RESUMEN
Great expectations are set on gene therapy for the treatment of malignant hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) in East Asia. Recombinant adenoviral vectors (AV) have been developed in which the L-plastin promoter (LP) regulates the expression of transgenes, in a tumor cell specific manner, resulting in an increase in the therapeutic index. The development of the AdLPCD vector, a replication-incompetent AV, containing a transcription unit of LP and E. coli cytosine deaminase (CD), was reported in our previous work. In the present study, the AdLPCD vector combined with 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) administration was tested to see if it might have significant utility in the chemosensitization of L-plastin positive HCC. Four HCC cell lines (HepG2, Chang Liver, Huh-7 and SK-Hep-1 cells) were investigated for the expression of LacZ after infecting the cells with the AdLPLacZ vector containing a 2.4 kb fragment of LP and the LacZ gene. Relatively high levels of LP activity were detected in HepG2, followed by Chang Liver cells; whereas, no promoter activity was found in Huh-7 and SK-Hep-1 cells, as determined by AdLPLacZ infection followed by the beta-galactosidase assay. In addition, the results of RT-PCR assays for the detection of endogenous L-plastin mRNA in these cells lines correlated well with those of the beta-galactosidase activity after infection with AdLPLacZ. Based on these data, the cytotoxic effect of AdLPCD/5-FC was evaluated in HepG2 cells. These results indicate that the CD gene delivered by AV could sensitize HepG2 cells to the prodrug, 5-FC. However, the observed effects were insufficient to cause the death of most of cells. This suggests that the screening of patients for an AdLP/5-FC strategy based on AdLPLacZ data might not always guarantee a good therapeutic outcome.
Asunto(s)
Adenoviridae/genética , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/terapia , Citosina Desaminasa/genética , Vectores Genéticos/uso terapéutico , Neoplasias Hepáticas/terapia , Fosfoproteínas/genética , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/genética , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/patología , Línea Celular Tumoral , Citomegalovirus/genética , Escherichia coli/genética , Vectores Genéticos/genética , Humanos , Operón Lac , Neoplasias Hepáticas/genética , Neoplasias Hepáticas/patología , Glicoproteínas de Membrana , Proteínas de Microfilamentos , Regiones Promotoras Genéticas/genética , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa de Transcriptasa Inversa , Replicación Viral/genética , beta-Galactosidasa/metabolismoRESUMEN
Cytochrome P4501A2 (CYP1A2) is a member of the cytochrome P450 family of isozymes involved in the phase I drug metabolism of vertebrates. CYP1A2 is responsible for the activation of a number of aromatic amines to mutagenic and carcinogenic forms. Thus, the level of CYP1A2, which varies among different populations, may determine an individual's susceptibility to these chemicals. We have previously reported on the importance of a cis element named PRB (protected region B) in the regulation of human Cytochrome P4501A2 (CYP1A2) gene, which appeared to act as a positive regulatory element. Closer examination of the PRB sequence (-2218 to -2187 bp) revealed a putative AP-1 binding site, TGACTAA, at -2212 bp (Chung and Bresnick, 1997). To elucidate the role of AP-1 in CYP1A2 regulation, we transiently overexpressed c-Jun and c-Fos transcription factors in human hepatoma HepG2 cells, and examined their influence on the CYP1A2 promoter activity by reporter gene assays. Cotransfection of the c-Jun and the c-Fos expression vectors increased the induced transactivation by five to six fold from the CYP1A2 promoter constructs. However, deletion of the PRB element did not affect the degree of activation by the c-Jun and the c-Fos. Therefore, it is unlikely that the c-Jun and the c-Fos activate the CYP1A2 promoter through this AP-1 consensus-like sequence in the PRB region.