Stromal expression of JNK1 and VDR is associated with the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and its outcome is poor. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between JNK1 and vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression and the prognosis of ESCC. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was conducted on ESCC tissue microarrays (362 pairs of ESCC and normal esophagus tissues). The epithelial and stromal expression levels of c-jun NH2-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) and VDR were scored and correlated with the ESCC characteristics. Laser-capture-based quantitative RT-PCR was performed on ESCC tissues. The effects of JNK1 and VDR on ESCC cell proliferation and migration were analyzed in vitro by transient transfection, and protein changes were evaluated by immunoblotting. RESULTS: Both JNK1 and VDR were reduced in ESCC epithelial cells in comparison with the normal esophagus, but the expression of JNK1 and VDR in ESCC stromal tissues, not epithelial cells, was strongly associated with the survival time of ESCC patients. Functional studies showed that increased JNK1 suppressed cancer cell proliferation, mobility, and migration, which were linked to the alterations of VDR and metastasis-associated proteins. CONCLUSION: JNK1 and VDR act as tumor suppressors, and their stromal expression levels are associated with prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Regulatory Efficacy of Brown Seaweed Lessonia nigrescens Extract on the Gene Expression Profile and Intestinal Microflora in Type 2 Diabetic Mice.

SCOPE: In this study, the antidiabetic activity of Lessonia nigrescens ethanolic extract (LNE) is investigated in streptozotocin (SZT)-induced type 2 diabetic mice fed with a high-sucrose/high-fat diet. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with photo-DAD and electospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is employed to analyze the major compounds in LNE. The components of the intestinal microflora in type 2 diabetic mice are analyzed by high-throughput next-generation 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Fasting blood glucose levels in diabetic mice are significantly decreased after LNE administration. The histology reveals that LNE could protect the cellular architecture of liver and kidney. LNE treatment significantly increases Bacteroidetes and decreases Firmicutes populations in intestinal microflora. Specifically, It could selectively enrich the amounts of beneficial bacteria, Barnesiella, as well as reduce the abundances of Clostridium and Alistipes. The increased gene and protein expression levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in the liver are observed in LNE treatment groups, while the expressions of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) are significantly downregulated. CONCLUSION: The above findings suggest that LNE could be considered as a functional food for reducing blood glucose and regulating intestinal microflora.

Differential expression of mitogen activating protein kinases in periodontitis.

AIM: Following toll-like receptor (TLR) engagement, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can stimulate the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines thus activating the innate immune response. The production of inflammatory cytokines results, in part, from the activation of kinase-induced signalling cascades and transcriptional factors. Of the four distinct classes of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) described in mammals, p38, c-Jun N-terminal activated kinases (JNK1-3) and extracellular activated kinases (ERK1,2) are the best studied. Previous data have established that p38 MAPK signalling is required for inflammation and bone loss in periodontal disease pre-clinical animal models. MATERIALS & METHODS: In this study, we obtained healthy and diseased periodontal tissues along with clinical parameters and microbiological parameters. Excised fixed tissues were immunostained with total and phospho-specific antibodies against p38, JNK and ERK kinases. RESULTS: Intensity scoring from immunostained tissues was correlated with clinical periodontal parameters. Rank correlations with clinical indices were statistically significantly positive (p-value < 0.05) for total p38 (correlations ranging 0.49-0.68), phospho-p38 (range 0.44-0.56), and total ERK (range 0.52-0.59) levels, and correlations with JNK levels also supported association (range 0.42-0.59). Phospho-JNK and phospho-ERK showed no significant positive correlation with clinical parameters of disease. CONCLUSION: These data strongly implicate p38 MAPK as a major MAPK involved in human periodontal inflammation and severity.

Association between skeletal muscle inflammatory markers and walking pattern in people with knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) are characterized by increased muscle inflammation and altered gait. We investigated the association between proinflammatory mediators in the vastus lateralis and physical function and gait in patients with knee OA. METHODS: Nineteen patients with knee OA underwent gait analysis, assessment of self-reported pain and physical function (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC]), and a muscle biopsy that was taken during their knee replacement surgery. Muscle was analyzed for cellular protein inflammatory mediators, interleukin-6, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), p65 NF-κB, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT-3), and JNK-1. Sagittal plane knee function, including early stance knee range of motion (ROM) and knee sagittal plane impulse, was measured using a motion analysis system. Pearson's correlation was used to assess relationships between selected variables. RESULTS: Significant positive correlations were found between MCP-1 and self-perceived stiffness, physical function, and the total WOMAC score (P < 0.05). MCP-1 was also negatively correlated with early stance knee ROM (r = -0.52, P = 0.023). Reduced velocity was associated with elevated levels of p65 NF-κB and STAT-3 (P < 0.05). Knee sagittal plane impulse was negatively correlated with JNK-1 (P = 0.02), indicating reduction in knee impulse with an increased level of JNK-1. CONCLUSION: Increased levels of several proinflammatory mediators were correlated with altered knee function during walking as well as greater physical disability and slower gait velocity. Identification of the cellular and molecular mechanisms associated with muscle inflammation is important to better understand the underlying mechanism responsible for altered gait and function in patients with knee OA.

Detection of phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase in the developing spinal cord of the mouse embryo.

Global understanding of the proteome is a major research topic. The comprehensive visualization of the distribution of proteins in vivo or the construction of in situ protein atlases may be a valuable strategy for proteomic researchers. Information about the distribution of various proteins under physiological and pathological conditions should be extremely valuable for the basic and clinical sciences. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade plays an essential role in intracellular signaling in organisms. This cascade also regulates biological processes involving development, differentiation, and proliferation. Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are integral reactions in regulating the activity of MAPKs. Changes in the phosphorylation state of MAPKs are rapid and reversible; therefore, the localizations of physiologically phosphorylated MAPKs in vivo are difficult to accurately detect. Furthermore, phosphorylated MAPKs are likely to change phosphorylated states through commonly used experimental manipulations. In the present study, as a step toward the construction of in situ phosphoprotein atlases, we attempted to detect physiologically phosphorylated MAPKs in vivo in developing spinal cords of mice. We previously reported an improved immunohistochemical method for detecting unstable phosphorylated MAPKs. The distribution patterns of phosphorylated MAPKs in the spinal cords of embryonic mice from embryonic day 13 (E13) to E17 were observed with an improved immunohistochemical method. Phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (p-ERK1/2) and phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2 (p-JNK1/2) were strongly observed in the marginal layer and the dorsal horn from E13 to E17. Our results suggest that p-ERK1/2 and p-JNK1/2 play critical roles in the developing spinal cord. Constructing phosphoprotein atlases will be possible in the future if this work is systematically developed on a larger scale than we presented here.

Hepatic effects of a fructose diet in the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat.

BACKGROUND: Feeding stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) a diet rich in fructose results in a profound glucose intolerance not observed in the normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) strain. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the liver in the underlying mechanisms in the SHRSP. METHODS: SHRSP and WKY rats were fed either 60% fructose or regular chow for 2 weeks with blood pressure being measured using tail-cuff plethysmography and radiotelemetry. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests were performed and livers harvested for analysis of expression of inflammatory mediators and antioxidant proteins by western blotting and quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR. The serum triglyceride content and fatty acid profiles were also measured. RESULTS: Feeding SHRSP and WKY on 60% fructose for 2 weeks resulted in glucose intolerance with no increases in levels of blood pressure. Serum triglycerides were increased in both strains of fructose-fed rats with the highest levels being observed in the SHRSP. The serum fatty acid profiles were changed with large increases in the amounts of oleic acid (18.1) and reductions in linoleic acid (18.2). Levels of expression of c-jun N-terminal kinase/stress activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK), and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) were shown to be unchanged between the livers of the chow and fructose-fed groups. In contrast, protein levels of the three isoforms of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were upregulated in liver of SHRSP fed on fructose while only manganese SOD (MnSOD) was upregulated in fructose-fed WKY rats. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that the major contribution of the liver in the early pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome may be an increased secretion of triglyceride containing altered proportions of fatty acid pools. Feeding rats a diet rich in fructose does not affect hepatic expression of inflammatory pathways and the increased hepatic SOD expression may constitute an early protective mechanism.

An optimized immunohistochemical method for detection of phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinases.

Study of the in vivo spatio-temporal localization of modified proteins is likely to become a major focus of proteomics research in the near future. In this study we optimized and tested an immunohistochemical procedure for detecting unstable phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. Using our method, phosphorylated MAP kinases can be sensitively and reproducibly localized in the developing white matter of murine spinal cord on embryonic day 15. Our method is simple and effective, and so may be useful in future proteomics research.

c-JUN N-terminal kinase-1 (JNK1) but not JNK2 or JNK3 is involved in UV signal transduction in human epidermis.

BACKGROUND: c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) plays a critical role in UV-induced apoptotic cell death. Although three isoforms are known in mammals, physiological roles of each isoform are still obscure. Furthermore, our recent findings show that serpin squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA1) binds to JNK. OBJECTIVE: To determine which isoform is responsible for the UV signal transduction in human epidermis and whether SCCA1 is capable to regulate kinase activity of a specific isoform. METHODS: Immunohistochemical localization of each JNK isoform was investigated after UV irradiation in vivo and in vitro. Effect of recombinant SCCA1 on JNK kinase activity was also analyzed. RESULTS: Immunostaining for JNK1, 2 and 3 demonstrated marked elevation of JNK1 in spinous to granular cells of UV-irradiated skin, whereas they were expressed weakly in upper epidermis of the sun-protected, buttock skin. In cultured keratinocytes, only JNK1 is translocated into nucleus after UV irradiation. JNK2, which localized in the cytoplasm, or JNK3, which was confined in nucleus, remained in the same compartment after UV irradiation. We confirmed that only JNK1 mRNA was up-regulated after UV irradiation in cultured keratinocytes. In addition, recombinant SCCA1 suppressed kinase activity of JNK1 but did not affect JNK2 or JNK3 kinase activity. CONCLUSION: JNK1 is associated with UV signal transduction in human epidermis and SCCA1 is a suppressor of this process.

Selective expression of the scaffold protein JSAP1 in spermatogonia and spermatocytes.

Scaffold proteins of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) intracellular signal transduction pathways mediate the efficient and specific activation of the relevant MAPK signaling modules. Previously, our group and others have identified c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK)/stress-activated protein kinase-associated protein 1 (JSAP1, also known as JNK-interacting protein 3) as a scaffold protein for JNK MAPK pathways. Although JSAP1 is expressed in the testis in adults, its expression during development has not been investigated. In addition, it is unknown which types of cells in the testis express the scaffold protein. Here, we examined the expression of JSAP1 in the testis of mice aged 14 days, 20 days, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. The specificity of the anti-JSAP1 antibody was evaluated from its reactivity to exogenously expressed JSAP1 and a structurally related protein, and by antigen-absorption experiments. The immunohistochemical analyses with the specific antibody showed that the JSAP1 protein was selectively expressed in the spermatogonia and spermatocytes, but not in other cell types, including spermatids and somatic cells, during development. However, not all spermatogonia and spermatocytes were immunopositive either, especially in the 12-week-old mouse testis. Furthermore, we found by Western blotting that the expression levels of JSAP1 protein vary during development; there is high expression until 6 weeks after birth, which approximately corresponds to the end of the first wave of spermatogenesis. Collectively, these results suggest that JSAP1 function may be important in spermatogenic cells during early postnatal development.

JNK1 phosphorylation of SCG10 determines microtubule dynamics and axodendritic length.

c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinases (JNKs) are essential during brain development, when they regulate morphogenic changes involving cell movement and migration. In the adult, JNK determines neuronal cytoarchitecture. To help uncover the molecular effectors for JNKs in these events, we affinity purified JNK-interacting proteins from brain. This revealed that the stathmin family microtubule-destabilizing proteins SCG10, SCLIP, RB3, and RB3' interact tightly with JNK. Furthermore, SCG10 is also phosphorylated by JNK in vivo on sites that regulate its microtubule depolymerizing activity, serines 62 and 73. SCG10-S73 phosphorylation is significantly decreased in JNK1-/- cortex, indicating that JNK1 phosphorylates SCG10 in developing forebrain. JNK phosphorylation of SCG10 determines axodendritic length in cerebrocortical cultures, and JNK site-phosphorylated SCG10 colocalizes with active JNK in embryonic brain regions undergoing neurite elongation and migration. We demonstrate that inhibition of cytoplasmic JNK and expression of SCG10-62A/73A both inhibited fluorescent tubulin recovery after photobleaching. These data suggest that JNK1 is responsible for regulation of SCG10 depolymerizing activity and neurite elongation during brain development.

Signal transduction pathways in Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines BL41 and DG75 with different sensitivity to doxorubicin.

AIM: To understand the biochemical basis of cell sensitivity to cytotoxic effect of doxorubicine (DOX), we investigated signaling cascades mediated by c-Jun N-terminal protein kinases (JNK1/2), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2) and protein kinase B/Akt in both DOX-sensitive BL41 and the DOX-resistant DG75 Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines. METHODS: To test the effect of DOX on different signaling cascades, BL41 and DG75 cells were treated with DOX for varying lengths of time. Cytotoxic effect of DOX was analyzed by Hoechst 33342 staining. Total amount of JNK1/2, ERK1/2, p38 MARK, Akt proteins, and also phosphorylated/activated forms of these enzymes were detected using Western blot analysis with specific antibodies. Immunophenotypic analysis of BL41 and DG75 cells was performed by indirect immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrated that DOX treatment of the BL41 cells led to sustained activation of JNK1/2 and p38 MAPK. This activation/phosphorylation did not result from increased expression of either JNK1/2 or p38 MAPK since protein levels of JNK1/2 and p38 MAPK in DOX-treated and untreated cells were unaltered. Apoptotic signaling cascade induced by DOX in BL41 cell was accompanied by Akt dephosphorylation. The effect of DOX in drug-resistant cell line DG75 convoyed by dephosphorylation of JNK1/2, p38 MAPK and activation of Akt. Fate of BL cells did not depend from ERK activity. CONCLUSION: The outcome of cellular response to DOX in BL cell lines is determined by interference of at least three signaling pathways: JNK1/2, p38 MAPK and PKB/Akt. The balance between Akt/PKB and MAPK pathways is important in determining whether BL cells survive or undergo apoptosis in response to DOX treatment.