Time-dependent changes in the glycolytic pathway in activated T cells are independent of tumor burden or anti-cancer chemotherapy.

Although activated adoptive T cells therapy (ATC) is an effective approach for cancer treatment, it is not clear how modulation of T cell activation impacts their biochemical signature which significantly impacts the cell function. This study is aimed to investigate the impact of polyclonal activation on the metabolic signature of T cells from tumor-bearing mice under different settings of treatment with chemotherapy. Thirty female Swiss albino mice were divided into 5 groups (n = 6/each), Gp1(PBS), groups Gp2 were inoculated intraperitoneal (i.p) with 1 × 106 cells/mouse Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC), Gp3-Gp5 were treated with cisplatin (20 mg/mice) which were represented as EAC/CIS/1wk Or EAC/CIS/2wk 3 times every other day. Splenocytes were cultured in or presence of concanavalin-A (Con-A) and IL-2 for 24 h or 72 h, then cells were harvested, and processed to determine the enzyme activities of hexokinase (HK), phosphofructokinase (PFK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase(G6PD) enzymes. The results showed that before culture, T cells harvested from EAC/PBS/1wk of mice or inoculated with EAC/CIS/1wk showed higher activity in HK, PFK, LDH, and G6PH as compared to naive T cells. After 24, and 72 h of culture and activation, the enzyme activities in T cells harvested from EAC/CIS/2wk mice or EAC/CIS/3wk mice decreased compared with their control. The late stage of the tumor without chemotherapy gives a low glycolic rate. In late activation, naive and early stages of the tumor with chemotherapy can give high glycolic metabolism. These results show great significance as an application of adoptive T-cell therapy.

Celecoxib Targeted Therapy Attenuates Mouse Colon Carcinogenesis through Modulation of Expression Patterns of Cancer Stem Cells.

This study was designated to explore the role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) during chemically induced mouse colon carcinogenesis (by 1,2- dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride, DMH) with/or without the treatment with a targeted (anti-COX-2) therapeutic drug, celecoxib. Two experiments were conducted. The first, a short-term, 16-week mouse colon carcinogenesis bioassay, demonstrates the early stages of colon carcinogenesis. The other is a medium-term, 32-week mouse colon cancer experiment that mimics an end point of colon malignancy. Colon tumors were detected in animals after 32 weeks; histopathologically, they varied from benign hyperplastic polyps and adenomas to dysplastic polyps, adenocarcinomas, and invasive carcinomas. The overall colon tumor incidences, multiplicities, and volumes were obviously reduced when treated with celecoxib after DMH initiation. The immunohistochemical (IHC) labeling indexes (L1%) of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were lower in the colonic epithelium in both experiments after treatment with celecoxib. Also, the IHC expression patterns of CD133 and CD44, known to associate CSCs, showed differential changes depending on the end-point stage of carcinogenesis and celecoxib treatment. Moreover, the biochemical aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 (ALDH-1) activity levels, a known CSC marker in colonic epithelia, were downregulated after 16 weeks but were upregulated after 32 weeks. Flow cytometric analysis showed that numbers of CD133 cells increased in the colonic epithelia of mice after 16 weeks, while the numbers of CD44 but not CD133 cells increased after 32 weeks. Treatment with celecoxib after DMH induced significant increase in apoptotic cell numbers by 47% after 16 weeks, but these numbers had not changed after 32 weeks compared with the corresponding group treated DMH only. Thus, the specific markers and CSC populations targeted by this drug may vary depending on the genetic and phenotypic stages of carcinogenesis. This drug could be useful during targeted therapy for colon cancer patients.

Expression Patterns of Cancer Stem Cell Markers During Specific Celecoxib Therapy in Multistep Rat Colon Carcinogenesis Bioassays.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of colon cancer stem cells (CSCs) during chemicallyinduced rat multi-step colon carcinogenesis with or without the treatment with a specific cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor drug (celecoxib). Two experiments were performed, the first, a short term 12 week colon carcinogenesis bioassay in which only surrogate markers for colon cancer, aberrant crypt foci (ACF) lesions, were formed. The other experiment was a medium term colon cancer rat assay in which tumors had developed after 32 weeks. Treatment with celecoxib lowered the numbers of ACF, as well as the tumor volumes and multiplicities after 32 weeks. Immunohistochemical proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling indexes LI (%) were downregulated after treatment by celecoxib. Also different cell surface antigens known to associate with CSCs such as the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), CD44 and CD133 were compared between the two experiments and showed differential expression patterns depending on the stage of carcinogenesis and treatment with celecoxib. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that the numbers of CD133 cells were increased in the colonic epithelium after 12 weeks while those of CD44 but not CD133 cells were increased after 32 weeks. Moreover, aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 activity levels in the colonic epithelium (a known CSC marker) detected by ELISA assay were found down-regulated after 12 weeks, but were up-regulated after 32 weeks. The data have also shown that the protective effect of celecoxib on these specific markers and populations of CSCs and on other molecular processes such as apoptosis targeted by this drug may vary depending on the genetic and phenotypic stages of carcinogenesis. Therefore, uncovering these distinction roles of CSCs during different phases of carcinogenesis and during specific treatment could be useful for targeted therapy.

Oxidative stress and antioxidant enzymes in liver and white muscle of Nile tilapia juveniles in chronic ammonia exposure.

Oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activities in liver and white muscle of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) juveniles (10+/-1.2g) in chronic exposure to sublethal total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) were studied. The fish were exposed to the TAN concentrations, 5 mg L(-1) (low) or 10 mg L(-1) (high) for consecutive 70 days at 26+/-0.5 degrees C temperature. At the end of experimental period, lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation levels and the activities of xanthine oxidase (XO), aldehyde oxidase (AO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), gamma-glutamyl cysteinyl synthetase (gamma-GCS), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) in liver and white muscle were assayed. The levels of oxidative stress biomarkers and the activities of the enzymes assayed were significantly increased in liver and white muscle of fish exposed to both low and high TAN levels. The changes in these parameters were intensified at high TAN level. The significance of these alterations in enzyme activities is discussed.

Effects of chronic exposure to ammonia concentrations on brain monoamines and ATPases of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

The effects of chronic exposure to total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentrations on the brain monoamines and ATPases of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings, were studied. The period of exposure was 70 consecutive days, and the initial weight of the fingerlings was 18+/-2.1g. In addition to the control, three treatment groups exposed to 2.5 (low), 5 (medium), and 10 (high) mg TANL(-)(1) concentrations were tested. The unionized ammonia nitrogen (NH(3)) levels calculated in mgL(-)(1) were 0.059, 0.185, and 0.575 in aquaria at 26 degrees C. The brain monoamines were serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE), as well as their derivatives, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC). Compared with the controls, the levels of brain monoamines and Na(+)/K(+)- and Ca(2+)-ATPase activities were not significantly altered in fish exposed to low TAN concentration. However, there was a significant decrease in 5-HT, DA, and NE levels, and a significant increase in both serotonergic (5-HIAA/5-HT) and dopaminergic (DOPAC/DA) activities of fish exposed to medium TAN and high TAN concentrations. The activities of brain Na(+)/K(+)- and Ca(2+)-ATPases of fish exposed to medium TAN and high TAN concentrations significantly increased, while Mg(2+)-ATPase did not significantly change compared with that of the controls. The quantity of the detected alterations increased in fish exposed to high TAN concentration.