E-Locus - Institutional Repository of the University of Crete

Home Collections Type of Work Doctoral theses

Doctoral theses

Search command : Author="Ραϊσάκη" And Author="Μαρία"

Current Record: 6 of 2435

[Add to Basket]

Identifier

000461961

Title

Μελέτη των πεπτιδίων της οικογένειας του παράγοντα απελευθέρωσης της κορτικοτροπίνης και των υποδοχέων τους στο ουροποιογεννητικό σύστημα

Alternative Title

Study of corticotropin release factor family peptides and their receptors in the urogenital system

Author

Μαυρίδης, Χαράλαμπος

Thesis advisor

Μαμουλάκης, Χαράλαμπος

Reviewer

Λιαπάκης, Γεώργιος
Χαραλαμπόπουλος, Ιωάννης
Βενυχάκη, Μαρία
Τόκας, Θεόδωρος
Μαυρουδής, Δημήτριος
Στραβοδήμος, Κωνσταντίνος

Abstract

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a 41-amino acid peptide that plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis. The CRF family consists of peptides similar to CRF, including urocortins (UCNs). CRF and UCNs (UCN1, UCN2 and UCN3) exert their actions on target cells through activation of CRF receptors (Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptors, CRFRs) type 1 (CRFR1) and type 2 (CRFR2). CRFRs belong to the G-protein-coupled receptor family. CRF family peptides and their receptors are expressed both in the central nervous system and in the periphery. In the periphery, they are expressed in several systems, including the respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, reproductive and urogenital systems. However, very little is known about its role in the urogenital system, particularly in the bladder. CRF, UCN1 and CRFRs have been identified in the bladders of experimental animals, playing a possible role in inflammation. Recently, a study showed for the first time the presence of CRFR1 and CRFR2 peptides in the human bladder without clarifying what happens to UCN1 expression. The expression of CRF family peptides and their receptors has also been associated with cancers of several human systems, including urogenital. In particular, the expression of these peptides has been studied in prostate and kidney cancer, laying a new basis for their possible role. This research focused on studying the expression of CRF family messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and their receptors in normal (non-cancerous) and cancerous bladder urothelial tissue in humans. The primary objective of the present study was to investigate the mRNA expression of CRF family members in bladder cancer. The secondary objective was to analyze the differences in gene expression between cancerous urothelial tissues and normal tissues. The tertiary objective was investigating the expression differences between normal and potentially pathological urothelial tissues. From 2018 to 2021, 43 patients were divided into three groups. Group A included healthy subjects, group B included patients with bladder cancer, and group C included patients with a history of bladder cancer from whom samples were taken from normal mucosa. Detection of CRF family mRNA was performed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The mRNA of the three urocortins, CRF and the two receptors was predominantly expressed in all three patient groups. Statistical analysis using the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that UCN1 was downregulated in patients with bladder cancer and those with potentially pathological- cancerous urothelium compared to the healthy group. In addition, UCN3 was downregulated in the C group compared to the A and B groups. The present experiments showed that mRNA of the CRF gene family was amplified in normal and cancerous bladder tissues. The downregulation of both UCN1 and UCN3 genes may be associated with bladder cancer by some mechanism that remains to be clarified. The research field in relation to the CRF system is expanding in terms of its potential contribution to the prognosis, diagnosis or treatment of urothelial malignancies.

Language

Greek, English

Subject

Bladder cancer

CRF

CRH

Urocortins

Καρκίνος ουροδόχου κύστεως

Ουροκορτίνες

Issue date

2024-04-17

Collection