Effect of κ-opioid receptor agonist on the growth of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells.

BACKGROUND: It is becoming increasingly recognised that opioids are responsible for tumour growth. However, the effects of opioids on tumour growth have been controversial. METHODS: The effects of κ-opioid receptor (KOR) agonist on the growth of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells were assessed by a cell proliferation assay. Western blotting was performed to ascertain the mechanism by which treatment with KOR agonist suppresses tumour growth. RESULTS: Addition of the selective KOR agonist U50,488H to gefitinib-sensitive (HCC827) and gefitinib-resistant (H1975) NSCLC cells produced a concentration-dependent decrease in their growth. These effects were abolished by co-treatment with the selective KOR antagonist nor-BNI. Furthermore, the growth-inhibitory effect of gefitinib in HCC827 cells was further enhanced by co-treatment with U50,488H. With regard to the inhibition of tumour growth, the addition of U50, 488H to H1975 cells produced a concentration-dependent decrease in phosphorylated-glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (p-GSK3ß). CONCLUSION: The present results showed that stimulation of KOR reduces the growth of gefitinib-resistant NSCLC cells through the activation of GSK3ß.

Resistance to oncogenic transformation in revertant R1 of human ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells.

A flat revertant, R1, was isolated from human activated c-Ha-ras-1 (hu-ac-Ha-ras) gene-transformed NIH 3T3 cells (EJ-NIH 3T3) treated with mutagens. R1 contained unchanged transfected hu-ac-Ha-ras DNA and expressed high levels of hu-ac-Ha-ras-specific mRNA and p21 protein. Transfection experiments revealed that NIH 3T3 cells could be transformed by DNA from R1 cells but R1 cells could not be retransformed by Kirsten sarcoma virus, DNA from EJ-NIH 3T3 cells, hu-ac-Ha-ras, v-src, v-mos, simian virus 40 large T antigen, or polyomavirus middle T antigen. Somatic cell hybridization studies showed that R1 was not retransformed by fusion with NIH 3T3 cells and suppressed anchorage independence of EJ-NIH 3T3 and hu-ac-Ha-ras gene-transformed rat W31 cells in soft agar. These results suggest that the reversion and resistance to several oncogenes in R1 is due not to cellular defects in the production of the transformed phenotype but rather to enhancement of cellular mechanisms that suppress oncogenic transformation.

Age-related emotionality is associated with cortical delta-opioid receptor dysfunction-dependent astrogliosis.

Multiple changes occur in the aging brain, leading to age-related emotional disorders. A growing body of recent evidence suggests that the cortical delta-opioid receptor system plays a critical role in anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in the rodent. In this study, we show that aging mice promoted anxiety-like behaviors as characterized by both the light-dark and elevated plus-maze tests, and they exhibit an increase in astrocytes in the cingulate cortex due to the dysfunction of cortical delta-opioid receptor systems. As well as aging mice, mice with a dysfunction of the delta-opioid receptor system induced by chronic treatment with the selective delta-opioid receptor antagonist naltrindole, revealed astrogliosis in the cingulate cortex, which was associated with anxiety. We also found that the microinjection of cultured astrocytes into the cingulate cortex of young mice enhanced the expression of anxiety-like behavior. Our results indicate that the aging process promotes astrogliosis in the cingulate cortex through the dysfunction of cortical delta-opioid receptors. This phenomenon may lead to emotional disorders including aggravated anxiety during normal aging.

Serologically defined, unique surface antigen on a mouse mammary adenocarcinoma.

Syngeneic A.SW mice were immunized with sublethal viable cells of a spontaneous mammary adenocarcinoma S3W. The serum was tested by complement-dependent cytotoxicity against in vitro-cultured S3W cells and a spectrum of controls. S3W cells were found to react with at least four different kinds of antibodies in the serum. One antigen was present on several leukemia cell lines. A second cross-reactive antigen was detected on polyoma virus-induced tumors. A third was demonstrated on other mammary carcinoma lines and in a sarcoma of C3H origin. Following the removal of all three antibodies by absorption with the appropriate cross-reactive target cells, a fourth antibody remained that gave a strong cytotoxic reaction with S3W but with no other target line tested.

No expression of a Rous sarcoma virus-induced tumor antigen in mammalian cells infected with retroviruses transducing other oncogenes of the src gene family.

Immunization with mouse and rat cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) or by B77 avian sarcoma virus (ASV) induced complete transplantation resistance against an RSV-induced mouse tumor (CSA1M) in syngeneic hosts. In contrast, most of the mice immunized with a Fujinami sarcoma virus-transformed rat fibroblast line (FSV-3Y1), a feline sarcoma virus-transformed cat fibroblast line (FeSV-FEF), an Abelson leukemia virus-infected Balb/3T3 cell line (AbLV-3T3), or an uninfected 3Y1 cell line could not reject the CSA1M. Serologic analysis with the use of a complement-dependent cytotoxicity assay supported the results of transplantation studies. The mouse and rat cells transformed by RSV or B77 ASV expressed a common tumor-specific cell surface antigen (TSSA) detected by syngeneic antiserum against the CSA1M, whereas none of the FSV-3Y1, FeSV-FEF, and AbLV-3T3 cells expressed the TSSA. These results suggest that the common TSSA in the mouse and rat cells transformed by RSV or B77 ASV containing src gene is not shared with mammalian cells infected with retroviruses transducing other oncogenes of the src gene family (i.e., fps, fes, and abl).

Independent expression of common and private tumor-specific cell surface antigens in somatic cell hybrids between Rous sarcoma virus-transformed and normal cells.

Somatic cell hybrids were prepared by fusion of a Rous sarcoma virus (RSV)-induced mouse tumor (CSA1M cl-11) with a Chinese hamster embryo lung fibroblast line (Wg3h X AGr X Ouar). Some hybrid clones showed rapid anchorage-independent growth and intracellular production of RSV-pp60src. Other hybrid clones showed slow anchorage-dependent growth and no production of such a protein. The former expressed both a common tumor-specific cell surface antigen(s) (TSSA) shared with other RSV-induced tumors and a private TSSA not shared with any other tumors; however, the latter lost the common TSSA and expressed only the private TSSA. These results suggest that the common and private TSSA on CSA1M cl-11 cells are independent genetic traits and only the common TSSA is coordinated with other expressions of the RSV src gene phenotype.

Specific chromosome translocation in pristane-induced plasmacytomas of NZB mice.

The karyotypes of 3 pristane (2,6,10,14-tetramethyl-pentadecane)-induced NZB mouse plasmacytomas producing IgA (plasmacytoma TEPC-3660), IgG3K (plasmacytoma TEPC-6583), and IgG2aK plus IgG3K (plasmacytoma TEPC-6906) were studied in early transplantation generations by the combined Hoechst 33258-quinacrine mustard banding method. The two IgG producers (TEPC-6583 and TEPC-6906) showed diploid chromosome number, whereas the IgA producer (TEPC-3660) showed hypotetraploid chromosome number. Banding analysis revealed that these 3 plasmacytomas consistently had the t(12;15) translocation with the specific breakpoints at 12F2 and 15D2. Taken together with the previous observation of t(12;15) in plasmacytomas of BALB/c and C3H mice, these results suggest that the t(12;15) is specific for murine plasmacytomas and that the putative gene(s) on the t(12;15) may participate in the genesis of murine plasmacytomas.

Transplantation resistance to a Rous sarcoma virus-induced tumor in mice immunized with v-src protein.

It is of great interest in tumor immunology to know whether oncogene products could be used not only as tumor markers for cancer diagnosis, but also as immunogens for cancer therapy. BALB/c mice immunized with syngeneic fibroblasts, Escherichia coli cells producing p60v-src, or the purified p60v-src protein extracted from the E. coli producer cells showed transplantation resistance to a Rous sarcoma virus-induced tumor but not a Kirsten sarcoma virus-induced tumor. In contrast, mice immunized with cells not producing p60v-src or their derived proteins or with chicken ovalbumin did not show any significant resistance. These findings suggest that p60v-src can act as a specific transplantation rejection antigen in mice.

Establishment of four mouse hybridoma cell lines producing monoclonal antibodies reactive with ras oncogene product p21.

With the use of proteins derived from Escherichia coli cells expressing the v-H-ras gene product as immunogens and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with whole cells for a screening method, 4 BALB/c mouse hybridoma cell lines (rp-12, rp-28, rp-35, and rp-38) were isolated that produced monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) showing higher reactivity with murine ras gene-activated cell lines than with normal cell lines. All the MoAbs complexed p21ras from the ras gene-activated cell lines in Western immunoblot analysis and demonstrated a binding property of p21ras to guanine nucleotides. The indirect immunofluorescence assay revealed that MoAbs rp-12 and rp-28 stained the murine and human H- or K-ras-activated cell lines, and MoAbs rp-35 and rp-38 not only stained these cell lines but also weakly stained a human N-ras-activated cell line. All these MoAbs stained the murine fibroblast lines with lower intensity, but they did not stain a human fibroblast line. Further, positive reactions with MoAb rp-12 were seen against human melanomas, but there was no reaction against nevi. The rp-12, rp-28, rp-35, and rp-38 antibodies are useful additions to the MoAbs reacting with p21ras reported previously.

A monoclonal antibody against gamma-glutamyltransferase from human primary hepatoma: its use in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of sera of cancer patients.

A monoclonal antibody, gamma-120, was raised against a highly purified gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma GT) from human primary hepatoma. The antibody preferentially bound to the small subunit of gamma GT from human hepatoma and kidney as evidenced by immunoblot analysis. Weak binding to the normal liver enzyme could be detected by solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). With the use of this antibody, an ELISA was developed for the quantitation of immunoreactive gamma GT in human serum. Sera of 188 normal control subjects displayed a low level (9.4 micrograms/ml) of immunoreactive gamma GT. Highly elevated levels of immunoreactive gamma GT were detected in the sera of patients with primary hepatoma, metastatic liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and certain types of lung cancer. Slightly elevated levels of immunoreactive gamma GT were seen in the sera of patients with liver cirrhosis. The levels of gamma GT were within a normal range in the sera of patients with gastrointestinal cancers and patients with nonmalignant diseases such as hepatitis and gallstones. The antibody has been shown to be useful for the diagnosis of some of the neoplastic diseases.

Individually distinct tumor-specific cell surface antigen identified by monoclonal antibody on a Rous sarcoma virus-induced mouse tumor.

Hybrid cell lines were prepared by the fusion of BALB/c myeloma P3U-1 cells with the lymphocytes of BALB/c mice that were immunized with syngeneic Rous sarcoma virus (RSV)-induced tumor CSA1M cells. Three clones of the hybrid progeny (3.4B2, 3.4C6, and 3.5C11) produced cytotoxic IgM antibodies against CSA1M cells. One of the clones, 3.5C11, was chosen for analysis of the detailed specificity. Both direct cytotoxicity assays and absorption tests revealed that monoclonal antibody from 3.5C11 was positive only with CSA1M cells and that it failed to react with other tumors, including 20 RSV-induced mouse tumors, and normal cells. The 3.5C11 monoclonal antibody alone, with or without exogenous complement, was suppressive in the therapy of ip injected CSA1M tumor in syngeneic hosts, and significant prolongation in survival was seen in the treated mice. These results clearly showed presence of an individually distinct tumor-specific cell surface antigen on an RSV-induced mouse tumor.

Cell-surface antigens induced by Friend and Rauscher virus complexes and their associated lymphatic leukemia viruses in the rat.

The WKA/Mk rat tumors induced by Friend virus complex, Rauscher virus complex, and their associated lymphatic leukemia viruses were investigated for their antigenic relationhips with transplantation experiments and cytotoxicity tests. It was found that Friend lymphatic leukemia virus-induced tumors lacked part of the tumor-associated transplantation antigens (TATA's) on Friend virus complex-induced tumors, and the former did not express the type-specific (Friend) TATA for the latter not shared by Rauscher virus complex-induced tumors, which was previously reported by the authors. In contrast, the antigenic differences between TATA's of Rauscher virus complex-induced tumors and those of Rauscher lymphatic leukemia virus-induced tumors were not clearly demonstrated. Furthermore, these studies indicated that Rauscher lymphatic leukemia virus-induced tumors had a weak type-specific TATA not shared by the tumors induced by Friend lymphatic leukemia virus. These results of transplantation studies were also serologically supported by cytotoxicity tests.

Treatment of runting syndrome and prevention of primary lymphomas in friend virus-tolerant rats.

A series of experiments showed that the inoculation of spleen and lymph node cells from rats immunized with Friend lymphoma (WFT-13) CELLS INTO Friend virus-tolerant rats induced the runting syndrome in nearly all cases, and immunological tolerance to WFT-13 was not broken in any survivors. However, th inoculation of specific immune spleen and lymph node cells admixed with normal bone marrow cells suppressed the runting death. In addition, in these animals the primary lymphomas that ordinarily occur about 200 days after neonatal inoculation of Friend virus did not appear. The mixture of immune spleen and lymph node cells and normal spleen and lymph node cells or normal thymus cells was ineffective in preventing the runting death or the incidence of primary lymphoma. Spleen and lymph node cells from normal rats or rats immunized with antigenically different AH-66 cells were also without effect. Spleen and lymph node cells from rats immunized with sheep red blood cells had a relatively high incidence of the runting syndrome; a few survivors rejected the WFT-13 transplants and also did not develop primary lymphomas. These results suggest that a supplement of hematopoietic stem cells from bone marrow eill not only prevent the runting death of Friend virus-tolerant rats produced by inoculating immune lymphoid cells but will also prevent the expected occurrence of primary lymphomas.

Histopathology of regression of tumor metastasis in the lymph nodes.

A transplanted rat lymphosarcoma (SGT-4), induced by Gross virus and inoculated s.c. into the foot of a normal syngeneic rat, initially grew but ultimately regressed. The tumor cells metastasized to the regional popliteal, lumbar, and inguinal lymph nodes and formed massive metastatic foci there. These lymph node metastases also regressed spontaneously. However, in Gross-tolerant rats inoculated with Gross virus at birth, no regression was observed. Histopathologically, infiltration and proliferation of lymphoid cells, reticulum cells, and bifrocytes occurred in the regressing metastatic tumor in lymph nodes as well as in the regressing transplanted tumor in the foot. Only in lymph nodes of normal rats, in which tumor metastasis regressed, was the characteristic "starry sky" appearance observed. Our results suggest that regression of metastatic tumor in lymph nodes, as well as of transplanted tumor in syngeneic rats, was due to an immunological reaction by the host and that an immunological factor may be responsible for the "starry sky" picture.

Adoptive immunotherapy of a Gross virus producing lymphoma and a methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma in tolerant rats.

Immunological tolerance to Gross virus-specific transplantation antigens in rats given neonatae transfer of donor lymphoid cells beneath the kidney capsule of syngeneic recipient rats. Immune or normal donor cells invariably developed a cell-mediated immune reaction in kidneys of GV-tolerant recipients, presumably against GV antigens present on the surface of recipient lymphoid cells in the kidney. Spleen and lymph node cells from tolerant rats failed to develop a reaction in tolerant recipients, but developed a strong reaction to histoincompatible antigens in the kidneys of semisyngeneic tolerant rats. The immunologically tolerant state in the rats could be broken by adoptive transfer of spleen and lymph node cells from syngeneic rats immunized with GV-induced lymphoma cells. Immunotherapy of a GV-induced and also a GV-infected methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma growing in tolerant rats was successful when immune spleen and lymph node cells were administered i.p. 3 days after s.c. inoculation of 2 X 10(7) tumor cells in the case of the lymphoma, and 1 day after inoculation of 5 X 10(6) tumor cells in the case of the fibrosarcoma.

Prognostic value of nuclear DNA content and expression of the ras oncogene product in lung cancer.

We evaluated the prognostic significance of nuclear DNA content by flow cytometry and ras oncogene expression in paraffin-embedded sections of tumors obtained surgically from 112 non-small cell lung cancer patients. Sixty-five (77%) of the 84 tumors had DNA aneuploid patterns that were statistically higher in adenocarcinoma than in squamous cell carcinoma. Of the 91 patients analyzed immunohistochemically using anti-ras Mr 21,000 protein (p21) monoclonal antibody rp-35, positive reactions (weak and strong) were observed in 56% of squamous cell carcinomas and 68% of adenocarcinomas. A better 5-yr survival rate was observed in the DNA diploid group (61%) than in the DNA aneuploid group (35%) (P less than 0.01). Patients with p21-negative tumors survived significantly longer (5-yr survival rate of 64%) than did those with p21-weak tumors (38%, P less than 0.05) or those with p21-strong tumors (12%, P less than 0.01). Cox's multivariate analysis showed that DNA ploidy, ras p21 expression, and the stage of the disease were significant prognostic factors for survival. However, the DNA content was not a major independent prognostic factor in adenocarcinoma. The intensity of ras p21 expression was not correlated with nuclear DNA content. These results suggest that DNA content or enhanced ras p21 expression may be different biological markers indicating the malignant potential of lung tumors.

Xenogenization of a mouse lung carcinoma (3LL) by transfection with an allogeneic class I major histocompatibility complex gene (H-2Ld).

We investigated the tumorigenicity and immunogenicity of tumor cells transfected with an allogeneic class I major histocompatibility complex gene. A single clone (3LL/3) from a Lewis lung carcinoma in the C57BL/6 strain (H-2b) was cotransfected with a BALB/c genomic clone containing an H-2Ld gene and a bacterial neo gene conferring resistance to G418. Three Ld-positive, three Ld-negative, and two Neor clones were selected by means of a 125I-protein A binding assay using an anti-H-2Ld monoclonal antibody. The antigenic expression of the H-2Ld gene products was only 20-40% on the Ld-positive clones compared with Meth-A tumor cells of BALB/c mice. The 50% lethal tumor dose of these clones in C57BL/6 mice was 5.6 X 10(6) in the Ld-positive clones, but only 1.3 X 10(5) in the 3LL/3 parent clone, 1.2 X 10(5) in the Neor clones, and 2.2 X 10(5) in the Ld-negative clones. The tumorigenicity of the Ld-positive clones was, therefore, reduced to less than 1/40 of that of the parent tumor cells. The decreased tumorigenicity of the Ld-positive clones was abrogated in mice irradiated with 600 rads. After inoculation and spontaneous regression of the viable Ld-positive clone cells, the mice acquired transplantation resistance against the challenge of a parental 3LL/3 tumor. However, the immunogenicity variation between Ld-positive, Ld-negative, Neor, and 3LL/3 parent clones showed no statistical difference. These results indicate that tumor cells transfected with an allogeneic class I H-2 gene can express an H-2 foreign antigen, can regress in syngeneic hosts, and can induce antitumor transplantation resistance against the original tumors, although they are not able to enhance their immunogenicity.

Identification of the transformation-associated cell surface antigen expressed on the rat fetus-derived fibroblast.

A WKA rat fetus-derived fibroblast cell line WFB showed strict nontransformant phenotypes in vitro such as anchorage dependency of cell growth in soft agar, contact inhibition, and serum dependency on the monolayer cell culture. Transfection of 6.6-kilobase EJras oncogene into WFB resulted in the acquisition of tumorigenicity in vitro and in vivo. The cell surface antigen that is moderately or highly expressed on these WFB transformants, designated as W14 and W31, was analyzed using monoclonal antibody 109 that was produced after the immunization of BALB/c mice with W31. Moab 109 recognized a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 36,000 composed of a single polypeptide chain with 5.4 isoelectric point value. This antigen was highly expressed on WFB EJras and polyoma middle T-DNA transformants, but was undetectable or at the best only faintly recognized on WFB parental cells, transfectants of WFB with c-myc, and normal thymus, liver and kidney of WKA adult rats. It was also clearly expressed on the EJras transformants of Fisher rat fetus-derived 3Y1 fibroblast, but very faintly on parental 3Y1. Furthermore, this antigen was detected on some rat T-lymphoma and gliosarcoma lines. However, it was undetectable on EJras transformants on NRK-49F rat kidney cells and NIH3T3 and BALB3T3 mouse cells. In addition, this antigen appeared on the cell surface of concanavalin A-activated WKA rat lymphocytes and WKA rat on the 16th day of embryo but not on the 8th. These results suggested that the cell surface antigen detected by Moab 109 was clearly unrelated to the ras oncogene product p21 that was highly expressed on EJras-transformants of WFB or 3Y1 cells. Furthermore, it was shown that W14 and W31 cells but not parental WFB cells were susceptible to rat splenic NK cells that were induced by poly(I-C) treatment. Pretreatment of these W14 or W31 cells with Moab 109 could block the NK cell activity against W14 and W31. These data suggest that this antigen may act as one of the NK target structures, and plays an important role as a tumor antigen on the host tumor surveillance, since the antigen was expressed (a) on the cell surface after the cell transformation or enhanced DNA synthesis of some particular cells, and (b) in the W31 tumor developing progressively in the syngeneic rats.

Frequent loss of gelsolin expression in non-small cell lung cancers of heavy smokers.

Most lung and bladder cancers have been shown to be associated with smoking. We have previously demonstrated the frequent loss of gelsolin expression and its tumor suppressor activity in bladder cancer (M. Tanaka et al., Cancer Res., 55: 3228-3232, 1995). Here, we examined gelsolin expression in 12 cultured non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines. Furthermore, we analyzed gelsolin expression in relation to patients' smoking habits in 88 surgically resected NSCLCs to investigate whether gelsolin could be a molecular target for tobacco-induced carcinogenesis of lung cancer. All 12 NSCLC cell lines showed low-to-undetectable expression of the gelsolin gene, compared to that in normal lung tissue, by Northern blot analysis. On the other hand, Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA did not show any gross rearrangements or deletions of the gene in the NSCLC cell lines. Western blot analysis of gelsolin expression showed low-to-undetectable gelsolin expression in all 12 NSCLC cell lines, compared to normal lung tissue. Immunocytochemical analysis of gelsolin expression in NSCLC cell lines showed results that were consistent with those obtained by Western blot analysis, using normal bronchial epithelial cells as a positive control: two cell lines with lower gelsolin expression by Western blot analysis had reduced but positive cytoplasmic immunostaining of gelsolin, compared with primary normal bronchial epithelial cells, whereas no such immunostaining was observed in two cell lines with much lower or undetectable gelsolin expression by Western blot analysis. Therefore, gelsolin expression was analyzed in surgically resected NSCLCs by immunohistochemistry. Reduced or undetectable gelsolin expression was observed in 48 of 88 (55 %) resected NSCLCs. Such altered gelsolin expression significantly correlated with heavy smoking of patients (> or =20 pack-years; P = 0.008 by the chi2 test and P = 0.03 by multivariate logistic regression analysis), whereas there was no significant correlation between gelsolin expression and histological type, pathological tumor-node-metastasis (pTNM) stage, or survival. These findings suggest that the frequent loss of gelsolin expression may be involved in the development of NSCLCs as a potential molecular target of tobacco-induced carcinogenesis.

Gelsolin: a candidate for suppressor of human bladder cancer.

Human transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder frequently reveal chromosomal abnormalities that span a range between chromosome 9p12 and 9qter, even at early stages of bladder carcinogenesis. Because the gene that encodes an actin-regulatory protein, gelsolin, is localized in chromosome 9q33, we examined the expression of gelsolin in a number of human bladder cancer cell lines and tissues. In all 6 cell lines and in 14 of the 18 tumor tissues (77.8%), gelsolin expression was undetectable or extremely low in comparison with its expression in normal bladder epithelial cells. Furthermore, upon the introduction of the exogenous human or mouse authentic gelsolin cDNA into a human bladder cancer cell line, UMUC-2, gelsolin transfectants of UMUC-2 greatly reduced the colony-forming ability and the tumorigenicity in vivo. These results suggest that gelsolin plays a key role as a tumor suppressor in human urinary bladder carcinogenesis.