Ovarian neoplasm development by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) in a chemically-induced rat model of ovarian failure.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to determine the time course for ovarian failure in rats caused by 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) and develop a model for ovarian cancer in which ovarian neoplasms were chemically induced in an animal that was follicle depleted, but retained residual ovarian tissue. METHODS: Initially, female Fisher 344 rats were treated with VCD (to induce ovarian failure) or vehicle control (sesame oil). Three or 6 months after treatment, ovaries were collected and processed for histological evaluation for confirmation of ovarian failure. A further set of female rats was assigned to four groups exposed to combinations of vehicle control, VCD and/or DMBA (directly applied to the ovary) in a novel model for examining early stages of ovarian neoplasia. RESULTS: Three and 6 months following VCD dosing there was a significant reduction of ovarian weight and follicle number. Treatment with DMBA subsequent to VCD resulted in tumors in 42% of animals at 3 months and 57% at 5 months. All neoplasms were classified Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors (SLCT). No tumor occurred in animals treated with vehicle or DMBA alone. CONCLUSIONS: These studies demonstrate that the VCD-treated rat can be used as a model for peri- and post-menopause. DMBA induction of ovarian neoplasms was greater in those rats treated with VCD. Whether this increase was due to tumor initiation by VCD or was the result of ovarian failure cannot be distinguished from these results. This represents the only animal model to date for sex cord stromal tumors.

Characterization of drug-resistant neuroblastoma cell lines by comparative genomic hybridization.

Three parental neuroblastoma cell lines and nine derived lines resistant to Vincristin, Doxorubicin and Cisplatin, respectively, using CGH were studied. CGH profiles of all three parental cell lines were obtained using DNA from a healthy volunteer as reference DNA. Labeled DNA from each of the drug resistant daughter cell lines and labeled DNA from their parental sensitive cell lines were hybridized to obtain a comparison of gains and losses that accompanied the development of resistance for that particular drug. All three parental cell lines were characterized by typical findings for high risk neuroblastoma: N-myc amplification, gain of 17q, and loss of 1p36.2-36.3. Acquired drug resistance in the neuroblastoma cell lines appeared to be accompanied by a large array of DNA sequence copy number changes. The regions frequently affected in chemo-resistant cell lines included gains of 13q14.1-32, and 7q11.2-31.3, 4 q. Amplifications were seen at 7q 21.1 consistent with MDR1 amplification in UKF-NB-2 VCR, UKF-NB-3 DOXO, UKF-NB-4 VCR, and UKF-NB-4 DOXO, but not in any Cisplatin resistant line. All Cisplatin and Doxorubicin and two Vincristin resistant line (UKF-NB-2 VCR and UKF-NB-4 VCR) had a deletion of part of 19q or the whole 19 chromosome. All lines resistant to Vincristin or Doxorubicin and two Cisplatin resistant lines (UKF-NB-2 CDDP and UKF-NB-4 CDDP) had a deletion of at least part of 17q, UKF-NB-4 DOXO had deletion of the whole chromosome 17. The loss of 17q may cause chemoresistance by deletion of topoisomerase IIalpha gene. Deletion of 19 q in all but one chemo-resistant lines may influence of cytochromes P450 genes which are located on 19q13.2. Also gains of 15q 22, which were detected in UKF-NB-4 VCR, UKF-NB-2 DOXO and UKF-NB-4 DO X O, may affect other cytochromes P450 genes.

Detection of minimal bone marrow infiltration in patients with localized and metastatic Ewing sarcoma using RT-PCR.

Ewing sarcoma and related neoplasias are characterized by the presence of specific chromosomal translocations resulting in EWS/ETS gene rearrangements. Created EWS/ETS-oncogene fusion transcripts can be detected in up to 98% of ESFT and provide tumour-specific markers useful in diagnostics. Using RT-PCR for detection of this aberration we can reveal minimal amounts of tumour cells contaminating BM, blood or apheresis products. We have examined BM samples from 22 patients (21 newly diagnosed and one recurrent disease) with histologically confirmed ESFT for the presence of contaminating tumour cells in BM at the time of diagnosis. Sixteen patients presented with localized disease, six had distant metastases at the first presentation. Ewing sarcoma cells were detected in the BM of 5/16 (31%) patients with localized disease and 3/6 (50%) with clinically detectable metastases at diagnosis. BM smears prepared from the same aspirates evaluated by light microscopy were all negative, even in two patients with multiple bone disease. We have confirmed the high sensitivity of the RT-PCR assay for detection of minimal BM infiltration in localized and metastatic ESFT. We have found that more than a quarter of patients with localized ESFT have minimal BM infiltration. Although the clinical significance of the minimal disease detected at the molecular level remains unknown, RT-PCR evaluation may enable better stratification of patients into risk groups in the future.

Significance of P-glycoprotein expression in childhood malignant tumors.

Resistance to chemotherapy significantly affects the treatment results in various cancers. Multidrug resistance caused by P-glycoprotein expression is now widely studied in human malignancies. We present the results of P-glycoprotein expression examination in 91 tumor tissue samples obtained from children treated for different malignant tumors in the Dept. of Pediatric Oncology, Prague. The correlation between the level of P-glycoprotein expression and tumor histology, clinical outcome, use of therapy, relapse rate and metastatic disease was made. P-glycoprotein expression was found significantly more frequent in soft tissue sarcomas, neuroblastomas, and hepatoblastomas, and generally in disseminated disease. On the contrary, a high expression of P-glycoprotein was not found in malignant brain tumors and nephroblastomas. The data strongly support the possibility that the percentage of P-glycoprotein expressing cells in selected tumors (soft tissue sarcomas, neuroblastomas), may have a clinical importance.