Genetic polymorphism in the signal peptide of AACT may be associated with individual susceptibility to the development of COPD, because the AACT/Ala-15 genotype is predominantly found in patients with COPD. It is suggested that AACT/Ala-15 genotype may be less protective against smoking injury.

Abstract.It is now clear that the association between cancer cells and recruited fibroblasts (cancer-associated fibroblasts; CAFs) leads to alteration of the biological properties of both types of cells and creates a specific microenvironment. Here we report a novel biological property of CAFs and its cellular mechanism using in vivo and in vitro model. Cultured CAFs derived from human lung cancer tissue displayed significantly higher migration activity in response to PDGF-BB than that of fibroblasts from corresponding non-cancerous tissue (NCAFs). Moreover, KM104GFP (GFP-labeled human fibroblast cell line) co-cultured with human cancer cell line Capan-1 showed significantly higher migration activity than KM104 GFP alone. No such phenomenon occurred when KM104 GFP and Capan-1 were cultured separately. Even after KM104 GFP were sorted from co-cultured Capan-1, KM104GFP retained their enhanced migration activity until passage-5 of culture in the absence of cancer cells. Despite a similar level of phosphorylation of ERK1/2 after exposure to PDGF-BB, the inhibitory effect of MEK inhibitor was significantly higher on migration of KM104 GFP that had been sorted from co-cultured Capan-1 than of KM104 GFP alone. This higher dependence on ERK1/2 signaling for cell migration was also seen in CAFs obtained from cancer tissue. The results of this study indicate that by association with cancer cells, CAFs can acquire enhanced migration activity which could be kept after separation from cancer cells and suggest the possibility that higher dependence on ERK1/2 signaling for enhanced migration activity would be one of the biological properties of CAFs.

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In the human urethra, phenylephrine-induced contractions were mediated through alpha1L-adrenoceptors and not through alpha1A-adrenoceptors. Contractions of the human urethra induced by NS-49 were also mediated mainly through alpha1L-adrenoceptors, with high potency and moderate efficacy. NS-49 may therefore be useful for the treatment of urinary stress incontinence, with minimal side-effects because it has subtype selectivity.