Riluzole Reverses a Number of Undesirable Effects of Dexamethasone in Glioblastoma Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)-induced oedema is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with GBM. Dexamethasone (Dex) is the most common corticosteroid used pre-operatively to control cerebral oedema in patients with GBM. Dex is associated with many side effects, and shorter overall survival and progression-free survival of patients with GBM. These negative effects of Dex highlight the need for combinational therapy. Riluzole (Ril), a drug used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is thought to have potential as a treatment for various cancers, with clinical trials underway. Here, we investigated whether Ril could reverse some of the undesirable effects of Dex. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effect of Dex, Ril, and Ril-Dex treatment on cell migration was monitored using the xCELLigence system. Cell viability assays were performed using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT). The expression of genes involved in migration, glucose metabolism, and stemness was examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Pre-treating GBM cells with Ril reduced Dex-induced cell migration and altered Dex-induced effects on cell invasion, stem cell, and glucose metabolism markers. Furthermore, Ril remained effective in killing GBM cells in combination with Dex. CONCLUSION: Ril, which acts as an anti-tumorigenic drug, mediates some of the negative effects of Dex; therefore, it could be a potential drug to manage the side effects of Dex therapy in GBM.

Ultrasound-Induced Release of Nimodipine from Drug-Loaded Block Copolymer Micelles: In Vivo Analysis.

Nimodipine prevents cerebral vasospasm and improves functional outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The beneficial effect is limited by low oral bioavailability of nimodipine, which resulted in an increasing use of nanocarriers with sustained intrathecal drug release in order to overcome this limitation. However, this approach facilitates only a continuous and not an on-demand nimodipine release during the peak time of vasospasm development. In this study, we aimed to assess the concept of controlled drug release from nimodipine-loaded copolymers by ultrasound application in the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. Nimodipine-loaded copolymers were produced with the direct dissolution method. Vasospasm of the CAM vessels was induced by means of ultrasound (Physiomed, continuous wave, 3 MHz, 1.0 W/cm2). The ultrasound-mediated nimodipine release (Physiomed, continuous wave, 1 MHz, 1.7 W/cm2) and its effect on the CAM vessels were evaluated. Measurements of vessel diameter before and after ultrasound-induced nimodipine release were performed using ImageJ. The CAM model could be successfully carried out in all 25 eggs. After vasospasm induction and before drug release, the mean vessel diameter was at 57% (range 44-61%) compared to the baseline diameter (set at 100%). After ultrasound-induced drug release, the mean vessel diameter of spastic vessels increased again to 89% (range 83-91%) of their baseline diameter, which was significant (p = 0.0002). We were able to provide a proof of concept for in vivo vasospasm induction by ultrasound application in the CAM model and subsequent resolution by ultrasound-mediated nimodipine release from nanocarriers. This concept merits further evaluation in a rat SAH model.

In Vivo Vasospasm Induction by Ultrasound Application in the Chicken Chorioallantoic Membrane Model.

Cerebral vasospasm is a highly investigated phenomenon in neurovascular research. Experimental vasospasm models are irreplaceable for the evaluation of new antivasospastic drugs. In this study, we assessed the reliability of in vivo vasospasm induction by ultrasound application in the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. After incubation of fertilized chicken eggs for four days, a fenestration was performed to enable examination of the CAM vessels. On the thirteenth day, continuous-wave ultrasound (3 MHz, 1 W/cm2) was applied on the CAM vessels for 60 s. The ultrasound effect on the vessels was recorded by life imaging (5-MP HD-microscope camera, Leica®). The induced vessel diameter changes were evaluated in a defined time interval of 20 min using a Fiji macro. The vessel diameter before and after sonication was measured and the relative diameter reduction was determined. A first reduction of vessel diameter was observed after three minutes with an average vessel-diameter decrease to 77%. The maximum reduction in vessel diameter was reached eight minutes after sonication with an average vessel diameter decrease to 57% (mean relative diameter reduction of 43%, range 44-61%), ANOVA, p = 0.0002. The vasospasm persisted for all 20 recorded minutes post induction. Vasospasm can be reliably induced by short application of 3 MHz-ultrasound to the CAM vessels. This might be a suitable in vivo model for the evaluation of drug effects on vasospasm in an experimental setting as intermediary in the transition process from in vitro to in vivo assessment using animal models.

Live-Cell Synchrotron-Based FTIR Evaluation of Metabolic Compounds in Brain Glioblastoma Cell Lines after Riluzole Treatment.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive brain tumor, characterized by short median survival and an almost 100% tumor-related mortality. The standard of care treatment for newly diagnosed GBM includes surgical resection followed by concomitant radiochemotherapy. The prevention of disease progression fails due to the poor therapeutic effect caused by the great molecular heterogeneity of this tumor. Previously, we exploited synchrotron radiation-based soft X-ray tomography and hard X-ray fluorescence for elemental microimaging of the shock-frozen GBM cells. The present study focuses instead on the biochemical profiling of live GBM cells and provides new insight into tumor heterogenicity. We studied bio-macromolecular changes by exploring the live-cell synchrotron-based Fourier transform infrared (SR-FTIR) microspectroscopy in a set of three GBM cell lines, including the patient-derived glioblastoma cell line, before and after riluzole treatment, a medicament with potential anticancer properties. SR-FTIR microspectroscopy shows that GBM live cells of different origins recruit different organic compounds. The riluzole treatment of all GBM cell lines mainly affected carbohydrate metabolism and the DNA structure. Lipid structures and protein secondary conformation are affected as well by the riluzole treatment: cellular proteins assumed cross ß-sheet conformation while parallel ß-sheet conformation was less represented for all GBM cells. Moreover, we hope that a new live-cell approach for GBM simultaneous treatment and examination can be devised to target cancer cells more specifically, i.e., future therapies can develop more specific treatments according to the specific bio-macromolecular signature of each tumor type.

Cerebral metastases: do size, peritumoral edema, or multiplicity predict infiltration into brain parenchyma?

BACKGROUND: Brain metastases (BMs) are the most frequent malignancy of the central nervous system. Previous research suggested that some metastases show infiltrative behavior rather than sharp demarcation. We hypothesized that three magnetic resonance (MR) imaging parameters-(a) tumor size, (b) extent of peritumoral edema, and (c) presence of multiple BMs-are predictors of cellular invasion beyond the surgically identifiable tumor margins. METHODS: We performed a post hoc analysis on prospectively collected data of patients with BMs. Biopsies beyond the resection margin and immunohistochemistry were performed to assess infiltration status. The three MR imaging parameters were dichotomized into diameters ≤ 30 mm ("small") and > 30 mm ("large"), amount of peritumoral edema "extended" and "limited," and "multiple BMs" and "single BMs," respectively. The association between infiltration status and imaging parameters was calculated using chi-square test. RESULTS: Biopsy beyond the resection margin was performed in 77 patients; 49 (63.6%) had supramarginal infiltration and 28 patients (36.4%) showed no infiltration. Histological evidence of tumor infiltration was found in 25/41 patients with smaller lesions (61%) and in 24/36 with larger lesions (66.7%, p = 0.64), in 28/44 patients with limited (63.6%) and in 21/33 patients with extended edema (63.6%, p = 1.0), in 28/45 patients (62.2%) with single BM and in 21/32 patients (65.6%) with multiple BMs (p = 0.81). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the post hoc analysis of our prospective trial data, we could not confirm the hypothesis that infiltration of brain parenchyma beyond the glial pseudocapsule is associated with the MR imaging parameters tumor size, extent of edema, or multiplicity of metastases.

Combined Applications of Repurposed Drugs and Their Detrimental Effects on Glioblastoma Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a malignant primary brain tumor with high rates of recurrence. This study aimed to investigate the effect of repurposed drug combinations on GBM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Viability of U87 MG and 11ST patient-derived GMB cell lines, after valproic acid, tranylcypromine or riluzole alone, in different combinations, as well as combined with standard temozolomide chemotherapy was examined using the MTT assay. Proliferation, mRNA level of tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 (TFPI2), and cell invasion were evaluated using anti-Ki-67 antibody staining, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and xCELLigence system. RESULTS: The strongest effect on cell viability was achieved by the combination of riluzole with valproic acid (U87MG: 27.2%, 11ST: 25.99%). Tranylcypromine significantly enhanced the effect of temozolomide when used in combination, as did valproic acid. The normally high proliferation of GBM significantly declined under treatment with valproic acid with tranylcypromine (p=0.01). Finally, we observed reduction of invasion comparing single tranylcypromine to its combination with valproic acid or riluzole. CONCLUSION: These results support the idea that combinations of drugs could increase the treatment efficiency of GBM.

Riluzole: a potential therapeutic intervention in human brain tumor stem-like cells.

A small subpopulation of tumor stem-like cells has the capacity to initiate tumors and mediate radio- and chemoresistance in diverse cancers hence also in glioblastoma (GBM). It has been reported that this capacity of tumor initiation in the brain is mainly dependent on the body's nutrient supply. This population of so-called brain tumor initiating or brain tumor stem-like cells (BTSCs) is able to extract nutrients like glucose with a higher affinity. Riluzole, a drug approved for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was reported to possess anticancer properties, affecting the glutamate metabolism. We report that riluzole treatment inhibits the growth of brain tumor stem-like cells enriched cultures isolated from two human glioblastomas. The effects of riluzole on these cells were associated with an inhibition of a poor prognostic indicator: glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3). A decrease in GLUT3 is associated with a decrease in the p-Akt/HIF1α pathway. Further, downregulation of the DNA (Cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) gene that causes hypermethylation of various tumor-suppressor genes and leads to a poor prognosis in GBM, was detected. Two hallmarks of cancer cells-proliferation and cell death-were positively influenced by riluzole treatment. Finally, we observed that riluzole reduced the tumor growth in in vivo CAM assay, suggesting it could be a possible synergistic drug for the treatment of glioblastoma.

SK3 Channel Overexpression in Mice Causes Hippocampal Shrinkage Associated with Cognitive Impairments.

The dysfunction of the small-conductance calcium-activated K+ channel SK3 has been described as one of the factors responsible for the progress of psychoneurological diseases, but the molecular basis of this is largely unknown. This report reveals through use of immunohistochemistry and computational tomography that long-term increased expression of the SK3 small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel (SK3-T/T) in mice induces a notable bilateral reduction of the hippocampal area (more than 50 %). Histological analysis showed that SK3-T/T mice have cellular disarrangements and neuron discontinuities in the hippocampal formation CA1 and CA3 neuronal layer. SK3 overexpression resulted in cognitive loss as determined by the object recognition test. Electrophysiological examination of hippocampal slices revealed that SK3 channel overexpression induced deficiency of long-term potentiation in hippocampal microcircuits. In association with these results, there were changes at the mRNA levels of some genes involved in Alzheimer's disease and/or linked to schizophrenia, epilepsy, and autism. Taken together, these features suggest that augmenting the function of SK3 ion channel in mice may present a unique opportunity to investigate the neural basis of central nervous system dysfunctions associated with schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, or other neuropsychiatric/neurodegenerative disorders in this model system. As a more detailed understanding of the role of the SK3 channel in brain disorders is limited by the lack of specific SK3 antagonists and agonists, the results observed in this study are of significant interest; they suggest a new approach for the development of neuroprotective strategies in neuropsychiatric/neurodegenerative diseases with SK3 representing a potential drug target.

Structural and elemental changes in glioblastoma cells in situ: complementary imaging with high resolution visible light- and X-ray microscopy.

The glioblastoma (GBM) is characterized by a short median survival and an almost 100% tumor related mortality. GBM cells exhibit highly invasive behavior whose mechanisms are not yet fully understood. The present study explores application of X-ray and visible light microscopy to display the elemental and structural images of cells from 3 patient derived GMB samples and an established GMB cell line. Slight differences in elemental concentrations, in actin cytoskeleton organization and cell morphology were noted between all cells types by X-ray fluorescence and full field soft X-ray microscopy, as well as the Structured Illumination Super-resolution Microscope (SIM). Different sample preparation approaches were used to match each imaging technique. While preparation for SIM included cell fixation and staining, intact frozen hydrated cells were used for the trace element imaging by hard X-ray fluorescence and exploration of the structural features by soft X-ray absorption tomography. Each technique documented differences between samples with regard to morphology and elemental composition and underscored the importance of use of multiple patient derived samples for detailed GBM study.

PIST (GOPC) modulates the oncogenic voltage-gated potassium channel KV10.1.

Although crucial for their correct function, the mechanisms controlling surface expression of ion channels are poorly understood. In the case of the voltage-gated potassium channel KV10.1, this is determinant not only for its physiological function in brain, but also for its pathophysiology in tumors and possible use as a therapeutic target. The Golgi resident protein PIST binds several membrane proteins, thereby modulating their expression. Here we describe a PDZ domain-mediated interaction of KV10.1 and PIST, which enhances surface levels of KV10.1. The functional, but not the physical interaction of both proteins is dependent on the coiled-coil and PDZ domains of PIST; insertion of eight amino acids in the coiled-coil domain to render the neural form of PIST (nPIST) and the corresponding short isoform in an as-of-yet unknown form abolishes the effect. In addition, two new isoforms of PIST (sPIST and nsPIST) lacking nearly the complete PDZ domain were cloned and shown to be ubiquitously expressed. PIST and KV10.1 co-precipitate from native and expression systems. nPIST also showed interaction, but did not alter the functional expression of the channel. We could not document physical interaction between KV10.1 and sPIST, but it reduced KV10.1 functional expression in a dominant-negative manner. nsPIST showed weak physical interaction and no functional effect on KV10.1. We propose these isoforms to work as modulators of PIST function via regulating the binding on interaction partners.

Cortactin controls surface expression of the voltage-gated potassium channel K(V)10.1.

K(V)10.1 is a voltage-gated potassium channel aberrantly expressed in many cases of cancer, and participates in cancer initiation and tumor progression. Its action as an oncoprotein can be inhibited by a functional monoclonal antibody, indicating a role for channels located at the plasma membrane, accessible to the antibody. Cortactin is an actin-interacting protein implicated in cytoskeletal architecture and often amplified in several types of cancer. In this study, we describe a physical and functional interaction between cortactin and K(V)10.1. Binding of these two proteins occurs between the C terminus of K(V)10.1 and the proline-rich domain of cortactin, regions targeted by many post-translational modifications. This interaction is specific for K(V)10.1 and does not occur with K(V)10.2. Cortactin controls the abundance of K(V)10.1 at the plasma membrane and is required for functional expression of K(V)10.1 channels.

Physical and functional interaction of KV10.1 with Rabaptin-5 impacts ion channel trafficking.

K(V)10.1 is a potassium channel expressed in brain and implicated in tumor progression. We have searched for proteins interacting with K(V)10.1 and identified Rabaptin-5, an effector of the Rab5 GTPase. Both proteins co-localize on large early endosomes induced by Rab5 hyperactivity. Silencing of Rabaptin-5 induces down-regulation of recycling of K(V)10.1 channel in transfected cells and reduction of K(V)10.1 current density in cells natively expressing K(V)10.1, indicating a role of Rabaptin-5 in channel trafficking. K(V)10.1 co-localizes, but does not physically interact, with Rab7 and Rab11. Our data highlights the complex control of the amount of K(V)10.1 channels on the cell surface.

A new amidohydrolase from Bordetella or Alcaligenes strain FB188 with similarities to histone deacetylases.

The full-length gene encoding the histone deacetylase (HDAC)-like amidohydrolase (HDAH) from Bordetella or Alcaligenes (Bordetella/Alcaligenes) strain FB188 (DSM 11172) was cloned using degenerate primer PCR combined with inverse-PCR techniques and ultimately expressed in Escherichia coli. The expressed enzyme was biochemically characterized and found to be similar to the native enzyme for all properties examined. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed an open reading frame of 1,110 bp which encodes a polypeptide with a theoretical molecular mass of 39 kDa. Interestingly, peptide sequencing disclosed that the N-terminal methionine is lacking in the mature wild-type enzyme, presumably due to the action of methionyl aminopeptidase. Sequence database searches suggest that the new amidohydrolase belongs to the HDAC superfamily, with the closest homologs being found in the subfamily assigned acetylpolyamine amidohydrolases (APAH). The APAH subfamily comprises enzymes or putative enzymes from such diverse microorganisms as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, and the actinomycete Mycoplana ramosa (formerly M. bullata). The FB188 HDAH, however, is only moderately active in catalyzing the deacetylation of acetylpolyamines. In fact, FB188 HDAH exhibits significant activity in standard HDAC assays and is inhibited by known HDAC inhibitors such as trichostatin A and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA). Several lines of evidence indicate that the FB188 HDAH is very similar to class 1 and 2 HDACs and contains a Zn(2+) ion in the active site which contributes significantly to catalytic activity. Initial biotechnological applications demonstrated the extensive substrate spectrum and broad optimum pH range to be excellent criteria for using the new HDAH from Bordetella/Alcaligenes strain FB188 as a biocatalyst in technical biotransformations, e.g., within the scope of human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase inhibitor synthesis.