Murine Embryo Cells Research Articles

In vitro and in silico studies of a Zn(II) complex as a potential therapeutic agent for breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most life-threatening diseases of women's health worldwide. This work was conducted to assess the anti-BC potency of a new Zn(II)-based complex. The Zn(II) complex coordinated to dimethoxy-substituted bipyridine was synthesized and its molecular structure was elucidated as [Zn(2Meobpy)3](clo4)2 (2Meobpy-Zn) by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, 2Meobpy represents 4,4'-dimethoxy-2,2'-bipyridine. The cytotoxicity results indicated that 2Meobpy-Zn, unlike cisplatin, acts potently and selectively on the human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) compared to normal murine embryo cells (NIH/3T3) by IC50 value of 4.6 ± 0.5µm and selectivity index (SI) of 2.0 over 48h. 2Meobpy-Zn and cisplatin showed anti-metastatic activity as evidenced by inhibition of the colony formation and cell migration. The flow cytometric assessment of MCF-7 cells supported that 2Meobpy-Zn and cisplatin exert their cytotoxic effect through the apoptotic pathway. Moreover, 2Meobpy-Zn could induce overproduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in MCF-7 cells. The apoptotic mechanism in 2Meobpy-Zn-treated MCF-7 cells is probably related to the regulation of apoptosis-relevant genes expression, including BAX and BCL2. Moreover, 2Meobpy-Zn is able to cleave pUC19 plasmid DNA through the hydrolytic reaction pathway. Finally, 2Meobpy-Zn's affinity towards antiapoptosis-related proteins, as a potential apoptosis inducer, as well as breast cancer-relevant proteins, as a potential anti-BC agent, was evaluated by in silico molecular docking studies. Altogether, the results of this work strongly evidenced that 2Meobpy-Zn can be the subject of experimental validation and clinical trials to introduce this complex as a promising BC therapeutic agent.

Embryonic loss due to exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is mediated by Bax

The high miscarriage rates observed in women smokers raises the possibility that chemicals in cigarette smoke could be detrimental to embryo development. Previous studies have established that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), transactivate the arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR), leading to cell death. Herein we show that PAH exposure results in murine embryo cell death, acting as a potential mechanism underlying cigarette-smoking-induced pregnancy loss. Cell death was preceded by increases in Bax levels, activation of caspase-3 and decreased litter size. Chronic exposure of females to PAHs prior to conception impaired development, resulting in a higher number of resorptions. This embryonic loss could not be prevented by the disruption of Hrk, but was diminished in embryos lacking Bax. We conclude that exposure of early embryos to PAHs reduces the allocation of cells to the embryonic and placental lineages by inducing apoptosis in a Bax-dependent manner, thus compromising the developmental potential of exposed embryos.

Modulation of the cellular pharmacology of JM118, the major metabolite of satraplatin, by copper influx and efflux transporters

Satraplatin is an orally bioavailable platinum analog that has activity in prostate cancer. JM118 is the most abundant species found in the plasma following the oral ingestion of satraplatin and has anti-tumor activity in vitro against cell lines that are resistant to cisplatin (DDP). The goal of the current study was to determine whether the activity of JM118 in some DDP-resistant cells can be explained by differences in the cellular pharmacology of the two drugs. The effect of each of the Cu transporters CTR1, ATP7A and ATP7B on sensitivity to the growth inhibitory effect of JM118 and its cellular pharmacology was examined to identify the characteristics of JM118 that distinguish it from DDP. These studies were performed using wild type and CTR1-/- homozygous knockout mouse embryo cells, and human Me32a Menkes disease fibroblasts that do not express either ATP7A or ATP7B plus sublines molecularly engineered to express either ATP7A (MeMNK cells) or ATP7B (MeWND cells). Knockout of the Cu influx transporter CTR1 in murine embryo cells increased their resistance to DDP and reduced its cellular accumulation but had no effect on sensitivity to JM118 or its uptake. In the case of DDP, forced expression of either of the two Cu efflux transporters, ATP7A or ATP7B, in Me32a cells rendered them resistant to DDP, increased whole cell accumulation of Pt but reduced the amount of Pt in DNA. In the case of JM118, forced expression of either ATP7A or ATP7B rendered Me32a cells resistant, increased not only whole cell Pt accumulation but also increased rather than decreased the amount of Pt in DNA. These results demonstrate that both ATP7A and ATP7B mediate resistance to JM118 as well as DDP and suggest that they sequester both DDP and JM118 into vesicular compartments within the cell resulting in enhanced whole cell accumulation and reduced cytotoxicity. We conclude that there are two important differences between DDP and JM118 with respect to the effect of Cu transporters on their cellular pharmacology. First, whereas CTR1 is involved in DDP accumulation it does not play a role in the uptake of JM118. Second, ATP7A and ATP7B, while they both mediate resistance, have opposite effects on the accumulation of Pt in DNA following exposure to the two drugs. ATP7A and ATP7B appear to be able to modulate the toxicity of the Pt that accumulates in DNA following exposure to JM118. These results suggest that JM118 will retain activity in cells in which DDP resistance is due to the loss of CTR1, but not in cells in which resistance is due to enhanced expression of ATP7A or ATP7B.

Cross-priming is under control of the relB gene.

Cross-priming is an important mechanism of intercell transfer of antigenic material leading to the specific activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Dendritic cells (DCs) are considered the central antigen-presenting cell in cross-priming. Here we decided to probe the role of the relB gene, a regulator of DC differentiation, in the in vivo cross-priming of a model tumour antigen, TAP(-/-) murine embryo cells (MEC), expressing human adenovirus type 5 early region 1. To this end, we used relB(-/-) mutant mice to generate bone marrow (BM) chimeras as these possess few residual DC but are capable of initiating CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses in vivo. Our results show that relB(-/-) BM chimeras are unable to cross-prime CD8+ T cells, suggesting that the relB gene regulates cross-priming.

The Murine Cytomegalovirus M25 Open Reading Frame Encodes a Component of the Tegument

The murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) monoclonal antibody 5C7:6 was used in Western analysis to probe MCMV infected murine embryo cells (MEC). This antibody recognizes three virus specific polypeptides of 130, 105, and 95 kDa and pulse–chase experiments demonstrated that these three proteins, although antigenically related, are distinct. The 105- and 95-kDa species were expressed with early kinetics, whereas the 130-kDa protein was synthesized as a true late. By screening a λgt11 MCMV cDNA library, the gene encoding these proteins was identified as the M25 open reading frame previously reported by Dallas et al. (Dallas, P. B., Lyons, P. A., Hudson, J. B., Scalzo, A. A., and Shellam, G. R., 1994, Virology 200, 643–650). Immunofluorescent studies monitored the location of pM25, present in the nucleus at 15 h after infection, condensing around the periphery of the nucleus at 18 h, before finally accumulating in the cytoplasm. Immunoelectron microscopy detected gold particles associated with the viral tegument of enveloped virions located in the cytoplasm and extracellular space but not with naked nucleocapsids. Western analysis of MCMV purified virions depicted the presence of the 130-kDa protein, the predominant M25 species, in mature virus particles. Together these findings provide compelling evidence that the 130-kDa M25 polypeptide is a component of the viral tegument.

Soluble factors released by the target organ enhance the urokinase-type plasminogen activator activity of metastatic tumor cells

The ability of tumor cells to respond to microenvironmental factors present in the target organ may be necessary for successful metastasis. Many studies suggest that urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) has a significant role in several steps of the metastatic process. In previous work it had been observed that lung conditioned media stimulated the migration and growth in vitro of cells from a murine mammary adenocarcinoma (M3) with moderate lung metastasizing potential. In the same experiments liver conditioned medium exerted a marked cytostatic effect on M3 cells. The aim of the present work to investigate whether conditioned media from lung, kidney or liver, were able to modulate u-PA in vitro secretion by these murine M3 cells. Secreted u-PA measured by fibrinolytic assay, was significantly increased only when M3 primary cultured cells were treated for 24h with lung conditioned media prepared from normal mice or from mice bearing a small tumor. Exposure to kidney or liver conditioned media did not modify the u-PA secretion pattern already shown by the tumor cells. The activity shown by lung conditioned media seemed to be specific for these syngeneic tumor cells, as no effect was observed on murine embryo cells. These results suggest that soluble factors released by the target organ could specifically induce tumor cells in vivo to enhance the production of degradative enzymes, thus facilitating the last steps of the metastatic cascade.

The tumor promoters 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and okadaic acid differ in toxicity, mitogenic activity and induction of gene expression

Okadaic acid (OA) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) are both potent tumor promoters in a mouse skin carcinogenesis experiment. OA was much more toxic than TPA for murine embryo cell lines such as Swiss 3T3 cells or C3H10T1/2 cells. TPA is a potent mitogen for 3T3 cells; in contrast OA was unable to stimulate DNA synthesis in these cells. TPA induces a family of primary response genes, the TPA induced sequence (TIS) genes, in a wide variety of cells. Although OA induced modest levels of TIS mRNA expression, the time course of the induction of TIS1 and TIS8 mRNA was delayed when compared to induction by TPA or peptide mitogens such as fibroblast growth factor (FGF). In addition TPA-mediated down-regulation of protein kinase C attenuated TIS gene induction by OA, but not by FGF.

5-Azacytidine Inhibits Adipocytic Conversion of Human Skin Fibroblasts by Kirsten Murine Sarcoma Virus and Dexamethasone

Transformation of human skin fibroblasts (SF) by the Kirsten murine sarcoma virus (KiMSV) is associated with their neodifferentiation into preadipose cells. Hydrocortisone or dexamethasone (DX) promote the transformation/neodifferentiation of preadipocytes to fully differentiated adipocytes. 5-Azacytidine (5-Aza-CR) by itself, or together with DX, or immediately after inoculation with KiMSV did not cause adipocytic conversion of human SF. Addition of 5-Aza-CR either before or immediately after exposure of human SF to KiMSV and DX reduced the total number of foci and significantly inhibited expression of adipocyte-containing foci. The results suggest that adipocytic conversion of human SF by KiMSV and DX is specific. This conversion apparently does not involve mechanisms directly related to the effects of 5-Aza-CR on the adipocytic conversion of murine embryo cells.

No male-female difference in In vitro lifespan of skin fibroblasts from humans and mice

To determine if the difference in mean survival time of males and females is related to the mechanism restricting the number of in vitro cell doublings, we established cultures of human skin fibroblasts and murine embryo cells. The maximum number of in vitro doublings was found to be very similar for the two sexes in both species. Furthermore, human cultures receiving repeated treatments with three alkylating carcinogens had the same in vivo survival as untreated controls.

Cell cycle and cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation of plasma membrane proteins p14 and p24: defects in smooth surface transformed cells.

Two proteins which are localized to the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane, p14 and p24, undergo cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation in rapidly growing nontransformed murine embryo cells. In this cell system, growth arrest in the G1 phase of the cell cycle induced by growth factor deprivation is associated with the reversible loss in ability to phosphorylate these substrates. By contrast, Simian virus 40 and methylcholanthrene transformed cells show both defective G1 growth control and defects in their ability to phosphorylate p14 and p24 under all tested growth conditions. These data suggested a correlation between defects in the physophorylation of p14 and p24 and defects in the ability of transformed cells to G1 growth arrest. The results of the current studies by contrast show that 3T3 T proadipocytes which have been transformed by the smooth surface tumorigenesis method show different characteristics. They retain the ability to G1 growth arrest in serum-deficient medium. They show cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation of p14 and p24 during exponential growth. They do not, however, down regulate p14 and p24 phosphorylation in association with G1 growth arrest. These observations suggest that neoplastic transformation is not necessarily associated with absolute defects in the ability to phosphorylate p14 and p24. Rather, the results of the current study suggest that the inability to modulate the cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation of plasma membrane p14 and p24 proteins during the G1 phase of the cell cycle may be more tightly associated with neoplastic transformation.

Mitogens for murine embryo cell lines

The growth-promoting activities of fetal bovine serum, cortisol, phorbol myristate acetate, prostaglandin F2alpha, insulin, epidermal growth factor, and fibroblast growth factor were evaluated on four murine embryo cell lines (Swiss 3T3, Balb 3T3, M2, and C3H10T 1/2). Each cell has an unique response spectrum to this collection of reported mitogens. Phorbol myristate acetate and prostaglandin F2alpha were active only on selected cell lines; cortisol was inactive on all four lines. Serum, epidermal growth factor, and fibroblast growth factor were able to stimulate cell division in all four lines, albeit to varying degrees for the different target cells.

Ultrastructural variants among peripheral vesicles and vacuoles of murine embryo cell strains

Dispersed murine embryo cells have been cultivated as continuously propagated cell strains and employed for an electron microscopic investigation of structural variations amongst peripheral vesicles and vacuoles during cell culture. After replenishment of medium, these fibroblast-like cells exhibit very extensive micropinocytosis, but even long after addition of fresh medium, numerous micropinocytosis vesicles are seen. Micropinocytosis vesicles are largely of the smooth surfaced variety, although about 3–5 % of the peripheral vesicles are of the coated type. Evidence is presented consistent with Lewis's hypothesis [15] that some peripheral cytoplasmic vacuoles are formed by a process involving fusion of submicroscopic pinocytotic vesicles with one another. Also, evidence is presented for fusion of micropinocytosis vesicles with pre-existing cytoplasmic vacuoles.