Low Testosterone Alters the Activity of Mouse Prostate Stem Cells.

BACKGROUND: Low serum testosterone (low T) has been repeatedly linked to worse outcomes in men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer (PC). How low T contributes to these outcomes is unknown. Here we demonstrate that exposure to low T causes significant changes in the mouse prostate and prostate stem cells. METHODS: Mice were castrated and implanted with capsules to achieve castrate, normal, or sub-physiological levels of T. After 6 weeks of treatment, LC-MS/MS was used to quantify the levels of T and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in serum and prostate tissue. FACS was used to quantify the percentages of purported prostate stem and transit amplifying (TA) cells in mouse prostates. Prostate tissues were also stained for the presence of CD68+ cells and RNA was extracted from prostate tissue or specific cell populations to measure changes in transcript levels with low T treatment. RESULTS: Despite having significantly different levels of T and DHT in the serum, T and DHT concentrations in prostate tissue from different T treatment groups were similar. Low T treatment resulted in significant alterations in the expression of androgen biosynthesis genes, which may be related to maintaining prostate androgen levels. Furthermore, the expression of androgen-regulated genes in the prostate was similar among all T treatment groups, demonstrating that the mouse prostate can maintain functional levels of androgens despite low serum T levels. Low T increased the frequency of prostate stem and TA cells in adult prostate tissue and caused major transcriptional changes in those cells. Gene ontology analysis suggested that low T caused inflammatory responses and immunofluorescent staining indicated that low T treatment led to the increased presence of CD68+ macrophages in prostate tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Low T alters the AR signaling axis which likely leads to maintenance of functional levels of prostate androgens. Low T also induces quantitative and qualitative changes in prostate stem cells which appear to lead to inflammatory macrophage infiltration. These changes are proposed to lead to an aggressive phenotype once cancers develop and may contribute to the poor outcomes in men with low T. Prostate 77:530-541, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AroER tri-screen™ is a novel functional assay to estimate both estrogenic and estrogen precursor activity of chemicals or biological specimens.

The purpose of the study is to define AroER tri-screen's utility for identifying endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that target aromatase and/or estrogen receptor (ER), and to measure the total estrogenic activity in biological specimens. ER-positive, aromatase-expressing MCF-7 breast cancer cells were stably transfected with an estrogen responsive element (ERE)-driven luciferase reporter plasmid to yield a new high-throughput screening platform-the AroER tri-screen. AroER tri-screen was capable of identifying estrogen precursors, such as cortodoxone, which function as estrogens through a two-step conversion process in aromatase-expressing tissue. Furthermore, the system proved useful for assessing EDC activity in biologically relevant samples. Estimating these activities is critical because natural estrogens and estrogenic EDCs are important factors in ER-positive breast cancer risk. As our research demonstrates, incorporating functionally active aromatase into the AroER tri-screen produces a powerful and unique tool to (1) identify new EDCs targeting aromatase and/or ER; (2) discover novel EDCs activated by aromatase; and (3) estimate overall estrogenic activities in biological samples as a potential intermediate risk factor for breast cancer.

Pharmacokinetics of Sustained-release and Extended-release Buprenorphine in Mice after Surgical Catheterization.

The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals strongly encourages the use of pharmaceutical-grade chemicals and analgesics. Sustained-release buprenorphine (SRB) is administered extralabel to rodents to mitigate moderate to severe pain. An FDA-indexed buprenorphine formulation-extended-release buprenorphine (XRB)-has recently become available and is currently the only pharmaceutical-grade slow-release buprenorphine formulation approved for use in mice and rats. However, no studies have directly compared the pharmacokinetic parameters of SRB and XRB in surgically catheterized mice. To this end, we compared the plasma buprenorphine concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters of SRB and XRB in mice after surgical catheterization. We hypothesized that mice treated before surgery with SRB or XRB would have circulating buprenorphine concentrations that exceeded the therapeutic threshold for as long as 72 h after surgery. Male and female C57Bl/6J mice were anesthetized, treated with a single dose of either SRB (1 mg/kg SC) or XRB (3.25 mg/kg SC), and underwent surgical catheterization. Arterial blood samples were collected at 6, 24, 48, and 72 h after administration. Weight loss after surgery (mean ± SEM) was similar between groups (SRB: males, 12% ± 2%; females, 8% ± 2%; XRB: males, 12% ± 1%; females, 8% ± 1%). Both SRB and XRB maintained circulating buprenorphine concentrations above the therapeutic level of 1.0 ng/mL for 72 h after administration. Plasma buprenorphine concentrations at 6, 24, and 48 h were significantly greater (3- to 4-fold) with XRB than SRB, commensurate with XRB's higher dose. These results support the use of either SRB or XRB for the alleviation of postoperative pain in mice. The availability of FDA-indexed XRB increases options for safe and effective pharmaceutical-grade analgesia in rodents.

Multiple Treatment Cycles of Neural Stem Cell Delivered Oncolytic Adenovirus for the Treatment of Glioblastoma.

Tumor tropic neural stem cells (NSCs) can improve the anti-tumor efficacy of oncovirotherapy agents by protecting them from rapid clearance by the immune system and delivering them to multiple distant tumor sites. We recently completed a first-in-human trial assessing the safety of a single intracerebral dose of NSC-delivered CRAd-Survivin-pk7 (NSC.CRAd-S-pk7) combined with radiation and chemotherapy in newly diagnosed high-grade glioma patients. The maximum feasible dose was determined to be 150 million NSC.CRAd-Sp-k7 (1.875 × 1011 viral particles). Higher doses were not assessed due to volume limitations for intracerebral administration and the inability to further concentrate the study agent. It is possible that therapeutic efficacy could be maximized by administering even higher doses. Here, we report IND-enabling studies in which an improvement in treatment efficacy is achieved in immunocompetent mice by administering multiple treatment cycles intracerebrally. The results imply that pre-existing immunity does not preclude therapeutic benefits attainable by administering multiple rounds of an oncolytic adenovirus directly into the brain.

Repurposing leflunomide for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma: a phase 1 study.

The inexpensive, well-tolerated, immunomodulatory agent leflunomide, used extensively for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, has been shown to produce significant activity against multiple myeloma (MM) in pre-clinical studies. We conducted a phase 1 study (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02509052) of single agent leflunomide in patients with relapsed/refractory MM (≥3 prior therapies). At dose levels 1 and 2 (20 and 40 mg), no dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed. At dose level 3 (60 mg), one patient experienced elevated alanine aminotransferase; an additional three patients were enrolled at this dose level without further DLTs. Overall, toxicities were infrequent and manageable. Nine out of 11 patients achieved stable disease (SD), two subjects experiencing SD for nearly one year or longer. The tolerable safety profile of leflunomide, combined with a potential disease stabilization, is motivating future studies of leflunomide, in combination with other MM drugs, or as an approach to delay progression of smoldering MM.

Lack of effect of P-glycoprotein inhibition on renal clearance of dicloxacillin in patients with cystic fibrosis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine whether upregulation of P-glycoprotein is responsible for the enhanced renal clearance of dicloxacillin in patients with cystic fibrosis. DESIGN: Single-center, prospective, open-label, randomized, three-part crossover pharmacokinetic study. SETTING: General clinical research center. SUBJECTS: Eleven patients with cystic fibrosis and 11 age-matched healthy volunteers. INTERVENTION: All subjects received a single oral dose of dicloxacillin 500 mg alone, dicloxacillin 500 mg plus probenecid (an organic anion transport inhibitor) 1 g, and dicloxacillin 500 mg plus cyclosporine (a P-glycoprotein inhibitor) 5 mg/kg; each treatment was separated by a washout period of 48 hours. A bolus dose of iothalamate meglumine 456 mg was administered on each study day as a marker of glomerular filtration. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Blood and urine samples were taken serially up to 6 hours after each dose. Pharmacokinetics of dicloxacillin and iothalamate were determined by using compartmental and noncompartmental methods. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells to measure expression of multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) messenger RNA (mRNA). Genotyping for ABCB1 was performed to determine the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (exons 21 and 26). In both healthy subjects and patients with cystic fibrosis, compared with dicloxacillin alone, coadministration with probenecid produced a significantly lower renal clearance of dicloxacillin, whereas coadministration with cyclosporine resulted in no significant change; renal clearance was not significantly different between the two study groups. No correlation was found between MDR1 mRNA expression and renal clearance of dicloxacillin. The renal excretion of dicloxacillin was significantly greater in subjects with the ABCB1 exon 26 TT polymorphism when compared with subjects with the CT genotype. CONCLUSION: We found no significant difference in the pharmacokinetics of dicloxacillin between patients with cystic fibrosis and healthy volunteers. Renal clearance of dicloxacillin was significantly reduced in the presence of probenecid but not with cyclosporine, suggesting that the rate-limiting step in tubular secretion of dicloxacillin is uptake mediated by the organic anion transporter, and not P-glycoprotein inhibition.

Low systemic testosterone levels induce androgen maintenance in benign rat prostate tissue.

Prostate cancer (PC) is both an age- and an androgen-dependent disease. Paradoxically, systemic levels of androgens decline with age as the risk of PC rises. While there is no correlation between systemic androgen levels and the risk of PC, systemic androgen levels do not reflect the levels of androgens in prostate tissue. In metastatic PC, changes in the androgen biosynthesis pathway during hormone therapy result in increased levels of androgens in cancer tissue and contribute to continued androgen receptor (AR) signaling. It is possible that similar changes occur in normal prostate tissue as androgen levels decline with age and that this contributes to tumorigenesis. In the present study, we sought to determine whether the rat prostate is able to maintain functional levels of androgens despite low serum testosterone levels. Rats were castrated and implanted with capsules to achieve castrate, normal, sub-physiological, and supra-physiological levels of testosterone. After 6 weeks of treatment, LC-MS/MS was used to quantify the levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the serum and prostate tissue. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to quantify the expression of genes involved in the androgen/AR signaling axis. Despite significantly different levels of testosterone and DHT being present in the serum, testosterone and DHT concentrations in prostate tissue from different testosterone-treatment groups were very similar. Furthermore, the expression of androgen-regulated genes in the prostate was similar among all the testosterone-treatment groups, demonstrating that the rat prostate can maintain a functional level of androgens despite low serum testosterone levels. Low-testosterone treatment resulted in significant alterations in the expression of androgen biosynthesis genes, which may be related to maintaining functional androgen levels.

Nelfinavir induces liposarcoma apoptosis through inhibition of regulated intramembrane proteolysis of SREBP-1 and ATF6.

PURPOSE: We previously reported that nelfinavir (NFV) induces G(1) cell-cycle block and apoptosis selectively in liposarcoma cell lines due to increased SREBP-1 (sterol regulatory element binding protein-1) expression in the absence of increased transcription. We postulate that NFV interferes with regulated intramembrane proteolysis of SREBP-1 and ATF6 (activating transcription factor 6). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Time-lapse, confocal microscopic studies show that NFV inhibits the nuclear translocation of full-length SREBP-1-EGFP and ATF6-EGFP fusion proteins. siRNA-mediated knockdown of site-1 protease (S1P) and/or site-2 protease (S2P) leads to inhibition of SREBP-1 intracellular trafficking to the nucleus and reduces liposarcoma cell proliferation. Treatment of LiSa-2 liposarcoma cells with 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin, a serine protease inhibitor of S1P, did not affect SREBP-1 processing. In contrast, 1,10-phenanthroline, an S2P-specific inhibitor, reproduces the molecular and biological phenotypes observed in NFV-treated cells, which implicates S2P as a target of NFV. In vivo evaluation of NFV in a murine liposarcoma xenograft model leads to inhibition of tumor growth without significant toxicity. RESULTS: NFV-induced upregulation of SREBP-1 and ATF6 results from inhibition of S2P, which together with S1P mediates regulated intramembrane proteolysis from their precursor to their transcriptionally active forms. The resulting endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and concurrent inhibition of the unfolded protein response induce caspase-mediated apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide new insight into the mechanism of NFV-mediated induction of ER stress and cell death in liposarcomas and are the first to report targeting S2P for cancer therapy.

Phase II studies of gemcitabine and cisplatin in heavily and minimally pretreated metastatic breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Cisplatin and gemcitabine have single-agent activity in metastatic breast cancer, and preclinical data support synergy of the combination. Two parallel, phase II trials were conducted to evaluate the response rate, response duration, and toxicities of the combination. Genetic polymorphisms were analyzed for correlation with outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible women had measurable disease and heavily or minimally pretreated metastatic breast cancer. The heavily pretreated protocol required prior anthracycline and taxane therapy; cisplatin as part of high-dose therapy was allowed. All patients received cisplatin 25 mg/m(2) on days 1 through 4 and gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) on days 2 and 8 of a 21-day cycle with prophylactic granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the heavily pretreated group. Sera from a subset of patients were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism for polymorphisms in 10 genes of interest. RESULTS: Of 136 women enrolled, 74 were heavily pretreated. Both protocols accrued to their two-stage design. The response rate for both the heavily and minimally pretreated cohorts was 26%, and the median durations of response were 5.3 and 5.9 months, respectively. In a multivariate analysis, hormone receptor-negative disease was associated with a higher response rate. The most common grades 3 or 4 toxicities were thrombocytopenia (71%), neutropenia (66%), and anemia (38%). In a subset of 55 patients, the xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD)-751, x-ray cross-complementing group 3 (XRCC3) and cytidine deaminase polymorphisms were significantly associated with clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: Combination cisplatin and gemcitabine is active in metastatic breast cancer regardless of prior therapy. Genetic polymorphisms may tailor which patients benefit from this regimen.

CCI-779 in metastatic melanoma: a phase II trial of the California Cancer Consortium.

BACKGROUND: CCI-779 is an analog of the immunosuppressive agent, rapamycin, that has demonstrated activity against melanoma in preclinical models and shown clinical benefit in patients with breast and renal carcinoma. CCI-779 is not immunosuppressive when administered on an intermittent schedule, and its toxicity is modest, consisting of nausea, diarrhea, hypertriglyceridemia, thrombocytopenia, asthenia, and follicular dermatitis. METHODS: The current trial was designed to detect a median time to disease progression of >18 weeks in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with a 250-mg weekly dose of CCI-779 administered intravenously after diphenhydramine premedication. Patients with measurable disease, no more than one previous chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease, and normal organ function were eligible, and patients with central nervous system involvement, P450-inducing or P450-suppressing drugs, or hypertriglyceridemia were excluded. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients (21 males) were treated, 21 of whom had been treated previously with chemotherapy and/or biologic agents for advanced-stage disease. One patient had a partial response lasting 2 months. The median time to disease progression and overall survival were 10 weeks and 5 months, respectively. Toxicity was mild and predominantly mucocutaneous (stomatitis, diarrhea, and rash). Hyperlipidemia was cumulative and was managed with lipid-lowering agents. CONCLUSIONS: CCI-779 was not sufficiently active in melanoma to warrant further testing as a single agent.

Quantification of chemotherapeutic target gene mRNA expression in human breast cancer biopsies: comparison of real-time reverse transcription-PCR vs. relative quantification reverse transcription-PCR utilizing DNA sequencer analysis of PCR products.

The solid tumor mRNA expression of genes related to the mechanism of action of certain antineoplastic agents is often predictive of clinical efficacy. We report here on the development of a rapid and practical real-time RT-PCR method to quantify genetic expression in solid tumors. The genes examined are related to the intracellular pharmacology of gemcitabine and cisplatin, two drugs that are used in the treatment of several types of advanced cancer. We evaluated target gene mRNA levels from breast tumor samples using two quantitative RT-PCR methods: 1) an improved relative RT-PCR method using fluorescence-labeled primers, automated PCR set up, and GeneScan analysis software; and 2) real-time RT-PCR with redesigned primers using an ABI 7900HT instrument, with additional postprocessing of the data to adjust for efficiency differences across the target genes. Using these methods, we quantified mRNA expression levels of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), deoxycytidylate deaminase (dCDA), the M1 and M2 subunits of ribonucleotide reductase (RRM1, RRM2), and excision cross complementation group 1 (ERCC1) in 35 human "fresh" frozen breast cancer biopsies. While both assay methods were substantially more rapid than traditional RT-PCR, real-time RT-PCR appeared to be superior to the amplification end-point measurement in terms of precision and high throughput, even when a DNA sequencer was used to assess fluorescence-labeled PCR products. This reproducible, highly sensitive real-time RT-PCR method for the detection and quantification of the mRNAs for dCK, dCDA, RRM1, RRM2, and ERCC1 in human breast cancer biopsies appears to be more informative and less time-consuming than either classical radioisotope-dependent RT-PCR or the technique utilizing GeneScan analysis described herein. By allowing the measurement of intratumoral target gene expression, these new methods may prove useful in predicting the clinical utility of gemcitabine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy programs in patients with solid tumors.