A fluorescence photobleaching assay of gap junction-mediated communication between human cells.

Gap junction-mediated communication between contiguous cells has been implicated in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. This report describes a new technique to measure cell-cell communication, gap fluorescence redistribution after photobleaching, which is based on the diffusion-dependent return of 6-carboxyfluorescein-mediated fluorescence in a photobleached cell that is in contact with other fluorescently labeled cells. Fluorescence recovery rates are interpreted as dye transport across gap junctions. Results of experiments on normal human fibroblasts and human teratocarcinoma cells show that this technique can measure rapid dye transfer and detect inhibition of communication (between teratocarcinoma cells) by the tumor promoters 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate and the pesticide dieldrin.

Elimination of metabolic cooperation in Chinese hamster cells by a tumor promoter.

Wild-type Chinese hamster V79 cells (6-thioguanine-sensitive) reduce the recovery of 6-thioguanine-resistant cells when they are cultured together at high densities, through a form of intercellular communication (metabolic cooperation). Cooperation is inhibited by 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate, rescuing the 6-thioguanine-resistant cells. These results may be useful in the study of an aspect of the mechanism of tumor promotion and in assaying for promoters.

Non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls induce a release of arachidonic acid in liver epithelial cells: a partial role of cytosolic phospholipase A(2) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 signalling.

Non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDL-PCBs) have been shown to act as tumor promoters in liver; however, the exact mechanisms of their action are still only partially understood. One of the interesting effects of NDL-PCBs is the acute inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC), an effect, which has been often found to be associated with tumor promotion. As previous studies have suggested that NDL-PCB-induced disruption of lipid signalling pathways might correspond with GJIC inhibition, we investigated effects of PCBs on the release of arachidonic acid (AA) in the rat liver epithelial WB-F344 cell line, a well-established model of liver progenitor cells. We found that both 2,2',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 47) and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 153), but not the dioxin-like, non-ortho-substituted, 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126), induce a massive release of AA. The AA release, induced by PCB 153, was partially inhibited by extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) signalling inhibitor, U0126, and by cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) inhibitor, AACOCF(3). Although PCB 153 induced both ERK1/2 and p38 activation, the specific p38 kinase inhibitor, SB203580, had no effect on AA release. Inhibitors of other phospholipases, including phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C or phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C, were also without effect. Taken together, our findings suggest that the AA release, induced by non-dioxin-like PCBs in liver progenitor cell line, is partially mediated by cytosolic PLA(2) and regulated by ERK1/2 kinases. Our results suggest that more attention should be paid to cell signalling pathways regulated by AA or eicosanoids after PCB exposure, which might be involved in their toxic effects.

Promotion of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced mammary tumorigenesis by high dietary fat in the rat: possible role of intercellular communication.

The effect of high levels of dietary fat on the promotion phase of rat mammary tumorigenesis and the effect of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids on metabolic cooperation in hamster cells were examined. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were given iv injections of 5 mg 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) and subsequently placed on 20% high-fat (HF) and 4.5% corn oil control (CF) diets. Rats treated with DMBA and fed HF diet for the entire duration of the experiment developed more tumors with shorter latency than rats fed CF diet for the entire experiment. Rats fed HF diet for 3 weeks at different times after DMBA treatment showed similar, enhanced mammary tumor development. Lengthening the duration of HF diet treatment (0, 3, 6, 16 wk) increased mammary tumor development, suggesting a time dose-response relationship. Removal of the HF diet treatment partially reversed its stimulatory effects on tumor development. These results indicate that dietary fat acts as a classical tumor promoter to enhance mammary tumorigenesis. The influence of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids on metabolic cooperation between 6-thioguanine-sensitive (6-TGS) and 6-thioguanine-resistant (6-TGr) Chinese hamster V79 cells was examined. Linoleic acid, palmitoleic acid, and arachidonic acid significantly increased the recovery of 6-TGr cells at noncytotoxic concentrations. Stearic acid, palmitic acid, and arachadic acid had no effect on the recovery of 6-TGr cells at either cytotoxic or noncytotoxic concentrations. These results demonstrate that unsaturated fatty acids but not saturated fatty acids can inhibit metabolic cooperation between Chinese hamster V79 cells, and suggest, mechanistically, that high dietary levels of polyunsaturated fat could promote tumorigenesis by inhibition of intercellular communication.

Influence of lipids on gap-junction-mediated intercellular communication between Chinese hamster cells in vitro.

The influence of lipids on gap-junction-mediated intercellular communication (i.e., metabolic cooperation) between Chinese hamster V79 cells was investigated. Unsaturated free fatty acids (oleate, linoleate, linolenate, palmitoleate, myristoleate, and arachidonate) inhibited metabolic cooperation between 6-thioguanine-resistant, hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase-deficient and 6-thioguanine-sensitive, hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase-proficient V79 cells. Saturated fatty acids (stearate, palmitate, myristate, and arachidate) had no effect. Further characterization of the effects of fatty acids on metabolic cooperation is summarized as follows: a relationship between the degree of unsaturation and the ability of unsaturated fatty acids to inhibit metabolic cooperation could not be established (i.e., inhibition of metabolic cooperation by 18:1 greater than 18:2 = 18:3); longer carbon chain monounsaturated fatty acids are more effective in inhibiting metabolic cooperation (i.e., inhibition of metabolic cooperation by 18:1 greater than 16:1 greater than or equal to 14:1); geometric isomerism is of some importance in determining the efficacy of monounsaturated fatty acids to inhibit metabolic cooperation (i.e., inhibition of metabolic cooperation by cis 18:1 greater than trans 18:1 and cis 16:1 greater than trans 16:1); and the position of the double bond(s) is relatively unimportant (i.e., inhibition of metabolic cooperation by 18:3 = gamma 18:3). Unsaturated diacylglycerol compounds (diolein, dilinolein, and 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl glycerol) inhibit metabolic cooperation; a saturated diacylglycerol compound (distearin) had no effect. The position of the unsaturated fatty acid groups is not of importance in the inhibition of metabolic cooperation by diacylglycerols containing unsaturated fatty acid moieties (i.e., 1,2-diolein and 1,3-diolein are equally efficacious in inhibiting metabolic cooperation; relative inhibition of metabolic cooperation by 18:1 greater than 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl glycerol greater than 1,2-diolein). Alterations of membrane biophysical properties and protein kinase C involvement are discussed as possible mechanisms involved in the inhibition of metabolic cooperation by unsaturated lipid.

Aphidicolin-induced endoreduplication in Chinese hamster cells.

Aphidicolin, a specific inhibitor of DNA polymerase alpha, was found to induce high frequencies of endoreduplication in Chinese hamster V79 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The aphidicolin-induced endoreduplication was observed when cells were incubated at 37 degrees but not at 41 degrees. Since it is known that DNA polymerase beta is more thermally labile than is DNA polymerase alpha, the data are consistent with the hypothesis that DNA polymerase beta might be responsible for endoreduplication as was reported in mouse trophoblast cells. From the induced diplochromosomes, it was observed that the two unifilarly 5-bromodeoxyuridine-substituted chromatids are generally paired and located inside, whereas the two bifilarly 5-bromodeoxyuridine-substituted chromatids are flanking outside regardless of the presence of sister chromatid exchange or intradiplochromatid interchange.

Characterization of a human teratocarcinoma cell assay for inhibitors of metabolic cooperation.

Although a Chinese hamster V79 cell-based assay for inhibitors of metabolic cooperation is currently available, the development of a human cell-based assay is desirable in order to avoid inappropriate extrapolation from animal cells to human cells. Cells derived from a human teratocarcinoma cell line (designated PA-1), which has a stable pseudodiploid karyotype and excellent in vitro growth properties, were used in a metabolic cooperation assay. The assay was based on the metabolic isolation of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT)-deficient variants in the presence of HGPRT-proficient cells and 6-thioguanine. Chemicals which inhibit the transfer of the lethal metabolite of 6-thioguanine from HGPRT-proficient to HGPRT-deficient cells will allow for recovery of the 6-thioguanine-resistant (HGPRT-deficient) cells. Chemicals tested included 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and related analogues phorbol-12,13-didecanoate, mezerein, and 4-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate. Concurring with results previously obtained in V79 cells, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and phorbol-12,13-didecanoate strongly inhibited metabolic cooperation, whereas mezerein was moderately inhibitory and 4 alpha-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate was inactive. These cells thus hold promise as a human cell-based assay for inhibitors of metabolic cooperation.

Effects of harman and norharman on spontaneous and ultraviolet light-induced mutagenesis in cultured Chinese hamster cells.

Nontoxic concentrations of harman and norharman were tested in cultured Chinese hamster cells for their effects on DNA repair and mutagenesis. The following effects of harman were observed: (a) the survival of ultraviolet light- or X-ray-damaged cells was reduced; (b) the ultraviolet light-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis was slightly inhibited; and (c) the frequency of spontaneous or ultraviolet light-induced ouabain-resistant (ouar) or 6-thioguanine-resistant (6-TGr) mutations was reduced. Furthermore, the effect of harman on survival and mutagenesis was greater than that of norharman and was detected primarily in treatments in which cells were exposed to harman immediately following ultraviolet light irradiation. Our data clearly indicate that harman decreases the capacity to repair DNA damage and fix mutations in Chinese hamster cells, possibly because of the intercalation properties of this compound.

Effect of phorbol myristate acetate on the recovery of spontaneous and ultraviolet light-induced 6-thioguanine and ouabain-resistant Chinese hamster cells.

12-0-Tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and phorbol were tested in Chinese hamster cells for their effects on mutagenesis (resistance to 6-thioguanine and to ouabain), DNA repair, and survival after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Recovery of 6-thioguanine- and ouabain-resistant colonies was significantly increased by TPA treatment and, to a lesser extent, by phorbol in UV-irradiated cells. Moreover, maximum enhancement of recoverable UV-induced 6-thioguanine- and ouabain-resistant mutants occurred when TPA was present after the mutation "expression" time and after the completion of DNA repair. This eenhancement effect, while persisting up to 18 days in the 6-thioguanine mutation system, was maximal when TPA was applied about 2 days after UV irradiation for the ouabain resistance mutation system. No significant decrease in cell survival was noted after post-UV treatment with TPA or phorbol, under conditions where there was a slight but nonspecific inhibition of unscheduled DNA repair synthesis. These results do not support the hypothesis that the tumor-promoting activity of TPA is due to its ability to inhibit "error-free" excision repair. The results are, however, consistent with a "two-stage" hypothesis of carcinogenesis which includes mutational and epigenetic mechanisms to explain the initiation and promotion phases.

Excision of pyrimidine dimers from epidermal DNA and nonsemiconservative epidermal DNA synthesis following ultraviolet irradiation of mouse skin.

Pyrimidine dimer production and excision in epidermal DNA were studied at five different dose levels of ultraviolet light in the skin of intact mice. Dimer production increased with dose up to 50,400 ergs/sq mm. Approximately 30% of the thymine-containing dimers were excised by 24 hr after irradiation at three lower dose levels of ultraviolet light. Nonsemiconservative DNA replication in ultraviolet-irradiated mouse skin was shown to continue for at least 18 hr. The rate of nonsemiconservative replication decreased with time, but did so slowly. The initial rates of nonsemiconservative replication increased uith ultraviolet light dose level up to about 4,200 ergs/sq mm, after which the initial rates were decreased. Semiconservative epidermal DNA synthesis was shown to be inhibited by hydroxyurea, but hydroxyurea had no effect on ultraviolet light-induced nonsemiconservative DNA replication. The observed pyrimidine dimer excision and nonsemiconservative DNA replication suggest that in the intact mouse the cells of the epidermis are capable of DNA excision repair after ultraviolet irradiation of mouse skin.

Protection of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase-transduced cells from ganciclovir-mediated cytotoxicity by bystander cells: the Good Samaritan effect.

Although considerable attention has been directed in the field of gene therapy toward elucidating the mechanism by which a transduced cell could kill a bystander cell, little is known about how bystander cells may affect transduced cells. We hypothesized that bystander cells, particularly if they were capable of gap junctional communication, could protect cells transduced with the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) from ganciclovir (GCV)-induced cytotoxicity. To test this hypothesis, we used a rat hepatocyte cell line (WB) that can carry out efficient gap junctional communication, a WB clone transduced with HSV-TK (WB-TK), and a communication-incompetent subclone of WB cells (aB1). We cocultured WB-TK cells with either WB or aB1 cells, treated them with GCV, and then plated the cells into selective media that permitted us to quantify independently the surviving fraction of WB-TK cells or bystander cells. We found that WB bystander cells conferred up to a 1000-fold protection on WB-TK cells treated with GCV. aB1 cells conferred detectable, but significantly less, protection. These findings demonstrate that herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase-transduced cells can be significantly protected by bystander cells, particularly those that can carry out gap junctional communication. Whether this "Good Samaritan" effect improves the overall efficacy of gene therapy, by prolonging the survival of the source of toxic metabolites, or decreases effectiveness by increasing the survival of transduced cells will need to be determined in vivo.

Growth-promoting effect of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate on cultured normal human fetal kidney epithelial cells.

Normal human epithelial cells have been reported to be sensitive to growth inhibition by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in contrast to neoplastic counterparts. Our studies with normal human fetal kidney epithelial cells, however, show that 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate may increase cell density and promote the growth of these cells at early passages. The result, together with three previous reports showing similar effects in normal human melanocytes, prostatic epithelial cells, and an unidentified cell type in human epidermal cell culture, indicates that human cells may exhibit divergent responses to 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate for induction of cellular differentiation or proliferation.

Preferential cytotoxicity of cells transduced with cytosine deaminase compared to bystander cells after treatment with 5-flucytosine.

In vitro experiments from our laboratory and others have suggested that herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK)/ganciclovir (GCV) gene therapy depends on gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) to produce a strong bystander effect. Furthermore, we have shown that cells transduced with HSV-TK can be protected from GCV-mediated toxicity by GJIC with bystander cells. We wished to determine whether GJIC affected either the bystander or protective effect of the cytosine deaminase (CD)/5-flucytosine (5-FC) gene therapy approach, in which CD converts 5-FC to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). To test this, we designed a coculture system using communication-competent WB rat hepatocytes and a noncommunicating subclone (aB1), which were transduced with CD and with antibiotic resistance genes so that we could independently determine the survival of the CD-containing or bystander cells. We found that, compared to the HSV-TK/GCV strategy, bystander killing resulting from treatment with CD/5-FC does not depend on GJIC. However, our most striking finding was that both communication-competent and -incompetent CD-transduced cells were preferentially killed, by a factor of up to 500, compared to bystander cells. The lesser dependence of the CD/5-FC system on GJIC, combined with the finding that most cancer cells lack the capacity for GJIC, suggest that the CD/5-FC system may be superior to the HSV-TK/GCV approach for gene therapy. However, the premature death of the CD-transduced 5-FU "factory" suggests that other strategies may be necessary to produce a sufficient quantity of 5-FU for a duration long enough to produce permanent tumor regression.

Effect of retinoic acid and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate on glycosyltransferase activities in normal and transformed cells.

Retinoic acid was found to increase the activity of cytidine monophosphosialic acid:lactosylceramide sialyltransferase activity in a nontransformed clonal hamster cell line, NIL 8, and a virally transformed clone, NIL 8-HSV. The potent tumor promoter phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) had no significant effect on sialyltransferase activity in NIL 8 cells but stimulated this activity almost 6-fold when added to NIL 8-HSV cells. There was a synergistically additive effect on sialyltransferase activity when PMA was added to NIL 8 cells in concert with retinoic acid. On the other hand neither PMA nor retinoic acid had an appreciable effect on two other glycosyltransferases measured, uridine diphospho-N-acetylgalactosamine:globotriaosylceramide N-acetylgalactosaminyl-transferase and uridine diphosphogalactose:asialoagalactofetuin galactosyltransferase. Examination of sialyltransferase activity in a human epidermoid carcinoma cell line showed a large increase in enzyme activity in response to retinoic acid administration. Two nontransformed hamster cell lines had less basal sialyltransferase activity but also showed marked elevations after retinoic acid treatment. It is proposed that one of the molecular mechanisms underlying the biological effects of retinoic acid and PMA may be an increase in sialyltransferase activity. Possible regulatory mechanisms are discussed.

High susceptibility of a human breast epithelial cell type with stem cell characteristics to telomerase activation and immortalization.

We have recently characterized two types of normal human breast epithelial cells (HBECs) from reduction mammoplasty. Type I cells express estrogen receptor, luminal epithelial cell markers, and stem cell characteristics (i.e., the ability to differentiate into other cell types and to form budding/ductal structures on Matrigel), whereas Type II cells show basal epithelial cell phenotypes. In this study, we have examined whether Type I HBECs are more susceptible to telomerase activation and immortalization after transfection with SV40 large T-antigen. The results show that both types of cells acquire extended life span [(EL); i.e., bypassing senescence] at a comparable frequency. However, they differ significantly in the ability to become immortal in continuous culture, ie., 11 of 11 Type I EL clones became immortal compared with 1 of 10 Type II EL clones. Both parental Type I and Type II cells as well as their transformed EL clones at early passages [approximately 30 cumulative population doubling level (cpdl)] showed a low level of telomerase activity as measured by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay. For all 11 of the Type I EL clones and the single Type II EL clone that became immortal, telomerase activities were invariably activated at middle passages (approximately 60 cpdl) or late passages (approximately 100 cpdl). For the four Type II EL clones randomly selected from the nine Type II clones that did not become immortal, the telomerase activities were found to be further diminished at mid-passage, before the end of the life span. Thus, normal HBECs do have a low level of telomerase activity, and Type I HBECs with stem cell characteristics are more susceptible to telomerase activation and immortalization, a basis on which they may be major target cells for breast carcinogenesis.

Contact insensitivity of a subpopulation of normal human fetal kidney epithelial cells and of human carcinoma cell lines.

Early passage normal human fetal kidney epithelial cells were inoculated on top of a confluent monolayer of X-ray lethally irradiated human fibroblasts to determine the colony-forming ability of these epithelial cells. The results indicate that the great majority of the epithelial cells did not have the clonogenic ability on the fibroblast cell mat, although they were capable of colony formation on plastic surface without the cell mat. A small subpopulation of these epithelial cells, however, was able to proliferate on the cell mat. These contact-insensitive fetal epithelial cells were found to be deficient in gap junction-mediated intercellular communication, to contain keratin and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase but not fibronectin. These contact-insensitive cells appear to have greater proliferative potential than the parental cell population and to exist transiently in early passage but not in late passage culture. The ability of proliferation on cell mat was found to be shared by 22 different human carcinoma cell lines that were tested. This unique clonogenic ability of normal contact-insensitive and human carcinoma cells on the cell mat could provide a selection method for presumptive normal stem and tumor cells and for an assay for screening potential antitumor drugs and assessing the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs against a given tumor.

Flow cytometry and scrape-loading/dye transfer as a rapid quantitative measure of intercellular communication in vitro.

We describe two flow cytometric assays performed on populations of cells which have been stained with various fluorescent tracer molecules by the scrape-loading technique. One assay uses a simple one-color analysis on a flow cytometer by quantitating the fluorescence intensity of scrape-loaded lucifer yellow CH (LY) in individual cells. The other assay utilizes a two-color analysis on a cell sorter whereby cells which are initially loaded (donors) are identified by their uptake of both rhodamine isothiocyanate-dextran and LY, whereas the recipients of dye transfer are identified as having LY only. Agents which have been shown to inhibit intercellular communication in other assays exhibit similar blocking activity in LY transfer and this is readily quantitated by flow cytometry. The two-color analysis has the added advantage of being able to identify both donors and recipients in a highly quantitative manner.

Similar and synergistic inhibition of gap-junctional communication by ras transformation and tumor promoter treatment of mouse primary keratinocytes.

Modulation of gap junctional communication (GJIC) is likely to play an important role in tumorigenesis, as suggested by the action of tumor promoters and certain oncogene products. In this report we examine the effects of ras transformation and TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) treatment on GJIC of murine primary keratinocytes. Introduction of the ras oncogene into primary keratinocyte cultures by Harvey Sarcoma virus (HaSV) infection is sufficient to cause a 70-80% reduction in their GJIC as measured by Scrape-Loading/Dye Transfer technique. Furthermore, while a 100% increase in GJIC is observed when normal keratinocyte cultures are induced to differentiate by addition of calcium, no such increase can be detected with their ras transformed counterparts. As with ras, TPA treatment of normal keratinocytes results in a 70-80% reduction of GJIC both under low and high calcium conditions. TPA treatment of keratinocytes already transformed by ras completely abolishes GJIC of these cells, regardless of calcium concentrations. The similar and synergistic effects of ras and TPA on GJIC of primary keratinocytes suggest that inhibition of this function represents an important early step in transformation of these cells.

Repair of UV-induced pyrimidine dimers in Drosophila melanogaster cells in vitro.

Tissue culture cells of Drosophila melanogaster were given various doses of ultraviolet light. The results indicate that Drosophila cells do have a dark-repair excision mechanism which is not sensitive to caffeine. Pyrimidine dimers were destroyed by photoreactivating illumination in these cells and this destruction probably represents monomerization of the pyrimidine dimers.

The role of stem cells and gap junctions as targets for cancer chemoprevention and chemotherapy.

Since carcinogenesis is a multi-stage, multi-mechanism process, involving mutagenic, cell death and epigenetic mechanisms, during the "initiation/promotion/and progression" phases, chemoprevention must be based on understanding the mechanism(s) of each phase. Prevention of each phase could reduce the risk to cancer. Because reducing the initiation phase to a zero level is impossible, the most effective intervention would be at the promotion phase. Assuming the "target" cells for carcinogenesis are the pluri-potent stem cells and their early progenitor or transit cells, chemoprevention strategies for inhibiting the promotion of these two types of pre-malignant "initiated" cells will require different agents. A hypothesis will be proposed that involves stem cells, which lack gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC-) or their early progenitor daughter cells, which express GJIC+ and are partially-differentiated, if initiated, will be promoted by agents that either inhibit secreted negative growth regulators or by inhibitors of GJIC. Chemopreventing agents to each of these two types of initiated cells must have different mechanisms of action. Assuming stem cells are target cells for carcinogenesis, an alternative method of chemoprevention would be to reduce the stem cell pool. Anti-tumor promoter chemopreventive agents, such as green tea components, resveratrol, caffeic acid phenethylene ester, that either up-regulate GJIC in stem cells or prevent the down regulation of GJIC by tumor promoters in early progenitor cells, will be provided. Human pluri-potent stem cell systems, that can be induced to form 3-dimensional "organoid" structures, will be discussed as a more realistic model system to screen for relevant chemopreventive agents.