Catechins prevent monoclonal antibody fragmentation during production via fed-batch culture of Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are widely used for the industrial production of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). To meet the increasing market demands, high productivity, and quality are required in cell culture. One of the critical attributes of mAbs, from a safety perspective, is mAb fragmentation. However, methods for preventing mAbs fragmentation in CHO cell culture are limited. In this study, we observed that the antibody fragment content increased with increasing titers in fed-batch cultures for all three cell lines expressing recombinant antibodies. Adding copper sulfate to the culture medium further increased the fragment content, suggesting the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the fragmentation process. Though antioxidants may be helpful to scavenge ROS, several antioxidants are reported to decrease the productivity of CHO cells. Among the antioxidants examined, we observed that the addition of catechin or (-)-epigallocatechin gallate to the culture medium prevented fragmentation content by about 20% and increased viable cell density and titer by 30% and 10%, respectively. Thus, the addition of catechins or compounds of equivalent function would be beneficial for manufacturing therapeutic mAbs with a balance between high titers and good quality.

Biotin Enhances Testosterone Production in Mice and Their Testis-Derived Cells.

Late-onset hypogonadism, a male age-related syndrome characterized by a decline in testosterone production in the testes, is commonly treated with testosterone replacement therapy, which has adverse side effects. Therefore, an alternative treatment is highly sought. Supplementation of a high dosage of biotin, a water-soluble vitamin that functions as a coenzyme for carboxylases involved in carbohydrate, lipid, and amino acid metabolism, has been shown to influence testis functions. However, the involvement of biotin in testis steroidogenesis has not been well clarified. In this study, we examined the effect of biotin on testosterone levels in mice and testis-derived cells. In mice, intraperitoneal treatment with biotin (1.5 mg/kg body weight) enhanced testosterone levels in the serum and testes, without elevating serum levels of pituitary luteinizing hormone. To investigate the mechanism in which biotin increased the testosterone level, mice testis-derived I-10 cells were used. The cells treated with biotin increased testosterone production in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Biotin treatment elevated intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels via adenylate cyclase activation, followed by the activation of protein kinase A and testosterone production. These results suggest that biotin may have the potential to improve age-related male syndromes associated with declining testosterone production.

Anti-metabolic syndrome effects of adenosine ingestion in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats fed a high-fat diet.

We have demonstrated previously that both acute and chronic oral administration of adenosine have novel functions such as anti-hypertensive effects and improved hyperlipidaemia in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) fed a normal diet. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of adenosine administration on metabolic syndrome-related parameters in SHRSP fed a high-fat diet. Six-week-old rats were divided into three groups, and were administered either water (control) or adenosine (10 or 100 mg/l) for 8 weeks. During this period, the rats had free access to a high-fat diet based on AIN-93M. The results showed that hypertension, plasma lipid, NO, insulin, glucose and urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels improved significantly in both adenosine groups. The mRNA expression levels of genes involved in anti-oxidative activity and adenosine receptors were also altered in the adenosine groups. Administration of adenosine also increased plasma adiponectin levels, accompanied by upregulation of mRNA expression level of adiponectin and adiponectin receptor 1 in perirenal fat and adiponectin receptor 2 in the liver. In conclusion, oral administration of adenosine is effective for improving metabolic syndrome-related parameters in SHRSP, and accordingly it may prevent the progression of the metabolic syndrome.

The nucleosomal binding protein NSBP1 is highly expressed in the placenta and modulates the expression of differentiation markers in placental Rcho-1 cells.

We report that NSBP1, a nucleosome binding protein that affects the structure of chromatin, is highly expressed in mouse placenta. In Rcho-1 cells, which recapitulate the differentiation of trophoblast giant cells of living placenta, NSBP1 expression is linked to differentiation. Disregulation of NSBP1 protein levels, by either siRNA treatment or by overexpression, alters the expression of several members of the prolactin gene family without affecting the levels of several transcription factors involved in placental differentiation. Our studies identify NSBP1 as a nucleosome binding protein that modulates the expression of prolactin gene family members most likely by inducing changes in chromatin structure.

Effect of biotin treatment on hepatic gene expression in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Biotin functions as a coenzyme for four carboxylases involved in energy metabolism in mammals. Besides these classical functions, biotin has novel functions in the cellular processes via the modulation of gene expression. In this study, we examined the alteration of gene expression by biotin administration in the liver of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. In comparison with the control, the mRNA levels of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase were significantly reduced and glucokinase mRNA was increased 3 h after the administration of biotin or insulin. The expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha, one of the transcription factors responsible for gluconeogenic gene expression, was decreased by biotin at both mRNA and protein levels. In addition, forkhead box O1 and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c mRNA expression that was enhanced by the insulin treatment was inversely decreased by biotin. These results indicate that biotin repressed the gluconeogenic genes and their transcription factors via a pathway independent of insulin-signaling and could improve the diabetic condition.

Okadaic acid induces DNA fragmentation via caspase-3-dependent and caspase-3-independent pathways in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells.

DNA fragmentation is a hallmark of apoptosis that occurs in a variety of cell types; however, it remains unclear whether caspase-3 is required for its induction. To investigate this, we produced caspase-3 knockout Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells and examined the effects of gene knockout and treatment with caspase-3 inhibitors. Okadaic acid (OA) is a potent inhibitor of the serine/threonine protein phosphatases (PPs) PP1 and PP2A, which induce apoptotic cellular reactions. Treatment of caspase-3(-/-) cells with OA induced DNA fragmentation, indicating that caspase-3 is not an essential requirement. However, in the presence of benzyloxycarbonyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp (OMe) fluoromethylketone (z-DEVD-fmk), DNA fragmentation occurred in CHO-K1 cells but not in caspase-3(-/-) cells, suggesting that caspase-3 is involved in OA-induced DNA fragmentation that does not utilize DEVDase activity. In the absence of caspase-3, DEVDase activity may play an important role. In addition, OA-induced DNA fragmentation was reduced but not blocked in CHO-K1 cells, suggesting that caspase-3 is involved in caspase-independent OA-induced DNA fragmentation. Furthermore, OA-induced cleavage of caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation were blocked by pretreatment with the wide-ranging serine protease inhibitor 4-(2-aminoethyl)-benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride. These results suggest that serine proteases regulate DNA fragmentation upstream of caspase-3.