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In previous studies, we found that after cervical spinal cord hemisection at C2 (SH), neuromuscular transmission improved in the rat diaphragm muscle (DIAm). We also found that exogenous brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) treatment enhanced neuromuscular transmission, whereas inhibiting activation of its receptor (TrkB) worsened neuromuscular transmission. We hypothesized that expression of BDNF and/or its receptor TrkB at phrenic motoneurons would increase following SH. In the present study, adult male rats underwent SH or sham surgery. Phrenic motoneurons were labeled by injection of cholera toxin B into the DIAm and retrogradely‐labeled phrenic motoneurons were sampled by laser capture microdissection (LCM). BDNF and TrkB receptor (truncated – T1 and full length – FL) mRNA were measured in LCM‐microdissected motoneurons using quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR and expressed as a ratio to ribosomal S16 RNA. We found that BDNF mRNA expression in phrenic motoneurons increased by 3 days after SH (~2‐fold). Similarly, both TrkB.T1 and TrkB.FL mRNA increased by 3 days after SH (~17‐ and ~11‐fold, respectively). It is possible that the relative expression of neurotrophins and their receptors (truncated or full‐length) may determine the time‐course of restoration of phrenic activity following SH. Supported by NIH grants AR51173 and HL37680 and the Mayo Foundation.

DIAm motor units are normally recruited in an orderly fashion to accomplish different ventilatory and non‐ventilatory behaviors. Following a cervical spinal cord hemisection at C2 (SH), there is restoration of phrenic activity over time. We hypothesized that an orderly recruitment of DIAm motor units is maintained with the restoration of rhythmic DIAm electromyographic (EMG) activity following SH. A pair of electrode wires was implanted into the midcostal regions of the DIAm of adult male rats for chronic EMG recording. Three days later, these animals underwent SH surgery. We examined changes in integrated DIAm EMG activity across different motor behaviors (i.e., eupnea, hypercapnia, tracheal occlusion and fictive sneezing) assuming that DIAm EMG activity during fictive sneezing represents the maximum recruitment of DIAm motor units. As expected in controls, DIAm EMG activity increased from eupnea (~27% of max) to hypercapnia (5% CO 2; ~45% of max) to sustained tracheal occlusion (~60% of max). By 14 days after SH with restored rhythmic DIAm activity, the amplitude of EMG activity on the ipsilateral side was reduced, and the changes in EMG activity induced by increased ventilatory and non‐ventilatory drive were blunted, although an orderly recruitment of motor units was still observed. These results support a generalized strengthening of contralateral presynaptic drive over time following spinal cord injury. Supported by NIH grants AR51173 and HL37680 and the Mayo Foundation.

SummaryBackgroundThe Food and Drug Administration has approved several pharmacotherapies for the treatment of obesity. This study assesses the cost‐effectiveness of six pharmacotherapies and lifestyle intervention for people with mild obesity (body mass indices [BMIs] 30 to 35).MethodsA microsimulation model was constructed to compare seven weight loss strategies plus no treatment: intensive lifestyle intervention, orlistat, phentermine, phentermine/topiramate, lorcaserin, liraglutide, and semaglutide. Weight loss, quality‐of‐life scores, and costs were estimated using clinical trials and other published literature. Endpoints included costs, quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs), and incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios (ICERs) with a willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) threshold of $100 000/QALY. Results were analysed at 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year time horizons.ResultsAt each of the three follow‐up periods, phentermine was the cost‐effective strategy, with ICERs of $46 258/QALY, $20 157/QALY, and $17 880/QALY after 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Semaglutide was the most effective strategy in the 3‐ and 5‐year time horizons, with total QALYs of 2.224 and 3.711, respectively. However, the ICERs were prohibitively high at $1 437 340/QALY after 3 years and $576 931/QALY after 5 years. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses indicated these results were robust.ConclusionsPhentermine is the cost‐effective pharmacologic weight‐loss strategy. Although semaglutide is the most effective, it is not cost‐effective because of its high price.

Conventional therapies to multiple myeloma (MM) are not aimed at specific molecular targets leading ultimately to treatment resistance. Recent reports have shown that iron is instrumental in cancer development and progression and that high intracellular iron levels are associated with poor prognosis. We have demonstrated that MM cells exhibit dysregulated iron homeostasis and that limitation of cytosolic iron inhibits MM cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. The potential therapeutic role of iron should be further investigated to better understand how targeting high-iron MM cells could prevent or delay MM development and recurrence. Our study will provide crucial insights into the iron biology of MM pathogenesis and may lead to novel MM therapy. In this study, two mouse models, young Vk*MYC and old KaLwRij mice, were injected with iron dextran (1.25 mg/kg, IP, once a week). Tumor burden was monitored by serial Serum Protein Electrophoresis (SPEP) tests, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry. In vitro co-culturing of ARP1 MM cells with macrophages was employed to determine iron transfer. To determine iron's roles in MM evolution, we injected iron dextran into Vk*MYC mice at 8-week age. Vk*MYC mice develop MGUS around 40-50 weeks with plasma cell (PC) bone marrow infiltration and kidney damage etc. Iron-dextran was used because it is primarily taken up by macrophages. After 14-16 weeks of iron injection, M spike was detected in the injected Vk*MYC mice. The percentage of bone marrow plasma cells (CD138+) were significantly increased to 9% in the Vk*MYC mice injected with iron compared to control mice injected with vehicle by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. The acceleration of disease progression via iron injection was also tested in KaLwRij mice, which also spontaneously develops MGUS in old age. M protein was detected in 12 of 15 mice (80%) injected with iron dextran for 10 weeks and 1 of 5 KaLwRij (20%) control mice at 18-months of age. CD138+ B220- plasma cells were determined by flow cytometry. A significant increase of CD138+B220- plasma cells in iron treated mice (4% versus 2%) was observed compared to vehicle control mice. Deparaffined sections of bone marrow from the above mice were stained with Prussian blue and confirmed positive staining of macrophages from iron administrated mice. These results indicate that iron accelerates MGUS development in vivo. We next evaluated whether MM cells accumulate iron from the microenvironment. ARP1 MM cells were co-cultured with primary macrophages derived from mouse bone marrow to mimic disease environment in vitro. Under these conditions, MM cells induced macrophage polarization from M0 to M1 and M2. Furthermore, increased macrophage polarization was confirmed in vivo from the KaLwRij mice injected with 5TGM1 MM cells. To confirm that MM cells uptake iron from macrophages, increased intracellular ferritin levels were observed by western blot in ARP1 MM cells following co-culture with iron-loaded macrophages. We observed that this increase in intracellular ferritin was mediated via the transferrin receptor. This iron mobilization was prevented by iron chelation. Additionally, we confirmed that ferritin levels were higher in CD138+ primary human MM cells compared to CD138- non-MM cells by western blot. Our data indicate that MM cells promote macrophage polarization resulting in the transferring of iron into MM cells. The blockade of iron trafficking between MM cells and macrophages might hold a promise for the prevention and therapy in MM. Disclosures Bergsagel: Celgene: Consultancy; Ionis Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy. Zhan:BIPHARM LLC: Consultancy, Other: % Allocation of Profit.

Abstract Abstract 2865 Poster Board II-841 BACKGROUND: The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, which has been shown to be an essential cellular degradative system in myeloma cells, can also regulate bone formation through its effects on osteoblast differentiation. Retrospective analysis of variation of ALP during treatment with bortezomib indicates a close correlation between myeloma response and serum ALP levels which multiple studies have shown to be of bone origin. To determine if this effect is a class effect of proteasome inhibitors (PIs), this retrospective study analyzed variation of ALP in relationship to myeloma response during treatment with carfilzomib, the first in a new class of selective epoxyketone PIs that has demonstrated encouraging safety and efficacy in two phase 2 studies of relapsed or refractory myeloma patients. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of serum ALP was performed on relapsed or refractory myeloma patients enrolled on two phase 2 studies (PX-171-003 and PX- 171-004) evaluating the safety and efficacy of single agent carfilzomib. We analyzed data from 38 patients in the first cohort of the PX-171-003 study, a relapsed and refractory myeloma trial for patients who have received ≥ 3 prior therapies including bortezomib and an IMiD and 29 patients in PX-171-004, a relapsed or refractory myeloma trial that included bortezomib naïve patients. All patients received 20 mg/m2 of carfilzomib on Days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16 of a 28-day cycle. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients were enrolled. The median age was 63 years with a median time since diagnosis of 4.6 years, 52% were male, 84.% had relapsed after autologous transplants, 82.% were previously exposed to bortezomib, and 92% were previously exposed to an IMiD. Sixty seven patients with ALP data were evaluable for response. In PX-171-003 the ORR (≥PR) was 18% and the clinical benefit response (CBR; ≥MR) was 26%, while in PX-171-004 the ORR was 35.5% overall and 57% in bortezomib naive patients. ALP increment from baseline, which was most evident during the second cycle of treatment, was statistically different in patients who achieved ≥VGPR compared to all others on Days 1 (P=0.0049) and 8 (P=0.006) of Cycle 2. In all patients achieving a VGPR or better, ALP increased more than 15 units per liter at Cycle 2 Day 1 over baseline An ALP increase over the same period of time was seen in 26 %, 13%, and 11% of patients achieving PR, MR, and SD, respectively. None of the patients with progressive disease exhibited a similar increase. Our study indicates that response first assessed on Day 15 of Cycle 1 parallels the ALP elevation which returned to baseline levels at the end of Cycle 3. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective analysis on a subset of patients in these ongoing phase 2 studies of single agent carfilzomib in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma suggests that elevation in ALP may be associated with best response. Taken with previous publications describing bortezomib treatment, these results suggest that this specific anabolic bone phenomenon could be a class effect of proteasome inhibitors. These phase 2 studies are ongoing with a higher dose of carfilzomib (27 mg/m2) being evaluated. The data from this small subset analysis suggests that further exploration of this relationship is warranted. Disclosures: Zangari: Milllennium: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria; OrthoBiotech: Honoraria; Optum Health: Honoraria; Educational Concepts Group, LLC: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Vij:Proteolix: Consultancy, Research Funding. Jagannath:Millennium: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Honoraria; Merck: Honoraria. Siegel:Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Millennium: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Stewart:Millennium: Consultancy, Research Funding; Proteolix: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. Wang:Proteolix: Honoraria, Research Funding. Belch:Ortho Biotech: Honoraria, Research Funding. Jakubowiak:Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Centocor Ortho Biotech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Exelixis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Bristol-Myers-Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Trudel:Celgene: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Ortho Biotech: Honoraria. Bahlis:Celgene: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Ortho Biotech: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Lonial:Celgene: Consultancy; Millennium: Consultancy, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Gloucester: Research Funding. Singhal:Celgene: Speakers Bureau; Millennium: Speakers Bureau.

Abstract Histiocytic neoplasms are clonal, hematopoietic disorders characterized by an accumulation of abnormal monocyte-derived dendritic cells or macrophages in Langerhans Cell (LCH) and non-Langerhans (non-LCH) histiocytoses, respectively. The discovery of the BRAF V600E mutation in ~50% of patients with LCH and the non-LCH Erdheim-Chester Disease (ECD) provided the first molecular target in these patients and novel insights into the pathogenesis of these disorders. However, recurrent mutations in the majority of the ~50% of BRAF V600E-wild type patients with non-LCH are unknown. Moreover, recurrent mutations outside of the MAP kinase pathway are undefined throughout histiocytic neoplasms. To address these issues, we performed whole exome sequencing (WES) of frozen biopsies from 24 patients with LCH (n=10) or ECD (n=14) paired with peripheral blood mononuclear cells. 13/24 patients also underwent RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). All mutations in activating kinases were validated by droplet-digital PCR, while targeted-capture next-generation sequencing validated all others. Both adult (n=18; n=2 with LCH) and pediatric cases (n=9; n=8 with LCH) were included. Using combined WES/RNA-seq, activating kinase alterations were identified in 100% of patients. In LCH, 60% and 40% had BRAF V600E and MAP2K1 mutations, respectively. In non-LCH 51%, 14%, 14%, and 7% were BRAFV600E, ARAF, MAP2K1, and NRAS mutant (Fig1A). Overall, a mean of 7 non-synonymous mutations per adult patient was identified (range 1-22) compared with 5 mutations per pediatric patient (range 4-9; p =ns). Mutations affecting diverse cellular processes were found to co-exist with kinase mutations including mutations in epigenetic modifiers and the p38/MAPK pathway. In addition to kinase point mutations, RNA-seq identified recurrent, in-frame kinase fusions-a first for these disorders. All identified fusions were validated using FISH and RT-PCR. This includes novel fusions in BRAF (RNF11-BRAF and CLIP2-BRAF), as well as therapeutically important fusions in ALK (2 separate KIF5B-ALK fusions) and NTRK1 (LMNA-NTRK1;Fig1B). Expression of each fusion in Ba/F3 cells conferred cytokine-independent growth. Importantly, the BRAF fusions were found to be sensitive to MEK inhibition but resistant to vemurafenib while the ALK fusions conferred sensitivity to the ALK inhibitors crizotinib or alectinib. We next interrogated a validation cohort of 37 BRAF V600E-wild type, non-LCH, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples using targeted mutational profiling for MAP2K1, ARAF, NRAS, KRAS, and PIK3CA. This revealed activating mutations in MAP2K1 (32%; n=12), NRAS (16%; n=6), KRAS (11%; n=4), PIK3CA (8%; n=3), and ARAF (3%; n=1). Three of the investigated non-LCH patients with refractory disease and progressive organ dysfunction were treated with targeted therapies based on the discovery of novel kinase alterations described above. Treatment of 2 refractory MAP2K1- mutant, non-LCH patients with MEK inhibitors (trametinib or cobimetinib) resulted in dramatic clinical improvement (Fig1C). Both patients have been maintained on MEK inhibitor single-agent therapy with a sustained clinical response for >100 days. Further evidence of effective targeted inhibition was found in a refractory ECD patient carrying an ARAF S214A mutation. This patient failed to respond to 3 lines of prior therapies and suffered near blindness due to disease infiltration in the retina and optic nerves. Given a recent report of complete response to sorafenib in a lung cancer patient with an ARAF S214C mutation, we initiated sorafenib. Within 12 weeks, there was improvement in the patientÕs eyesight and decreased infiltrative disease, coinciding with >50% decrease in mutant ARAF DNA in plasma cell-free DNA. Whole exome and transcriptome sequencing identified activating kinase mutations or translocations in all patients with the common downstream effect of activating the MAPK pathway. The preliminary, dramatic, clinical efficacy observed with use of MEK and RAF inhibitors in MAP2K1 - and ARAF-mutated, non-LCH patients further supports the central role of targeting the MAPK pathway in these tumors. The discovery of the discussed mutations and fusions in diverse kinases provides critical new insights into the genetic events central to a spectrum of adult and pediatric histiocytic neoplasms. Figure 1. Figure 1. Disclosures Off Label Use: This abstract describes use of MEK inhibitors (both tremetinib and cobimetinib) as well as sorafenib for MEK1 and ARAF mutant histiocytosis. . Stephens:Foundation Medicine, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Miller:Foundation Medicine, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Ross:Foundation Medicine Inc.: Employment. Ali:Foundation Medicine Inc.: Employment. Hyman:Chugai Pharma: Consultancy; Biotherapeutics: Consultancy; Atara: Consultancy, Honoraria.

Intra-acinar trypsinogen activation occurs in the earliest stages of pancreatitis and is believed to play important roles in pancreatitis pathogenesis. However, the exact role of intra-acinar trypsin activity in pancreatitis remains elusive. Here, we aimed to examine the specific effects of intra-acinar trypsin activity on the development of pancreatitis using a transgenic mouse model. This transgenic mouse model allowed for the conditional expression of a mutant trypsinogen that can be activated specifically inside pancreatic acinar cells. We found that expression of this active mutated trypsin had no significant effect on triggering spontaneous pancreatitis. Instead, several protective compensatory mechanisms, including SPINK1 and heat shock proteins, were upregulated. Notably, these transgenic mice developed much more severe acute pancreatitis, compared with control mice, when challenged with caerulein. Elevated tissue edema, serum amylase, inflammatory cell infiltration and acinar cell apoptosis were dramatically associated with increased trypsin activity. Furthermore, chronic pathological changes were observed in the pancreas of all transgenic mice, including inflammatory cell infiltration, parenchymal atrophy and cell loss, fibrosis, and fatty replacement. These changes were not observed in control mice treated with caerulein. The alterations in pancreata from transgenic mice mimicked the histological changes common to human chronic pancreatitis. Taken together, we provided in vivo evidence that increased intra-acinar activation of trypsinogen plays an important role in the initiation and progression of both acute and chronic pancreatitis. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Trypsinogen is activated early in pancreatitis. However, the roles of trypsin in the development of pancreatitis have not been fully addressed. Using a genetic approach, we showed trypsin activity is critical for the severity of both acute and chronic pancreatitis.

Replacement of the exocrine parenchyma by fibrous tissue is a main characteristic of chronic pancreatitis. Understanding the mechanisms of pancreatic fibrogenesis is critical for the development of preventive and therapeutic interventions. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a rate-limiting enzyme for prostaglandin synthesis, is expressed in patients with chronic pancreatitis. However, it is unknown whether COX-2 can cause chronic pancreatitis. To investigate the roles of pancreatic acinar COX-2 in fibrogenesis and the development of chronic pancreatitis, COX-2 was ectopically expressed specifically in pancreatic acinar cells in transgenic mice. Histopathological changes and expression levels of several profibrogenic factors related to chronic pancreatitis were evaluated. COX-2 was expressed in the pancreas of the transgenic mice, as detected by Western blot analysis. Immunohistochemical staining showed COX-2 was specifically expressed in pancreatic acinar cells. COX-2 expression led to progressive changes in the pancreas, including pancreas megaly, persistent inflammation, collagen deposition, and acinar-to-ductal metaplasia. Quantitative RT-PCR and immunostaining showed that profibrogenic factors were upregulated and pancreatic stellate cells were activated in the COX-2 transgenic mice. Expression of COX-2 in pancreatic acinar cells is sufficient to induce chronic pancreatitis. Targeting this pathway may be valuable in the prevention of chronic pancreatitis. NEW & NOTEWORTHY COX-2 expression is observed in pancreatic tissues of human chronic pancreatitis. In this study, we showed that COX-2 expression caused the development of chronic pancreatitis in transgenic mice, supporting the idea that COX-2 inhibition may be an effective preventive and therapeutic strategy.

AbstractStructural plasticity in motoneurons may be influenced by activation history and motoneuron–muscle fiber interactions. The goal of this study was to examine the morphological adaptations of phrenic motoneurons following imposed motoneuron inactivity while controlling for diaphragm muscle inactivity. Well‐characterized rat models were used including unilateral C2 spinal hemisection (SH; ipsilateral phrenic motoneurons and diaphragm muscle are inactive) and tetrodotoxin phrenic nerve blockade (TTX; ipsilateral diaphragm muscle is paralyzed while phrenic motoneuron activity is preserved). We hypothesized that inactivity of phrenic motoneurons would result in a decrease in motoneuron size, consistent with a homeostatic increase in excitability. Phrenic motoneurons were retrogradely labeled by ipsilateral diaphragm muscle injection of fluorescent dextrans or cholera toxin subunit B. Following 2 weeks of diaphragm muscle paralysis, morphological parameters of labeled ipsilateral phrenic motoneurons were assessed quantitatively using fluorescence confocal microscopy. Compared to controls, phrenic motoneuron somal volumes and surface areas decreased with SH, but increased with TTX. Total phrenic motoneuron surface area was unchanged by SH, but increased with TTX. Dendritic surface area was estimated from primary dendrite diameter using a power equation obtained from three‐dimensional reconstructed phrenic motoneurons. Estimated dendritic surface area was not significantly different between control and SH, but increased with TTX. Similarly, TTX significantly increased total phrenic motoneuron surface area. These results suggest that ipsilateral phrenic motoneuron morphological adaptations are consistent with a normalization of motoneuron excitability following prolonged alterations in motoneuron activity. Phrenic motoneuron structural plasticity is likely more dependent on motoneuron activity (or descending input) than muscle fiber activity.