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Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary bone malignancy that mostly affects young people, characterized by high metastatic potential, and a marked chemoresistance that is responsible for disease relapse in most patients. Therefore, it is necessary to identify novel molecules to setup targeted strategies to improve the clinical outcome. The enzyme nicotinamide N‐methyltransferase (NNMT) catalyses the N‐methylation of nicotinamide and other analogs, playing a crucial role in the biotransformation of drugs and xenobiotics. NNMT overexpression was reported in a wide variety of cancers, and several studies demonstrated that is able to promote cell proliferation, migration and resistance to chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to explore the potential involvement of NNMT in OS. Methods: Immunohistochemical analyses have been performed to evaluate NNMT expression in selected OS and healthy bone tissue samples. Subsequently, OS cell lines have been transfected with vectors targeting NNMT mRNA (shRNAs) and the impact of this downregulation on migration, cell proliferation, and response to chemotherapeutic treatment was also analysed by wound healing, MTT, SRB and Trypan blue assays, respectively. Results: Results showed that OS samples display a significantly higher NNMT expression compared with healthy tissue. Preliminary results suggest that NNMT silencing in OS cell lines is associated to a decrease of cell proliferation and migration, as well as to enhanced sensitivity to chemotherapy. Data obtained showed that NNMT may represent an interesting marker for OS detection and a promising target for effective anti‐cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, we are witnessing a worldwide increasing incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), whose major types are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). GLO:3NZ/01mar20:jdv16048-fig-0002.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): NNMT immunohistochemical expression in KA, SCC of the trunk and extremities, and head and neck SCC. Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase upregulation correlates with tumour differentiation in oral squamous cell carcinoma. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a short-term oral L-arginine treatment on platelet NO production, intracellular calcium concentration, iNOS and eNOS expression, in AN patients. Method: Forty outpatients belonging to restricting subtype and 40 normal participants age and sex matched were enrolled in the study. Results: NO production was significantly elevated in the platelets from AN patients compared with controls while [Ca(2+)](i) was significantly decreased in patients with respect to controls. Western blot analysis demonstrated that iNOS isoform was more pronounced in the cell lysates from AN patients than controls. After supplementation with L-arginine, both NO production and [Ca(2+)](i) seem to return to control levels, suggesting a probable recovery of their metabolisms. The same was found after western blot analysis of NOS expression. Discussion: The results here proposed can be considered highly indicative of a positive effect of L-arginine supplementation on platelet NO production in AN patients. © 2009 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2010 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correlation was found between membrane fluidity, sialic acid (SA) content and Na+,K+-ATPase activity in the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss erythrocyte membrane and this suggests that alterations in erythrocyte Na+,K+-ATPase activity might be caused by modified membrane fluidity through modified SA content. Copyright 2002 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]