Biomedical subjects

Xiang Qian

Publications and source records attributed to Xiang Qian.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

Recent developments in signal amplification methods for in situ hybridization.

In situ hybridization (ISH) allows for the histologic and cytologic localization of DNA and RNA targets. However, the application of ISH techniques can be limited by their inability to detect targets with low copies of DNA and RNA. During the last few years, several strategies have been developed to improve the sensitivity of ISH by amplification of either target nucleic acid sequences prior to ISH or signal detection after the hybridization is completed. Current approaches involving target amplification (in situ PCR, primed labeling, self-sustained sequence replication), signal amplification (tyramide signal amplification, branched DNA amplification), and probe amplification (padlock probes and rolling circle amplification) are reviewed with emphasis on their applications to bright field microscopy. More recent developments such as molecular beacons and in situ strand displacement amplification continue to increase the sensitivity of in situ hybridization methods. Application of some of these techniques has extended the utility of ISH in diagnostic pathology and in research because of the ability to detect targets with low copy numbers of DNA and RNA.

DNA↗

PubMed2003

Chromogranin a processing in human pituitary adenomas and carcinomas: analysis with region-specific antibodies.

The expression of various chromogranin A (CgA) peptide fragments was examined with region-specific antisera in benign and malignant pituitary tumors. Analysis of the proconvertases responsible for proteolytic processing of CgA, prohormone convertase 1/3 (PC1/3), and PC2 was also performed. Adenomas were studied using tissue microarrays, and a larger tissue section of a subset of the prolactin (PRL) adenomas was used to compare to the tissue microarray analysis. Carcinomas were analyzed using larger tissue sections. There were differences in CgA proteolytic products detected between the functional (PRL, adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH], and growth hormone tumors and the nonfunctional (gonadotroph and null cell) tumors, with the former group expressing lower levels of many peptides. These differences were most notable in the PRL adenomas and carcinomas in which the region-specific antisera against vasostatin I and vasostatin II detected these fragments in the lowest percentage of tumors and/or had the weakest immunoreactivity. The CgA peptide fragment detected by CgA 176-195 (chromacin) antiserum was expressed by the highest percentage of most functional and nonfunctional benign and malignant pituitary tumors. ACTH carcinomas (n = 3) were more strongly immunoreactive compared to the ACTH adenomas. These results show that there is differential expression of CgA peptide fragments and PC1/3 among different types of pituitary tumors and that ACTH pituitary carcinomas have higher levels of immunoreactive CgA peptide fragments compared to ACTH adenomas. This study also shows the utility of tissue microarrays in the analysis of a large group of tumors with regionspecific antisera.

Adenoma↗

PubMed2002

Slo1 tail domains, but not the Ca2+ bowl, are required for the beta 1 subunit to increase the apparent Ca2+ sensitivity of BK channels.

Functional large-conductance Ca(2+)- and voltage-activated K(+) (BK) channels can be assembled from four alpha subunits (Slo1) alone, or together with four auxiliary beta1 subunits to greatly increase the apparent Ca(2+) sensitivity of the channel. We examined the structural features involved in this modulation with two types of experiments. In the first, the tail domain of the alpha subunit, which includes the RCK2 (regulator of K(+) conductance) domain and Ca(2+) bowl, was replaced with the tail domain of Slo3, a BK-related channel that lacks both a Ca(2+) bowl and high affinity Ca(2+) sensitivity. In the second, the Ca(2+) bowl was disrupted by mutations that greatly reduce the apparent Ca(2+) sensitivity. We found that the beta1 subunit increased the apparent Ca(2+) sensitivity of Slo1 channels, independently of whether the alpha subunits were expressed as separate cores (S0-S8) and tails (S9-S10) or full length, and this increase was still observed after the Ca(2+) bowl was mutated. In contrast, beta1 subunits no longer increased Ca(2+) sensitivity when Slo1 tails were replaced by Slo3 tails. The beta1 subunits were still functionally coupled to channels with Slo3 tails, as DHS-I and 17 beta-estradiol activated these channels in the presence of beta1 subunits, but not in their absence. These findings indicate that the increase in apparent Ca(2+) sensitivity induced by the beta1 subunit does not require either the Ca(2+) bowl or the linker between the RCK1 and RCK2 domains, and that Slo3 tails cannot substitute for Slo1 tails. The beta1 subunit also induced a decrease in voltage sensitivity that occurred with either Slo1 or Slo3 tails. In contrast, the beta1 subunit-induced increase in apparent Ca(2+) sensitivity required Slo1 tails. This suggests that the allosteric activation pathways for these two types of actions of the beta1 subunit may be different.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Percoll Density Gradient-Enriched Populations of Rat Pituitary Cells: Interleukin 6 Secretion, Proliferative Activity, and Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression.

We used a discontinuous Percoll density gradient centrifugation to prepare enriched populations of prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH), and folliculo-stellate (FS) cells from rat anterior pituitaries in order to characterize these various cell populations. After cell dissociation and centrifugation, enriched PRL cells (55% of total cells as determined by immunocytochemistry [ICC] were present in Fraction 1 (Fr1) (density ([d]) = 1.059). Fr2 (d=1.071) had enriched S100-positive FS cells (31% of total cells), but enriched GH cell (60% of total cells) were present in Fr3 (d=1.094). Interleukin 6 (IL-6) was secreted mainly by enriched PRL cells in Fr1 (350 pg/mL/106 cells) and Fr2 (194 pg/mL/106 cells), and much less by the enriched GH cells inFr3 (16 pg/mL/106). Proliferation studies with combined 3H-thymidine and ICC for pituitary hormones showed that only the PRL cell had significant prolifereative activity. Immunostaining showed that immediately after separation, all three isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) were expressed anterior pituitary cells. After 3 d of culture, there was a marked increase in nuclear staining for neuronal NOS (nNOS) in all three fractions, whereas inducible NOS (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) rexpression did not change significantly. These results indicate that: 1. Enriched populations of PRL, FS, and GH pituitary cells can be readily obtained with a rapid discontinuous percoll density separation procedure. 2. PRL cells from different fractions of the gradient show differenet proliferation rates and IL-6 secretion varied in different enriched cell populations. 3. Although all three isoforms of NOS were expressed in rat pituitary cells, nNOS is the prindipal isoform in anterior pituitary cells, and its expression was icreased after 3 d of culture of anterior pitutuitary cells.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1997

TGF-B and Estrogen Regulate P27(Kip1) and Cyclin D(1) in Normal and Neoplastic Rat Pituitary Cells.

Pituitary hyperplasia and tumor growth are regulated by various hormones and growth factors. Estrogen (E(2)) stimulates pituitary cell proliferation and prolactin (PRL) production. Estrogen also regulates transforming growth factor-B (TGF-B) effects in the pituitary. IGF-B in turn regulates various cell cycle proteins including p15 and p27(Kip1) (p27). To better understand the regulatory role of growth factors and hormones in the cell cycle we analyzed cyclin D(1), cyclin E, and p27 expression in normal and neoplastic rat pituitary cells. An in vitro analysis using cultured normal pituitary cells and GH(3) tumor cells and an in vivo analysis of estrogen-treated normal pituitary and implanted GH(3) cells were performed. Semiquantitative RT-PCR was used to analyze mRNA expression for cyclin D(1) cyclin E, and p27 in cultured pituitary cells and E(2)-treated pituitaries in vivo, Cyclin D(1) and p27 were localized in the nuclei of normal pituitary cells by immunocytochemistry (ICC). Very weak or absent immunostaining for cyclin D(1) and p27 was present in GH(3) cells. Both normal pituitary and GH(3) cells had strong nuclear staining for cyclin E. Normal pituitary had a 20-fold greater amount of cyclin D mRNA and a 3-fold greater amount of p27 mRNA compared to GH cells, whereas GH cells had slightly (1.5-fold) more cyclin E than normal pituitary cells. Treatment in vivo stimulated cell proliferation and decreased cyclin D(1) mRNA levels in normal pituitary. GH(3) tumor cells, implanted subcutaneously in the same animal, showed increased proliferation after E(2) treatment, but there was no change in cyclin B(1) mRNA in GH(3) cells. Cyclin E and p27 mRNA levels did not change significantly in normal pituitary or in GH(3) cells after E(2) treatment in vivo. Treatment of normal pituitary cells with 10(-9)M TGF-B1 for 3 d in vitro led to significant decreases in cyclin B(1) and p27 mRNAs (p < 0.05 ), whereas cyclin E levels were unchanged. These results indicate that cyclin B(1) and p27 mRNAs are present at significantly higher levels in normal pituitary compared to GH(3) cells, and that both E(2) and TGF-B1 can down-regulate cyclin B(1) mRNA levels in normal pituitary cells, suggesting that these factors regulate G1 to S phase transition in pituitary cells. The lower levels of specific cell cycle regulators in GH cells may explain the decreased regulatory control by E(2) in GH(3) tumor cells.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1996

Expression and Regulation of Transforming Growth Factor B1 in Cultured Normal and Neoplastic Rat Pituitary Cells.

Pituitary prolactin (PRL) cell gene expression and proliferation are regulated by hormones and growth factors. Transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) and blast growth factor (bFGF) have been implicated in the regulation of antenor pituitary function. To study the roles of TGFB and bFGF in anterior pituitary cell function, we analyzed normal and neoplastic pituitary cells in serum-free media. The various isoforms of TGFB and TGFB receptor types I, II, and III were also analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in pituitary cells. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1) stimulated PRL expression and PRL cell proliferation in normal pituitary. TGFB1 stimulated PRL expression, but inhibited proliferation in the growth hormone (GH) and PRL-producing GH(3) cells. Estradiol 17 B (E(2)) and bFGE stimulated PRL gene expression in normal pituitary and GH(3) cells, whereas E(2) inhibited and bFGF stimulated TGFB1 mRNA levels in normal pituitary PRL cells, but not in GH(3) cells. Both normal pituitary and GH(3) cells expressed the mRNAs for TGFB1, TGFB2, and TGFB3 isoforms and for TGFB receptors I, II, and III. These results indicate that there is a relative loss of regulatory control by growth factors in neoplastic GH(3) cells compared to normal pituitary PRL cells.

Journal Article↗