Expansion of quiescent lung adenocarcinoma CD8+ T cells by MUC1-8-mer peptide-T2 cell-ß2 microglobulin complexes.

Adoptive immunotherapy requires the isolation of CD8+ T cells specific for tumor-associated antigens, their expansion in vitro and their transfusion to the patient to mediate a therapeutic effect. MUC1 is an important adenocarcinoma antigen immunogenic for T cells. The MUC1-derived SAPDTRPA (MUC1-8-mer) peptide is a potent epitope recognized by CD8+ T cells in murine models. Likewise, the T2 cell line has been used as an antigen-presenting cell to activate CD8+ T cells, but so far MUC1 has not been assessed in this context. We evaluated whether the MUC1-8-mer peptide can be presented by T2 cells to expand CD25+CD8+ T cells isolated from HLA-A2+ lung adenocarcinoma patients with stage III or IV tumors. The results showed that MUC1-8-mer peptide-loaded T2 cells activated CD8+ T cells from cancer HLA-A2+ patients when anti-CD2, anti-CD28 antibodies and IL-2 were added. The percentage of CD25+CD8+ T cells was 3-fold higher than those in the non-stimulated cells (P=0.018). HLA-A2+ patient cells showed a significant difference (2.3-fold higher) in activation status than HLA-A2+ healthy control cells (P=0.04). Moreover, 77.6% of MUC1-8-mer peptide-specific CD8+ T cells proliferated following a second stimulation with MUC1-8-mer peptide-loaded T2 cells after 10 days of cell culture. There were significant differences in the percentage of basal CD25+CD8+ T cells in relation to the cancer stage; this difference disappeared after MUC1-8-mer peptide stimulation. In conclusion, expansion of CD25+CD8+ T cells by MUC1-8 peptide-loaded T2 cells plus costimulatory signals via CD2, CD28 and IL-2 can be useful in adoptive immunotherapy.

Theoretical and experimental vibrational spectrum study of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid as monomer and dimer.

Theoretical calculations on the molecular geometry and the vibrational spectrum of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid were carried out by the Density Functional Theory (DFT/B3LYP) method. In addition, IR and Raman spectra of the 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in solid phase were newly recorded using them in conjunction the experimental and theoretical data (including SQM calculations), a vibrational analysis of this molecular specie was accomplished and a reassignment of the normal modes corresponding to some spectral bands was proposed. The geometries of monomers and dimers in gas phase were optimized using the DFT B3LYP method with the 6-31G*, D95** and 6-311++G** basis sets. Also, both the vibrational spectra recorded and the results of the theoretical calculations show the presence of one stable conformer for the 4-hydroxybenzoic acid cyclic dimer. The B3LYP/6-31G* method was used to study the structure for cyclic dimer of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and for a complete assignment our results were compared with results of the cyclic dimer of benzoic acid. A scaled quantum mechanical analysis was carried out to yield the best set of harmonic force constants. The formation of the hydrogen bond was investigated in terms of the charge density by the AIM program and by the NBO calculations.

Experimental and theoretical study of the hydration of phosphate groups in esters of biological interest.

We have studied the influence of different groups esterified to phosphates on the strength of the interaction of the PO bond with one water molecule. Experimental vibrational spectra of PO(4)3-, HPO4(2-), H2PO4-, phosphoenolpiruvate (PEP) and ortho-phosphocholamine (o-PC) were obtained by means of FTIR spectroscopy. Geometry calculations were performed using standard gradient techniques and the default convergence criteria as implemented in GAUSSIAN 98 Program. In order to assess the behaviour of such DFT theoretical calculations using B3LYP with 6-31G* and 6-311++G** basis sets, we carried out a comparative work for those compounds. The results were then used to predict the principal bands of the vibrational spectra and molecular parameters (geometrical parameters, stabilisation energies, electronic density). In this work, the relative stability and the nature of the PO bond in those compounds were systematically and quantitatively investigated by means of Natural Bond Order (NBO) analysis. The topological properties of electronic charge density are analysed employing Bader's Atoms in Molecules theory (AIM). The hydrogen bonding of phosphate groups with water is highly stable and the PO bond wavenumbers are shifted to lower experimental and calculated values (with the DFT/6-311++G** basis set). Accordingly, the predicted order of the relative stability of the hydrogen bonding of the water molecule to the PO bond of the investigated compounds is: PO(4)3->HPO4(2-)>H2PO4->phosphoenolpiruvate>phosphocholamine for the two basis sets used.

Decrease of cyclin D1 in the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A-427 by 7-hydroxycoumarin.

Coumarin in vivo has antitumor activity in various types of cancer. In vitro, coumarin and 7-hydroxycoumarin, its major biotransformation product in humans, inhibit the proliferation of several human tumor cell lines. The molecular mechanisms of these effects are unknown. To gain information about these mechanisms, we studied the effects of coumarin and 7-hydroxycoumarin in the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A-427 on the inhibition of: (i) cell proliferation; (ii) cell cycle progression; and (iii) expression of cyclins D1, E and A. The inhibitory concentrations 50 (IC(50)) of both compounds were estimated by cytostatic assays of tetrazolium (MTT) reduction. The effects on cell cycle progression were assayed with propidium iodide and BrdU using DNA histograms and multiparametric flow cytometry. The percentages of cells expressing cyclins D1, E, and A were estimated by means of bivariate flow cytometry using propidium iodide, and FITC-conjugated monoclonal antibodies for each cyclin. The IC(50) (+/-S.E.M. n=3) of 7-hydroxycoumarin and coumarin at 72 h exposure, were 100+/-4.8 and 257+/-8.8 microg/ml, respectively. 7-Hydroxycoumarin at the concentration of 160 microg/ml (1 mM), inhibited the G(1)/S transition of the cell cycle, an action consistent with the cytostatic effect. No significant decreases of cyclins E and A were observed. In contrast, cyclin D1 significantly decreased, which appears to indicate an action of 7-hydroxycoumarin in early events of phase G(1). However, messenger RNA of cyclin D1, assayed by RT-PCR, did not change. This suggests a posttranscriptional effect. The effects of coumarin were not significant. Cyclin D1 is overexpressed in many types of cancer, and its inhibition has been proposed as a pharmacological and therapeutic target for novel antitumor agents. Knowledge of the decrease of cyclin D1 by 7-hydroxycoumarin may lead to its use in cancer therapy, as well as to the development of more active compounds.

Evasion mechanisms to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) of small cell lung carcinoma and non-small cell lung carcinoma cell lines: comparison with the erythroleukaemia K-562 cell line.

The tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is produced by mononuclear phagocytes as a defence mechanism against malignant cells. However, these cells can evade destruction by TNF-alpha. The present study evaluates in three lung cancer cell lines (small cell carcinoma NCI-H69, adenocarcinoma A-427, squamous carcinoma SK-MES-1) and one erythroleukaemia (K-562) cell line the following evasion mechanisms: (1) inhibition of TNF-alpha production, in indirect and direct co-cultures with monocytes; (2) the expression of type I and type II receptors for TNF-alpha (TNFRI and TNFRII) by tumour cell lines, using indirect immunofluorescence and flow cytometry; (3) the sensitivity of tumour cell lines to the toxic action of recombinant human TNF-alpha (rhTNF-alpha). With the exception of cell line NCI-H69, the other tumour cell lines liberated soluble factors that inhibited TNF-alpha production in monocytes. This effect occurred even after membrane contact with the A-427 and SK-MES-1 cell lines. Erythroleukaemia K-562 cells expressed both types of receptors for TNF-alpha, whereas the NCI-H69 cells expressed only TNFRI, and the A-427 and SK-MES-1 cells expressed no receptors. Lines NCI-H69, A-427 and K-562 were insensitive to the cytotoxic action of rhTNF-alpha. In conclusion, different lung cancer cell lines may evade destruction by TNF-alpha by various mechanisms that range from blocking TNF-alpha production by monocytes to blocking the cytotoxic action of this molecule. For selecting the most effective immunotherapy, knowledge of the evasion mechanisms would be useful.