The role of the EP receptors for prostaglandin E2 in skin and skin cancer.

One of the most common features of exposure of skin to ultraviolet (UV) light is the induction of inflammation, a contributor to tumorigenesis, which is characterized by the synthesis of cytokines, growth factors and arachidonic acid metabolites, including the prostaglandins (PGs). Studies on the role of the PGs in non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) have shown that the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) isoform of the cyclooxygenases is responsible for the majority of the pathological effects of PGE(2). In mouse skin models, COX-2 deficiency significantly protects against chemical carcinogen- or UV-induced NMSC while overexpression confers endogenous tumor promoting activity. Current studies are focused on identifying which of the G protein-coupled EP receptors mediate the tumor promotion/progression activities of PGE(2) and the signaling pathways involved. As reviewed here, the EP1, EP2, and EP4 receptors, but not the EP3 receptor, contribute to NMSC development, albeit through different signaling pathways and with somewhat different outcomes. The signaling pathways activated by the specific EP receptors are context specific and likely depend on the level of PGE(2) synthesis, the differential levels of expression of the different EP receptors, as well as the levels of expression of other interacting receptors. Understanding the role and mechanisms of action of the EP receptors potentially offers new targets for the prevention or therapy of NMSCs.

A hybrid gravity and route choice model to assess vector traffic in large-scale road networks.

Human traffic along roads can be a major vector for infectious diseases and invasive species. Though most road traffic is local, a small number of long-distance trips can suffice to move an invasion or disease front forward. Therefore, understanding how many agents travel over long distances and which routes they choose is key to successful management of diseases and invasions. Stochastic gravity models have been used to estimate the distribution of trips between origins and destinations of agents. However, in large-scale systems, it is hard to collect the data required to fit these models, as the number of long-distance travellers is small, and origins and destinations can have multiple access points. Therefore, gravity models often provide only relative measures of the agent flow. Furthermore, gravity models yield no insights into which roads agents use. We resolve these issues by combining a stochastic gravity model with a stochastic route choice model. Our hybrid model can be fitted to survey data collected at roads that are used by many long-distance travellers. This decreases the sampling effort, allows us to obtain absolute predictions of both vector pressure and pathways, and permits rigorous model validation. After introducing our approach in general terms, we demonstrate its benefits by applying it to the potential invasion of zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena spp.) to the Canadian province British Columbia. The model yields an R 2-value of 0.73 for variance-corrected agent counts at survey locations.

Overexpression of the prostaglandin E2 receptor EP2 results in enhanced skin tumor development.

We previously showed that the EP2 knockout mice were resistant to chemically induced skin carcinogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the overexpression of the EP2 receptor in mouse skin carcinogenesis. To determine the effect of overexpression of EP2, we used EP2 transgenic (TG) mice and wild-type (WT) mice in a DMBA (7,12-dimethylbenz[alpha]anthracene)/TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) two-stage carcinogenesis protocol. EP2 TG mice developed significantly more tumors compared with WT mice. Overexpression of the EP2 receptor increased TPA-induced keratinocyte proliferation both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, the epidermis of EP2 TG mice 48 h after topical TPA treatment was significantly thicker compared to that of WT mice. EP2 TG mice showed significantly increased cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels in the epidermis after prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) treatment. The inflammatory response to TPA was increased in EP2 TG mice, as demonstrated by an increased number of macrophages in the dermis. Tumors and 7 x TPA-treated and DMBA-TPA-treated (6 weeks) skins from EP2 TG mice produced more blood vessels than those of WT mice as determined by CD-31 immunostaining. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein expression was significantly increased in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) samples from EP2 TG mice compared that of WT mice. There was, however, no difference in the number of apoptotic cells in tumors from WT and EP2 TG mice. Together, our results suggest that the overexpression of the EP2 receptor plays a significant role in the protumorigenic action of PGE2 in mouse skin.

Oxidative metabolism of linoleic acid modulates PPAR-beta/delta suppression of PPAR-gamma activity.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are transcription factors that strongly influence molecular events in normal and cancer cells. PPAR-beta/delta (PPAR-b/d) overexpression suppresses the activity of PPAR-gamma (PPAR-g) and PPAR-alpha. This interaction has been questioned, however, by studies with synthetic ligands of PPARs in PPAR-b/d-null cells, and it is not known whether an interaction between PPAR-b/d and PPAR-g exists, especially in relation to the signaling by natural PPAR ligands. Oxidative metabolites of linoleic and arachidonic acids are natural ligands of PPARs. 13-S-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-S-HODE), the main product of 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LOX-1) metabolism of linoleic acid, downregulates PPAR-b/d. We tested (a) whether PPAR-b/d expression modulates PPAR-g activity in experimental models of the loss and gain of PPAR-b/d function in colon cancer cells and (b) whether 15-LOX-1 formation of 13-S-HODE influences the interaction between PPAR-b/d and PPAR-g. We found that (a) 15-LOX-1 formation of 13-S-HODE promoted PPAR-g activity, (b) PPAR-b/d expression suppressed PPAR-g activity in models of both loss and gain of PPAR-b/d function, (c) 15-LOX-1 activated PPAR-g by downregulating PPAR-b/d, and (d) 15-LOX-1 expression induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells via modulating PPAR-b/d suppression of PPAR-g. These findings elucidate a novel mechanism of the signaling by natural ligands of PPARs, which involves modulating the interaction between PPAR-b/d and PPAR-g.

Mechanism-based cancer prevention approaches: targets, examples, and the use of transgenic mice.

Humans are exposed to a wide variety of carcinogenic insults, including endogenous and man-made chemicals, radiation, physical agents, and viruses. The ultimate goal of carcinogenesis research is to elucidate the processes involved in the induction of human cancer so that interventions may be developed to prevent the disease, either in the general population or in susceptible subpopulations. Progress to date in the carcinogenesis field, particularly regarding the mechanisms of chemically induced cancer, has revealed several points along the carcinogenesis pathway that may be amenable to mechanism-based prevention strategies. The purpose of this review is to examine the basic mechanisms and stages of chemical carcinogenesis, with an emphasis on ways in which preventive interventions can modify those processes. Possible ways of interfering with tumor initiation events include the following: i) modifying carcinogen activation by inhibiting enzymes responsible for that activation or by direct scavenging of DNA-reactive electrophiles and free radicals; ii) enhancing carcinogen detoxification processes by altering the activity of the detoxifying enzymes; and iii) modulating certain DNA repair processes. Possible ways of blocking the processes involved in the promotion and progression stages of carcinogenesis include the following: i) scavenging of reactive oxygen species; ii) altering the expression of genes involved in cell signaling, particularly those regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation; and iii) decreasing inflammation. In addition, the utility for mechanism-based cancer prevention research of new animal models that are based on the overexpression or inactivation of specific cancer-related genes is examined.

Lack of involvement of 6-hydroxymethylation in benzo[a]pyrene skin tumor initiation in mice.

The skin tumor-initiating activities of benzo[a]pyrene (BP), 6-hydroxymethylbenzo[a]pyrene (6-OH-CH2-BP), and 6-methylbenzo[a]pyrene (6-CH3-BP), as well as the effects of 7,8-benzoflavone (7,8-BF), quercetin, and 1-benzylimidazole on their activity, were determined in outbred female CD-1 mice by use of a two stage system of tumorigenesis. The skin tumor-initiating activity of 6-OH-CH2-BP and 6-CH3-BP was 12.5 and 20%, respectively, of the activity of BP, 7,8-BF had little effect on the skin tumor-initiating activity of 6-OH-CH2-BP and 6-CH3-BP. However, a dose-dependent inhibition of BP tumorigenesis by 7,8-BF was noted. Quercetin and 1-benzylimidazole also inhibited BP skin tumor-initiating activity. These findings indicated that direct hydroxymethylation of BP is not an important pathway in the activation of BP in mouse skin tumor initiation.

15-LOX-1: a novel molecular target of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) appear to act via induction of apoptosis-programmed cell death-as potential colorectal cancer chemopreventive agents. NSAIDs can alter the production of different metabolites of polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and arachidonic acids) through effects on lipoxygenases (LOXs) and cyclooxygenases. 15-LOX-1 is the main enzyme for metabolizing colonic linoleic acid to 13-S-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-S-HODE), which induces apoptosis. In human colorectal cancers, the expression of this enzyme is reduced. NSAIDs can increase 15-LOX enzymatic activity in normal leukocytes, but their effects on 15-LOX in neoplastic cells have been unknown. We tested the hypothesis that NSAIDs induce apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells by increasing the protein expression and enzymatic activity of 15-LOX-1. METHODS: We assessed 15-LOX-1 protein expression and enzymatic activity, 13-S-HODE levels, and 15-LOX-1 inhibition in association with cellular growth inhibition and apoptosis induced by NSAIDs (primarily sulindac and NS-398) in two colorectal cancer cell lines (RKO and HT-29). All P values are two-sided. RESULTS: Sulindac and NS-398 progressively increased 15-LOX-1 protein expression in RKO cells (at 24, 48, and 72 hours) in association with subsequent growth inhibition and apoptosis. Increased 13-S-HODE levels and the formation of 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid on incubation of the cells with the substrate arachidonic acid confirmed the enzymatic activity of 15-LOX-1. Inhibition of 15-LOX-1 in RKO cells by treatment with caffeic acid blocked NS-398-induced 13-S-HODE production, cellular growth inhibition, and apoptosis (P =. 007, P<.0001, and P<.0001, respectively); growth inhibition and apoptosis were restored by adding exogenous 13-S-HODE (P<.0001 for each) but not its parent compound, linoleic acid (P = 1.0 for each). Similar results occurred with other NSAIDs and in HT-29 cells. CONCLUSIONS: These data identify 15-LOX-1 as a novel molecular target of NSAIDs for inducing apoptosis in colorectal carcinogenesis.

Suppression of tumor promoter-induced chemiluminescence in mouse epidermal cells by several inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism.

The tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) is a stimulator of chemiluminescence (CL) in SENCAR mouse epidermal cells. The CL response is TPA dose dependent (8 to 800 nM) as well as proportional to the number of cells used. Treatment with 166 nM TPA results in a CL response that peaks by 15 min although a strong response persists for over 30 min. The CL response can be inhibited by superoxide dismutase and the superoxide dismutase mimetic copper(II) (3,4 diisopropylsalicylic acid)2, suggesting that the CL response may be due to or mediated by superoxide anions. Catalase, which is specific for H2O2, and mannitol, which is a scavenger for hydroxyl radicals, had negligible inhibitory effects. The CL response is also inhibited by retinoic acid and the analogue ethyl all-trans-9-(4-methoxy-2,3,6-trimethylphenyl)-3,7-dimethyl-2,4,6,8- nonatetraenoate. A series of phorbol esters with different promoting abilities produced corresponding CL responses. The second stage tumor promoter mezerein is as effective as TPA in stimulating CL. Inhibitors of various parts of the arachidonic acid cascade were found to affect the TPA-induced CL response in a manner that corresponds to their effects in vivo tumor promotion experiments: agents which are predominantly lipoxygenase inhibitors, i.e., nordihydroguaiaretic acid, benoxaprofen, or agents which are effective against both lipoxygenase or cyclooxygenase, i.e., 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid and phenidone, are effective in diminishing the CL response. Cyclooxygenase inhibitors, i.e., indomethacin and flurbiprofen, have no or a slight enhancing effect at low doses. These data suggest that at least a major part of the TPA-induced CL response is due to the metabolism of arachidonic acid, most probably by the lipoxygenase(s). This CL assay may provide a useful system for studying the involvement of oxidants in tumor promotion.

Evidence that a slowly cycling subpopulation of adult murine epidermal cells retains carcinogen.

The distribution and persistence of radioactively labeled benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] in the skin of adult female SENCAR mice were investigated by autoradiography of epidermal whole mounts and cross-sections at intervals following a single initiating application of 200 nmol of either [3H]B(a)P (2 mCi) or [14C]B(a)P (23 muCi). One day after treatment, the entire thickness of the skin was labeled; the grain density was greatest over hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and interfollicular epidermis. At 1 and 2 weeks, decreases in the nuclear grain density were consistent with the overall pattern of epidermal renewal. One month after treatment, carcinogen label-retaining cells made up approximately 2% of the interfollicular basal cells. They were also present in the hair follicles, approximately 4 and 5% of basal cells in the infundibulum and external root sheath, respectively. They were rare in the germ region and dermal papilla. Carcinogen label-retaining cells were compared with slowly cycling [3H]thymidine label-retaining cells and "maturing" basal cells, two distinct proliferative subsets of adult murine epidermis. Carcinogen label-retaining cells were found to have characteristics of the slowly cycling cells: (a) most of the carcinogen labeled nuclei were found in the central regions of the epidermal proliferative units; (b) treatment of the carcinogen label-retaining cells with 2 micrograms of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate elicited labeled mitoses within 1 day, and a general decrease in grain density over basal nuclei. In contrast, maturing basal cells 4 days after a single injection of [3H]thymidine were found at the periphery of the epidermal proliferative units. Within 1 day after treatment with 2 micrograms of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, maturing basal cells were displaced to the suprabasal layers. Double isotope-double emulsion autoradiographs demonstrated doubly labeled cells 1 month after continuous labeling with [3H]thymidine and [14C]B(a)P and provide evidence that the radioactive carcinogen is retained by the slowly cycling [3H]thymidine label-retaining cells. These observations suggest that a slowly cycling population of epidermal cells may be relevant to the initiation phase of two-stage carcinogenesis.

4 Beta- and 4 alpha-12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate elicit arachidonate release from epidermal cells through different mechanisms.

There is substantial evidence that the tumor promoter 4 beta-12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) elicits enhanced arachidonic acid release and its metabolism to prostaglandins and lipoxygenase products in many cell types. The goal of this study was to determine whether 4 alpha-12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (4 alpha TPA), a stereoisomer of TPA, can induce arachidonic acid release and whether it is by the same mechanism as release induced by TPA. The finding that 10 micrograms/ml 4 alpha TPA produces a response comparable with 1 microgram/ml TPA and with similar kinetics was unexpected. The mechanism mediating the TPA response appears to be the activation of protein kinase C (PKC), which subsequently results in phospholipase A2 activation. This is suggested by the observation that TPA-induced arachidonate release is inhibited 65% by 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride (H-7), an inhibitor of PKC and that TPA completely down-regulates PKC. In addition, down-regulation or depletion of PKC by prior treatment with TPA results in a 75% loss of response to a second TPA treatment. In vitro activation of partially purified PKC could be demonstrated for TPA but not 4 alpha TPA. 4 alpha TPA thus appears to induce the release of arachidonate by a different but unknown mechanism. The 4 alpha TPA effect is not significantly reduced by the PKC inhibitor H-7, and no evidence of PKC activation or down-regulation was observed. Additionally, 4 alpha TPA is unable to "down-regulate" arachidonate release when the two-treatment protocol is used and the down-regulation of PKC by TPA has little effect on 4 alpha TPA-induced arachidonate release. Cycloheximide inhibited TPA-induced arachidonate release by 80% and 4 alpha TPA-induced release by 50%, indicating a partial requirement for protein synthesis for both phorbol esters. Actinomycin D, on the other hand, inhibited the TPA response by 70%, but enhanced the 4 alpha TPA response by 169%. When used at 10- or 100-micrograms doses, 4 alpha TPA was found to lack activity with respect to ornithine decarboxylase induction, oxidant production, hyperplasia, inflammation, and tumor promotion, suggesting that arachidonate release is not sufficient to induce these events. This may be related to the observation that with TPA the extent of arachidonate metabolism to prostaglandin E2 is four- to fivefold greater than occurred with 4 alpha TPA, even under conditions of equivalent arachidonate release.

Quantitation of primary in vitro clonogenic keratinocytes from normal adult murine epidermis, following initiation, and during promotion of epidermal tumors.

A quantitative in vitro assay for clonogenic epidermal cells from adult mice has been designed to focus on the cells from normal epidermis that are potential targets for carcinogens. Dorsal epidermal cells were isolated by trypsinization from groups of three to six CD-1 female mice with yields of 1.31 +/- 6.84 X 10(6) (average of n = 7; SD) viable epidermal cells per square centimeter of skin. Suspensions of single epidermal cells were plated at clonal density onto irradiated Swiss 3T3 cells. The cultures were maintained in high calcium SPRD-105 medium designed to support concomitant proliferation and terminal differentiation of keratinocytes from normal as well as carcinogen-exposed mice. Two weeks later, the dishes were fixed and stained with rhodanile blue, and epidermal colonies were counted. The average number of colonies from normal epidermis was 45 +/- 8.5 (n = 11; SD) per 10(4) cells plated for mice 9 to 69 weeks of age. To determine the effects of initiation on the number of clonogenic epidermal cells, groups of mice 8 weeks of age were treated topically with 200 nmol of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene or acetone alone. The number of colonies in both treatment groups remained within the control (untreated) range at all intervals from 7 to 61 weeks after initiation. In contrast, the number of clonogenic cells from control as well as initiated epidermis remained elevated at 1 month following multiple in vivo treatments of skin with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). The increase in the number of clonogens was always greater from initiated epidermis treated with TPA than from control epidermis treated with TPA. These results suggest that an increase in the clonogenic population was a consequence of promotion rather than initiation and are in agreement with a concomitant carcinogenesis experiment confirming the apparent irreversibility of initiation, the veritable absence of tumors in the absence of promotion, and the similarity of the tumor responses regardless of the age of the animal at initiation or the length of the delay interval between initiation and promotion.

Events associated with mouse skin tumor promotion with respect to arachidonic acid metabolism: a comparison between SENCAR and NMRI mice.

NMRI and SENCAR, two stocks of mice commonly used in multistage skin carcinogenesis studies, were compared with respect to the effects of inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism for the following 12-O-tetra-decanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-elicited events: tumor promotion, DNA synthesis in vivo and in vitro, ornithine decarboxylase induction, and prostaglandin (PG) E2 synthesis. Previous work had shown that the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin enhanced TPA promotion in SENCAR mice. We report here that over the same dose range (50 to 200 micrograms) indomethacin caused a dose-dependent inhibition of promotion in NMRI mice. Significant reversal of this inhibition was achieved with concomitant application of 10 micrograms PGF2 alpha but not PGE2. DNA synthesis studies showed that low doses of indomethacin and flurbiprofen increased TPA-stimulated DNA synthesis in primary cultures from SENCAR mice; indomethacin suppressed this response in NMRI cultures. In vivo DNA synthesis studies showed the same pattern: indomethacin enhanced TPA-stimulated DNA synthesis in SENCAR mice but inhibited in NMRI mice. Other classes of inhibitors of arachidonate metabolism (i.e., the cyclooxygenase-lipoxygenase inhibitors 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid and phenidone and the phospholipase A2 inhibitor dibromoacetophenone) had inhibitory activity in vitro and in vivo in both stocks of mice. Indomethacin was found to inhibit TPA-induced ornithine decarboxylase activity to the same extent in both mice. Indomethacin was also very effective in inhibiting TPA-induced PGE2 synthesis in both stocks of mice. 5,8,11,14-Eicosatetraynoic acid and phenidone were likewise suppressive in both stocks of mice. It is concluded that the NMRI and SENCAR mice respond similarly to TPA with respect to promotion, DNA synthesis, ornithine decarboxylase induction, and PG synthesis. The difference appears to be in the degree of involvement of the lipoxygenase pathway.

15-Lipoxygenase-1 mediates nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced apoptosis independently of cyclooxygenase-2 in colon cancer cells.

We previously found (I. Shureiqi et al., Carcinogenesis (Lond.), 20: 1985-1995, 1999; I. Shureiqi et al, J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 92: 1136-1142, 2000) that (a) 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LOX-1) protein and its product 13-S-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-S-HODE) are decreased; and (b) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced 15-LOX-1 expression is critical to NSAID-induced apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells expressing cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). We used the NSAIDs sulindac sulfone (COX-2-independent) and NS-398 (a COX-2 inhibitor) to assess NSAID upregulation of 15-LOX-1 in relation to COX-2 inhibition during NSAID-induced apoptosis in the DLD-1 (COX-2-negative) colon cancer cell line. We found that: (a) NSAIDs up-regulated 15-LOX-1, which preceded apoptosis; and (b) 15-LOX-1 inhibition blocked NSAID-induced apoptosis, which was restored by 13-S-HODE but not by its parent, linoleic acid. NSAIDs can induce apoptosis in colon cancer cells via up-regulation of 15-LOX-1 in the absence of COX-2.

Tumor-promoting activity of ethyl phenylpropiolate.

The ability of the hyperplasiogenic irritant ethyl phenylpropiolate (EPP) to act as a tumor promoter in two-stage carcinogenesis and to stimulate cellular events commonly cited as markers of tumor promoter action was evaluated. Treatment of adult, inbred SENCAR (SSIN) mice, initiated with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, with 5 mg of EPP twice weekly resulted in 100% of the mice developing tumors (4.8 tumors/mouse) after 40 weeks of promotion. Treatment with 3 mg EPP (twice weekly) resulted in 52% of the mice developing tumors (0.9 tumor/mouse). This treatment regimen with EPP produces a sustained epidermal hyperplasia without being overtly toxic. In addition, a 5-mg dose of EPP induced ornithine decarboxylase activity to a level comparable to that induced by the tumor promoter phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA): 2.3 nmol CO2/mg protein/h for EPP versus 4.5 nmol CO2/mg protein/h for PMA versus 0.04 nmol CO2/mg protein/h for acetone control. Likewise, the time course of ornithine decarboxylase induction by EPP was the same as that seen with PMA (maximum induction at approximately 6 h). Vascular permeability of the dorsal skin increased significantly in response to EPP (8 times that seen in acetone controls) and exhibited the same kinetics as that seen after exposure to PMA. Activity of protein kinase C (PKC), the cellular receptor for PMA, decreased by 75 to 95% 48 h after treatment with PMA. In contrast, EPP treatment resulted in less than a 20% decrease in PKC activity 48 h after treatment. This slight decrease in PKC activity is thought to be an indirect effect caused by the hyperproliferative and inflammatory reactions, because EPP was found to be inactive as an in vitro activator of PKC. These results indicate not only that EPP is a good tumor promoter that causes morphological and biochemical responses similar to those induced by PMA, but also that the action of EPP is apparently mediated via a mechanism that does not involve direct interaction with PKC.

Phorbol ester induction of 8-lipoxygenase in inbred SENCAR (SSIN) but not C57BL/6J mice correlated with hyperplasia, edema, and oxidant generation but not ornithine decarboxylase induction.

Several responses suggested to be critical components of phorbol ester tumor promotion were compared in 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) promotion-sensitive SSIN and TPA promotion-resistant C57BL/6J mice. SSIN mice treated topically with 2 micrograms of TPA showed extensive hyperplasia accompanied by edema, measured as a 26% increase in water content of the skin. Only a very slight hyperplasia and 7% increased water content occurred after TPA treatment of C57BL/6J mice. The induction of ornithine decarboxylase was determined to be the same both in vivo and in vitro for SSIN and C57BL/6J mice, which does not correlate with the histological observations. Because hyperplasia and inflammation can be mediated by arachidonic acid metabolites, it was hypothesized that differences in this metabolic pathway would correlate with the histological responses. No significant qualitative or quantitative differences, however, were observed in the profiles of the major cyclooxygenase products between the strains of mice. Prostaglandin E2, the principal prostaglandin, was synthesized at a 3-fold greater level than prostaglandins D2 or F2 alpha in response to TPA. The most abundant lipoxygenase product was 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid followed by 8-, 15-, and 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid. 8-Lipoxygenase activity is elevated 24 h after TPA treatment in the SSIN mice by approximately 4-fold; no elevation is seen in C57BL/6J mice. A comparison of the oxidant response to TPA as well as to phospholipase C showed that SSIN epidermal cells generated a higher level, measured by chemiluminescence, than C57BL/6J cells. This suggests that oxidant generation or possibly 8-lipoxygenase activity may be the basis for the sensitivity or resistance to TPA as a hyperplasiogen and as a tumor promoter.

Metabolic conversion of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in adult and newborn mouse skin and mouse liver microsomes.

Tritiated 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was applied to adult mouse skin; at specified time intervals the mice were killed, and the labeled phorbol was extracted and subjected to separation and quantitation by high-pressure liquid chromatography. After 24 hr, TPA comprised greater than 96% of the recovered label from the skin, and its apparent half-life was 17.8 hr. Pretreatment of adult skin with TPA for 4 weeks before treatment with labeled TPA resulted in an increase in the clearance rate of TPA from the skin. Skin from newborn mice was capable of converting TPA into monoesters and phorbol, but the clearance rate in the adult was about 12 times more rapid than it was in the newborn. Epidermal homogenates converted TPA into 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol, phorbol-13-acetate, and phorbol. Hepatic homogenates were able to convert TPA to monoesters and phorbol at rates 14 to 15 times faster than were epidermal homogenates. Attempts to isolate any previously undescribed metabolites of TPA by use of liver homogenates were unsuccessful, and mixed-function oxidation did not contribute to the metabolism of TPA. From inhibitor studies it was judged that esterases were implicated in the conversion of TPA to monoesters and phorbol. The results support the hypothesis that the tumor-promoting activity of TPA is directly related to its concentration in a specific tissue and that conversion of TPA to an active metabolite probably does not occur.

Suppression or elevation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 alters keratinocyte prostaglandin synthesis, growth, and apoptosis.

Prostaglandins and other arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites are synthesized by keratinocytes in response to tumor promoters and are produced at very high levels in tumors. After phorbol ester treatment, AA is hydrolyzed from keratinocytes primarily by the cytosolic form of phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), which exhibited a strong substrate preference for phosphatidylcholine over phosphatidylethanolamine and AA over other fatty acids. Phorbol esters increase cPLA2 activity but not the level of expression. To dissociate increased cPLA2 activity from other phorbol ester effects and thus determine the effects of altered AA release on cell growth, the murine keratinocyte cell line, HEL-30, was stably transfected with the sense or antisense cDNA for cPLA2. The resulting cell lines displayed corresponding over- or underexpression and up to 23-fold differences in cPLA2 activity between them. Phorbol ester caused a 15-fold difference in AA release between sense and antisense transfectants. Prostaglandin E2 levels correlated with AA release levels. The sense transfectants showed an enhanced proliferative capacity, based on increased cell number over time and [3H]thymidine incorporation. The antisense transfectants had significantly (>60%) reduced growth rates, compared with both parental cells and sense transfectants. The extent of apoptosis was determined in tumors from cell lines grown in graft chambers in vivo. The number of apoptotic cells was significantly greater in tumors from the sense transfectants, based on terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling staining, compared with the parental or antisense lines. These data are in agreement with a recent study (M. C. Stern et al., Mol. Carcinog., 20: 137-142, 1997) showing a correlation between increased apoptosis and tumor progression in this model system. These results suggest that the elevated eicosanoid synthesis that is observed in skin carcinomas contributes to the growth and progression of these tumors.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs induce apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells by restoring 15-lipoxygenase-1 expression.

In previous studies, we have found that expression of 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LOX-1) and its main product, 13-S-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid, are decreased in human colorectal cancers and that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can therapeutically induce 15-LOX-1 expression to trigger apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells. NSAIDs similarly induce apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells, although the mechanisms of these effects remain to be defined. In the present study, we tested whether 15-LOX-1 is down-regulated in human esophageal cancers using paired normal and tumor human surgical samples and whether NSAIDs can up-regulate 15-LOX-1 to restore apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells. We found that: (a) 15-LOX-1 was down-regulated in human esophageal carcinomas; (b) NSAIDs induced 15-LOX-1 expression during apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells; and (c) 15-LOX-1 inhibition suppressed NSAID-induced apoptosis, which was restored by 13-S-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid but not by its parent compound, linoleic acid. These findings demonstrate that 15-LOX-1 is down-regulated in human esophageal carcinomas and that NSAIDs induce apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells via up-regulation of 15-LOX-1. They also support the concept that the loss of the proapoptotic role of 15-LOX-1 in epithelial cancers is not limited to human colorectal cancers.

Effects of type of dietary fat on phorbol ester-elicited tumor promotion and other events in mouse skin.

Based on the biological activity of arachidonic acid metabolites, we hypothesized that alterations in the consumption of linoleic acid, the precursor to arachidonic acid, would result in a modification in tumor development when fed during the tumor promotion stage of the mouse skin initiation-promotion model. The effects of seven different levels of dietary linoleic acid (LA), supplied as corn oil in a 15% fat diet, on the incidence and rate of papilloma and carcinoma development were determined. SENCAR mice were placed on one of the experimental diets, containing 1.0, 3.6, 6.0, 7.9, 9.9, 12.5, or 15.0% corn oil, 1 week after initiation with 10 nmol of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene and 3 weeks prior to the start of twice weekly promotion with 1 micrograms 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). At 15 weeks of TPA treatment there were significant differences in papilloma number among diet groups, such that an inverse correlation (r = 0.92) was observed between tumor number and level of corn oil; the lowest corn oil diet group had an average of 11.7 tumors/mouse, while the highest corn oil group had 5.4 tumors/mouse. However, there was little difference in tumor incidence among diet groups. A general relationship between diet and carcinoma incidence was also found, such that the highest corn oil diet group had the lowest carcinoma incidence. In an experiment performed with DBA/2 mice, the average number of papillomas/mouse at 17 weeks was 4.5 (1.0% corn oil), 5.6 (7.9%) corn oil), and 2.3 (15.0% corn oil). Papilloma incidence was also affected by diet, with a 79% incidence for the 15.0% corn oil and an incidence of 93% for the 1.0% corn oil group. analyses of the fatty acid composition of epidermal phospholipids in mice fed the experimental diets reflected the dietary LA levels, in that an accumulation of phospholipid LA, accompanied by an overall decrease in arachidonic acid, occurred with increasing dietary corn oil. In spite of the high membrane levels of LA, no measurable amount of epidermal conjugated dienes of LA could be detected. Epidermal prostaglandin E2 levels in acetone-treated mice were similar for all diet groups (approximately 3 pg/micrograms DNA). However, 6 h after topical application with 4 micrograms of TPA, prostaglandin E2 levels were elevated 5- to 10-fold; an inverse correlation (P less than 0.05) was seen with increasing dietary LA, although the concordance with decreased phospholipid arachidonic acid was not strong.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Differential effects of dietary linoleic acid on mouse skin-tumor promotion and mammary carcinogenesis.

On the basis of reports of rat mammary- and pancreas-tumor models, we hypothesized that an increase in consumption of linoleic acid (LA) would also cause an enhancement in mouse skin-tumor promotion. SEN-CAR mice were placed on diets containing 0.8%, 2.2%, 3.5%, 4.5%, 5.6%, 7.0%, or 8.4% LA, 1 week after initiation with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene and 3 weeks before starting promotion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. An inverse correlation (r = -0.92) was observed between papilloma number and level of LA; however, there was little difference in tumor incidence. A relationship between diet and carcinoma incidence was also found. The fatty acid composition of epidermal phospholipids reflected the dietary LA levels. 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced epidermal prostaglandin E2 levels generally decreased with increasing dietary LA. To determine whether this inverse correlation between dietary LA and tumor yield was due to species differences or organ-model differences, a mammary carcinogenesis experiment was performed. SENCAR mice were fed the 0.8%, 4.5%, and 8.4% LA diets. All mice received 6 mg 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, administered intragastrically at 1 mg/week. Tumor appearance was delayed in the 0.8% LA diet group, and a positive dose-response relationship between dietary LA and mammary-tumor incidence was observed. These studies suggest that the effect of dietary LA on tumor development is target tissue specific rather than species specific.