Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The plant Withania somnifera Dunal (Ashwagandha), also known as Indian ginseng, is widely used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine to treat tumors, inflammation, arthritis, asthma, and hypertension. Chemical investigation of the roots and leaves of this plant has yielded bioactive withanolides. Earlier studies showed that withanolides inhibit cyclooxygenase enzymes, lipid peroxidation, and proliferation of tumor cells. Because several genes that regulate cellular proliferation, carcinogenesis, metastasis, and inflammation are regulated by activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), we hypothesized that the activity of withanolides is mediated through modulation of NF-kappaB activation. For this report, we investigated the effect of the withanolide on NF-kappaB and NF-kappaB-regulated gene expression activated by various carcinogens. We found that withanolides suppressed NF-kappaB activation induced by a variety of inflammatory and carcinogenic agents, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1beta, doxorubicin, and cigarette smoke condensate. Suppression was not cell type specific, as both inducible and constitutive NF-kappaB activation was blocked by withanolides. The suppression occurred through the inhibition of inhibitory subunit of IkappaB alpha kinase activation, IkappaB alpha phosphorylation, IkappaB alpha degradation, p65 phosphorylation, and subsequent p65 nuclear translocation. NF-kappaB-dependent reporter gene expression activated by TNF, TNF receptor (TNFR) 1, TNFR-associated death domain, TNFR-associated factor 2, and IkappaB alpha kinase was also suppressed. Consequently, withanolide suppressed the expression of TNF-induced NF-kappaB-regulated antiapoptotic (inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1, Bfl-1/A1, and FADD-like interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme-inhibitory protein) and metastatic (cyclooxygenase-2 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1) gene products, enhanced the apoptosis induced by TNF and chemotherapeutic agents, and suppressed cellular TNF-induced invasion and receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand-induced osteoclastogenesis. Overall, our results indicate that withanolides inhibit activation of NF-kappaB and NF-kappaB-regulated gene expression, which may explain the ability of withanolides to enhance apoptosis and inhibit invasion and osteoclastogenesis.
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PMID:Withanolides potentiate apoptosis, inhibit invasion, and abolish osteoclastogenesis through suppression of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation and NF-kappaB-regulated gene expression. 1681 1

Adrenomedullin (AM) is a multifunctional peptide hormone, which plays a significant role in vasodilation and angiogenesis, implicating it in hypertension as well as in carcinogenesis. AM exerts its effects via the calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CRLR, now known as CL) complexed with either receptor activity modifying protein (RAMP) 2 or 3. We have investigated the effect of AM on immortalized human microvascular endothelial cells 1, since endothelial cells are a major source as well as a target of AM actions in vivo. Cells treated with AM showed elevated cAMP in a time (5-45 min)-dependent and dose (10(-6)-10(-14) M)-dependent manner. Pre-treatment with the AM receptor antagonist AM(22-52) partially suppressed the AM-induced increase in cAMP levels. An increase in extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation was observed after 5 min of treatment with 10(-8) M AM. This phosphorylation was specific, since we were able to block the AM-induced effect with 1 microM U0126, a specific mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase inhibitor. Using real-time PCR, we were able to show for the first time that AM upregulates peptide and mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). However, AM treatment of cells did not result in increased cell proliferation. Instead, we observed that AM and VEGF induced cell migration, which could be inhibited by the AM(22-52) and anti-VEGF antibody respectively. AM also significantly elevated mRNA levels of CL (after 2 and 24 h treatment) and RAMP2 (after 1 and 24 h treatment). The upregulation of the AM receptor at two time points reflects possibly different cellular responses to short- and long-term exposure to AM.
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PMID:Adrenomedullin increases the expression of calcitonin-like receptor and receptor activity modifying protein 2 mRNA in human microvascular endothelial cells. 1689 83

An improved analytical method was developed for the analysis of 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (HPB)-releasing DNA adducts in lung samples of patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer. HPB-releasing adducts can be formed by metabolic activation of the tobacco-specific nitrosamines 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N'-nitrosonornicotine, and have been reported to play an important role in tobacco carcinogenesis. [2,2,3,3-D(4)]HPB (D(4)-HPB) was used as an internal standard, and HPB released by acid hydrolysis of DNA was determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in the negative ion chemical ionisation mode. The method is sensitive with a limit of detection of 5.9 fmol HPB and a limit of quantification of 15.2 fmol HBP/mg DNA. The recovery of HPB was 82+/-17% and the background response was 10.1+/-1.8 fmol HPB/sample. The concentration of HPB-releasing lung DNA adducts was significantly higher (p<0.0001) in 21 self-reported smokers compared to in 11 self-reported nonsmokers (404+/-258 fmol versus 59+/-56 fmol HPB/mg DNA, respectively). HPB-releasing hemoglobin adduct concentrations were only marginally higher in a subset of 12 smokers compared to in 7 nonsmokers (63+/-53 fmol versus 42+/-34 fmol HPB/g hemoglobin; p=0.36). No correlation was found between HPB-releasing adducts in DNA and hemoglobin (p=0.074).
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PMID:Mass spectrometric analysis of 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone-releasing DNA adducts in human lung. 1732 Oct 28

Cytochrome P450 (P450) 2J2 catalyzes epoxidation of arachidonic acid to eicosatrienoic acids, which are related to a variety of diseases such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, and carcinogenesis. Recent experimental data also suggest that P450 2J2 could be a novel biomarker and a potential target for cancer therapy. However, the active site topology and substrate specificity of this enzyme remain unclear. In this study, a three-dimensional model of human P450 2J2 was first constructed on the basis of the crystal structure of human P450 2C9 in complex with a substrate using homology modeling method, and refined by molecular dynamics simulation. Flexible docking approaches were then employed to dock four ligands into the active site of P450 2J2 in order to probe the ligand-binding modes. By analyzing the results, active site architecture and certain key residues responsible for substrate specificity were identified on the enzyme, which might be very helpful for understanding the enzyme's biological role and providing insights for designing novel inhibitors of P450 2J2.
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PMID:Probing ligand binding modes of human cytochrome P450 2J2 by homology modeling, molecular dynamics simulation, and flexible molecular docking. 1800 55

Cellular protection against oxidative and electrophile toxicities is provided by two types of small-molecule antioxidants: (i) direct antioxidants, which are redox active, short-lived, are sacrificed in the process of their antioxidant actions and need to be replenished or regenerated, and may evoke pro-oxidant effects; and (ii) indirect antioxidants, that may or may not be redox active. Indirect antioxidants activate the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE pathway resulting in transcriptional induction of a battery of cytoprotective proteins (also known as phase 2 enzymes) that act catalytically, are not consumed, have long half-lives, and are unlikely to evoke pro-oxidant effects. These protective systems are involved in a complex functional interplay, such that many cytoprotective proteins participate in the synthesis and/or regeneration of direct antioxidants, whereas some direct antioxidants are required for the catalytic functions of cytoprotective proteins. Importantly, many inducers of cytoprotective proteins have been isolated from edible plants, e. g., sulforaphane from broccoli and curcumin from turmeric. Both are pleiotropic agents with multiple biological activities that could collectively contribute to their protective effects in various animal studies, including models of carcinogenesis, hypertension, neuronal and retinal damage. In addition to inducing cytoprotective proteins, molecules like curcumin which contain Michael acceptor functionalities (olefins or acetylenes conjugated to electron withdrawing groups) and phenolic hydroxyl groups can scavenge directly and potently oxygen- and nitrogen-centered reactive intermediates. Such bifunctional antioxidants can play a dual protective role by: (i) scavenging hazardous oxidants directly and instantaneously, and (ii) inducing cytoprotective enzymes that in turn function to resolve the consequences of hazardous processes that are already in progress, and to ensure long-term protection against subsequent challenges.
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PMID:Direct and indirect antioxidant properties of inducers of cytoprotective proteins. 1832 72

Fructose is now such an important component of human diets that increasing attention is being focused on the fructose transporter GLUT5. In this review, we describe the regulation of GLUT5 not only in the intestine and testis, where it was first discovered, but also in the kidney, skeletal muscle, fat tissue, and brain where increasing numbers of cell types have been found to have GLUT5. GLUT5 expression levels and fructose uptake rates are also significantly affected by diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and inflammation and seem to be induced during carcinogenesis, particularly in the mammary glands. We end by highlighting research areas that should yield information needed to better understand the role of GLUT5 during normal development, metabolic disturbances, and cancer.
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PMID:Regulation of the fructose transporter GLUT5 in health and disease. 1839 11

In this population-based case-control study with 325 Caucasian renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients and 335 controls matched to cases by age, gender and county of residence, we evaluated the associations between 13 potential functional polymorphisms in nine major nucleotide excision repair (NER) genes and RCC risk. In individual single nucleotide polymorphism analysis, after adjustment for multiple comparisons, a significantly decreased RCC risk was observed for the heterozygous genotype of XPD Asp312Asn [odds ratio (OR) = 0.62; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.43-0.90] and for the heterozygous and homozygous variant genotypes combined in a dominant model (OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.46-0.89). The heterozygous AG genotype of XPA 5'untranslated region was at 1.78-fold increased risk (95% CI: 1.18-2.69) and the risk reached 2.43-fold (95% CI: 1.57-3.75) for the homozygous variant GG genotype; the risk was significant both in the dominant model and in the recessive model. In joint analysis, compared with individuals with fewer than five adverse alleles, individuals with five (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 0.71-1.93), six (OR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.03-2.67), seven or more (OR = 1.85; 95% CI: 1.16-2.95) exhibited a progressively increased risk of RCC (P for trend = 0.004). Further, there were significant interactions between NER pathway genes and sex, hypertension and obesity (all P for interaction <0.05). Our results strongly support that common sequence variants of the NER pathway genes predispose susceptible individuals to increased risk of RCC and that the association may be modified by gender, history of hypertension and obesity. These results need to be replicated in larger studies.
Carcinogenesis 2008 Nov
PMID:Case-control analysis of nucleotide excision repair pathway and the risk of renal cell carcinoma. 1871 Nov 49

Our previous study demonstrated that PPARgamma ligand rosiglitazone prevents gastric carcinogenesis in rats induced by chemical carcinogen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). In this study, we attempted to identify novel anti-cancer mechanisms of rosiglitazone. By examining the gene expression profiles of MNNG-induced and rosiglitazone-treated gastric cancer with Uniset Rat I Bioarray microarray, we identified a gene that showed prominent responses in the rosiglitazone-treated group. The hypertension-related, calcium-regulated gene (HCaRG) was significantly up-regulated in rat gastric carcinoma of the rosiglitazone-treated group when compared with the MNNG group. We further examined HCaRG expression in human gastric cancer and found that the expression of HCaRG was down-regulated in human gastric cancerous tissue. Rosiglitazone markedly induced the expression of HCaRG in the AGS cell line. The up-regulation of HCaRG may be one of the mechanisms underlying the chemopreventive effect of rosiglitazone in gastric cancer.
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PMID:Rosiglitazone suppresses gastric carcinogenesis by up-regulating HCaRG expression. 1894 6

I examine evidence that the signaling molecule norepinephrine (NE) is an etiological factor in some types of cancer. In support of this hypothesis, I cite the following 7 lines of evidence: (i) rodent studies of tumorigenesis in the context of NE manipulation; (ii) human studies of tricyclic antidepressant use and cancer rate; (iii) existence of pheochromocytoma, a cancer of the adrenal glands; (iv) cancer rate in families with individuals who have bipolar disorder; (v) hypertension and cancer risk; (vi) excessive body weight and cancer risk; and (vii) psychological stressors and cancer risk. Three aspects of the body's NE system are consistent with it playing an etiological role in various types of cancer: (i) NE circulates in the blood and can thereby access organ systems throughout the body, in addition to direct peripheral release by the sympathetic nervous system and being released within the brain; (ii) many of the body's organs possess NE receptors on the outer surface of at least some of their cells; (iii) by binding to its extracellular receptors, NE affects intracellular second messenger systems that could influence carcinogenesis. Most importantly, use of existing pharmaceutical drugs that either lower the level of NE (such as clonidine) or block NE receptors may lower the probability of an individual developing cancer, and this hypothesis could be tested immediately by an epidemiologist through examination of existing medical records.
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PMID:Is norepinephrine an etiological factor in some types of cancer? 2033 78

Increased activity of the renin angiotensin system with enhanced levels of angiotensin II leads to oxidative stress with endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. Epidemiologic studies revealed a higher cancer mortality and an increased kidney cancer incidence in hypertensive patients. Because elevated angiotensin II levels might contribute to carcinogenesis, we tested whether angiotensin II induces DNA damage in the kidney. In isolated perfused mouse kidneys, as little as 1 nmol/L angiotensin II caused a significant increase in DNA strand breaks, measured with the comet assay. This damage was independent of the hemodynamic effect of angiotensin II and mediated by the angiotensin II type 1 receptor. Angiotensin II also caused double-strand breaks in the cells of the isolated perfused kidney, detected with an antibody against the double-strand break marker gamma-H2AX. Studies in cell culture allowed further characterization of the DNA damage induced by angiotensin II. Single- and double-strand breaks, abasic sites, and 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-guanine, all types of oxidative DNA lesions, were detected in angiotensin II-treated renal cells. The majority of detected strand breaks was repaired within 1 hour, but double-strand breaks increased and persisted for at least 24 hours.
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PMID:Angiotensin II induces DNA damage in the kidney. 1901 Aug 96


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