Transient suppression of nuclear Cdc2 activity in response to ionizing radiation

Suppression of Cdc2 activity is essential for DNA damage-induced G2 arrest. In the present study, we elucidated regulatory mechanism of Cdc2 activity during radiation-induced transient G2 arrest. Exposure of the cells to gamma-radiation (4 Gy) led to a transient increase of cells in G2 at 12 h rather than M phase and then the cells resumed cell cycle progression from the G2 arrest. However, the levels of cyclin B1 and Cdc2 activity were increased in the whole cell extracts at 12 h. Despite cyclin B1 induction and increased level of Cdc2 activity after irradiation the activities in the nuclear fractions were transiently decreased at 12 h and returned to control levels by 24-48 h, demonstrating transient inhibition of nuclear translocation of cyclin B1 in response to radiation. Moreover, inhibitory phosphorylation of the Cdc2 on Tyr15 and the Cdc25C on Ser216 were increased concomitant with transient G2 arrest. The level of phosphorylated Wee1 and its activity were also markedly increased at 12 h after irradiation. In addition, radiation caused nuclear accumulation of p21(CIP1/WAF1) at 12 h, resulting in increased-binding of p21(CIP1/WAF1) to Cdc2. Nuclear p21(CIP1/WAF1) protein level and its binding to Cdc2 gradually returned to control level when the cells resumed cell cycle progression. However, total protein level of p21(CIP1/WAF1) continued to increase until 48 h after irradiation. Collectively, these results indicate that the suppression of nuclear import of cyclin B1, the induction of Wee1 kinase activity, and the transient nuclear accumulation of p21(CIP1/WAF1) may play important roles in the transient cell cycle delay in response to ionizing radiation.     

Cell cycle effects of topotecan alone and in combination with irradiation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To elucidate the role of TP53 on differential effects of topoisomerase I inhibitor topotecan (Hycamtin on radiation sensitivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cell cycle distribution and protein expression of TP53, p21(WAF1/CIP1) and cyclin B was studied in CCD32 lung fibroblasts, glioblastoma cell lines U118 (mutant TP53), and U87 (wildtype TP53) after treatment with topotecan (0.05 and 1 microM) and/or ionizing radiation (2 Gy). RESULTS: Cell cycle effects varied with topotecan concentration, resulting in G1 arrest (1 microM), or S/G2/M arrest (0.05 microM), and was modified differentially in fibroblasts and in glioblastoma cells in combination with irradiation. Phosphorylation of TP53 and expression of p21(WAF1/CIP1) was induced by IR and/or topotecan in CCD32 cells, and in U118 cells after topotecan treatment, accompanied by cyclin B degradation. In U87 cells only 1 microM topotecan generated phosphorylation of TP53 and p21(WAF1/CIP1) expression; 0.05 microM caused stabilization of cyclin B. CONCLUSIONS: The antagonistic effect of combined topotecan/irradiation treatment in fibroblasts was most likely due to an immediate radiation induced G1 arrest, but was not observed in p53 wildtype glioblastoma cells. Thus, the impact of TP53 on the topotecan response remains indistinct, and is obviously influenced by other genomic alterations acquired by tumor cells.     

A cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (p21(WAF1/CIP1)) affects thymidine incorporation in human liver cancer cells

p21(WAF1/CIP1) is a universal cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. To investigate the role of p21(WAF1/CIP1) in proliferation of human liver cancer cells, we examined the expression of p53, p21(WAF1/CIP1), cdk2 and cdk4 expression in two human liver cancer cell lines (HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5 cells). The effects of p21(WAF1/CIP1) on [(3)H]thymidine incorporation and cdks were also examined in these cells. HepG2 cells expressed all these proteins with lower level of cdk4. PLC/PRF/5 cells expressed the other proteins except p21(WAF1/CIP1). Transfection of p21(WAF1/CIP1) gene inhibited [(3)H]thymidine incorporation of both cells with different extent. Although the transfection of p21(WAF1/CIP1) did not affect cdk2 and cdk4 expression, it did reduce cdk2 kinase activity by 20%. These results suggest that: (a) p21(WAF1/CIP1) involved in DNA synthesis of human liver cancer cells; (b) p21(WAF1/CIP1) could be a target gene for the treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma.     

Effects of three irreversible inhibitors of ornithine decarboxylase on macrophage-mediated tumoricidal activity and antitumor activity in B16F1 tumor-bearing mice

The objective of the present investigation was to compare the effects of three ornithine decarboxylase inhibitors on tumoricidal macrophage and antitumor activities in vivo. alpha-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), (2R,5R)-6-heptyne-2,5-diamine, and alpha-(fluoromethyl)dehydroornithine methyl ester (delta MFMOme) were administered continuously in drinking water starting on Day 1 to B16F1 tumor-bearing mice. DFMO, (2R,5R)-6-heptyne-2,5-diamine, and delta MFMOme reduced B16F1 tumor growth, measured on Day 18, up to 87, 79, and 95%, respectively. Similarly, all three ornithine decarboxylase inhibitors reduced B16F1 putrescine and spermidine levels. delta MFMOme was substantially more effective both as an antitumor agent and in reducing polyamines. Both DFMO and delta MFMOme augmented macrophage tumoricidal activity directed against B16F1 target cells. MAP had no effect on macrophage tumoricidal activity. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages from delta MFMOme-treated mice also exhibited an increase in interleukin and tumor necrosis factor levels. Furthermore, treatment with a known macrophage activator, gamma-interferon, enhanced the antitumor activity of delta MFMOme. delta MFMOme did not alter natural killer cell activity; however, cytolytic T-lymphocyte induction was reduced by 40 to 50%. These results demonstrate that, in addition to their established antitumor activity, ornithine decarboxylase inhibitors may also potentiate specific tumoricidal effector cell generation in vivo.     

Enhanced antitumor effect of combined triptolide and ionizing radiation.

PURPOSE: The lack of effective treatment for pancreatic cancer results in a very low survival rate. This study explores the enhancement of the therapeutic effect on human pancreatic cancer via the combination of triptolide and ionizing radiation (IR). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: In vitro AsPC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells were treated with triptolide alone, IR alone, or triptolide plus IR. Cell proliferation was analyzed with sulforhodamine B (SRB) method and clonogenic survival; comparison of apoptosis induced by the above treatment was analyzed by annexin V-propidium iodide (PI) staining. Furthermore, the expression of apoptotic pathway intermediates was measured by the assay of caspase activity and Western blot. Mitochondrial transmembrane potential was determined by JC-1 assay. In vivo, AsPC-1 xenografts were treated with 0.25 mg/kg triptolide, 10 Gy IR, or triptolide plus IR. The tumors were measured for volume and weight at the end of the experiment. Tumor tissues were tested for terminal nucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The combination of triptolide plus IR reduced cell survival to 21% and enhanced apoptosis, compared with single treatment. In vivo, tumor growth of AsPC-1 xenografts was reduced further in the group treated with triptolide plus IR compared with single treatment. TUNEL and immunohistochemistry of caspase-3 cleavage in tumor tissues indicated that the combination of triptolide plus IR resulted in significantly enhanced apoptosis compared with single treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Triptolide in combination with ionizing radiation produced synergistic antitumor effects on pancreatic cancer both in vitro and in vivo and seems promising in the combined modality therapy of pancreatic cancer.     

Overexpression of interleukin-15 in vivo enhances antitumor activity against MHC class I-negative and -positive malignant melanoma through augmented NK activity and cytotoxic T-cell response

Interleukin (IL)-15, a pleiotropic cytokine, is involved in the development and maintenance of NK cells and memory CD8+ T cells. We examined the effects of in vivo overexpression of IL-15 on protection against 2 types of murine B16 melanoma lines, MHC class I-negative B16.44 and MHC class I-positive B16F10 cells, using IL-15 transgenic (Tg) mice that we have recently constructed. The tumor growth was severely retarded in IL-15 Tg mice after subcutaneous (s.c.) inoculation with B16.44 or B16F10 cells. IL-15 Tg mice showed an augmented NK cell activity against B16.44 cells, and in vivo depletion of NK cells by anti-asialoGM1 Ab treatment abrogated the antitumor activity in IL-15 Tg mice. On the other hand, IL-15 Tg mice inoculated with B16F10 cells developed a significant level of CTL response against B16F10 cells, and in vivo depletion of CD8+ T cells by anti-CD8 MAb treatment abrogated the antitumor activity. Thus, overexpression of IL-15 augmented antitumor activity against different tumors via augmentation of different antitumor mechanisms. These results suggest a possible therapeutic application of IL-15 for human neoplasms expressing a wide range of MHC class molecules.     

Induction of p21CIP/WAF-1 and G2 arrest by ionizing irradiation impedes caspase-3-mediated apoptosis in human carcinoma cells

There is an ongoing controversy regarding the relevance of apoptosis induction by ionizing irradiation as compared with other end points including transient or permanent cell cycle arrest of damaged cells. Here, we show that such permanent cell cycle arrest and apoptosis represent two sides of the same coin. MCF-7 cells fail to express procaspase-3, which results in resistance to apoptosis induced by anticancer drugs. Conversely, restoration of procaspase-3 sensitizes MCF-7 cells to chemotherapeutics including epirubicine, etoposide and taxol. In contrast, irradiation does not trigger apoptotic cell death but results in prolonged arrest in the G2 phase of the cell division cycle regardless of procaspase-3 expression. This suggested that the propensity of MCF-7 cells to arrest at the G2 checkpoint results in resistance to apoptosis upon gamma-irradiation. This G2 arrest was associated with upregulation of p21CIP/WAF-1. Inhibition of DNA-damage-induced stress kinases and p21CIP/WAF-1 expression by caffeine abrogated G2 arrest and induced apoptosis of the irradiated cells in a caspase-3-dependent manner. Inhibition of cell cycle progression by adenoviral expression of the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p21CIP/WAF-1 prevented apoptosis upon caffeine treatment indicating that cell cycle progression, that is, G2-release, is required for induction of apoptosis. Likewise, cells homozygously deleted for p21CIP/WAF-1 (HCT116 p21-/-) display enhanced irradiation-induced apoptosis via a caspase-3-dependent mechanism. These data indicate that the disruption of G2 checkpoint control overcomes cell cycle arrest and resistance to gamma-irradiation-induced cell death. Thus, DNA damage may trigger a permanent G2 arrest as an initial inactivation step of tumor cells where the phenomenon of apoptosis is hidden unless cell cycle arrest is overcome. The efficient induction of apoptosis upon G2 release thereby depends on the propensity to activate the key executioner caspase-3. This finding is of crucial importance for the understanding of molecular steps underlying the efficacy of ionizing radiation to delete tumor cells.     

Interleukin-23 and interleukin-27 exert quite different antitumor and vaccine effects on poorly immunogenic melanoma

Recent studies revealed that two novel interleukin (IL)-12-related cytokines, IL-23 and IL-27, have potent antitumor activities. However, the antitumor effects were mainly evaluated in relatively highly immunogenic tumors and have not been fully evaluated against nonimmunogenic or poorly immunogenic tumors. In this study, we investigated the antitumor efficacies of IL-23 and IL-27 on poorly immunogenic B16F10 melanoma and found that the antitumor responses mediated by IL-23 and IL-27 were clearly different. In syngeneic mice, mouse single-chain (sc) IL-23-transfected B16F10 (B16/IL-23) tumors exhibited almost the same growth curve as B16F10 parental tumor about until day 20 after tumor injection and then showed growth inhibition or even regression. In contrast, scIL-27-transfected B16F10 (B16/IL-27) tumors exhibited significant retardation of tumor growth from the early stage. In vivo depletion assay revealed that the antitumor effect of B16/IL-23 was mainly mediated by CD8+ T cells and IFN-gamma whereas that of B16/IL-27 mainly involved natural killer cells and was independent of IFN-gamma. We also found that antitumor effects of B16/IL-23 and B16/IL-27 were synergistically enhanced by treatment with IL-18 and IL-12, respectively. Furthermore, B16/IL-23-vaccinated mice developed protective immunity against parental B16F10 tumors but B16/IL-27-vaccinated mice did not. When combined with prior in vivo depletion of CD25+ T cells, 80% of B16/IL-23-vaccinated mice completely rejected subsequent tumor challenge. Finally, we showed that the systemic administration of neither IL-23 nor IL-27 induced such intense toxicity as IL-12. Our data support that IL-23 and IL-27 might play a role in future cytokine-based immunotherapy against poorly immunogenic tumors.     

Synergistic antitumor activity of ZD6474, an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and epidermal growth factor receptor signaling, with gemcitabine and ionizing radiation against pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE: Standard treatments have modest effect against pancreatic cancer, and current research focuses on agents targeting molecular pathways involved in tumor growth and angiogenesis. This study investigated the interactions between ZD6474, an inhibitor of tyrosine kinase activities of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), gemcitabine, and ionizing radiation in human pancreatic cancer cells and analyzed the molecular mechanisms underlying this combination. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: ZD6474, ionizing radiation, and gemcitabine, alone or in combination, were given in vitro to MIA PaCa-2, PANC-1, and Capan-1 cells and in vivo to MIA PaCa-2 tumor xenografts. The effects of treatments were studied by the evaluation of cytotoxicity, apoptosis, cell cycle, EGFR and Akt phosphorylation, modulation of gene expression of enzymes related to gemcitabine activity (deoxycytidine kinase and ribonucleotide reductase), as well as vascular endothelial growth factor immunohistochemistry and microvessel count. RESULTS: In vitro, ZD6474 dose dependently inhibited cell growth, induced apoptosis, and synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic activity of gemcitabine and ionizing radiation. Moreover, ZD6474 inhibited phosphorylation of EGFR and Akt and triggered cell apoptosis. PCR analysis showed that ZD6474 increased the ratio between gene expression of deoxycytidine kinase and ribonucleotide reductase. In vivo, ZD6474 showed significant antitumor activity alone and in combination with radiotherapy and gemcitabine, and the combination of all three modalities enhanced MIA PaCA-2 tumor growth inhibition compared with gemcitabine alone. CONCLUSIONS: ZD6474 decreases EGFR and Akt phosphorylation, enhances apoptosis, favorably modulates gene expression in cancer cells, and acts synergistically with gemcitabine and radiotherapy to inhibit tumor growth. These findings support the investigation of this combination in the clinical setting.     

F9 embryonal carcinoma cells fail to stop at G1/S boundary of the cell cycle after gamma-irradiation due to p21WAF1/CIP1 degradation

We studied the ability of F9 teratocarcinoma cells to arrest in G1/S and G2/M checkpoints after gamma-irradiation. Wild-type p53 protein was rapidly accumulated in F9 cells after gamma-irradiation, however, this was followed not by a G1/S arrest but by a short and reversible delay of the cell cycle in G2/M. In order to elucidate the reasons of the lack of G1/S arrest in F9 cells, we investigated the expression of p53 downstream target Cdk inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1. In spite of p53-dependent activation of p21WAF1/CIP1 gene promoter and p21WAF1/CIP1 mRNA accumulation upon irradiation, the p21WAF1/CIP1 protein was not detected by either immunoblot or immunofluorescence techniques. However, the cells treated with a specific proteasome inhibitor lactacystin revealed the p21WAF1/CIP1 protein both in non-irradiated and irradiated cells. Therefore we suggest that p21WAF1/CIP1 protein is degraded by a proteasome-dependent mechanism in F9 cells and the lack of G1/S arrest after gamma-irradiation is due to this degradation. We also examined the expression and activity of cell cycle regulatory proteins: G1- and G2-cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases. In the absence of functional p21WAF1/CIP1 inhibitor, the activity of G1 cyclin/Cdk complexes was insufficiently inhibited to cause a G1 arrest, whereas a decrease of cdc2 and cyclin B1-associated kinase activities was enough to contribute to a reversible G2 arrest following gamma-irradiation. After gamma-irradiation, the majority of F9 cells undergo apoptosis implying that wt-p53 likely triggers pro-apoptotic gene expression in DNA damaged cells. Elimination of defected cells might ensure maintenance of genome integrity in the remaining cell population.     

米托蒽醌处理B16F10-ESAT-6-gpi/IL-21瘤苗特征及其诱导的抗肿瘤免疫反应初探

背景与目的:蒽环类药物处理可使肿瘤细胞免疫原性增加。本文旨在分析米托蒽醌(mitoxantrone,MIT)处理的B16F10-ESAT-6-gpi/IL-21瘤苗特征,初步探讨该瘤苗诱导的抗肿瘤免疫反应。方法:MIT处理B16F10-ESAT-6-gpi/IL-21瘤苗后,用吖啶橙/嗅化乙啶(AO/EB)染色法观察瘤苗细胞形态,流式细胞仪(FCM)检测其粒度及凋亡比例,荧光显微镜观察瘤苗凋亡后细胞膜表面结核杆菌早期分泌靶抗原6KD(ESAT-6)的表达情况,蛋白质印迹法(Western blot)检测瘤苗经MIT处理后IL-21的表达。瘤苗免疫小鼠后,FCM检测了补体依赖的细胞毒性(complement dependent cytotoxicity,CDC)及细胞毒T细胞(cytotoxicT lymphocyte,CTL)活性。结果:经MIT处理后,瘤苗停止分裂,细胞逐渐增大,数日内可保持生物活力,并表达IL-21。瘤苗细胞凋亡后,ESAT-6成点簇状分布于胞膜表面。MIT处理的瘤苗能诱导小鼠产生抗肿瘤免疫应答,免疫鼠血清和CD8+T细胞可分别通过CDC和CTL杀伤野生型B16F10细胞。结论:MIT处理的B16F10-ESAT-6-gpi/IL-21瘤苗失去增殖能力,但仍能表达IL-21且具有免疫原性,能诱导小鼠产生抗肿瘤免疫反应。     

Association of increased radiocurability of murine carcinomas with low constitutive expression of p21(WAF1/CIP1) protein

PURPOSE: The study investigated whether basal, constitutive levels of p21(WAF1/CIP1) protein in murine carcinomas are related to in vivo tumor radioresponse. The study is based on recent observations demonstrating that in vitro cancer cell lines are resistant to cytotoxic drugs when they express high basal levels of p21(WAF1/CIP1) protein, and that the loss of the p21 gene in the HCT116 human colorectal cancer cell line results in increased radioresponse of xenografts derived from that cell line. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Protein levels of p21(WAF1/CIP1), p53, bax, and bcl-2 were determined in 8 carcinomas (3 mammary carcinomas designated MCa-4, MCa-29, and MCa-35, 2 squamous cell carcinomas designated SCC-IV and SCC-VII, ovarian adenocarcinoma OCa-I, hepatocarcinoma HCa-I, and adenosquamous carcinoma ACa-SG) syngeneic to C3Hf/Kam mice using Western blot analysis. The tumors, growing in the right hind legs of mice, were 8 mm in diameter at the time of analysis. These tumors greatly differ in their radioresponse, assessed by TCD50 assay, and in their susceptibility to radiation-induced apoptosis. RESULTS: Protein levels of these oncogenes varied among tumors, with p21(WAF1/CIP1) showing the greatest variation: its mean densitometric value ranged from 1 to 19. Bcl-2 levels also showed broad variation in densitometric values, from 1 to 10. In comparison, bax and p53 (7 of 8 tumors contained wild-type p53) varied much less among different tumor types; their variation was within a 5-fold range, and the level of p53 was similar in 6 of 8 tumors. Tumor radioresponse correlated significantly (R = 0.77, p = 0.02) only with the magnitude of p21(WAF1/CIP1)expression: tumors with high levels of p21(WAF1/CIP1)were less radiocurable than those with lower levels. Tumor radiocurability showed a significant positive correlation (p = 0.02) with the extent of radiation-induced apoptosis, indicating that tumors that responded to radiation with higher percentages of apoptosis were more curable by radiation. Despite a strong trend to correlation, (p = 0.15), p21(WAF1/CIP1) expression did not correlate significantly with radiation-induced apoptosis, which suggested that p21(WAF1/CIP1) influenced tumor radioresponse by mechanisms beyond that of apoptosis induction. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that murine tumors exhibit wide variation in constitutive levels of p21(WAF1/CIP1) which had a significant relationship with tumor radioresponse: tumors with high levels of p21(WAF1/CIP1) were less radiocurable than those with lower levels. These findings support the concept that p21(WAF1/CIP1) is a major determinant of tumor radioresponse in vivo, and may have important clinical implications. The pretreatment assessment of p21(WAF1/CIP1) protein could serve as a useful predictor of radiotherapy outcome and may assist in selecting an effective treatment modality.     

p53 missense but not truncation mutations are associated with low levels of p21(CIP1/WAF1) mRNA expression in primary human sarcomas

Many growth-suppressing signals converge to control the levels of the CDK inhibitor p21(CIP1/WAF1). Some human cancers exhibit low levels of expression of p21(CIP1/WAF1) and mutations in p53 have been implicated in this down-regulation. To evaluate whether the presence of p53 mutations was related to the in vivo expression of p21(CIP1/WAF1) mRNA in sarcomas we measured the p21(CIP1/WAF1) mRNA levels for a group of 71 primary bone and soft tissue tumours with known p53 status. As expected, most tumours with p53 mutations expressed low levels of p21(CIP1/WAF1)mRNA. However, we identified a group of tumours with p53 gene mutations that exhibited normal or higher levels of p21(CIP1/WAF1) mRNA. The p53 mutations in the latter group were not the common missense mutations in exons 4-9, but were predominantly nonsense mutations predicted to result in truncation of the p53 protein. The results of this study suggest that different types of p53 mutations can have different effects on the expression of downstream genes such as p21(CIP1/WAF1) in human sarcomas.     

Soluble branched (1,4)-beta-D-glucans from Acetobacter species enhance antitumor activities against MHC class I-negative and -positive malignant melanoma through augmented NK activity and cytotoxic T-cell response

We previously found that an extracellular polysaccharide, AC-1, produced by Acetobacter polysaccharogenes composed of (1,4)-beta-D-glucan with branches of glucosyl residues showed a strong activity to induce production of interleukin (IL)-12 p40 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha by macrophage cell lines in vitro via Toll-like receptor-4 signaling. In the present study, we examined the effects of oral administration of AC-1 on protection against 2 types of murine B16 melanoma lines, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-negative B16L and MHC class I gene-transfected B16K(b) cells. Mice were inoculated subcutaneously with B16L or B16K(b) cells on day 0 and administrated intragastrically with AC-1 or PBS once every 5 days from 1 day before tumor inoculation. The tumor growth was severely retarded in AC-1-treated mice after subcutaneous inoculation with B16L or B16K(b) cells. The AC-1-treated mice showed augmented natural killer (NK) cell activity against B16L cells, and in vivo depletion of NK cells by antiasialoGM1 antibody (Ab) treatment abrogated the antitumor activity in AC-1-treated mice. On the other hand, AC-1-treated mice inoculated with B16K(b) cells developed a significantly higher level of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response against B16K(b) cells, and in vivo depletion of CD8(+) T cells by anti-CD8 mAb treatment abrogated the antitumor activity. Thus, AC-1 augmented antitumor activity against different tumors via augmentation of different antitumor mechanisms. These results suggest a possible prophylactic application of AC-1 for human neoplasms irrespective of expression levels of their MHC class I molecules.