Somatostatin analogs labeled with radionuclides are of considerable interest in the diagnosis and therapy of SSTRexpressing tumors, such as gastroenteropancreatic, small cell lung, breast and frequently nervous system tumors. In view of the favorable physical characteristics of the Ga isotopes 67 Ga and 68 Ga, enabling conventional tumor scintigraphy, PET and possibly internal radiotherapy, we focused on the development of a Ga-labeled somatostatin analog suit- SSTRs are overexpressed by a variety of neuroendocrine tumors and frequently by tumors of the nervous system, 1-4 making somatostatin analogs, such as OC, 5 attractive candidates for tumor targeting. 111 In-labeled DTPA-OC (OctreoScan) was the first radiopeptide routinely used in the clinic for imaging SSTR-positive tumors by scintigraphy. 6 -10 A new generation of somatostatin analogs, incorporating the macrocyclic chelator DOTA instead of DTPA, have been developed, which ensure better stability of the radiometal-peptide complex. After labeling with 90 Y (␤ --emitter 2.28 MeV, t 1 ⁄2 64.1 hr) or 111 In (␥-emitter, Auger-and conversionelectron emitter, 0.5-245 keV, t 1 ⁄2 67.9 hr), they showed improved biodistribution and tumor uptake in animal models [11][12][13] and their clinical utility as diagnostic and therapeutic tools was confirmed in patients. 14 -18 These findings prompted us and others to develop somatostatin analogs suitable for PET, which offers higher sensitivity and resolution than SPECT, making it possible to visualize very small metastatic lesions, including tumor deposits in regional draining lymph nodes. Several strategies have been studied to develop a somatostatin analog-based PET tracer using different positronemitting radionuclides. Wester et al. 19 successfully labeled OC with 18 F, but despite specific accumulation in the tumor, this radioligand was of limited clinical application, owing to fast tumor washout, high liver uptake and, hence, insufficient visualization of abdominal tumors. Various 64 Cu-labeled somatostatin analogs were synthesized which showed favorable biodistribution in animal models 20,21 and good performance for PET imaging in patients; 22 however, the use of 64 Cu relies on the availability of a cyclotron.Another interesting positron emitter is 68 Ga (t 1 ⁄2 68 min, ␤ ϩ 88%), which is produced by a 68 Ge/ 68 Ga generator available at most PET centers and is not dependent on a cyclotron. Gallium as radiometal is of even broader interest in nuclear medicine because it is also available as 67 Ga (t 1 ⁄2 78 hr), which is not only a ␥-emitter useful for tumor diagnosis (␥-camera scintigraphy, SPECT) but also an emitter of Auger (0.1-8 keV) and conversion (80 -90 keV) electrons, which makes it attractive for internal radiotherapy. 23 The radiotoxicity of 67 Ga has been demonstrated in vitro in a lymphoma cell line 24 and myeloid leukemic blasts. 25 The use of a low-energy emitter might increase the therapeutic index because most of the electrons deposit their energy within the target, i.e., the tumor, thereby min...

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) exhibits high morphological and functional plasticity. In the mature muscle, the relative levels of physical activity are major determinants of NMJ function. Classically, motor neuron-mediated activation patterns of skeletal muscle have been thought of as the major drivers of NMJ plasticity and the ensuing fiber-type determination in muscle. Here we use muscle-specific transgenic animals for the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ co-activator 1α (PGC-1α) as a genetic model for trained mice to elucidate the contribution of skeletal muscle to activity-induced adaptation of the NMJ. We find that muscle-specific expression of PGC-1α promotes a remodeling of the NMJ, even in the absence of increased physical activity. Importantly, these plastic changes are not restricted to post-synaptic structures, but extended to modulation of pre-synaptic cell morphology and function. Therefore, our data indicate that skeletal muscle significantly contributes to the adaptation of the NMJ subsequent to physical activity.

Adequate levels of physical activity are at the center of a healthy lifestyle. However, the molecular mechanisms that mediate the beneficial effects of exercise remain enigmatic. This gap in knowledge is caused by the lack of an amenable experimental model system. Therefore, we optimized electric pulse stimulation of muscle cells to closely recapitulate the plastic changes in gene expression observed in a trained skeletal muscle. The exact experimental conditions were established using the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) as a marker for an endurance-trained muscle fiber. We subsequently compared the changes in the relative expression of metabolic and myofibrillar genes in the muscle cell system with those observed in mouse muscle in vivo following either an acute or repeated bouts of treadmill exercise. Importantly, in electrically stimulated C2C12 mouse muscle cells, the qualitative transcriptional adaptations were almost identical to those in trained muscle, but differ from the acute effects of exercise on muscle gene expression. In addition, significant alterations in the expression of myofibrillar proteins indicate that this stimulation could be used to modulate the fiber-type of muscle cells in culture. Our data thus describe an experimental cell culture model for the study of at least some of the transcriptional aspects of skeletal muscle adaptation to physical activity. This system will be useful for the study of the molecular mechanisms that regulate exercise adaptation in muscle.

The activities of some key enzymes in mitochondria from 135 human omental adipose tissue samples of obese and nonobese patients were analyzed for potential association with the patients' state of obesity. The activities of respiratory complexes I and II as well as citrate synthase in isolated mitochondria were measured using spectrophotometric enzyme assays. ATP generation of mitochondria was determined with a bioluminescence assay. Protein levels of citrate synthase were quantified by western blot. The rates of ATP generation and the enzymatic activities of complexes I and II did not display associations with age, gender, obesity, or diabetes. By contrast, the enzymatic activities of citrate synthase and its protein levels were significantly reduced in obesity as compared to controls. In diabetic patients, protein levels but not enzymatic activities of citrate synthase were elevated. Thus, this investigation based on enzymatic assay and determination of protein levels revealed that the development of obesity is associated with a significant impact on citrate synthase in mitochondria of human omental adipose tissue. The state of obesity appears to affect mitochondrial function in human omental adipose tissue by limiting this key enzyme of the tricarboxylic acid cycle rather than by limiting the activities of respiratory chain enzymes.

Mice were tolerant to tick bites during three infestations with nymphs of Ixodes ricinus infected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. To determine whether tick bites influence the immune response against B. burgdorferi, we examined the production of cytokines IL-4 and IFN-gamma by lymph node cells of BALB/c mice and IL-4 deficient BALB/c mice after tick inoculation versus syringe inoculation of B. burgdorferi. We also measured IgG2a anti-borrelial antibodies and total IgE in these mice. Results showed that BALB/c mice developed a Th2 immune response against B. burgdorferi after tick inoculation and a mixed Th1/Th2 response after syringe inoculation of B. burgdorferi. IL-4 deficient mice produced a Th1 immune response in both cases. IL-4 produced following tick bites greatly decreased the production of anti-borrelial IgG2a antibodies by comparison with the production of anti-borrelial IgG2a antibodies produced following syringe injection of B. burgdorferi.