NIH3T3 Cultures Research Articles

The Influence of Ischemic Factors on the Migration Rates of Cell Types Involved in Cutaneous and Subcutaneous Pressure Ulcers

A pressure ulcer (PU) is a localized injury to the skin and/or to underlying tissues, typically over a weight-bearing bony prominence. PUs often develop in ischemic tissues. Other than being relevant to the etiology of PUs, ischemic factors such as glucose levels, acidity and temperature could potentially affect healing processes as well, particularly, the rate of damage repair. Using an in vitro cell culture model, the goal of the present study was to determine the influence of ischemic factors: low temperature (35 °C), low glucose (1 g/L) and acidic pH (6.7) on the migration rate of NIH3T3 fibroblasts, 3T3L1 preadipocytes and C2C12 myoblasts, which could all be affected by PUs. Cell migration into a local damage site, produced by crushing cells under a micro-indentor, was monitored over ~16 h under controlled temperature and pH conditions. We found that in the NIH3T3 cultures, acidosis significantly hindered the migration rate as well as delayed the times for onset and end of mass cell migration. The effects of temperature and glucose however were not significant. Additionally, under control conditions (temperature 37 °C, glucose 4.5 g/L, pH 7.6), migration rates and times differed significantly across the different cell types. The present findings motivate further studies related to the effects of pH levels on migration performances, particularly in PU where bacterial contamination-associated with an acidic environment-is involved.

Regulation of cell proliferation and cell density by the inorganic phosphate transporter PiT1

AbstactBackgroundThe inorganic phosphate (Pi) transporter, PiT1 (SLC20A1), is ubiquitously expressed in mammalian cells. It has previously been shown that down-regulation of PiT1 severely impaired the proliferation of two transformed human cells lines, HepG2 and HeLa, and the tumorigenicity of HeLa cells in nude mice. Moreover, PiT1 knock-out mice do not survive past E12.5 and from E10.5, the embryos were found to be growth-retarded and showed reduced proliferation of liver cells. Isolated mouse embryonic fibroblasts with knocked out as well as reduced PiT1 expression levels also exhibited impaired proliferation. Together these results suggest that a certain level of PiT1 is important for proliferation. We have here investigated the role of PiT1 in regulation of cell proliferation using two strictly density-inhibited cells lines, the murine MC3T3-E1 and NIH3T3 cells.ResultsWe found that knock-down of PiT1 in MC3T3-E1 cells led to impaired proliferation supporting that at least a certain level of PiT1 is important for wildtype level of proliferation. We, however, also observed that MC3T3-E1 and NIH3T3 cells themselves regulate their endogenous PiT1 mRNA levels with lower levels in general correlating with decreased proliferation/increased cell density. Moreover, over-expression of human PiT1 led to increased proliferation of both MC3T3-E1 and NIH3T3 cultures and resulted in higher cell densities in cultures of these two strictly density-inhibited cell lines. In addition, when we transformed NIH3T3 cells by cultivation in fetal bovine serum, cells over-expressing human PiT1 formed more colonies in soft agar than control cells.ConclusionsWe conclude that not only is a certain level of PiT1 necessary for normal cell division as suggested by previously published studies, rather the cellular PiT1 level is involved in regulating cell proliferation and cell density and an increased PiT1 expression can indeed make NIH3T3 cells more sensitive to transformation. We have thus provided the first evidence for that expression of the type III Pi transporter, PiT1, above the endogenous level can drive cell proliferation and overrule cell density constraints, and the results bridge previous observations showing that a certain PiT1 level is important for regulating normal embryonic growth/development and for tumorigenicity of HeLa cells.

Regulation of ERK1/2 activity upon contact inhibition in fibroblasts

Contact inhibition is a crucial mechanism regulating proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Despite its generally accepted importance for maintaining tissue homeostasis knowledge about the underlying molecular mechanisms of contact inhibition is still scarce. Since the MAPK ERK1/2 plays a pivotal role in the control of proliferation, we investigated regulation of ERK1/2 phosphorylation which is downregulated in confluent NIH3T3 cultures. We found a decrease in upstream signaling including phosphorylation of the growth factor receptor adaptor protein ShcA and the MAPK kinase MEK1/2 in confluent compared to exponentially growing cultures whereas involvement of ERK1/2 phosphatases in ERK1/2 inactivation is unlikely. Treatment of confluent, serum-deprived cultures with PDGF-B resulted in similar phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and induction of DNA-synthesis as detected in sparse, serum-deprived cultures. In contrast, ERK1/2 phosphorylation and DNA-synthesis could not be stimulated in confluent, serum-deprived cultures exposed to EGF. Our data indicate that PDGFR- and EGFR signaling are differentially inhibited in confluent cultures of NIH3T3 cells.

Immediate early response of the circadian polyA ribonuclease nocturnin to two extracellular stimuli

Nocturnin (Noc, also called Ccrn4l [carbon catabolite repression 4-like]) is a circadian deadenylase that is rhythmically expressed in multiple tissues in mice with peak mRNA levels in early night. Since several other circadian genes are induced by extracellular stimuli, we tested the hypothesis that Noc is acutely regulated in NIH3T3 cells. A serum shock and the phorbol ester TPA induced Noc transcript levels in quiescent NIH3T3 cultures while dexamethasone and forskolin, which are known to induce other clock genes in culture, were without effect. NOC protein levels also were induced by serum. The half-life of the TPA-induced Noc mRNA is short, and the inhibition of protein synthesis by cycloheximide prevents Noc mRNA degradation and revealed a 30-fold increase in the transcript levels after 4 h of TPA treatment. Since this acute induction is not dependent on protein synthesis, Noc behaves like other immediate early genes. Remarkably, these acute effects are specific to Noc as the mRNAs encoding other known mouse deadenylases, CCR4, CAF1, PAN2, and PARN, were not induced in the same paradigm. Our data show that in addition to its robust circadian regulation, Noc expression can be regulated acutely, and imply that it can respond directly and specifically to physiological cues. NOC may act in turning off the expression of genes that are required to be silenced as a response to these extracellular signals.

Chondrocyte-derived ezrin-like domain containing protein (CDEP), a rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor, is inducible in chondrocytes by parathyroid hormone and cyclic AMP and has transforming activity in NIH3T3 Cells

Objective The purpose of this study is to investigate stage- and hormone-dependent expression of chondrocyte-derived ezrin-like domain containing protein (CDEP), a putative guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for Rho in chondrocytes, and demonstrate the guanine nucleotide exchange activity of this protein in vitro, as well as the transforming activity in NIH3T3 cells. Methods The expression of CDEP mRNA in growth plate chondrocytes in vivo and in vitro was examined by RT-PCR Southern analysis. The guanine nucleotide exchange activity was determined using a recombinant CDEP peptide containing the DH and PH domains in Sf9 cell lysates. The transforming activity was examined using NIH3T3 cells transiently transfected with a truncated CDEP cDNA. Results CDEP mRNA was expressed at the highest level in the hypertrophic (terminal) stage of chondrocytes in vivo and in vitro. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) elicited a biphasic increase of CDEP mRNA in chondrocytes. The CDEP mRNA level increased within 1 h, then decreased nearly to the control level at 3 h. Thereafter the mRNA level started to increase at 6 h, reaching a plateau at 24 h. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP had a similar effect on CDEP expression in chondrocytes. The dissociation of [ 3H]GDP from RhoA was stimulated dose-dependently by Sf9 cell lysates containing the CDEP peptide. Furthermore, transfection of a truncated CDEP cDNA induced focus formation in NIH3T3 cultures. Conclusions CDEP is a novel GEF for Rho family GTPases with the transforming activity. CDEP may play a role in mediating or modulating the action of cAMP-elevating hormones on maturing chondrocytes.

Acinar differentiation by non-malignant immortalized human prostatic epithelial cells and its loss by malignant cells.

Invasive prostatic carcinomas and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) are characterized by a loss of normal cell organization, cell polarity, and cell:cell and cell:basement membrane adhesion. The objective of this study was to establish in vitro three-dimensional (3-D) cell models which can be used to investigate mechanisms involved in acinar morphogenesis and differentiation in normal prostatic epithelium and their abnormalities in cancer cells. The process of acinar morphogenesis, including structural and functional differentiation, was investigated by culture on basement membrane gels (Matrigel). The human papillomavirus 18 immortalized, non-tumorigenic cell line RWPE-1, the v-Ki-ras transformed, tumorigenic RWPE-2 cell line derived from RWPE-1 cells (see previous paper pp. 1221-1229) and the human prostatic carcinoma cell line DU-145 were used. When cultured on Matrigel, RWPE-2 cells remain as single cells or form small aggregates and DU-145 cells form large amorphous cell aggregates without any organization or lumen. In contrast, RWPE-1 cells form acini of polarized epithelium with a distinct lumen, show a distinct laminin basement membrane, and express alpha6beta1 integrins at their basal end. Exposure to conditioned medium from NIH 3T3 cultures accelerates glandular morphogenesis. Parallel cultures maintained as monolayers on plastic remain as monolayers. In the presence of the synthetic androgen mibolerone, acinar cells express prostate specific antigen (PSA) as determined by immunostaining. We conclude that normal prostate cells can undergo acinar morphogenesis while tumorigenic cells have lost this ability. The 3-D cultures provide physiologically relevant in vitro models for elucidating regulation of growth, morphogenesis and differentiation in the normal human prostate, for defining heterotypic interactions in benign prostatic hyperplasia and for establishing the basis for the loss of normal cell organization in early neoplastic lesions such as PIN as well as during tumor progression in prostate cancer.

Cellular aging, destabilization, and cancer.

Three major characteristics of aging in animals are a slowdown of cell proliferation, an increase in residual bodies associated with age pigments, and a marked increase in the likelihood of neoplastic transformation. The 28 L subline of the NIH 3T3 line of mouse embryo fibroblasts exhibits all these characteristics when held at confluence for extended periods. The impairment of proliferation is the first behavioral characteristic detected in low density subcultures from the confluent cultures, and it persists through many cell generations of exponential multiplication. There is an equal degree of growth impairment among replicate cultures (lineages) recovered after each of 2 successive rounds of confluence, although heterogeneity appears after the third round. The growth impairment pervades the entire cell population of each lineage. The degree and duration of impairment increase with repeated rounds of confluence. A marked increase of residual bodies characteristic of age pigments occurs in the cytoplasm of all the cells kept under prolonged confluence. Neoplastic transformation first appears as foci of multilayered cells on a monolayered background of nontransformed cells. The transformed cells arise at different times in the lineages and originate from a very small fraction of the population. The transformed cells selectively overgrow the entire population in successive rounds of confluence leading to an increase in saturation density of each lineage at different times. Under cloning conditions, isolated colonies of transformed cells develop more slowly than colonies of nontransformed cells but eventually reach a higher population density. The regularity of persistent growth impairment among the lineages and the appearance of large numbers of residual bodies in all the cells of each population are more characteristic of an epigenetic process than of specific local mutations. although random chromosomal lesions cannot be ruled out. By contrast, the low frequency and stochastic character of neoplastic transformation are consistent with a conventional genetic origin. The advent in long-term confluent NIH 3T3 cultures of three cardinal characteristics of cellular aging in vivo recommends it as a model for aging cells.

Thymidine secretion by cultured chicken embryo fibroblasts and [formula omitted] cells: Quantification and time course

Cultured chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) as well as mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts secrete substantial amounts of thymidine into the medium. The rate of secretion is maximal when the cells become confluent. In the medium of confluent primary cultures of CEF up to 10 μM thymidine was measured. Lower concentrations (1 to 2 μM) were found in media of NIH 3T3 cultures. In media conditioned by NIH 3T3 cells, the degradation product thymine was also found, which was not detectable in the sera and the media of CEF. Moderate inhibitory effects on the growth of CEF and NIH 3T3 cells (at least 10% with a relatively large range of variation) indicated that thymidine (2 to 5 μM) might contribute to cellular homeostasis. The secretion of high amounts of endogenous thymidine into cell culture media may falsify the assessment of DNA synthesis with labeled thymidine; thus a change of the medium is recommended when performing a thymidine pulse.

Development of transformed phenotype induced by a human [formula omitted] oncogene is inhibited by interferon

Mouse IFN inhibited the development of transformed foci in NIH 3T3 cultures transfected with the viral Ha-MuSV( ras ) and Mo-MuSV( mos ) oncogenes, or with the human bladder carcinoma ras EJ T24 DNA. IFN treatment five or seven days after transfection was still effective in inhibiting the oncogenic transformation, but did not inhibit significantly the biochemical transformation induced by pSV2-neo or Ecogpt DNA, so that inhibition of ras -induced transformation was not a result of a general effect on the transfection process. Treatment with IFN did not alter the expression of ras EJ T24 DNA after the transformed phenotype had been established.