Evaluation of the cytotoxic activity of Hypericum spp. on human glioblastoma A1235 and breast cancer MDA MB-231 cells.

Cytotoxic activity of 16 Hypericum ethanolic extracts was evaluated by MTT assay on two human cancer cell lines: glioblastoma A1235 and breast cancer MDA MB-231. Morphology and the type of induced cell death were determined using light and fluorescence microscopy. The majority of Hypericum extracts had no significant cytotoxic effect on MDA MB-231 cells. Eight extracts exhibited mild cytotoxic effect on A1235 cells after 24 h incubation, ranging from 8.0% (H. patulum) to 21.7% (H. oblongifolium). After 72 h of treatment, the strongest inhibition of A1235 viability was observed for extracts of H. androsaemum (26.4-43.9%), H. balearicum (25.8-36.3%), H. delphicum (14.8-27.4%) and H. densiflorum (11.2-24.1%). Micro-scopic examination of cells showed apoptosis as the dominant type of cell death. Due to observed high viability of treated cells, we propose that cytotoxic effects of Hypericum extracts could be related to alternations/interruptions in the cell cycle.

Notch affects the prodifferentiating effect of retinoic acid and PMA on leukemic cells.

Notch proteins determine cell fate decisions in the development of diverse tissues. Notch has been initially found in T-ALL but its role has been also studied in myelopoiesis and myeloid leukemias. Studies in different model systems have led to a widespread controversy as to whether Notch promotes or blocks myeloid differentiation. In this work, we evaluated the influence of Notch activation on leukemic cell differentiation along the monocytic and myelocytic pathway induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). We observed that differentiation of the human myeloblastic cell line HL-60 can be retarded or blocked by Delta/Notch interaction. ATRA induces complete remission in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia, but it cannot completely eliminate the leukemic clone and to be effective it should be combined with chemotherapy. Our findings suggest that Notch signaling may contribute to the incomplete elimination of the leukemic cells after PMA or ATRA treatment and the blockage of Notch pathway may be beneficial in the treatment of myeloid leukemia. © 2014 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Analysis of Primary Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells' Signaling Pathways.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by a specific expansion of mature B-cell clones. We hypothesized that the disease has a heterogeneous clinical outcome that depends on the genes and signaling pathways active in the malignant clone of the individual patient. It was found that several signaling pathways are active in CLL, namely, NOTCH1, the Ikaros family genes, BCL2, and NF-κB, all of which contribute to cell survival and the proliferation of the leukemic clone. Therefore, we analyzed primary CLL cells for the gene and protein expression of NOTCH1, DELTEX1, HES1, and AIOLOS in both peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and the bone marrow (BM) of patients, as well as the expression of BCL2 and miRNAs to see if they correlate with any of these genes. BCL2 and AIOLOS were highly expressed in all CLL samples as previously described, but we show here for the first time that AIOLOS expression was higher in the PBLs than in the BM. On the other hand, NOTCH1 activation was higher in the BM. In addition, miR-15a, miR-181, and miR-146 were decreased and miR-155 had increased expression in most samples. The activation of the NOTCH pathway in vitro increases the susceptibility of primary CLL cells to apoptosis despite high BCL2 expression.

Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) without the need for prior removal of DNA.

The procedure illustrated in this paper represents a new method for transcriptome analysis by PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), which circumvents the need for elimination of potential DNA contamination. Compared to the existing methodologies, our method is more precise, simpler and more reproducible because it preserves the RNA's integrity, does not require materials and/or reagents that are used for elimination of DNA and it also reduces the number of samples that should be set up as negative controls. This novel procedure involves the use of a specifically modified primer during reverse transcription step, which contains mismatched bases, thus producing cDNA molecules that differ from genomic DNA. By using the same modified primer in PCR amplification, only cDNA template is amplified since genomic DNA template is partially heterologous to the primer. In this way, amplification by PCR is unaffected by any potential DNA contamination since it is specific only for the cDNA template. Furthermore, it accurately reflects the initial RNA concentration of the sample, which is prone to changes due to various physical or enzymatic treatments commonly used by the current methodologies for DNA elimination. The method is particularly suitable for quantification of highly repetitive DNA transcripts, such as satellite DNA.

miRNA in Molecular Diagnostics.

MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression on post-transcriptional level. Their biogenesis consists of a complex series of sequential processes, and they regulate expression of many genes involved in all cellular processes. Their function is essential for maintaining the homeostasis of a single cell; therefore, their aberrant expression contributes to development and progression of many diseases, especially malignant tumors and viral infections. Moreover, they can be associated with certain states of a specific disease, obtained in the least invasive manner for patients and analyzed with basic molecular methods used in clinical laboratories. Because of this, they have a promising potential to become very useful biomarkers and potential tools in personalized medicine approaches. In this review, miRNAs biogenesis, significance in cancer and infectious diseases, and current available test and methods for their detection are summarized.

CD4+/CD57+/CD69+ T lymphocytes and CD14+ dendritic cells accumulate in advanced follicular lymphoma.

Follicular lymphoma is the second most frequent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, accounting for around 20 % of all lymphomas in Western countries. Initially, it behaves indolently, but in time becomes more aggressive and less susceptible to chemotherapy. Multiple features correlate with the survival of the patients and the progression of the disease, such as therapy with rituximab, tumour microenvironment and the intrafollicular proliferation index. Our research was focused on the association of specific components of tumour microenvironment and the tumour behaviour. The presence and the relative percentage of T lymphocytes, follicular dendritic cells, dendritic cells and macrophages was detected by immunohistochemical staining of the antigens specific for certain cell populations. Our results show that T lymphocytes and dendritic cells affect tumour growth, possibly through interactions with tumour cells. Higher patients' ECOG score and the outcome of the disease are associated with the presence of CD14+ dendritic cells in tumour tissue, while the worse overall survival of patients is associated with the increased number of activated helper T lymphocytes that express marker of exhaustion CD57. Taken together, our results suggest that the efficiency of the immune response against follicular lymphoma depends on more than one type of immune cells. Also, we found that the phenotype of these cells, rather than just their number, affects the tumour behaviour and in consequence survival of the patients.

Globularia alypum L. and Related Species: LC-MS Profiles and Antidiabetic, Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Antibacterial and Anticancer Potential.

Species from the genus Globularia L. have been used as healing agents for various ailments, with utilization of Globularia alypum L. being most frequently reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anticancer potential of G. alypum and three related species, G. punctata Lapeyr., G. cordifolia L. and G. meridionalis (Podp.) O.Schwarz, in relation to their phytochemical compositions. Globularin and verbascoside were identified using LC-PDA-ESI-MSn as the major metabolites of G. alypum with known biological activities. G. alypum demonstrated the greatest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 17.25 µg/mL), while its anti-inflammatory activity was not significantly different from those of related species. All investigated species showed considerable antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the broth microdilution method (MIC = 1.42-3.79 mg/mL). G. punctata also showed antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli (MIC = 1.42 mg/mL), Bacillus subtilis (MIC = 1.89 mg/mL), B. cereus (MIC = 2.84 mg/mL) and Enterococcus faecalis (MBC = 5.68 mg/mL). G. punctata, G. cordifolia and G. meridionalis showed greater anticancer potential than G. alypum. Obtained results indicate investigated Globularia species could serve as sources of diverse bioactive molecules, with G. punctata having the greatest antibacterial potential.

Different expression of DNMT1, PCNA, MCM2, CDT1, EZH2, GMNN and EP300 genes in lymphomagenesis of low vs. high grade lymphoma.

Tumour cells develop by accumulating changes in the genome that result in changes of main cellular processes. Aberrations of basic processes such as replication and chromatin reassembly are particularly important for genomic (in)stability. The aim of this study was to analyse the expression of genes whose products are crucial for the regulation of replication and chromatin reassembly during lymphomagenesis (DNMT1, PCNA, MCM2, CDT1, EZH2, GMNN, EP300). Non-tumour B cells were used as a control, and follicular lymphoma (FL) and the two most common groups of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) samples were used as a model for tumour progression. The results showed that there are significant changes in the expression of the analysed genes in lymphomagenesis, but also that these changes do not display linearity when assessed in relation to the degree of tumour aggression. Additionally, an integrated bioinformatics analysis of the difference in the expression of selected genes between tumour and non-tumour samples, and between tumour samples (FL vs. DLBCL) in five GEO datasets, did not show a consistent pattern of difference among the datasets.

MiR-7 in Cancer Development.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNA involved in the regulation of specific mRNA translation. They participate in cellular signaling circuits and can act as oncogenes in tumor development, so-called oncomirs, as well as tumor suppressors. miR-7 is an ancient miRNA involved in the fine-tuning of several signaling pathways, acting mainly as tumor suppressor. Through downregulation of PI3K and MAPK pathways, its dominant role is the suppression of proliferation and survival, stimulation of apoptosis and inhibition of migration. Besides these functions, it has numerous additional roles in the differentiation process of different cell types, protection from stress and chromatin remodulation. One of the most investigated tissues is the brain, where its downregulation is linked with glioblastoma cell proliferation. Its deregulation is found also in other tumor types, such as in liver, lung and pancreas. In some types of lung and oral carcinoma, it can act as oncomir. miR-7 roles in cell fate determination and maintenance of cell homeostasis are still to be discovered, as well as the possibilities of its use as a specific biotherapeutic.

Analysis of Ikaros family splicing variants in human hematopoietic lineages.

Transcription factors from the Ikaros family are involved in lymphocyte differentiation and have a critical role at specific check points of the haemopoietic pathway. However, how developmentally regulated changes are reflected in gene expression programs of lymphocyte differentiation is not well understood. It has been suggested that disregulation of transcription factors from the Ikaros family is associated with the development of different human leukemias. In this work we analyzed the state of Ikaros family members in different leukemic cells with the aim to explore the transcriptional control of human hematopoietic lineages and shed some new light on our understanding of transcription factor significance in human leukemias. By means of RT-PCR and specific primers we investigated the expression of Ikaros, Aiolos and Helios transcription factors and their splicing variants in seven leukemia cell lines derived from different types of leukemia (ALL, CML, AML) and lymphoma (histiocytic lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma and anaplastic large cell lymphoma). In all of the cell lines examined Ikaros was present in dominant Ik1 to Ik4 isoforms and small Ik6 isoform was absent. Aiolos was expressed in the majority of the cell lines, of both, B and T origin, in the form of the full length Aio1. Helios was also present only in two long isoforms Hel1 and Hel2, and was absent in one third of the lines. Similar distribution of positive and negative expression of Aiolos and Helios found in various types of leukemias could implicate common pathways of their regulation.

Heat Stress Affects H3K9me3 Level at Human Alpha Satellite DNA Repeats.

Satellite DNAs are tandemly repeated sequences preferentially assembled into large arrays within constitutive heterochromatin and their transcription is often activated by stress conditions, particularly by heat stress. Bioinformatic analyses of sequenced genomes however reveal single repeats or short arrays of satellite DNAs dispersed in the vicinity of genes within euchromatin. Here, we analyze transcription of a major human alpha satellite DNA upon heat stress and follow the dynamics of "silent" H3K9me3 and "active" H3K4me2/3 histone marks at dispersed euchromatic and tandemly arranged heterochromatic alpha repeats. The results show H3K9me3 enrichment at alpha repeats upon heat stress, which correlates with the dynamics of alpha satellite DNA transcription activation, while no change in H3K4me2/3 level is detected. Spreading of H3K9me3 up to 1-2 kb from the insertion sites of the euchromatic alpha repeats is detected, revealing the alpha repeats as modulators of local chromatin structure. In addition, expression of genes containing alpha repeats within introns as well as of genes closest to the intergenic alpha repeats is downregulated upon heat stress. Further studies are necessary to reveal the possible contribution of H3K9me3 enriched alpha repeats, in particular those located within introns, to the silencing of their associated genes.

miRNAs: EBV Mechanism for Escaping Host's Immune Response and Supporting Tumorigenesis.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) or human herpesvirus 4 (HHV-4) is a ubiquitous human oncogenic virus, and the first human virus found to express microRNAs (miRNAs). Its genome contains two regions encoding more than 40 miRNAs that regulate expression of both viral and human genes. There are numerous evidences that EBV miRNAs impact immune response, affect antigen presentation and recognition, change T- and B-cell communication, drive antibody production during infection, and have a role in cell apoptosis. Moreover, the ability of EBV to induce B-cell transformation and take part in mechanisms of oncogenesis in humans is well known. Although EBV infection is associated with development of various diseases, the role of its miRNAs is still not understood. There is abundant data describing EBV miRNAs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and several studies that have tried to evaluate their role in gastric carcinoma and lymphoma. This review aims to summarize so far known data about the role of EBV miRNAs in altered regulation of gene expression in human cells in EBV-associated diseases.

Induction of Urokinase Activity by Retinoic Acid in Two Cell Lines of Neuronal Origin.

Retinoic acid is one of the most well-known agents able to induce differentiation in several types of tumours. Unfortunately, most of the tumours are refractive to the differentiation cues. The aim of this investigation was to analyse the effects of prolonged treatment with retinoic acid on two cell lines of neural origin refractive to differentiation. Cells were also treated with retinoic acid in combination with a poly(ADP-ribosyl) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor because PARP1 is a known chromatin modulator and can influence the process of differentiation. The main methods comprised tumour cell line culturing and treatment; analysis of RNA and protein expression after cell treatment; as well as analysis of urokinase activity, migration, and proliferation. Both cell lines continued to proliferate under the prolonged treatment and showed increase in urokinase plasminogen activator activity. Analysis of gene expression and cell phenotype revealed different mechanisms, which only in neuroblastoma H4 cells could indicate the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The data collected indicate that the activity of the urokinase plasminogen activator, although belonging to an extracellular protease, does not necessary lead to epithelial-mesenchymal reprogramming and increase in cell migration but can have different outcomes depending on the intracellular milieu.

Effect of Notch and PARP Pathways' Inhibition in Leukemic Cells.

Differentiation of blood cells is one of the most complex processes in the body. It is regulated by the action of transcription factors in time and space which creates a specific signaling network. In the hematopoietic signaling system, Notch is one of the main regulators of lymphocyte development. The aim of this study was to get insight into the regulation of Notch signalization and the influence of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) activity on this process in three leukemia cell lines obtained from B and T cells. PARP1 is an enzyme involved in posttranslational protein modification and chromatin structure changes. B and T leukemia cells were treated with Notch and PARP inhibitors, alone or in combination, for a prolonged period. The cells did not show cell proliferation arrest or apoptosis. Analysis of gene and protein expression set involved in Notch and PARP pathways revealed increase in JAGGED1 expression after PARP1 inhibition in B cell lines and changes in Ikaros family members in both B and T cell lines after γ-secretase inhibition. These data indicate that Notch and PARP inhibition, although not inducing differentiation in leukemia cells, induce changes in signaling circuits and chromatin modelling factors.

Role of MYC in B Cell Lymphomagenesis.

B cell lymphomas mainly arise from different developmental stages of B cells in germinal centers of secondary lymphoid tissue. There are a number of signaling pathways that affect the initiation and development of B cell lymphomagenesis. The functions of several key proteins that represent branching points of signaling networks are changed because of their aberrant expression, degradation, and/or accumulation, and those events determine the fate of the affected B cells. One of the most influential transcription factors, commonly associated with unfavorable prognosis for patients with B cell lymphoma, is nuclear phosphoprotein MYC. During B cell lymphomagenesis, oncogenic MYC variant is deregulated through various mechanisms, such as gene translocation, gene amplification, and epigenetic deregulation of its expression. Owing to alterations of downstream signaling cascades, MYC-overexpressing neoplastic B cells proliferate rapidly, avoid apoptosis, and become unresponsive to most conventional treatments. This review will summarize the roles of MYC in B cell development and oncogenesis, as well as its significance for current B cell lymphoma classification. We compared communication networks within transformed B cells in different lymphomas affected by overexpressed MYC and conducted a meta-analysis concerning the association of MYC with tumor prognosis in different patient populations.

Sodium Salicylate Inhibits Urokinase Activity in MDA MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells.

INTRODUCTION: Sodium salicylate (NaS) is a derivate of acetylsalicylic acid or aspirin, used as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug for centuries, for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. It was found to modulate different signaling pathways, in a cell-specific way. Here, we explore the effect of NaS on cell growth and urokinase activity in MDA MB-231 breast cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the effect of NaS treatment on cell growth by flow cytometry and viability test. The transwell migration assay was used to study the migratory response of the cells. The gene expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR on RNA level and by Western blot analysis on protein level. Urokinase activity was assessed by caseinolysis. RESULTS: Sublethal concentrations of NaS decreased cell growth and inhibited urokinase activity. The latter was a consequence of decrease in urokinase expression and increase in expression of its inhibitors. Analysis of signaling molecules revealed activation of transforming growth factor-ß signaling, increase in master transcription factors for epithelial-mesenchymal transition and changes in integrin expression. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that NaS causes partial cellular reprogramming through transforming growth factor-ß signaling which, together with direct NaS influence, causes changes in expression in a set of genes involved in extracellular proteolysis. These data could be beneficial for the development of new therapeutic approaches in invasive breast cancer treatment.

Site-specific mutagenesis of the histidine precursor of diphthamide in the human elongation factor-2 gene confers resistance to diphtheria toxin.

Protein synthesis elongation factor 2 (EF-2) from eukaryotes contains a conserved post-translationally modified histidine residue known as diphthamide. Diphthamide is a unique site of ADP-ribosylation by diphtheria toxin (DT), which is responsible for cell killing. In this report, we describe the construction of DT-resistant HeLa cell lines by engineering the toxin-resistant form of its specific substrate, protein elongation factor-2. Using site-specific mutagenesis of the histidine precursor of diphthamide, the histidine residue of codon 715 in human EF-2 cDNA was substituted with one of four amino acid residue codons: leucine, methionine, asparagine or glutamine. Mutant EF-2s were subcloned into a pCMVexSVneo expression vector, transfected into HeLa cells, and DT-resistant cell clones were isolated. The protective effect of mutant EF-2s against cell killing by DT, after exposing all four mutant strains derived from HeLa cells to different concentrations of the toxin (5-20 ng/mL) was demonstrated by: (1) the normal morphological appearance of the cells; (2) their unaffected or slightly slower growth rates; (3) their undisturbed electrophoretic DNA profiles whose integrity was virtually preserved. Mutant cell strains showed also considerable levels of resistance to very high concentrations of DT, in that they maintained slower but consistent rates of cell growth. It was hence concluded that despite its strict conservation and unique modification, the diphthamide histidine appears not to be essential to the function of human EF-2 in protein synthesis. In addition, DT-resistant HeLa cell clones should prove valuable hosts for various DT gene-containing vectors that express the toxin intracellularly.

Modulation of urokinase plasminogen activator system by poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 inhibition.

The urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) system is a complex regulator of extracellular proteolysis which is involved in various physiological and pathological processes. The major components of this system are the serine protease uPA, two inhibitors PAI-1 and PAI-2, and the receptor uPAR. It has been previously shown by several groups that the uPA system has an important role in cancer progression and therefore its possible prognostic and therapeutic value has been evaluated. The aim of this study is to tackle the role of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in the induction of uPA activity in a glioblastoma cell line, A1235. This cell line is sensitive to alkylation damage and is a model for drug treatment. The components of the uPA system and the level of DNA damage were analyzed after alkylation agent treatment in combination with poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 (PARP-1) inhibition. Here we show that the increase in uPA activity results from the net balance change between uPA and its inhibitor at mRNA level. Further, PARP-1 inhibition exerts its influence on uPA activity through DNA damage increase. Involvement of several signaling pathways, as well as cell specific regulation influencing the uPA system are discussed.

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 tat- and tat/nef-defective genomes containing HIV-regulated diphtheria toxin A chain gene inhibit HIV replication.

AIM: To assess the ability of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) tat- and tat/nef-defective genomes containing diphtheria toxin A chain gene (DTA) to inhibit replication of HIV in human cells. METHODS: Plasmids were constructed to contain the HIV-1 genome disabled by tat and tat/nef deletions, and sequences coding for the A subunit of diphtheria toxin gene were inserted into one of these deletions. An infectious clone of HIV-1 (pBRU-3) was cotransfected into HeLa-CD4 cells, together with plasmids carrying the modified DTA-containing genomes. Cell culture supernatants were collected and titrated for the virus by multinuclear activation of beta-galactosidase (MAGI) assay. RESULTS: Each of the DTA-containing plasmids suppressed HIV production by no less than 96%, whereas the defective non-DTA containing plasmids did not interfere with the virus growth. Plasmids containing wild-type DTA inhibited HIV replication slightly more than its moderately attenuated mutant form, probably by limiting the synthesis of viral proteins. These modified DTA-containing HIV constructs gave no evidence of virus growth in HIV susceptible cells that supported the multiplication of the parent plasmid. None of the modified DTA-containing plasmids was toxic to cells cotransfected with a selectable marker, as shown by the ability of cotransfectants to multiply and form colonies at rates identical to controls exposed to non-specific DNA. This suggested that DTA was probably not expressed in the absence of activating wild-type HIV plasmid. CONCLUSION: HIV-regulated DTA in the background of a HIV replication and expression of defective provirus may be taken into consideration as a therapy approach to the treatment of HIV infection, based on its selective and specific toxicity only to HIV infected CD4-positive cells.