Injury-induced purinergic signalling molecules upregulate pluripotency gene expression and mitotic activity of progenitor cells in the zebrafish retina.

Damage in fish activates retina repair that restores sight. The purinergic signalling system serves multiple homeostatic functions and has been implicated in cell cycle control of progenitor cells in the developing retina. We examined whether changes in the expression of purinergic molecules were instrumental in the proliferative phase after injury of adult zebrafish retinas with ouabain. P2RY1 messenger RNA (mRNA) increased early after injury and showed maximal levels at the time of peak progenitor cell proliferation. Extracellular nucleotides, mainly ADP, regulate P2RY1 transcriptional and protein expression. The injury-induced upregulation of P2RY1 is mediated by an autoregulated mechanism. After injury, the transcriptional expression of ecto-nucleotidases and ecto-ATPases also increased and ecto-ATPase activity inhibitors decreased Müller glia-derived progenitor cell amplification. Inhibition of P2RY1 endogenous activation prevented progenitor cell proliferation at two intervals after injury: one in which progenitor Müller glia mitotically activates and the second one in which Müller glia-derived progenitor cells amplify. ADPßS induced the expression of lin28a and ascl1a genes in mature regions of uninjured retinas. The expression of these genes, which regulate multipotent Müller glia reprogramming, was significantly inhibited by blocking the endogenous activation of P2RY1 early after injury. We consistently observed that the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein-BrdU-positive Müller cells after injury was larger in the absence than in the presence of the P2RY1 antagonist. Ecto-ATPase activity inhibitors or P2RY1-specific antagonists did not modify apoptotic cell death at the time of peak progenitor cell proliferation. The results suggested that ouabain injury upregulates specific purinergic signals which stimulates multipotent progenitor cell response.

In vivo effects of adenosine 5'-triphosphate on rat preneoplastic liver.

The utilization of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) infusions to inhibit the growth of some human and animals tumors was based on the anticancer activity observed in in vitro and in vivo experiments, but contradictory results make the use of ATP in clinical practice rather controversial. Moreover, there is no literature regarding the use of ATP infusions to treat hepatocarcinomas. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether ATP prevents in vivo oncogenesis in very-early-stage cancer cells in a well characterized two-stage model of hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat. As we could not preclude the possible effect due to the intrinsic properties of adenosine, a known tumorigenic product of ATP hydrolysis, the effect of the administration of adenosine was also studied. Animals were divided in groups: rats submitted to the two stage preneoplasia initiation/promotion model of hepatocarcinogenesis, rats treated with intraperitoneal ATP or adenosine during the two phases of the model and appropriate control groups. The number and volume of preneoplastic foci per liver identified by the expression of glutathione S-transferase placental type and the number of proliferating nuclear antigen positive cells significantly increased in ATP and adenosine treated groups. Taken together, these results indicate that in this preneoplastic liver model, ATP as well as adenosine disturb the balance between apoptosis and proliferation contributing to malignant transformation.

In vivo effects of adenosine 5´-triphosphate on rat preneoplastic liver / Efecto in vivo de adenosina 5´-trifosfato sobre el hígado preneoplásico de la rata

The utilization of adenosine 5´-triphosphate (ATP ) infusions to inhibit the growth of some human and animals tumors was based on the anticancer activity observed in in vitro and in vivo experiments, but contradictory results make the use of ATP in clinical practice rather controversial. Moreover, there is no literature regarding the use of ATP infusions to treat hepatocarcinomas. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether ATP prevents in vivo oncogenesis in very-early-stage cancer cells in a well characterized two-stage model of hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat. As we could not preclude the possible effect due to the intrinsic properties of adenosine, a known tumorigenic product of ATP hydrolysis, the effect of the administration of adenosine was also studied. Animals were divided in groups: rats submitted to the two stage preneoplasia initiation/promotion model of hepatocarcinogenesis, rats treated with intraperitoneal ATP or adenosine during the two phases of the model and appropriate control groups. The number and volume of preneoplastic foci per liver identified by the expression of glutathione S-transferase placental type and the number of proliferating nuclear antigen positive cells significantly increased in ATP and adenosine treated groups. Taken together, these results indicate that in this preneoplastic liver model, ATP as well as adenosine disturb the balance between apoptosis and proliferation contributing to malignant transformation.

La utilización de adenosina 5´-trifosfato (ATP ) para inhibir el crecimiento de algunos tumores en humanos y en animales se basa en la actividad anticancerígena observada en experimentos in vitro e in vivo. El uso del ATP en la práctica clínica es discutido debido a resultados contradictorios. Por otra parte, no existen antecedentes del uso de ATP en el tratamiento de hepatocarcinomas. El objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar si el ATP previene la oncogénesis in vivo en un modelo de preneoplasia hepática murina de dos etapas. Para determinar la probable contribución de la adenosina, producto de la hidrólisis de ATP y descrita como tumorigénica, se estudió también el efecto del nucleósido exógeno sobre los focos preneoplásicos. Los animales se dividieron en grupos: ratas sometidas al modelo de preneoplasia de iniciación/promoción, ratas tratadas con ATP o adenosina intraperitonealmente durante las dos fases del modelo y los correspondientes grupos controles. El número y el volumen de focos preneoplásicos por hígado, identificados por la expresión de la forma placentaria de la glutation S- transferasa de rata y el número de células positivas para el antígeno nuclear proliferante, aumentaron significativamente en los grupos tratados con ATP y adenosina. Los resultados en su conjunto indican que en este modelo preneoplásico, el ATP y la adenosina alteran el balance entre apoptosis y proliferación, contribuyendo a la transformación maligna.