A cancer cell membrane-encapsulated MnO2 nanoreactor for combined photodynamic-starvation therapy.

We demonstrate a MnO2-based nanoreactor to achieve continuous oxygen generation and efficient conversion from glucose to singlet oxygen for combined photodynamic-starvation therapy.

Glucose Oxidase- and UVA-Induced Changes in the Expression Patterns of Seven De-sumoylation Enzymes (SENPs) Are Associated with Cataract Development.

OBJECTIVE: It has been well established that sumoylation acts as an important regulatory mechanism that controls many different cellular processes. We and others have shown that sumoylation plays an indispensable role during mouse eye development. Whether sumoylation is implicated in ocular pathogenesis remains to be further studied. In the present study, we have examined the expression patterns of the de-sumoylation enzymes (SENPs) in the in vitro cataract models induced by glucose oxidase and UVA irradiation. METHODS: Four-week-old C57BL/6J mice were used in our experiments. Lenses were carefully dissected out from mouse eyes and cultured in M199 medium for 12 hours. Transparent lenses (without surgical damage) were selected for experimentation. The lenses were exposed to UVA for 60 min or treated with 20 mU/mL glucose oxidase (GO) to induce cataract formation. The mRNA levels were analyzed with qRT-PCR. The protein levels were determined with western blot analysis and quantitated with Image J. RESULTS: GO treatment and UVA irradiation can induce cataract formation in lens cultured in vitro. GO treatment significantly down-regulated the mRNA levels for SENPs from 50% to 85%; on the other hand, expression of seven SENP proteins under GO treatment appeared in 3 situations: upregulation for SENP1, 2 and 6; downregulation for SENP 5 and 8; and unchanged for SENP3 and 7. UVA irradiation upregulates the mRNAs for all seven SENPs; In contrast to the mRNA levels for 7 SENPs, the expression levels for 6 SENPs (SENP1-3, 5-6 and 8) appeared down-regulated from 10% to 50%, and only SENP7 was slightly upregulated. CONCLUSION: Our results for the first time established the differentiation expression patterns of 7 de-sumoylation enzymes (SENPs) under treatment by GO or UVA, which provide preliminary data to link sumoylation to stress-induced cataractogenesis.

Glucose oxidase and polydopamine functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles: combination of the photothermal effect and reactive oxygen species generation for dual-modality selective cancer therapy.

Cancer cells possess some inherent characteristics, such as glucose-dependence and intolerance to heat and exogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, a strategy has been developed to target these vulnerable weaknesses of cancer cells using glucose oxidase (GOx) and polydopamine (PDA) functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4@PDA/GOx NPs). PDA is first deposited on the surfaces of iron oxide NPs through self-polymerization, and then GOx is covalently linked with PDA upon mixing the enzyme and Fe3O4@PDA under alkaline conditions. In this system, the PDA layer along with iron oxide NPs serves as a photothermal transfer material converting near infrared (NIR) radiation into heat. The covalently linked GOx can competitively consume glucose and spontaneously generate ROS H2O2 that can be further converted by the iron oxide NPs into more toxic ˙OH, inducing apoptosis of cancer cells. The selective toxicity of Fe3O4@PDA/GOx NPs on cancer cells is demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. In particular, a single injection rather than multiple doses results in significant suppression of tumors, and does not induce apparent histological lesions in the 4T1 tumor-bearing Balb/c mice. The versatility of the functionalization strategy reported in this study will contribute to developing efficient therapies for selective cancer treatment.

Oxidative stress-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle cells is ameliorated by gamma-tocopherol treatment.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress-induced reactive oxygen species are associated with the clinical manifestation of insulin resistance. Evidence suggests that antioxidant treatment may reduce this incidence. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study determined whether glucose oxidase (GO)-induced insulin resistance in cultured skeletal muscle cells could be ameliorated by pre-treatment with gamma-tocopherol (GT). METHODS: Insulin sensitivity in L6 myotubes was assessed by 2-deoxy-D: -[(3)H]-glucose uptake. The phosphorylation of distal insulin signaling proteins Akt and the Akt substrate AS160 were determined by western blot. RESULTS: One hour treatment with 100 mU/ml GO decreased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake (P < 0.001). Pre-treatment with GT either partially (100 microM) or completely (200 microM) restored insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in cells after GO-induced insulin resistance. GO-induced oxidative stress did not impair insulin stimulated phosphorylation of Akt or AS160, but 200 microM GT increased insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of these key signaling proteins (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: High-dose (200 microM) GT treatment ameliorated oxidative stress-induced insulin resistance in cultured rat L6 skeletal muscle cells.

Size-dependent intracellular immunotargeting of therapeutic cargoes into endothelial cells.

Cell-selective intracellular targeting is a key element of more specific and safe enzyme, toxin, and gene therapies. Endothelium poorly internalizes certain candidate carriers for vascular immunotargeting, such as antibodies to platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1). Conjugation of poorly internalizable antibodies with streptavidin (SA) facilitates the intracellular uptake. Although both small and large (100-nm versus 1000-nm diameter) anti-PECAM/SA-beta galactosidase (SA-beta-gal) conjugates bound selectively to PECAM-expressing cells, only small conjugates showed intracellular accumulation of active beta-gal. To study whether size of the conjugates controls the uptake, a series of anti-PECAM/SA and anti-PECAM/bead conjugates ranging from 80 nm to 5 microm in diameter were produced. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells and PECAM-transfected mesothelioma cells internalized 80- to 350-nm anti-PECAM conjugates, but not conjugates larger than 500 nm. Further, size controls intracellular targeting of active therapeutic cargoes in vitro and in vivo. Small anti-PECAM/DNA conjugates transfected target cells in culture 5-fold more effectively than their large counterpart (350- versus 4200-nm diameter). To evaluate the practical significance of the size-controlled subcellular addressing, we coupled glucose oxidase (GOX) to anti-PECAM and antithrombomodulin. Both types of conjugates had equally high pulmonary uptake after intravenous injection in mice, yet only small (200- to 250-nm), not large (600- to 700-nm), GOX conjugates caused profound oxidative vascular injury in the lungs, presumably owing to intracellular generation of H(2)O(2). Thus, engineering of affinity carriers of specific size permits intracellular delivery of active cargoes to endothelium in vitro and in vivo, a paradigm useful for the targeting of drugs, genes, and toxins.

Curcumin, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, induces heme oxygenase-1 and protects endothelial cells against oxidative stress.

Curcumin, a widely used spice and coloring agent in food, has been shown to possess potent antioxidant, antitumor promoting and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro and in vivo. The mechanism(s) of such pleiotropic action by this yellow pigment is unknown; whether induction of distinct antioxidant genes contributes to the beneficial activities mediated by curcumin remains to be investigated. In the present study we examined the effect of curcumin on endothelial heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 or HSP32), an inducible stress protein that degrades heme to the vasoactive molecule carbon monoxide and the antioxidant biliverdin. Exposure of bovine aortic endothelial cells to curcumin (5-15 microM) resulted in both a concentration- and time-dependent increase in HO-1 mRNA, protein expression and heme oxygenase activity. Hypoxia (18 h) also caused a significant (P < 0.05) increase in heme oxygenase activity which was markedly potentiated by the presence of low concentrations of curcumin (5 microM). Interestingly, prolonged incubation (18 h) with curcumin in normoxic or hypoxic conditions resulted in enhanced cellular resistance to oxidative damage; this cytoprotective effect was considerably attenuated by tin protoporphyrin IX, an inhibitor of heme oxygenase activity. In contrast, exposure of cells to curcumin for a period of time insufficient to up-regulate HO-1 (1.5 h) did not prevent oxidant-mediated injury. These data indicate that curcumin is a potent inducer of HO-1 in vascular endothelial cells and that increased heme oxygenase activity is an important component in curcumin-mediated cytoprotection against oxidative stress.

A photo-activated, protein-based, NO/H2O2 generating system with tumoricidal activity composed of the nitric oxide derivative of apo-metallothionein (thionein-NO) and glucose oxidase.

The S-nitroso derivative of apo-metallothionein (thionein) was prepared by transnitrosation with S-nitrosoglutathione. The thionein-NO thus formed has an absorption maximum at 334 nm. Light-induced NO release from thionein-NO was demonstrated by flash photolysis. This system produces peroxynitrite at neutral pH as evidenced by nitrotyrosine formation. The cytotoxic potential of this protein-based, light-activated NO/H2O2 generating system was demonstrated by exposing human colon adenocarcinoma cells (SW 948) in culture to thionein-NO and glucose oxidase in the presence and absence of light. The cell density of the samples, 72 h subsequent to receiving 1 h of light exposure, decreased by approximately 98%, relative to controls. In comparison, cell density of the samples that were incubated in the presence of catalase and did not receive light treatment, decreased by only approximately 22% after 72 h.

Platelets attenuate oxidant-induced permeability in endothelial monolayers: glutathione-dependent mechanisms.

We studied the effects of adding washed human platelets or platelets with nonintact glutathione redox cycles to endothelial cell monolayers treated with glucose oxidase to initiate oxidant stress and increase permeability. Changes in 125I-labeled albumin transmonolayer movement were used as the index of monolayer permeability. Washed human platelets attenuated oxidant-induced increases in albumin flux. Platelets treated with 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosurea, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, or buthionine sulfoximine to inhibit selective enzymatic steps in the glutathione redox cycle decreased permeability to a lesser degree. We conclude that 1) washed human platelets attenuate monolayer permeability defects in aortic endothelial monolayers exposed to glucose oxidase and 2) the protective effects of platelets are partially dependent on an intact platelet glutathione redox cycle.

Multi-drug delivery system using streptavidin-transforming growth factor-alpha chimeric protein.

Tissue-specific delivery of a variety of molecules has been a valuable technique for biological and medical research. Therefore, we have constructed a recombinant plasmid containing the coding regions for streptavidin core and mature human transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha). The recombinant plasmid has been expressed in Escherichia coli to produce a chimeric protein with both streptavidin and TGF-alpha activity. The streptavidin-TGF-alpha chimeric protein (ST-TGF-alpha) could efficiently transfer biotinylated beta-galactosidase into A431 cells via the epidermal growth factor receptor. More than 99% of the cells contained the enzyme transferred. Furthermore, ST-TGF-alpha complexed with biotinylated-glucose oxidase had a significant cytotoxic effect when incubated with A431 cells. These findings suggest that the ST-TGF-alpha chimeric protein could be used to deliver proteins of interest into target cells without the need for chemical linkage or genetic construction. Essentially, ST-TGF-alpha serves as a high-modular "molecular bridge" for the passage of a wide variety of effector molecules into target cells.

Cell death and lipid peroxidation in isolated hepatocytes incubated in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and iron salts.

The incubation of isolated hepatocytes in the presence of glucose plus glucose oxidase, a H2O2-generating system, resulted in extensive loss of cell viability, as expressed by the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Disturbance of metabolic functions such as glycogen and protein synthesis was also caused by H2O2, but in no case was malondialdehyde (MDA)-like products detected. The lytic effect of H2O2 was significantly enhanced by incubating hepatocytes in the presence of iron salts. Under these conditions, MDA-like products were detected, but lipid peroxidation and cell injury did not correlate. Iron chelators modulated the cytotoxicity of H2O2 in different (and opposite) ways: when iron was complexed with ADP, increased cell lysis was observed compared to uncomplexed iron plus H2O2. Iron-DTPA, on the contrary, decreased such a lytic effect. The preincubation of hepatocytes with desferrioxamine mesylate (Desferal; a strong iron chelator) abolished the cytolytic effects produced by the association of iron salts and H2O2, as well as the membrane oxidative injury due to H2O2 alone, thus suggesting the existence of an intracellular source of iron. This kind of mechanism (metal chelation rather than radical scavenging) is supported by the absence of any protective effect by some free radical scavengers against the oxidative injury induced by the association iron H2O2. Nevertheless, the glycogenolytic effects observed in the presence of H2O2 were not modified by Desferal. In our opinion, the cytotoxicity of the association H2O2 plus iron salts involves at least two different and independent mechanisms.

Hydrogen peroxide-induced cell and tissue injury: protective effects of Mn2+.

Recent evidence indicates that under in vitro conditions, superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are unstable in the presence of manganese ion (Mn2+). The current studies show that in the presence of Mn2+, H2O2-mediated injury of endothelial cells is greatly attenuated. A source of bicarbonate ion and amino acid is required for Mn2+ to exert its protective effects. Injury by phorbol ester-activated neutrophils is also attenuated under the same conditions. EDTA reverses the protective effects. Acute lung injury produced in vivo in rats by intratracheal instillation of glucose-glucose oxidase is almost completely blocked in rats treated with Mn2+ and glycine. Conversely, treatment of rats with EDTA, a chelator of Mn2+, markedly accentuates lung injury caused by glucose-glucose oxidase. These data are consistent with the findings of others that Mn2+ can facilitate direct oxidation of amino acids with concomitant H2O2 disproportionation. This could form the basis of a new therapeutic approach against oxygen radical-mediated tissue injury.

Oxidant-induced endothelial leak correlates with decreased cellular energy levels.

A common finding in oxidant-induced organ injury is loss of vascular endothelial cell (EC) integrity and subsequent leak. The mechanisms involved are unclear, but maintenance of EC structure and functional integrity is highly dependent on the EC energy level. This study investigates whether oxidant-induced EC injury and concomitant increased monolayer permeability correlate with decreased energy levels. Rabbit pulmonary microvascular EC in vitro were exposed to varying levels of glucose oxidase as an oxidant-generating source for 2 h. Permeability changes were determined by albumin-Evans blue dye exclusion by monolayers of EC. ATP (nm/10(6) cells) and energy charge [ATP + 1/2ADP/(ATP + ADP + AMP)] were determined by HPLC. ATP and energy charge were found to decrease as permeability increased in response to increasing glucose oxidase concentration. ATP levels were a significantly more sensitive predictor of increased permeability than was energy charge. At 24 h, both permeability and ATP levels returned toward baseline. It appears that cell energy charge is preserved despite significant increases in monolayer permeability.

Injurious effect of the eosinophil peroxide-hydrogen peroxide-halide system and major basic protein on human nasal epithelium in vitro.

Tissue injury is observed in allergic and nonallergic eosinophilic rhinitis, but the mechanism of this injury is unclear. Because eosinophils are prominent in biopsy specimens in these conditions, we hypothesized that they may participate in the injury process. Initially, we developed techniques to isolate and purify human nasal epithelial cells from turbinate biopsies to use as target cells for eosinophil granule products. Primary cultures from explants were characterized by electron microscopy and indirect immunofluorescence with a panel of primary monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. These studies revealed the homogeneity of the cells and confirmed their epithelial nature. Cultured nasal epithelial cells were then exposed to either purified human eosinophil peroxidase, bromide, and glucose plus glucose oxidase, as a continuous source of hydrogen peroxide, or eosinophil major basic protein. Neither eosinophil peroxidase alone nor glucose plus glucose oxidase in the absence of eosinophil peroxidase were injurious, but the combined addition of eosinophil peroxidase, glucose/glucose oxidase, and bromide produced marked target cell lysis. This effect was time- and eosinophil peroxidase dose-dependent. Catalase and azide significantly inhibited the lysis of these cells, suggesting the eosinophil peroxidase-catalyzed products of halide oxidation mediated this form of injury. The addition of purified human eosinophil major basic protein also caused dose- and time-dependent lysis of the nasal epithelial cells but required longer incubation periods to effect injury. We hypothesize that the eosinophil peroxidase-hydrogen peroxide-halide system and major basic protein may injure the nasal epithelium in inflammatory conditions such as allergic and nonallergic eosinophilic rhinitis.

Potency, selectivity and cell cycle dependence of catechols in human tumour cells in vitro.

Enhancement of the potency and melanoma-selectivity of redox agents was sought by two different approaches. In screening a series of catechols, derivatives of moderate half-life (dopa, dopamine, noradrenaline, 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid; t1/2 12-33 hr) had significant toxicity (D37 20-30 microM) and selectivity for melanoma cells compared with HeLa. Less stable catechols (5-hydroxy- and 6-hydroxydopamine; t1/2 4 and 5 hr respectively) were toxic but lacked selectivity whereas more stable derivatives (4-hydroxyanisole, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid; t1/2 greater than 72 hr) were less potent (D37 greater than 100 microM) and had poor selectivity. Gossypol, a complex catechol derivative, exhibited significant toxicity (D37 7.7 microM) but little selectivity. Enzymes capable of reacting with components of the culture medium and known to continuously generate hydrogen peroxide (glucose-6-oxidase) or superoxide ion (xanthine oxidase) exhibited a similar degree of selectivity as dopa, indicating that active oxygen species are more important mediators of catechol toxicity than quinones. Rhodamine 123, a cationic dye preferentially taken up by some tumour cells, was accumulated equally by melanoma and HeLa yet had a similar selectivity to that of dopa. In the second approach, the potency of dopa was found to be greatly enhanced during early S phase. This phenomenon, found with cells synchronised both by mitotic shake off and by 24 hr accumulation in G1S in the presence of 5 mM hydroxyurea, occurred during a period in which the proportion of cells in S phase cells was low. These results indicate that human cells are extremely sensitive to extracellular active oxygen species during a relatively short period in early S phase, and selective killing of asynchronous melanoma cells therefore requires agents capable of sustaining a redox effect for at least one cell cycle.

Cytoskeletal changes as an early event in hydrogen peroxide-induced cell injury: a study in A549 cells.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and other oxygen metabolites have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cell and tissue injury. The nature of the injury occurring in cells exposed to oxygen metabolites is unknown. A549 cells, derived from human lung carcinoma, were exposed to glucose-glucose oxidase or hydrogen peroxide in vitro. The distribution of actin and cytokeratin filaments, as well as 51chromium (51Cr) release and trypan blue dye exclusion were assessed. Both glucose-glucose oxidase and H2O2 resulted in changes which were time- and dose-dependent. Alterations in the cytoskeleton were detected by immunofluorescence microscopy at two hours, at which time the cells excluded trypan blue dye, while 51Cr release and trypan blue uptake first occurred at 8 h and required a five-fold greater concentration of glucose oxidase. The addition of catalase to glucose-glucose oxidase or H2O2, or inactivation of glucose oxidase by boiling, abrogated the injury. Therefore, one of the early targets of H2O2-induced cell injury may be the cytoskeleton.

Distribution of oncodevelopmental markers in neoplastic cells: therapeutic implications.

When the subcellular distribution of secretory component (SC) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were determined immunoelectronmicroscopically, SC was found on the baso-lateral surface and CEA on the apical surface of the normal gastrointestinal epithelium. In contrast, on the neoplastic cells SC and/or CEA were found all around the cell surface. Taking the change in the distribution of CEA on the neoplastic cells as an advantage, an attempt was made to develop an immunotherapeutic method for adenocarcinoma. The method was based upon an assumption that intravenously injected anti-CEA is not accessible to normal epithelial cells, since the tight junction will act as a barrier for the diffusion of antibodies from the interstitium to the apical cell surface, but the anti-CEA will form immunecomplexes with the CEA on the baso-lateral surface of neoplastic cells. Specifically, CEA-producing human gall bladder carcinoma were transplanted into nude mice. To the tumor-bearing mice, glucose oxidase-labeled anti-CEA was intravenously injected. As a control, glucose oxidase-labeled normal rabbit IgG was injected. This was followed with an injection of NaI. It was found that in those mice injected with the labeled anti-CEA, the size of tumor was reduced as much as 30% within three days. In the controls, the tumor continued to grow. In those injected with the labeled anti-CEA, CEA-anti-CEA immunecomplexes were deposited on the glomerular basement membrane, consequently a search for an insoluble apical antigen is currently made.