O craniofaringioma (CF) é o tumor das regiões selar e supra-selar mais comum na infância, que cursa com deficiências hipofisárias, principalmente do hormônio de crescimento (GH). As crianças afetadas apresentam redução da velocidade de crescimento (VC) e baixa estatura, mas após a ressecção do tumor, há relatos de pacientes com crescimento normal ou até aumentado mesmo deficientes em GH (DGH). Os mecanismos deste evento não são claros, mas há associações com o ganho de peso. Recentemente foram descritas relações diretas entre a leptina, o GH e o índice de massa corpórea (IMC). Com os objetivos de estabelecer correlações entre a leptina e a velocidade de crescimento (VC) e com o IMC, de correlacionar a leptina e o IGF-I com GH, e de verificar se o GH exógeno modifica o perfil de leptina nos portadores de CF e DGH, foram estudados 15 pacientes portadores de CF, sendo sete meninos e oito meninas, menores de 18 anos, deficientes em GH e impúberes. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos (1 e 2) quanto à reposição com GH em tratados e não-tratados, respectivamente, e foram avaliados quanto a VC, IMC, leptinemia, insulinemia, lipidograma e IGF-I nos dois primeiros anos após a primeira cirurgia. Foi estabelecida correlação entre o IMC e a leptinemia e, para os pacientes do grupo 2, foram estabelecidas correlações entre a VC e o IGF-I, a insulinemia, o índice HOMA e a leptinemia. Após a primeira neurocirurgia, 13 pacientes cursaram com hipocortisolismo, 11 com diabetes insipidus definitivo, 12 com hipotiroidismo e todos com deficiência de GH. As medianas dos valores de Z-escore das velocidades de crescimento (Z-VC) no primeiro e segundo anos, respectivamente ,foram: no grupo 1, 0,61 e -1,86; e no grupo 2, 0,85 e 0,94. Os valores do Z-IMC final do grupo 1 variaram de -0,24 a 2,74, e no grupo 2, de -0,12 a 2,88. Não houve correlação entre o Z-IMC e o Z-VC. Os pacientes apresentaram hiperleptinemia (MZ-leptina = 10,58 e DP = 14,08), com correlação positiva entre os valores de leptina e o Z-IMC final (P = 0,0095). Não houve correlação entre os valores da leptina e o Z-VC. A correlação entre a insulina e o Z-IMC foi significante apenas no grupo 1 (P = 0,001). A insulina não se correlacionou com a VC no grupo 2. A correlação entre o IGF-I e a VC foi positiva apenas no primeiro ano (P = 0,007). Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre a leptina e o IGF-I, nos pacientes do grupo 2. Concluímos que houve correlação positiva entre os valores de leptina e o IMC nos pacientes portadores de CF e DGH; não houve correlação entre a leptina e a VC; não houve correlação positiva entre o IGF I e a leptina dos pacientes com CF e DGH não-tratados com hGH e não houve diferença estatística dos valores de leptina entre os grupos tratados e não-tratados. / Craniopharyngioma (CF) is a tumor of the sellar and suprasellar regions, more commonly found in children, its course being associated with hypophyseal hormones deficiency, especially growth hormone (GHD). Affected children have reduced growth rates (GR) and short stature. However, after tumor resection, patients have been reported to exhibit normal or increased growth rates, even in the presence of GH deficiency. The underlying mechanisms to this phenomenon are not clear, yet they are known to be associated with weight gain. Recently, a direct relation between leptin, GH and the body mass index (BMI) has been reported. With the objective of establishing correlations between leptin, growth rate (GR) and BMI; correlate leptin and IGF-I with GH, and verify if exogenous GH modifies the leptin profile in patients with CF and GHD, 15 GH-deficient and impuberal patients with CF, 7 boys and 8 girls, under the age of 18, were studied. According to the use of GH replacement therapy, patients were divided into 2 groups (1 and 2), respectively treated and non treated, and were evaluated for GR and BMI, leptinemia, insulinemia, lipidogram and IGF-I during the first 2 years after the first surgery. Correlation was established between BMI and leptinemia and, for the patients in group 2, correlations were established between GR and IGF-I, insulinemia, the HOMA index and leptinemia. After the first neurosurgery, 13 patients evolved with hypocortisolism, 11 with established diabetes insipidus, 12 with hypothyroidism and all patients were GH-deficient. Mean growth rate Z-score values (Z-GR) in the 1st and 2nd year, respectively, were: group 1: 0.61 and 1.86 and group 2: 0.85 and 0.94. Final Z-BMI values ranged from -0.24 to 2.74 for group 1 and from -0.12 to 2.88 for group 2. There was no correlation between Z-BMI and Z-GR. The patients showed hyperleptinemia (MZ-leptin = 10.58; SD = 14.08), with positive correlation between leptin values and the final Z-BMI (P=0.0095). There was no correlation between leptin values and Z-GR. The correlation between insulin and Z-BMI was only significant in group 1 (P = 0.001). Insulin did not correlate with GR in group 2. The correlation between IGF-I and GR was only positive in the 1st year (P = 0.007). There was t correlation between leptin and the IGF I in group 2. We conclude that there was a positive correlation between leptin values and the IMC in patients with CF and DGH; there was no correlation between leptin and GR; there was no positive correlation between IGF I and leptin in patients with CF and GHD not treated with hGH, and there was no statistical difference in leptin values between treated and non-treated groups.

O craniofaringioma (CF) é o tumor das regiões selar e supra-selar mais comum na infância, que cursa com deficiências hipofisárias, principalmente do hormônio de crescimento (GH). As crianças afetadas apresentam redução da velocidade de crescimento (VC) e baixa estatura, mas após a ressecção do tumor, há relatos de pacientes com crescimento normal ou até aumentado mesmo deficientes em GH (DGH). Os mecanismos deste evento não são claros, mas há associações com o ganho de peso. Recentemente foram descritas relações diretas entre a leptina, o GH e o índice de massa corpórea (IMC). Com os objetivos de estabelecer correlações entre a leptina e a velocidade de crescimento (VC) e com o IMC, de correlacionar a leptina e o IGF-I com GH, e de verificar se o GH exógeno modifica o perfil de leptina nos portadores de CF e DGH, foram estudados 15 pacientes portadores de CF, sendo sete meninos e oito meninas, menores de 18 anos, deficientes em GH e impúberes. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos (1 e 2) quanto à reposição com GH em tratados e não-tratados, respectivamente, e foram avaliados quanto a VC, IMC, leptinemia, insulinemia, lipidograma e IGF-I nos dois primeiros anos após a primeira cirurgia. Foi estabelecida correlação entre o IMC e a leptinemia e, para os pacientes do grupo 2, foram estabelecidas correlações entre a VC e o IGF-I, a insulinemia, o índice HOMA e a leptinemia. Após a primeira neurocirurgia, 13 pacientes cursaram com hipocortisolismo, 11 com diabetes insipidus definitivo, 12 com hipotiroidismo e todos com deficiência de GH. As medianas dos valores de Z-escore das velocidades de crescimento (Z-VC) no primeiro e segundo anos, respectivamente ,foram: no grupo 1, 0,61 e -1,86; e no grupo 2, 0,85 e 0,94. Os valores do Z-IMC final do grupo 1 variaram de -0,24 a 2,74, e no grupo 2, de -0,12 a 2,88. Não houve correlação entre o Z-IMC e o Z-VC. Os pacientes apresentaram hiperleptinemia (MZ-leptina = 10,58 e DP = 14,08), com correlação positiva entre os valores de leptina e o Z-IMC final (P = 0,0095). Não houve correlação entre os valores da leptina e o Z-VC. A correlação entre a insulina e o Z-IMC foi significante apenas no grupo 1 (P = 0,001). A insulina não se correlacionou com a VC no grupo 2. A correlação entre o IGF-I e a VC foi positiva apenas no primeiro ano (P = 0,007). Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre a leptina e o IGF-I, nos pacientes do grupo 2. Concluímos que houve correlação positiva entre os valores de leptina e o IMC nos pacientes portadores de CF e DGH; não houve correlação entre a leptina e a VC; não houve correlação positiva entre o IGF I e a leptina dos pacientes com CF e DGH não-tratados com hGH e não houve diferença estatística dos valores de leptina entre os grupos tratados e não-tratados. / Craniopharyngioma (CF) is a tumor of the sellar and suprasellar regions, more commonly found in children, its course being associated with hypophyseal hormones deficiency, especially growth hormone (GHD). Affected children have reduced growth rates (GR) and short stature. However, after tumor resection, patients have been reported to exhibit normal or increased growth rates, even in the presence of GH deficiency. The underlying mechanisms to this phenomenon are not clear, yet they are known to be associated with weight gain. Recently, a direct relation between leptin, GH and the body mass index (BMI) has been reported. With the objective of establishing correlations between leptin, growth rate (GR) and BMI; correlate leptin and IGF-I with GH, and verify if exogenous GH modifies the leptin profile in patients with CF and GHD, 15 GH-deficient and impuberal patients with CF, 7 boys and 8 girls, under the age of 18, were studied. According to the use of GH replacement therapy, patients were divided into 2 groups (1 and 2), respectively treated and non treated, and were evaluated for GR and BMI, leptinemia, insulinemia, lipidogram and IGF-I during the first 2 years after the first surgery. Correlation was established between BMI and leptinemia and, for the patients in group 2, correlations were established between GR and IGF-I, insulinemia, the HOMA index and leptinemia. After the first neurosurgery, 13 patients evolved with hypocortisolism, 11 with established diabetes insipidus, 12 with hypothyroidism and all patients were GH-deficient. Mean growth rate Z-score values (Z-GR) in the 1st and 2nd year, respectively, were: group 1: 0.61 and 1.86 and group 2: 0.85 and 0.94. Final Z-BMI values ranged from -0.24 to 2.74 for group 1 and from -0.12 to 2.88 for group 2. There was no correlation between Z-BMI and Z-GR. The patients showed hyperleptinemia (MZ-leptin = 10.58; SD = 14.08), with positive correlation between leptin values and the final Z-BMI (P=0.0095). There was no correlation between leptin values and Z-GR. The correlation between insulin and Z-BMI was only significant in group 1 (P = 0.001). Insulin did not correlate with GR in group 2. The correlation between IGF-I and GR was only positive in the 1st year (P = 0.007). There was t correlation between leptin and the IGF I in group 2. We conclude that there was a positive correlation between leptin values and the IMC in patients with CF and DGH; there was no correlation between leptin and GR; there was no positive correlation between IGF I and leptin in patients with CF and GHD not treated with hGH, and there was no statistical difference in leptin values between treated and non-treated groups.

Através da análise de obras de Literaturas de três países que falam a Língua Portuguesa (Brasil, Portugal e Moçambique), este trabalho tem como objetivo estudar a importância da Literatura na formação individual e social dos jovens, cujos temas estão inseridos no contexto histórico, sociopolítico e cultural. As obras selecionadas para o estudo são: A Chave do Tamanho, de Monteiro Lobato (Brasil); Aventuras de João Sem Medo, de José Gomes Ferreira (Portugal) e Um rio chamado tempo, uma casa chamada terra, de Mia Couto (Moçambique). Três livros que, atentos à realidade social e apoiados em eventos históricos, (a Segunda Guerra Mundial, o Estado Novo de António Salazar e o pósindependência/ guerra civil de Moçambique), apresentam matéria literária sustentada no universo maravilhoso para discutir os momentos dos quais os autores foram testemunhas, propondo reflexões críticas para expressar visões de mundo transformadoras da realidade; leituras, que, além do prazer e emoção estéticos, contribuem na formação da consciência social e crítica do leitor/receptor. / Through the analysis of works of Literature from the three countries that speak Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal and Mozambique), this paper aims to study the importance of literature in individual and social growth of young people, whose subjects are placed in historical context, sociopolitical and cultural. The selected works for the study are: A Chave do Tamanho by Monteiro Lobato (Brazil); Aventuras de João Sem Medo by José Gomes Ferreira (Portugal) and Um rio chamado tempo, uma casa chamada terra by Mia Couto (Mozambique). Three books that, attentive to the social reality and supported by historical events, (the Second World War, the New State of António Salazar and post-independence/civil war of Mozambique), they introduce literary matter in the wonderful universe to discuss moments in which the authors were witnesses. The works propose ideas to express critical views of the world that they can change the reality; readings, which, in addition to aesthetic pleasure and emotion, help in taking of social awareness and criticism of the reader / receiver.

In this study, effects of different carbon sources and their feeding strategies on recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) production by Pichia pastoris were investigated by means of cell growth, recombinant protein production and expression levels of hGH and alcohol oxidase (AOX) genes. In this content, firstly, the strain to be used for high level rhGH production was selected between the two phenotypes, i.e., P. pastoris hGH-Mut+ and P. pastoris hGH-MutS. In this selection both phenotypes were compared in two different media containing glycerol/methanol or sorbitol/methanol and P. pastoris-hGH-Mut+ strain grown on medium containing 30 g/L sorbitol with 1% (v/v) methanol was found to have the highest hGH expression level and rhGH production level, 9.84x109 copies/mg CDW and 120 mg/L, respectively. Thereafter, effects of sorbitol, mannitol, fructose, lactose, sucrose, citric acid, lactic acid and acetic acid were investigated by using P. pastoris hGH-Mut+ strain in laboratory scale bioreactors. Among them sorbitol and sucrose were selected to be compared for production in pilot scale bioreactors by adding them batch-wise at the beginning of induction phase with fed batch methanol feeding scheme at &amp / #956 / =0.03h-1. It was shown that sucrose does not support cell growth as sorbitol although it does not repress recombinant protein production. Then three different feeding strategies were applied to develop sorbitol/methanol mixed feeding i) single sorbitol addition at t=0, ii) besides at t=0, adding second batch-wise sorbitol at t=9 h, iii) giving pulse methanol at t=24 h to trigger AOX promoter. These three strategies were compared with a production without addition of co-substrate sorbitol. Substrate consumption, cell growth, recombinant protein production and expression levels of hGH and AOX were investigated for these different feeding strategies. The highest cell concentration was achieved in third strategy as 55 g/L where the highest extracellular rhGH production (301 mg/L) was achieved in the second strategy, with addition of two times of sorbitol. For this highest recombinant protein production case, overall cell and product yield on total substrate were found as 0.17 g/g and 1.71 mg/g, respectively. Moreover, the highest hGH and AOX expression levels were obtained in this strategy.

Abbrevations t – fluorescence lifetime j – rotational correlational time ([Ru(bpy)2(phen-ITC)]2+) – Bis-(bipyridine)-5-(isotiocyanatophenantrolin)-Ru(PF6-)2 Ab – antibody AF – Alexa Fluor 660 AF-hGH – with Alexa Fluor 660 labelled human growth hormone FITC – fluorescein isothiocyanate FITC-Ab – FITC labelled antibody FP – fluorescence polarization FRET – fluorescence resonance energy transfer hGH – human growth hormone PMI – N-(3-pyrene)maleimide PMI-hGH – human growth hormone labelled N-(3-pyrene)maleimide PVPPB – poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrolidone) with phenylboronic acid copolymer r – anisotropy RITC – rodamine B isothiocyanate RITC-hGH – with RITC labeled human growth hormone SDS-PAGE – sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis INTRODUCTION Relevance of the study. Human growth hormone (hGH) is a heterogeneous protein with several molecular forms (isoforms). Human growth hormone measurements are complicated because of the heterogeneous nature of hGH. Specific assays for each isoform are currently unavailable. Because the different antibodies used in immunoassays bind to a different spectrum of hGH isoforms, hGH concentrations measured by immunoassay are likely to depend on the particular antibody used. Moreover, because the distribution of the different hGH isoforms varies among individuals, the results from different immunoassays cannot be interrelated easily by using a single conversion factor. Fluorescence is by far the most important optical... [to full text]

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2003. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed on June 8, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences) -- University of Colorado Denver, 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 219-242). Free to UCD affiliates. Online version available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations;

Les maladies à prions sont des maladies neurodégénératives et transmissibles. Elles sont à l'origine de formes infectieuses comme la maladie de Creutzfeldt-Jakob iatrogène secondaire à un traitement par hormone de croissance d'origine humaine (MCJ post-hGH). La compréhension des facteurs gouvernant la physiopathologie de ces formes demeure parcellaire. Notre objectif a été de les étudier en analysant la cohorte des patients français exposés à l'hGH. Les analyses épidémiologiques, ont montré, à partir de données quantifiées, pour la première fois chez l'homme, une relation entre la dose d'exposition et le risque de développer la maladie d'une part et la durée de la période d'incubation d'autre part. La modélisation de la période d'incubation, a permis d'estimer que 95% des cas sont déjà apparus et d'évaluer l'influence du polymorphisme au codon 129 du gène codant la protéine prion sur la période d'incubation. L'étude descriptive a montré des similarités clinico-pathologiques entre tous les cas de maladies à prion humaines par contamination périphérique laissant supposer un rôle important de la voie d'exposition. Les expériences de transmission à la souris transgénique devraient permettre de valider les hypothèses que nous avons émises sur l'identité des souches présentes dans les lots contaminés. Ce travail a donc permis de mieux caractériser les facteurs impliqués dans la transmission des maladies à prions chez l'homme et de fournir un cadre méthodologique et des informations qui pourraient être utiles pour évaluer le risque de transmission potentielle des autres protéinopathies du système nerveux central pour lesquelles un mécanisme " prion like " a été proposé. / Prion diseases are fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative disorders. Infectious forms include iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease after human cadaver-sourced growth hormone treatment (hGH-iCJD). Our understanding of the factors governing the pathophysiology of infection, upon exposure to an exogenous prion, remains very limited in humans. The aim of this study was to better understand these phenomena using data from the French cohort of patients who were exposed to this at risk treatment. Using Cox hazards model, we provided the first epidemiological evidence of a relationship between dose of exposure and disease occurrence on one hand and incubation time on the other hand. Incubation period modelling by Weibull distribution estimated that 95% of the cases have already occurred. In a descriptive study, we showed that clinical and neuropathological features resembled other forms of infectious prion diseases after a peripheral contamination supporting a major role of the route of exposure. We also performed experimental transmission to transgenic mice expressing human PrP to test our hypotheses about the infecting prion strain that were transmitted to French hGH-iCJD patients. To conclude, we identified factors implicated in human prion transmission and provided a methodological frame and useful information that could help to evaluate the transmission risk associated with other brain proteinopathies such as Alzheimer and Parkinson’s diseases for which a prion-like mechanism has been proposed.

No presente trabalho, cultivou-se o microrganismo Escherichia coli RR1, contendo o vetor que carrega o gene estrutural para a síntese do hormônio de crescimento humano (hGH) (baseado no promotor pL e pR do fago l sob controle do repressor termosensível cI857) em processos descontínuo e descontínuo-alimentado realizados em biorreatores com capacidade útil de 2 e 4 L. Tal cepa é auxotrófica com relação aos aminoácidos l-leucina e l-prolina e à tiamina (vitamina B1). Nos cultivos descontínuos com concentrações menores de extrato de levedura e bactotriptona em relação ao meio denominado basal, a concentração celular foi baixa, atingindo 2,4 g.L-1, com fator de conversão glicose à células de 0,25 g.g-1. Em cultivos descontínuos com aumento (em relação ao meio basal) da concentração de extrato de levedura e de bactotriptona e com adição de l-prolina, a concentração celular alcançou valores da ordem de 5,9 g.L-1 e fator de conversão glicose à células de 0,48 g.g-1, simultaneamente à maior formação de acetato (2,5 g.L-1), este último prejudicial ao processo. Contudo, este resultado de crescimento celular não se repetiu devido a mudança do lote de células utilizado entre o primeiro e o segundo conjunto de ensaios. Os cultivos descontínuos-alimentados foram realizados com diferentes formas de alimentação bem como diferentes composições de solução de alimentação. Uma alimentação contínua com velocidade exponencial e composição semelhante à do meio, pareceu ser a mais favorável, levando à concentração celular final de 9,2 g.L-1 e fator de conversão glicose a células, na fase descontínua-alimentada, de 0,36 g.g-1. Os ensaios com indução térmica não foram eficientes provavelmente devido à problemas na detecção das concentração de glicose existente no instante inicial da ativação da síntese do hGH. Esta glicose presente pode ter prejudicado a formação do hGH por conseqüência do processo fermentativo causado pelo aumento da temperatura e pela presença de elevada concentração de nutrientes complexos. O meio de cultivo utilizado possivelmente não supriu as necessidades metabólicas da célula para a síntese do hormônio de crescimento humano e em nenhum dos cultivos com indução térmica houve a produção de hGH. / In the present work, the host Escherichia coli RR1, having the vector with the structural gene for human growth hormone (hGH) synthesis, based on pL or pR promoters from bacteriophage l under the control of the thermosensitive repressor cI857, was cultivated in batch and fed-batch cultures in bioreactors with working volumes of 2 and 4 L. This host has amino acids (l-leucine and l-proline) and thiamine (Vitamin B1) auxotrophy. Batch cultures under low yeast extract and bacto-tryptone concentrations (relative to the basal medium) resulted in a low biomass yield (2.4 g.L-1) and cell yield on glucose (0.25 g.g-1). Increasing these concentrations and adding l-proline to the medium led to higher biomass formation (5.9 g.L-1), cell yield on glucose (0.48 g.g-1) and acetate high levels (2.5 g.L-1), which were harmful to the process. However, these results of cellular growth were not reproducible due to different cell stocks applied. The fed-batch cultures were performed under different feeding strategies and different nutrients concentrations of the feeding solution. A continuous exponential feeding rate with growth medium-like composition seemed to be the most favorable, reaching final cellular concentration of 9.2 g.L-1 and yield on glucose on fed-batch mode of 0.36 g.g-1. The heat-shock runs were not efficient probably due to problems in detection of glucose concentration existing on initial instant of hGH activation synthesis. Glucose interferes with the hGH synthesis because the fermentation caused by temperature shift and presence of high complex nutrients concentration. The culture medium used, probably was not able to supply cell metabolic needs for the human growth hormone synthesis and in no other temperature-induced experiment the hGH production was observed.