Search results for "Protein kinase B"

Molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective role of atrial natriuretic peptide in experimental acute ischemic stroke

2018

Abstract Along with its role in regulating blood pressure and fluid homeostasis, the natriuretic peptide system could be also part of an endogenous protective mechanism against brain damage. We aimed to assess the possibility that exogenous atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) could protect against acute ischemic stroke, as well as the molecular mechanisms involved. Three groups of rats subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO, intraluminal filament technique, 60 min) received intracerebroventricular vehicle, low-dose ANP (0.5 nmol) or high-dose ANP (2.5 nmol), at 30 min reperfusion. Neurofunctional condition, and brain infarct and edema volumes were measured at 24 h after…

A PTEN inhibitor displays preclinical activity against hepatocarcinoma cells

2016

Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene is considered a tumor suppressor gene. However, PTEN mutations rarely occur in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), whereas heterozygosity of PTEN, resulting in reduced PTEN expression, has been observed in 32–44% of HCC patients. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the small molecule PTEN inhibitor VO-OHpic in HCC cells. VO-OHpic inhibited cell viability, cell proliferation and colony formation, and induced senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity in Hep3B (low PTEN expression) and to a lesser extent in PLC/PRF/5 (high PTEN expression) cells, but not in PTEN-negative SNU475 cells. VO-OHpic synergistically inhibited cell viability…

Effects of mutations in Wnt/β-catenin, hedgehog, Notch and PI3K pathways on GSK-3 activity—Diverse effects on cell growth, metabolism and cancer

2016

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a serine/threonine kinase that participates in an array of critical cellular processes. GSK-3 was first characterized as an enzyme that phosphorylated and inactivated glycogen synthase. However, subsequent studies have revealed that this moon-lighting protein is involved in numerous signaling pathways that regulate not only metabolism but also have roles in: apoptosis, cell cycle progression, cell renewal, differentiation, embryogenesis, migration, regulation of gene transcription, stem cell biology and survival. In this review, we will discuss the roles that GSK-3 plays in various diseases as well as how this pivotal kinase interacts with multiple sign…

2020

The cell cycle is controlled by microtubule-associated serine/threonine kinase-like (MASTL), which phosphorylates the cAMP-regulated phosphoproteins 19 (ARPP19) at S62 and 19e/α-endosulfine (ENSA) at S67and converts them into protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibitors. Based on initial proteomic data, we hypothesized that the MASTL-ENSA/ARPP19-PP2A pathway, unknown until now in platelets, is regulated and functional in these anucleate cells. We detected ENSA, ARPP19 and various PP2A subunits (including seven different PP2A B-subunits) in proteomic studies of human platelets. ENSA-S109/ARPP19–S104 were efficiently phosphorylated in platelets treated with cAMP- (iloprost) and cGMP-elevating (NO…

Ellagitannin-rich cloudberry inhibits hepatocyte growth factorinduced cell migration and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT activation in colon carcin…

2016

// Anne-Maria Pajari 1, 2 , Essi Paivarinta 1 , Lassi Paavolainen 3 , Elina Vaara 1 , Tuuli Koivumaki 4 , Ritu Garg 5 , Anu Heiman-Lindh 1 , Marja Mutanen 1 , Varpu Marjomaki 3 , Anne J. Ridley 2, 5 1 Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, Division of Nutrition, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland 2 University College London, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, London, UK 3 Department of Biological and Environmental Science / Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland 4 Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, Division of Food Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland 5 Randall Division of Cell & Molecular Biophysics, King’s College Lond…

NEGR1 and FGFR2 cooperatively regulate cortical development and core behaviours related to autism disorders in mice.

2018

See Contreras and Hippenmeyer (doi:10.1093/brain/awy218) for a scientific commentary on this article. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex conditions with diverse aetiologies. Szczurkowska et al. demonstrate that two ASD-related molecules – FGFR2 and Negr1 – physically interact to act on the same downstream pathway, and regulate cortical development and ASD-relevant behaviours in mice. Identifying common mechanisms in ASDs may reveal targets for pharmacological intervention.

Somatic copy number alterations are associated with EGFR amplification and shortened survival in patients with primary glioblastoma.

2019

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant primary tumor of the central nervous system. With no effective therapy, the prognosis for patients is terrible poor. It is highly heterogeneous and EGFR amplification is its most frequent molecular alteration. In this light, we aimed to examine the genetic heterogeneity of GBM and to correlate it with the clinical characteristics of the patients. For that purpose, we analyzed the status of EGFR and the somatic copy number alterations (CNAs) of a set of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes. Thus, we found GBMs with high level of EGFR amplification, low level and with no EGFR amplification. Highly amplified tumors showed histological features of…

BRG1/SMARCA4 is essential for neuroblastoma cell viability through modulation of cell death and survival pathways.

2016

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a neoplasm of the sympathetic nervous system, and is the most common solid tumor of infancy. NBs are very heterogeneous, with a clinical course ranging from spontaneous regression to resistance to all current forms of treatment. High-risk patients need intense chemotherapy, and only 30-40% will be cured. Relapsed or metastatic tumors acquire multi-drug resistance, raising the need for alternative treatments. Owing to the diverse mechanisms that are responsible of NB chemoresistance, we aimed to target epigenetic factors that control multiple pathways to bypass therapy resistance. We found that the SWI/SNF-related, matrix-associated, actin-dependent regulator of chromat…

LXR agonist treatment of blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm restores cholesterol efflux and triggers apoptosis

2016

International audience; Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell (PDC) neoplasm (BPDCN) is an aggressive hematological malignancy with a poor prognosis that derives from PDCs. No consensus for optimal treatment modalities is available today and the full characterization of this leukemia is still emerging. We identified here a BPDCN-specific transcriptomic profile when compared with those of acute myeloid leukemia and T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia, as well as the transcriptomic signature of primary PDCs. This BPDCN gene signature identified a dysregulation of genes involved in cholesterol homeostasis, some of them being liver X receptor (LXR) target genes. LXR agonist treatment of primary BPDCN …

Levosimendan prevents doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in time- and dose-dependent manner: implications for inotropy.

2019

Abstract Aims Levosimendan (LEVO) a clinically-used inodilator, exerts multifaceted cardioprotective effects. Case-studies indicate protection against doxorubicin (DXR)-induced cardiotoxicity, but this effect remains obscure. We investigated the effect and mechanism of different regimens of levosimendan on sub-chronic and chronic doxorubicin cardiotoxicity. Methods and results Based on preliminary in vivo experiments, rats serving as a sub-chronic model of doxorubicin-cardiotoxicity and were divided into: Control (N/S-0.9%), DXR (18 mg/kg-cumulative), DXR+LEVO (LEVO, 24 μg/kg-cumulative), and DXR+LEVO (acute) (LEVO, 24 μg/kg-bolus) for 14 days. Protein kinase-B (Akt), endothelial nitric oxi…