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The thesis investigates the occurrence of the Early Modern European witch-hunt within the distinctively diverse society of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Positioned at the intersection of Latin and post-Byzantine cultures, along with Western and Eastern Christianity, this region lay on the frontlines of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. The research aims to analyze the specific characteristics of the witch-hunt in this area, considering it a case study of social and cultural interaction within a borderland. It focuses particularly on identifying the distinctive aspects of the Lithuanian witch-hunt, examining the social and cultural roots of the witch trials, and exploring their relationship to the broader social and cultural developments of the period.
Central to this study is a detailed examination of the witch trials and an analysis of court materials. The thesis posits a socio-cultural interpretation of witch persecutions, arguing that they were culturally influenced manifestations of social tensions, enacted through legal mechanisms. The emergence of new Early Modern challenges, such as the social consequences of agrarian reform, the expansion of manorialism, and serfdom, led to novel tensions, conflicts, and responses, including accusations of witchcraft. The importation of authoritative foreign ideas about witchcraft reinvigorated, facilitated, and shaped pre-existing moderate indigenous beliefs, a process facilitated by religious struggles and Catholic post-Tridentine confessionalization. The Lithuanian legal system provided an environment conducive to an intensive witch-hunt, with witchcraft being a secular grave felony tried in highly decentralized and poorly supervised courts. However, this potential was largely unrealized. The study argues that the cultural diversity of the society played a major role in inhibiting the spread of Western witchcraft discourse, thereby limiting the extent of the witch-hunt in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war zum einen die retrospektive Abbildung der qPCR-Werte von BCR-ABL und der Medikamentenadhärenz und zum anderen die Identifikation von Einflussfaktoren und Prädiktoren für die Medikamentenadhärenz von Patientinnen und Patienten mit Chronischer Myeloischer Leukämie. Als Parameter des molekularen Therapieansprechens wurden Ergebnisse der routinemäßig durchgeführten Bestimmungen der BCR-ABL-Werte erfasst. Zur Bestimmung der Adhärenz dienten standardisierte psychometrische Instrumente, welche zu einer Fragebogenbatterie zusammengefasst wurden.
Von 13 onkologischen Praxen und Kliniken in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, welche sich initial bereit erklärt hatten, nahmen sieben Einrichtungen an der Studie teil. Aus diesen sieben onkologischen Behandlungseinrichtungen konnten die Fragebögen von 44 Patienten in die Untersuchung mit einbezogen werden. Insgesamt wurden drei Befragungen durchgeführt in einem Abstand von jeweils einem Jahr. Der Großteil der Patientinnen und Patienten befand sich im Untersuchungszeitraum in First-line TKI-Therapie. Als biologische Validation für die Medikamentenadhärenz wurde das molekulare Ansprechen auf den TKI benutzt. Gemäß der ELN-Leitlinien zur Behandlung von Patientinnen und Patienten mit CML stellt das Erreichen einer „Major Molecular Response“ (MMR=BCR-ABL / ABL-Ratio ≤ 0,1 %) ein optimales Therapieansprechen dar. Bei 34 Patientinnen und Patienten (77,3 %) konnte ein optimales Therapieansprechen in den 12 Monaten vor der Datenerhebung nachgewiesen werden. Das molekulare Ansprechen von 6 Patientinnen und Patienten (13,6 %) schwankte ohne Verlust der MMR. Bei 4 Patientinnen und Patienten (9,1 %) wurde ein Therapieversagen (nach ELN-Empfehlungen) deutlich. Das molekulare Ansprechen in den vergangenen 12 Monaten vor Beginn der Untersuchung korrelierte signifikant mit dem initialen molekularen Ansprechen. Die Auswertung ergab laut Patienten-Selbsteinschätzung eine fast durchgängig gute Medikamentenadhärenz. Ein Zusammenhang zwischen Adhärenz-Selbst-einschätzung und dem molekularen Ansprechen konnte nicht nachgewiesen werden.
Untersucht wurde auch das Patientenwissen über die CML. Insgesamt zeigte ein Viertel der Patientinnen und Patienten gute bis befriedigende Kenntnisse. Das vorhandene Wissen geht zumeist auf die Informationen der behandelnden Onkologen zurück. Mehr als 50 % der Patientinnen und Patienten wünscht sich mehr Informationen zur CML und deren Behandlung. Entgegen der aktuellen Studienlage scheint das individuelle Wissen die Medikamentenadhärenz in unserer Studie kaum zu beeinflussen. In unserer Studie konnten wir allerdings feststellen, dass höheres Wissen über die CML signifikant mit geringerer wahrgenommener Bedrohlichkeit durch die CML korrelierte. Hinsichtlich des Geschlechts und des Patientenalters konnte kein signifikanter Zusammenhang mit dem Wissen über die CML detektiert werden. Patientinnen und Patienten mit geringerer Erkrankungsdauer zeigten ein höheres Wissen über das Krankheitsbild der CML. Wichtig ist es, Komorbiditäten wie depressive Symptome durch enge Anbindung an psychologische Zentren mit zu betreuen. Ein stabiles soziales Umfeld, ein gutes Arzt-Patienten- Verhältnis sowie eine starke subjektive Motivation einer jeden Patientin bzw. eines jeden Patienten sind sicherlich zentrale Säulen einer guten Adhärenz. Diese Faktoren bieten gleichzeitig Ansatzpunkte für Interventionen zur Steigerung der Therapietreue.
Neben Hygge, Krimis, Sauna und Lakritz gehört wohl nichts so eindeutig zum deutschen Stereotyp von den nordischen Gesellschaften wie der Wohlfahrtsstaat. Dabei wird er im Norden seit seiner Einführung zwiespältig diskutiert: Entmündigt er seine Bürger und Bürgerinnen? Und wie geht es dem Sozialstaat nach über 20 Jahren Neoliberalismus? Auch die Belletristik verhandelt den Wohlfahrtsstaat seit seinen Anfängen, und die Wissenschaft hat sich dem Thema in den letzten Jahren intensiv angenommen. Wie ubiquitär der Wohlfahrtsstaat als Vorstellungsrahmen für die Imagination eines gelungenen Lebens tatsächlich ist, möchte ich einleitend zu dieser Rubrik an einem eher untypischen literarischen Beispiel belegen:
Variability of Thyroid Measurements from Ultrasound and Laboratory in a Repeated Measurements Study
(2020)
Background: Variability of measurements in medical research can be due to different sources. Quantification of measurement errors facilitates probabilistic sensitivity analyses in future research to minimize potential bias in epidemiological studies. We aimed to investigate the variation of thyroid-related outcomes derived from ultrasound (US) and laboratory analyses in a repeated measurements study. Subjects and Methods: Twenty-five volunteers (13 females, 12 males) aged 22–70 years were examined once a month over 1 year. US measurements included thyroid volume, goiter, and thyroid nodules. Laboratory measurements included urinary iodine concentrations and serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), and thyroglobulin. Variations in continuous thyroid markers were assessed as coefficient of variation (CV) defined as mean of the individual CVs with bootstrapped confidence intervals and as intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Variations in dichotomous thyroid markers were assessed by Cohen’s kappa. Results: CV was highest for urinary iodine concentrations (56.9%), followed by TSH (27.2%), thyroglobulin (18.2%), thyroid volume (10.5%), fT3 (8.1%), and fT4 (6.3%). The ICC was lowest for urinary iodine concentrations (0.42), followed by fT3 (0.55), TSH (0.64), fT4 (0.72), thyroid volume (0.87), and thyroglobulin (0.90). Cohen’s kappa values for the presence of goiter or thyroid nodules were 0.64 and 0.70, respectively. Conclusion: Our study provides measures of variation for thyroid outcomes, which can be used for probabilistic sensitivity analyses of epidemiological data. The low intraindividual variation of serum thyroglobulin in comparison to urinary iodine concentrations emphasizes the potential of thyroglobulin as marker for the iodine status of populations.
TOPORAZ
(2020)
ZusammenfassungTOPORAZ ist eine virtuelle Forschungsumgebung, die ein wissenschaftlich fundiertes 3D-Modell des Hauptmarktes der Stadt Nürnberg in vier Zeitstufen mit einer Datenbank verknüpft. Diese Plattform für die objekt- und raumbezogene geisteswissenschaftliche Forschung verbindet vielfältige Quellen und Literatur mit den Gebäuden des 3D-Modells über Verknüpfungspunkte (Hotspots). TOPORAZ unterstützt übergreifende Forschungsansätze und vernetztes, transdisziplinäres Arbeiten.
Coastal sand dunes near the Baltic Sea are a dynamic environment marking the boundary between land and sea and oftentimes covered by Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests. Complex climate-environmental interactions characterize these ecosystems and largely determine the productivity and state of these coastal forests. In the face of future climate change, understanding interactions between coastal tree growth and climate variability is important to promote sustainable coastal forests. In this study, we assessed the effect of microsite conditions on tree growth and the temporal and spatial variability of the relationship between climate and Scots pine growth at nine coastal sand dune sites located around the south Baltic Sea. At each site, we studied the growth of Scots pine growing at microsites located at the ridge and bottom of a dune and built a network of 18 ring-width and 18 latewood blue intensity chronologies. Across this network, we found that microsite has a minor influence on ring-width variability, basal area increment, latewood blue intensity, and climate sensitivity. However, at the local scale, microsite effects turned out to be important for growth and climate sensitivity at some sites. Correlation analysis indicated that the strength and direction of climate-growth responses for the ring-width and blue intensity chronologies were similar for climate variables over the 1903–2016 period. A strong and positive relationship between ring-width and latewood blue intensity chronologies with winter-spring temperature was detected at local and regional scales. We identified a relatively strong, positive influence of winter-spring/summer moisture availability on both tree-ring proxies. When climate-growth responses between two intervals (1903–1959, 1960–2016) were compared, the strength of growth responses to temperature and moisture availability for both proxies varied. More specifically, for the ring-width network, we identified decreasing temperature-growth responses, which is in contrast to the latewood blue intensity network, where we documented decreasing and increasing temperature-growth relationships in the north and south respectively. We conclude that coastal Scots pine forests are primarily limited by winter-spring temperature and winter-spring/summer drought despite differing microsite conditions. We detected some spatial and temporal variability in climate-growth relationships that warrant further investigation.
Chondrosarcoma is the second most common malign bone tumor in adults. Surgical
resection of the tumor is recommended because of its resistance to clinical treatment such as
chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Thus, the prognosis for patients mainly depends on sufficient
surgical resection. Due to this, research on alternative therapies is needed. Cold atmospheric plasma
(CAP) is an ionized gas that contains various reactive species. Previous studies have shown an
anti-oncogenic potential of CAP on different cancer cell types. The current study examined the effects
of treatment with CAP on two chondrosarcoma cell lines (CAL-78, SW1353). Through proliferation
assay, the cell growth after CAP-treatment was determined. A strong antiproliferative effect for
both cell lines was detected. By fluorescein diacetate (FDA) assay and ATP release assay, alterations
in the cell membrane and associated translocation of low molecular weight particles through the
cytoplasmic membrane were observed. In supernatant, the non-membrane-permeable FDA and
endogenously synthesized ATP detected suggest an increased membrane permeability after CAP
treatment. Similar results were shown by the dextran-uptake assay. Furthermore, fluorescence
microscopic G-/F-actin assay was performed. G- and F-actin were selectively dyed, and the ratio
was measured. The presented results indicate CAP-induced changes in cell membrane function and
possible alterations in actin-cytoskeleton, which may contribute to the antiproliferative effects of CAP.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is gaining in importance and is linked to obesity.
Especially, the development of fibrosis and portal hypertension in NAFLD patients requires treatment.
Transgenic TGR(mREN2)27 rats overexpressing mouse renin spontaneously develop NAFLD with
portal hypertension but without obesity. This study investigated the additional role of obesity in this
model on the development of portal hypertension and fibrosis. Obesity was induced in twelve-week
old TGR(mREN2)27 rats after receiving Western diet (WD) for two or four weeks. Liver fibrosis
was assessed using standard techniques. Hepatic expression of transforming growth factor-β1
(TGF-β1), collagen type Iα1, α-smooth muscle actin, and the macrophage markers Emr1, as well as
the chemoattractant Ccl2, interleukin-1β (IL1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) were analyzed.
Assessment of portal and systemic hemodynamics was performed using the colored microsphere
technique. As expected, WD induced obesity and liver fibrosis as confirmed by Sirius Red and Oil Red
O staining. The expression of the monocyte-macrophage markers, Emr1, Ccl2, IL1β and TNFα were
increased during feeding of WD, indicating infiltration of macrophages into the liver, even though this
increase was statistically not significant for the EGF module-containing mucin-like receptor (Emr1)
mRNA expression levels. Of note, portal pressure increased with the duration of WD compared
to animals that received a normal chow. Besides obesity, WD feeding increased systemic vascular
resistance reflecting systemic endothelial and splanchnic vascular dysfunction. We conclude that
transgenic TGR(mREN2)27 rats are a suitable model to investigate NAFLD development with liver
fibrosis and portal hypertension. Tendency towards elevated expression of Emr1 is associated with
macrophage activity point to a significant role of macrophages in NAFLD pathogenesis, probably
due to a shift of the renin–angiotensin system towards a higher activation of the classical pathway.The hepatic injury induced by WD in TGR(mREN2)27 rats is suitable to evaluate different stages of
fibrosis and portal hypertension in NAFLD with obesity
Previous studies have reported the fundamental role of immunoregulatory
proteins in the clinical phenotype and outcome of sepsis. This study investigated two functional single
nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3
(TIM-3), which has a negative stimulatory function in the T cell immune response. Methods: Patients
with sepsis (n = 712) were prospectively enrolled from three intensive care units (ICUs) at the University
Medical Center Goettingen since 2012. All patients were genotyped for the TIM-3 SNPs rs1036199 and
rs10515746. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Disease severity and microbiological findings
were secondary endpoints. Results: Kaplan–Meier survival analysis demonstrated a significantly
lower 28-day mortality for TIM-3 rs1036199 AA homozygous patients compared to C-allele carriers
(18% vs. 27%, p = 0.0099) and TIM-3 rs10515746 CC homozygous patients compared to A-allele
carriers (18% vs. 26%, p = 0.0202). The TIM-3 rs1036199 AA genotype and rs10515746 CC genotype
remained significant predictors for 28-day mortality in the multivariate Cox regression analysis after
adjustment for relevant confounders (adjusted hazard ratios: 0.67 and 0.70). Additionally, patients
carrying the rs1036199 AA genotype presented more Gram-positive and Staphylococcus epidermidis
infections, and rs10515746 CC homozygotes presented more Staphylococcus epidermidis infections.
Conclusion: The studied TIM-3 genetic variants are associated with altered 28-day mortality and
susceptibility to Gram-positive infections in sepsis.
The local anesthetic lidocaine, which has been used extensively during liposuction, has been
reported to have cytotoxic effects and therefore would be unsuitable for use in autologous lipotransfer.
We evaluated the effect of lidocaine on the distribution, number, and viability of adipose-derived stem
cells (ASCs), preadipocytes, mature adipocytes, and leukocytes in the fatty and fluid portion of the
lipoaspirate using antibody staining and flow cytometry analyses. Adipose tissue was harvested from
11 female patients who underwent liposuction. Abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue was infiltrated
with tumescent local anesthesia, containing lidocaine on the left and lacking lidocaine on the right
side of the abdomen, and harvested subsequently. Lidocaine had no influence on the relative
distribution, cell number, or viability of ASCs, preadipocytes, mature adipocytes, or leukocytes in the
stromal-vascular fraction. Assessing the fatty and fluid portions of the lipoaspirate, the fatty portions
contained significantly more ASCs (p < 0.05), stem cells expressing the preadipocyte marker Pref-1
(p < 0.01 w/lidocaine, p < 0.05 w/o lidocaine), and mature adipocytes (p < 0.05 w/lidocaine, p < 0.01
w/o lidocaine) than the fluid portions. Only the fatty portion should be used for transplantation. This
study found no evidence that would contraindicate the use of lidocaine in lipotransfer. Limitations of
the study include the small sample size and the inclusion of only female patients.
Natural products comprise a rich reservoir for innovative drug leads and are a constant
source of bioactive compounds. To find pharmacological targets for new or already known
natural products using modern computer-aided methods is a current endeavor in drug discovery.
Nature’s treasures, however, could be used more effectively. Yet, reliable pipelines for the
large-scale target prediction of natural products are still rare. We developed an in silico workflow
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 7102; doi:10.3390/ijms21197102 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 7102 2 of 18
consisting of four independent, stand-alone target prediction tools and evaluated its performance
on dihydrochalcones (DHCs)—a well-known class of natural products. Thereby, we revealed
four previously unreported protein targets for DHCs, namely 5-lipoxygenase, cyclooxygenase-1,
17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3, and aldo-keto reductase 1C3. Moreover, we provide a
thorough strategy on how to perform computational target predictions and guidance on using the
respective tools.
Membrane monocarboxylate transporter 1 (SLC16A1/MCT1) plays an important role in
hepatocyte homeostasis, as well as drug handling. However, there is no available information
about the impact of liver pathology on the transporter levels and function. The study was aimed to
quantify SLC16A1 mRNA (qRT-PCR) and MCT1 protein abundance (liquid chromatography–tandem
mass spectrometry (LC¬¬–MS/MS)) in the livers of patients diagnosed, according to the standard
clinical criteria, with hepatitis C, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing hepatitis, alcoholic liver
disease (ALD), and autoimmune hepatitis. The stage of liver dysfunction was classified according to
Child–Pugh score. Downregulation of SLC16A1/MCT1 levels was observed in all liver pathology
states, significantly for ALD. The progression of liver dysfunction, from Child–Pugh class A to C,
involved the gradual decline in SLC16A1 mRNA and MCT1 protein abundance, reaching a clinically
significant decrease in class C livers. Reduced levels of MCT1 were associated with significant
intracellular lactate accumulation. The MCT1 transcript and protein did not demonstrate significant
correlations regardless of the liver pathology analyzed, as well as the disease stage, suggesting
posttranscriptional regulation, and several microRNAs were found as potential regulators of MCT1
abundance. MCT1 membrane immunolocalization without cytoplasmic retention was observed in all
studied liver pathologies. Overall, the study demonstrates that SLC16A1/MCT1 is involved in liver
pathology, especially in ALD
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare disease which is often
caused by recurrent emboli. These are also frequently found in patients with myeloproliferative
diseases. While myeloproliferative diseases can be caused by gene defects, the genetic predisposition
to CTEPH is largely unexplored. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyse these genes
and further genes involved in pulmonary hypertension in CTEPH patients. A systematic screening
was conducted for pathogenic variants using a gene panel based on next generation sequencing.
CTEPH was diagnosed according to current guidelines. In this study, out of 40 CTEPH patients
4 (10%) carried pathogenic variants. One patient had a nonsense variant (c.2071A>T p.Lys691*)
in the BMPR2 gene and three further patients carried the same pathogenic variant (missense variant,
c.1849G>T p.Val617Phe) in the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) gene. The latter led to a myeloproliferative
disease in each patient. The prevalence of this JAK2 variant was significantly higher than expected
(p < 0.0001). CTEPH patients may have a genetic predisposition more often than previously thought.
The predisposition for myeloproliferative diseases could be an additional risk factor for CTEPH
development. Thus, clinical screening for myeloproliferative diseases and genetic testing may be
considered also for CTEPH patients.
Liver diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of
this study was to identify differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs), target genes, and key
pathways as innovative diagnostic biomarkers in liver patients with different pathology and functional
state. We determined, using RT-qPCR, the expression of 472 miRNAs in 125 explanted livers from
subjects with six different liver pathologies and from control livers. ANOVA was employed to
obtain differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs), and miRDB (MicroRNA target prediction database)
was used to predict target genes. A miRNA–gene differential regulatory (MGDR) network was
constructed for each condition. Key miRNAs were detected using topological analysis. Enrichment
analysis for DEMs was performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated
Discovery (DAVID). We identified important DEMs common and specific to the different patient
groups and disease progression stages. hsa-miR-1275 was universally downregulated regardless
the disease etiology and stage, while hsa-let-7a*, hsa-miR-195, hsa-miR-374, and hsa-miR-378 were
deregulated. The most significantly enriched pathways of target genes controlled by these miRNAs
comprise p53 tumor suppressor protein (TP53)-regulated metabolic genes, and those involved in
regulation of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) expression, phosphatase and tensin homolog
(PTEN) messenger RNA (mRNA) translation and copper homeostasis. Our findings show a novel
panel of deregulated miRNAs in the liver tissue from patients with different liver pathologies. These
miRNAs hold potential as biomarkers for diagnosis and staging of liver diseases.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a deadly form of liver malignancy with limited treatment
options. Amplification and/or overexpression of c-MYC is one of the most frequent genetic events
in human HCC. The mammalian target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1) is a major functional
axis regulating various aspects of cellular growth and metabolism. Recently, we demonstrated that
mTORC1 is necessary for c-Myc driven hepatocarcinogenesis as well as for HCC cell growth in vitro.
Among the pivotal downstream effectors of mTORC1, upregulation of Fatty Acid Synthase (FASN) and
its mediated de novo lipogenesis is a hallmark of human HCC. Here, we investigated the importance
of FASN on c-Myc-dependent hepatocarcinogenesis using in vitro and in vivo approaches. In mouse
and human HCC cells, we found that FASN suppression by either gene silencing or soluble inhibitors
more effectively suppressed proliferation and induced apoptosis in the presence of high c-MYC
expression. In c-Myc/Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL1) mouse liver tumor lesions, FASN expression
was markedly upregulated. Most importantly, genetic ablation of Fasn profoundly delayed (without
abolishing) c-Myc/MCL1 induced HCC formation. Liver tumors developing in c-Myc/MCL1 mice
depleted of Fasn showed a reduction in proliferation and an increase in apoptosis when compared
with corresponding lesions from c-Myc/MCL1 mice with an intact Fasn gene. In human HCC samples,
a significant correlation between the levels of c-MYC transcriptional activity and the expression
of FASN mRNA was detected. Altogether, our study indicates that FASN is an important effector
downstream of mTORC1 in c-MYC induced HCC. Targeting FASN may be helpful for the treatment
of human HCC, at least in the tumor subset displaying c-MYC amplification or activation.
Despite continuous advances in therapy, malignant melanoma is still among the deadliest
types of cancer. At the same time, owing to its high plasticity and immunogenicity, melanoma is
regarded as a model tumor entity when testing new treatment approaches. Cold physical plasma is a
novel anticancer tool that utilizes a plethora of reactive oxygen species (ROS) being deposited on the
target cells and tissues. To test whether plasma treatment would enhance the toxicity of an established
antitumor therapy, ionizing radiation, we combined both physical treatment modalities targeting
B16F10 murine melanoma cell in vitro. Repeated rather than single radiotherapy, in combination
with gas plasma-introduced ROS, induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in an additive fashion. In
tendency, gas plasma treatment sensitized the cells to subsequent radiotherapy rather than the other
way around. This was concomitant with increased levels of TNFα, IL6, and GM-CSF in supernatants.
Murine JAWS dendritic cells cultured in these supernatants showed an increased expression of cell
surface activation markers, such as MHCII and CD83. For PD-L1 and PD-L2, increased expression
was observed. Our results are the first to suggest an additive therapeutic effect of gas plasma and
radiotherapy, and translational tumor models are needed to develop this concept further.
Background: Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is increasingly used in the field of oncology.
Many of the mechanisms of action of CAP, such as inhibiting proliferation, DNA breakage, or the
destruction of cell membrane integrity, have been investigated in many different types of tumors.
In this regard, data are available from both in vivo and in vitro studies. Not only the direct treatment
of a tumor but also the influence on its blood supply play a decisive role in the success of the therapy
and the patient’s further prognosis. Whether the CAP influences this process is unknown, and the
first indications in this regard are addressed in this study. Methods: Two different devices, kINPen
and MiniJet, were used as CAP sources. Human endothelial cell line HDMEC were treated directly
and indirectly with CAP, and growth kinetics were performed. To indicate apoptotic processes,
caspase-3/7 assay and TUNEL assay were used. The influence of CAP on cellular metabolism
was examined using the MTT and glucose assay. After CAP exposure, tube formation assay was
performed to examine the capillary tube formation abilities of HDMEC and their migration was
messured in separate assays. To investigate in a possible mutagenic effect of CAP treatment,
a hypoxanthine-guanine-phosphoribosyl-transferase assay with non malignant cell (CCL-93) line was
performed. Results: The direct CAP treatment of the HDMEC showed a robust growth-inhibiting
effect, but the indirect one did not. The MMT assay showed an apparent reduction in cell metabolism
in the first 24 h after CAP treatment, which appeared to normalize 48 h and 72 h after CAP application.
These results were also confirmed by the glucose assay. The caspase 3/7 assay and TUNEL assay
showed a significant increase in apoptotic processes in the HDMEC after CAP treatment. These results
were independent of the CAP device. Both the migration and tube formation of HDMEC were
significant inhibited after CAP-treatment. No malignant effects could be demonstrated by the CAP
treatment on a non-malignant cell line.
Niemann–Pick type C1 (NPC1) is a lysosomal storage disorder, inherited as an
autosomal-recessive trait. Mutations in the Npc1 gene result in malfunction of the NPC1 protein,
leading to an accumulation of unesterified cholesterol and glycosphingolipids. Beside visceral
symptoms like hepatosplenomegaly, severe neurological symptoms such as ataxia occur. Here,
we analyzed the sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)/S1P receptor (S1PR) axis in different brain regions
of Npc1−/− mice and evaluated specific effects of treatment with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin
(HPβCD) together with the iminosugar miglustat. Using high-performance thin-layer chromatography
(HPTLC), mass spectrometry, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot analyses, we
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 4502; doi:10.3390/ijms21124502 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 4502 2 of 31
studied lipid metabolism in an NPC1 mouse model and human skin fibroblasts. Lipid analyses
showed disrupted S1P metabolism in Npc1−/− mice in all brain regions, together with distinct changes
in S1pr3/S1PR3 and S1pr5/S1PR5 expression. Brains of Npc1−/− mice showed only weak treatment
effects. However, side effects of the treatment were observed in Npc1+/+ mice. The S1P/S1PR axis
seems to be involved in NPC1 pathology, showing only weak treatment effects in mouse brain. S1pr
expression appears to be affected in human fibroblasts, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived
neural progenitor and neuronal differentiated cells. Nevertheless, treatment-induced side effects
make examination of further treatment strategies indispensable
Molecular Mechanisms of Bortezomib Action: Novel Evidence for the miRNA−mRNA Interaction Involvement
(2020)
Bortezomib is an anti-tumor agent, which inhibits 26S proteasome degrading ubiquitinated
proteins. While apoptotic transcription-associated activation in response to bortezomib has been
suggested, mechanisms related to its influence on post-transcriptional gene silencing mediated
regulation by non-coding RNAs remain not fully elucidated. In the present study, we examined
changes in global gene and miRNA expression and analyzed the identified miRNA–mRNA interactions
after bortezomib exposure in human neuroblastoma cells to define pathways affected by this agent in
this type of cells. Cell viability assays were performed to assess cytotoxicity of bortezomib. Global gene
and miRNA expression profiles of neuroblastoma cells after 24-h incubation with bortezomib were
determined using genome-wide RNA and miRNA microarray technology. Obtained results were
then confirmed by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Further bioinformatical analysis was performed
to identify affected biological processes and pathways. In total, 719 genes and 28 miRNAs were
downregulated, and 319 genes and 61 miRNAs were upregulated in neuroblastoma cells treated with
bortezomib. Possible interactions between dysregulated miRNA/mRNA, which could be linked to
bortezomib-induced neurotoxicity, affect neurogenesis, cellular calcium transport, and neuron death.
Bortezomib might exert toxic effects on neuroblastoma cells and regulate miRNA–mRNA interactions
influencing vital cellular functions. Further studies on the role of specific miRNA–mRNA interactions
are needed to elucidate mechanisms of bortezomib action.