Project description:Although loss of functional ?-cell mass is a hallmark of diabetes, no treatment approaches that halt this process are currently available. We recently identified thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) as an attractive target in this regard. Glucose and diabetes upregulate ?-cell TXNIP expression, and TXNIP overexpression induces ?-cell apoptosis. In contrast, genetic ablation of TXNIP promotes endogenous ?-cell survival and prevents streptozotocin (STZ)- and obesity-induced diabetes. Finding an oral medication that could inhibit ?-cell TXNIP expression would therefore represent a major breakthrough. We were surprised to discover that calcium channel blockers inhibited TXNIP expression in INS-1 cells and human islets and that orally administered verapamil reduced TXNIP expression and ?-cell apoptosis, enhanced endogenous insulin levels, and rescued mice from STZ-induced diabetes. Verapamil also promoted ?-cell survival and improved glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in BTBR ob/ob mice. Our data further suggest that this verapamil-mediated TXNIP repression is conferred by reduction of intracellular calcium, inhibition of calcineurin signaling, and nuclear exclusion and decreased binding of carbohydrate response element-binding protein to the E-box repeat in the TXNIP promoter. Thus, for the first time, we have identified an oral medication that can inhibit proapoptotic ?-cell TXNIP expression, enhance ?-cell survival and function, and prevent and even improve overt diabetes.
Project description:Ca(2+) influx via voltage-dependent CaV1/CaV2 channels couples electrical signals to biological responses in excitable cells. CaV1/CaV2 channel blockers have broad biotechnological and therapeutic applications. Here we report a general method for developing novel genetically encoded calcium channel blockers inspired by Rem, a small G-protein that constitutively inhibits CaV1/CaV2 channels. We show that diverse cytosolic proteins (CaVβ, 14-3-3, calmodulin and CaMKII) that bind pore-forming α1-subunits can be converted into calcium channel blockers with tunable selectivity, kinetics and potency, simply by anchoring them to the plasma membrane. We term this method 'channel inactivation induced by membrane-tethering of an associated protein' (ChIMP). ChIMP is potentially extendable to small-molecule drug discovery, as engineering FK506-binding protein into intracellular sites within CaV1.2-α1C permits heterodimerization-initiated channel inhibition with rapamycin. The results reveal a universal method for developing novel calcium channel blockers that may be extended to develop probes for a broad cohort of unrelated ion channels.
Project description:IntroductionDespite the improvement in medical management, many patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassaemia die prematurely due to transfusion-related iron overload. As per the current guidelines, the optimal chelation of iron cannot be achieved in many patients, even with two iron chelators at their maximum therapeutic doses. Here, we evaluate the efficacy and safety of triple combination treatment with deferoxamine, deferasirox and deferiprone over dual combination of deferoxamine and deferasirox on iron chelation in patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassaemia with very high iron overload.Methods and analysisThis is a single-centre, open-label, randomised, controlled clinical trial conducted at the Adult and Adolescent Thalassaemia Centre of Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Sri Lanka. Patients with haematologically and genetically confirmed transfusion-dependent β-thalassaemia are enrolled and randomised into intervention or control groups. The intervention arm will receive a combination of oral deferasirox, oral deferiprone and subcutaneous deferoxamine for 6 months. The control arm will receive the combination of oral deferasirox and subcutaneous deferoxamine for 6 months. Reduction in iron overload, as measured by a reduction in the serum ferritin after completion of the treatment, will be the primary outcome measure. Reduction in liver and cardiac iron content as measured by T2* MRI and the side effect profile of trial medications are the secondary outcome measures.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval for the study has been obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya (Ref. P/06/02/2023). The trial results will be disseminated in scientific publications in reputed journals.Trial registration numberThe trial is registered in the Sri Lanka Clinical Trials Registry (Ref: SLCTR/2023/010).
Project description:Herbicide resistance is a worldwide problem in weed control. This prompts researchers to look for new modes of action to slow down the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds. This research aims to determine the herbicidal action of thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidines derivatives, which are well known as antihypertensive drugs. The phytotoxic effects of ten compounds were investigated using leaf disc discoloration test and seed germination bioassay. At concentrations of 125 to 250 mg/L, the 5-(3-Fluoro-phenyl)-7-methyl-5H-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxylic acid ethyl ester (c) was highly active against Oldenlandia verticillata and Eleusine indica. At application rates of 1.25 to 2.5 kg ai/ha, formulated c demonstrated selective post-emergence and pre-emergence herbicidal activity against O. verticillata, E. indica and Cyperus iria. In the crop tolerance test, formulated c outperformed the commercial herbicide diuron, with aerobic Oryza sativa being the most tolerant, followed by Zea mays, and Brassica rapa. The addition of calcium chloride partially nullified compound c's inhibitory effects on weed shoot growth, indicating that it has potential as a calcium channel blocker. Compound c acted by triggering electrolyte leakage without affecting photosystem II. These findings imply that c could be explored further as a template for developing new herbicides with novel modes of action.
Project description:BackgroundIron overload is one of the main factors that increase morbidity and mortality in patients with non-transfusion dependent thalassemia (NTDT).AimThis study aimed at investigating the prevalence and severity of iron overload in Chinese NTDT patients.Methodswe analyzed serum ferritin (SF), liver iron concentration (LIC) and cardiac T2* in 178 Chinese NTDT in this cross-sectional study.ResultsThe median SF level was 996.00(27.15-19704.00) ng/ml and the median LIC value was 8.90(0.60-43.00) mg Fe/g dry weight (dw). The youngest patient with liver iron overload was 5 years old with 5.6 mg Fe/g dw in LIC. The median cardiac T2* was 33.06(7.46-75.08) ms. 6 patients had cardiac T2*⩽20ms. The patients with β thalassemia intermedia and HbE/β thalassemia showed a statistically significant lower Hb and higher values of SF and LIC than those of hemoglobin H disease patients. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, patients in ⩾ age 30-year old had a significant higher risk for iron overload (OR: 77.75, 95% CI: 8.76-690.49) in the age group. The detailed analysis of proportions of different LIC indicate in > 30-year old group, 76.8% patients suffered from moderate and severe LIC.ConclusionOur study provides a strong support for the novel findings that Chinese NTDT patients have a high prevalence of iron overload. The first assessment of MRI LIC should be performed as early as 5 years old. Then, NTDT patients > 30 years old may suffer with a high burden of iron overload.
Project description:In patients with hemochromatosis, cardiac dysfunction may appear years after they have reached a state of iron overload. We hypothesized that cumulative iron-catalyzed oxidant damage to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) might explain the cardiomyopathy of chronic iron overload. Mice were given repetitive injections of iron dextran for a total of 4weeks after which the iron-loaded mice had elevated cardiac iron, modest cardiac hypertrophy, and cardiac dysfunction. qPCR amplification of near-full-length ( approximately 16kb) mtDNA revealed >50% loss of full-length product, whereas amounts of a qPCR product of a nuclear gene (13kb region of beta globin) were unaffected. Quantitative rtPCR analyses revealed 60-70% loss of mRNA for proteins encoded by mtDNA with no change in mRNA abundance for nuclear-encoded respiratory subunits. These changes coincided with proportionate reductions in complex I and IV activities and decreased respiration of isolated cardiac mitochondria. We conclude that chronic iron overload leads to cumulative iron-mediated damage to mtDNA and impaired synthesis of mitochondrial respiratory chain subunits. The resulting respiratory dysfunction may explain the slow development of cardiomyopathy in chronic iron overload and similar accumulation of damage to mtDNA may also explain the mitochondrial dysfunction observed in slowly progressing diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders.
Project description:BackgroundIron overload (IO) is a complication in transfusion dependent beta thalassaemia (TDT). Pathogenic variants in genes involving iron metabolism may confer increased risk of IO. The objective of this study was to determine the magnitude of the cardiac and hepatic IO and determine whether pathogenic variants in HFE, SLC40A1 and TFR2 genes increase the risk of IO in a cohort of TDT patients in Sri Lanka.Materials and methodsFifty-seven (57) patients with TDT were recruited for this study. Serum ferritin was done once in 3 months for a period of one year in all. Those who were ≥ 8 years of age (40 patients) underwent T2* MRI of the liver and heart. Fifty-two (52) patients underwent next generation sequencing (NGS) to identify pathogenic variants in HBB, HFE, SLC40A1 and TFR2 genes.ResultsThe median age of the patients of this cohort was 10 years. It comprised of 30 (52.6%) boys and 27 (47.4%) girls. The median level of serum ferritin was 2452 ng/dl. Hepatic IO was seen in 37 (92.5%) patients and cardiac IO was seen in 17 (42.5%) patients. There was no statistically significant correlation between serum ferritin and hepatic or cardiac IO. Thirty-two (61.5%), 18 (34.6%), 2 (3.8%) of patients were homozygotes, compound heterozygotes and heterozygotes for pathogenic variants in the HBB gene. Eight (15.4%) and 1 (1.9%) patients were heterozygotes for pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants of HFE genes respectively. There were no pathogenic variants for the TfR2 and SLC40A1 genes. The heterozygotes of the pathogenic variants of the HFE were not at increased risk of IO.ConclusionsCardiac T2* MRI helps to detect cardiac IO in asymptomatic patients. It is important to perform hepatic and cardiac T2* MRI to detect IO in patients with TDT. There was no statistically significant correlation between pathogenic variants of HBB and HFE genes with hepatic and cardiac IO in this cohort of patients.