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Showing papers by "Novartis published in 2004"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A general Amber force field for organic molecules is described, designed to be compatible with existing Amber force fields for proteins and nucleic acids, and has parameters for most organic and pharmaceutical molecules that are composed of H, C, N, O, S, P, and halogens.
Abstract: We describe here a general Amber force field (GAFF) for organic molecules. GAFF is designed to be compatible with existing Amber force fields for proteins and nucleic acids, and has parameters for most organic and pharmaceutical molecules that are composed of H, C, N, O, S, P, and halogens. It uses a simple functional form and a limited number of atom types, but incorporates both empirical and heuristic models to estimate force constants and partial atomic charges. The performance of GAFF in test cases is encouraging. In test I, 74 crystallographic structures were compared to GAFF minimized structures, with a root-mean-square displacement of 0.26 A, which is comparable to that of the Tripos 5.2 force field (0.25 A) and better than those of MMFF 94 and CHARMm (0.47 and 0.44 A, respectively). In test II, gas phase minimizations were performed on 22 nucleic acid base pairs, and the minimized structures and intermolecular energies were compared to MP2/6-31G* results. The RMS of displacements and relative energies were 0.25 A and 1.2 kcal/mol, respectively. These data are comparable to results from Parm99/RESP (0.16 A and 1.18 kcal/mol, respectively), which were parameterized to these base pairs. Test III looked at the relative energies of 71 conformational pairs that were used in development of the Parm99 force field. The RMS error in relative energies (compared to experiment) is about 0.5 kcal/mol. GAFF can be applied to wide range of molecules in an automatic fashion, making it suitable for rational drug design and database searching.

13,615 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, high-density oligonucleotide arrays offer the opportunity to examine patterns of gene expression on a genome scale, and the authors have designed custom arrays that interrogate the expression of the vast majority of proteinencoding human and mouse genes and have used them to profile a panel of 79 human and 61 mouse tissues.
Abstract: The tissue-specific pattern of mRNA expression can indicate important clues about gene function. High-density oligonucleotide arrays offer the opportunity to examine patterns of gene expression on a genome scale. Toward this end, we have designed custom arrays that interrogate the expression of the vast majority of protein-encoding human and mouse genes and have used them to profile a panel of 79 human and 61 mouse tissues. The resulting data set provides the expression patterns for thousands of predicted genes, as well as known and poorly characterized genes, from mice and humans. We have explored this data set for global trends in gene expression, evaluated commonly used lines of evidence in gene prediction methodologies, and investigated patterns indicative of chromosomal organization of transcription. We describe hundreds of regions of correlated transcription and show that some are subject to both tissue and parental allele-specific expression, suggesting a link between spatial expression and imprinting.

3,513 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Blood pressure was reduced by both treatments, but the effects of the amlodipine-based regimen were more pronounced, especially in the early period, which emphasise the importance of prompt blood-pressure control in hypertensive patients at high cardiovascular risk.

2,432 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
22 Jan 2004-Nature
TL;DR: It is established that S1P1 is essential for lymphocyte recirculation and that it regulates egress from both thymus and peripheral lymphoid organs.
Abstract: Adaptive immunity depends on T-cell exit from the thymus and T and B cells travelling between secondary lymphoid organs to survey for antigens. After activation in lymphoid organs, T cells must again return to circulation to reach sites of infection; however, the mechanisms regulating lymphoid organ exit are unknown. An immunosuppressant drug, FTY720, inhibits lymphocyte emigration from lymphoid organs, and phosphorylated FTY720 binds and activates four of the five known sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptors1,2,3,4. However, the role of S1P receptors in normal immune cell trafficking is unclear. Here we show that in mice whose haematopoietic cells lack a single S1P receptor (S1P1; also known as Edg1) there are no T cells in the periphery because mature T cells are unable to exit the thymus. Although B cells are present in peripheral lymphoid organs, they are severely deficient in blood and lymph. Adoptive cell transfer experiments establish an intrinsic requirement for S1P1 in T and B cells for lymphoid organ egress. Furthermore, S1P1-dependent chemotactic responsiveness is strongly upregulated in T-cell development before exit from the thymus, whereas S1P1 is downregulated during peripheral lymphocyte activation, and this is associated with retention in lymphoid organs. We find that FTY720 treatment downregulates S1P1, creating a temporary pharmacological S1P1-null state in lymphocytes, providing an explanation for the mechanism of FTY720-induced lymphocyte sequestration. These findings establish that S1P1 is essential for lymphocyte recirculation and that it regulates egress from both thymus and peripheral lymphoid organs.

2,400 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
09 Sep 2004-Nature
TL;DR: It is reported that S6K1-deficient mice are protected against obesity owing to enhanced β-oxidation, however on a high fat diet, levels of glucose and free fatty acids still rise in S6k1- deficient mice, resulting in insulin receptor desensitization.
Abstract: Elucidating the signalling mechanisms by which obesity leads to impaired insulin action is critical in the development of therapeutic strategies for the treatment of diabetes. Recently, mice deficient for S6 Kinase 1 (S6K1), an effector of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) that acts to integrate nutrient and insulin signals, were shown to be hypoinsulinaemic, glucose intolerant and have reduced beta-cell mass. However, S6K1-deficient mice maintain normal glucose levels during fasting, suggesting hypersensitivity to insulin, raising the question of their metabolic fate as a function of age and diet. Here, we report that S6K1-deficient mice are protected against obesity owing to enhanced beta-oxidation. However on a high fat diet, levels of glucose and free fatty acids still rise in S6K1-deficient mice, resulting in insulin receptor desensitization. Nevertheless, S6K1-deficient mice remain sensitive to insulin owing to the apparent loss of a negative feedback loop from S6K1 to insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1), which blunts S307 and S636/S639 phosphorylation; sites involved in insulin resistance. Moreover, wild-type mice on a high fat diet as well as K/K A(y) and ob/ob (also known as Lep/Lep) mice-two genetic models of obesity-have markedly elevated S6K1 activity and, unlike S6K1-deficient mice, increased phosphorylation of IRS1 S307 and S636/S639. Thus under conditions of nutrient satiation S6K1 negatively regulates insulin signalling.

1,519 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
24 Jun 2004-Nature
TL;DR: Results indicate that both DnMT3a and Dnmt3L are required for methylation of most imprinted loci in germ cells, but also suggest the involvement of other factors.
Abstract: Imprinted genes are epigenetically marked during gametogenesis so that they are exclusively expressed from either the paternal or the maternal allele in offspring1 Imprinting prevents parthenogenesis in mammals and is often disrupted in congenital malformation syndromes, tumours and cloned animals1 Although de novo DNA methyltransferases of the Dnmt3 family are implicated in maternal imprinting2, the lethality of Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b knockout mice3 has precluded further studies We here report the disruption of Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b in germ cells, with their preservation in somatic cells, by conditional knockout technology4 Offspring from Dnmt3a conditional mutant females die in utero and lack methylation and allele-specific expression at all maternally imprinted loci examined Dnmt3a conditional mutant males show impaired spermatogenesis and lack methylation at two of three paternally imprinted loci examined in spermatogonia By contrast, Dnmt3b conditional mutants and their offspring show no apparent phenotype The phenotype of Dnmt3a conditional mutants is indistinguishable from that of Dnmt3L knockout mice2,5, except for the discrepancy in methylation at one locus These results indicate that both Dnmt3a and Dnmt3L are required for methylation of most imprinted loci in germ cells, but also suggest the involvement of other factors

1,319 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review presents the current understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the cellular perception and pathophysiologic meaning of chemokines and suggests that the specific patterns of homeostatic chemokine patterns are charting lymphocyte navigation routes for immune surveillance.
Abstract: Chemokines compose a sophisticated communication system used by all our cell types, including immune cells. Chemokine messages are decoded by specific receptors that initiate signal transduction events leading to a multitude of cellular responses, leukocyte chemotaxis and adhesion in particular. Critical determinants of the in vivo activities of chemokines in the immune system include their presentation by endothelial cells and extracellular matrix molecules, as well as their cellular uptake via "silent" chemokine receptors (interceptors) leading either to their transcytosis or to degradation. These regulatory mechanisms of chemokine histotopography, as well as the promiscuous and overlapping receptor specificities of inflammation-induced chemokines, shape innate responses to infections and tissue damage. Conversely, the specific patterns of homeostatic chemokines, where each chemokine is perceived by a single receptor, are charting lymphocyte navigation routes for immune surveillance. This review presents our current understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the cellular perception and pathophysiologic meaning of chemokines.

1,228 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
14 May 2004-Science
TL;DR: Using hippocampal slice preparations, it is shown that selectively blocking NMDARs that contain the NR2B subunit abolishes the induction of LTD but not LTP, demonstrating that distinct N MDAR subunits are critical factors that determine the polarity of synaptic plasticity.
Abstract: Activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate subtype glutamate receptors (NMDARs) is required for long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) of excitatory synaptic transmission at hippocampal CA1 synapses, the proposed cellular substrates of learning and memory. However, little is known about how activation of NMDARs leads to these two opposing forms of synaptic plasticity. Using hippocampal slice preparations, we showed that selectively blocking NMDARs that contain the NR2B subunit abolishes the induction of LTD but not LTP. In contrast, preferential inhibition of NR2A-containing NMDARs prevents the induction of LTP without affecting LTD production. These results demonstrate that distinct NMDAR subunits are critical factors that determine the polarity of synaptic plasticity.

1,116 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of the dual cholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmine in patients with mild-to-moderate dementia associated with Parkinson's disease were investigated.
Abstract: background Cholinergic deficits are prominent in patients who have dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease. We investigated the effects of the dual cholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmine in such patients. methods Patients in whom mild-to-moderate dementia developed at least 2 years after they received a clinical diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease were randomly assigned to receive placebo or 3 to 12 mg of rivastigmine per day for 24 weeks. Primary efficacy variables were the scores for the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog) and Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study–Clinician’s Global Impression of Change (ADCS-CGIC). Secondary clinical outcomes were the scores for the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study–Activities of Daily Living, the 10-item Neuropsychiatric Inventory, the Mini–Mental State Examination, Cognitive Drug Research power of attention tests, the Verbal Fluency test, and the Ten Point Clock-Drawing test. results A total of 541 patients were enrolled, and 410 completed the study. The outcomes were better among patients treated with rivastigmine than among those who received placebo; however, the differences between these two groups were moderate and similar to those reported in trials of rivastigmine for Alzheimer’s disease. Rivastigmine-treated patients had a mean improvement of 2.1 points in the score for the 70-point ADAS-cog, from a baseline score of 23.8, as compared with a 0.7-point worsening in the placebo group, from a baseline score of 24.3 (P<0.001). Clinically meaningful improvements in the scores for the ADCS-CGIC were observed in 19.8 percent of patients in the rivastigmine group and 14.5 percent of those in the placebo group, and clinically meaningful worsening was observed in 13.0 percent and 23.1 percent, respectively (mean score at 24 weeks, 3.8 and 4.3, respectively; P=0.007). Significantly better outcomes were seen with rivastigmine with respect to all secondary efficacy variables. The most frequent adverse events were nausea (affecting 29.0 percent of patients in the rivastigmine group and 11.2 percent of those in the placebo group, P<0.001), vomiting (16.6 and 1.7 percent, P<0.001), and tremor (10.2 and 3.9 percent, P=0.01). conclusions In this placebo-controlled study, rivastigmine was associated with moderate improvements in dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease but also with higher rates of nausea, vomiting, and tremor.

1,082 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
Gary A. Churchill, David C. Airey1, Hooman Allayee2, Joe M. Angel3, Alan D. Attie4, Jackson Beatty5, Willam D. Beavis6, John K. Belknap7, Beth Bennett8, Wade H. Berrettini9, André Bleich10, Molly A. Bogue, Karl W. Broman11, Kari J. Buck12, Edward S. Buckler13, Margit Burmeister14, Elissa J. Chesler15, James M. Cheverud16, Steven J. Clapcote17, Melloni N. Cook18, Roger D. Cox19, John C. Crabbe12, Wim E. Crusio20, Ariel Darvasi21, Christian F. Deschepper22, Rebecca W. Doerge23, Charles R. Farber24, Jiri Forejt25, Daniel Gaile26, Steven J. Garlow27, Hartmut Geiger28, Howard K. Gershenfeld29, Terry Gordon30, Jing Gu15, Weikuan Gu15, Gerald de Haan31, Nancy L. Hayes32, Craig Heller33, Heinz Himmelbauer34, Robert Hitzemann12, Kent W. Hunter35, Hui-Chen Hsu36, Fuad A. Iraqi37, Boris Ivandic38, Howard J. Jacob39, Ritsert C. Jansen31, Karl J. Jepsen40, Dabney K. Johnson41, Thomas E. Johnson8, Gerd Kempermann42, Christina Kendziorski4, Malak Kotb15, R. Frank Kooy43, Bastien Llamas22, Frank Lammert44, J. M. Lassalle45, Pedro R. Lowenstein5, Lu Lu15, Aldons J. Lusis5, Kenneth F. Manly15, Ralph S. Marcucio46, Doug Matthews18, Juan F. Medrano24, Darla R. Miller41, Guy Mittleman18, Beverly A. Mock35, Jeffrey S. Mogil47, Xavier Montagutelli48, Grant Morahan49, David G. Morris50, Richard Mott51, Joseph H. Nadeau52, Hiroki Nagase53, Richard S. Nowakowski32, Bruce F. O'Hara54, Alexander V. Osadchuk, Grier P. Page36, Beverly Paigen, Kenneth Paigen, Abraham A. Palmer, Huei Ju Pan, Leena Peltonen-Palotie55, Leena Peltonen-Palotie5, Jeremy L. Peirce15, Daniel Pomp56, Michal Pravenec25, Daniel R. Prows28, Zonghua Qi1, Roger H. Reeves11, John C. Roder17, Glenn D. Rosen57, Eric E. Schadt58, Leonard C. Schalkwyk59, Ze'ev Seltzer17, Kazuhiro Shimomura60, Siming Shou61, Mikko J. Sillanpää55, Linda D. Siracusa62, Hans-Willem Snoeck40, Jimmy L. Spearow24, Karen L. Svenson, Lisa M. Tarantino63, David W. Threadgill64, Linda A. Toth65, William Valdar51, Fernando Pardo-Manuel de Villena64, Craig H Warden24, Steve Whatley59, Robert W. Williams15, Tom Wiltshire63, Nengjun Yi36, Dabao Zhang66, Min Zhang13, Fei Zou64 
Vanderbilt University1, University of Southern California2, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center3, University of Wisconsin-Madison4, University of California, Los Angeles5, National Center for Genome Resources6, Portland VA Medical Center7, University of Colorado Boulder8, University of Pennsylvania9, Hannover Medical School10, Johns Hopkins University11, Oregon Health & Science University12, Cornell University13, University of Michigan14, University of Tennessee Health Science Center15, Washington University in St. Louis16, University of Toronto17, University of Memphis18, Medical Research Council19, University of Massachusetts Medical School20, Hebrew University of Jerusalem21, Université de Montréal22, Purdue University23, University of California, Davis24, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic25, University at Buffalo26, Emory University27, University of Cincinnati28, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center29, New York University30, University of Groningen31, Rutgers University32, Stanford University33, Max Planck Society34, National Institutes of Health35, University of Alabama at Birmingham36, International Livestock Research Institute37, Heidelberg University38, Medical College of Wisconsin39, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai40, Oak Ridge National Laboratory41, Charité42, University of Antwerp43, RWTH Aachen University44, Paul Sabatier University45, University of California, San Francisco46, McGill University47, Pasteur Institute48, University of Western Australia49, Yale University50, University of Oxford51, Case Western Reserve University52, Roswell Park Cancer Institute53, University of Kentucky54, University of Helsinki55, University of Nebraska–Lincoln56, Harvard University57, Merck & Co.58, King's College London59, Northwestern University60, Shriners Hospitals for Children61, Thomas Jefferson University62, Novartis63, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill64, Southern Illinois University Carbondale65, University of Rochester66
TL;DR: The Collaborative Cross will provide a common reference panel specifically designed for the integrative analysis of complex systems and will change the way the authors approach human health and disease.
Abstract: The goal of the Complex Trait Consortium is to promote the development of resources that can be used to understand, treat and ultimately prevent pervasive human diseases. Existing and proposed mouse resources that are optimized to study the actions of isolated genetic loci on a fixed background are less effective for studying intact polygenic networks and interactions among genes, environments, pathogens and other factors. The Collaborative Cross will provide a common reference panel specifically designed for the integrative analysis of complex systems and will change the way we approach human health and disease.

1,040 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is reported that mTOR inhibition induced apoptosis of epithelial cells and the complete reversal of a neoplastic phenotype in the prostate of mice expressing human AKT1 in the ventral prostate, and that clinical resistance to mTOR inhibitors may emerge through BCL2 expression and/or upregulation of HIF-1α activity.
Abstract: Loss of PTEN function leads to activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling and Akt. Clinical trials are now testing whether mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition is useful in treating PTEN-null cancers. Here, we report that mTOR inhibition induced apoptosis of epithelial cells and the complete reversal of a neoplastic phenotype in the prostate of mice expressing human AKT1 in the ventral prostate. Induction of cell death required the mitochondrial pathway, as prostate-specific coexpression of BCL2 blocked apoptosis. Thus, there is an mTOR-dependent survival signal required downstream of Akt. Bcl2 expression, however, only partially restored intraluminal cell growth in the setting of mTOR inhibition. Expression profiling showed that Hif-1 alpha targets, including genes encoding most glycolytic enzymes, constituted the dominant transcriptional response to AKT activation and mTOR inhibition. These data suggest that the expansion of AKT-driven prostate epithelial cells requires mTOR-dependent survival signaling and activation of HIF-1 alpha, and that clinical resistance to mTOR inhibitors may emerge through BCL2 expression and/or upregulation of HIF-1 alpha activity.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The use of palladium-derived catalysts in the synthesis of fine chemicals, pharmaceutical inter mediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) has become quite common in the last few decades as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The use of palladium-derived catalysts in the synthesis of fine chemicals, pharmaceutical inter- mediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) has become quite common in the last few dec- ades The number of palladium-catalyzed synthetic re- actions (both achiral and chiral) available to chemists has provided access to more complex structures in fewer steps and with less waste, due to the catalytic nature of many of the methods An unfortunate side effect of using palladium is the potential for palladi- um-containing impurities to remain in the desired compound after isolation This is an especially signifi- cant problem for the pharmaceutical industry since there is a low limit for heavy metal impurities allowed in the drug substance Therefore, various methods of removing palladium impurities from organic com- pounds of pharmaceutical interest have been devel- oped This review will provide a survey of the publish- ed methods but is not meant to be inclusive of all pub- lished material in this area of research

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A genome-wide chromatin structure analysis in a higher eukaryote found a binary pattern of histone modifications among euchromatic genes, with active genes being hyperacetylated for H3 and H4 and hypermethylated at Lys 4 and Lys 79 of H3, and inactive genes being hypomethylated and deacetylation at the same residues.
Abstract: The covalent modification of nucleosomal histones has emerged as a major determinant of chromatin structure and gene activity. To understand the interplay between various histone modifications, including acetylation and methylation, we performed a genome-wide chromatin structure analysis in a higher eukaryote. We found a binary pattern of histone modifications among euchromatic genes, with active genes being hyperacetylated for H3 and H4 and hypermethylated at Lys 4 and Lys 79 of H3, and inactive genes being hypomethylated and deacetylated at the same residues. Furthermore, the degree of modification correlates with the level of transcription, and modifications are largely restricted to transcribed regions, suggesting that their regulation is tightly linked to polymerase activity.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: New insights into the role of chemokines in leukocytes attraction and relocation will be discussed, with emphasis on the distinct levels of leukocyte migration control that ultimately determine the performance of the immune defense system.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that mice deficient for S 6K1 or S6K2 are born at the expected Mendelian ratio, and analysis of S6 phosphorylation in the cytoplasm and nucleoli of cells derived from the distinct S7K genotypes suggests that both kinases are required for full S6osphorylation but that S6k2 may be more prevalent in contributing to this response.
Abstract: Recent studies showed that the 40S ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K) p70S6K/p85S6K, termed S6K1 (51), is a major effector of cell growth. This conclusion stems from gene deletion studies with Drosophila (39) and with mice (51) as well as recent studies with cell cultures (11). The loss of the Drosophila S6K (dS6K) gene is semilethal, with the few surviving adults having a severely reduced body size. The larvae of such flies exhibit a long developmental delay, consistent with a twofold increase in cell cycle doubling times. The few surviving adults are quite lethargic, living no longer than 2 weeks, and females are sterile. Surprisingly, the reduction in mass is strictly due to a decrease in cell size rather than to a decrease in cell number (39). In mice, removal of this kinase is not lethal, but the mice are approximately 20% smaller at birth (51). Such mice exhibit normal fasting glucose levels but are mildly glucose intolerant due to markedly reduced levels of circulating insulin (42). Reduced insulin levels are caused by a reduction in pancreatic endocrine mass and an impairment of insulin secretion, which can be traced to a selective reduction in β-cell size. Unexpectedly, the effects on body mass and hypoinsulinemia do not appear to be attributable to a reduction in S6 phosphorylation, as this response proved to be largely intact in S6K1-deficient animals (51). However, S6 phosphorylation in such animals was still sensitive to the bacterial macrolide rapamycin (51), which inhibits the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) (1, 7, 16, 48), the upstream S6K1 kinase (4, 8, 18), suggesting the existence of a second S6K. Subsequent searches of expressed sequence tag databases and biochemical studies led to the identification of S6K2, which exhibited overall homology of over 80% with S6K1 in the highly conserved kinase and linker domains (17, 47, 51). In all tissues examined from S6K1-deficient mice, S6K2 transcripts were upregulated (51). From this observation, it was reasoned that S6K1 and S6K2 functions were redundant and that a deletion of the S6K1 gene led to a compensatory increase in the expression of S6K2. In parallel studies, it was demonstrated that rapamycin suppressed the serum-induced translational upregulation of a family of mRNAs which contain a polypyrimidine tract at their 5′ end (5′-terminal oligopyrimidine [5′TOP] mRNAs) (20, 55). These mRNAs largely code for components of the translational apparatus, most notably, ribosomal proteins (37). Earlier studies had shown that the translation of such transcripts is under selective translational control (22) and requires an intact 5′TOP tract (19, 49). In addition, a dominant interfering allele of S6K1 inhibited the mitogen-induced translational upregulation of 5′TOP mRNAs to the same extent as rapamycin, whereas an activated allele of S6K1, which exhibits a substantial degree of rapamycin resistance, largely protected these transcripts from the inhibitory effects of rapamycin (19, 49). Seemingly consistent with these arguments, in embryonic stem (ES) cells from which S6K1 had been homologously deleted by selection with high doses of G418, serum no longer had an effect on the upregulation of 5′TOP mRNAs, nor was there a redistribution of 5′TOP mRNAs from polysomes to nonpolysomes in the presence of rapamycin (24). However, S6 phosphorylation was initially reported to be abolished in these cells (24), despite the fact that it was largely intact in cells and tissues derived from S6K1−/− mice (51). This difference seemed to be resolved in subsequent studies, where S6 phosphorylation was detected in these same S6K1−/− ES cells and S6K2 was present and active (31, 60). Despite these observations, it was again recently reported that S6 phosphorylation was absent from these same cells (53). Furthermore, it was also claimed in the latter study that S6K activation, S6 phosphorylation, and rapamycin had little impact on 5′TOP mRNA translation in PC12 cells (53), although others working with these same cells had reported earlier that rapamycin treatment abolished the selective recruitment of these transcripts from small to large polysomes (44). Obviously, cells lacking both S6K1 and S6K2 would facilitate such studies. Therefore, we set out to delete the S6K2 gene from mice and to determine whether we could generate S6K1−/−/S6K2−/− mice. Here we report on the deletion of the S6K2 gene and the effects of deleting both S6K1 and S6K2 on animal growth and viability as well as on S6 phosphorylation, cell proliferation, and 5′TOP mRNA translation.

Journal ArticleDOI
13 May 2004-Nature
TL;DR: By acting as ligands for GPCRs, succinate and α-ketoglutarate are found to have unexpected signalling functions beyond their traditional roles and it is shown that succinate increases blood pressure in animals.
Abstract: The citric acid cycle is central to the regulation of energy homeostasis and cell metabolism. Mutations in enzymes that catalyse steps in the citric acid cycle result in human diseases with various clinical presentations. The intermediates of the citric acid cycle are present at micromolar concentration in blood and are regulated by respiration, metabolism and renal reabsorption/extrusion. Here we show that GPR91 (ref. 3), a previously orphan G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), functions as a receptor for the citric acid cycle intermediate succinate. We also report that GPR99 (ref. 4), a close relative of GPR91, responds to alpha-ketoglutarate, another intermediate in the citric acid cycle. Thus by acting as ligands for GPCRs, succinate and alpha-ketoglutarate are found to have unexpected signalling functions beyond their traditional roles. Furthermore, we show that succinate increases blood pressure in animals. The succinate-induced hypertensive effect involves the renin-angiotensin system and is abolished in GPR91-deficient mice. Our results indicate a possible role for GPR91 in renovascular hypertension, a disease closely linked to atherosclerosis, diabetes and renal failure.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Improved metabolic control by DPP-4 inhibition in type 2 diabetes is seen in association with reduced glucagon levels and, despite the lower glycemia, unaltered insulin levels.
Abstract: The stimulation of insulin vs. inhibition of glucagon secretion in relation to the antidiabetic action of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is not established. Here, the influence of a 4-wk increase in circulating GLP-1 by inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) on 24-h glucose and insulin and glucagon responses to breakfast was studied in subjects with dietary controlled diabetes [age: 65 +/- 8 yr (SD), body mass index: 27.3 +/- 3.3 kg/m(2), fasting plasma glucose: 9.0 +/- 1.3 mmol/liter]. Compared with placebo (n = 19), a specific DPP-4 inhibitor [(1-[[(3-hydroxy-1-adamantyl) amino] acetyl]-2-cyano-(S)-pyrrolidine) (LAF237); 100 mg daily, n = 18] reduced fasting glucose by 0.70 mmol/liter (P = 0.037), 4-h prandial glucose excursion by 1.45 mmol/liter (P < 0.001), and mean 24-h glucose by 0.93 mmol/liter (P < 0.001). Baseline and postprandial active GLP-1 were increased by LAF237. The glucagon response to breakfast was reduced by LAF237 (glucagon levels at 60 min were 88 +/- 8 pg/ml before treatment vs. 77 +/- 5 pg/ml after; P = 0.001). In contrast, the overall insulin levels were not altered. The 4-wk reduction in glucagon correlated with the reduction in 2-h glucose (r = 0.61; P = 0.008). No such association was observed for insulin. Thus, improved metabolic control by DPP-4 inhibition in type 2 diabetes is seen in association with reduced glucagon levels and, despite the lower glycemia, unaltered insulin levels.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Lumiracoxib showed a three to four-fold reduction in ulcer complications compared with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs without an increase in the rate of serious cardiovascular events, suggesting that lumiracxib is an appropriate treatment for patients with osteoarthritis.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: These compounds meet predicted criteria for disrupting Tcf/beta-catenin complexes and define a general standard to establish mechanism-based activity of small molecule inhibitors of this pathogenic protein-protein interaction.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Reaching blood pressure control by 6 months, independent of drug type, was associated with significant benefits for subsequent major outcomes; the blood pressure response after just 1 month of treatment predicted events and survival.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that it is prudent and most appropriate to use convergent tests that draw on different antidepressant-related endophenotypes, and complimentary physiological analyses in order to provide a program of information concerning whether a given phenotype is functionally relevant to depression-related pathology.
Abstract: The ability to modify mice genetically has been one of the major breakthroughs in modern medical science affecting every discipline including psychiatry. It is hoped that the application of such technologies will result in the identification of novel targets for the treatment of diseases such as depression and to gain a better understanding of the molecular pathophysiological mechanisms that are regulated by current clinically effective antidepressant medications. The advent of these tools has resulted in the need to adopt, refine and develop mouse-specific models for analyses of depression-like behavior or behavioral patterns modulated by antidepressants. In this review, we will focus on the utility of current models (eg forced swim test, tail suspension test, olfactory bulbectomy, learned helplessness, chronic mild stress, drug-withdrawal-induced anhedonia) and research strategies aimed at investigating novel targets relevant to depression in the mouse. We will focus on key questions that are considered relevant for examining the utility of such models. Further, we describe other avenues of research that may give clues as to whether indeed a genetically modified animal has alterations relevant to clinical depression. We suggest that it is prudent and most appropriate to use convergent tests that draw on different antidepressant-related endophenotypes, and complimentary physiological analyses in order to provide a program of information concerning whether a given phenotype is functionally relevant to depression-related pathology.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper showed that ERRα is an effector of the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α and that it regulates the expression of genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial biogenesis.
Abstract: Estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα) is one of the first orphan nuclear receptors to be identified, yet its physiological functions are still unclear. We show here that ERRα is an effector of the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α [peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) coactivator 1α], and that it regulates the expression of genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial biogenesis. Inhibition of ERRα compromises the ability of PGC-1α to induce the expression of genes encoding mitochondrial proteins and to increase mitochondrial DNA content. A constitutively active form of ERRα is sufficient to elicit both responses. ERRα binding sites are present in the transcriptional control regions of ERRα/PGC-1α-induced genes and contribute to the transcriptional response to PGC-1α. The ERRα-regulated genes described here have been reported to be expressed at reduced levels in humans that are insulin-resistant. Thus, changes in ERRα activity could be linked to pathological changes in metabolic disease, such as diabetes.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: NVP-AEW541 represents a class of selective, small molecule IGF-IR kinase inhibitors with proven in vivo antitumor activity and potential therapeutic application and abrogates IGF-I-mediated survival and colony formation in soft agar at concentrations that are consistent with inhibition of IGF-ir autophosphorylation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that the metabolic syndrome is associated with increased risk of MCEs in both hypercholesterolemic patients with coronary heart disease in 4S and in those with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol but without coronaryHeart disease in AFCAPS/TexCAPS.
Abstract: The metabolic syndrome, which is a set of lipid and nonlipid risk factors of metabolic origin linked with insulin resistance, is believed to be associated with an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease, but few have studied this association in prospective long-term cardiovascular outcomes trials. Placebo data from the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S) and the Air Force/Texas Coronary Atherosclerosis Prevention Study (AFCAPS/TexCAPS) were used post hoc to estimate the long-term relative risk of major coronary events (MCEs) associated with the metabolic syndrome, after excluding diabetes mellitus. In 4S and AFCAPS/TexCAPS, respectively, placebo-treated patients with the metabolic syndrome were 1.5 (95% confidence interval 1.2 to 1.8) and 1.4 (95% confidence interval 1.04 to 1.9) times more likely to have MCEs than those without it. Of the components of the metabolic syndrome, low high-density lipoprotein levels were associated with elevated risk of MCEs in both studies, whereas high triglycerides in 4S and elevated blood pressure and obesity in AFCAPS/TexCAPS were associated with significantly increased relative risk. Patients with the metabolic syndrome showed increased risk of MCEs irrespective of their Framingham-calculated 10-year risk score category (>20% vs

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TL;DR: Patients with severe asthma are often inadequately controlled on existing anti‐asthma therapy, constituting an unmet clinical need, and this work aims to address that need.
Abstract: Background Patients with severe asthma are often inadequately controlled on existing anti-asthma therapy, constituting an unmet clinical need. Objective This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the ability of omalizumab, a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, to improve disease control sufficiently to enable inhaled corticosteroid reduction in patients with severe allergic asthma. Methods After a run-in period when an optimized fluticasone dose (greater than or equal to1000 mug/day) was received for 4 weeks, patients were randomized to receive subcutaneous omalizumab [minimum 0.016 mg/kg/IgE (IU/mL) per 4 weeks; n=126] or matching placebo (n=120) at intervals of 2 or 4 weeks. The study comprised a 16-week add-on phase of treatment followed by a 16-week fluticasone-reduction phase. Short-/long-acting beta(2)-agonists were allowed as needed. Results Median reductions in fluticasone dose were significantly greater with omalizumab than placebo: 60% vs. 50% (P=0.003). Some 73.8% and 50.8% of patients, respectively, achieved a greater than or equal to50% dose reduction (P=0.001). Fluticasone dose reduction to less than or equal to500 mug/day occurred in 60.3% of omalizumab recipients vs. 45.8% of placebo-treated patients (P=0.026). Through both phases, omalizumab reduced rescue medication requirements, improved asthma symptoms and asthma-related quality of life compared to placebo. Conclusion Omalizumab treatment improves asthma control in severely allergic asthmatics, reducing inhaled corticosteroid requirements without worsening of symptom control or increase in rescue medication use. (Less)

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TL;DR: It is reported that selection of highly proliferative stem cells followed by treatment with retinoic acid generated essentially pure precursors that markers identified as Pax-6-positive radial glial cells went on to generate neurons with remarkably uniform biochemical and electrophysiological characteristics.
Abstract: Although it has long been known that cultured embryonic stem cells can generate neurons, the lineage relationships with their immediate precursors remain unclear. We report here that selection of highly proliferative stem cells followed by treatment with retinoic acid generated essentially pure precursors that markers identified as Pax-6-positive radial glial cells. As they do in vivo, these cells went on to generate neurons with remarkably uniform biochemical and electrophysiological characteristics.

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TL;DR: The primary endpoint, including incidence of myocardial infarction, did not differ between lumiracoxib and either ibuprofen or naproxen, irrespective of aspirin use, suggesting that lumirACoxib is an appropriate treatment for patients with osteoarthritis, who are often at high cardiovascular risk and taking low-dose aspirin.

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TL;DR: Oxidative stress regulates both signal transduction and chromatin remodeling which in turn impacts on pro-inflammatory responses in the lungs.

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TL;DR: It is indicated that improving compliance in actual practice may significantly decrease osteoporosis-related fracture risk and this association was maintained within subgroups and after controlling for other patient characteristics that independently predict the fracture rate.
Abstract: Background: Clinical trials have demonstrated that drug therapy can reduce osteoporosis-related fracture risk in women over 50 years of age. Noncompliance could considerably limit the effectiveness observed in actual practice, however. The objective of this study was therefore to estimate fracture risk in relation to compliance with osteoporosis medication in actual practice. Methods: Demographic, prescription drug use, physician services, and hospitalization information for women with osteoporosis who were dispensed an osteoporosis medication between 1996 and 2001 was obtained from the Saskatchewan health data files. Compliance to treatment was defined as drug available to cover 80% of the time. Subsequent fractures were identified via hospitalizations or physician contacts with a relevant diagnostic or procedure code. The risk of fractures in relation to compliance was examined using a Cox proportional hazards model with time-dependent covariates. The impact of other patient characteristics, including age, having suffered a prior fracture, and prior use of osteoporosis medication and steroids, was also examined. Results: 11,249 women suffering from osteoporosis were identified with a mean age at the time of the index prescription of 68.4 years and average follow-up of 2 years. The overall fracture rate was 4.5% per year. Patients who complied experienced a 16% lower fracture rate. This association was maintained within subgroups and after controlling for other patient characteristics that independently predict the fracture rate. Conclusion: These results indicate that improving compliance in actual practice may significantly decrease osteoporosis-related fracture risk.