Project description:Background: In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) genes predictive of survival have been found in both adjacent normal (AN) and tumor (TU) tissues. The relationships between these two sets of predictive genes and the general process of tumorigenesis and disease progression remains unclear Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we have investigated HCC tumorigenesis by comparing gene expression (GSE25097), DNA copy number variation and survival using ~250 AN and TU samples representing, respectively, the pre-cancer state, and the result of tumorigenesis. Genes that participate in tumorigenesis were defined using a gene-gene correlation meta-analysis procedure that compared AN versus TU tissues. Genes predictive of survival in AN (AN-survival genes) were found to be enriched in the differential gene-gene correlation gene set indicating that they directly participate in the process of tumorigenesis. Additionally the AN-survival genes were mostly not predictive after tumorigenesis in TU tissue and this transition was associated with and could largely be explained by the effect of somatic DNA copy number variation (sCNV) in cis and in trans. The data was consistent with the variance of AN-survival genes being rate-limiting steps in tumorigenesis and this was confirmed using a treatment that promotes HCC tumorigenesis that selectively altered AN-survival genes and genes differentially correlated between AN and TU. Conclusions/Significance: This suggests that the process of tumor evolution involves rate-limiting steps related to the background from which the tumor evolved where these were frequently predictive of clinical outcome. Additionally treatments that alter the likelihood of tumorigenesis occurring may act by altering AN-survival genes, suggesting that the process can be manipulated. Further sCNV explains a substantial fraction of tumor specific expression and may therefore be a causal driver of tumor evolution in HCC and perhaps many solid tumor types

Project description:Population based studies have established that androgen deficiency in males correlates with type 2 diabetes, visceral adiposity, and metabolic syndrome. Androgen therapy has been investigated as a possible treatment regime to combat these disorders. However, the molecular mechanism of androgen effects on these diseases still remain poorly understood. The zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat, containing a mutation in the leptin receptor, is a well-investigated model of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Male rats are characterized as androgen deficient and spontaneously develop obese, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. In this study, we used ZDF male rats as a model of metabolic syndrome to investigate the effects of testosterone administration on the development of the metabolic conditions. Methods: Male ZDF rats at six week of age were randomly divided into two groups and administered testosterone undecanoate(TU) or vehicle alone every three days for three weeks. After three weeks, overnight fasted blood glucose and insulin concentrations were significantly higher and glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were impaired in TU treated ZDF rats compared to vehicle controls. Moreover, increased serum triglycerides and VLDL were observed in TU treated rats. To further explore the observed metabolic changes in TU treated ZDF rats, whole-genome microarray analysis were performed on isolated liver mRNA. Results: Array analysis revealed that many hepatic lipogenic genes were increased in male ZDF rat livers treated with TU. Interestingly, SREBP-1c, a key transcriptional activator of lipogenic genes and PGC-1 , an activator of SREBP-1c were induced while small heterodimer partner, a transcriptional inhibitor of lipogenic genes was suppressed by TU treatment. Exploring signaling pathways for these effects, we observed that the hepatic activated forms of STAT3 and AMPK, two known inhibitors of hepatic lipogenesis, were decreased in TU treated rat. Moreover, we observed that DHT could block the induction of STAT3 and AMPK phosphorylation in treated primary human hepatocytes. Preliminarily, in the leptin receptor positive zucker diabetic lean male rats, we observed that TU treatment has an oppose effect on the hepatic lipogenic genes, suggesting that hepatic leptin signaling may influence androgen signaling. Further insight into the relationship between androgen deficiency and the leptin system may help improve treatment of the metabolic syndrome. Population based studies have established that androgen deficiency in males correlates with type 2 diabetes, visceral adiposity, and metabolic syndrome. Androgen therapy has been investigated as a possible treatment regime to combat these disorders. However, the molecular mechanism of androgen effects on these diseases still remain poorly understood. The zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat, containing a mutation in the leptin receptor, is a well-investigated model of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Male rats are characterized as androgen deficient and spontaneously develop obese, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. In this study, we used ZDF male rats as a model of metabolic syndrome to investigate the effects of testosterone administration on the development of the metabolic conditions.

Project description:Population based studies have established that androgen deficiency in males correlates with type 2 diabetes, visceral adiposity, and metabolic syndrome. Androgen therapy has been investigated as a possible treatment regime to combat these disorders. However, the molecular mechanism of androgen effects on these diseases still remain poorly understood. The zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat, containing a mutation in the leptin receptor, is a well-investigated model of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Male rats are characterized as androgen deficient and spontaneously develop obese, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. In this study, we used ZDF male rats as a model of metabolic syndrome to investigate the effects of testosterone administration on the development of the metabolic conditions. Methods: Male ZDF rats at six week of age were randomly divided into two groups and administered testosterone undecanoate(TU) or vehicle alone every three days for three weeks. After three weeks, overnight fasted blood glucose and insulin concentrations were significantly higher and glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were impaired in TU treated ZDF rats compared to vehicle controls. Moreover, increased serum triglycerides and VLDL were observed in TU treated rats. To further explore the observed metabolic changes in TU treated ZDF rats, whole-genome microarray analysis were performed on isolated liver mRNA. Results: Array analysis revealed that many hepatic lipogenic genes were increased in male ZDF rat livers treated with TU. Interestingly, SREBP-1c, a key transcriptional activator of lipogenic genes and PGC-1 , an activator of SREBP-1c were induced while small heterodimer partner, a transcriptional inhibitor of lipogenic genes was suppressed by TU treatment. Exploring signaling pathways for these effects, we observed that the hepatic activated forms of STAT3 and AMPK, two known inhibitors of hepatic lipogenesis, were decreased in TU treated rat. Moreover, we observed that DHT could block the induction of STAT3 and AMPK phosphorylation in treated primary human hepatocytes. Preliminarily, in the leptin receptor positive zucker diabetic lean male rats, we observed that TU treatment has an oppose effect on the hepatic lipogenic genes, suggesting that hepatic leptin signaling may influence androgen signaling. Further insight into the relationship between androgen deficiency and the leptin system may help improve treatment of the metabolic syndrome. Population based studies have established that androgen deficiency in males correlates with type 2 diabetes, visceral adiposity, and metabolic syndrome. Androgen therapy has been investigated as a possible treatment regime to combat these disorders. However, the molecular mechanism of androgen effects on these diseases still remain poorly understood. The zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat, containing a mutation in the leptin receptor, is a well-investigated model of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Male rats are characterized as androgen deficient and spontaneously develop obese, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. In this study, we used ZDF male rats as a model of metabolic syndrome to investigate the effects of testosterone administration on the development of the metabolic conditions. Two-condition experiment. (1) lean ZDF rats (control) vs. lean ZDF rats (testosterone treated). (2) obese ZDF rats (control) vs. obese ZDF rats (testosterone treated). Biological replicates: 4 control replicates, 4 treated replicates.

Project description:Background Mortality from bacterial meningitis, predominately caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, exceeds 50% in low and middle income countries in sub-Saharan Africa with high HIV prevalence. Underlying causes of high mortality are poorly understood. We examined the host and pathogen proteome in adults with proven pneumococcal meningitis (PM), testing if differentially expressed proteins in CSF were implicated in outcome. Materials/methods CSF proteomes were analysed by quantitative Mass-Spectrometry. Spectra were identified using the Swissprot human and TIGR4 pneumococcal protein libraries. Proteins were quantitated and analysed against clinical outcome. Unique proteins in PM were identified against published normal CSF proteome. Random-Forest models were used to test for protein signatures discriminating outcome. Proteins of interest were tested for their effects on growth and opsonophagocytic killing of S. pneumoniae. Results CSF proteomes were available for 57 Adults with PM (median age 32 years, 60% male, 70% HIV-1 co-infected, mortality 63%). 360 individual human and 23 pneumococcal proteins were identified. Of the human protein hits, 30% were not expressed in normal CSF, and these were strongly associated with inflammation and primarily related to neutrophil activity. No human protein signature predicted outcome. However, expression of the essential S. pneumoniae protein Elongation Factor Tu (EF-Tu) was significantly increased in CSF of non-survivors (False Discovery Rate (q) <0.001). Expression of EF-Tu was negatively co-correlated against expression of Neutrophil defensin (r 0.4 p p<0.002), but not against complement proteins C3 or Factor H. In vitro, addition of EF-Tu protein impaired S. pneumoniae neutrophil killing when osponised with CSF. Conclusions Excessive CSF levels of S. pneumoniae EF-Tu protein was associated with reduced survival in human meningitis. Preliminary studies show EF-Tu inhibits neutrophil mediated killing of S. pneumoniae in CSF. Further functional studies are required to better understand the mechanistic role of EF-Tu during PM.

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