Astrocytomas

To address whether the co-expression of CXCL12 and CXCR4 results in the activation of receptor signaling, Woemer et al. (2005)examined astrocytomas of various grades, Yang et al. (2007) examined medulloblastoma specimens, and Warrington et al. (2007) examined Neurofibromatosis Type-1 associated pilocytic... 

CXCL12, while the survival of similarly treated Nfl astrocytes was enhanced. Thus the growth-promoting effects of CXCL12 involve increased survival in low and high-grade astrocytomas as well as medulloblastoma. 

Desbaillets 1, Tada M, de Tribolet N, Diserens AC, Hamou ME, Van Meir EG (1994) Human astrocytomas and glioblastomas express monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in vivo and in vitro. Int J Cancer 58 240-247... 

Gutmann DH, Donahoe J, Brown T, James CD, Perry A (2000) Loss of neurofibromatosis 1 (NFl) gene expression in NFl-associated pilocytic astrocytomas. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 26 361-367... 

Gutmann DH, James CD, Poyhonen M, Louis DN, Femer R, Cuba A, Hariharan S, Viskochil D, Perry A (2003) Molecular analysis of astrocytomas presenting after age 10 in individuals with NFL Neurology 61 1397-1400... 

Woerner BM, Warrington NM, Kung AL, Perry A, Rubin JB (2005) Widespread CXCR4 activation in astrocytomas revealed by phospho-CXCR4-speciftc antibodies. Cancer Res 65 11392-11399... 

Gendelman HE, Persidsky Y (2005) Infections of the nervous system. Lancet Neurol 4 12-13 Gerard C, Rollins BJ (2001) Chemokines and disease. Nat Immunol 2 108-115 Gitter BD, Cox LM, Rydel RE, May PC (1995) Amyloid beta peptide potentiates cytokine secretion by interleukin-1 beta-activated human astrocytoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 92 10738-10741 GiuUan D, Yu J, Li X, Tom D, Li J, Wendt E, Lin SN, Schwarcz R, Noonan C (1996) Study of receptor-mediated neurotoxins released by HIV-1-infected mononuclear phagocytes found in human brain. J Neurosci 16 3139-3153... 

Bouabula MBB, Rinaldi-Carmona M, Shire D, LeFur G, Casellas P. Stimulation of cannabinoid receptor CB1 induces krox-24 expression in human astrocytoma cells. J Biol Chem 1995b 270 13973-13980. 

There is an expanding body of evidence to suggest that sesquiterpene lactones inhibit the synthesis NO synthetase. One such compound is an ambrosanolides-type sesquiterpene known as cumanin characterized from Ambrosia psilostachya. This sesquiterpene inhibit the enzymatic activity of NO synthetase with an IC50 value of 9.38 xM (49). Another example is the well-known artemisinin, a sesquiterpene used as an alternative drug in the treatment of severe and multidrug-resistant malaria, which inhibits NO synthesis in cytokine-stimulated human astrocytoma T67 cells (50). 

Dong, L.F. etal. (2009) Cytotoxicity effects of different surfactant molecules conjugated to carbon nanotubes on human astrocytoma cells. Nanoscale Research Letters, 4 (12), 1517-1523. 

A number of toxic conditions beside hypoosmotic stress and hypoxia/ischemia produce brain edema and the causes may be related to regulation of the aquaporins (see Ch. 34). AQP1 and AQP4 are intensely upregulated in reactive astrocytes in subarachnoid hemorrhage [69], in human glioma and astrocytoma [70] and AQP4 in endothelia and reactive astrocytes in metastatic carcinoma [71,72]. 

Cell lines U937 (human lymphoblastoid cells) and T-98G (human astrocytoma) were obtained from the collection of cell lines at the Influenza Research Institute. T-98G cells were grown on a DMEM medium with the addition of 10% calf serum, and U937 cells onRPMI1640 (Biolot, St. Petersburg) with 10% calf serum. 

Temozolomide (Temodar ) DNA-interactive Refractory anaplastic astrocytoma Phase II data... 

Liposomal doxorubicin also received initial approval on the basis of response rafe in patients with refractory cancer followed up with a randomized trial of the agent vs. topotecan. The alkylating agent temozolomide was approved in a Phase 11 trial for treatment of patients with anaplastic astrocytoma. Of note is that, although not yet filed for full approval, temozolomide has been recently added on to radiation therapy (e.g., a major trial of radiation therapy with or without temozolomide) for patients with glioblastoma multiforme. The result of this trial showed a major improvement in survival for patients treated with the radiation plus temozolomide vs. those treated with radiation therapy alone (median survival 15 vs. 12 months, p < 0.0001 and 1 year survival 26 vs. 8%, p < 0.0001).25... 

Fischer U, Heckel D, Michel A, Janka M, Hulsebos T, Meese E (1997) Cloning of a novel transcription factor-like gene amplified in human glioma including astrocytoma grade I. Hum Mol Genet 6 1817-1822... 

RT-PCR for CYP1A2 is negative in a series of 22 human glioblastomas and 4 anaplastic astrocytomas (Kirches et al., 1999). 

IHC negative for CYPIBI in normal tissue, positive in brain tumor (Murray et al., 1997). Northern blot reveals CYPIBI mRNA in human CNS, highest in putamen RT-PCR confirms CYPIBI in human astrocytoma cells (Rieder et al., 1998). 

Rieder CR, Parsons RB, Fitch NJ, Williams AC, Ramsden DB. 2000. Human brain cytochrome P450 IBl immunohisto-chemical localization in human temporal lobe and induction by dimethylbenz(a)anthracene in astrocytoma cell line (MOG-G-CCM). Neurosci Lett 278 177-180. 

---