Uninduced Mice Research Articles

OR27-05 Two-pronged Mediation Of Adrenal Steroidogenesis By Oxytocin

Abstract Disclosure: U. Cheliadinova: None. G. Pevnev: None. V. Ryu: None. T. Frolinger: None. S.L. Sims: None. M. Ofer: None. F. Korkmaz: None. O. Barak: None. J. Gimenez Roig: None. F. Sultana: None. N. Kramskiy: None. S. Wizman: None. M. Orloff: None. T. Yuen: None. D. Lizneva: None. M. Zaidi: None. A. Gumerova: None. Stress–stimulated glucocorticoid release affects diverse biological processes, including pregnancy and childbirth. The controversy surrounding effects of OXT on stress prompted us to investigate its actions on adrenal cortical function in mice. RNAscope and immunohistochemistry provided unequivocal evidence for abundant OXT receptor (OXTR) expression in the adrenal cortex, predominantly in zona fasciculata and zona reticularis. Female mice displayed higher adrenal cortical Oxtr expression, more than a range of other tissues under study. Oxtr expression was also detected in the adenohypophysis solely in female mice, while both male and female mice expressed Oxtr in the pars intermedia of the hypophysis. Aging impressively attenuated Oxtr expression in female mice in both the adrenal gland and adenohypophysis. For loss–of–function studies, we generated tissue–specific Star-CreERT2/Oxtrfl/fl mice in which the Oxtr was deleted from steroidogenic tissues, namely adrenals and ovaries. Deletion was confirmed by RNAscope and immunohistochemistry. We found no difference in serum corticosterone between tamoxifen–induced and uninduced mice; however, the elevation of serum corticosterone upon ACTH stimulation or after four weeks of stress was attenuated in tamoxifen–induced mice. Bulk RNAseq of adrenals from tamoxifen–induced mice revealed the downregulation of key steroidogenic genes, namely Cyp17a1, Hsd3b3, Hsd17b2, Cyp3a41b, and Serpina6 (a corticosteroid–binding globulin). In gain–of–function studies, a single OXT injection led to a rise of serum ACTH in tamoxifen–induced mice, which was greater in magnitude than uninduced controls. However, after five days of OXT injections, corticosterone levels became elevated, whereas ACTH levels declined to baseline. This suggests that OXT acts directly on OXTRs on corticotropes to initiate a stress–like response, with a negative feedback loop that inhibits further ACTH secretion. Of note is that male mice did not display any difference between tamoxifen–induced and uninduced groups, consistent with their low hypophyseal Oxtr expression. In all, we describe a novel gender–specific two–pronged circuit through which OXT may precisely regulates the production of corticosterone from the adrenal cortex. In the first arm, OXT directly stimulates ACTH secretion through adenohypophysis OXTRs. In the second arm, OXT prevents excessive stress–induced adrenal stimulation by downregulating steroidogenic genes. Our discovery lays the foundation for the emergence of new physiology that may relate to a fundamental role for oxytocin in the stress response during procreation, notably, when levels are elevated during pregnancy and lactation. Presentation: Saturday, June 17, 2023

S-Nitrosylation of RhoGAP Myosin9A Is Altered in Advanced Diabetic Kidney Disease.

The molecular pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease progression is complex and remains unresolved. Rho-GAP MYO9A was recently identified as a novel podocyte protein and a candidate gene for monogenic FSGS. Myo9A involvement in diabetic kidney disease has been suggested. Here, we examined the effect of diabetic milieu on Myo9A expression in vivo and in vitro. We determined that Myo9A undergoes S-nitrosylation, a post-translational modification dependent on nitric oxide (NO) availability. Diabetic mice with nodular glomerulosclerosis and severe proteinuria associated with doxycycline-induced, podocyte-specific VEGF164 gain-of-function showed markedly decreased glomerular Myo9A expression and S-nitrosylation, as compared to uninduced diabetic mice. Immortalized mouse podocytes exposed to high glucose revealed decreased Myo9A expression, assessed by qPCR, immunoblot and immunocytochemistry, and reduced Myo9A S-nitrosylation (SNO-Myo9A), assessed by proximity link assay and biotin switch test, functionally resulting in abnormal podocyte migration. These defects were abrogated by exposure to a NO donor and were not due to hyperosmolarity. Our data demonstrate that high-glucose induced decrease of both Myo9A expression and SNO-Myo9A is regulated by NO availability. We detected S-nitrosylation of Myo9A interacting proteins RhoA and actin, which was also altered by high glucose and NO dependent. RhoA activity inversely related to SNO-RhoA. Collectively, data suggest that dysregulation of SNO-Myo9A, SNO-RhoA and SNO-actin may contribute to the pathogenesis of advanced diabetic kidney disease and may be amenable to therapeutic targeting.

FC 015LACK OF PLASMINOGEN RELATES TO A HYPERCOAGULABLE STATE IN MICE WITH EXPERIMENTAL NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

Abstract Background and Aims Urinary excretion of the fibrinolytic enzyme plasminogen has been identified as a characteristic feature of nephrotic syndrome (NS) in both human and experimental mouse models. Lack of plasminogen may lead to a hypercoagulable state and thrombosis, and mice with plasminogen deficiency have been shown to suffer from developing spontaneous thrombosis. However, the role of plasminogen in hypercoagulable state and thrombosis in an experimental nephrotic syndrome has not been investigated before. Method We investigated the relationship between plasminogen and a hypercoagulable state in an inducible nephrotic mouse model with conditional podocyte-specific podocin deletion (Nphs2Δipod * Plg+/+, n=12). The Nphs2Δipod mice with constitutive plasminogen knockout were used as negative plasminogen control (Nphs2Δipod * Plg-/-, n=15). All mice received a daily oral doxycycline administration for 2 weeks for NS induction. The last day of doxycycline treatment was set as day 0. Spot urine was collected daily for proteinuria and urinary plasmin activity measurement. Citrate blood was collected from each mouse before induction of NS, 7 days and 21 days after induction, respectively (Nphs2Δipod * Plg+/+ mice, n=4/timepoint; Nphs2Δipod * Plg-/- mice, n=5/timepoint). A global assessment of coagulation (extrinsic coagulation test, EX test) was examined by ClotPro® system. Besides, fibrinolysis was tested by adding tissue plasminogen activator (TPA test). Results According to the EX test, uninduced mice with plasminogen deficiency showed a significantly reduced clotting time (CT, Plg-/- vs. Plg+/+, 42 ± 1s vs. 54 ± 4s, p=0.0213), and decreased clot formation time (CFT, Plg-/- vs. Plg+/+, 82 ± 5s vs. 206 ± 28s p<0.0001) with a larger alpha-angle (Plg-/- vs. Plg+/+, 75 ± 1° vs. 66 ± 2°, p=0.0041). The maximum clot firmness (MCF) was significantly increased in uninduced plasminogen knockout mice (Plg-/- vs. Plg+/+, 45 ± 0.5mm vs. 32 ± 2.5mm p<0.0001). According to the TPA test, uninduced Nphs2Δipod *Plg-/-mice had a faster velocity of clot formation (α-angle, 75.6 ± 0.2° vs. 66.5 ± 1.6°, p=0.0254) and did not show any clot lysis in contrast to uninduced nphs2Δipod * plg+/+mice. After induction of NS, both Nphs2Δipod * Plg-/-mice and Nphs2Δipod * Plg+/+ mice developed massive proteinuria to a comparable extent (Plg-/- vs. Plg+/+on day 21, 218 ± 46mg/mg crea vs. 203 ± 28mg/mg crea), and plasminuria was detectable in nephrotic nphs2Δipod * plg+/+ mice. With the ongoing loss of plasminogen in the urine, CT and CFT was significantly reduced in nephrotic Nphs2Δipod * Plg+/+ mice. MCF was significantly increased with a faster velocity of clot formation measured by both the EX and TPA test. Moreover, clot lysis was significantly reduced. In nephrotic nphs2Δipod *plg-/-mice at day 21, there was also a tendency towards a decrease in CT, CFT and an increased velocity of clot formation. According to both EX and TPA test, there were no significant differences between the genotypes in nephrotic mice any more. Conclusion The results highlight that loss of plasminogen in the nephrotic state contributes to a hypercoagulable state with shortened clotting time, clot formation time, increased clot firmness, and most strikingly, loss of clot lysis. Changes in nephrotic wild-type mice were similar to mice with constitutive plasminogen deficiency, indicating that loss of plasminogen plays a role in the hypercoagulable state of nephrotic syndrome.

In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy detection of metabolite abnormalities in aged Tat-transgenic mouse brain.

Most individuals living with HIV in the USA are over 45 years old and are vulnerable to the combined effects of HIV and aging. Antiretroviral therapies reduce HIV morbidity and mortality but do not prevent HIV trans-activator of transcription (Tat) protein expression or development of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND), which may be caused by Tat. Tat-transgenic (Tat-tg) mice are used to study Tat's effects, typically after transgene induction with doxycycline. However, uninduced Tat-tg mice experience transgene leak and model aspects of HAND when aged, including neuroinflammation. We used in vivo 9.4-tesla proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to compare neurochemistry in aged versus young female and male uninduced Tat-tg mice. Aged Tat-tg mice demonstrated measurable tat mRNA brain expression and had lower medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) GABA, glutamate, and taurine levels and lower striatal GABA and taurine levels. Females had lower MPFC glutathione and taurine and lower striatal taurine levels. Brain testosterone levels were negatively correlated with age in aged males but not females. Aged mice had cortical abnormalities not previously reported in aged wild-type mice including lower MPFC GABA and taurine levels. As glutathione and taurine levels reflect inflammation and oxidative stress, our data suggest that Tat may exacerbate these processes in aged Tat-tg mice. However, additional studies in controls not expressing Tat are needed to confirm this point and to deconvolve individual effects of age and Tat expression. Sex steroid hormone supplements, which counter climacteric effects, increase taurine levels, and reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, could attenuate some of the brain abnormalities we identified in aged Tat-tg mice.

MO061PLASMINOGEN DEFIENCY DOES NOT PROTECT MICE FROM SODIUM RETENTION IN EXPERIMENTAL NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

Abstract Background and Aims Sodium retention and edema formation are the hallmarks of nephrotic syndrome and thought to be mediated by proteolytic activation of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) by aberrantly filtered serine proteases. Plasmin is highly abundant in nephrotic urine and has been proposed to be the principal serine protease responsible for ENaC activation in nephrotic syndrome. However, there is not enough evidence to demonstrate the essential role of plasmin in mediating sodium retention in an experimental nephrotic model. Method We investigated sodium retention and edema formation in a mouse model of nephrotic syndrome based on an inducible podocyte-specific podocin knockout (Bl6-Nphs2tm3.1Antc or Δipod * Tg(Nphs1-rtTA*3G8Jhm)* Tg(tetO-cre) 1Jaw). To generate an inducible podocin knockout with plasminogen deficient model (Nphs2Δipod * Plg-/-, hereafter referred to as Plg-/-), plasminogen deficient mice (Bl6-Plgtm1Jld or -/-) were intercrossed with Nphs2Δipod mice. Nephrotic syndrome was induced after oral doxycycline treatment for 14 days. Body weight, urinary protein, urinary sodium excretion, as well as urinary plasmin activity were daily determined 14 days after end of induction. To determine if sodium retention can be prevented by serine protease inhibitor aprotinin in Plg+/+ and Plg-/- mice after induction of nephrotic syndrome, sustained-release pellets containing aprotinin (2 mg per day) or placebo pellets were implanted to either Plg+/+ or Plg-/- mice (n=4 per group). Results Uninduced Plg+/+ (n=6-13) and Plg-/- mice (n=6-14) had normal kidney function and sodium handling. After end of doxycycline induction, there was no significant differencein proteinuria increase between Plg+/+ (from 2 ± 0 to 161 ± 16 mg/mg creatinine, p<0.05) and Plg-/- mice (from 9 ± 8 to 146 ± 44 mg/mg creatinine, p<0.05) leading to similar hypoalbuminemia. In urine samples from Plg+/+ mice, Western blot revealed urinary excretion of plasminogen/plasmin which was completely absent in Plg-/- mice. Accordingly, urinary plasmin activity was only detectable in Plg+/+ mice using a chromogenic substrate. After onset of proteinuria, amiloride-sensitive natriuresis was increased compared to uninduced mice indicating ENaC activation. While urinary sodium excretion dropped in both genotypes indicating sodium retention (from 193 ± 16 to 16 ± 6 µmol/24h in Plg+/+ mice, p<0.05; from 229 ± 11 to 26 ± 7 µmol/24h in Plg-/-mice, p<0.05). As a consequence, body weight maximum increased in both genotypes 21 ± 1% in Plg+/+ and 17 ± 2% in Plg-/- mice (p=0.616) and was paralleled by development of ascites. Urinary amidolytic activity were completely prevented by the presence of aprotinin, as well as sodium retention and ascites in both Plg+/+and Plg-/- mice. Conclusion This study shows for the first time that mice lacking urinary plasmin are not protected from ENaC-mediated sodium retention in experimental nephrotic syndrome, however it can be prevented by aprotinin. These findings point to an essential role of other hitherto unknown serine proteases excreted in nephrotic urine.

Conditional Up-Regulation of SERCA2a Exacerbates RyR2-Dependent Ventricular and Atrial Arrhythmias.

Ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2) and SERCA2a are two major players in myocyte calcium (Ca) cycling that are modulated physiologically, affected by disease and thus considered to be potential targets for cardiac disease therapy. However, how RyR2 and SERCA2a influence each others’ activities, as well as the primary and secondary consequences of their combined manipulations remain controversial. In this study, we examined the effect of acute upregulation of SERCA2a on arrhythmogenesis by conditionally overexpressing SERCA2a in a mouse model featuring hyperactive RyR2s due to ablation of calsequestrin 2 (CASQ2). CASQ2 knock-out (KO) mice were crossbred with doxycycline (DOX)-inducible SERCA2a transgenic mice to generate KO-TG mice. In-vivo ECG studies have shown that induction of SERCA2a (DOX+) overexpression markedly exacerbated both ventricular and atrial arrhythmias in vivo, compared with uninduced KO-TG mice (DOX-). Consistent with that, confocal microscopy in both atrial and ventricular myocytes demonstrated that conditional upregulation of SERCA2a enhanced the rate of occurrence of diastolic Ca release events. Additionally, deep RNA sequencing identified 17 downregulated genes and 5 upregulated genes in DOX+ mice, among which Ppp1r13l, Clcn1, and Agt have previously been linked to arrhythmias. Our results suggest that conditional upregulation of SERCA2a exacerbates hyperactive RyR2-mediated arrhythmias by further elevating diastolic Ca release.

Expression of a Degradation-Resistant β-Catenin Mutant in Osteocytes Protects the Skeleton From Mechanodeprivation-Induced Bone Wasting.

Mechanical stimulation is a key regulator of bone mass, maintenance, and turnover. Wnt signaling is a key regulator of mechanotransduction in bone, but the role of β-catenin-an intracellular signaling node in the canonical Wnt pathway-in disuse mechanotransduction is not defined. Using the β-catenin exon 3 flox (constitutively active [CA]) mouse model, in conjunction with a tamoxifen-inducible, osteocyte-selective Cre driver, we evaluated the effects of degradation-resistant β-catenin on bone properties during disuse. We hypothesized that if β-catenin plays an important role in Wnt-mediated osteoprotection, then artificial stabilization of β-catenin in osteocytes would protect the limbs from disuse-induced bone wasting. Two disuse models were tested: tail suspension, which models fluid shift, and botulinum-toxin (botox)-induced muscle paralysis, which models loss of muscle force. Tail suspension was associated with a significant loss of tibial bone mass and density, reduced architectural properties, and decreased bone formation indices in uninduced (control) mice, as assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), micro-computed tomography (µCT), and histomorphometry. Activation of the βcatCA allele in tail-suspended mice resulted in little to no change in those properties; ie, these mice were protected from bone loss. Similar protective effects were observed among botox-treated mice when the βcatCA was activated. RNAseq analysis of altered gene regulation in tail-suspended mice yielded 35 genes, including Wnt11, Gli1, Nell1, Gdf5, and Pgf, which were significantly differentially regulated between tail-suspended β-catenin stabilized mice and tail-suspended nonstabilized mice. Our findings indicate that selectively targeting/blocking of β-catenin degradation in bone cells could have therapeutic implications in mechanically induced bone disease. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Gfi1-GCE inducible Cre line for hair cell-specific gene manipulation in mouse inner ear.

Tissue-specific inducible Cre recombinase mouse lines allow precise genetic manipulations in spatiotemporal manners and are pivotal for functional studies of genes during development and in adults. Growth factor independence 1 (GFI1) is an essential transcription factor expressed in the hair cells of mouse inner ear and Gfi1 locus serves as an excellent anchor site to drive the expression of inducible Cre recombinase in mouse inner hair cells. In this study, we have generated Gfi1-P2A-GFP-CreERT2 (Gfi1-GCE) knock-in mouse line by in-frame fusion of a self-cleaving GCE to the C-terminus of GFI1. We have shown that as predicted, the expression of GCE and GFI1 was detected specifically in the cytosol and nuclei of hair cells, respectively, of uninduced Gfi1-GCE mice, suggesting the successful cleavage and simultaneous expression of GFI1 and GCE. In addition, the in-frame fusion of the self-cleaving GCE does not interrupt the function of Gfi1 in the inner ear. Administration of tamoxifen leads to nuclear translocation of GCE and results in an efficient activation of tdTomato reporter gene expression specifically in most hair cells throughout development and in adults. Thus, this inducible Gfi1-GCE mouse line is a highly efficient Cre deleter and is suitable for gene manipulation in developing and adult inner ear hair cells.

Positive regulation of biochemical parameters by tea polyphenol encapsulated solid lipid nanoparticles at in vitro and in vivo conditions.

Tea polyphenols (TPPs) comprise preventive and therapeutic potentials against cancer, cardiovascular and neurological disorders. Chemical instability of TPP which leads to low bioavailability is the major constrain to its use as therapeutic agent. The authors prepared TPP encapsulated solid lipid nanoparticles (TPP-SLNs) to increase its stability and bioefficacy. Comparison of Fourier transformed infrared spectra of unloaded SLN, free TPP and TPP-SLN indicated encapsulation of TPP. Sustained release of TPP from TP-SLN was observed. TPP-SLN showed prolonged free radical scavenging activity compared with free TPP indicating protection of TPP. TPP-SLN showed activation of Caspases-9 and -3 cascades in breast cancer cell line (Michigan cancer foundation (MCF)-7) at in vitro conditions. Biochemical parameters were altered in Ehrlich ascetic carcinoma (EAC) cell bearing mice compared with normal (uninduced) mice which were ameliorated significantly by oral feeding of TPP-SLN. Oral administration (pre- and post-treated) of TPP-SLN in EAC bearing mice resulted in significant increase of plasma haemoglobin, glucose, superoxide dismutase and catalase when compared with EAC bearing control mice. Other biochemical parameters (cholesterol, bilirubin, triglyceride, urea, total protein, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and aspertate transaminase were significantly decreased on oral administration (pre- and post-treated) of TPP-SLN in EAC bearing mice.

Lack of global epigenetic methylation defects in CBS deficient mice.

Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) deficiency is a recessive inborn error of metabolism in which patients have extremely elevated plasma total homocysteine and have clinical manifestations in the vascular, visual, skeletal, and nervous systems. Homocysteine is an intermediary metabolite produced from the hydrolysis of S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), which is a by-product of methylation reactions involving the methyl-donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). Here, we have measured SAM, SAH, DNA and histone methylation status in an inducible mouse model of CBS deficiency to test the hypothesis that homocysteine-related phenotypes are caused by inhibition of methylation due to elevated SAH and reduced SAM/SAH ratio. We found that mice lacking CBS have elevated cellular SAH and reduced SAM/SAH ratios in both liver and kidney, but this was not associated with alterations in the level of 5-methylcytosine or various histone modifications. Using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation in combination with microarray, we found that of the 241 most differentially methylated promoter probes, 89% were actually hypermethylated in CBS deficient mice. In addition, we did not find that changes in DNA methylation correlated well with changes in RNA expression in the livers of induced and uninduced CBS mice. Our data indicates that reduction in the SAM/SAH ratio, due to loss of CBS activity, does not result in overall hypomethylation of either DNA or histones.

Exposure to HIV-1 Tat protein potentiates the rewarding effects of morphine and reinstates extinguished conditioned place preference

Exposure to HIV-1 Tat protein potentiates the rewarding effects of morphine and reinstates extinguished conditioned place preference

Regulation of PPAR-alpha pathway by Dicer revealed through proteomic analysis

Dicer is a crucial RNase III enzyme in miRNA biogenesis pathway. Although numerous studies have been carried out to investigate the role of miRNAs and Dicer in the regulation of biological processes, few studies have examined proteomic alterations upon knockout of Dicer. We employed a Cre-loxP-based inducible knockout mouse system to investigate the proteome regulated by Dicer-dependent miRNAs. We utilized spiked liver lysates from metabolically labeled mice to quantify the subtle changes in the liver proteome upon deletion of Dicer. We identified 2137 proteins using high resolution tandem mass spectrometry analysis. The upregulated proteins included several enzymes involved in peroxisomal β-oxidation of fatty acids and a large majority of the upregulated proteins involved in lipid metabolism were known PPARα targets. MRM-based assays were carried out to confirm the upregulation of enzymes including peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1, cytochrome P450 3A13, cytochrome P450 3A41 and myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate. Further, miRNA-124 which is predicted to regulate expression of peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme was confirmed to be downregulated in the Dicer knockout mice. Our study demonstrates the strength of coupling knockout mouse models and quantitative proteomic strategies to investigate functions of individual proteins in vivo. Dicer dependent miRNA biogenesis is the major pathway for generation of mature miRNAs. We developed SILAC mouse-based proteomics screen to identify protein targets of Dicer-dependent miRNAs in liver of Dicer knockout mice. We spiked liver lysates of induced and uninduced Dicer knockout mice with liver lysate of SILAC labeled mice for identification of dysregulated proteome. We quantitated 1217 proteins of which 257 were upregulated in induced Dicer knockout mice. We observed enrichment of PPAR-α targets and proteins involved in lipid metabolism among upregulated proteins. We further carried out MRM-based validation of peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1, Cyp3A13, Cyp3A41 and myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate. We further validated upregulation of peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme using Western blot analysis and downregulation of its predicted upstream miRNA, miR-124 using qRT-PCR. Our study demonstrates that upon ablation of Dicer, certain Dicer-dependent miRNAs are dysregulated which result in dysregulation of their target proteins such as proteins associated with lipid metabolism. Our study illustrates the use of SILAC strategy for quantitative proteomic investigations of animal model systems.

Bioluminescent Imaging of HPV-Positive Oral Tumor Growth and Its Response to Image-Guided Radiotherapy

The treatment paradigms for head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) are changing due to the emergence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated tumors possessing distinct molecular profiles and responses to therapy. Although patients with HNSCCs are often treated with radiotherapy, preclinical models are limited by the ability to deliver precise radiation to orthotopic tumors and to monitor treatment responses accordingly. To better model this clinical scenario, we developed a novel autochthonous HPV-positive oral tumor model to track responses to small molecules and image-guided radiation. We used a tamoxifen-regulated Cre recombinase system to conditionally express the HPV oncogenes E6 and E7 as well as a luciferase reporter (iHPV-Luc) in the epithelial cells of transgenic mice. In the presence of activated Cre recombinase, luciferase activity, and by proxy, HPV oncogenes were induced to 11-fold higher levels. In triple transgenic mice containing the iHPV-Luc, K14-CreER(tam), and LSL-Kras transgenes, tamoxifen treatment resulted in oral tumor development with increased bioluminescent activity within 6 days that reached a maximum of 74.8-fold higher bioluminescence compared with uninduced mice. Oral tumors expressed p16 and MCM7, two biomarkers associated with HPV-positive tumors. After treatment with rapamycin or image-guided radiotherapy, tumors regressed and possessed decreased bioluminescence. Thus, this novel system enables us to rapidly visualize HPV-positive tumor growth to model existing and new interventions using clinically relevant drugs and radiotherapy techniques.

Abstract 3283: Conditional Low-molecular-weight (LMW) cyclin E-induced mammary tumorigenesis

Abstract Cyclin E overexpression and generation of hyperactive LMW cyclin E is oncogenic and has been implicated in a variety of human cancers. We have developed a doxycycline-inducible LMW cyclin E transgenic mouse model to determine the dependence of established mammary adenocarcinomas on continued expression of LMW cyclin E. Mice harboring this TetO-LMW-E transgene, referred to as TLMW, were mated to MMTV-rtTA transgenic mice (MTB) to yield bitransgenic MTB/TLMW mice. Morphological examination of hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections showed that the mammary glands of induced MTB/TLMW mice following four days of doxycycline induction were hyperplastic compared with uninduced MTB/ TLMW animals. Consistent with this, immunohistochemistry using antibodies specific for BrdU revealed a 2-fold increase in BrdU incorporation in the mammary epithelium of induced bitransgenic females compared with uninduced mice (17.1+/−5.3% versus 30.9+/−4.9%, P=0.03). This data indicate that LMW cyclin E overexpression in the mammary epithelium increased proliferation. To determine whether sustained induction of transgene expression would result in mammary tumorigenesis in MTB/TLMW mice, a cohort of 27 bitransgenic females was treated with doxycycline beginning at 6 weeks of age. 41% of these mice developed tumors within 2 years of starting doxycycline with kinetics (T1/2= 20 months) resembling that described for MMTV-LMW cyclin E mice. Similarly, the predominant type of tumor observed for the inducible LMW forms was glandular adenocarcinomas with adenosquamous differentiation. Lung metastases are known to arise in a fraction of MMTV-LMW cyclin E transgenic mice harboring primary mammary tumors. Accordingly, we sacrificed a subset of mammary tumor bearing MTB/TLMW mice and examined organs at necropsy for evidence of metastatic spread. 4 of 7 mice examined had lung metastasizes (57%). Control mice without dox never developed mammary tumors. To shed further light on the molecular mechanisms of mammary tumorigenesis caused by LMW-E expression, we conducted DNA microarray analyses. Using the R package limma, 641 probes out of 30,854 probes were identified as differentially regulated by at least 2-fold by LMW-E in the tumors when compared to the contralateral mammary glands. Gene Ontology analysis identified genes on this list that were involved in a variety of processes, including cell cycle control of chromosome replication, and DNA methylation and transcriptional repression signaling. Based on histology and gene expression profile of the resultant mammary tumors, we propose that the MTB/TLMW is a murine model of breast cancer resembling the human invasive basal/triple negative breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3283. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3283

Abstract 388: mS100a7a15 enhances mammary tumor growth and metastasis by recruiting tumor associated macrophages

Abstract mS100a7a15 is the murine ortholog of human S100A7 and S100A15 proteins. Both S100A7 and S100A15 have been shown to play an important role in breast cancer. S100A7 has been shown to be highly expressed in high grade ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive breast cancers. Its expression is also related to poor prognosis and associated with increased inflammatory infiltrates and various inflammatory disorders. However, the exact mechanism by which S100A7 or S100A15 enhances breast cancer growth is not known. In the present study, we determined the molecular mechanisms by which mS100a7a15 enhances growth by overexpressing mS100a7a15 in MDA-MB-231 cells. We showed that mS100a7a15 enhances expression of proinflammatory molecules CXCL1 and CXCL8. In addition, we observed that supernatants obtained from mS100a7a15 overexpressing cells enhanced chemotaxis of murine RAW264.7 macrophages. Further elucidation revealed that mS100a7/a15 mediates its effects by binding to receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). We further analyzed the role of mS100a7a15 on modulation of tumor growth and inflammatory pathways in breast cancer by generating inducible bi-transgenic MMTV-rtTA; mS100a7a15 mice (MMTV-mS100a7a15). These mice showed enhanced mS100a7a15 protein expression upon doxycycline treatment. Mammary glands isolated from these mice showed enhanced hyperplasia upon doxycycline treatment for 3 months compared to uninduced mice. Further studies revealed enhanced recruitment of macrophages in mammary glands and activation of STAT3 in induced mice. Orthotopic implantation of MVT-1 breast tumor cells (derived from MMTV-c-Myc; MMTV-VEGF mice) into the mammary glands of these mice showed enhanced tumor growth and metastasis in doxycycline treated mice compared to the control. Tumors and lung tissues obtained from these mice showed enhanced pro-metastatic gene expression and recruitment of F4/80 and CD206 positive M2 tumor-associated macrophages (TAM). However, no difference was observed in CD3+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes. Further elucidation of the role of macrophages by in vivo depletion of macrophages using clodronate liposomes revealed that mS100a7a15-mediated recruitment of TAM is important for tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis. Furthermore, mice treated with STAT3 inhibitors showed reduced mS100a7a15-induced hyperplasia. STAT3 has been shown to regulate expression of various inflammatory molecules. These studies using a novel mS100a7a15 bi-transgenic model system demonstrate that mS100a7a15 enhances breast tumor growth and metastasis by enhancing inflammatory signals that result in enhanced recruitment of TAM. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 388. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-388

S100A7 Enhances Mammary Tumorigenesis through Upregulation of Inflammatory Pathways

S100A7/psoriasin, a member of the epidermal differentiation complex, is widely overexpressed in invasive estrogen receptor (ER)α-negative breast cancers. However, it has not been established whether S100A7 contributes to breast cancer growth or metastasis. Here, we report the consequences of its expression on inflammatory pathways that impact breast cancer growth. Overexpression of human S100A7 or its murine homologue mS100a7a15 enhanced cell proliferation and upregulated various proinflammatory molecules in ERα-negative breast cancer cells. To examine in vivo effects, we generated mice with an inducible form of mS100a7a15 (MMTV-mS100a7a15 mice). Orthotopic implantation of MVT-1 breast tumor cells into the mammary glands of these mice enhanced tumor growth and metastasis. Compared with uninduced transgenic control mice, the mammary glands of mice where mS100a7a15 was induced exhibited increased ductal hyperplasia and expression of molecules involved in proliferation, signaling, tissue remodeling, and macrophage recruitment. Furthermore, tumors and lung tissues obtained from these mice showed further increases in prometastatic gene expression and recruitment of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM). Notably, in vivo depletion of TAM inhibited the effects of mS100a7a15 induction on tumor growth and angiogenesis. Furthermore, introduction of soluble hS100A7 or mS100a7a15 enhanced chemotaxis of macrophages via activation of RAGE receptors. In summary, our work used a powerful new model system to show that S100A7 enhances breast tumor growth and metastasis by activating proinflammatory and metastatic pathways.

Roles for β-Catenin and Doxycycline in the Regulation of Respiratory Epithelial Cell Frequency and Function

The expression of β-catenin-dependent genes can be increased through the Cre recombinase (Cre)-mediated elimination of the exon 3-encoded sequence. This mutant β-catenin is termed DE3, and promotes the expression of β-catenin-dependent genes. Our previous study used the DE3 model to demonstrate that persistent β-catenin activity inhibited bronchiolar Clara-to-ciliated cell differentiation. The present study was designed to evaluate the roles of β-catenin in regulating the tracheal progenitor cell hierarchy. However, initial experiments demonstrated that the tetracycline-responsive element-Cre transgene (TRE-Cre) was active in the absence of a reverse tetracycline transactivator driver or inducer, doxycycline (Dox). This spurious TRE-Cre transgene activity was not detected using the ROSA26-floxed STOP-LacZ reporter. To determine if the phenotype was a consequence of genotype or treatment with Dox, tracheal and lung specimens were evaluated using quantitative histomorphometric techniques. Analyses of uninduced mice demonstrated a significant effect of genotype on tracheal epithelial cell mass, involving basal, Clara-like cell types. The bronchial and bronchiolar Clara cell mass was also decreased. Paradoxically, an effect on ciliated cell mass was not detected. Activation of the β-catenin reporter transgene TOPGal demonstrated that β-catenin-dependent gene expression led to the genotype-dependent tracheal and bronchiolar phenotype. Comparative analyses of wild-type or keratin 14-rtTA(+/0)/TRE-cre(+/0)/DE3(+/+) mice receiving standard or Dox chow demonstrated an effect of treatment with Dox on basal, Clara-like, and Clara cell masses. We discuss these results in terms of cautionary notes and with regard to alterations of progenitor cell hierarchies in response to low-level injury.

Abstract 403: Overexpression of S100A7 enhances mammary tumorigenesis through upregulation of inflammatory pathways

Abstract Objective: Psoriasin (S100A7), small 11 kDa calcium binding protein, has been shown to be highly expressed in ER-alpha-negative (ERα−) invasive breast carcinomas with poor patient outcome. However, the role of S100A7 in breast cancer progression and metastasis is not well understood. Here we elucidate S100A7-mediated effects in breast tumorogenesis. Methods: We studied EGF-mediated cell migration and cell motility in vitro in S100A7 overexpressing MDA-MB-231 (231-S100A7) cells by standard assays. We generated bi-transgenic MMTV-rtTA; mS100A7/A15 mice which expressed mS100A7/A15 in mammary glands under doxycycline (Dox) (1g/kg) treatment. Mammary glands were isolated and stained for carmine, H&E and immunostaining according to the standard protocols. We also injected MVT1 cells (derived from MMTV-c-Myc; MMTV-VEGF) orthotopically into the mammary glands of bi-transgenic mice to study the role of mS100A7/A15 in mammary tumor growth and metastasis. Results: In the present investigation, we have shown that S100A7 overexpression in ERα− breast cancer cell line enhanced EGF-induced migration and wound healing compared to vector control cells. Further elucidation of signaling mechanisms reveal that S100A7 enhanced EGF-induced EGFR and Stat3 activation. Microarray and real time PCR analysis revealed upregulation of pro-inflammatory molecules such as CXCL8, CXCL1, IL-1α, serum amyloid A2 (SAA2) and MMP9 in 231-S100A7 cells compared to 231-Vec. These results were further confirmed with cytokine array analysis in the conditioned media (CM) of 231-S100A7 cells compared to 231-Vec. To further characterize the role of S100A7, we targeted the expression of murine homologue of S100A7, also known as mS100A7/A15, to mammary epithelial cells by generating bi-transgenic MMTV-rtTA; mS100A7/A15 mice. Morphological examination of the mammary glands after three months of Dox treatment revealed ductal hyperplasia, enhanced mS100A7/A15, Ki67 and cyclin D1 expression compared to uninduced mice. We also showed enhanced activation of Stat3, AKT, ERK1/2, MMP2 and SAA2 in the mammary glands of these mice. We further observed enhanced tumor growth and metastasis of orthotopically injected MVT1 cells in Dox treated compared to untreated mice. Tumors and lung tissues obtained from Dox treated bi-transgenic mice showed increased expression of prometastatic genes and enhanced recruitment of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM). Furthermore, CM from 231-S100A7 cells significantly enhanced migration of THP1-differentiated macrophages. Conclusion: These findings suggest that S100A7 may regulate breast cancer progression and metastasis by enhancing inflammatory signals that result in enhanced recruitment of TAM. Furthermore, these studies suggest that S100A7 is a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 403. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-403

Apolipoprotein B and triacylglycerol secretion in human triacylglycerol hydrolase transgenic mice

Apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins play a critical role in whole body lipid homeostasis and the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The assembly of hepatic apoB-containing lipoproteins, VLDL, is governed by the availability of lipids, including triacylglycerol (TG). The majority of TG associated with VLDL is derived from the hepatic cytoplasmic lipid stores by a process involving lipolysis followed by reesterification. Microsomal triacylglycerol hydrolase (TGH) has been demonstrated to play a role in the lipolysis/reesterification process. To evaluate the potential regulatory role of TGH in hepatic VLDL assembly, we developed inducible transgenic mice expressing a human TGH minigene under the control of the mouse metallothionein promoter. Induction of human TGH by zinc resulted in liver-specific expression of the enzyme associated with 3- to 4-fold increases in lipolytic activity that could be attenuated with a TGH-specific inhibitor. Augmented TGH activity led to increased secretion of newly synthesized apoB and plasma TG levels. These results suggest that increased hepatic expression of TGH leads to a more proatherogenic plasma lipid and apoB profile.

Inducible Cre recombinase activity in mouse cerebellar granule cell precursors and inner ear hair cells

A transgenic mouse line expressing the CreER(TM) fusion protein under the control of the Math1 enhancer was generated. Expression of the transgene in the postnatal mouse was restricted to hair cells of the inner ear and granule neurons in the external granule layer of the cerebellum in a temporally regulated manner. Cre activity was virtually nonexistent in uninduced mice; however, treatment of newborn pups with tamoxifen, leading to nuclear translocation of the fusion protein, resulted in efficient recombination at LoxP sites in the appropriate cell types. Up to two thirds of cerebellar granule neurons and 80-90% of cochlear hair cells underwent Cre-specific recombination. This mouse line provides a powerful tool to dissect gene function at early and late stages in development of the cerebellum and inner ear.