ROS-generating mitochondrial DNA mutations can regulate tumor cell metastasis

Mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) occur at high frequency in human tumors, but whether these mutations alter tumor cell behavior has been unclear. We used cytoplasmic hybrid (cybrid) technology to replace the endogenous mtDNA in a mouse tumor cell line that was poorly metastatic with mtDNA from a cell line that was highly metastatic, and vice versa. Using assays of metastasis in mice, we found that the recipient tumor cells acquired the metastatic potential of the transferred mtDNA. The mtDNA conferring high metastatic potential contained G13997A and 13885insC mutations in the gene encoding NADH (reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) dehydrogenase subunit 6 (ND6). These mutations produced a deficiency in respiratory complex I activity and were associated with overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Pretreatment of the highly metastatic tumor cells with ROS scavengers suppressed their metastatic potential in mice. These results indicate that mtDNA mutations can contribute to tumor progression by enhancing the metastatic potential of tumor cells.     

Suppression of antitumor immunity by stromal cells expressing fibroblast activation protein-alpha

The stromal microenvironment of tumors, which is a mixture of hematopoietic and mesenchymal cells, suppresses immune control of tumor growth. A stromal cell type that was first identified in human cancers expresses fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP). We created a transgenic mouse in which FAP-expressing cells can be ablated. Depletion of FAP-expressing cells, which made up only 2% of all tumor cells in established Lewis lung carcinomas, caused rapid hypoxic necrosis of both cancer and stromal cells in immunogenic tumors by a process involving interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α. Depleting FAP-expressing cells in a subcutaneous model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma also permitted immunological control of growth. Therefore, FAP-expressing cells are a nonredundant, immune-suppressive component of the tumor microenvironment.     

Detection of a cellular oncogene in spontaneous liver tumors of B6C3F1 mice

An active cellular oncogene was demonstrated in hepatocellular neoplasms arising spontaneously in 24-month-old B6C3F1 mice. DNA isolated from the tumorous tissue and transfected into NIH 3T3 cells showed an 82 percent (9 of 11 animals) frequency of foci induction. In contrast, DNA isolated from the surrounding nontumorous hepatic tissue from the same animals and DNA from other 24-month-old B6C3F1 mice without tumors did not cause transformation in the NIH 3T3 cell assay. This strain of mouse is used extensively in carcinogen bioassays, and the observed high frequency of transformation (82 percent, compared to 10 to 20 percent in humans) supports the concept that the B6C3F1 mouse is hypersusceptible to liver tumor development. It also emphasizes the need to further understand the mechanisms of oncogene activation in animals used for long-term studies of toxicity and oncogenicity before evaluating potential human risk.     

茶氨酸溴香酰胺对人宫颈癌细胞体内外生长的抑制作用

将茶氨酸为母体合成的茶氨酸衍生物茶氨酸溴香酰胺(TBrC)与茶氨酸作比较,评估茶氨酸溴香酰胺对人宫颈癌细胞体内外生长的抑制作用与其分子机制。应用MTT等方法检测不同浓度的TBrC对人宫颈癌细胞体外生长的影响,运用蛋白质印迹法检测解析这些人宫颈癌细胞中与凋亡和生长密切相关蛋白的表达和药物可能的作用靶点。此外,通过建立动物肿瘤模型,评价TBrC对荷瘤裸鼠人宫颈癌生长的抑制效果。实验结果显示,TBrC抑制人宫颈癌细胞体内外生长的活性超过其母体化合物茶氨酸多倍,对小鼠生长无明显毒性;TBrC作用的分子机制之一可能与抑制VEGFR1-Bcl-2/Bax信号传导通路相关。研究结果提示,TBrC具有广泛应用于临床治疗和(或)辅助治疗人宫颈癌和其他癌症的潜力。     

PCR法构建小鼠α-1,3-GT基因沉默载体研究

在已报道的shRNA序列前加上人类H1启动子,设计一段沉默小鼠α-1,3-GT基因的siRNA序列,针对该序列分段设计引物,完全采用PCR法将其连接起来,然后把该序列克隆到pGEM-T载体中,构建出针对小鼠α-1,3-GT基因的特异性沉默载体,为进一步获得α-1,3-GT基因沉默小鼠,构建异种器官移植用小鼠模型奠定了基础.     

Tumor suppression with a combination of alpha-difluoromethyl ornithine and interferon

alpha-Difluoromethyl ornithine and mouse type 1 interferon, when administered simultaneously, were highly toxic to B16 melanoma cells in culture. Oral administration of alpha-difluoromethyl ornithine suppressed B16 melanoma development in mice 85 percent whereas interferon given subcutaneously inhibited tumor growth only 24 percent. Total or near total suppression of tumor growth was observed in mice receiving both treatments.     

The SCID-hu mouse: murine model for the analysis of human hematolymphoid differentiation and function

The study of human hematopoietic cells and the human immune system is hampered by the lack of a suitable experimental model. Experimental data are presented showing that human fetal liver hematopoietic cells, human fetal thymus, and human fetal lymph node support the differentiation of mature human T cells and B cells after engraftment into mice with genetically determined severe combined immunodeficiency. The resultant SCID-hu mice are found to have a transient wave of human CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and human IgG (immunoglobulin G) in the peripheral circulation. The functional status of the human immune system within this mouse model is not yet known.     

Lysosomal glycosphingolipid recognition by NKT cells

NKT cells represent a distinct lineage of T cells that coexpress a conserved alphabeta T cell receptor (TCR) and natural killer (NK) receptors. Although the TCR of NKT cells is characteristically autoreactive to CD1d, a lipid-presenting molecule, endogenous ligands for these cells have not been identified. We show that a lysosomal glycosphingolipid of previously unknown function, isoglobotrihexosylceramide (iGb3), is recognized both by mouse and human NKT cells. Impaired generation of lysosomal iGb3 in mice lacking beta-hexosaminidase b results in severe NKT cell deficiency, suggesting that this lipid also mediates development of NKT cells in the mouse. We suggest that expression of iGb3 in peripheral tissues may be involved in controlling NKT cell responses to infections and malignancy and in autoimmunity.     

Estrogen-induced factors of breast cancer cells partially replace estrogen to promote tumor growth

The hormone 17 beta-estradiol acts through its receptor system to induce MCF-7 human breast cancer cells to form tumors in athymic mice. In vitro studies have identified the production of estrogen-induced growth factors from MCF-7 cells that may have a role in growth control. These induced growth factors were sufficient to stimulate MCF-7 tumor growth in ovariectomized athymic mice, thus partially replacing estradiol. Growth factors may act as estrogen-induced "second messengers" in estrogen-responsive growth of human breast cancer.     

Development of a human adaptive immune system in cord blood cell-transplanted mice

Because ethical restrictions limit in vivo studies of the human hemato-lymphoid system, substitute human to small animal xenotransplantation models have been employed. Existing models, however, sustain only limited development and maintenance of human lymphoid cells and rarely produce immune responses. Here we show that intrahepatic injection of CD34+ human cord blood cells into conditioned newborn Rag2-/-gammac-/- mice leads to de novo development of B, T, and dendritic cells; formation of structured primary and secondary lymphoid organs; and production of functional immune responses. This provides a valuable model to study development and function of the human adaptive immune system in vivo.     

Depletion of conventional mature B cells and compromised specific antibody response in bovine immunoglobulin μ heavy-chain transgenic mice

In this study, we introduced the bovine immunoglobulin μ heavy-chain gene (the orphaned gene on BTA11) into mouse germline cells. Bovine IgM was highly expressed in selected transgenic lines, and it largely inhibited rearrangements of the endogenous immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) genes in these lines. The forced expression of bovine IgM resulted in reduced numbers of pro- and pre-B cells but increased the number of immature B cells in the transgenic mice. Bovine IgM-expressing B cells can migrate from the bone marrow to the spleen, but most of the cells are arrested at the T1 transitional B cell stage, leading to a significantly lower number of T2 transitional and mature B cells in the spleen. Although the serum concentrations of endogenous IgM and IgG in the transgenic mice were significantly decreased, the IgA levels were slightly increased compared to the WT mice. The bovine IgM level in the serum was only one-tenth to one-fifth of that of endogenous mouse IgM, suggesting that most of the serum immunoglobulin were contributed by endogenous IgH gene-expressing B cells. These transgenic mice also exhibited a lower frequency of unique complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) sequences in their VH repertoire and Vκ repertoire but exhibited an increased frequency of unique CDR3 in their Vλ repertoire. Compared to the WT mice, the transgenic mice had a significantly higher percentage of mouse IgM-expressing B cells that expressed λ chains. Finally, we showed that the transgenic mice were deficient in a specific antibody response to antigen stimulation.     

双歧杆菌完整肽聚糖对实验性胃癌抑制作用的研究

为研究双歧杆菌完整肽聚糖(WPG)对实验性胃癌生长的抑制作用,从两歧双歧杆菌中提取完整肽聚糖,以人胃癌裸鼠移植瘤为动物模型,观察不同浓度WPG对移植瘤生长的抑制情况,绘制肿瘤生长曲线,HE染色观察WPG对移植瘤组织形态的影响。结果显示,WPG低、中、高剂量组移植瘤的生长速度、平均瘤重均明显低于阴性对照组,抑瘤率分别为62.50%、67.87%和87.50%,与阳性对照(5-氟脲嘧啶)组相比无显著性差异(P>0.05)。HE染色结果显示,WPG组移植瘤中普遍存在不同程度的坏死。结果表明,双歧杆菌WPG能抑制裸鼠体内胃癌的生长,为开发新型高效、低毒的抗肿瘤药物提供试验依据。     

Defining a link with asthma in mice congenitally deficient in eosinophils

Eosinophils are often dominant inflammatory cells present in the lungs of asthma patients. Nonetheless, the role of these leukocytes remains poorly understood. We have created a transgenic line of mice (PHIL) that are specifically devoid of eosinophils, but otherwise have a full complement of hematopoietically derived cells. Allergen challenge of PHIL mice demonstrated that eosinophils were required for pulmonary mucus accumulation and the airway hyperresponsiveness associated with asthma. The development of an eosinophil-less mouse now permits an unambiguous assessment of a number of human diseases that have been linked to this granulocyte, including allergic diseases, parasite infections, and tumorigenesis.     

Transfection of v-rasH DNA into MCF-7 human breast cancer cells bypasses dependence on estrogen for tumorigenicity

The natural history of estrogen-responsive breast cancers often involves a phenotypic change to an estrogen-unresponsive, more aggressive tumor. The human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, which requires estradiol for tumor formation in vivo and shows growth stimulation in response to estradiol in vitro, is a model for hormone-responsive tumors. The v-rasH onc gene was transfected into MCF-7 cells. The cloned MCF-7ras transfectants, which expressed the v-rasH messenger RNA and v-rasH p21 protein (21,000 daltons), were characterized. In contrast to the parental cell line, MCF-7ras cells no longer responded to exogenous estrogen in culture and their growth was minimally inhibited by exogenous antiestrogens. When tested in the nude mouse, the MCF-7ras cells were fully tumorigenic in the absence of estrogen supplementation. Thus, cells acquiring an activated onc gene can bypass the hormonal regulatory signals that trigger the neoplastic growth of a human breast cancer cell line.     

The immune reaction as a stimulator of tumor growth

Various numbers of spleen cells from specifically immunized mice were mixed with constant numbers of target tumor cells, and were inoculated subcutaneously into thymectomized, x-irradiated recipients. Small numbers of admixed immune spleen cells produced a statistically significant, and reproducible, acceleration of tumor growth in the inoculum as compared with controls of either nonimmune spleen cells or spleen cells from animals immune to a different, non-cross-reacting, tumor. Larger. numbers of specifically immune spleen cells, however, produced inhibition of tumor growth. These data imply that the normal immune reaction may have a dual function in relation to neoplasia: (i) stimulation of tumor growth, early in the course of the disease, or whenever the immune reaction is minimal; (ii) inhibition of tumor growth at other times.     

Mouse models of tumor development in neurofibromatosis type 1

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a prevalent familial cancer syndrome resulting from germ line mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor gene. Hallmark features of the disease are the development of benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors (neurofibromas), which can progress to malignancy. Unlike humans, mice that are heterozygous for a mutation in Nf1 do not develop neurofibromas. However, as described here, chimeric mice composed in part of Nf1-/- cells do, which demonstrates that loss of the wild-type Nf1 allele is rate-limiting in tumor formation. In addition, mice that carry linked germ line mutations in Nf1 and p53 develop malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs), which supports a cooperative and causal role for p53 mutations in MPNST development. These two mouse models provide the means to address fundamental aspects of disease development and to test therapeutic strategies.     

Effect of p53 status on tumor response to antiangiogenic therapy

The p53 tumor suppressor gene is inactivated in the majority of human cancers. Tumor cells deficient in p53 display a diminished rate of apoptosis under hypoxic conditions, a circumstance that might reduce their reliance on vascular supply, and hence their responsiveness to antiangiogenic therapy. Here, we report that mice bearing tumors derived from p53(-/-) HCT116 human colorectal cancer cells were less responsive to antiangiogenic combination therapy than mice bearing isogenic p53(+/+) tumors. Thus, although antiangiogenic therapy targets genetically stable endothelial cells in the tumor vasculature, genetic alterations that decrease the vascular dependence of tumor cells can influence the therapeutic response of tumors to this therapy.     

Rescue of cardiac defects in id knockout embryos by injection of embryonic stem cells

We report that Id knockout mouse embryos display multiple cardiac defects, but mid-gestation lethality is rescued by the injection of 15 wild-type embryonic stem (ES) cells into mutant blastocysts. Myocardial markers altered in Id mutant cells are restored to normal throughout the chimeric myocardium. Intraperitoneal injection of ES cells into female mice before conception also partially rescues the cardiac phenotype with no incorporation of ES cells. Insulin-like growth factor 1, a long-range secreted factor, in combination with WNT5a, a locally secreted factor, likely account for complete reversion of the cardiac phenotype. Thus, ES cells have the potential to reverse congenital defects through Id-dependent local and long-range effects in a mammalian embryo.     

Human sickle hemoglobin in transgenic mice

DNA molecules that contain the human alpha- and beta s-globin genes inserted downstream of erythroid-specific, deoxyribonuclease I super-hypersensitive sites were coinjected into fertilized mouse eggs and a transgenic mouse line was established that synthesizes human sickle hemoglobin (Hb S). These animals were bred to beta-thalassemic mice to reduce endogenous mouse globin levels. When erythrocytes from these mice were deoxygenated, greater than 90 percent of the cells displayed the same characteristic sickled shapes as erythrocytes from humans with sickle cell disease. Compared to controls the mice have decreased hematocrits, elevated reticulocyte counts, lower hemoglobin concentrations, and splenomegaly, which are all indications of the anemia associated with human sickle cell disease.