1. |
- Berglund, Erik, et al.
(författare)
-
Intracellular concentration of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib in gastrointestinal stromal tumor cells.
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Anti-Cancer Drugs. - 0959-4973 .- 1473-5741. ; 25:4, s. 415-22
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common mesenchymal neoplasm in the gastrointestinal tract. In most GISTs, the underlying mechanism is a gain-of-function mutation in the KIT or the PDGFRA gene. Imatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that specifically blocks the intracellular ATP-binding sites of these receptors. A correlation exists between plasma levels of imatinib and progression-free survival, but it is not known whether the plasma concentration correlates with the intracellular drug concentration. We determined intracellular imatinib levels in two GIST cell lines: the imatinib-sensitive GIST882 and the imatinib-resistant GIST48. After exposing the GIST cells to imatinib, the intracellular concentrations were evaluated using LC-MS (TOF). The concentration of imatinib in clinical samples from three patients was also determined to assess the validity and reliability of the method in the clinical setting. Determination of imatinib uptake fits within detection levels and values are highly reproducible. The GIST48 cells showed significantly lower imatinib uptake compared with GIST882 in therapeutic doses, indicating a possible difference in uptake mechanisms. Furthermore, imatinib accumulated in the tumor tissues and showed intratumoral regional differences. These data show, for the first time, a feasible and reproducible technique to measure intracellular imatinib levels in experimental and clinical settings. The difference in the intracellular imatinib concentration between the cell lines and clinical samples indicates that drug transporters may contribute toward resistance mechanisms in GIST cells. This highlights the importance of further clinical studies to quantify drug transporter expression and measure intracellular imatinib levels in GIST patients.
|
|
2. |
- Englund, Elias, et al.
(författare)
-
Production of Squalene in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
- 2014
-
Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:3, s. e90270-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the research and development of sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. Using photosynthetic microorganisms to produce such alternatives is advantageous, since they can achieve direct conversion of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the desired product, using sunlight as the energy source. Squalene is a naturally occurring 30-carbon isoprenoid, which has commercial use in cosmetics and in vaccines. If it could be produced sustainably on a large scale, it could also be used instead of petroleum as a raw material for fuels and as feedstock for the chemical industry. The unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803 possesses a gene, slr2089, predicted to encode squalene hopene cyclase (Shc), an enzyme converting squalene into hopene, the substrate for forming hopanoids. Through inactivation of slr2089 (shc), we explored the possibility to produce squalene using cyanobacteria. The inactivation led to accumulation of squalene, to a level over 70 times higher than in wild type cells, reaching 0.67 mg OD750−1 L−1. We did not observe any significant growth deficiency in the Δshc strain compared to the wild type Synechocystis, even at high light conditions, suggesting that the observed squalene accumulation was not detrimental to growth, and that formation of hopene by Shc is not crucial for growth under normal conditions, nor for high-light stress tolerance. Effects of different light intensities and growth stages on squalene accumulation in the Δshc strain were investigated. We also identified a gene, sll0513, as a putative squalene synthase in Synechocystis, and verified its function by inactivation. In this work, we show that it is possible to use the cyanobacterium Synechocystis to generate squalene, a hydrocarbon of commercial interest and a potential biofuel. We also report the first identification of a squalene hopene cyclase, and the second identification of squalene synthase, in cyanobacteria.
|
|
3. |
- Fallahshahroudi, Amir, et al.
(författare)
-
Domestication Effects on Stress Induced Steroid Secretion and Adrenal Gene Expression in Chickens
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 5
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding the genetic basis of phenotypic diversity is a challenge in contemporary biology. Domestication provides a model for unravelling aspects of the genetic basis of stress sensitivity. The ancestral Red Junglefowl (RJF) exhibits greater fear-related behaviour and a more pronounced HPA-axis reactivity than its domesticated counterpart, the White Leghorn (WL). By comparing hormones (plasmatic) and adrenal global gene transcription profiles between WL and RJF in response to an acute stress event, we investigated the molecular basis for the altered physiological stress responsiveness in domesticated chickens. Basal levels of pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone as well as corticosterone response were lower in WL. Microarray analysis of gene expression in adrenal glands showed a significant breed effect in a large number of transcripts with over-representation of genes in the channel activity pathway. The expression of the best-known steroidogenesis genes were similar across the breeds used. Transcription levels of acute stress response genes such as StAR, CH25 and POMC were upregulated in response to acute stress. Dampened HPA reactivity in domesticated chickens was associated with changes in the expression of several genes that presents potentially minor regulatory effects rather than by means of change in expression of critical steroidogenic genes in the adrenal.
|
|
4. |
- Manukyan, Levon, et al.
(författare)
-
Palmitate-induced impairments of beta-cell function are linked with generation of specific ceramide species via acylation of sphingosine
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Endocrinology. - : The Endocrine Society. - 0013-7227 .- 1945-7170. ; 156:3, s. 802-812
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Prolonged exposure to palmitate impairs beta-cell function and mass. One of the proposed mechanisms is alteration in ceramide generation. In the present study, exposure to palmitate induced the level of palmitoyl transferase and ceramide synthases, enzymes of the ceramide de novo and salvage pathways, and doubled total ceramide levels, which was associated with decreased insulin secretion and augmented apoptosis in MIN6 cells and human islets. By inhibiting enzymes of the pathways pharmacologically with ISP-1 or fumonisin B1 or by siRNA we showed that Cer(14:0), Cer(16:0), Cer(20:1) and Cer(24:0) species, generated by the salvage pathway, are linked to the harmful effect of palmitate on beta-cells. Oleate attenuates negative effects of palmitate on beta-cells. When oleate was included during culture of MIN6 cells with palmitate the palmitate-induced up-regulation of the enzymes of the de novo and salvage pathways was prevented resulting in normalized levels of all ceramide species except Cer(20:1). Our data suggest that enhanced ceramide generation in response to elevated palmitate levels involves both de novo and salvage pathways. However, the negative effects of palmitate on beta-cells are attributed to generation of ceramide species Cer(14:0), Cer(16:0) and Cer(24:0) via acylation of sphingosine.
|
|
5. |
- Staaf, Johan, et al.
(författare)
-
Initial hyperinsulinemia and subsequent beta-cell dysfunction is associated with elevated palmitate levels
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Pediatric Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0031-3998 .- 1530-0447. ; 80:2, s. 267-274
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity-related diabetes in childhood is increasing and circulating levels of nonesterified fatty acids may constitute a link. Here, the association between palmitate and insulin secretion was investigated in vivo and in vitro.METHODS: Obese and lean children and adolescents (n = 80) were included. Palmitate was measured at fasting; insulin and glucose during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Human islets were cultured for 0 to 7 d in presence of 0.5 mmol/l palmitate. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), insulin content and apoptosis were measured.RESULTS: Obese subjects had fasting palmitate levels between 0.10 and 0.33 mmol/l, with higher average levels compared to lean subjects. While obese children with elevated palmitate (>0.20 mmol/l) had accentuated insulin levels during OGTT, obese adolescents with high palmitate had delayed first-phase insulin response. In human islets exposed to palmitate for 2 d GSIS was twofold enhanced, but after 7 d attenuated. Intracellular insulin content decreased time-dependently in islets cultured in the presence of palmitate and cleaved caspase 3 increased.CONCLUSION: The rapid accentuated and delayed insulin secretory responses observed in obese children and adolescents, respectively, with high palmitate levels may reflect changes in islet secretory activity and integrity induced by extended exposure to the fatty acid.
|
|
6. |
- Ubhayasekera, Sarojini J.K.A., et al.
(författare)
-
Analysis of oxidized sterols in frying oils
- 2010
-
Ingår i: FRYING OILS – ANALYSIS (on-line chapter). - : The American Oil Chemists' Society.
-
Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
|
|
7. |
- Ubhayasekera, Sarojini J. K. A., et al.
(författare)
-
Assessment of Sterol Oxidation in Oils Recovered from Exhausted Bleaching Earth by Coupled Capillary Column GC and GC–MS Methods
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society. - : Wiley. - 0003-021X .- 1558-9331. ; 89:8, s. 1427-1433
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cholesterol and phytosterols are generally present in foods at ppm levels and they can generate many oxidation products, i.e. oxysterols. The oxysterols comprise only a small percentage of unoxidized sterols. Reliable quantitative data on these compounds requires reasonably good separation by capillary column GC. The present study attempts to overcome the difficulties involved in separating many common oxysterols generated from cholesterol, brassicasterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and sitosterol by coupling two high-resolution GC capillary columns. The columns, DB-17MS and DB-35MS, were coupled separately to a DB-5MS column. Total separation time of the authentic samples of oxysterols was 41 min for the DB-35MS/DB-5MS and 44 min for the DB-17MS/DB-5MS coupled columns. Two oil samples EBE1 and EBE2 extracted from exhausted bleaching earth collected from Europe were analyzed for oxysterol content by using these column combination systems. Both systems showed similar quantitative results; the total levels of oxysterols in these samples ranged from 2 to 3 mg/100 g. The prominent oxysterols were as follows: 7α-hydroxysterols (0.29–0.49 mg/100 g), 7β-hydroxysterols (0.13–0.68 mg/100 g) and 7-ketosterols (0.63–0.69 mg/100 g).
|
|
8. |
|
|
9. |
- Ubhayasekera, Sarojini J.K.A., et al.
(författare)
-
Effect of Feed Fat By-Products with Trans Fatty Acids and Heated Oil on Cholesterol and Oxycholesterols in Chicken
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society. - 0003-021X .- 1558-9331. ; 87:2, s. 173-184
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chicken is the most widely consumed meat all over the world due to chickens being easy to rear, their fast growth rate and the meat having good nutritional characteristics. The main objective of this paper was to study the effects of dietary fatty by-products in low, medium and high levels of oxidized lipids and trans fatty acids (TFAs) on the contents of cholesterol and oxycholesterols in meat, liver, and plasma of chickens. A palm fatty acid distillate, before and after hydrogenation, and a sunflower–olive oil blend (70/30, v/v) before and after use in a commercial frying process were used in feeding trials after adding 6% of the fats to the feeds. Highly oxidized lipid and TFA feeds significantly increased the contents of cholesterol and oxycholesterols in all tissues of chicken (0.01 < p ≤ 0.05). The contents of oxycholesterols in chicken meat, liver and plasma obtained from TFA feeding trials varied between 17 and 48 μg/100 g in meat, 19–42 μg/100 g in liver and 105–126 μg/dL in plasma. In contrast, in the oxidized lipid feeding trials, oxycholesterols varied between 13 and 75 μg/100 g in meat, 30–58 μg/100 g in liver and 66–209 μg/dL in plasma. Meat from chickens fed with feeds containing high levels of TFAs or oxidized lipids may contribute to higher ingestion of cholesterol and oxycholesterols by humans.
|
|
10. |
- Ubhayasekera, Sarojini J.K.A., et al.
(författare)
-
Effects of different levels of trans fatty acids and oxidised lipids in diet on cholesterol and cholesterol oxidation products formation in rabbit
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Food Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0308-8146 .- 1873-7072. ; 121, s. 1198-1202
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective was to assess the effects of trans fatty acids and oxidised lipids, present in dietary fat by-products used in feeds, on cholesterol and oxycholesterols in meat, liver and plasma of rabbits. A palm fatty acid distillate, before and after hydrogenation (trans fatty acid trial), and a sunflower–olive oil blend (70/30, v/v), before and after use in a commercial frying process (oxidised lipid trial), were used in experimental feeds (at 3%, w/w). High trans fatty acid and oxidised lipid diets caused significantly higher cholesterol and oxycholesterol levels in all tissues of rabbit (0.01 < p 0.05). The content of oxycholesterols in rabbit meat, liver and plasma obtained from trans fatty acid experiments varied from 9 to 34 μg/100 g, 24 to 61 μg/100 g and 60 to 138 μg/dl, respectively, from low to high levels. In the oxidised lipid experiments, content of oxycholesterols varied from 16 to 52 μg/100 g, 14 to 108 μg/100 g and 52 to 269 μg/dl in meat, liver and plasma, respectively. As a consequence, meat products from rabbits fed a diet containing higher levels of trans fatty acids or oxidised lipids may result in higher intakes of cholesterol and oxycholesterols by humans.
|
|