Induction of protein kinase C in mouse melanoma cells by retinoic acid

Retinoic acid inhibits the proliferation of B16 mouse melanoma cells. It also eliminates the ability of these cells to grow in soft agar. These biological actions of retinoic acid have been shown to be accompanied by an increase in the amount of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and an induction of a new isozyme form (RII beta). In this report we demonstrated that retinoic acid-treated B16 melanoma cells had large increases in protein kinase C activity. This increased enzyme activity was accompanied by increases in both the number of phorbol dibutyrate binding sites and the amount of immunoreactive protein kinase C. Other treatments (melanocyte-stimulating hormone, serum deprivation) which inhibited the growth of these cells did not increase protein kinase C activity. When B16 melanoma cells were treated for a prolonged time (72 h) with phorbol dibutyrate, protein kinase C activity was barely detectable. Under these conditions, melanin production was inhibited and cell growth was accelerated. When retinoic acid was added together with phorbol dibutyrate, it prevented the growth stimulatory effect of the phorbol ester and increased protein kinase C activity. However, the absolute activity of the enzyme was still below that found in control cells and very much lower than in cells treated with retinoic acid alone. Taken together with our previous findings, we propose that the increase in protein kinase C might be part of a differentiation program induced by retinoic acid.     

Effect of retinoids on the proliferation, morphology and expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein of an anaplastic astrocytoma cell line

We studied the effect of retinoids on the growth and differentiation of a cell line (U 343 MG-A) derived from a human malignant astrocytoma. Cultures treated with all-trans or 13-cis retinoic acid showed a dose-dependent inhibition of proliferation and a marked reduction in the mean cell number at the plateau phase of growth (3.5 x 10(6) vs. 1 x 10(7) cells/25 cm2) compared with untreated cultures. At confluence, cells treated with all-trans or 13-cis retinoic acid were contact-inhibited, whereas control cultures showed crowding, piling, and overgrowth. All-trans retinol or retinyl acetate did not inhibit growth. Astrocytoma cultures treated with all-trans retinoic acid (10(-6) M) for 5 days were modestly growth-inhibited but by day 16 had the same numbers of cells as controls; cultures that received all-trans retinoic acid for 9 days were markedly growth-inhibited for 7 days after the drug was removed. All-trans and 13-cis retinoic acid (10(-6) M) prevented the EDTA-induced cell detachment seen in control cultures. Strongly adherent all-trans retinoic-acid-treated astrocytoma cells grew at a slower rate than did readily detached all-trans retinoic-acid-treated or control cells. Cell spreading, an increased cytoplasmic:nuclear ratio, and greater numbers of broadly bipolar cells, some bearing thin cytoplasmic processes, were seen in cultures treated with 10(-6) M all-trans or 13-cis retinoic acid. Small tightly packed cuboidal cells and large broadly bipolar cells were seen in astrocytoma cultures from which all-trans retinoic acid was removed on days 5 and 9. Indirect immunofluorescence revealed more intense staining with antiserum to glial fibrillary acidic protein in cultures treated with 10(-6) M all-trans retinoic acid than in control cultures; electron-microscope examination of similarly treated cultures revealed more abundant 8-10 nm intermediate filaments than in control cultures. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that all-trans or 13-cis retinoic acid caused a dose-dependent increase in the quantity of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the astrocytoma cells.     

Characterization of the effects of different retinoids on the growth and differentiation of a human melanoma cell line and selected subclones

The effect of four different retinoids [retinol, 13-cis-retinoic acid (Ro4-3780), beta-all-trans-retinoic acid, and aromatic retinoic acid ethyl ester (Ro10-9359)] on the cellular proliferation (cell number) and biochemical differentiation (tyrosinase activity) of a human melanoma cell line (MIRW) and three subclones was assessed. All four retinoids (10(-6) M) inhibited the cellular proliferation (36 to 42%) and stimulated tyrosinase activity (58 to 72%) in the parent cell line to a similar extent. In contrast, the effects of the different retinoids on three derived melanoma clones was dissimilar. For example, in clone A6, beta-all-transretinoic acid stimulated tyrosinase activity by 48% but caused only a 7% inhibition of cellular proliferation. This retinoid caused a more pronounced effect in the other two subclones, stimulating tyrosinase from 135 to 195% and inhibiting growth 19 to 33%. Al three melanoma clones demonstrated increased tyrosinase activity (110 to 225%) and reduced proliferation (37 to 52%) following exposure to 13-cis-retinoic acid. This retinoid was found overall to be the most effective stimulator of tyrosinase, while retinol was observed to be the least active, stimulating enzyme activity slightly (25%) in only one of three clones. Retinol inhibited proliferation 27 to 33% in two of three melanoma subclones. The aromatic retinoic acid ethyl ester elevated tyrosinase levels in two clones but inhibited the enzyme in one melanoma line. Cellular proliferation, however, was reduced in all three clones. These results suggest that retinoid-induced changes in human melanoma cell growth and differentiation reflect underlying cellular differences and diverse biochemical interactions.     

Retinoic acid restores shape-dependent growth control in neoplastic cells cultured on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-coated substrate

The ability of retinoic acid to modulate cell-shape-dependent growth of untransformed (human skin fibroblasts and mouse embryo Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts) and neoplastic cells (human cervical carcinoma HeLa-S3, osteosarcoma Hs791, and murine melanomas B16-F1, S91-C2 and S91-C154) was examined. The cells were plated on tissue culture dishes coated with increasing concentrations of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly(HEMA) which cause a gradual decrease in substrate adhesiveness. Untreated cells as well as cells pretreated with 10 microM retinoic acid for 4 days displayed a similar graded series of cell shapes between flat and spherical on these modified substrata, with the exception of HeLa-S3 cells which were rounded and loosely attached even on uncoated plastic dishes. A marked cell-shape-dependent decrease in DNA synthesis was observed in untransformed human skin fibroblasts, Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts and neoplastic human Hs791 cells 20 h following plating of untreated cells on poly(HEMA)-coated substrates of decreasing adhesiveness. Conversely, in B16-F1, HeLa-S3 and S91-C154 cells DNA synthesis was only slightly affected by changes in cell shape. Pretreatment with retinoic acid rendered DNA synthesis in Swiss 3T3, Hs791, B16-F1 and S91-C2 cells much more sensitive to changes in cell shape. In contrast, retinoic acid exerted only marginal effects on the sensitivity of DNA synthesis to changes in cell shape in untransformed human skin fibroblasts, in HeLa-S3 cells and in the retinoic-acid-resistant S91-C154 cells. The results suggest that retinoic acid can restore in certain tumor cells the tight coupling between cell shape and DNA synthesis that exists in untransformed cells.     

Inhibitory Effects of Acyclic Retinoid (Polyprenoic Acid) and Its Hydroxy Derivative on Cell Growth and on Secretion of α-Fetoprotein in Human Hepatoma-derived Cell Line (PLC/PRF/5)

Acyclic retinoid (polyprenoic acid) has a slightly different structure from retinoic acid. However, acyclic retinoid acts similarly to retinoic acid, because both bind to cellular retinoic acid-binding protein and cellular retinoid-binding protein, F-type, with the same strong binding affinity. We studied the effects of acyclic retinoid, the 7-hydroxy derivative of acyclic retinoid (7OH-acyclic retinoid) and retinoic acid on a human hepatoma-derived cell line PLC/PRF/5 (Alexander cells). Acyclic retinoid inhibited cell growth with an ID₅₀ value of 14 μM , and reduced cell viability with an LD₅₀ value of 86 μM . The ratios of LD₅₀ value to ID₅₀ value were 6. 1 for acyclic retinoid, 2.4 for 7OH-acyclic retinoid and 1.4 for all- trans -retinoic acid. Taking this ratio as a parameter of relative cytotoxicity, we concluded that acyclic retinoid is the least toxic compound. Growth inhibition of cells by acyclic retinoid was associated with the incorporation of ³H-thymidine in the logarithmic phase. Acyclic retinoid reduced secretion of α-fetoprotein (AFP) and reciprocally increased secretion of albumin in the culture media, suggesting that acyclic retinoid influences gene expression of these proteins. Thus, acyclic retinoid, one of the less toxic retinoids, inhibits cell growth of human cancer cell line PLC/PRF/5 and appears to alter gene expression of AFP and albumin toward a "normal'direction.     

Effects of liarozole, a new antitumoral compound, on retinoic acid-induced inhibition of cell growth and on retinoic acid metabolism in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.

Liarozole is a new imidazole derivative with antitumoral properties. Effects of the compound alone and in combination with all-trans-retinoic acid on proliferation of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells were examined using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay. Following 9 days of drug exposure, MCF-7 cell growth was concentration dependently inhibited by all-trans-retinoic acid (drug concentration resulting in 50% growth inhibition, 2 x 10(-8) M), while liarozole at 10(-5) M inhibited cell growth by only 35%. When MCF-7 cells were incubated with a combination of all-trans-retinoic acid and liarozole, the antiproliferative effect of all-trans-retinoic acid was clearly enhanced. This enhancement was dependent on the liarozole concentration and was more than 10-fold. A combination of 10(-8) M all-trans-retinoic acid and 10(-6) M liarozole resulted in a greater antiproliferative effect than that obtained with 10(-7) M all-trans-retinoic acid alone. When MCF-7 cells were incubated for 4 h with [3H]all-trans-retinoic acid, the radioactivity in the supernatant consisted of unaltered retinoid. However, when cells had been pretreated with 10(-6) M all-trans-retinoic acid overnight, they were able to substantially metabolize [3H]all-trans-retinoic acid during a subsequent 4-h incubation. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the supernatants revealed that the reaction products consisted mainly of very polar metabolites. Liarozole inhibited the metabolism of all-trans-retinoic acid in MCF-7 cells with 10(-5) M liarozole reducing the amount of polar metabolites by 87%. It is concluded that the enhancement by liarozole of the antiproliferative effects of retinoic acid on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells is probably due to inhibition of retinoic acid metabolism. Further research into these effects in MCF-7 cells as well as in other cancer cell lines will provide more information concerning the exact mechanism of action of liarozole and the use of inhibitors of retinoid metabolism in cancer treatment.     

Differential responsiveness of normal and simian virus 40-transformed BALB/c 3T3 cells to retinoic acid: rapid enhancement of epidermal growth factor receptor binding in a simian virus 40-3T3 variant

The effects of retinoic acid on the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor binding and cell growth of normal and simian virus 40 (SV40)-transformed BALB/c 3T3 cells were compared under identical culture conditions. Retinoic acid induced a rapid enhancement of EGF binding to SV40-transformed cells. Half-maximal enhancement occurred at about 7 h after the cells were exposed to 20 ng/ml of retinoic acid, and maximal stimulation (from 2.5- to 3.5-fold over the control) was obtained after 12 h of exposure. The kd of the control and retinoic acid-treated cells was calculated to be 8.0 X 10(-10) M and 8.2 X -10 M, respectively. However, the number of unoccupied EGF binding sites increased from 0.98 X 10(4) to 2.28 X 10(4) per cell. Normal 3T3 cells would not respond to retinoic acid unless they were cultured in serum-containing medium. After 96 h of exposure, only a 50% enhancement of EGF binding was observed. The EGF receptor number of the untreated normal cells was calculated to be 1.82 X 10(4) per cell, twice the number expressed by untreated SV40-transformed cells. The increase of EGF receptor number caused by retinoic acid in SV40-transformed cells was blocked by either actinomycin D or cycloheximide treatment. These results indicated that SV40 transformation of BALB/c 3T3 cells altered the regulatory mechanism governing the complement of cell surface EGF receptors.     

Additive inhibitory effects of retinoids and interferon-alpha on the growth of human cervical carcinoma cells

The combination of 13-cis retinoic acid (13CRA) and interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) has shown marked antitumor activity against locally advanced cervical cancer in vivo. To begin to explore the mechanism and potential of the efficacy of this combination, the sensitivity of 9 cervical carcinoma cell lines to the growth inhibitory effects of these agents was examined after 1 to 7 days of treatment. IFN-alpha (100 U/ml) alone exerted variable effects. SiHa cell line was very sensitive showing 75% inhibition. ME180, CaSki, MS751, and C33-A cell lines were moderately inhibited (30-45% inhibition), and C41, HeLa, and HT-3 cell lines were poorly responsive (20% inhibition or less). 13CRA (10(-9) to 10(-6) M) alone also caused variable growth inhibitory effect. ME180, SiHa, and HT-3 exhibited considerable inhibition (IC(50)s of 9x10(-8), 4x10(-8), and 7x10(-8) M, respectively and maximal inhibition of 80%, 79%, and 83% at 10(-6) M) and the other cell lines showed minor responses (20-45% inhibition at 10(-6) M). ME180, MS751, C41, and HeLa demonstrated additive growth inhibitory effects of 13CRA and IFN-alpha whereas the other 4 cell lines showed no additive effects. All the cell lines expressed mRNAs for the nuclear retinoid receptors (RARs and RXRs) RAR-alpha, RAR-gamma, and RXR-alpha, however, RAR-beta mRNA was detected only in ME180, MS751, C4I, and CaSki. Treatment with retinoic acid increased RAR-alpha level in C4I, HT-3, and CaSki; RAR-beta in HT-3; and RAR-gamma in HT-3 and C4I cells. IFN-alpha treatment did not exert any effect on the level of mRNA for any of the retinoid receptors in any of the cell lines or on the level of HPV18 E6 and E7 mRNA in HeLa cells. Treatment with the combination of RA and IFN-alpha did not affect the level of receptor mRNAs differently than RA alone did. There appeared to be no correlation between the responses of the cells to these agents and the presence or type of nuclear retinoid receptor, human papillomavirus, or mutant p53 in the cells.     

Inhibition of retinoid toxicity by rat liver S9 fraction in cultured mammalian cells

The effects of retinol (Rol), retinyl acetate (RAc) or retinoic acid (RA) on growth of Chinese hamster V79 cells were studied. In addition, the effect of Rol on cell growth in the human lymphoid cell line RPMI no. 1788 was examined. Cultures were treated with retinoid alone, with retinoid plus S9 mix and with retinoid plus the supernatant of S9 fraction. Treatment of Rol, RAc or RA alone inhibited the growth of both cell lines as evidenced by a dose-dependent decrease of viable cell counts. Concurrent treatment of a retinoid with the well-known metabolic activation system S9 mix containing the rat liver S9 fraction plus enzyme cofactors resulted in a total elimination of the toxic effect of a retinoid. For instance, V79 cells treated with Rol, RAc or RA alone at the highest dose of 32 micrograms/ml, and human lymphoid cells treated with Rol at the highest dose of 24 micrograms/ml resulted in killing of over 90% of the cells, while addition of S9 mix to the cultures treated with such high doses of a retinoid showed no reduction of viable cells as compared with the controls. The supernatant of S9 fraction after high speed centrifugation also had dose-dependent protective effects against the toxicity of retinol in V79 cells. Finally, experiments using sucrose gradient centrifugation and [3H] Rol suggests that binding of a retinoid to its specific binding protein in the S9 mixture and supernatant greatly decreases or abolished the toxicity of free retinoid in cultured mammalian cells.     

Comparative analysis of immunocritical melanoma markers in the mouse melanoma cell lines B16, K1735 and S91-M3

The mouse melanoma cell lines B16, K1735 and Cloudman S91-M3 (and various sublines) are frequently used as melanoma models. Extensive comparative data of their immunological features are not available. In order to define the immunological profiles of these cell lines, relevant tumour markers were studied. S91-M3 melanoma cells constitutively expressed high levels of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I, in contrast to K1735-M2 and B16-F1 cells. MHC II expression was restricted to B16-F1 cells following interferon-gamma treatment. Tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-2 and gp100 were detected in B16-F1 and S91-M3 cells, but not in K1735-M2 cells. Constitutive surface expression and secretion of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 was found on S91-M3 cells. No substantial secretion of interleukin-10 could be detected. In contrast, low levels of latent transforming growth factor-beta were found in the cell supernatants of B16-F1 and K1735-M2 cells. The expression pattern of Fas, FasL and FLICE inhibitory protein was comparable in all three cell lines. Thus our findings indicate that each cell line presents a characteristic immunological profile, confirming that B16-F1 is an appropriate murine tumour model for tumours with low levels of MHC I but expressing melanoma-associated antigens. S91-M3 represents a complementary, more immunogenic model. In contrast, K1735-M2 does not seem to be an appropriate model for melanoma.     

Comparison of the in vitro and in vivo effects of retinoids either alone or in combination with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil on tumor development and metastasis of melanoma

Purpose  Retinoids have previously been reported to inhibit proliferation of melanoma cell lines in vitro. However, the relative antimetastatic efficacy of various retinoids on melanoma in vivo is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the effects of different retinoids on the invasion and metastasis of murine melanoma B16-F10 cells in vitro and in vivo. Based on the findings, the antitumor effects of a selected retinoid either alone or in combination with cisplatin were also investigated in a preclinical mouse melanoma model. Methods  Cell proliferation and invasion analyses of murine melanoma B16-F10 cells were assessed in the presence of different retinoids, either alone or in combination with cisplatin (CDDP) or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Experimental lung metastasis assay was performed in this study to investigate the antimetastatic efficacy of retinoids. Additionally, a mouse melanoma model was used to assess the antitumor efficacy of a selected retinoid in combination with cisplatin. Results  Retinoids showed significant antiproliferation and anti-invasion effects on murine melanoma B16-F10 cells. Pretreatment with retinoids increased the sensitivity to CDDP but not to 5-FU in in-vitro. Moreover, the number of metastatic colonies formed in the lungs of mice injected intravenously with B16-F10 cells was significantly reduced by injecting the respective retinoid once a day for 10 days. Treatment with a combination of cisplatin and 13-cis-retinoic acid resulted in a significant reduction in primary tumor size and the number of lung metastatic nodules in melanoma-bearing mice. Conclusion  These results suggest that retinoids not only exhibit antimetastatic effect, but also enhance the antitumor activity of cisplatin in vivo.     

Enhancement by retinoic acid of the sensitivity of different tumor cell lines to the sialic acid-specific toxin of Entamoeba histolytica

Treatment of several tumor cell lines, including the murine melanomas B16 and S91 and the human sarcoma Hs791 and Hs705, with retinoic acid resulted in an increased sialylation of specific cell surface membrane sialoglycoproteins. This treatment also augmented the sensitivity of these cells to the cytopathic effects of a sialic acid-specific toxin from Entamoeba histolytica. In contrast, a similar treatment with retinoic acid of a retinoic acid-resistant mutant clone S91-C154, which does not increase sialylation of cell surface glycoproteins, failed to alter the susceptibility of the cells to the E. histolytica toxin. These results imply that cell surface sialoglycoproteins serve as receptors for the amoebic toxin.     

Differential effects of retinoids on nitric oxide production by promonocytic U937 cells and ZR-75-1 human breast cancer cells

We demonstrated the presence of inducible and endothelial nitric oxide synthases in histiocytic lymphoma U937 cells by staining with anti-iNOS and anti-eNOS antibodies. We also investigated the effects of retinol and retinoic acid on nitric oxide production by both U937 cells and ZR-75-1 human breast cancer cells. U937 cells which had been treated with either retinol or retinoic acid (10-10-10-6 M) exhibited no significant difference in nitric oxide secretion into conditioned medium. Conversely, for ZR-75-1 cells, both retinol and retinoic acid (10-10-10-6 M) caused a significant (p<0.001) increase in the amount of nitrite secreted. Our results indicate that retinoid induced growth inhibition of breast cancer cells is associated with an increase in NO production, however, an increase in NO synthesis does not mediate retinoid induced differentiation of U937 cells.     

4—乙酰胺苯基维甲酸酯抑制肿瘤细胞侵袭重组基底膜及其作用机理

目的研究新维甲类化合物４－乙酰胺苯基维甲酸酯（４－ＡＰＲ）对Ｂ１６－Ｆ１０小鼠黑色素瘤细胞侵袭能力的抑制作用,探讨其作用机理。方法癌细胞侵袭能力用重组基底膜侵袭试验衡量;ＰＡＧＥ底物酶谱方法检测Ⅳ型胶原酶活性;斑点杂交检测ＣＮＥ－２Ｚ细胞ＴＩＭＰ－１ｍＲＮＡ表达;以细胞生长曲线评价药物对Ｂ１６－Ｆ１０细胞的生长抑制作用。结果在１０－５ｍｏｌ／Ｌ和１０－６ｍｏｌ／Ｌ时,４－ＡＰＲ对Ｂ１６－Ｆ１０小鼠黑色素瘤细胞侵袭重组基底膜的抑制率分别为５４．２％和４１．９％,对ＣＮＥ－２Ｚ细胞培养上清中的Ⅳ型胶原酶活性有降低作用。此外,４－ＡＰＲ可抑制Ｂ１６－Ｆ１０细胞与ＬＮ、ＦＮ和Ｍａｔｒｉｇｅｌ的粘附,诱导ＣＮＥ－２Ｚ细胞ＴＩＭＰ－１ｍＲＮＡ表达。结论４－ＡＰＲ抑制Ｂ１６－Ｆ１０细胞侵袭重组基底膜。４－ＡＰＲ的抗侵袭活性与抑制肿瘤细胞的粘附,降低肿瘤细胞培养上清中Ⅳ型胶原酶的活性和（或）诱导肿瘤细胞ＴＩＭＰ－１ｍＲＮＡ表达等有关。     

Inhibitory effects of acyclic retinoid (polyprenoic acid) and its hydroxy derivative on cell growth and on secretion of alpha-fetoprotein in human hepatoma-derived cell line (PLC/PRF/5).

Acyclic retinoid (polyprenoic acid) has a slightly different structure from retinoic acid. However, acyclic retinoid acts similarly to retinoic acid, because both bind to cellular retinoic acid-binding protein and cellular retinoid-binding protein. F-type, with the same strong binding affinity. We studied the effects of acyclic retinoid, the 7-hydroxy derivative of acyclic retinoid (7OH-acyclic retinoid) and retinoic acid on a human hepatoma-derived cell line PLC/PRF/5 (Alexander cells). Acyclic retinoid inhibited cell growth with an ID50 value of 14 microM, and reduced cell viability with an LD50 value of 86 microM. The ratios of LD50 value to ID50 value were 6.1 for acyclic retinoid, 2.4 for 7OH-acyclic retinoid and 1.4 for all-trans-retinoic acid. Taking this ratio as a parameter of relative cytotoxicity, we concluded that acyclic retinoid is the least toxic compound. Growth inhibition of cells by acyclic retinoid was associated with the incorporation of 3H-thymidine in the logarithmic phase. Acyclic retinoid reduced secretion of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and reciprocally increased secretion of albumin in the culture media, suggesting that acyclic retinoid influences gene expression of these proteins. Thus, acyclic retinoid, one of the less toxic retinoids, inhibits cell growth of human cancer cell line PLC/PRF/5 and appears to alter gene expression of AFP and albumin toward a "normal" direction.     

Stimulation of melanogenesis in a human melanoma cell line by retinoids

Retinoic acid was found to be a potent stimulant of pigmentation in human Hs939 melanoma cells. Exposure to 1 microM retinoic acid for longer than four days caused both a decrease in the rate of cell proliferation and a concomitant increase in melanogenesis. These effects of retinoic acid progressed lin-early in a time-dependent and a dose-dependent fashion such that at the end of a seven-day treatment cell growth was inhibited by approximately 65%, and both melanin content and tyrosinase activity increased more than three-fold over the control. Interpolation of the dose-response curves indicated that 3 nM retinoic acid would cause half-maximal melanogenesis stimulation. No elevation in the level of cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate could be detected in the melanoma cells following various periods of exposure to retinoic acid, and the cells were unresponsive to alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. In the presence of the tyrosinase inhibitor phenylthiocarbamate, retinoic acid was capable of inhibiting cell proliferation without enhancing melanin synthesis. The tumor promoter phorbol myristate acetate did not affect either the proliferation or the differentiation of the Hs939 melanoma cells. However, the enhancement of melanogenesis by 1 microM retinoic acid was inhibited by 66% in the presence of 0.1 microM phorbol myristate acetate. The tumor promoter did not reverse the growth-inhibitory effect of retinoic acid. Phorbol, a non-tumor promoter, was effective. Other retinoids, such as 13-cis-retinoic acid, retinyl acetate, nd the trimethylmethoxyphenyl analog of retinoic acid, also inhibited the proliferation and enhanced melanin production in the Hs939 cells. In contrast, retinyl palmitate, the phenyl analog of retinoic acid, and the pyridyl analog of retinoic acid were ineffective.     

Effect of retinoic acid on tumor-mediated immunologic alterations in mice bearing a variant of the B16 melanoma

This investigation examined the effect of retinoic acid on tumor progression and immunological status of mice bearing the B16-F10 melanoma (previously selected for high lung-colonizing capacity). Tumor cells were implanted s.c. in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice, half of which were treated with beta-all trans retinoic acid (RA). Although RA failed to exhibit direct toxicity on this variant at the concentration used, the immunologic aberrations induced by the tumors were diminished by i.p. RA administration (at 45 micrograms twice/week for 3 weeks). In mice bearing B16-F10 tumors, tumor burdens were decreased from 2.9% of body weight to 1.6%. The mitogenic responses of splenic lymphocytes to concanavalin A (ConA) were increased in tumor-bearing mice following this RA treatment. The presence of these tumor cells decreased the absolute number of CD4- and CD8-positive splenic lymphocytes. Following RA treatment, the CD8-positive population was increased in tumor-bearing mice, while the CD4+ population was not significantly altered. Since previous studies indicated that plasma membrane fragments (or vesicles) could alter lymphocyte distributions and proliferative capacities, the in vitro shedding of membrane fragments from B16-F10 tumor cells was assayed and observed to be decreased after continuous treatment of cultures with 10(-6) M RA for 21 days. Membrane shedding from B16-F10 cells was inhibited by 48.5% following RA treatment. Based on these in vivo and in vitro results, we suggest that RA treatment may diminish tumor growth by decreasing tumor-induced immunosuppressive events.     

Retinoid-induced growth inhibition of herpesvirus-transformed marmoset lymphoblastoid cell lines

The in vitro proliferation of herpesvirus-transformed marmoset lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL) was inhibited by retinoic acid and retinyl acetate. Both Herpesvirus-ateles-and Herpesvirus-saimiri-transformed LCL with T-cell characteristics and Epstein-Barr-transformed LCL with B-cell markers were more sensitive to retinoic acid than to retinyl acetate. Inhibition of LCL proliferation was dependent on retinoid concentration and became apparent only after 3-4 days of exposure. In vitro assays for marmoset LCL sensitivity to retinoids may indicate the potential usefulness of these compounds in the chemoprevention of virus-induced lymphoma in vivo.