The tyrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib decreases cell number and induces apoptosis in a canine osteosarcoma cell line

Canine osteosarcoma, an aggressive cancer with early distant metastasis, shows still despite good chemotherapy protocols poor long term survival. The aim of our study was to determine whether sorafenib, a novel multikinase inhibitor, has any effect on D-17 canine osteosarcoma cells.A cell proliferation kit was used for detecting surviving cells after treatment for 72 h with sorafenib or carboplatin or their combination. A significant decrease of neoplastic cells was observed after incubation with 0.5-16 μM sorafenib or with 80-640 μM carboplatin. Using immunocytochemistry for activated caspase 3 to evaluate apoptosis, we found significantly more positive cells in the sorafenib treated groups. Paradoxically, expression of the nuclear proliferation marker Ki-67 was also significantly higher in sorafenib treated cells. The drug sorafenib showed potent antitumour activity against D-17 canine osteosarcoma cells in vitro, suggesting a potential as a therapeutic tool in the treatment of bone cancer in dogs.     

The second-generation curcumin analogue RL71 elicits G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in canine osteosarcoma cells

Canine osteosarcoma is an aggressive cancer, comprising 85% of canine bone neoplasms. Current treatment practices of surgery and chemotherapy increase 1-year survival by only 45%. The curcumin analogue RL71, has demonstrated potent in vitro and in vivo efficacy in several models of human breast cancer through increased apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate efficacy of curcumin analogues in two canine osteosarcoma cell lines. Osteosarcoma cell viability was assessed using the sulforhodamine B assay and mechanisms of action were determined by analysing the levels of cell cycle and apoptotic regulatory proteins via Western blotting. Further evidence was obtained using flow cytometry to detect cell cycle distribution and the number of apoptotic cells. RL71 was the most potent curcumin analogue with EC₅₀ values of 0.64 ± 0.04 and 0.38 ± 0.009 μM (n = 3) in D-17 (commercial) and Gracie canine osteosarcoma cells, respectively. RL71 significantly increased the ratio of cleaved-caspase 3 to pro-caspase 3 and the level of apoptotic cells at the 2× and 5× EC₅₀ concentration (p < 0.001, n = 3). Furthermore, at the same concentration, RL71 significantly increased the number of cells in the G2/M phase. In conclusion, RL71 has potent cytotoxic activity in canine osteosarcoma cells triggering G2/M arrest and apoptosis at concentrations achievable in vivo. Future research should further investigate molecular mechanisms for these changes in other canine osteosarcoma cell lines prior to in vivo investigation.     

Intralesional 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) for the treatment of eyelid squamous cell carcinoma in 5 horses

Eyelid squamous cell carcinoma in equine patients often presents a therapeutic challenge to practitioners due to the generally large area affected upon presentation. Surgical excision can be curative if wide enough margins are achieved, but this is not often attainable without enucleation. Other alternatives have been examined including cryotherapy, radiotherapy, brachytherapy, intralesional chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy. Intralesional chemotherapy using cisplatin, mitomycin‐C and bleomycin have been shown to be successful in treating eyelid squamous cell carcinomas but may be prohibitive to some owners due to the cost of therapy. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case series to illustrate the effectiveness of intralesional 5‐fluoruracil in treating large equine eyelid squamous cell carcinomas. Macroscopic reduction in the size of the affected areas was noted in each case together with regression of clinical signs associated with the mass. This, coupled with the relative inexpensive nature of the procedure, makes this technique an attractive therapy for either primary treatment of eyelid squamous cell carcinoma or as a cytoreductive technique prior to surgical excision.     

miR‐497 induces apoptosis by the IRAK2/NF‐κB axis in the canine mammary tumour

Since companion dogs have the same living environment as humans, they are a good animal model for the study of human diseases; this is especially true of canine spontaneous mammary tumours models. A better understanding of the natural history and molecular mechanisms of canine mammary tumour is of great significance in comparative medicine. Here, we collected canine mammary tumour cases and then assayed the clinical cases by pathological examination and classification by HE staining and IHC. miRNA‐497 family members (miR‐497, miR‐16, miR‐195 and miR‐15) were positively correlated with the breast cancer marker genes p63 and PTEN. Modulation of the expression of miR‐497 in the canine mammary tumour cell lines CMT1211 and CMT 7364 induced apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation. Mechanistically, IRAK2 was shown to be a functional target of miR‐497 that affects the characteristics of cancer cells by inhibiting the activity of the NF‐κB pathway. Overall, our work reveals the miR‐497/IRAK2/NF‐κB axis as a vital mechanism of canine mammary tumour progression and suggests this axis as a target in breast cancer.     

Tumour necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand induces apoptosis in canine hemangiosarcoma cells in vitro

Tumour necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) is an apoptosis‐inducing cytokine that shows potential therapeutic value for human neoplasms, and is effective in some canine tumours; however, its potential for killing canine hemangiosarcoma (HSA) cells is unknown. Thus, we evaluated the proapoptotic effect of TRAIL in nine canine HSA cell lines. Cells (JuA1, JuB2, JuB2‐1, JuB4, Re11, Re12, Re21, Ud2 and Ud6) were cultured with three recombinant human TRAILs (rhTRAILs): TRAIL‐TEC derived from Escherichia coli, TRAIL‐TL derived from mammalian cells and isoleucine zipper recombinant human TRAIL (izTRAIL) containing an isoleucine‐zippered structure that facilitates trimerization. TRAIL‐TEC did not decrease the cell viability in any of the cell lines tested, whereas the other two rhTRAILs effectively decreased the viability of all cell lines as assessed by the WST‐1 assay. In canine HSA cells, izTRAIL induced apoptosis more effectively than TRAIL‐TL. In JuB4, Re12, and Ud6 cells, izTRAIL increased the activation of caspase‐3 and caspase‐8 and caused poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase degradation. Moreover, izTRAIL treatment increased the proportion of Annexin V+/ Propidium iodide (PI)? apoptotic cells and nuclear fragmentation in izTRAIL‐sensitive cells. These results show that rhTRAIL can induce apoptosis in canine HSA cells, but the sensitivity of TRAIL was different depending on the cell lines. Therefore, TRAIL could be an effective therapeutic agent against canine HSA, but the specific mechanism of resistance should be determined to clarify under what conditions this treatment would be most effective.     

Photodynamic detection of canine mammary gland tumours after oral administration of 5‐aminolevulinic acid

5‐Aminolevulinic acid (5‐ALA) is widely used in photodynamic detection (PDD) and therapy. We evaluated the pharmacokinetics of 5‐ALA‐induced porphyrins and its effectiveness in PDD in dogs with mammary gland tumours (MGTs) following oral administration. Healthy dogs and those with MGTs (nine each) were orally administered 4 mg kg^?1 5‐ALA. Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) was not detected in the plasma of healthy dogs but it peaked in dogs with MGT at 2 h after 5‐ALA administration. In the PDD study, 16 dogs with MGT were orally administered 40 mg kg^?1 5‐ALA, and MGT but not normal tissue showed red fluorescence after 2–4 h. Photon counts were 6635–63 890 and 59–4011 (median, 19 943 and 919) for MGT and non‐tumour tissues, respectively. Cell density strongly correlated with PpIX photon counts of MGT tissue of the dogs (R = 0.743, P = 0.0009). We suggest that 5‐ALA‐PDD might be an effective diagnostic tool for MGTs.     

Evaluation of the global DNA methylation in canine mast cell tumour samples by immunostaining of 5‐methyl cytosine

Cutaneous mast cell tumours (MCT) are the most common skin tumour in dogs, and to our knowledge, there are no previous studies regarding the global methylation of these tumours. DNA hypomethylation and hypermethylation have been described in several tumours and both mechanisms can lead to carcinogenesis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the global DNA methylation in canine MCT. A total of 48 MCT samples were classified in grades 1, 2 and 3 or high‐grade or low‐grade. Monoclonal antibodies were used for the immunohistochemical detection of the 5‐methylcytosine. The immunostained nuclei were classified in strong, weak or negative pattern, and these were quantified in five distinct microscopic fields (40× objective) in each slide. The results showed that global DNA hypomethylation was predominant in grade 3, high‐grade, less differentiated MCT. These epigenetic changes in neoplastic mast cells warrant further detailed investigation aiming the establishment of tumour epigenetic therapies.     

Prognostic significance of hypermethylation of death‐associated protein kinase (DAPK) gene CpG island in dogs with high‐grade B‐cell lymphoma

Death‐associated protein kinase (DAPK) is a serine/threonine kinase and a tumour suppressor gene. Diffuse large B‐cell lymphomas with inactivated DAPK through hypermethylation of a CpG island is known to result in a biologically aggressive phenotype in humans. This retrospective study was carried out to analyse the prognostic significance of DAPK CpG island hypermethylation in canine lymphoma. We hypothesized that DAPK CpG island hypermethylation can be a negative prognostic indicator in dogs with nodal high‐grade B‐cell lymphoma. Forty‐seven dogs with high‐grade B‐cell lymphoma, according to the updated Kiel classification, were evaluated after being treated with a CHOP (vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and prednisolone)‐based chemotherapy protocol. The methylation status of the DAPK CpG island was examined by methylation‐specific PCR. Progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared using the Kaplan‐Meier analysis and log‐rank test. The cox proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate the effect of multiple variables. Hypermethylation of the DAPK CpG island was detected in 21 of the 47 dogs. The PFS and OS in dogs with the hypermethylation (median: 220 and 266 days, respectively) were significantly shorter than those of dogs without hypermethylation (median: 301 and 412 days, respectively) (PFS, P = .036; OS, P = .007). In the multivariate analysis, hypermethylation of the DAPK CpG island remained an independent prognostic factor in predicting shortened PFS (P = .047) and OS (P = .021) as well as clinical substage b. Overall, hypermethylation of the DAPK CpG island was a negative prognostic factor in canine high‐grade B‐cell lymphoma.     

The animal‐dependent risk factors in canine T‐cell lymphomas

Malignant lymphomas are one of the most common malignancies occurring in dogs; among them T‐cell tumours are less commonly recognized. Recently, many authors have recommended cytology as a sufficient diagnostic method for canine lymphomas, especially if supported by immunocytochemistry or flow cytometry. The aim of the study was to characterize animal‐dependent risk factors in canine T‐cell lymphomas (TCLs) in Poland, including specific cytological subtypes. Determination of the type and subtype of the tumour was made based on the updated Kiel cytological classification adopted for dogs as previously described. Two breeds turned out predisposed to TCL (dog de Bordeaux and Boxer) while no predisposition to B‐cell lymphoma could be evidenced. Dogs with low‐grade lymphoma were significantly older than those with high‐grade lymphoma.     

Immune dysregulation and osteosarcoma: Staphylococcus aureus downregulates TGF‐β and heightens the inflammatory signature in human and canine macrophages suppressed by osteosarcoma

Since William Coley utilized bacterial immunotherapy to treat sarcomas in the late 19th century, an association between infection and improved survival has been reported for human and canine osteosarcoma patients. One of the reasons for this improved survival is likely a reactivation of the host immune system towards an inflammatory anti‐tumour response, and one of the key players is the macrophage. Yet, despite their importance, the response of macrophages to infectious agents in the context of osteosarcoma has not been thoroughly evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate how in vitro exposure to a bacterial agent (Staphylococcus aureus) influenced canine and human macrophage differentiation in the presence of osteosarcoma. Our hypothesis was that S. aureus would, in the presence of osteosarcoma, induce a macrophage phenotype with significantly increased inflammatory signatures. Consistent with our hypothesis, human macrophages co‐cultured with osteosarcoma and S. aureus exhibited increased IFN‐γ, TNF‐α and IL‐12p70 cytokine secretion, decreased TGF‐β cytokine secretion and increased mRNA expression of TNF‐α when compared with macrophages co‐cultured with osteosarcoma and to macrophages cultured alone. Canine macrophages similarly exhibited increased IFN‐γ and TNF‐α cytokine secretion, decreased TGF‐β cytokine secretion, increased mRNA expression of TNF‐α and increased surface receptor expression of CD80 when co‐cultured with osteosarcoma and S. aureus. Collectively, the findings of this study suggest that infection upregulates the inflammatory immune response to counteract osteosarcoma‐induced immune suppression. This work informs a potential therapeutic strategy to optimize inflammatory stimuli for triggering an anti‐osteosarcoma macrophage response.     

The growth of the canine glioblastoma cell line D‐GBM and the canine histiocytic sarcoma cell line DH82 is inhibited by the resveratrol oligomers hopeaphenol and r2‐viniferin

Vineatrol^®30 is a grapevine‐shoot extract, which contains resveratrol as well as considerable amounts of so‐called resveratrol oligomers such as hopeaphenol and r2‐viniferin. In this study, we analysed whether the two above‐mentioned resveratrol oligomers were able to inhibit the growth of the canine glioblastoma cell line D‐GBM and the canine histiocytic sarcoma cell line DH82, compared their potency to inhibit tumour cell growth with that of resveratrol and determined whether the induction of apoptosis via caspase 9 and 3/7 activation underlies the tumour cell growth‐inhibiting effect of hopeaphenol and r2‐viniferin. Vineatrol^®30, resveratrol, hopeaphenol and r2‐viniferin inhibited the growth of D‐GBM and DH82 cells in a concentration‐dependent manner, whereby hopeaphenol and r2‐viniferin were more potent than resveratrol itself in inhibiting the growth of the canine tumour cell lines. Moreover, the anti‐proliferative effect of both resveratrol oligomers in D‐GBM cells is based on their capacity to induce caspase 9 and 3/7 activation.     

In situ c‐KIT mRNA quantification of canine cutaneous mast cell tumours and its relationship to prognostic factors

Cutaneous mast cell tumours (MCTs) are the most frequent malignant skin tumours in dogs. Mutations in the c‐KIT proto‐oncogene are correlated with the pathogenesis and aggressiveness of MCTs. To date, studies have focused on c‐KIT mutations and KIT protein localization, with a general lack of mRNA‐level analyses. In this study, c‐KIT mRNA expression was investigated in canine MCTs by RNA in situ hybridization (RNA‐ISH). Furthermore, we evaluated associations between c‐KIT mRNA expression and the histological grade, KIT immunohistochemical staining pattern and other clinicopathological parameters. c‐KIT mRNA expression was observed in all MCT samples, appearing as clusters of dots in the cytoplasm of neoplastic cells. A significant correlation was detected between c‐KIT mRNA expression (quantified according to the H‐score and the percentage of positive cells) and the histological grade (determined using two‐and three‐tier grading systems; P < .05). We also found a significant positive correlation (all P < .05) between c‐KIT mRNA expression and the proliferation indices (mitotic index, Ki‐67, and Ag67). However, no significant associations with c‐KIT expression from RNA‐ISH were found with respect to different KIT staining patterns. Overall, these results demonstrate that c‐KIT mRNA expression might be an additional tool for measuring the c‐KIT status in canine cutaneous MCTs and could serve as a potential prognostic factor. Further studies should evaluate the prognostic significance of c‐KIT mRNA expression in a large and uniform cohort of canine MCTs.     

Efficacy and safety of electrochemotherapy combined with peritumoral IL‐12 gene electrotransfer of canine mast cell tumours

Electrochemotherapy combined with peritumoral interleukin‐12 (IL‐12) gene electrotransfer was used for treatment of mast cell tumours in 18 client‐owned dogs. Local tumour control, recurrence rate, as well as safety of combined therapy were evaluated. One month after the therapy, no side effects were recorded and good local tumour control was observed with high complete responses rate which even increased during the observation period to 72%. IL‐12 gene electrotransfer resulted in 78% of patients with detectable serum IFN‐γ and/or IL‐12 levels. In the treated tumours vascular changes as well as minimal T‐lymphocytes infiltration was observed. After 1 week, the plasmid DNA was not detected intra‐ or peritumorally and no horizontal gene transfer was observed. In summary, our study demonstrates high antitumour efficacy of electrochemotherapy combined with IL‐12 electrotransfer, which also prevented recurrences or distant metastases, as well as its safety and feasibility in treatment of canine mast cell tumours.