NF-ĸΒ1 knockout reduces IL6 expression under hypoxia in renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common adult renal epithelial cancer, accounting for more than 90% of all renal neoplasms. Clear cell RCC (ccRCC) is the most common subtype of RCC. Most patients with ccRCC have a mutation in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene, which encodes a protein that downregulates various intracellular proteins, including hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Many molecules have been identified to be responsible for the aggressive phenotype of ccRCC, including the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-кB). The increase in NF-кB activity observed in RCC is correlated with an increase in angiogenesis markers, such as interleukin 6 (IL-6). In recent years, several groups have demonstrated the functional role of NF-кB1 in RCC tumorigenicity. Herein, we used the CRISPR/Cas-9 technique to obtain an NF-кB1 knockout-human renal adenocarcinoma cell line. Expression of IL-6 at the mRNA and protein levels was analyzed under normoxia and hypoxia by real time-polymerase chain reaction and multiplex assay, respectively. The CRISPR/Cas9 technique was effective in producing 786-0 knockout cells for NF-κB1 (p105/p50), as confirmed by western blot analysis. Suppression of p50 expression in 786-0 single guide RNA (sg)1, 786-0 sg2 and 786-0 sg3 cells downregulated IL-6 mRNA and protein expression under normoxia and hypoxia. The observed decrease in the differential expression of IL-6 in hypoxia/normoxia is suggestive of a change in cellular responsiveness to hypoxia with respect to IL-6.

Identification of appropriate housekeeping genes for gene expression studies in human renal cell carcinoma under hypoxic conditions.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia pathways are deregulated in clear renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) because of the loss of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor function. Quantitative PCR is a powerful tool for quantifying differential expression between normal and cancer cells. Reliable gene expression analysis requires the use of genes encoding housekeeping genes. Therefore, in this study, eight reference candidate genes were evaluated to determine their stability in 786-0 cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four different tools were used to rank the most stable genes-geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and Comparative Ct (ΔCt), and a general ranking was performed using RankAggreg. According to the four algorithms, the TFRC reference gene was identified as the most stable. There was no agreement among the results from the algorithms for the 2nd and 3rd positions. A general classification was then established using the RankAggreg tool. Finally, the three most suitable reference genes for use in 786-0 cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions were TFRC, RPLP0, and SDHA. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify reliable genes that can be used for gene expression analysis in ccRCC in a hypoxic environment.

Silencing of nuclear factor kappa b 1 gene expression inhibits colony formation, cell migration and invasion via the downregulation of interleukin 1 beta and matrix metallopeptidase 9 in renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a highly deadly urological tumor due to its high metastatic incidence and its notorious chemoresistance. The nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-κB) family has been associated with apoptosis resistance and cellular invasion in RCC. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of NF-κB1 gene silencing on the colony formation, cell migration and invasion abilities of the RCC cell line. Renca-mock and Renca-shRNA-NF-κB1 cells were used in this work. NF-κB1 downregulation was assessed by western blotting. The mRNA expression levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) and MMP-9 were assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The IL-1ß levels in the culture media were determined by a commercial ELISA kit. The MMP-9 protein expression and gelatinolytic activity were evaluated by western blotting and zymography, respectively, and the migration and invasion abilities were analysed. The expression levels of p105 and p50 in Renca-shRNA-NF-κBmoc1 cells were significantly reduced compared with those in the Renca-mock cells. The colony numbers of shRNA-NF-кB1 cells were lower than the colony numbers of the Renca-mock cells. NF-κB1 knockdown inhibited the cell migration and invasion of Renca-shRNA-NF-κB1 cells. These cells also exhibited reduced levels of IL-1ß. The MMP-9 expression and activity levels were significantly reduced in Renca-shRNA-NF-κB1 cells. Taken together, these results indicate that the downregulation of NF-κB1 suppresses the tumourigenicity of RCC by reducing MMP-9 expression and activity; thus, NF-κB1 could be a molecular target for RCC treatment.

Porphyrins are increased in the faeces of patients with prostate cancer: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Experimental models of prostate cancer have demonstrated increased levels of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in the blood and faeces of mice. Hence, the quantification of these autofluorescent molecules could be hypothesized to be a potential marker for this type of tumour. In this case-control study, the autofluorescence of porphyrins in human faeces from patients with prostate cancer and control subjects was analysed using fluorescence spectroscopy. METHODS: First, 3 mL of analytical-grade acetone was added to 0.3 g of faeces, and the mixture was macerated and centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 15 min. The supernatant was analysed spectroscopically. The emission spectra from 550 to 750 nm were obtained by exciting the samples at 405 nm. RESULTS: A significant difference between the samples from control and cancer subjects was established in the spectral region of 670-675 nm (p = 0.000127), which corresponds to a significant increase in faecal porphyrins in patients with cancer. There was no statistically significant correlation between PSA levels and faecal porphyrins. CONCLUSION: In this preliminary study conducted in humans, the results show a simple and non-invasive method to assess faecal porphyrins, which have the potential to function as a tumour biomarker in patients with prostate cancer. This approach has improved sensitivity and specificity over PSA testing. Additional prospective studies with larger sample sizes are required to validate these findings.

Expression of Genes Involved in Porphyrin Biosynthesis Pathway in the Human Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains one of the greatest challenges of urological oncology and is the third leading cause of death in genitourinary cancers. Surgery may be curative when patients present with localized disease. Our previous results demonstrated the autofluorescence of blood PpIX in primary RCC mouse model and an increase in fluorescence intensity as a function of growth of the subcutaneous tumor mass. In another work, a nice correlation between the growth of the tumor mass and tissue fluorescence intensity was found. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression profile of porphyrin biosynthesis pathway-related genes of human kidney cells. We used two kidney cell lines, one normal (HK2) and another malignant (Caki-1). Endogenous and 5-aminolevolinic acid (ALA) induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) HK2 and Caki-1 cells were analyzed by fluorescence spectroscopy. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to measure mRNA of those genes. Emission spectra were obtained by exciting the samples at 405 nm. For ALA untreated cells the maximum fluorescence intensity was detected at 635 nm. The mean peak area of emission spectra in both cells types increased linearly in function of cell number. Besides, basal levels of PpIX autofluorescence of each cell concentration of HK2 samples were significantly lower than those of Caki-1 samples. For ALA-treated cells the mean PpIX spectra shows PpIX emission peak at 635 nm with a shoulder at 700 nm. Analysis of PpIX fluorescence intensity ratio between tumor cells and HK2 cells showed that fluorescence intensity was, on average, 26 times greater in tumor cells than in healthy cells. qRT-PCR revealed that in Caki-1 ALA-treated cells, PEPT gene was significantly up-regulated and FECH and HO-1 genes were significantly down regulated in comparison with HK2 ALA-treated cells. In conclusion, our results demonstrate the preferential accumulation of ALA-induced PpIX in human RCC and also indicate that PEPT1, FECH and HO-1 genes are major contributors to this accumulation.

Zinc and Manganese Imbalances in BALB/c Mice Experimentally Infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.

PURPOSE: The clinical progression of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis infection depends on multiple factors, including immunological status of the host and their genotypic interaction. Several immunological processes depend directly on minerals for an efficient performance. Therefore, this study used an experimental model to investigate the alterations of trace metals in L. amazonensis infection associate with clinical outcome, parasite load, and histopathological lesions, and the effect of CD4 + T cells depletion on these parameters. METHODS: A total of 28 BALB/c mice were divided into 4 groups: 1-non-infected; 2-treated with anti-CD4 antibody; 3-infected with L. amazonensis; and 4-treated with anti-CD4 antibody and infected with L. amazonensis. After 24 weeks post-infection, levels of calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), Cu, and Zn were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy using tissue samples of the spleen, liver, and kidneys. Additionally, parasite burdens were determined in the infected footpad (inoculation site) and samples of inguinal lymph node, spleen, liver, and kidneys were submitted to histopathological analysis. RESULTS: Despite no significant difference was observed between groups 3 and 4, L. amazonensis-infected mice had a significant reduction of Zn (65.68-68.32%) and Mn (65.98 to 82.17%) levels. Presence of L. amazonensis amastigotes was also detected in the inguinal lymph node, spleen, and liver samples in all infected animals. CONCLUSION: The results showed that significant alterations in micro-elements levels occur in BALB/c mice experimentally infected with L. amazonensis and may increase the susceptibility of individuals to the infection.

Lanthanide-based ß-Tricalcium Phosphate Upconversion Nanoparticles as an Effective Theranostic Nonviral Vectors for Image-Guided Gene Therapy.

Lanthanide-based beta-tricalcium phosphate (ß-TCP) upconversion nanoparticles are exploited as a non-viral vector for imaging guided-gene therapy by virtue of their unique optical properties and multi-modality imaging ability, high transfection efficiency, high biocompatibility, dispersibility, simplicity of synthesis and surface modification. Ytterbium and thulium-doped ß-TCP nanoparticles (ßTCPYbTm) are synthesized via co-precipitation method, coated with polyethylenimine (PEI) and functionalized with a nuclear-targeting peptide (TAT). Further, in vitro studies revealed that the nanotheranostic carriers are able to transfect cells with the plasmid eGFP at a high efficiency, with approximately 60% of total cells producing the fluorescent green protein. The optimized protocol developed comprises the most efficient ßTCPYbTm/PEI configuration, the amount and the order of assembly of ßTCPYbTm:PEI, TAT, plasmid DNA and the culturing conditions. With having excellent dispersibility and high chemical affinity toward nucleic acid, calcium ions released from ßTCPYbTm:PEI nanoparticles can participate in delivering nucleic acids and other therapeutic molecules, overcoming the nuclear barriers and improving the transfection efficacy. Equally important, the feasibility of the upconversion multifunctional nanovector to serve as an effective contrast agent for imaging modality, capable of converting low-energy light to higher-energy photons via a multi-photons mechanism, endowing greater unique luminescent properties, was successfully demonstrated.

Radioimmunotheranostic Pair Based on the Anti-HER2 Monoclonal Antibody: Influence of Chelating Agents and Radionuclides on Biological Properties.

The oncogene HER2 is an important molecular target in oncology because it is associated with aggressive disease and the worst prognosis. The development of non-invasive imaging techniques and target therapies using monoclonal antibodies is a rapidly developing field. Thus, this work proposes the study of the radioimmunotheranostic pair, [111In]In-DTPA-trastuzumab and [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-trastuzumab, evaluating the influence of the chelating agents and radionuclides on the biological properties of the radioimmunoconjugates (RICs). The trastuzumab was immunoconjugated with the chelators DTPA and DOTA and radiolabeled with [111In]InCl3 and [177Lu]LuCl3, respectively. The stability of the RICs was evaluated in serum, and the immunoreactive and internalization fractions were determined in SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells. The in vivo pharmacokinetics and dosimetry quantification and the ex vivo biodistribution were performed in normal and SK-BR-3 tumor-bearing mice. The data showed that there was no influence of the chelating agents and radionuclides on the immunoreactive and internalization fractions of RICs. In contrast, they influenced the stability of RICs in serum, as well as the pharmacokinetics, dosimetry and biodistribution profiles. Therefore, the results showed that the nature of the chelating agent and radionuclide could influence the biological properties of the radioimmunotheranostic pair.

Endostatin gene therapy enhances the efficacy of IL-2 in suppressing metastatic renal cell carcinoma in mice.

We investigated whether the administration of IL-2 combined with endostatin gene therapy was able to produce additive or even synergistic immunomodulatory activity in a mouse model of metastatic renal carcinoma. Renca cells were injected into the tail vein of BALB/c mice. After 24 h, the animals were randomly divided into four groups (5 mice/group). One group of mice was the control, the second group received treatment with 100,000 UI of Recombinant IL-2 (Proleukin, Chiron) twice a day, 1 day per week during 2 weeks (IL-2), the third group received treatment with a subcutaneous inoculation of 3.6 x 10(6) endostatin-producing cells, and the fourth group received both therapies (IL-2 + ES). Mice were treated for 2 weeks. In the survival studies, 10 mice/group daily, mice were monitored daily until they died. The presence of metastases led to a twofold increase in endostatin levels. Subcutaneous inoculation of NIH/3T3-LendSN cells resulted in a 2.75 and 2.78-fold increase in endostatin levels in the ES and IL-2 + ES group, respectively. At the end of the study, there was a significant decrease in lung wet weight, lung nodules area, and microvascular area (MVA) in all treated groups compared with the control group (P < 0.001). The significant difference in lung wet weight and lung nodules area between groups IL-2 and IL-2 + ES revealed a synergistic antitumor effect of the combined treatment (P < 0.05). The IL-2 + ES therapy Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the probability of survival was significantly higher for mice treated with the combined therapy (log-rank test, P = 0.0028). Conjugated therapy caused an increase in the infiltration of CD4, CD8 and CD49b lymphocytes. An increase in the amount of CD8 cells (P < 0.01) was observed when animals received both ES and IL-2, suggesting an additive effect of ES over IL-2 treatment. A synergistic effect of ES on the infiltration of CD4 (P < 0.001) and CD49b cells (P < 0.01) was also observed over the effect of IL-2. Here, we show that ES led to an increase in CD4 T helper cells as well as cytotoxic lymphocytes, such as NK cells and CD8 cells, within tumors of IL-2 treated mice. This means that ES plays a role in supporting the actions of T cells.

Immobilized kidney 28-kDa endostatin-related (KES28kDa) fragment promotes endothelial cell survival.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Renal ischemia-hypoxia is a leading cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Ischemia causes extracellular matrix breakdown of the tubular basement membrane. Endostatin (ES) is the C-terminal fragment of collagen XVIII generated by proteolytic cleavage. Recent studies have demonstrated that ES expression is upregulated in ischemic kidneys. The present study aimed to characterize ES from ischemic kidneys. METHODS: Ischemic renal failure was induced via 45 min of occlusion of the left renal artery and vein. After the ischemic period, blood was collected. Kidneys were harvested and used for immunohistochemical testing and protein extraction. Three-step purification was used. Soluble and immobilized purified ES were tested in cell viability and adhesion assays. results: The soluble KES28kDa inhibited endothelial cell proliferation: 25 versus 12.5 microg (p < 0.05); 12.5 versus 3.15 microg (p < 0.05). Immobilization of KES28kDa supports endothelial cell survival over the control (p = 0.021). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells plated on immobilized KES28kDa showed an increase in membrane ruffles and stress fibers. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate the local synthesis of a 28-kDa ES-related fragment following AKI and suggest its role in endothelium survival.

Intrinsic fluorescence of protoporphyrin IX from blood samples can yield information on the growth of prostate tumours.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men, and unfortunately many prostate tumours remain asymptomatic until they reach advanced stages. Diagnosis is typically performed through Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) quantification, Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) and Transrectal Ultrasonography (TU). The antigen (PSA) is secreted by all prostatic epithelial cells and not exclusively by cancerous ones, so its concentration also increases in the presence of other prostatic diseases. DRE and TU are not reliable for early detection, when histological analysis of prostate tissue obtained from a biopsy is necessary. In this context, fluorescence techniques are very important for the diagnosis of cancer. In this paper we explore the potential of using endogenous phorphyrin blood fluorescence as tumour marker for prostate cancer. Substances such as porphyrin derivatives accumulate substantially more in tumours than in normal tissues; thus, measuring blood porphyrin concentration by autofluorescence intensity may provide a good parameter for determining tumour stage. In this study, the autofluorescence of blood porphyrin was analyzed using fluorescence and excitation spectroscopy on healthy male NUDE mice and in those with prostate cancer induced by inoculation of DU145 cells. A significant contrast between the blood of normal and cancer subjects could be established. Blood porphyrin fluorophore showed an enhancement on the fluorescence band around 632 nm following tumour growth. Fluorescence detection has advantages over other light-based investigation methods: high sensitivity, high speed and safety. However it does carry the drawback of low specificity of detection. The extraction of blood porphyrin using acetone can solve this problem, since optical excitation of further molecular species can be excluded, and light scattering from blood samples is negligible.

Erythrocyte protoporphyrin fluorescence as a biomarker for monitoring antiangiogenic cancer therapy.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains one of the greatest challenges of urological oncology and is the third leading cause of death in genitourinary cancers. RCCs are highly vascularized and are amenable to antiangiogenic therapy. Endostatin (ES) is a fragment of collagen XVIII that possesses antiangiogenic activity. In this study, we examined the potential of erythrocyte PpIX fluorescence spectroscopy for monitoring the efficacy of antiangiogenic therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), using an orthotopic metastatic mouse model. Balb/C-bearing Renca cells were treated with NIH/3T3-LendSN cells. Lung weight, nodule area, microvascular area (MVA), and erythrocyte PpIX fluorescence were evaluated. Emission spectra were obtained by exciting the samples at 405 nm. There was a significant decrease in lung wet weight, lung nodule area and MVA in the treated group compared to the control group (P < 0.001). Significant differences in autofluorescence shape were observed in the 620-650 nm spectral region. The most intense fluorescence peak was observed at ∼632 nm. The autofluorescence of the control samples was about 53% higher than that of normal blood (P < 0.05). In the group treated with ES, the autofluorescence was about 54% lower than in the control group (P < 0.05). Fluorescence intensity was positively correlated with the nodule area (R (2) = 0.8859; P < 0.001) and MVA (R (2) = 0.9431; P < 0.001) in the ES-treated group. These results demonstrate that the spectroscopic analysis method allows a selective detection of tumor masses. This preliminary study suggests that PpIX fluorescence may be useful as a biomarker for antiangiogenic cancer therapy.

Study of blood porphyrin spectral profile for diagnosis of chronic renal failure.

The progression to end-stage renal failure is independent of the initial pathogenic mechanism. Metabolic acidosis is a common consequence of chronic renal failure that results from inadequate ammonium excretion and decreased tubular bicarbonate reabsorption. Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) is the immediate metabolic precursor of the heme molecule. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of erythrocytes protoporphyrin IX at an animal model during progressive renal disease. A total of 36 eight-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into six groups: Normal, 4 and 8 weeks after 5/6 nephrectomy (NX). Renal function was evaluated by creatinine clearance and plasma creatinine levels. The autofluorescence of erythrocytes porphyrin of healthy and NX rats was analyzed using fluorescence spectroscopy. Emission spectra were obtained by exciting the samples at 405 nm. Significant differences between normal and NX rats autofluorescence shape occurred in the 600-700 nm spectral region. A correlation was observed between emission band intensity at 635 nm and progression of renal disease.

Anti-tumor effect of endostatin mediated by retroviral gene transfer in mice bearing renal cell carcinoma.

We investigated whether transfer of the gene encoding the angiogenesis inhibitor endostatin into the NIH/3T3 fibroblast cell line could inhibit renal tumor growth in vivo. NIH/3T3 cells were transduced with retroviral vectors containing the murine endostatin (ES) gene. SCID mice bearing CaKi-1 derived tumors were given a subcutaneous injection of either ES-transduced cells or control cells and were monitored for tumor growth. At the end of the in vivo experiment, the mean tumor volume of treated mice was 51.6 +/- 2.4 mm3, while the tumor volume of control was 234.5 +/- 14.8 mm3. Microvascular density was significantly decreased on treatment (control 9.79 vs. ES 2.53%, <0.001) accompanied by a 23-fold increase in intratumoral necrotic area and a 2.94-fold increase in the apoptotic index, determined by immunohistochemistry with anti-activated caspase-3. Apoptotic cells were found in foci enriched in infiltrating leukocytes. In conclusion, retroviral endostatin gene transfer led to secretion of functional endostatin that was sufficiently active to inhibit tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth. A second mechanism may also be implied in endostatin-dependent tumor regression, associated with tumor infiltration of leukocytes. Besides its antiangiogenic properties, endostatin may be a promising adjuvant to immunotherapy.

Essential Elements as Biomarkers of Acute Kidney Injury and Spontaneous Reversion.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important health problem and can be caused by number of factors. The use of aminoglycosides, such as gentamicin, is one of these factors. Recently, an effort has been made to find biomarkers to guide treatment protocols. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to estimate the contents of Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, and Zn in serum and urine of the healthy, AKI, and spontaneous recovery (SR) groups of animals. The animal model of AKI and SR was validated by measuring serum and urinary urea and creatinine. The quantitative determination of the elements showed a decrease in serum levels of Ca, and Fe in the AKI group (P<0.01 vs. healthy), with a return to normal levels in the SR group, without a significant difference between the healthy and SR groups. In the urine samples, there was a decrease in P and Na levels in the AKI group (P<0.001 and P<0.01 vs. healthy), but Ca levels were increased in this group compared with the healthy and SR groups (P<0.01). These findings indicate that mineral elements might be useful as biomarkers for AKI.

Knockdown of NF-κB1 by shRNA Inhibits the Growth of Renal Cell Carcinoma In Vitro and In Vivo.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for approximately 2%-3% of human malignancies and is the most aggressive among urologic tumors. Biological heterogeneity, drug resistance, and chemotherapy side effects are the biggest obstacles to the effective treatment of RCC. The NF-κB transcription factor is one of several molecules identified to be responsible for the aggressive phenotype of this tumor. In the past decade, several studies have demonstrated the activation of NF-κB in RCC, and many have implicated NF-κB1 (p50) as an important molecule in tumor progression and metastasis. In the present study, a lentivirus was used to deliver shRNA targeting NF-κB1 into mouse RCC (Renca) cells. It was determined that the knockdown of the NF-κB1 gene led to a reduction in cell proliferation and late apoptosis/necrosis in vitro. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated G2/M arrest in the cells. In addition, immunoblotting analysis revealed a significant increase in cyclin B1 and Bax. In vivo experiments showed that Renca-shRNA-NF-κB1 cells have significantly diminished tumorigenicity. Moreover, immunohistochemical analysis revealed an increase in necrotic areas of Renca-shRNA-NF-κB1 tumors. Thus, this study indicates that downregulation of NF-κB1 can suppress RCC tumorigenesis by inducing late apoptosis/necrosis. Therefore, NF-κB1 may be a potential therapeutic target for RCC.

S-phase reduction in T47D human breast cancer epithelial cells induced by an S100P antisense-retroviral construct.

S100P is expressed in several malignant neoplasms. It was previously demonstrated that S100P is involved in the very early stages of breast carcinogenesis. In the present study we used a retrovirus-mediated transfer of antisense-S100P in order to check whether the decrease in expression of this protein could lead to alterations in the cell cycle of epithelial cells of human breast cancer. The T47D breast carcinoma cell line, a human breast epithelial cell that expresses high levels of S100P, was a tool used in this study to investigate the alteration in cell cycle induced by a retrovirus-mediated transfer of antisense-S100P. First we used the real-time PCR technique to quantify the gene expression. The results showed a reduction of 63% of expression within the T47D-S100P-A/S infected population compared with control T47D-LXSN clones. To determine the impact of the S100P antisense technique on protein expression in T47D cells, we performed immunofluorescence staining and analyzed the resulting images using a confocal microscope. The images showed much less pronounced antibody marking of the S100P protein in the T47D-S100P-A/S compared with control cells. To evaluate whether the antisense approach caused any alteration in the cell cycle, we concluded the study with flow cytometric analysis of the cell distribution. Our findings indicated that, in our model, S100P-antisense cells showed a 23% reduction of cells at the S-phase. Using transduction techniques with an S100P antisense-retroviral construct we were able to demonstrate a significant reduction in S-phase of the T47D cell cycle. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that an antisense approach has been used against S100P mRNA in breast cancer epithelial cells. The results showed here seem to further classify S100P as a protein that might be involved in the cell cycle imbalance observed during breast carcinogenesis.

Endostatin gene therapy inhibits intratumoral macrophage M2 polarization.

BACKGROUND: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a highly vascularized cancer resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. RCC is frequently infiltrated with immune cells, with macrophages being the most abundant cell type. Alternatively activated M2 macrophages are known to contribute to tumor progression. Endostatin (ES) is a fragment of collagen XVIII that possesses antiangiogenic activity. In this study, we investigated the impact of ES gene therapy on the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in lung metastases from tumor-bearing mice. METHODS: BALB/c mice divided into three groups: Normal, Control and ES-treated. Tumor-bearing mice were treated with ES-transduced cells or control cells over ten days. At the end of the study, plasma was collected, and pulmonary macrophages were isolated and used for FACS or RT-PCR. ELISA tests were used to analyze plasma and cell culture supernatant cytokines. RESULTS: ES treatment significantly reduced the levels of anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic cytokines, including IL4, IL-10, IL-13 and VEGF. Gene expression of M2 markers, such as IL-10, Arg-1, VEGF and YM-1, declined significantly. Flow cytometry showed a reduction in the number of M2 F4/80+CD36+CD206+CD209+ macrophages and in IL-10 secretion by these cells. Reduced levels of IL-10 were also found in the culture supernatants of the ES-treated group. CONCLUSIONS: Our research corroborates previous observations that ES has an important anti-tumoral role. However, aside from promoting interferon-ɤ secretion and an effective T cell response, we show here that this switch is extended to TAMs, complicating the maintenance of pro-tumorigenic M2 macrophages and thus favoring tumor elimination.

Increases in weight of growth hormone-deficient and immunodeficient (lit/scid) dwarf mice after grafting of hGH-secreting, primary human keratinocytes.

Primary human keratinocytes, stably transduced with the human growth hormone (hGH) gene (under control of the retroviral LTR promoter) and selected via geneticin secreted as much as 7 microg hGH/106 cells/day. Their grafting onto immunodeficient dwarf mice (lit/scid) led to hGH levels in the circulation that did not go below 0.2-0.3 ng/ml during a 12 day period (peak value, 1.5 ng/ml at 4 h). This phenomenon was associated with a body weight increase of the grafted animals (0.060 g/animal/day) significantly higher (P<0.01) than that of controls (0.023 g/animal/day). This is the first report describing successful utilization of immunodeficient dwarf mice (lit/scid) in keratinocyte-based hGH gene therapy.