48 were women.The average age of the residents was 86 years, the average number of prescription drugs they took was 6.4, and the average number of diseases present was 4.9. Correlation between the number of diseases and the drugs taken was significant (p<0.05), but the correlation between the degree of independence for activities of daily living and the number of the drugs taken was not significant.The most commonly present health condition was bone fracture.About 50% of the residents used a psychotropic drug and prescription drugs such as amantadine and hydroxyzine, which are not advisable for elderly people.It is necessary for the elderly to avoid the use of drugs that cause delirium and drowsiness, and future studies should focus on methods to prevent disuse syndrome in the elderly.
Assuntos
Prescrição Inadequada/efeitos adversos , Casas de Saúde , Atividades Cotidianas , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Interações Medicamentosas , Feminino , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: A gargle solution(L-P/AG)for the treatment of painful stomatitis was prepared by adding lidocaine to a polaprezinc/sodium alginate gargle solution(P/AG), and its pharmaceutical stability was evaluated. METHODS: L-P/AG was stored at 5, 25, and 40°C. The strengths of polaprezinc and lidocaine were determined. The viscosity and pH of L-P/AG were also determined, and its appearance was evaluated. RESULTS: When stored at 5 or 25°C in a dark place, L-P/AG showed neither reduction in the strength of either drug nor did it show a change in the viscosity, pH, or appearance. When stored exposed to light at 40°C, L-P/AG showed reductions in the strength of both drugs, as well as in viscosity and pH; furthermore, a change in appearance was noted. DISCUSSION: L-P/AG prepared for the treatment of painful stomatitis remains pharmaceutically stable for 28 days when stored at 25°C in a dark place.
Assuntos
Alginatos/química , Carnosina/análogos & derivados , Lidocaína/química , Compostos Organometálicos/química , Carnosina/química , Estabilidade de Medicamentos , Ácido Glucurônico/química , Ácidos Hexurônicos/química , Concentração de Íons de Hidrogênio , Higiene Bucal , Soluções Farmacêuticas/química , Temperatura , Viscosidade , Compostos de Zinco/químicaRESUMO
We organized a home medical care training workshop to offer community pharmacists an opportunity to advance home medical care by allowing pharmacists in regional medicine to collaborate with local pharmacist groups. A questionnaire was administered to all participants after the workshop. On average, participants rated the overall quality of the workshop as 8.46 out of 10. Our results revealed that 72.5% of participating pharmacists were experienced in home medical care, with the majority having between 5 and 10 years of experience. Participants suggested that the qualities necessary for effective home medical care were knowledge of home-based care, positive attitude, and coordination with different home medical care staff members. Participants also made suggestions for lectures in future workshops (e.g., upskilling to improve home medical care expertise). In conclusion, participants in a home medical care training workshop primarily desired to learn skills for home medical care. To this end, consecutively holding the workshop and a cooperation support system with other medical and care professionals would be indispensable.
Assuntos
Serviços Comunitários de Farmácia , Serviços de Assistência Domiciliar , Educação Continuada em Farmácia , Papel Profissional , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Among major histological subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer, a higher incidence of ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is observed in East Asian populations, particularly in Japan. Despite recent progress in the immune checkpoint inhibitors for a wide variety of cancer cell types, patients with OCCC exhibit considerably low response rates to these drugs. Hence, urgent efforts are needed to develop a novel immunotherapeutic approach for OCCC. CD47, a transmembrane protein, is overexpressed in almost all cancer cells and disrupts macrophage phagocytic activity in cancer cells. Ezrin-Radixin-Moesin (ERM) family member of proteins serve as scaffold proteins by crosslinking certain transmembrane proteins with the actin cytoskeleton, contributing to their plasma membrane localization. Here, we examined the role of ERM family in the plasma membrane localization and functionality of CD47 in OCCC cell lines derived from Japanese women. Confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis showed colocalization of CD47 with all three ERM in the plasma membrane of OCCC cells. RNA interference-mediated gene silencing of moesin, but not others, decreased the plasma membrane expression and immune checkpoint function of CD47, as determined by flow cytometry and in vitro phagocytosis assay using human macrophage-like cells, respectively. Interestingly, clinical database analysis indicated that moesin expression in OCCC was higher than that in other histological subtypes of ovarian cancers, and the expression of CD47 and moesin increased with the cancer stage. In conclusion, moesin is overexpressed in OCCC and may be the predominant scaffold protein responsible for CD47 plasma membrane localization and function in OCCC.
Assuntos
Antígeno CD47 , Proteínas dos Microfilamentos , Neoplasias Ovarianas , Humanos , Feminino , Antígeno CD47/metabolismo , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Neoplasias Ovarianas/genética , Carcinoma Epitelial do OvárioRESUMO
We organized a home medical care training workshop to offer community pharmacists an opportunity to learn more about home medical care. The workshop consisted of lectures by the doctor, the nurse, and the pharmacist. A questionnaire was handed out to all the participants once the workshop had ended. On an average, the participants rated the overall quality of the workshop as 8.1 out of 10. Our results revealed that 62.7% of the participating pharmacists were experienced in home medical care, with the majority having between 1 and 5 years of experience. Most pharmacists with experience in home care had provided services such as delivering medicines to or instructing patients on the use of medicines at patient homes. Participants suggested that the qualities necessary for providing effective home medical care were knowledge of home-based care and a positive attitude, among others. Participants also made suggestions for lecture contents in future workshops, such as contract procedures or specific cases of home medical care. Furthermore, participants expressed many positive opinions such as the desire to hear the views of other professionals on home medical care. In conclusion, participation in the home medical care training workshop increased the participants' desire to learn and perform home medical care. This indicates that a subsequent workshop with the cooperation of other professionals is indispensable.
Assuntos
Serviços Comunitários de Farmácia , Serviços de Assistência Domiciliar , Farmacêuticos , Educação em Farmácia , Assistência Centrada no Paciente , Farmacêuticos/economia , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: We surveyed the nutritional status of patients with colorectal cancer undergoing outpatient chemotherapy using the malnutrition universal screening tool(MUST)to examine its usefulness and association with adverse events. METHODS: We examined the use of the MUST and the incidences of adverse events in 34 patients with advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer who had undergone outpatient chemotherapy between April and December 2010. RESULTS: The high-risk patients requiring nutritional care intervention comprised 47. 1%(16 patients)of the study population, and these patients exhibited significant decreases in body weight and body mass index. The incidences of appetite loss and fatigue were significantly higher in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group. DISCUSSION: Precautions against adverse events may prevent a worsening of the nutritional status of patients with colorectal cancer. Thus, nutritional assessment is necessary in patients undergoing outpatient chemotherapy. Furthermore, the MUST appears to represent a very useful simplified nutritional screening method for the nutritional management for these patients.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos/efeitos adversos , Neoplasias Colorretais/tratamento farmacológico , Desnutrição/diagnóstico , Avaliação Nutricional , Idoso , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Índice de Massa Corporal , Humanos , Masculino , Desnutrição/induzido quimicamente , Pacientes Ambulatoriais , Fatores de Risco , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Despite the dramatic success of immune checkpoint blockers in treating numerous cancer cell types, current therapeutic modalities provide clinical benefits to a subset of patients with cervical cancers. CD47 is commonly overexpressed in a broad variety of cancer cells, correlates with poor clinical prognosis, and acts as a dominant macrophage checkpoint by interacting with receptors expressed on macrophages. It allows cancer cells to escape from the innate immune system and hence is a potential therapeutic target for developing novel macrophage checkpoint blockade immunotherapies. As the intracellular scaffold proteins, ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) family proteins post-translationally regulate the cellular membrane localization of numerous transmembrane proteins, by crosslinking them with the actin cytoskeleton. We demonstrated that radixin modulates the plasma membrane localization and functionality of CD47 in HeLa cells. Immunofluorescence analysis and co-immunoprecipitation assay using anti-CD47 antibody showed the colocalization of CD47 and all three ERM families in the plasma membrane, and the molecular interactions between CD47 and all three ERM. Interestingly, gene silencing of only radixin, reduced the CD47 plasma membrane localization and functionality by means of flow cytometry and phagocytosis assay but had little influence on its mRNA expression. Together, in HeLa cells radixin may function as a principal scaffold protein responsible for the CD47 plasma membrane localization.
Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero , Feminino , Humanos , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/metabolismo , Células HeLa , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Adenocarcinoma/metabolismoRESUMO
In the past decade, immune checkpoint inhibitors have exhibited potent antitumor efficacy against multiple solid malignancies but limited efficacy against pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Cluster of differentiation (CD) 47, a member of the immunoglobulin G superfamily, is overexpressed in the surface membrane of PDAC and independently correlates with a worse clinical prognosis. Furthermore, CD47 functions as a dominant macrophage checkpoint, providing a potent "do not eat me" signal to enable cancer cells to evade the innate immune system. Thus, the blockade of CD47 is a promising immunotherapeutic strategy for PDAC. In this study, we determined whether ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) family members, which post-translationally modulate the cellular membrane localization of numerous transmembrane proteins by crosslinking with the actin cytoskeleton, contribute to the cellular membrane localization of CD47 in KP-2 cells derived from human PDAC. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that CD47 and ezrin/radixin were highly co-localized in the plasma membrane. Interestingly, gene silencing of radixin but not ezrin dramatically decreased the cell surface expression of CD47 but had little effects on its mRNA level. Furthermore, CD47 and radixin interacted with each other, as determined by a co-immunoprecipitation assay. In conclusion, radixin regulates the cellular membrane localization of CD47 as a scaffold protein in KP-2 cells.
RESUMO
The model core curriculum for pharmacy education and professional standards for pharmacists established by the Japan Pharmaceutical Association aim to inculcate knowledge and skills on basic life support (BLS) and ensure that pharmacy students are well equipped with knowledge on BLS. In this study, pharmacy students were enrolled in the PUSH course, a BLS training course for citizens, and a questionnaire survey was conducted before and after the course to evaluate the change in students awareness about BLS and overall satisfaction with the course. The participants enrolled for the course were fourth-year students from the School of Pharmacy, Hyogo Medical University, who consented to participate in the study. A total of ninety-nine participants were included in this study. After the completion of the course, the participants displayed greater confidence, preparedness, and willingness to teach BLS, and decreased anxiety about BLS. Factor analysis revealed four factors based on the questionnaire answers before the course, while three factors were extracted based on the answers after the course. Lack of confidence in BLS, extracted as one of the factors before the course was inverted and gave rise to a new factor. Some participants displayed increased awareness about BLS after completion of the PUSH course. Hierarchical cluster analysis before and after the course divided respondents into three groups. The results showed that lesser number of participants displayed anxiety over BLS after the course. The results also indicated high levels of satisfaction among the participants after the completion of the PUSH course.
Assuntos
Estudantes de Farmácia , Humanos , Ansiedade , Análise por Conglomerados , Currículo , Satisfação PessoalRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Previously, we revealed that coadministration of particular enteral nutrients (ENs) decreases plasma concentrations and gastric absorption of phenytoin (PHT), an antiepileptic drug, in rats; however, the mechanism has not been clarified. METHODS: We measured the permeability rate of PHT using a Caco-2 cell monolayer as a human intestinal absorption model with casein, soy protein, simulated gastrointestinal digested casein protein (G-casein or P-casein) or simulated gastrointestinal digested soy protein (G-soy or P-soy), dextrin, sucrose, degraded guar gum, indigestible dextrin, calcium, and magnesium, which are abundant in the ENs, and measured the solution's properties. RESULTS: We demonstrated that casein (40 mg/ml), G-soy or P-soy (10 mg/ml), and dextrin (100 mg/ml) significantly decreased the permeability rate of PHT compared with the control. By contrast, G-casein or P-casein significantly increased the permeability rate of PHT. We also found that the PHT binding rate to casein 40 mg/ml was 90%. Furthermore, casein 40 mg/ml and dextrin 100 mg/ml have high viscosity. Moreover, G-casein and P-casein significantly decreased the transepithelial electrical resistance of Caco-2 cell monolayers compared with casein and the control. CONCLUSION: Casein, digested soy protein, and dextrin decreased the gastric absorption of PHT. However, digested casein decreased PHT absorption by reducing the strength of tight junctions. The composition of ENs may affect the absorption of PHT differently, and these findings would aid in the selection of ENs for orally administered PHT.
Assuntos
Caseínas , Fenitoína , Ratos , Humanos , Animais , Proteínas de Soja , Absorção Gástrica , Células CACO-2 , Dextrinas , NutrientesRESUMO
In the present study, we investigated the influence of Cap on digoxin pharmacokinetics in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated rats. After the oral administration of digoxin (0.1 mg/kg), the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of digoxin increased significantly until day 3 after LPS treatment. In the LPS + Cap group, the recovery period of AUC was shortened to 3 days. On days 5 and 7, the maximum plasma concentrations decreased significantly as compared to the control group. The bioavailability of digoxin in LPS group was higher than that in the LPS + Cap group. The hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A2 content decreased significantly until day 5 after LPS administration, but it returned to the control level until 5 days in the LPS + Cap group. Hepatic CYP3A2 mRNA expression of LPS group decreased significantly until day 3, but it returned to the control level on day 3 and increased significantly until day 7 in the LPS + Cap group. The DNA-binding activity of pregnane X receptor (PXR) was increased on days 3-7 in the Cap and LPS + Cap group. Cap decreased the absorption of digoxin by inducing CYP3A2 mRNA expression via indirect activation of PXR in LPS-treated rats.
Assuntos
Capsaicina/farmacologia , Digoxina/farmacocinética , Lipopolissacarídeos/farmacologia , Administração Oral , Animais , Western Blotting , Capsaicina/administração & dosagem , Citocromo P-450 CYP3A , DNA/metabolismo , Digoxina/administração & dosagem , Ensaio de Desvio de Mobilidade Eletroforética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Injeções Intravenosas , Lipopolissacarídeos/administração & dosagem , Fígado/efeitos dos fármacos , Fígado/enzimologia , Masculino , Receptor de Pregnano X , Ligação Proteica/efeitos dos fármacos , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real , Receptores de Esteroides/metabolismoRESUMO
To clarify the issues associated with promoting pharmacists' participation in home medical care(HMC), we performed a questionnaire survey for pharmacists who participated in a HMC training workshop. The cumulative number of participants in the workshop was 284; the majority of the participants was from mid-sized pharmacies and had been working for over 10 years. The rate of pharmacists engaged in HMC was 69% and their main practices were "drug delivery to patients" and "drug administration guidance for patients at home". Many participants responded that the key items for HMC were "cooperation with people with different type of jobs", "a wide pharmaceutical knowledge", and "effective involvement with patients and their families". The present main issues regarding HMC were "low pharmaceutical care fees", "deficiency of pharmacists", and "insufficient collaboration with people with different type of jobs". In order to resolve these issues, it is necessary to construct a cooperation system with other medical and welfare-related societies and to continuously organize such workshop.
Assuntos
Serviços Comunitários de Farmácia , Assistência Centrada no Paciente , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) often suffer from refractory ascites associated with peritoneal metastasis. This severely impairs activities of daily living and leads to an unfavorable prognosis. Cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy (CART) has attracted attention as a promising therapy for relieving the symptoms of malignant ascites. Accumulating evidence suggests that malignant ascites contains a variety of soluble factors, such as cytokines, that can be beneficial or detrimental in the prognosis of patients with refractory ascites. However, the expression profiles of these cytokines in the ascites before and after CART remain unknown. In this study, we used a comprehensive cytokine array to measure the expression levels of 102 cytokines in ascites derived from patients with PC before and after CART. The assay results revealed that the concentrations of several cytokines exacerbating tumor angiogenesis and tumor-suppressive interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) were higher in ascites after CART than before CART. Interestingly, growth of KP-2 human PC cells following exposure to ascites after CART decreased considerably compared to that before CART. Concomitant treatment of neutralizing antibodies against IFN-γ or IL-12 with ascites after CART restored the growth of KP-2 cells to the control level. These findings indicate that IFN-γ and IL-12 in ascites after CART may contribute to the inhibited growth of PC cells, highlighting their potential as biomarkers for assessing the clinical efficacy of CART procedures in patients with PC.
Assuntos
Interleucina-12 , Neoplasias Pancreáticas , Humanos , Interferon gama , Ascite/etiologia , Ascite/terapia , Atividades Cotidianas , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/complicações , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/terapia , Citocinas , Neoplasias PancreáticasRESUMO
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy targeting the programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)/PD-1 axis has emerged as a promising treatment for uterine cervical cancer; however, only a small subset of patients with uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) derives clinical benefit from ICB therapies. Thus, there is an urgent unmet medical need for novel therapeutic strategies to block the PD-L1/PD-1 axis in patients with uterine cervical SCC. Here, we investigated the involvement of ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) family scaffold proteins, which crosslink several plasma membrane proteins with the actin cytoskeleton, on the plasma membrane localization of PD-L1 in BOKU and HCS-2 cells derived from human uterine cervical SCC. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that PD-L1 colocalized with all three ERM proteins in the plasma membrane. Gene knockdown of moesin, but not ezrin and radixin, substantially reduced the plasma membrane expression of PD-L1, with limited effect on mRNA expression. An immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated the molecular interaction between PD-L1 and moesin. Moreover, phosphorylated, i.e., activated, moesin was highly colocalized with PD-L1 in the plasma membrane. In conclusion, moesin may be a scaffold protein responsible for the plasma membrane expression of PD-L1 in human uterine cervical SCC.
RESUMO
Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is one of the immune checkpoint molecule localized on the plasma membrane of numerous cancer cells that negatively regulates T-cell-mediated immunosurveillance. Despite the remarkable efficacy and safety profile of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as anti-PD-L1 antibodies, restricted poor therapeutic responses to ICIs are often observed in patients with ovarian cancer. Because higher expression of PD-L1 in advanced ovarian cancer is associated with a decreased survival rate, identifying the potential molecules to regulate the plasma membrane expression of PD-L1 may provide a novel therapeutic strategy to improve the efficacy of ICIs against ovarian cancers. Here, we reveal the involvement of the ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) family, which crosslinks transmembrane proteins with the actin cytoskeleton by serving as a scaffold protein, in the plasma membrane expression of PD-L1 in the human epithelial ovarian cancer cell line A2780. Our results demonstrate that PD-L1 and all three ERMs were expressed at the mRNA and protein levels in A2780 cells, and that PD-L1 was highly colocalized with ezrin and moesin, but moderately with radixin, in the plasma membrane. Interestingly, RNA interference-mediated gene silencing of ezrin, but not of radixin or moesin, substantially reduced the plasma membrane expression of PD-L1 without altering its mRNA expression. In conclusion, our results indicate that ezrin may be responsible for the plasma membrane expression of PD-L1, possibly by serving as a scaffold protein in A2780 cells. Ezrin is a potential therapeutic target for improving the efficacy of ICIs against ovarian cancers.
RESUMO
In this study, we focused on the storage conditions and investigated the effects of low-temperature storage (10°C) on the dispersibility of active components in three formulations of fluorometholone (FLU) suspension eye-drops (one original drug and two generic drugs, P1-P3). For all three eye-drop products, before shaking by hand, white sediment anticipated to be the principal active component was seen at the vial base. In the ordinary-temperature storage group, the FLU contents per drop after shaking by hand were 0.076% in P1, 0.023% in P2, and 0.100% in P3, and the content in P2 was significantly lower than that in P1 and P3. In contrast, almost no dispersion was observed in the low-temperature group. The results after sufficient shaking of these samples with a vortex, in contrast, were such that the FLU contents per drop were 0.063% in P1, 0.086% in P2, and 0.088% in P3; the content in P1 was significantly lower than that in P2 and P3, and there was no difference between P2 and P3. Moreover, we evaluated the dispersibility according to the evaluation "Vs / (ρg - ρf) g." In both the low- and ordinary-temperature storage groups, the value of Vs / (ρg - ρf) g, proportional to the terminal velocity, decreased in the following order: P3 > P1 â« P2, and each value in the ordinary-temperature was higher than that in low temperature. The zeta potential decreased in the following order: P2 > P3 â« P1. In conclusion, when FLU suspension eye drops are stored at low temperatures until use, such as in a refrigerator, ordinary shaking does not help achieve dispersion to the specified concentration, and even with vigorous shaking with some formulations, the specified concentration cannot be achieved.