A Novel Peptide for Simultaneously Enhanced Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer and Mitigation of Oral Mucositis.

We have characterized a novel 21 amino acid-peptide derived from Antrum Mucosal Protein (AMP)-18 that mediates growth promotion of cultured normal epithelial cells and mitigates radiation-induced oral mucositis in animal models, while suppressing in vitro function of cancer cells. The objective of this study was to evaluate these dual potential therapeutic effects of AMP peptide in a clinically relevant animal model of head and neck cancer (HNC) by simultaneously assessing its effect on tumor growth and radiation-induced oral mucositis in an orthotopic model of HNC. Bioluminescent SCC-25 HNC cells were injected into the anterior tongue and tumors that formed were then subjected to focal radiation treatment. Tumor size was assessed using an in vivo imaging system, and the extent of oral mucositis was compared between animals treated with AMP peptide or vehicle (controls). Synergism between AMP peptide and radiation therapy was suggested by the finding that tumors in the AMP peptide/radiation therapy cohort demonstrated inhibited growth vs. radiation therapy-only treated tumors, while AMP peptide-treatment delayed the onset and reduced the severity of radiation therapy-induced oral mucositis. A differential effect on apoptosis appears to be one mechanism by which AMP-18 can stimulate growth and repair of injured mucosal epithelial cells while inhibiting proliferation of HNC cells. RNA microarray analysis identified pathways that are differentially targeted by AMP-18 in HNC vs. nontransformed cells. These observations confirm the notion that normal cells and tumor cells may respond differently to common biological stimuli, and that leveraging this finding in the case of AMP-18 may provide a clinically relevant opportunity.

Antrum Mucosal Protein-18 Peptide Targets Tight Junctions to Protect and Heal Barrier Structure and Function in Models of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND: A peptide derived from Antrum Mucosal Protein (AMP)-18 (gastrokine-1) reduces the extent of mucosal erosions and clinical severity in mice with dextran sulfate sodium-induced colonic injury. This study set out to determine if AMP peptide was also therapeutic for immune- and cytokine-mediated mouse models of intestinal injury and inflammatory bowel diseases by enhancing and stabilizing tight junctions. METHODS: Therapeutic effects of AMP peptide were examined in interleukin-10-deficient and a T-cell adoptive transfer models of colitis in immunodeficient recombinase activating gene-1 knock-out (RAG-1-/-) mice. Mechanisms by which AMP peptide enhances barrier function and structure were studied ex vivo using intestine and colon from mice given lipopolysaccharide and in AMP-18-deficient mice given dextran sulfate sodium. RESULTS: In interleukin-10-deficient mice given piroxicam, AMP peptide enhanced recovery after weight loss, protected against colon shortening and segmental dilation, and reduced the colitis activity score. In the T-cell transfer model, treatment with the peptide protected against colon shortening. In mice given lipopolysaccharide in vivo to induce gut injury, AMP peptide prevented the onset of, and reversed established intestinal hyperpermeability by targeting TJ proteins and perijunctional actin. AMP-18-deficient mice challenged with dextran sulfate sodium exhibited increased mortality, developed erosions in the colon, and had lower levels of ZO-1 in TJs than heterozygous littermates or wild-type mice. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that AMP-18/peptide may serve a protective role against injury along the gastrointestinal mucosal barrier, and recommend further development of AMP peptide as a novel agent to treat patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

AMP-18 Targets p21 to Maintain Epithelial Homeostasis.

Dysregulated homeostasis of epithelial cells resulting in disruption of mucosal barrier function is an important pathogenic mechanism in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). We have characterized a novel gastric protein, Antrum Mucosal Protein (AMP)-18, that has pleiotropic properties; it is mitogenic, anti-apoptotic and can stimulate formation of tight junctions. A 21-mer synthetic peptide derived from AMP-18 exhibits the same biological functions as the full-length protein and is an effective therapeutic agent in mouse models of IBD. In this study we set out to characterize therapeutic mechanisms and identify molecular targets by which AMP-18 maintains and restores disrupted epithelial homeostasis in cultured intestinal epithelial cells and a mouse model of IBD. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, a pro-inflammatory cytokine known to mediate gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal injury in IBD, was used to induce intestinal epithelial cell injury, and study the effects of AMP-18 on apoptosis and the cell cycle. An apoptosis array used to search for targets of AMP-18 in cells exposed to TNF-α identified the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 WAF1/CIP1. Treatment with AMP-18 blunted increases in p21 expression and apoptosis, while reversing disturbed cell cycle kinetics induced by TNF-α. AMP-18 appears to act through PI3K/AKT pathways to increase p21 phosphorylation, thereby reducing its nuclear accumulation to overcome the antiproliferative effects of TNF-α. In vitamin D receptor-deficient mice with TNBS-induced IBD, the observed increase in p21 expression in colonic epithelial cells was suppressed by treatment with AMP peptide. The results indicate that AMP-18 can maintain and/or restore the homeostatic balance between proliferation and apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells to protect and repair mucosal barrier homeostasis and function, suggesting a therapeutic role in IBD.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors predict acute kidney injury during chemoradiation for head and neck cancer.

Head and neck cancer patients undergoing chemoradiation experience considerable toxicities including acute kidney injury (AKI). However, it remains unclear what factors predispose patients to renal toxicity during treatment. Here, we assessed the predictors and outcomes of patients experiencing AKI during chemoradiation. We carried out a retrospective cohort study to assess the maximum changes in serum creatinine (Cr) in 173 patients with stage III-IV head and neck cancer treated with chemoradiation between 1999 and 2012. We defined AKI as Cr increases 26.5 µmol/l or more over the pretreatment baseline. AKI was associated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) use (33.0 vs. 11.0%; P=0.0004), but no other medications or comorbidities. On multivariate analysis, ACEI use, weight loss 10% or more of body weight, and performance status 70 or more predicted for Cr increments 26.5 µmol/l or more, whereas only ACEI use predicted for Cr increments of 44.2 µmol/l or greater. Furthermore, on multivariate analysis, AKI predicted for more interventions during radiotherapy including intravenous fluid use (P=0.0005) and hospitalizations (P=0.007), as well as long-term renal dysfunction (P<0.0001). Renal toxicity was not associated with worse locoregional control, progression-free survival, or overall survival. Renal toxicity during chemoradiation was associated with ACEI use alone or coupled with weight loss 10% or more of body weight during therapy. Our results suggest that actively managing ACEI use and intravascular volume status during chemoradiation may avoid AKI, minimize subsequent interventions, and reduce the risk for long-term renal dysfunction.

A novel Peptide to treat oral mucositis blocks endothelial and epithelial cell apoptosis.

PURPOSE: No effective agents currently exist to treat oral mucositis (OM) in patients receiving chemoradiation for the treatment of head-and-neck cancer. We identified a novel 21-amino acid peptide derived from antrum mucosal protein-18 that is cytoprotective, mitogenic, and motogenic in tissue culture and animal models of gastrointestinal epithelial cell injury. We examined whether administration of antrum mucosal protein peptide (AMP-p) could protect against and/or speed recovery from OM. METHODS AND MATERIALS: OM was induced in established hamster models by a single dose of radiation, fractionated radiation, or fractionated radiation together with cisplatin to simulate conventional treatments of head-and-neck cancer. RESULTS: Daily subcutaneous administration of AMP-p reduced the occurrence of ulceration and accelerated mucosal recovery in all three models. A delay in the onset of erythema after irradiation was observed, suggesting that a protective effect exists even before injury to mucosal epithelial cells occurs. To test this hypothesis, the effects of AMP-p on tumor necrosis factor-α-induced apoptosis were studied in an endothelial cell line (human dermal microvascular endothelial cells) as well as an epithelial cell line (human adult low-calcium, high-temperature keratinocytes; HaCaT) used to model the oral mucosa. AMP-p treatment, either before or after cell monolayers were exposed to tumor necrosis factor-α, protected against development of apoptosis in both cell types when assessed by annexin V and propidium iodide staining followed by flow cytometry or ligase-mediated polymerase chain reaction. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that the ability of AMP-p to attenuate radiation-induced OM could be attributable, at least in part, to its antiapoptotic activity.

AMP-18 facilitates assembly and stabilization of tight junctions to protect the colonic mucosal barrier.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by an injured epithelium. Development of agents that could enhance mucosal healing is a major goal in IBD therapeutics. The 18-kDa antrum mucosal protein (AMP-18) and a 21-mer peptide derived from AMP-18 stimulate accumulation of tight junction (TJ) proteins in cultured epithelial cells and mouse colonic mucosa to protect the mucosal barrier, suggesting it might be a useful agent to treat IBD. METHODS: We searched for molecular mechanisms by which AMP peptide or recombinant AMP-18 act on TJs in intact cell monolayers, or those disrupted by low-calcium medium. Roles of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) / heat shock protein (hsp)25 pathway and PKCζ were investigated by immunoblotting and confocal microscopy. RESULTS: AMP peptide activated p38 MAPK, which subsequently phosphorylated hsp25. Accumulated phospho-hsp25 was associated with perijunctional actin. AMP-18 also induced rapid phosphorylation of PKCζ and its colocalization with perijunctional actin in Caco2/bbe cells, which was accompanied by translocation and formation of complexes of "polarity proteins" in the TJ-containing detergent-insoluble fraction. Treatment with AMP-18 also stimulated accumulation of ZO-1, ZO-2, and JAM-A in nascent TJs known to associate with the multimeric p-PKCζ/Par6/ Cdc42/ECT2·GTP/Par3 polarity protein complex. CONCLUSIONS: AMP-18 facilitates translocation and assembly of multiple proteins into TJs and their association with and subsequent stabilization of the actin filament network. We speculate that improved barrier function induced by AMP-18 is mediated by enhanced TJ assembly. Thus, AMP-18 may provide a promising lead to develop agents effective in healing injured colonic epithelium in IBD.

Role of AMP-18 in oral mucositis.

Oral mucositis (OM) is a devasting toxicity associated with cytotoxic cancer therapy. Antrum mucosal protein (AMP)-18 and a synthetic peptide surrogate, exhibit cell protective and mitogenic properties in in vitro and in vivo models of gastrointestinal epithelial cell injury. The mucosal barrier-protective effects may be mediated by AMP-18's capacity to increase accumulation of specific tight junction (TJ) and adherens junction proteins, and also protect against their loss after injury. Here we asked if AMP peptide could protect the oral mucosa and speed healing from radiation-induced injury. We found AMP peptide prevented radiation-induced OM in a murine model. The peptide also stimulated HaCaT cell growth used to model the oral mucosa. Binding of recombinant human (rh) AMP-18 to the plasma membrane of keratinocytes in normal human oral mucosal tissue suggested that its effects may be receptor mediated. Using an immobilized His-tagged rhAMP-18 fusion protein the receptor was identified as the cholecystokinin-B/gastrin receptor (CCKBR) by affinity purification and mass spectrometry analysis. CCKBR was expressed and co-immunoprecipitated with exogenous rhAMP-18 in diverse epithelial cell lines. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that rhAMP-18 colocalized with CCKBR on the surface of CCKBR-transfected cells. Furthermore, rhAMP-18-stimulated signaling pathways were blocked by a CCKBR-specific antagonist, YM022. rhAMP-18 enhanced viability and growth of CCKBR-transfected, but not empty vector-transfected cells. These results suggest the importance of epithelial junctional integrity in the pathogenesis of OM and demonstrate that AMP-18, by targeting TJ proteins through the activation of CCKBR, could provide a novel strategy for the prevention and treatment of OM.

AMP-18 protects barrier function of colonic epithelial cells: role of tight junction proteins.

Antrum mucosal protein (AMP)-18 and a synthetic peptide of amino acids 77-97 have mitogenic and motogenic properties for epithelial cells. The possibility that AMP-18 is also protective was evaluated in the colonic mucosa of mice and monolayer cultures of human colonic epithelial Caco-2/bbe (C2) cells. Administration of AMP peptide to mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colonic injury delayed the onset of bloody diarrhea and reduced weight loss. Treatment of C2 cells with AMP peptide protected monolayers against decreases in transepithelial electrical resistance induced by the oxidant monochloramine, indomethacin, or DSS. A molecular mechanism for these barrier-protective effects was sought by asking whether AMP peptide acted on specific tight junction (TJ) proteins. Immunoblots of detergent-insoluble fractions of C2 cells treated with AMP peptide exhibited increased accumulation of specific TJ proteins. Occludin immunoreactivity was also increased in detergent-insoluble fractions obtained from colonic mucosal cells of mice injected with AMP peptide. Observations using laser scanning confocal (CF) microscopy supported the capacity of AMP peptide to enhance accumulation of occludin and zonula occludens-1 in TJ domains of C2 cell monolayers and together with immunoblot analysis showed that the peptide protected against loss of these TJ proteins following oxidant injury. AMP peptide also protected against a fall in TER during disruption of actin filaments by cytochalasin D and stabilized perijunctional actin during oxidant injury when assessed by CF. These findings suggest that AMP-18 could protect the intestinal mucosal barrier by acting on specific TJ proteins and stabilizing perijunctional actin.

Renal epithelial cells constitutively produce a protein that blocks adhesion of crystals to their surface.

Attachment of newly formed crystals to renal tubular epithelial cells appears to be a critical step in the development of kidney stones. The present study was undertaken to identify autocrine factors released from renal epithelial cells into the culture medium that inhibit adhesion of calcium oxalate crystals to the cell surface. A 39-kDa glycoprotein that is constitutively secreted by renal cells was purified by gel filtration chromatography. Amino acid microsequencing revealed that it is novel and not structurally related to known inhibitors of calcium oxalate crystallization. Hence, it was named crystal adhesion inhibitor, or CAI. Immunoreactive CAI was detected in diverse rat tissues, including kidney, heart, pancreas, liver, and testis. Immunohistochemistry revealed that CAI is present in the renal cell cytosol and is also on the plasma membrane. Importantly, CAI is present in normal human urine, from which it can be purified using calcium oxalate monohydrate crystal affinity chromatography. CAI could be an important defense against crystal attachment to tubular cells and the subsequent development of renal stones in vivo.

A novel mitogenic protein that is highly expressed in cells of the gastric antrum mucosa.

Human and pig cDNAs for a novel stomach protein, the product of a gene expressed at high levels specifically in cells of the antrum mucosa, have been characterized. The general exon/intron structure of the genomic DNA is conserved in humans and mice. The predicted protein sequences of the human and mouse mRNAs contain 185 and 184 amino acids, respectively. The protein isolated from pig antral extracts has an NH2 terminus consistent with cleavage of a 20-amino acid signal peptide. Human cDNA was expressed in E. coli to generate a protein antigen for antibody production. The antibodies detected polypeptides of approximately 18 kDa in antrum extracts from all mammalian species tested. Immunocytochemistry located antrum mucosal protein (AMP)-18 to surface mucosal cells of the mouse antrum and, specifically, to secretion granules, suggesting that it is cosecreted with mucins. Antrum extracts and recombinant human AMP-18 exhibit growth-promoting activity on epithelial cells that can be blocked by the specific antisera. We suggest that AMP-18 is a "gastrokine" that maintains the integrity of the gastric mucosal epithelium.

Peptide fragments of AMP-18, a novel secreted gastric antrum mucosal protein, are mitogenic and motogenic.

Antrum mucosal protein (AMP)-18 is a novel 18-kDa protein synthesized by cells of the gastric antrum mucosa. The protein is present in secretion granules of murine gastric antrum epithelial cells and is a component of canine antrum mucus, suggesting that it is secreted into the viscoelastic gel layer on the mucosal surface. Release of the protein appears to be regulated because forskolin decreased the amount of immunoreactive AMP-18 in primary cultures of canine antrum mucosal epithelial cells, and indomethacin gavaged into the stomach of mice reduced AMP-18 content in antrum mucosal tissue before inducing histological injury. A functional domain of the protein was identified by preparing peptides derived from the center of human AMP-18. A 21-mer peptide stimulated growth of gastric and intestinal epithelial cells, but not fibroblasts, and increased restitution of scrape-wounded gastric epithelial monolayers. These functions of AMP-18 suggest that its release onto the apical cell surface is regulated and that the protein and/or peptide fragments may protect the antral mucosa and promote healing by facilitating restitution and proliferation after injury.