Role of HSP90, CDC37, and CRM1 as modulators of P16(INK4A) activity in rat liver carcinogenesis and human liver cancer

Current evidence indicates that neoplastic nodules induced in liver of Brown Norway (BN) rats genetically resistant to hepatocarcinogenesis are not prone to evolve into hepatocellular carcinoma. We show that BN rats subjected to diethylnitrosamine/2-acetylaminofluorene/partial hepatectomy treatment with a "resistant hepatocyte" protocol displayed higher number of glutathione-S-transferase 7-7(+) hepatocytes when compared with susceptible Fisher 344 (F344) rats, both during and at the end of 2-acetylaminofluorene treatment. However, DNA synthesis declined in BN but not F344 rats after completion of reparative growth. Upregulation of p16(INK4A), Hsp90, and Cdc37 genes; an increase in Cdc37-Cdk4 complexes; and a decrease in p16(INK4A)-Cdk4 complexes occurred in preneoplastic liver, nodules, and hepatocellular carcinoma of F344 rats. These parameters did not change significantly in BN rats. E2f4 was equally expressed in the lesions of both strains, but Crm1 expression and levels of E2f4-Crm1 complex were higher in F344 rats. Marked upregulation of P16(INK4A) was associated with moderate overexpression of HSP90, CDC37, E2F4, and CRM1 in human hepatocellular carcinomas with a better prognosis. In contrast, strong induction of HSP90, CDC37, and E2F4 was paralleled by P16(INK4A) downregulation and high levels of HSP90-CDK4 and CDC37-CDK4 complexes in hepatocellular carcinomas with poorer prognosis. CDC37 downregulation by small interfering RNA inhibited in vitro growth of HepG2 cells. In conclusion, our findings underline the role of Hsp90/Cdc37 and E2f4/Crm1 systems in the acquisition of a susceptible or resistant carcinogenic phenotype. The results also suggest that protection by CDC37 and CRM1 against growth restraint by P16(INK4A) influences the prognosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma.     

Long-term dehydroepiandrosterone and 16alpha-fluoro-5-androsten-17-one administration enhances DNA synthesis and induces expression of c-fos and c-Ha-ras in a selected population of preneoplastic lesions in liver of diethylnitrosamine-initiated rats

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) inhibits glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity and growth of preneoplastic lesions in various tissues, but its administration may also enhance tumorigenesis by genotoxic carcinogens. We have investigated in single preneoplastic liver lesions, induced in diethylnitrosamine-initiated rats by the resistant hepatocyte protocol, the mechanisms underlying these opposite DHEA effects. Administration of DHEA (0.45% in the diet) for 10 and 26 weeks and of its analog 16alpha-fluoro-5-androsten-17-one (FA, 0.25%) for 10 weeks, starting 4 weeks after initiation, induced an apparent decrease in the number of glutathione S:-transferase (placental) (GST-P)-positive lesions and an increase in lesion volume. DHEA administration for 38 weeks enhanced hepatocellular carcinoma multiplicity. Depending on the rise in the number of slowly growing, remodeling GST-P-positive lesions induced by DHEA and FA, overall DNA synthesis decreased slightly in these lesions at 14 weeks, but increased in uniform lesions. Labeling index (LI) in single uniform lesions at 14 weeks ranged between very low (not different from normal liver) to high (>10-fold normal liver). DHEA and FA induced broad increases in lesions with a high LI, which showed a higher number of cells overexpressing c-Ha-ras and/or c-fos than those with a lower LI. High G6PD activity was inhibited by DHEA and FA in only approximately 50% of preneoplastic lesions. These data indicate selection in rats subjected to long-term DHEA and FA treatments of a subpopulation of GST-P-positive cells with high growth and progression potentials. Overall effects of these compounds depends on the relative numbers of lesions in which inhibition of DNA synthesis can counteract their transforming effect.     

Superior vena caval placement of a Kimray-Greenfield filter

Kimray-Greenfield filters placed in the inferior vena cava have been shown effective for prophylaxis against pulmonary embolism from lower extremity or pelvic thrombi. Percutaneous filter placement in the superior vena cava is described in a patient with pulmonary embolism and upper extremity thrombosis in whom anticoagulative therapy was contraindicated.     

Putative periodontal pathogens, antibody titres and avidities to them in a longitudinal study of patients with resistant periodontitis

OBJECTIVE: To study changes in antibody titres and antibody avidities to putative periodontal pathogens in patients with resistant periodontitis and to compare these findings with the result of culture of these pathogens.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients meeting strict clinical criteria in whom periodontal therapy had failed to prevent disease progression were studied microbiologically and immunologically over a 75-week period. Particular reference was made to the isolation of Actinobocillus actinomycetemcomitons (Aa) and Porphyromonos gingivalis (Pg) together with changes in antibody titres and avidities to these organisms between baseline examination and week 75.
RESULTS: Pg was eliminated following antibiotic treatment but metronidazole and amoxycillin therapy failed to remove Aa in all cases. Antibody avidities to these pathogens were higher in patients than in matched controls but no change in avidity was noted during the course of treatment. Most antibody titres were not significantly higher in patients than in controls.
CONCLUSIONS: Continued disease progression characterised these patients who, nevertheless, mounted an immune response to the periodontal pathogens but this appeared to be inadequate to stop the disease.     

Conformational states of vitronectin: preferential expression of an antigenic epitope when vitronectin is covalently and noncovalently complexed with thrombin-antithrombin III or treated with urea

A difference in recognition of the adhesive glycoprotein vitronectin (also called S-protein, serum spreading factor, and epibolin) by monoclonal antibody 8E6 (Hayman EG, et al, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80:4003, 1983) was investigated using a competitive enzyme- immunosorbent assay and immunoaffinity chromatography. Recognition of vitronectin in serum was approximately 50-fold greater than recognition of vitronectin in plasma. Recognition of vitronectin incubated with heparin, thrombin-antithrombin III complex, or heparin and thrombin- antithrombin III complex together was 2.5-, 7-, or 32-fold greater, respectively, than recognition of vitronectin alone. Thrombin or antithrombin III by itself did not induce the antigenic change. Factor Xa-antithrombin III was less effective than thrombin-antithrombin III in induction of the change. Dextran sulfate and fucoidan were more potent than heparin in induction of the antigenic change, whereas dermatan sulfate, hyaluronic acid, heparan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, or keratan sulfate were less effective. Immunoblotting analysis of serum and of vitronectin incubated with thrombin and antithrombin III demonstrated the presence of complexes composed of vitronectin and thrombin-antithrombin III that could only be dissociated with reducing agent. N-ethylmaleimide completely blocked the formation of the presumably disulfide-bonded complexes and partially blocked the antigenic change. Both non-disulfide-bonded and disulfide-bonded vitronectin bound to antibody-Sepharose from a mixture of vitronectin and thrombin-antithrombin III. Treatment of vitronectin with 8 mol/L urea resulted in enhanced recognition by the monoclonal antibody. Thus, the 8E6 antibody reacts with an epitope that is preferentially expressed by noncovalently and covalently linked vitronectin/thrombin-antithrombin III complexes and by urea-treated vitronectin. The change in vitronectin induced by thrombin-antithrombin III, therefore, is a physiological correlate of urea treatment and of adsorption of vitronectin onto tissue culture plastic (as is done in cell adhesion assays). The change may be important for expression of vitronectin activity.