Assessing susceptibility for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon toxicity in an in vitro 3D respiratory model for asthma.

There is increased emphasis on understanding cumulative risk from the combined effects of chemical and non-chemical stressors as it relates to public health. Recent animal studies have identified pulmonary inflammation as a possible modifier and risk factor for chemical toxicity in the lung after exposure to inhaled pollutants; however, little is known about specific interactions and potential mechanisms of action. In this study, primary human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC) cultured in 3D at the air-liquid interface (ALI) are utilized as a physiologically relevant model to evaluate the effects of inflammation on toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a class of contaminants generated from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Normal HBEC were differentiated in the presence of IL-13 for 14 days to induce a profibrotic phenotype similar to asthma. Fully differentiated normal and IL-13 phenotype HBEC were treated with benzo[a]pyrene (BAP; 1-40 µg/mL) or 1% DMSO/PBS vehicle at the ALI for 48 h. Cells were evaluated for cytotoxicity, barrier integrity, and transcriptional biomarkers of chemical metabolism and inflammation by quantitative PCR. Cells with the IL-13 phenotype treated with BAP result in significantly (p < 0.05) decreased barrier integrity, less than 50% compared to normal cells. The effect of BAP in the IL-13 phenotype was more apparent when evaluating transcriptional biomarkers of barrier integrity in addition to markers of mucus production, goblet cell hyperplasia, type 2 asthmatic inflammation and chemical metabolism, which all resulted in dose-dependent changes (p < 0.05) in the presence of BAP. Additionally, RNA sequencing data showed that the HBEC with the IL-13 phenotype may have increased potential for uncontrolled proliferation and decreased capacity for immune response after BAP exposure compared to normal phenotype HBEC. These data are the first to evaluate the role of combined environmental factors associated with inflammation from pre-existing disease and PAH exposure on pulmonary toxicity in a physiologically relevant human in vitro model.

Comparative mechanisms of PAH toxicity by benzo[a]pyrene and dibenzo[def,p]chrysene in primary human bronchial epithelial cells cultured at air-liquid interface.

Current assumption for assessing carcinogenic risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is that they function through a common mechanism of action; however, recent studies demonstrate that PAHs can act through unique mechanisms potentially contributing to cancer outcomes in a non-additive manner. Using a primary human 3D bronchial epithelial culture (HBEC) model, we assessed potential differences in mechanism of toxicity for two PAHs, benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) and dibenzo[def,p]chrysene (DBC), compared to a complex PAH mixture based on short-term biosignatures identified from transcriptional profiling. Differentiated bronchial epithelial cells were treated with BAP (100-500 µg/ml), DBC (10 µg/ml), and coal tar extract (CTE 500-1500 µg/ml, SRM1597a) for 48 h and gene expression was measured by RNA sequencing or quantitative PCR. Comparison of BAP and DBC gene signatures showed that the majority of genes (~60%) were uniquely regulated by treatment, including signaling pathways for inflammation and DNA damage by DBC and processes for cell cycle, hypoxia and oxidative stress by BAP. Specifically, BAP upregulated targets of AhR, NRF2, and KLF4, while DBC downregulated these same targets, suggesting a chemical-specific pattern in transcriptional regulation involved in antioxidant response, potentially contributing to differences in PAH potency. Other processes were regulated in common by all PAH treatments, BAP, DBC and CTE, including downregulation of genes involved in cell adhesion and reduced functional measurements of barrier integrity. This work supports prior in vivo studies and demonstrates the utility of profiling short-term biosignatures in an organotypic 3D model to identify mechanisms linked to carcinogenic risk of PAHs in humans.

Evaluating the Effects of Various Decalcification Protocols on Immunohistochemical Staining in Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Fixation and decalcification can alter protein structure in tissues, influencing the efficacy of primary antibodies routinely used in immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Histologic examination of zebrafish requires both processes, making staining and analysis potentially challenging. Here, we investigated the effects of common fixation and decalcification protocols on IHC staining in zebrafish. We also identified zebrafish-reactive and -specific antibodies for use in research and diagnostics. For several of the antibodies, time spent in Dietrich's fixative containing 2% glacial acetic acid or 3.4% formaldehyde followed by decalcification with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) significantly impacted IHC staining quality, particularly regarding staining intensity. Protocols utilizing shorter fixation times produced higher-quality stains. In addition, individual markers were variably affected by the type of fixative. Dietrich's fixative significantly reduced staining quality for the "neural" markers: glial fibrillar acidic protein, chromogranin A, S100. A negative time-dependent effect of fixation on staining quality was found for several antibodies: muscle actin (Dietrich's only), cytokeratin AE1/AE3, chromogranin, and S100. Neither decalcification protocol had a statistically significant negative time-dependent effect on staining quality. Based on our results, we suggest shorter fixation and decalcification protocols to best preserve IHC staining quality as well as recommend deliberate selection of the fixative used depending on the protein of interest.

Divergent roles of p120-catenin isoforms linked to altered cell viability, proliferation, and invasiveness in carcinogen-induced rat skin tumors.

The heterocyclic amine 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) targets multiple organs for tumorigenesis in the rat, including the colon and the skin. PhIP-induced skin tumors were subjected to mutation screening, which identified genetic changes in Hras (7/40, 17.5%) and Tp53 (2/40, 5%), but not in Ctnnb1, a commonly mutated gene in PhIP-induced colon tumors. Despite the absence of Ctnnb1 mutations, ß-catenin was overexpressed in nuclear and plasma membrane fractions from PhIP-induced skin tumors, coinciding with loss of p120-catenin from the plasma membrane, and the appearance of multiple p120-catenin-associated bands in the nuclear extracts. Real-time RT-PCR revealed that p120-catenin isoforms 1 and 4 were upregulated in PhIP-induced skin tumors, whereas p120-catenin isoform 3 was expressed uniformly, compared with adjacent normal-looking tissue. In human epidermoid carcinoma and colon cancer cells, transient transfection of p120-catenin isoform 1A enhanced the viability and cell invasion index, whereas transient transfection of p120-catenin isoform 4A increased cell viability and cell proliferation. Knockdown of p120-catenin revealed a corresponding reduction in the expression of ß-catenin and a transcriptionally regulated target, Ccnd1/Cyclin D1. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments identified associations of ß-catenin with p120-catenin isoforms in PhIP-induced skin tumors and human cancer cell lines. The results are discussed in the context of therapeutic strategies that might target different p120-catenin isoforms, providing an avenue to circumvent constitutively active ß-catenin arising via distinct mechanisms in skin and colon cancer.

Dietary Enrichment with 20% Fish Oil Decreases Mucus Production and the Inflammatory Response in Mice with Ovalbumin-Induced Allergic Lung Inflammation.

The prevalence of asthma has increased in recent decades, which may be related to higher dietary intake of (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and lower intake of (n-3) PUFA, e.g., those contained in fish oil. The objective of this study was to determine if dietary PUFA enrichment decreases mucus production or the inflammatory response associated with ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic lung inflammation. Mice (n = 10/group) were fed control, 20% fish oil, or 20% corn oil enriched diets for a total of 12 weeks. At 8 and 10 weeks, mice were given an intraperitoneal injection of saline (10 control-fed mice) or OVA (30 remaining mice). Once at 10 weeks and on 3 consecutive days during week 12, mice were challenged by nebulizing with saline or OVA. Mice were euthanized 24 hours after the last challenge and blood was collected for plasma FA analysis. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was collected to determine cell composition and Th2-type cytokine (IL-4, IL-13) concentrations. Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) + mucus-producing cells and CD45+ inflammatory cell infiltrates in lung tissue were quantified using morphometric analysis. Relative abundance of mRNA for mucin (Muc4, Muc5ac, and Muc5b) and Th2-type cytokine (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) genes were compared with ß-actin by qPCR. Supplementation with either corn oil or fish oil effectively altered plasma FA profiles towards more (n-6) FA or (n-3) FA, respectively (P < 0.0001). Sensitization and challenge with OVA increased the proportion of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and eosinophils, and decreased the proportion of macrophages and concentrations of IL-13 in BAL fluid; increased the percentage of PAS+ mucus-producing cells and CD45+ inflammatory cell infiltrates in lung tissue; and increased gene expression of mucins (Muc4, Muc5ac, and Muc5b) and Th2-type cytokines (IL-5 and IL-13) in lung tissue of control-fed mice. Dietary PUFA reversed the increase in PAS+ mucus-producing cells (P = 0.003). In addition, dietary enrichment with fish oil attenuated the percentage of CD45+ inflammatory cell infiltrates in lung tissue, and increased Muc4 and Muc 5b gene expression compared with OVA-sensitized and challenged control mice. In conclusion, dietary enrichment with either (n-3) or (n-6) PUFA decreased mucus production in lung tissues of OVA-sensitized and challenged mice. More specifically, enrichment with dietary (n-3) PUFA decreased CD45+ inflammatory cell infiltrates, thus inducing potentially beneficial changes in lung tissue of OVA-sensitized and challenged mice.

Reciprocal regulation of BMF and BIRC5 (Survivin) linked to Eomes overexpression in colorectal cancer.

Eomesodermin (Eomes) is a T-box transcription factor that has been implicated in the etiology of colorectal cancer and other human malignancies. We screened a panel of human primary colon cancers and patient-matched controls (n = 30) and detected Eomes overexpression at the mRNA and protein level. Similar results were obtained in a panel of rat colon tumors and adjacent normal-looking colonic mucosa (n = 24). In human colon cancer cells, forced overexpression of Eomes enhanced cell viability and protected against staurosporine-induced apoptosis. On the other hand, knocking down Eomes resulted in reduced cell viability, G2/M cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis induction. The apoptotic mechanism centered on the reciprocal downregulation of anti-apoptotic BIRC5 (Survivin) and upregulation of proapoptotic Bcl-2 modifying factor (BMF). In patients with colorectal cancer, high EOMES expression (n = 95) was associated with poor overall survival compared with individuals exhibiting low EOMES levels (n = 80). We conclude from the current investigation, and prior literature, that Eomes has a divergent role in cancer development, with evidence for tumor suppressor and oncogenic functions, depending on stage and tissue context. Further studies are warranted on the apoptotic mechanisms linked to the reciprocal regulation of BMF and BIRC5 in human colorectal cancers characterized by Eomes overexpression.

Promoting Staff Resilience in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Health care professionals experience workplace stress, which may lead to impaired physical and mental health, job turnover, and burnout. Resilience allows people to handle stress positively. Little research is aimed at finding interventions to improve resilience in health care professionals. OBJECTIVE: To describe the availability, use, and helpfulness of resilience-promoting resources and identify an intervention to implement across multiple pediatric intensive care units. METHODS: A descriptive study collecting data on availability, utilization, and impact of resilience resources from leadership teams and individual staff members in pediatric intensive care units, along with resilience scores and teamwork climate scores. RESULTS: Leadership teams from 20 pediatric intensive care units completed the leadership survey. Individual surveys were completed by 1066 staff members (51% response rate). The 2 most used and impactful resources were 1-on-1 discussions with colleagues and informal social interactions with colleagues out of the hospital. Other resources (taking a break from stressful patients, being relieved of duty after your patient's death, palliative care support for staff, structured social activities out of hospital, and Schwartz Center rounds) were highly impactful but underused. Utilization and impact of resources differed significantly between professions, between those with higher versus lower resilience, and between individuals in units with low versus high teamwork climate. CONCLUSIONS: Institutions could facilitate access to peer discussions and social interactions to promote resilience. Highly impactful resources with low utilization could be targets for improved access. Differences in utilization and impact between groups suggest that varied interventions would be necessary to reach all individuals.

Nrf2 status affects tumor growth, HDAC3 gene promoter associations, and the response to sulforaphane in the colon.

BACKGROUND: The dietary agent sulforaphane (SFN) has been reported to induce nuclear factor erythroid 2 (NF-E2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-dependent pathways as well as inhibiting histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity. The current investigation sought to examine the relationships between Nrf2 status and HDAC expression in preclinical and translational studies. RESULTS: Wild type (WT) and Nrf2-deficient (Nrf2(-/+)) mice were treated with the colon carcinogen 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) followed by 400 ppm SFN in the diet (n = 35 mice/group). WT mice were more susceptible than Nrf2(-/+) mice to tumor induction in the colon. Tumors from WT mice had higher HDAC levels globally and locally on genes such as cyclin-dependant kinase inhibitor 2a (Cdkn2a/p16) that were dysregulated during tumor development. The average tumor burden was reduced by SFN from 62.7 to 26.0 mm(3) in WT mice and from 14.6 to 11.7 mm(3) in Nrf2(-/+) mice. The decreased antitumor activity of SFN in Nrf2(-/+) mice coincided with attenuated Cdkn2a promoter interactions involving HDAC3. HDAC3 knockdown in human colon cancer cells recapitulated the effects of SFN on p16 induction. Human subjects given a broccoli sprout extract supplement (200 µmol SFN equivalents), or reporting more than five cruciferous vegetable servings per week, had increased p16 expression that was inversely associated with HDAC3 in circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in biopsies obtained during screening colonoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Nrf2 expression varies widely in both normal human colon and human colon cancers and likely contributes to the overall rate of tumor growth in the large intestine. It remains to be determined whether this influences global HDAC protein expression levels, as well as local HDAC interactions on genes dysregulated during human colon tumor development. If corroborated in future studies, Nrf2 status might serve as a biomarker of HDAC inhibitor efficacy in clinical trials using single agent or combination modalities to slow, halt, or regress the progression to later stages of solid tumors and hematological malignancies.

Epigenetic inactivation of endothelin-2 and endothelin-3 in colon cancer.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and its receptors are overexpressed in human cancers, but much less is known about the roles of ET-2 and ET-3 in cancer etiology. We sought to examine human and rat colon tumors for dysregulation of ET-2 and ET-3 expression and determine the underlying mechanisms. Human primary colon cancers and carcinogen-induced rat colon tumors were subjected to real-time RT-PCR, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry; EDN2 and EDN3 genes were examined by methylation-specific PCR, bisulfite sequencing and pyrosequencing; and forced expression of ET-2 and ET-3 was conducted in human colon cancer cells followed by real-time cell migration and invasion assays. Rat and human colon tumors had markedly reduced expression of ET-2 and ET-3 mRNA and protein compared with matched controls. Mechanistic studies revealed hypermethylation of EDN2 and EDN3 genes in human primary colon cancers and in a panel of human colon cancer cell lines. Forced expression of ET-2 and ET-3 attenuated significantly the migration and invasion of human colon cancer cells. We conclude that epigenetic inactivation of ET-2 and ET-3 occurs frequently in both rat and human colon cancers. Current therapeutic strategies target overexpressed members of the ET axis via small molecule inhibitors and receptor antagonists, but this work supports a complementary approach based on the re-expression of ET-2 and ET-3 as natural antagonists of ET-1 in colon cancer.

Can utilization review criteria be used to determine appropriate pediatric patient placement for a critical care bed expansion?

The rising trend in critical care utilization has led to the expansion of critical care beds in many hospitals across the country. Traditional models of estimating bed capacity requirements use administrative data such as inpatient admissions, length of stay, and case mix index. The use of such data has been limited in quantifying the complexities of demand variables in critical care bed needs. Mathematical modeling is another method for estimating numbers of beds required. It captures the dynamic changes in the management of critically ill patients that occur when units become full. Depending on data analysis methods used, bed need underestimation or overestimation can occur. In our study, we used utilization review criteria to understand changes in level of care (LOC) during the course of patients' stays and to validate critical care bed expansion needs. Using LOC criteria, we studied the proportion of our intermediate care patients in an acute care unit that met acute, intermediate, or critical care criteria. We also evaluated whether these proportions were related to specific factors such as census ratios, staffing proportions, or severity of illness. Using LOC criteria was helpful in validating our critical care bed projection, which was previously derived from mathematical modeling. The findings also validated our assessment for additional specialty acute care beds.

Mycobacterium avium uses apoptotic macrophages as tools for spreading.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium avium (MAC) lives and replicates in macrophages and causes disseminated disease in immunocompromised individuals. As a host response to control disease, many macrophages become apoptotic a few days after MAC infection. In this study, we hypothesized that MAC can survive autophagic and apoptotic macrophages and spread. METHODS: Electron, time-lapse video, fluorescence microscopy. Apoptosis was determined by ELISA and TUNEL assays. Autophagy was seen by migration of LC3-1. RESULTS: Apoptotic macrophages harbor chiefly viable MAC. MAC escapes both the vacuole and the macrophage once apoptosis is triggered, leaving the bacteria free to infect nearby macrophages in the process of spreading. In addition, some MAC species will have apoptotic bodies and are released in healthy macrophages following apoptotic body ingestion. Because autophagy precedes apoptosis, it was established that heat-killed MAC, and viable MAC induces autophagy in macrophages at similar rates, but MAC still survives. CONCLUSION: MAC spreading from cell-to-cell is triggered by the macrophage's attempt to kill the bacterium, undergoing apoptosis.

NADPH oxidase overexpression in human colon cancers and rat colon tumors induced by 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP).

NADPH oxidase/dual-oxidase (Nox/Duox) family members have been implicated in nuclear factor kappa-B (NFκB)-mediated inflammation and inflammation-associated pathologies. We sought to examine, for the first time, the role of Nox/Duox and NFκB in rats treated with the cooked meat heterocyclic amine carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP). In the PhIP-induced colon tumors obtained after 1 year, Nox1, Nox4, NFκB-p50 and NFκB-p65 were all highly overexpressed compared with their levels in adjacent normal-looking colonic mucosa. Nox1 and Nox4 mRNA and protein levels also were markedly elevated in a panel of primary human colon cancers, compared with their matched controls. In HT29 human colon cancer cells, Nox1 knockdown induced G1 cell cycle arrest, whereas in Caco-2 cells there was a strong apoptotic response, with increased levels of cleaved caspase-3, -6, -7 and poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase. Nox1 knockdown blocked lipopolysaccharide-induced phosphorylation of IκB kinase, inhibited the nuclear translocation of NFκB (p50 and p65) proteins, and attenuated NFκB DNA binding activity. There was a corresponding reduction in the expression of downstream NFκB targets, such as MYC, CCND1 and IL1ß. The results provide the first evidence for a role of Nox1, Nox4 and NFκB in PhIP-induced colon carcinogenesis, including during the early stages before tumor onset. Collectively, the findings from this investigation and others suggest that further work is warranted on the role of Nox/Duox family members and NFκB in colon cancer development.

Identifying efficacious approaches to chemoprevention with chlorophyllin, purified chlorophylls and freeze-dried spinach in a mouse model of transplacental carcinogenesis.

The carcinogenic potential of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DBP) has been well characterized in numerous animal models. We have previously documented that a single dose of 15 mg/Kg DBP to pregnant mice late in gestation (GD 17) produces an aggressive T-cell lymphoma as well as lung and liver cancer in offspring. The current study examines the chemopreventative properties of chlorophyllin (CHL) and chlorophyll (Chl) in this transplacental carcinogenesis model. Pregnant B6129SF1 females, bred to 129S1/SvIm males, received purified diets incorporated with either 2000 p.p.m. CHL, 2000 p.p.m. Chl or 10% freeze-dried spinach beginning at gestation day 9. Lymphoma-dependent mortality was not significantly altered by maternal consumption of any of the diet and little effect on lung tumor burden in mice surviving to 10 months of age was observed. However, coadministration of CHL at 380 mg/Kg with DBP by gavage (molar ratio of 10:1, CHL:DBP) provided significant protection against DBP-initiated carcinogenesis. Offspring born to dams receiving CHL co-gavaged with DBP exhibited markedly less lymphoma-dependent mortality (P < 0.001). The degree of protection by CHL, compared with controls dosed with DBP in tricaprylin (TCP) as the vehicle, was less marked, but still significant. Coadministration of CHL (TCP as vehicle) also reduced lung tumor multiplicity in mice by approximately 50% and this was observed throughout the study (P < 0.005). This is the first demonstration that CHL can provide potent chemoprotection in a transplacental carcinogenesis model and support a mechanism involving complex-mediated reduction of carcinogen uptake.

Lymphoma and lung cancer in offspring born to pregnant mice dosed with dibenzo[a,l]pyrene: the importance of in utero vs. lactational exposure.

The fetus and neonate cannot be viewed as "little adults"; they are highly sensitive to toxicity from environmental chemicals. This phenomenon contributes to the fetal basis of adult disease. One example is transplacental carcinogenesis. Animal models demonstrate that environmental chemicals, to which pregnant women are daily exposed, can increase susceptibility of the offspring to cancer. It is uncertain to what degree in utero vs. lactational exposure contributes to cancer, especially for hydrophobic chemicals such as polyhalogenated biphenyls, ethers, dioxins, furans, etc., which can partition into breast milk. We developed a pregnant mouse model in which exposure to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DBP), during late gestation, produces an aggressive T-cell lymphoma in offspring between 3 and 6 months of age. Survivors exhibit multiple lung and liver (males) tumors. Here, we adopt a cross-foster design with litters born to dams treated with DBP exchanged with those born to dams treated with vehicle. Exposure to DBP in utero (about 2 days) produced significantly greater mortality than residual DBP exposure only through breast milk (3 weeks of lactation). As previously observed pups in all groups with an ahr(b-1/d) ("responsive") genotype were more susceptible to lymphoma mortality than ahr(d/d) ("non-responsive") siblings. At termination of the study at 10 months, mice exposed in utero also had greater lung tumor multiplicity than mice exposed only during lactation. Our results demonstrate that short exposure to DBP during late gestation presents a greater risk to offspring than exposure to this very hydrophobic PAH following 3 weeks of nursing.

beta-catenin is strongly elevated in rat colonic epithelium following short-term intermittent treatment with 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and a high-fat diet.

Colon tumors expressing high levels of beta-catenin and c-myc have been reported in male F344 rats given three short cycles of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) alternating with a high-fat (HF) diet. Using the same experimental protocol, rats were euthanized 24 h after the last dose of PhIP so as to examine early changes in colonic crypt homeostasis and beta-catenin expression, before the onset of frank tumors. PhIP/HF dosing caused a significant increase in the bromodeoxyuridine labeling index throughout the entire colon, and within the colonic crypt column cleaved caspase-3 was elevated in the basal and central zones, but reduced in the luminal region. In vehicle/HF controls, beta-catenin was immunolocalized primarily at the border between cells at the top of the crypt, whereas in rats given PhIP/HF diet there was strong cytoplasmic staining, which appeared as a gradient of increased beta-catenin extending from the base of the crypt column to the luminal region. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunoblot analyses confirmed that beta-catenin and c-myc were increased significantly in the colonic mucosa of rats given PhIP/HF diet. Collectively, these findings suggest that PhIP/HF cycling alters beta-catenin and c-myc expression in the colonic mucosa, resulting in expansion of the proliferative zone and redistribution of apoptotic cells from the lumen to the central and basal regions of the colonic crypt. Thus, during the early stages of colon carcinogenesis, alternating exposure to heterocyclic amines and a high-fat diet might facilitate molecular changes resulting in dysregulated beta-catenin and c-myc expression.

Chemoprevention of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene transplacental carcinogenesis in mice born to mothers administered green tea: primary role of caffeine.

Our laboratory recently developed a mouse model of transplacental induction of lymphoma, lung and liver cancer by the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DBP). Pregnant B6129SF1 females, bred to 129S1/SvIm males, were treated on day 17 of gestation with an oral dose of 15 mg/kg DBP. Beginning on day 0 of gestation, dams were given (ad lib) buffered water, 0.5% green tea, 0.5% decaffeinated green tea, caffeine or epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) (both at equivalent concentrations found in tea). The concentration of the teas (and corresponding caffeine and EGCG) was increased to 1.0% upon entering the second trimester, 1.5% at onset of the third trimester and continued at 1.5% until pups were weaned at 21 days of age. Offspring were raised with normal drinking water and AIN93G diet. Beginning at 2 months of age, offspring experienced significant mortalities due to an aggressive T-cell lymphoma as seen in our previous studies. Ingestion of caffeinated, but not decaffeinated, green tea provided modest but significant protection (P = 0.03) against mortality. Caffeine provided a more robust (P = 0.006) protection, but EGCG was without effect. Offspring also developed DBP-dependent lung adenomas. All treatments significantly reduced lung tumor multiplicity relative to controls (P < 0.02). EGCG was most effective at decreasing tumor burden (P = 0.005) by on average over 40% compared with controls. Induction of Cytochrome P450 (Cyp)1b1 in maternal liver may reduce bioavailability of DBP to the fetus as a mechanism of chemoprevention. This is the first demonstration that maternal ingestion of green tea, during pregnancy and nursing, provides protection against transplacental carcinogenesis.

The influence of diesel exhaust on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-induced DNA damage, gene expression, and tumor initiation in Sencar mice in vivo.

The carcinogenic effects of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are well established. However, their potency within an environmental complex mixture is uncertain. We evaluated the influence of diesel exhaust particulate matter on PAH-induced cytochrome P450 (CYP) activity, PAH-DNA adduct formation, expression of certain candidate genes and the frequency of tumor initiation in the two-stage Sencar mouse model. To this end, we monitored the effects of treatment of mice with diesel exhaust, benzo[a]pyrene (BP), dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DBP), or a combination of diesel exhaust with either carcinogenic PAH. The applied diesel particulate matter (SRM(1975)) altered the tumor initiating potency of DBP: a statistically significant decrease in overall tumor and carcinoma burden was observed following 25 weeks of promotion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), compared with DBP exposure alone. From those mice that were treated at the beginning of the observation period with 2 nmol DBP all survivors developed tumors (9 out of 9 animals, 100%). Among all tumors counted at the end, nine carcinomas were detected and an overall tumor incidence of 2.6 tumors per tumor-bearing animal (TBA) was determined. By contrast, co-treatment of DBP with 50mg SRM(1975) led to a tumor rate of only 66% (19 out of 29 animals), occurrence of only three carcinomas in 29 animals and an overall rate of 2.1 tumors per TBA (P=0.04). In contrast to the results with DBP, the tumor incidence induced by 200 nmol BP was found slightly increased when co-treatment with SRM(1975) occurred (71% vs. 85% after 25 weeks). Despite this difference in tumor incidence, the numbers of carcinomas and tumors per TBA did not differ statistically significant between both treatment groups possibly due to the small size of the BP treatment group. Since bioactivation of DBP, but not BP, predominantly depends on CYP1B1 enzyme activity, SRM(1975) affected PAH-induced carcinogenesis in an antagonistic manner when CYP1B1-mediated bioactivation was required. The explanation most likely lies in the much stronger inhibitory effects of certain PAHs present in diesel exhaust on CYP1B1 compared to CYP1A1. In the present study we also found molecular markers such as highly elevated AKR1C21 and TNFRSF21 gene expression levels in tumor tissue derived from animals co-treated with SRM(1975) plus DBP. Therefore we validate microarray data as a source to uncover transcriptional signatures that may provide insights into molecular pathways affected following exposure to environmental complex mixtures such as diesel exhaust particulates.

Protective versus promotional effects of white tea and caffeine on PhIP-induced tumorigenesis and beta-catenin expression in the rat.

A 1 year carcinogenicity bioassay was conducted in rats treated with three short cycles of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP)/high-fat (HF) diet, followed by 2% white tea (wt/vol), 0.05% epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) or 0.065% caffeine as sole source of fluid intake. Thirty-two percent of the PhIP/HF controls survived to 1 year, compared with 50, 48.7 and 18.2% in groups given white tea, EGCG and caffeine, respectively. After 1 year, PhIP/HF controls had tumors in the colon, skin, small intestine, Zymbal's gland, salivary gland and pancreas. For all sites combined, excluding the colon, tumor incidence data were as follows: PhIP/HF 69.5%, PhIP/HF + EGCG 48.7%, PhIP/HF + white tea 46.9% and PhIP/HF + caffeine 13.3%. Unexpectedly, a higher incidence of colon tumors was detected in rats post-treated with white tea (69%) and caffeine (73%) compared with the 42% incidence in PhIP/HF controls. In the colon tumors, beta-catenin mutations were detected at a higher frequency after caffeine posttreatment, and there was a shift toward more tumors harboring substitutions of Gly34 with correspondingly high protein and messenger RNA expression seen for both beta-catenin and c-Myc. c-Myc expression exhibited concordance with tumor promotion, and there was a concomitant increase in cell proliferation versus apoptosis in colonic crypts. A prior report described suppression of PhIP-induced colonic aberrant crypts by the same test agents, but did not incorporate a HF diet. These findings are discussed in the context of epidemiological data which do not support an adverse effect of tea and coffee on colon tumor outcome-indeed, some such studies suggest a protective role for caffeinated beverages.

Localization of myosin II regulatory light chain in the cerebral vasculature.

The cytoskeleton of cerebral microvascular endothelial cells is a critical determinant of blood-brain barrier (BBB) function. Barrier integrity appears to be particularly sensitive to the phosphorylation state of specific residues within myosin regulatory light chain (RLC), one of two accessory light chains of the myosin II motor complex. Phosphorylation of myosin RLC by myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) has been implicated in BBB dysfunction associated with alcohol abuse and hypoxia, whereas dephosphorylation may enhance BBB integrity following exposure to lipid-lowering statin drugs. Using immunohistochemistry we provide evidence of widespread myosin II RLC distribution throughout the cerebral vasculature of the mouse. Light microscopy revealed immunolocalization of myosin II RLC protein in the endothelium of brain capillaries, the endothelial cell layer of arterioles and in association with venules. Immunolabeling of myosin RLC in non-muscle endothelial cells could be distinguished from myosin RLC immunoreactivity associated with the smooth muscle layer of the tunica media in larger muscular arterioles. These findings support an emerging role for myosin II RLC as a component of the actomyosin cytoskeleton of cerebral endothelial cells with the potential to contribute to the selective vulnerability of the brain in vivo.

Tumor chemo-immunotherapy using gemcitabine and a synthetic dsRNA.

Both gemcitabine and synthetic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) are known to be proapoptotic and immuno-stimulatory (-modulatory). We sought to evaluate the extent to which a combination therapy using gemcitabine and a synthetic dsRNA, polyinosine-cytosine (poly(I:C)), would improve the resultant anti-tumor activity. Using model lung and breast cancers in mice, we demonstrated that combination treatment of tumor-bearing mice with the poly(I:C) and gemcitabine synergistically delayed the tumor growth and prolonged the survival of the mice. The combination treatment also synergistically inhibited tumor cell growth in vitro and promoted more tumor cells to undergo apoptosis in vivo. Finally, the combination therapy generated a strong and durable specific anti-tumor immune response, although the immune response alone was unable to control the tumor growth after the termination of the therapy. This approach represents a promising therapy to improve the clinical outcomes for tumors sensitive to both dsRNA and gemcitabine.