The Effects of Gestational Psychological Stress on Neonatal Mouse Intestinal Development.

BACKGROUND: Psychological stress during pregnancy has been shown to cause subsequent harm to the fetus and newborn. Many studies focus on neurodevelopmental outcomes, but little is known about the effect of gestational stress on intestinal immunity and development. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of psychological stress during pregnancy on intestinal architecture and growth in newborns. METHODS: Eight-week-old C57BL6 littermates underwent timed breeding. Pregnant dams were subjected to 1 h of daily psychological stress by using a well-established restraint model during days E7-E14. The distal ileum of 2-wk-old offspring of stressed mothers and nonstressed controls was harvested for histologic analysis. Slides were blinded to measure villus height and crypt depth and surface area. Serum was obtained to measure serum corticosterone levels. An explant model was used to measure corticosterone on the intestinal stem cell marker Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) and growth factors epidermal growth factor receptor and insulin-like growth factor-1. RESULTS: The villus height, crypt depth, and surface area were significantly decreased in newborn exposed to stress during gestation. In addition, corticosterone levels were elevated in 2-wk-old mice exposed to stress. Real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that explants exposed to corticosterone had a decrease in LGR5 compared with controls and an increase in epidermal growth factor receptor. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we establish that neonatal mice from mothers that were subjected to psychological stress during pregnancy have significantly shorter villi and crypts compared with controls. In addition, pups from stressed mothers have decreased expression levels of the intestinal stem cell marker LGR5. These findings will aid in determining the effect of gestational psychological stress on intestinal development and stem cell plasticity.

Exposure of neonatal mice to bromine impairs their alveolar development and lung function.

The halogen bromine (Br2) is used extensively in industry and stored and transported in large quantities. Its accidental or malicious release into the atmosphere has resulted in significant casualties. The pathophysiology of Br2-induced lung injury has been studied in adult animals, but the consequences of Br2 exposure to the developing lung are completely unknown. We exposed neonatal mouse littermates on postnatal day 3 (P3) to either Br2 at 400 ppm for 30 min (400/30), to Br2 at 600 ppm for 30 min (600/30), or to room air, then returned them to their dams and observed until P14. Mice exposed to Br2 had decreased survival (S) and had decreased weight (W) at P14 in the 400/30 group (S = 63.5%, W = 6.67 ± 0.08) and in the 600/30 group (S = 36.1%, W = 5.13 ± 0.67) as compared with air breathing mice (S = 100%, W = 7.96 ± 0.30). Alveolar development was impaired, as evidenced by increased mean linear intercept at P14. At P14, Br2 exposed mice also exhibited a decrease of arterial partial pressure of oxygen, decreased quasi-static lung compliance, as well as increased alpha smooth muscle actin mRNA and protein and increased mRNA for IL-1ß, IL-6, CXCL1, and TNFα. Global gene expression, evaluated by RNA sequencing and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, revealed persistent abnormalities in gene expression profiles at P14 involving pathways of "formation of lung" and "pulmonary development." The data indicate that Br2 inhalation injury early in life results in severe lung developmental consequences, wherein persistent inflammation and global altered developmental gene expression are likely mechanistic contributors.

Aurothioglucose does not improve alveolarization or elicit sustained Nrf2 activation in C57BL/6 models of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

We previously showed that the thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1) inhibitor aurothioglucose (ATG) improves alveolarization in hyperoxia-exposed newborn C3H/HeN mice. Our data supported a mechanism by which the protective effects of ATG are mediated via sustained nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation in hyperoxia-exposed C3H/HeN mice 72 h after ATG administration. Given that inbred mouse strains have differential sensitivity and endogenous Nrf2 activation by hyperoxia, the present studies utilized two C57BL/6 exposure models to evaluate the effects of ATG on lung development and Nrf2 activation. The first model (0-14 days) was used in our C3H/HeN studies and the 2nd model (4-14 days) is well characterized in C57BL/6 mice. ATG significantly inhibited lung TrxR1 activity in both models; however, there was no effect on parameters of alveolarization in C57BL/6 mice. In sharp contrast to C3H/HeN mice, there was no effect of ATG on pulmonary NADPH quinone oxidoreductase-1 ( Nqo1) and heme oxygenase-1 ( Hmox1) at 72 h in either C57BL/6 model. In conclusion, although ATG inhibited TrxR1 activity in the lungs of newborn C57BL/6 mice, effects on lung development and sustained Nrf2-dependent pulmonary responses were blunted. These findings also highlight the importance of strain-dependent hyperoxic sensitivity in evaluation of potential novel therapies.

Real-Time Monitoring of Bond Slip between GFRP Bar and Concrete Structure Using Piezoceramic Transducer-Enabled Active Sensing.

Glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRPs) have received increasing attention in recent years due to their overall performance of light weight, low cost and corrosion resistance, and they are increasingly used as reinforcement in concrete structures. However, GFRP material has low elastic modulus and linear elastic properties compared with steel bars, which introduces different bonding characteristics between bars and concrete. Therefore, a reliable monitoring method is urgently needed to detect the bond slip in GFRP-reinforced concrete structures. In this paper, a piezoceramic-based active sensing approach is proposed and developed to find the debonding between a GFRP bar and the concrete structure. In the proposed method, we utilize PZT (lead zirconate titanate) as two transducers. One acts as an actuator which is buried in the concrete structure, and the other acts as a sensor which is attached to the GFRP bar by taking advantage of machinability of the GRRP material. Both transducers are strategically placed to face each other across from the interface between the GFRP bar and the concrete. The actuator provokes a stress wave that travels through the interface. Meanwhile, the PZT patch that is attached to the GFRP bar is used to detect the propagating stress wave. The bonding condition determines how difficult it is for the stress wave traveling through the interface. The occurrence of a bond slip leads to cracks between the bar and the concrete, which dramatically reduces the energy carried by the stress wave through the interface. In this research, two specimens equipped with the PZT transducers are fabricated, and pull-out tests are conducted. To analyze the active sensing data, we use wavelet packet analysis to compute the energy transferred to the sensing PZT patch throughout the process of debonding. Experimental results illustrate that the proposed method can accurately capture the bond slip between the GFRP bar and the concrete.

Thioredoxin Reductase Inhibition Attenuates Neonatal Hyperoxic Lung Injury and Enhances Nuclear Factor E2-Related Factor 2 Activation.

Oxygen toxicity and antioxidant deficiencies contribute to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Aurothioglucose (ATG) and auranofin potently inhibit thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1), and TrxR1 disruption activates nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a regulator of endogenous antioxidant responses. We have shown previously that ATG safely and effectively prevents lung injury in adult murine models, likely via Nrf2-dependent mechanisms. The current studies tested the hypothesis that ATG would attenuate hyperoxia-induced lung developmental deficits in newborn mice. Newborn C3H/HeN mice were treated with a single dose of ATG or saline within 12 hours of birth and were exposed to either room air or hyperoxia (85% O2). In hyperoxia, ATG potently inhibited TrxR1 activity in newborn murine lungs, attenuated decreases in body weight, increased the transcription of Nrf2-regulated genes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate reduced quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) and heme oxygenase 1, and attenuated alterations in alveolar development. To determine the impact of TrxR1 inhibition on Nrf2 activation in vitro, murine alveolar epithelial-12 cells were treated with auranofin, which inhibited TrxR1 activity, enhanced Nrf2 nuclear levels, and increased NQO1 and heme oxygenase 1 transcription. Our novel data indicate that a single injection of the TrxR1 inhibitor ATG attenuates hyperoxia-induced alterations in alveolar development in newborn mice. Furthermore, our data support a model in which the effects of ATG treatment likely involve Nrf2 activation, which is consistent with our findings in other lung injury models. We conclude that TrxR1 represents a novel therapeutic target to prevent oxygen-mediated neonatal lung injury.

Establishment and characterization of a primary calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor cell population.

UNLABELLED: Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumors (CEOTs) are rare neoplasms derived from dental tissue with the unique characteristic of calcifying amyloid-like material. OBJECTIVES: To establish primary CEOT epithelial-derived cell populations, investigate the expression of enamel matrix proteins (EMPs), and identify potential ameloblastin (AMBN) and patched 1 (PTCH1) gene alterations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 28-year-old patient with a lesion of the posterior maxilla, radiographically characterized by a radiolucency with well-defined borders containing mixed radiopacities, agreed to participate with informed consent. The patient's biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of CEOT, and a small representative tumor fragment was ascertained for cell culture. Explant cultures were established and used to establish primary cell populations. These were analyzed for morphology, cell proliferation, mineralization activity, expression of epithelial-associated markers (qRT-PCR and immunocytochemistry), and gene mutations of AMBN or PTCH1. DNA was extracted from tumor cells and gene coding and exon-intron boundaries overlapping fragments amplified. PCR products were bidirectional DNA sequenced and compared against reference sequence. RESULTS: A CEOT cell population was established and proliferated in culture and could be maintained for several passages. Expression of EMPs, cytokeratin 14 and 17, and patched (PTCH1), as well as ALP activity, was detected. These cells also had the ability to mineralize, similar to the primary tumor. Two AMBN alterations were identified in the sample: c.1323G>A/A441A (rs7680880) and c.1344*+111delA. Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in the PTCH1 gene. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the establishment of a CEOT-derived cell population, which expresses known epithelial-associated proteins.

Targeting the sonic hedgehog pathway in keratocystic odontogenic tumor.

Keratocystic odontogenic tumors (KCOT) may occur sporadically or associated with the nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. It is a benign aggressive tumor of odontogenic epithelial origin with a high rate of recurrence. A primary human keratocystic odontogenic tumor cell population, KCOT-1, has been established from a tumor explant culture. The KCOT-1 cells were characterized by growth rate, gene expression profiles of major tooth enamel matrix proteins (EMPs), amelogenin (AMELX), enamelin (ENAM), ameloblastin (AMBN), amelotin (AMTN), tumor-related proteins enamelysin (MMP-20), kallikrein-4 (KLK-4), and odontogenic ameloblast-associated protein (ODAM) using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Cytokeratin 14 (CK14) was examined by immunohistochemistry. In addition, expression of the members of the sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway, SHH, patched (PTCH-1), smoothened (SMO), GLI-1, and GLI-2 and of the NOTCH signaling pathway, NOTCH-1, NOTCH-2, NOTCH-3, JAG-2 (Jagged-2), and Delta-like-1 (DLL-1) were evaluated. KCOT-1 cells were treated with SMO antagonist cyclopamine. We found that cyclopamine significantly arrested the growth of KCOT-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner and that the effects of cyclopamine were abolished by adding SHH protein. The protein expression of the SHH pathway was down-regulated by cyclopamine, further confirming that cyclopamine inhibits the SHH signaling pathway; SHH down-regulation correlated with the down-regulation of the NOTCH signaling pathway as well. In conclusion, using an established KCOT-1 cell population, we characterized the gene expression profiles related to the EMPs, SHH, and NOTCH signaling pathway and confirmed that cyclopamine significantly arrested the growth of KCOT-1 cells and may be a viable agent as a novel therapeutic.

Platelet Activating Factor Activity Modulates Hyperoxic Neonatal Lung Injury Severity.

Hyperoxia-induced inflammation contributes significantly to developmental lung injury and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. Platelet activating factor (PAF) is known to be a major driver of inflammation in lung diseases such as asthma and pulmonary fibrosis, but its role in BPD has not been previously investigated. Therefore, to determine whether PAF signaling independently modulates neonatal hyperoxic lung injury and BPD pathogenesis, lung structure was assessed in 14 day-old C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) and PAF receptor knockout (PTAFR KO) mice that were exposed to 21% (normoxia) or 85% O 2 (hyperoxia) from postnatal day 4. Lung morphometry showed that PTAFR KO mice had attenuated hyperoxia-induced alveolar simplification when compared to WT mice. Functional analysis of gene expression data from hyperoxia-exposed vs. normoxia-exposed lungs of WT and PTAFR KO showed that the most upregulated pathways were the hypercytokinemia/hyperchemokinemia pathway in WT mice, NAD signaling pathway in PTAFR KO mice, and agranulocyte adhesion and diapedesis as well as other pro-fibrotic pathways such as tumor microenvironment and oncostatin-M signaling in both mice strains, indicating that PAF signaling may contribute to inflammation but may not be a significant mediator of fibrotic processes during hyperoxic neonatal lung injury. Gene expression analysis also indicated increased expression of pro-inflammatory genes such as CXCL1, CCL2 and IL-6 in the lungs of hyperoxia-exposed WT mice and metabolic regulators such as HMGCS2 and SIRT3 in the lungs of PTAFR KO mice, suggesting that PAF signaling may modulate BPD risk through changes in pulmonary inflammation and/or metabolic reprogramming in preterm infants.

Antimicrobial peptides modulate lung injury by altering the intestinal microbiota.

BACKGROUND: Mammalian mucosal barriers secrete antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as critical, host-derived regulators of the microbiota. However, mechanisms that support microbiota homeostasis in response to inflammatory stimuli, such as supraphysiologic oxygen, remain unclear. RESULTS: We show that supraphysiologic oxygen exposure to neonatal mice, or direct exposure of intestinal organoids to supraphysiologic oxygen, suppresses the intestinal expression of AMPs and alters intestinal microbiota composition. Oral supplementation of the prototypical AMP lysozyme to hyperoxia-exposed neonatal mice reduced hyperoxia-induced alterations in their microbiota and was associated with decreased lung injury. CONCLUSIONS: Our results identify a gut-lung axis driven by intestinal AMP expression and mediated by the intestinal microbiota that is linked to lung injury in newborns. Together, these data support that intestinal AMPs modulate lung injury and repair. Video Abstract.

Antimicrobial peptides modulate lung injury by altering the intestinal microbiota.

Mammalian mucosal barriers secrete antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as critical host-derived regulators of the microbiota. However, mechanisms that support homeostasis of the microbiota in response to inflammatory stimuli such as supraphysiologic oxygen remain unclear. Here, we show that neonatal mice breathing supraphysiologic oxygen or direct exposure of intestinal organoids to supraphysiologic oxygen suppress the intestinal expression of AMPs and alters the composition of the intestinal microbiota. Oral supplementation of the prototypical AMP lysozyme to hyperoxia exposed neonatal mice reduced hyperoxia-induced alterations in their microbiota and was associated with decreased lung injury. Our results identify a gut-lung axis driven by intestinal AMP expression and mediated by the intestinal microbiota that is linked to lung injury. Together, these data support that intestinal AMPs modulate lung injury and repair. In Brief: Using a combination of murine models and organoids, Abdelgawad and Nicola et al. find that suppression of antimicrobial peptide release by the neonatal intestine in response to supra-physiological oxygen influences the progression of lung injury likely via modulation of the ileal microbiota. Highlights: Supraphysiologic oxygen exposure alters intestinal antimicrobial peptides (AMPs).Intestinal AMP expression has an inverse relationship with the severity of lung injury.AMP-driven alterations in the intestinal microbiota form a gut-lung axis that modulates lung injury.AMPs may mediate a gut-lung axis that modulates lung injury.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-121 Administration Mitigates Halogen Inhalation-Induced Pulmonary Injury and Fetal Growth Restriction in Pregnant Mice.

Background Circulating levels of sFLT-1 (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1), the extracellular domain of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 1, and its ratio to levels of placental growth factor are markers of the occurrence and severity of preeclampsia. Methods and Results C57BL/6 pregnant mice on embryonic day 14.5 (E14.5), male, and non-pregnant female mice were exposed to air or to Br2 at 600 ppm for 30 minutes and were treated with vehicle or with VEGF-121 (100 µg/kg, subcutaneously) daily, starting 48 hours post-exposure. Plasma, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, lungs, fetuses, and placentas were collected 120 hours post-exposure. In Br2-exposed pregnant mice, there was a time-dependent and significant increase in plasma levels of sFLT-1 which correlated with increases in mouse lung wet/dry weights and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid protein content. Supplementation of exogenous VEGF-121 improved survival and weight gain, reduced lung wet/dry weights, decreased bronchoalveolar lavage fluid protein levels, enhanced placental development, and improved fetal growth in pregnant mice exposed to Br2. Exogenous VEGF-121 administration had no effect in non-pregnant mice. Conclusions These results implicate inhibition of VEGF signaling driven by sFLT-1 overexpression as a mechanism of pregnancy-specific injury leading to lung edema, maternal mortality, and fetal growth restriction after bromine gas exposure.

Free fatty acids enhance breast cancer cell migration through plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and SMAD4.

Obesity is a risk factor for breast cancer and is associated with increased plasma concentrations of free fatty acids (FFAs). We and others have demonstrated that FFA induces plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression in a variety of cells. Emerging evidence supports elevation of PAI-1 as a prognostic marker for breast cancer. Therefore, we hypothesized that FFAs might increase expression of PAI-1 in breast cancer cells and facilitate breast cancer progression. Secreted PAI-1 was higher in invasive and metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells compared with less invasive and non-metastatic Hs578T cells. Utilizing FFAs with different saturation and chain lengths, we demonstrated that linoleic acid induced expression of PAI-1 in MDA-MB-231 cells. Linoleic acid also induced in vitro migration of MDA-MB-231. By contrast, other FFAs tested had little or no effect on PAI-1 expression or migration. Linoleic acid-induced breast cancer cell migration was completely inhibited by virally expressed antisense PAI-1 RNA. Furthermore, increased expression of PAI-1 by FFAs was not detected in the SMAD4-deficient MDA-MB-468 breast carcinoma cells. Electrophoretic mobility-shift assay confirmed that linoleic acid-induced expression of PAI-1 was mediated, at least in part, by SMAD4 in MDA-MB-231 cells. That linoleic acid induces PAI-1 expression in breast cancer cells through SMAD4 provides a novel insight into understanding the relationships between two migration-associated molecules, FFAs, and PAI-1.

Therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells producing interferon-alpha in a mouse melanoma lung metastasis model.

Adult stem cells represent a potential source for cell-based therapy of cancer. The present study evaluated the potential of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), genetically modified to express interferon (IFN)-alpha, for the treatment of lung metastasis in an immunocompetent mouse model of metastatic melanoma. A recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) 6 vector encoding IFN-alpha was used to transduce mouse bone marrow-derived MSC ex vivo. Expression and bioactivity of the transgenic protein from rAAV-transduced MSC were confirmed prior to in vivo studies. A lung metastasis model of melanoma was developed by i.v. injection of B16F10 cells into 8-week-old C57BL/6 mice. Ten days later, MSC transduced with rAAV-IFN-alpha or green fluorescent protein were intravenously injected. One cohort of mice was sacrificed to determine the effects of the therapy at an earlier time point, and another cohort was observed for long-term survival. Results indicated that systemic administration of MSC producing IFN-alpha reduced the growth of B16F10 melanoma cells and significantly prolonged survival. Immunohistochemistry analysis of the tumors from MSC-IFN-alpha-treated animals indicated an increase in apoptosis and a decrease in proliferation and blood vasculature. These data demonstrate the potential of adult MSC constitutively producing IFN-alpha to reduce the growth of lung metastasis in melanoma.

Corruption of neuroblastoma patient derived xenografts with human T cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Patient derived xenografts (PDXs) provide a unique opportunity for investigators to study tumor cell activity, response to therapeutics, and resistance patterns without exposing the human patient to experimental compounds, and thereby play a crucial role in pre-clinical evaluation of new therapies. It has been reported that PDXs may undergo a transformation to lymphoma, most commonly associated with Epstein Barr virus (EBV). If the character of a xenograft becomes compromised and remains undetected, it could have a detrimental impact on the research community as a whole. Our lab has established a number of pediatric solid tumor PDXs which accurately recapitulate the human tumors following several passages. One particular neuroblastoma PDX was noted to grow quickly and with an unusual phenotype, leading us to hypothesize that this PDX had undergone a transformation. METHODS: The PDX in question was investigated with histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), EBER in situ hybridization, and PCR to determine its identity. RESULTS: Histology on the tumor revealed a small, round blue cell tumor similar to the original neuroblastoma from which it was derived. IHC staining showed that the tumor was composed of lymphocytes that were CD3 positive, <5% CD4 positive, and CD20 negative. The cells were Epstein Barr virus negative. PCR demonstrated that the tumor was human and not murine in origin. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that a human T Cell lymphoma developed in place of this neuroblastoma PDX. Changes in PDX identity such as this one will significantly impact studies utilizing pediatric PDXs and the mechanism by which this occurred warrants further investigation.

CFTR dysfunction increases endoglin and TGF-ß signaling in airway epithelia.

Endoglin (ENG) regulates signaling by transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), a genetic modifier of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease severity. We hypothesized that ENG mediates TGF-ß pathobiology in CF airway epithelia. Comparing CF and non-CF human lungs, we measured ENG by qPCR, immunoblotting and ELISA. In human bronchial epithelial cell lines (16HBE), we used CFTR siRNA knockdown and functional inhibition (CFTRINH -172) to connect loss of CFTR to ENG synthesis. Plasmid overexpression of ENG assessed the direct effect of ENG on TGF-ß transcription and signal amplification in 16HBE cells. We found ENG protein to be increased more than fivefold both in human CF bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) and human CF lung homogenates. ENG transcripts were increased threefold in CF, with a twofold increase in TGF-ß signaling. CFTR knockdown in 16HBE cells tripled ENG transcription and doubled protein levels with corresponding increases in TGF-ß signaling. Plasmid overexpression of ENG alone nearly doubled TGF-ß1 mRNA and increased TGF-ß signaling in 16HBE cells. These experiments identify that loss of CFTR function increases ENG expression in CF epithelia and amplifies TGF-ß signaling. Targeting ENG may offer a novel therapeutic opportunity to address TGF-ß associated pathobiology in CF.

Mechanisms and Treatment of Halogen Inhalation-Induced Pulmonary and Systemic Injuries in Pregnant Mice.

Inhalation of oxidant gases has been implicated in adverse outcomes in pregnancy, but animal models to address mechanisms and studies to identify potential pregnancy-specific therapies are lacking. Herein, we show that inhalation of bromine at 600 parts per million for 30 minutes by pregnant mice on the 15th day of embryonic development results in significantly lower survival after 96 hours than an identical level of exposure in nonpregnant mice. On the 19th embryonic day, bromine-exposed pregnant mice have increased systemic blood pressure, abnormal placental development, severe fetal growth restriction, systemic inflammation, increased levels of circulating antiangiogenic short fms-like tyrosine kinase-1, and evidence of pulmonary and cardiac injury. Treatment with tadalafil, an inhibitor of type 5 phosphodiesterase, by oral gavage 1 hour post-exposure and then once daily thereafter, attenuated systemic blood pressures, decreased inflammation, ameliorated pulmonary and cardiac injury, and improved maternal survival (from 36% to 80%) and fetal growth. These pathological changes resemble those seen in preeclampsia. Nonpregnant mice did not exhibit any of these pathological changes and were not affected by tadalafil. These findings suggest that pregnant women exposed to bromine may require particular attention and monitoring for signs of preeclampsia-like symptoms.

Recombinant adeno-associated virus 2-mediated antiangiogenic prevention in a mouse model of intraperitoneal ovarian cancer.

PURPOSE: In the present study, we sought to determine the potential of sustained transgene expression by a single i.m. administration of recombinant adeno-associated virus 2 (rAAV) encoding angiostatin and endostatin in inhibiting i.p. ovarian cancer growth and dissemination in a preclinical mouse model. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Cohorts of female athymic nude mice received either no virus or 1.2 x 10(11) particles of rAAV encoding green fluorescence protein or endostatin plus angiostatin, i.m. Three weeks later, the mice were i.p. injected with 10(6) human epithelial ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3.ip1. As a measure of effectiveness of the therapy, tumor weight, abdominal distension, ascites volume and vascular endothelial growth factor level, and tumor weight were determined. Immunohistochemistry was done to determine tumor cell apoptosis and endothelial cell proliferation following the therapy. Tumor-free survival was recorded as the end point. RESULTS: Results indicated a significant tumor-free survival (P < 0.003) following therapy with rAAV encoding endostatin and angiostatin compared with untreated or rAAV-green fluorescence protein-treated mice. Ascites volume in rAAV endostatin and angiostatin-treated mice was significantly lower than naive mice and contained less hemorrhage and tumor conglomerates. The level of vascular endothelial growth factor in the ascites of antiangiogenic vector treated mice was also significantly less compared with the untreated mice. Immunohistochemical analyses indicated increased tumor cell apoptosis and decreased blood vasculature following rAAV endostatin and angiostatin treatment. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that antiangiogenic genetic prevention from stable systemic levels of angiostatin and endostatin by i.m. administration of rAAV can be used for the treatment of i.p. ovarian cancer growth and dissemination.

Genomic stability of self-complementary adeno-associated virus 2 during early stages of transduction in mouse muscle in vivo.

Studies have demonstrated that packaging of recombinant adeno-associated virus 2 (rAAV) as self-complementary duplex strand (sc) results in early transgene expression, possibly eliminating rate-limiting second-strand synthesis. In the present study, we evaluated the molecular organization, stability of the sc AAV genome, and transgene expression in the quadriceps muscle of C57BL/6J mice in vivo as compared with single-stranded (ss) AAV. Studies were carried out with rAAV encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) or human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) either as single-stranded or self-complementary duplex strand structures, encapsidated in AAV-2 capsids. Mice were injected with 10(11) particles of the respective viruses and the vector-injected muscles were harvested 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, or 2 months later. Tissues were processed for total DNA isolation for the analyses of vector genomic configuration and copy number, and for immunostaining of transgene expression. ELISA was done on serum samples to quantitate CEA-specific humoral immune response as a correlate of transgene expression. Results of Southern blot and PCR analyses indicated more disintegration of the monomeric ss AAV DNA in vivo compared with linear sc AAV DNA. The results also indicated efficient conversion of the self-complementary duplex-stranded vector genome to dimer during early time points. As expected, transgene expression was detected at early time points with self-complementary duplex-stranded vector and persisted stably. However, the advantage of higher transgene expression from sc AAV was balanced over time by the single-stranded vector. These data demonstrate that sc AAV provides better stability for transgene structure during the initial stages of transduction and may have better utility in AAV gene therapy in situations, which mandate early transgene expression.

[Experimental study of dually targeting gene therapy system for pituitary adenomas].

OBJECTIVE: To construct a dually targeting gene therapy system for pituitary adenomas and investigate its effect. METHODS: Promoter hGHp containing human growth hormone gene was obtained from human genome and cloned into the plasmid pcDNA3.1/His A with the promoter cut to construct the recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1/His A-hGHp. HSV-TK gene was obtained from the plasmid pcDNA3.1/His A-TK and integrated into the plasmid pcDNA3.1/His A-hGHp to construct the recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1/His A-hGHp-TK. A GE7 gene delivery system-mediated human growth hormone promoter controlled gene therapy system was constructed by adding the mixture of GE7-polylysine and HA20-polylysine into the DNA solution. Human growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma cells of the GH3 line, human myeloma cells of the U-2OS line, and human oophoroma cells of the HO8910PM line were cultured and transfected with PBS or GE7 packaged pcDNA3.1/HisA-TK or pcDNA3.1/HisA-hGHp-TK. Western blotting was used to examine the expression of PBS or GE7 packaged pcDNA3.1/HisA-TK or pcDNA3.1/HisA-hGHp-TK protein, MTT method was used to detect the cell survival rate. Another GH3, U-2OS, and HO8910PM cells were cultured and transfected with PBS or GE7 packaged pcDNA3.1/HisA-TK or pcDNA3.1/HisA-hGHp-TK and then ganciclovir (GCV) was added. MTT method was used to examine the cell survival rates. GH3 cells were injected subcutaneously into the right axilla of 200 SD nude rats loaded with human pituitary adenoma. Three weeks after the rats were randomly divided into 5 equal groups: PBS group in which PBS was injected into the tumor and GCV was injected peritoneally; GE7 group in which GE7-polylysine and HA20-polylysine were injected into the tumor and GCV was injected peritoneally; without TK group in which GE7-packaged pcDNA3.1/His A-hGHp was injected into the tumor and GCV was injected peritoneally; without GCV group in which GE7-packaged pcDNA3.1/His A-hGHp-TK was injected into the tumor and PBS was injected peritoneally; and treatment group in which GE7-packaged pcDNA3.1/His A-hGHp-TK was injected into the tumor and GCV was injected peritoneally. Peritoneal injection lasted 21 days for all groups. On the days 3, 7, 14, and 21 eight rats from each group were killed to measure the volume of tumor. The survival rate of the rest 8 rats was observed. RESULTS: A dually targeting gene therapy system for pituitary adenoma was composed successfully. HSV-TK protein was expressed in the GH3 cells but not in the U-2OS and HO8910PM cells after transfection of GE7-packaged pcDNA3.1/HisA-hGHp-TK; and was expressed in the GH3 and HO8910PM cells but not in the U-2OS cells after transfection of GE7-packaged pcDNA3.1/HisA-TK. Transfection of GE7-packaged pcDNA3.1/HisA-hGHp-TK and addition of GCV significantly decreased the survival rate of the GH3 cells, but did not influence the survival rates of the U-2OS and HO8910PM cells. Transfection of GE7-packaged pcDNA3.1/HisA-TK and addition of GCV significantly decreased the survival rate of GH3 and HO8910PM cells but did not influence the survival of the U-2OS and HO8910PM cells. When the GH3 cells were transfected with GE7-packaged pcDNA3.1/HisA-hGHp-TK with the addition of GCV of the concentration of 4 mg/L the survival rate decreased to 10%, when the GCV concentration was raised to 8 mg/L the survival rate of the GH3 cells was < 5%. Three days after the beginning of treatment the tumor volume of different groups of rats increased at different degrees and the tumor was smallest in the treatment group in comparison with the other groups (all P < 0.05). Seven days after the beginning of treatment the tumor volume of the treatment group significantly decreased and the tumors of the other groups still increased (all P < 0.001). The survival time of the treatment group was over 120 days, significantly longer than those of the other groups (all about 40 days). CONCLUSION: GE7 system-mediated hGHp controlled gene therapy system is hopeful to be the targeted therapeutic strategy for pituitary adenomas.

Augmentation of antitumor activity of a recombinant adeno-associated virus carcinoembryonic antigen vaccine with plasmid adjuvant.

Recombinant adeno-associated virus 2 (rAAV) vectors have been successfully used for sustained expression of therapeutic genes. The potential of using rAAV as a cancer vaccine vector and the impact of a bacterial plasmid adjuvant on this activity were investigated. C57BL/6 mice received a single intramuscular injection of rAAV expressing the human tumor-associated antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Three weeks later, when CEA expression was optimal, a bacterial plasmid containing methylated DNA motifs was injected into the same muscle. Mice were challenged 1 week later with syngeneic MC38 tumor cells stably expressing CEA. Immunization with rAAV-CEA alone resulted in sustained transgene expression and the elicitation of a humoral immune response to CEA. Cellular immune response, however, was weak, and tumor protection was not significant. In contrast, immunization with rAAV-CEA and the plasmid adjuvant resulted in stronger cellular immune response to CEA and tumor protection. The addition of plasmid adjuvant increased both myeloid dendritic cell recruitment in situ and CEA-specific T-helper-1-associated immune response. These data indicate that robust rAAV transgene expression of a tumor antigen followed by transient plasmid delivery to recruit and activate dendritic cells is an effective method of eliciting antitumor cellular immune responses.