In situ vaccination with cowpea mosaic virus nanoparticles suppresses metastatic cancer.

Nanotechnology has tremendous potential to contribute to cancer immunotherapy. The 'in situ vaccination' immunotherapy strategy directly manipulates identified tumours to overcome local tumour-mediated immunosuppression and subsequently stimulates systemic antitumour immunity to treat metastases. We show that inhalation of self-assembling virus-like nanoparticles from cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) reduces established B16F10 lung melanoma and simultaneously generates potent systemic antitumour immunity against poorly immunogenic B16F10 in the skin. Full efficacy required Il-12, Ifn-γ, adaptive immunity and neutrophils. Inhaled CPMV nanoparticles were rapidly taken up by and activated neutrophils in the tumour microenvironment as an important part of the antitumour immune response. CPMV also exhibited clear treatment efficacy and systemic antitumour immunity in ovarian, colon, and breast tumour models in multiple anatomic locations. CPMV nanoparticles are stable, nontoxic, modifiable with drugs and antigens, and their nanomanufacture is highly scalable. These properties, combined with their inherent immunogenicity and demonstrated efficacy against a poorly immunogenic tumour, make CPMV an attractive and novel immunotherapy against metastatic cancer.

Hypoxia increases pulmonary arterial thromboxane receptor internalization independent of receptor sensitization.

Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) is characterized by sustained vasospasm and an increased thromboxane:prostacyclin ratio. Thromboxane (TP) receptors signal via Gαq to mobilize IP3 and Ca(2+), causing pulmonary arterial constriction. We have previously reported increased TP internalization in hypoxic pulmonary arterial (PA) myocytes. Serum-deprived PA myocytes were grown in normoxia (NM) or hypoxia (HM) for 72 h. TP localization was visualized in agonist-naïve and -challenged NM and HM by immunocytochemistry. Pathways for agonist-induced TP receptor internalization were determined by inhibiting caveolin- or clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and caveolar fractionation. Roles of actin and tubulin in TP receptor internalization were assessed using inhibitors of tubulin, actin-stabilizing or -destabilizing agents. PKA, PKC or GRK activation and inhibition were used to determine the kinase responsible for post-agonist receptor internalization. Agonist-naïve HM had decreased cell surface TP, and greater TP internalization after agonist challenge. TP protein did not sort with caveolin-rich fractions. Inhibition of clathrin prevented TP internalization. Both actin-stabilizing and -destabilizing agents prevented TP endocytosis in NM, while normalizing TP internalization in HM. Velocity of TP internalization was unaffected by PKA activity, but PKC activation normalized TP receptor internalization in HM. GRK inhibition had no effect. We conclude that in hypoxic myocytes, TP is internalized faster and to a greater extent than in normoxic controls. Internalization of the agonist-challenged TP requires clathrin, dynamic actin and is sensitive to PKC activity. TP receptor trafficking and signaling in hypoxia are pivotal to understanding increased vasoconstrictor sensitivity.

Hypoxic neonatal pulmonary arterial myocytes are sensitized to ROS-generated 8-isoprostane.

8-Isoprostane, a ROS-derived prostanoid that acts via the thromboxane receptor (TP), is implicated in neonatal pulmonary hypertension. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of hypoxia on vascular smooth muscle ROS generation, 8-isoprostane activity, and TP binding. First-passage neonatal porcine pulmonary artery myocytes were exposed to 10% O(2) (hypoxic myocytes; HM) or 21% O(2) (normoxic myocytes) for 72 h. Hypoxia increased in vitro generation of ROS, superoxide, and 8-isoprostane. ROS generation was ablated by inhibition of mitochondrial complex III. SOD1 and 3 activities were increased, but SOD2 activity decreased by 45% in HM. 8-Isoprostane generation was driven by the addition of peroxide and nitric oxide; incubation with permeative PEG-SOD, but not PEG-catalase or impermeative SOD, attenuated hypoxia-induced 8-isoprostane generation. 8-Isoprostane affinity for TP was markedly increased in HM. Myocyte 8-isoprostane challenge caused TP internalization and calcium release only in HM; this was sensitive to TP blockade and was normalized by activation of adenylyl cyclase. We propose that hypoxia induces superoxide accumulation in pulmonary artery myocytes through inhibition of mitochondrial SOD2 activity, promoting peroxynitrite-induced generation of 8-isoprostane. 8-Isoprostane binds to sensitized TP receptors, causing receptor internalization and signaling to calcium release in hypoxic myocytes. 8-Isoprostane may be an important pulmonary vasoconstrictor during neonatal hypoxia.

Intraocular coccidioidomycosis diagnosed by skin biopsy.

OBJECTIVE: To describe ocular findings in 2 patients with disseminated coccidioidomycosis diagnosed by skin biopsy. METHODS: The clinical and histopathologic findings of the 2 patients were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: One patient had a unilateral, granulomatous iridocyclitis with multiple iris nodules and a large vascularized anterior chamber mass, in the setting of pulmonary, cutaneous, and skeletal infection by Coccidioides immitis. The second patient developed papilledema and multifocal chorioretinitis accompanied by pulmonary, cutaneous, and meningeal C immitis infection. In each case, examination of the skin biopsy specimen revealed C immitis spherules. Treatments included local and systemic amphotericin B and oral fluconazole. CONCLUSIONS: Although rare, intraocular involvement can occur in the setting of disseminated coccidioidomycosis. A thorough systemic evaluation and biopsy of suspicious skin lesions can aid in the diagnosis.

Specificity of radioiodinated MIBG for neural crest tumors in childhood.

UNLABELLED: The high sensitivity of metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy for sympathomedullary tumors such as neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma is well documented. The specificity of MIBG scintigraphy for these tumors is also high but has been incompletely characterized for other neural crest tumors and non-neural crest tumors of childhood. METHODS: The medical records and MIBG scans of all children who had undergone MIBG scintigraphy for known or suspected neuroblastoma or pheochromocytoma were retrospectively reviewed at five major referral centers. Those patients found to have pathologies other than neuroblastoma or pheochromocytoma form the basis of this study. RESULTS: One hundred children with a total of 110 lesions met the inclusion criteria. All had negative MIBG scans except 1 of 2 children with infantile myofibromatosis, 1 of 2 with neuroendocrine carcinomas, 1 of 2 with pancreaticoblastomas and 1 of 10 with primitive neuroectodermal tumors. CONCLUSION: MIBG scintigraphy is highly specific for neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma. Only 4% (4/100) of nonsympathomedullary tumors (non-pheochromocytoma and non-neuroblastoma) in childhood showed MIBG uptake, of which only 2% (2/100) were of non-neural crest origin.

Technetium-99m-MDP uptake in hilar lymph nodes in sarcoidosis.

We describe a patient with unexplained hypercalcemia who under went bone scintigraphy, which demonstrated marked tracer uptake within the hilar lymph nodes. The pattern strongly suggested sarcoidosis, which was subsequently confirmed by bronchoscopy-directed biopsy.

Purification and Characterization of Pea Epicotyl beta-Amylase.

The most abundant beta-amylase (EC 3.2.1.2) in pea (Pisum sativum L.) was purified greater than 880-fold from epicotyls of etiolated germinating seedlings by anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography, glycogen precipitation, and preparative electrophoresis. The electrophoretic mobility and relative abundance of this beta-amylase are the same as that of an exoamylase previously reported to be primarily vacuolar. The enzyme was determined to be a beta-amylase by end product analysis and by its inability to hydrolyze beta-limit dextrin and to release dye from starch azure. Pea beta-amylase is an approximate 55 to 57 kilodalton monomer with a pl of 4.35, a pH optimum of 6.0 (soluble starch substrate), an Arrhenius energy of activation of 6.28 kilocalories per mole, and a K(m) of 1.67 milligrams per milliliter (soluble starch). The enzyme is strongly inhibited by heavy metals, p-chloromer-curiphenylsulfonic acid and N-ethylmaleimide, but much less strongly by iodoacetamide and iodoacetic acid, indicating cysteinyl sulfhydryls are not directly involved in catalysis. Pea beta-amylase is competitively inhibited by its end product, maltose, with a K(i) of 11.5 millimolar. The enzyme is partially inhibited by Schardinger maltodextrins, with alpha-cyclohexaamylose being a stronger inhibitor than beta-cycloheptaamylose. Moderately branched glucans (e.g. amylopectin) were better substrates for pea beta-amylase than less branched or non-branched (amyloses) or highly branched (glycogens) glucans. The enzyme failed to hydrolyze native starch grains from pea and glucans smaller than maltotetraose. The mechanism of pea beta-amylase is the multichain type. Possible roles of pea beta-amylase in cellular glucan metabolism are discussed.

Catabolism of Cyanogenic Glycosides by Purified Vicianin Hydrolase from Squirrel's Foot Fern (Davallia Trichomanoides Blume).

Vicianin hydrolase, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of vicianin (K(m), 4.9 millimolar) to (R)-mandelonitrile and vicianose at an optimum pH of 5.5, was extensively purified from the young fronds and fiddleheads of the squirrel's foot fern (Davallia trichomanoides Blume) using DEAE-cellulose and Ultrogel HA chromatography. The native molecular weight of the enzyme was 340,000, and the isoelectric point was 4.6 to 4.7. SDS-PAGE analysis yielded three polypeptides with molecular weights of 56,000, 49,000, and 32,500. The enzyme hydrolyzed only a narrow range of glycosides and, among cyanogenic glycosides, exhibited a strict requirement for (R)-epimers and a preference for disaccharides over monosaccharides. (R)-Amygdalin, (R)-prunasin and p-nitrophenyl-beta-d-glucoside were hydrolyzed at 27, 14, and 3%, respectively, of the rate of vicianin hydrolysis. Mixed substrate studies showed that (R)-vicianin, (R)-prunasin, and p-nitrophenyl-beta-d-glucoside competed for the same active site. The enzyme was significantly inhibited by castanospermine, delta-gluconolactone, and p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonate. Failure to recognize concanavalin A-Sepharose 4B and to stain with periodic acid-Schiff reagent indicated that the enzyme was not a glycoprotein.