1,720,976 research outputs found
Gamma-glutamyltransferase expression and oxidative DNA damage in cancer cells – a potential factor in tumor progression
Anti-glutathione S-transferase omega 1-1 (GSTO1-1) antibodies are increased during acute and chronic inflammation in humans
Glutathione S-transferase omega-1 (GSTO1-1) is a cytosolic enzyme involved in the modulation of critical inflammatory pathways as well as in cancer progression. Auto-antibodies against GSTO1-1 were detected in the serum of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and were proposed as potential biomarkers in the early detection of the disease. Our findings show that anti-GSTO1-1 antibodies can be found in a variety of inflammatory diseases, including autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis, infectious SARS-CoV-2, and trichinellosis. Our findings strongly suggest that anti-GSTO1-1 antibodies may be a marker of tissue damage/inflammation rather than a specific tumor-associated biomarker
HepG2 Spheroids as in Vitro Model to Study the Release of Gamma-glutamyltransferase Fractions
Effect of the three-dimensional organization of liver cells on the biogenesis of the γ-glutamyltransferase fraction pattern
Context Four gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) fractions with different molecular weights (big-, medium-, small- and free-GGT) are detectable in human plasma. Objective Verify if liver cells can release all four GGT fractions and if the spatial cell organization influences their release. Methods Hepatoma (HepG2) and melanoma (Me665/2/60) cells were cultured as monolayers or spheroids. GGT released in culture media was analysed by gel-filtration chromatography. Results HepG2 and Me665/2/60 monolayers released the b-GGT fraction, while significative levels of s-GGT and f-GGT were detectable only in media of HepG2-spheroids. Bile acids alone or in combination with papain promoted the conversion of b-GGT in s-GGT or f-GGT, respectively. Conclusions GGT is usually released as b-GGT, while s-GGT and f-GGT are likely to be produced in the liver extracellular environment by the combined action of bile acids and proteases
Extracellular thiol metabolism in clones of human metastatic melanoma with different gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase expression - Implications for cell response to platinum-based drugs
Thiol redox status can affect important functions both intracellularly and extracellularly. The plasma membrane enzyme gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), which plays a crucial role in cellular handling of thiols, is often expressed in malignant tumors, including melanoma, although its expression levels may vary widely among different tumors or cells of the same tumor. In an attempt to better understand the functional significance of GGT overexpression, we have examined the relationships between intra- and extra-cellular thiol metabolism and GGT expression. Intra- and extra-cellular distribution of glutathione and other low mol. wt. thiols and disulfides was investigated in two different Me665/2 human melanoma clones that originated from the same metastasis, but exhibiting high (2/60 clone) and low (2/21 clone) GGT activity. Intracellular content of glutathione was lower in GGT-rich 2/60 cells, in spite of high GGT expression. A lower utilization of extracellular cystine was also observed in these cells. In both clones, a direct secretion of cysteine in the extracellular medium was detected, which was independent of GGT-mediated catabolism of extracellular glutathione. Substantial amounts of glutathione, GSSG and glutathione-cysteine disulfide were accumulated extracellularly only in the case of GGT-poor 2/21 cells, while the same event was apparent in 2/60 cells only after the following inhibition of GGT activity. When exposed to the trinuclear platinum compound BBR 3464 or hydrogen peroxide, which are very reactive for sulfur-containing nucleophiles, the 2/60 clone showed higher sensitivity than the 2/21 clone to both agents. These results suggest that the clone-specific balance between transport of sulfur aminoacids and GGT activity results in profound differences in the capability of each clone to modify the thiol redox status of the extracellular milieu. The finding may have important implications in tumor cell behavior with particular reference to chemosensitivity, since thiols are recognized factors in modulation of cell sensitivity to platinum-based anticancer drugs
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Analysis of 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP)-gold nanoparticles behaviour in solution and of their interaction with calf thymus DNA and living cells
4-(Dimethylamino)pyridine-coated gold nanoparticles (DMAP-Au NPs) were synthesized, characterised and their interaction with DNA and living cells was analysed. Concerning the interaction of the DMAP-Au NPs with DNA, absorbance titrations indicate that a non-covalent interaction between DNA and the external surface of the NPs does take place. The binding constant was evaluated to be (2.8 ± 0.8) 9 105 M-1. Exposure of cultured cells to NPs revealed a dose-dependent effect on cell proliferation which was increased or reduced in dependence of DMAP-Au NPs concentrations. Subcellular localisation by transmission electron microscopy showed mitochondrial and nuclear localisations of NPs, thus suggesting their direct involvement in the mitochondrial alterations observed and a possible direct interaction with cell DNA. These findings clearly indicate that DMAP-Au NPs can strongly interact with living cells and confirm the importance of systematic evaluations of NPs properties, also in the perspective of their arising diagnostic and therapeutic application
Preparation and characterisation of cadmium sulphide and gold nanoparticles and analysis of their interaction with DNA and living cells
Analysis and comparison of the interaction with DNA and living cells of differently stabilised gold nanoparticles
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