Calcium-mediated transductive systems and functionally active gap junctions in astrocyte-like GL15 cells. (9/67632)

BACKGROUND: It has been proposed that GL15, a human cell line derived from glioblastoma multiforme, is a possible astroglial-like cell model, based on the presence of cytoplasmic glial fibrillary acidic protein. RESULTS: The aim of this work was to delineate the functional characteristics of GL15 cells using various experimental approaches, including the study of morphology, mechanism of induction of intracellular Ca2+ increase by different physiological agonists, and the presence and permeability of the gap-junction system during cell differentiation. Immunostaining experiments showed the presence and localization of specific glial markers, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein and S100B, and the lack of the neuronal marker S100A. Notably, all the Ca2+ pathways present in astrocytes were detected in GL15 cells. In particular, oscillations in intracellular Ca2+ levels were recorded either spontaneously, or in the presence of ATP or glutamate (but not KCl). Immunolabelling assays and confocal microscopy, substantiated by Western blot analyses, revealed the presence of connexin43, a subunit of astrocyte gap-junction channels. The protein is organised in characteristic spots on the plasma membrane at cell-cell contact regions, and its presence and distribution depends on the differentiative status of the cell. Finally, a microinjection/dye-transfer assay, employed to determine gap-junction functionality, clearly demonstrated that the cells were functionally coupled, albeit to varying degrees, in differentiated and undifferentiated phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, results from this study support the use of the GL15 cell line as a suitable in vitro astrocyte model, which provides a valuable guide for studying glial physiological features at various differentiation phases.  (+info)

Manipulation of gene expression by an ecdysone-inducible gene switch in tumor xenografts. (10/67632)

BACKGROUND: Rapid, robust and reversible induction of transgene expression would significantly facilitate cancer gene therapy as well as allow the in vivo functional study of newly discovered genes in tumor formation and progression. The popularity of the ecdysone inducible gene switch system has led us to investigate whether such a system can successfully regulate gene expression in a syngeneic tumor system in vivo. RESULTS: MBT-2 and Panc02 carcinoma cells were transfected with components of a modification of the ecdysone switch system driving firefly luciferase (F-Luc). In vitro luciferase expression +/- ecdysone analog GS-E indicated a robust induction with minimal baseline activity and complete decay after 24 hours without drug. In vitro selection of MBT-2 transfected cell clones which had complete absence of F-Luc expression in the absence of stimulation but which expressed this gene at high levels in response to GS-E were chosen for in vivo evaluation. Tumors from engineered MBT-2 cells were grown to 5 mm in diameter prior to GS-E administration, animals euthanized and tumors removed at 6, 12 and 24 hours after GS-E administration and assayed for F-Luc activity. GS-E resulted in a maximal induction of F-Luc activity at 6 hours in tumor tissue with almost complete reversion to control levels by 12 hours. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first demonstration that robust and reversible transgene expression in tumors is feasible using the ecdysone system, allowing future rapid in vivo functional characterization of gene function or gene therapy applications.  (+info)

The farnesyl transferase inhibitor RPR-130401 does not alter radiation susceptibility in human tumor cells with a K-Ras mutation in spite of large changes in ploidy and lamin B distribution. (11/67632)

BACKGROUND: Growth inhibition by RPR-130401, a non-peptidomimetic farnesyltransferase inhibitor, was investigated without or with combined exposure to ionizing radiation in three human tumor cell lines (HCT-116, MiAPaCa-2 and A-549) bearing a point mutation in the K-Ras gene. RESULTS: RPR-130401 inhibited cell growth with an IC50 of 50 nM (HCT-116), 120 nM (MiAPaCa-2) and 710 nM (A-549), with a poor incidence of apoptosis. The drug brought about G1 and S phase depletion together with arrest of cells in G2 phase and induced a significant accumulation of hyperploid cells showing active S phase DNA synthesis, with HCT-116 and A-549 cells being the most and least responsive, respectively. The drug also produced dramatic changes of the nuclear lamin B pattern, without lamin B cleavage and perturbation of the actin cytoskeleton. On the other hand, RPR-130401 elicited strictly additive interaction in combined treatment with ionizing radiation with regard to cell kill, altered cell cycle progression and induced hyperploidy. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that disruption of orderly progression through mitosis and cytokinesis, is a major outcome of drug action and that this effect proceeds from inhibition of lamin B farnesylation. It is anticipated from the strict additivity of RPR-130401 and radiation that neither induced radiation resistance nor acute or late complications of radiotherapy, should occur in combined treatment with RPR-130401.  (+info)

The inhibition of lung cancer cell growth by intracellular immunization with LC-1 ScFv. (12/67632)

A monoclonal antibody, LC-1, recognizing lung cancer associated common antigens was obtained in authors' laboratory. Its single chain Fv fragment (ScFv) named LC-1 ScFv was constructed based on recombinant phage displayed techniques. For expression on cell membrane, LC-1 ScFv was cloned into pDisplay vector, which directed the cloned gene to express as cell membrane bound protein. The resulting plasmid was sequenced and then introduced by the lipofectin method into a lung adenocarcinoma cell line SPC-A-1. G418 resistant cells were obtained by G418 selection. After transfection, LC-1 ScFv expression was observed by Western blot analysis and the expression of cognate antigens was down-regulated as shown in ELISA assay. SPC-A-1-pDisplay-ScFv cells grew in vitro at lower speed than the control intact cells and the cells transfected with vacant vector. Flow cytometry analysis detected a substantial increase in G1 phase and decrease in S phase in population of SPC-A-1-pDisplay-ScFv cells compared to SPC-A-1 and SPC-A-1-pDisplay cells. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that c-myc expression was down-regulated in SPC-A-1-pDisplay-ScFv cells. It seems that the antigens recognized by LC-1 may be in some way involved in a growth stimulating pathway and the antibody blocking of the function of the antigens shut down the pathway and thus down-regulate the expression of c-myc and growth of the cells.  (+info)

Glycerol restores heat-induced p53-dependent apoptosis of human glioblastoma cells bearing mutant p53. (13/67632)

BACKGROUND: We have previously reported that glycerol acts as a chemical chaperone to restore the expression of WAF1 in some human cancer cell lines bearing mutant p53. Since the expression of WAF1 is up-regulated by activated wildtype p53, glycerol appears to restore wtp53 function. The aim of the present study is to examine the restoration of heat-induced p53-dependent apoptosis by glycerol in human glioblastoma cells (A-172) transfected with a vector carrying a mutant p53 gene (A-172/mp53 cells) or neo control vector (A-172/neo cells). RESULTS: A-172/mp53 cells showed heat resistance compared with A-172/neo cells but A-172/mp53 cells in turn became heat sensitive when pre-treated with glycerol before heat treatment. The accumulation of Bax in the A-172/mp53 cells was induced by heating with glycerol pre-treatment, but not without it, whereas the accumulation in the A-172/neo cells was induced in both cases. Furthermore, mp53 extracted from heated cells came to bind to the sequence specific region after heating combined with glycerol pre-treatment. The phosphorylation of mp53 at serine15 was suppressed by an inhibitor of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) family. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that glycerol is effective in inducing conformational change of phosphorylated p53 and restoring mp53 to wtp53 function, leading to enhanced heat sensitivity through the induction of apoptosis. This novel tool for enhancement of heat sensitivity in cancer cells bearing mp53 may be applicable for p53-targeted hyperthermia, because mutation or inactivation of p53 is observed in approximately 50% of human cancers.  (+info)

A transcriptional response to Wnt protein in human embryonic carcinoma cells. (14/67632)

BACKGROUND: Wnt signaling is implicated in many developmental decisions, including stem cell control, as well as in cancer. There are relatively few target genes known of the Wnt pathway. RESULTS: We have identified target genes of Wnt signaling using microarray technology and human embryonic carcinoma cells stimulated with active Wnt protein. The ~50 genes upregulated early after Wnt addition include the previously known Wnt targets Cyclin D1, MYC, ID2 and betaTRCP. The newly identified targets, which include MSX1, MSX2, Nucleophosmin, Follistatin, TLE/Groucho, Ubc4/5E2, CBP/P300, Frizzled and REST/NRSF, have important implications for understanding the roles of Wnts in development and cancer. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide blocks induction by Wnt, consistent with a requirement for newly synthesized beta-catenin protein prior to target gene activation. The promoters of nearly all the target genes we identified have putative TCF binding sites, and we show that the TCF binding site is required for induction of Follistatin. Several of the target genes have a cooperative response to a combination of Wnt and BMP. CONCLUSIONS: Wnt signaling activates genes that promote stem cell fate and inhibit cellular differentiation and regulates a remarkable number of genes involved in its own signaling system.  (+info)

JTE-522, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in RL95-2 cells. (15/67632)

AIM: To investigate whether JTE-522 [4-(4-cyclohexyl-2-methyloxazol-5-yl)-2-fluorobenzenesulfonamide], a selective COX-2 inhibitor, can induce apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation in human endometrial cancer cell line RL95-2 cells and to explore the molecular mechanisms. METHODS: [3-(4,5)-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), DNA ladder, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), flow cytometry, RT-PCR, and Western blot analysis were employed to investigate effect of JTE-522 on human endometrial cancer cell line RL95-2 cells and the related molecular mechanisms. RESULTS: JTE-522 inhibited the growth of RL95-2 cells and induced the apoptosis. Furthermore, it arrested G0/G1 phase and inhibited S phase in RL95-2 cells. JTE-522 inhibited the expressions of COX-2 mRNA, phosphorylated Rb, and CDK4 proteins, while increased the levels of p53, p21, cyclin D1 proteins, and the activity of caspase-3 in RL95-2 cells. CONCLUSION: JTE-522 inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in RL95-2 cells, which may be associated with the activation of caspase-3-like proteases, down-regulation of the expression of COX-2 mRNA, phosphorylated Rb, and CDK4 proteins, and up-regulation of the expressions of p53, p21, and cyclin D1 proteins.  (+info)

Flow cytometry--a rapid tool to correlate functional activities of human peripheral blood lymphocytes with their corresponding phenotypes after in vitro stimulation. (16/67632)

BACKGROUND: While dealing with mixed in vitro lymphocyte cultures one is faced with the problem of relative contributions of different populations to the activity being studied. This is especially true in the controversy relating to the contributions of lymphocyte sub-populations to the Lymphokine Activated Killer (LAK) phenomenon. Flowcytometry can be used to highlight relative contributions of lymphocyte subpopulations towards LAK activity without resorting to difficult purification strategies. We set up long-term in vitro lymphocyte cultures, stimulated them with cytokines IL-2/IL-12, recorded their phenotypic changes and cytotoxic activity against U-937 tumor targets. RESULTS: The results indicated that natural killer cells (NK) constituted the predominant proliferating cell population in the cytokine stimulatedcultures. Flowcytometric evidence revealed that CD56+ T cells contributed little to LAK activity against U937 target cells as compared to cells with NK phenotype which were predominantly responsible for spontaneous killing of the tumor targets. The two cytokines, IL-2 and IL-12, had an additive effect on cell proliferation and spontaneous cytotoxicity. CONCLUSION: Flowcytometry can be used to rapidly delineate phenotypic changes in immune cells after stimulation and simultaneously correlate them with corresponding functional activity. This approach may find application as a initial screening tool for studying different types of cells in mixed cultures and their respective activities under stimulatory / inhibitory conditions.  (+info)