Effects of phenol on barrier function of a human intestinal epithelial cell line correlate with altered tight junction protein localization

Phenol contamination of soil and water has raised concerns among people living near phenol-producing factories and hazardous waste sites containing the chemical. Phenol, particularly in high concentrations, is an irritating and corrosive substance, making mucosal membranes targets of toxicity in humans. However, few data on the effects of phenol after oral exposure exist.We used an in vitro model employing human intestinal epithelial cells (SK-CO15) cultured on permeable supports to examine effects of phenol on epithelial barrier function. We hypothesized that phenol disrupts epithelial barrier by altering tight junction (TJ) protein expression. The dose-response effect of phenol on epithelial barrier function was determined using transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and FITC-dextran permeability measurements. We studied phenol-induced changes in cell morphology and expression of several tight junction proteins by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. Effects on cell viability were assessed by MTT, Trypan blue, propidium iodide and TUNEL staining.Exposure to phenol resulted in decreased TER and increased paracellular flux of FITC-dextran in a dose-dependent manner. Delocalization of claudin-1 and ZO-1 from TJs to cytosol correlated with the observed increase in permeability after phenol treatment. Additionally, the decrease in TER correlated with changes in the distribution of a membrane raft marker, suggesting phenol-mediated effects on membrane fluidity. Such observations were independent of effects of phenol on cell viability as enhanced permeability occurred at doses of phenol that did not cause cell death. Overall, these findings suggest that phenol may affect transiently the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane, thus destabilizing TJ-containing microdomains.     

Humoral immune response to tissue transglutaminase is related to epithelial cell proliferation in celiac disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) autoantibodies are markers of celiac disease, and the enzyme is required for several crucial biological processes. The aim of this study was to determine whether these autoantibodies are involved in the pathogenesis of the mucosal lesion typical of celiac disease. METHODS: Using rhodamine-conjugated phalloidin staining, we evaluated whether tTG antibodies, both commercially available and cloned from patients with celiac disease, cause cytoskeletal changes in Caco-2, MCF7, and NIH 3T3 cells. We monitored cell levels of bromodeoxyuridine incorporation to determine whether tTG autoantibodies are able to induce NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and epithelial mucosal cells into S phase. RESULTS: Treatment with tTG antibodies caused a dose-dependent increase of membrane ruffling in Caco-2, MCF7, and NIH 3T3 cells. It also dose-dependently induced G(0)-synchronized NIH 3T3 fibroblasts into S phase but did not affect the rate of apoptosis. Similarly, tTG antibodies induced S-phase entry of epithelial cells in cultured intestinal biopsy specimens from patients with celiac disease. They did not affect biopsy specimens from patients without celiac disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that tTG autoantibodies per se, by interacting with the extracellular membrane-bound transglutaminase, may play an important role in epithelial cell proliferation in celiac disease.     

瑞舒伐他汀对大鼠颈动脉球囊损伤后细胞凋亡的影响

目的观察瑞舒伐他汀对大鼠颈动脉球囊损伤后细胞凋亡的影响。方法36只雄性SD大鼠随机分为对照组、损伤组和治疗组,每组12只。损伤组和治疗组分别建立大鼠左侧颈动脉球囊损伤模型,右侧颈动脉未予球囊损伤。治疗组于损伤前3d始连续每天给予瑞舒伐他汀5mg／（kg·d）灌胃,对照组和损伤组予9g／L氯化钠溶液灌胃。术后14d取左侧颈总动脉,进行HE染色和末端脱氧核苷酸转移酶介导的生物素-dUTP缺口标记技术（Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin—dUTP nick end labeling,TUNEL）的凋亡检测。结果共30只大鼠成功完成本次实验。①血管损伤14d,可见明显的新生内膜;损伤组和治疗组的内膜面积、内膜／中膜面积的比值较对照组增大（P〈0．05）;与损伤组比较,治疗组内膜／中膜面积的比值减少,管腔面积增加26％（P〈0．05）。②对照组血管偶可见单个散在的凋亡细胞;损伤组凋亡细胞阳性率为（12．3±1．8）％,与对照组比较,差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）;治疗组凋亡细胞数目增多,凋亡细胞阳性率达（26．8±3．2）％,与损伤组比较,差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。凋亡细胞主要位于新生内膜。结论瑞舒伐他汀可抑制大鼠颈动脉球囊损伤后的内膜增生,可促进大鼠颈动脉球囊损伤后的细胞凋亡。瑞舒伐他汀促进细胞凋亡的作用可能与其抑制内膜增生有关。     

活化的小胶质细胞在大鼠海马神经元缺氧损伤中的作用

目的 探讨缺氧诱导活化的小胶质细胞在SD大鼠海马神经元缺氧损害中的作用机制.方法 建立共培养体系,应用原位缺口末端标记(TUNEL)法、化学发光法探讨不同组别神经元生长状况以及Caspase-3活性;采用免疫荧光法、格里斯试剂法(Griess Reagent)、还原WST-1法、酶联免疫吸咐测定(ELISA)等方法检测各组培养液中NO、O-2以及TNF-α的表达水平.结果 缺氧12h, N9细胞培养液可抑制常规培养的神经元生长增殖活力,同时可加重由缺氧抑制的共培养体系中神经元活力;既可诱导常规培养的神经元凋亡,又可促进共缺氧培养的神经元凋亡;较之于单纯神经元培养系和常规共培养系,共缺氧培养系的培养液中NO、O-2、TNF-α 3类应激性神经毒性因子产量最高.结论 小胶质细胞活化在缺氧诱发的神经元损害中发挥了重要的作用,其活化后产生的神经毒性分子是效应分子.     

Humanin拮抗Aβ_(31-35)诱导的神经元凋亡

为了研究Humanin(HN)对Aβ31-35诱导的大鼠皮层神经元凋亡的影响,本研究采用原代培养的大鼠皮层神经元,应用流式细胞术、TUNEL法、HO33342染色法检测不同时间(0、8、16h)加入不同浓度的HN对Aβ31-35致神经元凋亡的影响。结果显示:Aβ31-35(25μmol/L)引起培养皮层神经元的凋亡率明显增高,神经元凋亡率由7.43%上升到32.69%;凋亡指数由6.87%上升到28.36%(P<0.05)。与Aβ31-35同时或提前8h给予不同浓度(5,10,20μmol/L)的HN对Aβ31-35(25μmol/L)诱导的神经元凋亡均未产生影响;但20μmol/L的HN提前16h孵育可明显抑制Aβ31-35所致的神经元凋亡,其凋亡率由32.69%下降到20.36%,凋亡指数由28.36%下降到17.57%。本研究结果提示,HN拮抗Aβ31-35致神经元凋亡作用具有剂量和时间依赖性。     

Apoptosis, autophagy, accelerated senescence and reactive oxygen in the response of human breast tumor cells to Adriamycin

Although the primary response to Adriamycin (doxorubicin) in p53 mutant MDA-MB231 and p53 null MCF-7/E6 breast tumor cells is apoptotic cell death, the residual surviving population appears to be in a state of senescence, based on cell morphology, beta galactosidase staining, induction of p21^waf1/cip1 and down regulation of cdc2/cdk1. Suppression of apoptosis in MDA-MB231 and MCF-7/E6 cells treated with Adriamycin using the broad spectrum caspase inhibitor, zvad-Fmk, results in substantial induction of autophagy. Overall sensitivity to Adriamycin, measured by clonogenic survival, is not altered in the cells undergoing autophagy, consistent with autophagy contributing to cell death in response to Adriamycin. The free radical scavengers, glutathione and N-acetyl cysteine attenuate the accelerated senescence response to Adriamycin in MCF-7 cells as well as in MDA-MB231 and MCF-7/E6 cells, but protect primarily the MCF-7 cells, indicating that reactive oxygen is unlikely to be directly responsible for Adriamycin toxicity in breast tumor cells. Expression of caspase 3 or induced expression of c-myc in MCF-7 cells fails to abrogate accelerated senescence induced by Adriamycin. Taken together, these studies suggest that accelerated senescence induced by Adriamycin is similar in cells with wild type p53 and in cells lacking functional p53 with regard to the upregulation of p21^waf1/cip1, down regulation of cdc2 and the involvement of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, accelerated senescence, autophagy and apoptosis all appear to be effective in suppressing self-renewal capacity in breast tumor cells exposed to Adriamycin.     

Regression of prostate cancer xenografts by RLIP76 depletion

RLIP76 plays a central role in radiation and chemotherapy resistance through its activity as a multi-specific ATP-dependent transporter which is over-expressed in a number of types of cancers. RLIP76 appears to be necessary for cancer cell survival because both in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal tumor studies show that depletion or inhibition of RLIP76 causes selective toxicity in malignant cells. RLIP76 induces apoptosis in cancer cells through the accumulation of endogenously formed GS-E. The results of our in vivo studies demonstrate that administration of RLIP76 antibodies, siRNA or anti-sense to mice bearing xenografts of PC-3 prostate cancer cells leads to near complete regression of established subcutaneous xenografts with no apparent toxic effects. Since anti-RLIP76 IgG (which inhibit RLIP76-mediated transport), siRNA and antisense (which deplete RLIP76) showed similar tumor regressing activities, our results indicate that the inhibition of RLIP76 transport activity at the cell surface is sufficient for observed anti-tumor activity. These studies indicate that RLIP76 serves a key effector function for the survival of prostate cancer cells and that it is a valid target for cancer therapy.     

Intrinsic resistance to apoptosis of colon epithelial cells is a potential determining factor in the susceptibility of the A/J mouse strain to dimethylhydrazine-induced colon tumorigenesis

Alterations in the delicate balance between cell proliferation and cell death disrupt colon homeostasis and serve as determining factors in colon tumorigenesis. The two mouse strains, AKR/J (resistant) and A/J (susceptible), have been widely used as models for dimethylhydrazine-induced colon tumorigenesis. This study examined whether the differential susceptibilities of the two mouse strains to the tumorigenic effect of dimethylhydrazine were associated with intrinsic differences in the apoptotic machinery of the colon epithelial cells. While acute exposure to dimethylhydrazine caused massive apoptosis of colon epithelial cells in AKR/J mice, the effect was considerably less in A/J mice. Apoptosis in AKR/J mice occurred not only in the luminal side of the mucosa but also deep in the colonic crypts. In addition, this apoptosis appeared to involve caspase-3. The increased sensitivity of AKR/J to dimethylhydrazine was associated with a persistent expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) but not of its receptors. After establishing a new method for isolating primary colon epithelial cells, we determined that cells derived from A/J mice were substantially more resistant to apoptosis in response to dimethylhydrazine or to a combination of TNF, cyclohexamide, and butyrate compared to cells from AKR/J mice. These results strongly suggest that a higher intrinsic resistance to apoptosis of colon epithelial cells may be an important determinant of predisposition to colon tumorigenesis in the A/J mouse strain.     

Intracytoplasmic injection of morphologically selected spermatozoa (IMSI) improves outcome after assisted reproduction by deselecting physiologically poor quality spermatozoa

Purpose  

We used computer assisted sperm selection (MSOME) during cycles of intracytoplasmic sperm injection to test whether this technique improves results over traditional ICSI protocols. We also used the TUNEL assay to test whether MSOME could deselect physiologically abnormal spermatozoa.