Interferon regulatory factor-8 (IRF-8) is a transcription factor that is essential for myelopoiesis. Depressed IRF-8 levels are observed in a majority of CML patients and Irf-8(-/-) mice exhibit a CML-like disease. The underlying mechanisms of IRF-8 loss in CML are unknown. CUDC-907 in vitro We hypothesized that BCR-ABL suppresses transcription of IRF-8 through STAT5, a proximal BCR-ABL target. Treatment of primary cells from newly diagnosed CML patients in chronic phase as well as BCR-ABL(+) cell lines with imatinib increased IRF-8 transcription. Furthermore, IRF-8 expression in cell line models was necessary for imatinib-induced antitumor responses. We have demonstrated that IRF-8 is a direct target of STAT5

and that silencing of see more STAT5 induced IRF-8 expression. Conversely, activating STAT5 suppressed IRF-8 transcription. Finally, we showed that STAT5 blockade using a recently discovered antagonist increased IRF-8

expression in patient samples. These data reveal a previously unrecognized BCR-ABL-STAT5-IRF-8 network, which widens the repertoire of potentially new anti-CML targets.”
“We have examined the effect of the peripheral application of glutamate and capsaicin to deep craniofacial tissues in influencing the activation and peripheral sensitization of deep craniofacial nociceptive afferents. The activity of single trigeminal nociceptive afferents with receptive fields in deep craniofacial tissues were recorded extracellularly in 55 halothane-anesthetized rats. The mechanical activation threshold (MAT) of each afferent was assessed before and after injection of 0.5 M glutamate (or vehicle) and 1% capsaicin (or vehicle) into the receptive field. A total of 68 afferents that could be activated by blunt noxious mechanical stimulation of the deep craniofacial tissues (23 masseter, 5 temporalis, 40 temporomandibular joint) were studied. When Stattic in vivo injected alone, glutamate and capsaicin

activated and induced peripheral sensitization reflected as MAT reduction in many afferents. Following glutamate injection, capsaicin-evoked activity was greater than that evoked by capsaicin alone, whereas following capsaicin injection, glutamate-evoked responses were similar to glutamate alone. These findings indicate that peripheral application of glutamate or capsaicin may activate or induce peripheral sensitization in a subpopulation of trigeminal nociceptive afferents innervating deep craniofacial tissues, as reflected in changes in MAT and other afferent response properties. The data further suggest that peripheral glutamate and capsaicin receptor mechanisms may interact to modulate the activation and peripheral sensitization in some deep craniofacial nociceptive afferents. Crown Copyright (c) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Background and study aims: Probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) is a new imaging modality that enables histological examination of gastrointestinal mucosa during endoscopic procedures.