Specific post-transcriptional inhibition of mRNA for ligand binding chain of IgE high affinity receptor.

IgE high affinity receptor (FcεRI) plays an important role in triggering type I allergic reactions. In this study, we have investigated the ability of four synthetic and sequence-specific RNA interfering antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODNs) to reduce the expression of FcεRIα gene in granulocytes of allergy sufferers in vitro. Only AS1 out of four AS-ODNs specifically inhibited the FcεRIα gene expression and the dose response assay revealed that AS1 was capable of specific inhibition of target mRNA expression over a linear concentration range without affecting the expression of house keeping genes such as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Together, these results indicate that sequence-specific RNA interfering ODNs can be effectively used to silence the expression of key genes like IgE high affinity receptor that are involved in chronic inflammatory diseases.

Intragenic deletions in the dystrophin gene in 211 Pakistani Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients.

BACKGROUND: Deletions of single or multiple exonic regions within the dystrophin gene can be detected using current molecular methods in approximately 65% of the patients with X-linked recessive neuromuscular disorder, Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD). Population-based variations in frequency and distribution of dystrophin gene deletions have been reported in DMD/BMD patients. In the present study, the first in the Pakistani population, frequency and distribution of deletions of 18 exons clustered in two hot spots within the dystrophin gene in 211 unrelated DMD patients were analyzed. METHODS: A total of 211 patients suffering from DMD were ascertained, and intragenic deletions within the dystrophin gene were detected on polymerase chain reaction amplification of the genomic DNA using 18 primer sets clustered within two major deletion hot spots. lovd v.1.1.0 software from the Leiden Muscular Dystrophy website has been used to predict in-frame and out-of-frame deletions. RESULTS: Intragenic deletions were detected in 86 patients (40.75%): 35 patients (40.69%) had deletions within the proximal hot spot, and 51 patients (59.30%) had deletions confined to the distal deletion hot spot of the dystrophin gene. The most frequently deleted exons were 50, 6, 47, 13 and 52 with deletion frequencies of 15.11%, 12.79%, 10.46%, 8.13%, and 4.65%, respectively. lovd v.1.1.0 predicted out-of-frame deletions in 67 DMD patients and in-frame deletions in 19 DMD patients. CONCLUSIONS: The observed proportion of intragenic deletions in the Pakistani population is relatively low, which is comparable with most of the Asian data. Also, deletions in 67 patients (77.9%) are in agreement with the frame-shift rule.

Recurrent intragenic deletion mutation in desmoglein 4 gene underlies autosomal recessive hypotrichosis in two Pakistani families of Balochi and Sindhi origins.

Localized autosomal recessive hypotrichosis (LAH) is rare disorder affecting the scalp, trunk and extremities and largely sparing the facial, pubic and axillary hair. Mutations in desmoglein 4 (DSG4) gene are responsible for LAH which maps to human chromosome 18q12. In this study a recurrent intragenic deletion mutation (Ex5_8del) was identified in DSG4 gene in two Pakistani families of Balochi and Sindhi origins. Manifestation of identical intragenic deletion mutation in eight Pakistani families, six reported earlier and two here, is exceptionally evocative of the dispersion of ancestral chromosome in different ethnic groups through common ancestors.

Factors associated with induced chronic inflammation in mdx skeletal muscle cause posttranslational stabilization and augmentation of extrasynaptic sarcolemmal utrophin.

Chronic inflammation in tibialis anterior muscles of mdx mice was produced by a single injection of a recombinant adenovirus vector (AV) expressing an immunogenic beta-galactosidase (beta-gal). In regions of intense beta-gal staining, mononuclear infiltrates abounded, and muscle fibers showed strong extrasynaptic utrophin immunostaining, restoration of dystrophin-associated protein complex, and a marked reduction of the prevalence of centronucleation. Immunoblot analysis confirmed an increase of endogenous utrophin without an increase of the mRNA of the major muscle isoform utrA. Significantly better maximal tetanic force values were demonstrated in the inflammatory versus control mdx muscles. The resistance to lengthening contraction- induced damage was also significantly increased in the former. In muscles of mice lacking TNF-alpha gene, AV vector did not induce inflammation and extrajunctional utrophin increase did not occur. In the inflammatory mdx muscles, proteolytic activity of calcium-activated calpain was reduced, and in mdx myotubes in vitro, incubation with NO donors also reduced calpain-mediated utrophin proteolysis. Since utrophin was shown to be a natural substrate of calpain and known inhibitors of calpain in cultured mdx myotubes increased utrophin levels, the above results were consistent with the following conclusions: (1) extrasynaptic utrophin increase is mainly responsible for the antidystrophic effect; (2) extrasynaptic utrophin increase is a result of posttranscriptional mechanism(s) related to proinflammatory factors; and (3) reduction of endogenous muscle calpain activity by inflammatory cytokines has an important role in the stabilization and increase of the extrasynaptic utrophin.

Evaluation of anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities of Artemisia scoparia hydromethanolic extract.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Artemisia scoparia (redstem wormwood) locally known as jhahoo or jaukay, is traditionally used in pain, inflammation and febrile conditions. So far, little or no scientific work has been reported to validate its folk uses in the alleviation of pain, fever and inflammation. The present study was designed to explore the analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects of the Artemisia scoparia hydromethanolic extract (ASHME), and to validate its traditional use in Asia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study made use of thermal (hot plate induced) and chemical (acetic acid induced) nociception models in mice. In addition, the mechanism of antinociception in hot plate test was further evaluated in the presence of caffeine (10mg/kg), naloxone (2mg/kg) and monosodium glutamate (1g/kg). While carrageenan induced rat paw edema and yeast induced mouse pyrexia models were used to test the anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities. RESULTS: Administration of single intraperitoneal doses (400mg/kg and 800 mg/kg) of ASHME significantly reduced the carrageenan induced paw edema in rats (P<0.05, P<0.001) by 54% and 74%, increased the thermal nociception time in the hot plate test up to 2- and 2.5-fold (P<0.01, P<0.001), inhibited the acetic acid induced writhings in mice by 41.12% and 61.53% (P<0.001), and attenuated the yeast induced pyrexia in mice by nearly 74% and 90% respectively (P<0.01, P<0.001). Caffeine (10mg/kg), naloxone (2mg/kg) and monosodium glutamate (1g/kg) significantly (P<0.001) abolished the anti-nociceptive response of ASHME (400mg/kg). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the Artemisia scoparia hydromethanolic extract of ASHME possesses anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic potentials, which support its use, for the said conditions, in traditional medicine and should be further exploited for its use in clinical medicine.