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Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is depended upon by investigators as an indispensable supplement in cell and tissue culture systems. Due to increased demand and limited availability, the price of FBS has increased by greater than 300% in the past few years. In addition, there are ethical and scientific controversies about the collection and use of FBS in culture systems. In response to the shortage of FBS, many FBS alternative serum products have been developed. Although many have claimed comparable performance to FBS, their support of long-term cell growth and effects on cell phenotype have not been revealed. In this study, we examined the performances of six bovine calf serum-based FBS alternatives in six head and neck cell lines and compared them with FBS. The results indicate that some of these sera had growth promoting capabilities comparable or superior to that of FBS. Additionally, these alternative sera supported long-term (30 passages) growth of tested cells and exhibited plating efficiencies comparable to that of FBS. Cells cultured in alternative sera also exhibited comparable anchorage-independent growth and similar drug inhibition responses in FBS. Still, caution should be taken in choosing suitable sera given that changes in cell morphology and variations in chemotactic responses were noted for cells maintained in certain sera. These FBS alternatives are more readily available, cost less, and are associated with less ethical concerns, thus making them attractive alternatives to FBS in cell culture systems.

To search for reliable biomarkers and drug targets for management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we performed a global proteomic analysis of a pair of HCC cell lines with distinct differentiation statuses using 2-DE coupled with MALDI-TOF MS. In total, 106 and 55 proteins were successfully identified from the total cell lysate and the cytosolic, nuclear and membrane fractions in well-differentiated (HepG2) and poorly differentiated (SK-Hep-1) HCC clonal variants, respectively. Among these proteins, nine spots corresponding to proteins differentially expressed between HCC cell types were selected and confirmed by immunofluorescence staining and western blotting. Notably, Annexin 1 (ANX1), ANX-2, vimentin and stress-associated proteins, such as GRP78, HSP75, HSC-70, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), and heat shock protein-27 (HSP27), were exclusively up-regulated in SK-Hep-1 cells. Elevated levels of ANX-4 and antioxidant/metabolic enzymes, such as MnSOD, peroxiredoxin, NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase, α-enolase and UDP-glucose dehydrogenase, were observed in HepG2 cells. We functionally demonstrated that ANX1 and HSP27 were abundantly overexpressed only in highly invasive types of HCC cells, such as Mahlavu and SK-Hep-1. Knockdown of ANX1 or HSP27 in HCC cells resulted in a severe reduction in cell migration. The in-vitro observations of ANX1 and HSP27 expressions in HCC sample was demonstrated by immunohistochemical stains performed on HCC tissue microarrays. Poorly differentiated HCC tended to have stronger ANX1 and HSP27 expressions than well-differentiated or moderately differentiated HCC. Collectively, our findings suggest that ANX1 and HSP27 are two novel biomarkers for predicting invasive HCC phenotypes and could serve as potential treatment targets.

Fibrous papules of the face are hamartomas characterized by stellate-shaped stromal cells, multinucleated giant cells, and proliferative blood vessels in the dermis. The pathogenesis of fibrous papules remains unclear. There is a striking microscopic resemblance between fibrous papules and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)-associated angiofibromas. A germline mutation of the TSC1 or TSC2 gene, leading to activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, accounts for the pathogenesis of TSC-associated angiofibromas. Activated mTOR subsequently activates p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K) and ribosomal protein S6 (S6) by phosphorylation. Rapamycin, a mTOR inhibitor, is effective in treating TSC-associated angiofibromas. The aim of this study was to understand whether the mTOR pathway is activated in fibrous papules. We studied immunoexpressions of phosphorylated (p-) mTOR effectors in fibrous papules, TSC-associated angiofibromas, and normal skin controls. P-mTOR, p-p70S6K and p-S6 were highly expressed in dermal stromal cells and epidermal keratinocytes in fibrous papules and TSC-associated angiofibromas but not in fibroblasts and epidermal keratinocytes of normal skin controls (p

INTRODUCTION: Treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has been associated with favorable progression free survival (PFS) in patients with non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) harboring EGFR mutations. However, a subset of this population doesn't respond to EGFR-TKI treatment. Therefore, the present study aimed to elucidate survival outcome in NSCLC EGFR-mutant patients who were treated with EGFR TKIs. METHODS: Among the 580 consecutive NSCLC patients who were treated at our facility between 2008 and 2012, a total of 124 treatment-naïve, advanced NSCLC, EGFR-mutant patients treated with EGFR TKIs were identified and grouped into non-responders and responders for analyses. RESULTS: Of 124 patients, 104 (84%) responded to treatment, and 20 (16%) did not; and the overall median PFS was 9.0 months. Notably, the PFS, overall survival (OS) and survival rates were significantly unfavorable in non-responders (1.8 vs. 10.3 months, hazard ratio (HR) = 29.2, 95% confidence interval (CI), 13.48-63.26, P

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the PKCα protein expression in gastric carcinoma, and correlated it with clinicopathological parameters. The prognostic significance of PKCα protein expression in gastric carcinoma was analyzed. METHODS: Quantitative real-time PCR test was applied to compare the PKCα mRNA expression in tumorous and nontumorous tissues of gastric carcinoma in ten randomly selected cases. Then PKCα protein expression was evaluated in 215 cases of gastric carcinoma using immunohistochemical method. The immunoreactivity was scored semiquantitatively as: 0 = absent; 1 = weak; 2 = moderate; and 3 = strong. All cases were further classified into two groups, namely PKCα overexpression group with score 2 or 3, and non-overexpression group with score 0 or 1. The PKCα protein expression was correlated with clinicopathological parameters. Survival analysis was performed to determine the prognostic significance of PKCα protein expression in patients with gastric carcinoma. RESULTS: PKCα mRNA expression was upregulated in all ten cases of gastric carcinoma via quantitative real-time PCR test. In immunohistochemical study, eighty-eight out of 215 cases (41%) of gastric carcinoma revealed PKCα protein overexpression, which was statistically correlated with age (P = 0.0073), histologic type (P

INTRODUCTION: Treatment for osteoporosis commonly includes the use of bisphosphonates. Serious side effects of these drugs are caused by the inhibition of bone resorption as a result of osteoclast apoptosis. Treatment using calcitonin along with bisphosphonates overcomes these side-effects in some patients. Calcitonin is known to inhibit bone resorption without reducing the number of osteoclasts and is thought to prolong osteoclast survival through the inhibition of apoptosis. Further understanding of how calcitonin inhibits apoptosis could prove useful to the development of alternative treatment regimens for osteoporosis. This study aimed to analyze the mechanism by which calcitonin influences osteoclast apoptosis induced by a bisphosphate analog, sintered dicalcium pyrophosphate (SDCP), and to determine the effects of co-treatment with calcitonin and SDCP on apoptotic signaling in osteoclasts. METHODS: Isolated osteoclasts were treated with CT, SDCP or both for 48 h. Osteoclast apoptosis assays, pit formation assays, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining were performed. Using an osteoporosis rat model, ovariectomized (OVX) rats received calcitonin, SDCP, or calcitonin + SDCP. The microarchitecture of the fifth lumbar trabecular bone was investigated, and histomorphometric and biochemical analyses were performed. RESULTS: Calcitonin inhibited SDCP-induced apoptosis in primary osteoclast cultures, increased Bcl-2 and Erk activity, and decreased Mcl-1 activity. Calcitonin prevented decreased osteoclast survival but not resorption induced by SDCP. Histomorphometric analysis of the tibia revealed increased bone formation, and microcomputed tomography of the fifth lumbar vertebrate showed an additive effect of calcitonin and SDCP on bone volume. Finally, analysis of the serum bone markers CTX-I and P1NP suggests that the increased bone volume induced by co-treatment with calcitonin and SDCP may be due to decreased bone resorption and increased bone formation. CONCLUSIONS: Calcitonin reduces SDCP-induced osteoclast apoptosis and increases its efficacy in an in vivo model of osteoporosis.