Gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are expressed in several cancers including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here we demonstrate the activation of EGFR by the GRPR ligand, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), in NSCLC cells. GRP induced rapid activation of p44/42 MAPK in lung cancer cells through EGFR. GRP-mediated activation of MAPK in NS...

The embryonic stem cell test (EST), an alternative model to animal studies, is a reliable and scientifically validated in vitro system for testing embryotoxicity. In contrast to most in vivo animal tests, two permanent cell lines, murine fibroblasts (BALB/c‑3T3 cells) and murine embryonic stem cells (mES‑D3 cells), are used in EST instead of animals in standard tests of toxicity. The embryotoxi...

p38α mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors provide a novel approach for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. A series of fifteen pyrazolyl urea derivatives (3a-o) were synthesized and evaluated for their p38α MAPK inhibition and antioxidant potential. Compounds 3a-e, 3g and 3h showed low micromolar range potency (IC50 values ranging from 0.037 ± 1.56 to 0.069 ± 0.07 µmol/L) com...

Streptococcus sanguis expresses a cell wall-bound protein that induces the activation and aggregation of platelets. This platelet aggregation-associated protein (PAAP) contains a collagen-like, platelet-interactive domain within a 23-kDa protein fragment. To isolate the minimal platelet-interactive domain, p23 PAAP was digested with collagenase, and the digest chromatographed to isolate fractio...

Isothiocyanates are potent modifiers of thiol groups, and they have been successfully applied in studying the active site structure of renal (Na+ + K+)-ATPase. However, very little has been known on interactions of isothiocyanates with myocardial sarcolemmal ATPases. In the present study the mode of interaction and inhibitory effect of p-bromophenyl isothiocyanate (BPITC) on isolated rat heart ...

Using the MIN6 B-cell line, we investigated the hypothesis that miniglucagon, the C-terminal () fragment processed from glucagon and present in pancreatic A cells, modulates insulin release, and we analyzed its cellular mode of action. We show that, at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 1000 pM, miniglucagon dose-dependently (ID50 = 1 pM) inhibited by 80-100% the insulin release triggered by g...

The activation of the TRPM8 channel, a member of the large class of TRP ion channels, has been reported to be involved in overactive bladder and painful bladder syndrome, although an endogenous activator has not been identified. In this study, N-(3-aminopropyl)-2-{[(3-methylphenyl) methyl]oxy}-N-(2-thienylmethyl)benzamide hydrochloride salt (AMTB) was evaluated as a TRPM8 channel blocker and us...

backgrounds: a straight-forward way to identify whether a drug or environmental chemical can be harmful to unborn baby is to evaluate its effect on laboratory animals. all invivo methods need large number of animal and are therefore time consuming and expensive. however, the thousands of chemicals in need of testing, to reduce the spending of live animals, an assortment of in vitro assays has b...

The epidemiological profile of prion disease varies strikingly among different mammalian species. The overwhelming majority ( 90%) of prion diseases in humans are sporadic, with most of the remaining cases due to inherited mutations in the gene (PRNP) encoding the prion protein. Lateral transmission of disease between humans is extraordinarily rare. Most documented cases have been due to direct...