Site-directed mutagenesis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae beta-tubulin: interaction between residue 167 and benzimidazole compounds

Benzimidazoles are widely used as anthelmintic agents and systemic fungicides. In susceptible organisms, benzimidazoles bind to beta-tubulin and block microtubule polymerization. To further characterize this interaction, site-directed mutagenesis followed by gene replacement was used to change Saccharomyces cerevisiae beta-tubulin residue Phe-167 to Tyr. Consistent with previous studies, this mutation resulted in at least 3-4-fold decreased sensitivity to the benzimidazole derivatives carbendazim and nocodazole. The Tyr-167 mutant was cold sensitive, implying a direct effect on benzimidazole binding rather than a nonspecific increase in microtubule stability. Surprisingly, the mutant had 8-fold increased sensitivity to the derivative benomyl, which is structurally identical to carbendazim except at position 1. This suggests that residue 167 interacts with benzimidazoles in the vicinity of the 1-position.

Phylogenetic analysis of beta-tubulin sequences from amitochondrial protozoa

It has been proposed that certain extant anaerobic protozoa are descended from organisms that diverged early in eukaryotic evolution prior to the acquisition of mitochondria. Among these are the extracellular parasites Giardia lamblia, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Entamoeba histolytica, and the obligately intracellular microsporidia. Phylogenetic analysis of rRNA sequences from these amitochondrial organisms suggests that G. lamblia, T. vaginalis, and microsporidia are near the base of the eukaryotic tree, while E. histolytica clusters with mitochondria-containing species. However, since eukaryotes likely evolved by symbiotic associations, it is important to analyze other sequences which may have independent origins. Unlike ribosomes, microtubules appear to be unique to eukaryotes. Complete gene sequences for the beta-tubulin subunit of microtubules from T. vaginalis, E. histolytica, and the microsporidian Encephalitozoon hellem have recently been determined. Phylogenetic relationships among these, G. lamblia, and 20 additional beta-tubulins were analyzed by distance matrix and parsimony methods, using alpha- and gamma-tubulin outgroups. All analyses placed the E. histolytica sequence at the base of the beta-tubulin evolutionary tree. Similar results were obtained for E. histolytica alpha-tubulin using a less representative set of sequences. In contrast, the E. hellem sequence branched considerably higher, within the lineage containing animal and fungal beta-tubulins. Possible explanations are considered for these unexpected differences between the beta-tubulin and rRNA trees.

Inhibition of tumor promotion in SENCAR mouse skin by ethanol extract of Zingiber officinale rhizome

There is considerable emphasis on identifying potential chemopreventive agents present in food consumed by the human population. Ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale), known commonly as ginger, is consumed worldwide in cookeries as a spice and a flavoring agent. In prior in vitro studies, it has been shown that the water or organic solvent extract of ginger possesses antioxidative and antiinflammatory properties. In this study, we evaluated whether ethanol extract of ginger (GE) possesses anti-tumor-promoting effects in a mouse skin tumorigenesis model. Because skin tumor promoters induced epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), cyclooxygenase, and lipoxygenase activities, and edema and hyperplasia are conventionally used markers of skin tumor promotion, first, we assessed the effect of GE on these parameters. Preapplication of GE onto the skin of SENCAR mice resulted in significant inhibition of 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-caused induction of epidermal ODC, cyclooxygenase, and lipoxygenase activities and ODC mRNA expression in a does-dependent manner. Preapplication of GE to mouse skin also afforded significant inhibition of TPA-caused epidermal edema (56%) and hyperplasia (44%). In long-term tumor studies, topical application of GE 30 min prior to that of each TPA application to 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-initiated SENCAR mice resulted in a highly significant protection against skin tumor incidence and its subsequent multiplicity. The animals pretreated with GE showed substantially lower tumor body burdens compared with non-GE-treated controls. The results of our study, for the first time, provide clear evidence that GE possesses anti-skin tumor-promoting effects, and that the mechanism of such effects may involve inhibition of tumor promoter-caused cellular, biochemical, and molecular changes in mouse skin.

Mutations in ras oncogenes: rare events in ultraviolet B radiation-induced mouse skin tumorigenesis

The activation of ras proto-oncogenes by point mutation in a broad spectrum of clinical malignancies and experimentally induced tumors suggests their critical role in cancer induction. To determine whether the activation of ras proto-oncogenes by point mutation also contributes to ultraviolet B radiation (UVB)-induced skin tumorigenesis and whether this event is responsible for the different tumorigenic potentials of UVB radiation in different mouse strains, we analyzed the skin tumors induced by UVB in SKH-1 hairless and C3H mice for specific mutations in the Ha-, Ki-, and N-ras oncogenes. With the same UVB irradiation protocol, the latency period for tumor appearance was longer in C3H mice than in SKH-1 hairless mice. In addition, tumor incidence and multiplicity were also significantly higher (P<0.001, chi square and Wilcoxon rank sum tests) in SKH-1 hairless mice compared with C3H mice. None of the 30 skin tumor specimens (15 from each mouse strain) analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of specific codons followed by dot-blot hybridization with specific probes contained mutation in codons 13 of Ha-ras; 12, 13, and 61 of Ki-ras; or 12 and 13 of N-ras. However, three of the 15 tumors in SKH-1 hairless mice showed either a G35-->A or G35-->T transition at second position of Ha-ras codon 12. Interestingly, one of these tumors (with a G35-->A transition) also harbored an A182-->G mutation at second position of Ha-ras codon 61. None of the tumors from C3H mice showed mutations in codons 12 or 61 of the Ha-ras oncogene. With regard to codon 61 of the N-ras oncogene, six tumors from SKH-1 hairless mice and 10 tumors from C3H mice showed an A183-->T transversion. While G35-->A or G35-->T transition detected by PCR and dot-blot hybridization was confirmed by sequencing, the mutations identified similarly at codon 61 in either the Ha- or N-ras oncogenes could not be verified by sequencing of PCR-amplified products subcloned into plasmid vectors. With the exception of the low incidence of Ha-ras oncogene mutations at codon 12 in SKH-1 hairless mouse skin tumors induced by UVB, the striking absence of mutations in the Ha-, Ki-, and N-ras oncogenes in UVB-induced mouse skin tumors suggests that ras oncogene mutations are rare and thus are not an initiating event in photocarcinogenesis.

Entamoeba histolytica encodes a highly divergent beta-tubulin

The microtubules of the amitochondrial parasite Entamoeba histolytica are atypical in certain respects. Consistent with this, we report that E. histolytica encodes the most divergent beta-tubulin identified to date, with only 54% to 58% identity to beta-tubulins from various species. A similarly divergent beta-tubulin is encoded by the related Entamoeba invadens; single gene copies appear to be present in both organisms. The Entamoeba sequences were compared with a database of 101 beta-tubulins, including the highly divergent sequence from another amitochondrial protozoan, Trichomonas vaginalis. A total of 81 residues were universally conserved, and 76 residues varied only once. Correlations with previous studies indicate that microtubule function is altered when most, but not all, conserved residues are mutated.

Protection against ultraviolet-B radiation-induced local and systemic suppression of contact hypersensitivity and edema responses in C3H/HeN mice by green tea polyphenols

Exposure of skin to UV radiation can cause diverse biological effects, including induction of inflammation, alteration in cutaneous immune cells and impairment of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) responses. Our laboratory has demonstrated that oral feeding as well as topical application of a polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea (GTP) affords protection against the carcinogenic effects of UVB (280-320 nm) radiation. In this study, we investigated whether GTP could protect against UVB-induced immunosuppression and cutaneous inflammatory responses in C3H mice. Immunosuppression was assessed by contact sensitization with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene applied to UVB-irradiated skin (local suppression) or to a distant site (systemic suppression), while double skin-fold swelling was used as the measure of UVB-induced inflammation. Topical application of GTP (1-6 mg/animal), 30 min prior to or 30 min after exposure to a single dose of UVB (2 kJ/m2) resulted in significant protection against local (25-90%) and systemic suppression (23-95%) of CHS and inflammation in mouse dorsal skin (70-80%). These protective effects were dependent on the dose of GTP employed; increasing the dose (1-6 mg/animal) resulted in an increased protective effect (25-93%). The protective effects were also dependent on the dose of UVB (2-32 kJ/m2). Among the four major epicatechin derivatives present in GTP, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, the major constituent in GTP, was found to be the most effective in affording protection against UVB-caused CHS and inflammatory responses. Our study suggests that green tea, specifically polyphenols present therein, may be useful against inflammatory dermatoses and immunosuppression caused by solar radiation.

Inhibition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and other skin tumor-promoter-caused induction of epidermal interleukin-1 alpha mRNA and protein expression in SENCAR mice by green tea polyphenols

Recent studies have shown that topical application of the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) to murine skin results in increased expression of the highly inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1 alpha in the epidermis. This has led to the suggestion that IL-1 alpha directly or indirectly mediates the inflammatory and hyperplastic responses elicited by TPA and possibly by other skin tumor promoters. In the current study, we investigated the effect of skin application of a polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea (GTP) to SENCAR mice on skin tumor-promoter-caused induction of cutaneous edema and hyperplasia, and IL-1 alpha mRNA expression. Pretreatment of the skin with GTP 30 min before that of anthralin, benzoyl peroxide, mezerein, and TPA resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of cutaneous edema and epidermal hyperplasia caused by each of these tumor promoters. Northern blot analysis indicated that topical application of TPA, anthralin, mezerein, or benzoyl peroxide to SENCAR mice resulted in an increased expression of epidermal IL-1 alpha mRNA. Pretreatment of the skin with GTP or individual epicatechin derivatives (ECDs) present therein, 30 min before that of TPA, resulted in a significant inhibition of enhanced expression of epidermal IL-1 alpha mRNA caused by skin application of TPA. These inhibitory effects were found to be dependent on the dose of GTP. Among four epicatechin derivatives present in GTP, (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate were more effective than (-)-epigallocatechin and (-)-epicatechin in affording this inhibition. Preapplication of GTP was also found to afford inhibition against anthralin-, benzoyl peroxide-, and mezerein-caused increased expression of epidermal IL-1 alpha mRNA and protein. Our study suggests that the inhibition of tumor-promoter-induced IL-1 alpha mRNA and protein expression in mouse epidermis by green tea in combination with other inhibitory effects may be responsible for the anti-tumor-promoting and anti-inflammatory effects of GTP.

Comparisons of ribosomal RNA sequences from amitochondrial protozoa: implications for processing, mRNA binding and paromomycin susceptibility

The amitochondrial (a-mt) protozoa include four groups of organisms that are of interest as important human parasites and as probable descendents of the earliest branches of eukaryotic evolution. These organisms have not been directly compared in terms of structure and function of a specific molecule. We sequenced portions of their rRNA-encoding genes coding for the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and 2) and adjoining small subunit (SS), 5.8S and large subunit (LS) rRNAs. Included are sites for RNA processing, mRNA interaction and aminoglycoside binding, as well as potential protein-encoding genes. The ITS of all a-mt protozoa examined are relatively short, but otherwise diverse. They include one or two predominant nucleotides (A in Entamoeba and Trichomonas, T in Encephalitozoon and C in Giardia) and have minimal potential secondary structure, which may form the basis for the preferential processing of ITS sequences. The mechanism employed by a-mt protozoa to bind mRNA may be unique, since Giardia, Trichomonas and Entamoeba mRNAs have usually short 5' non-coding regions. In bacteria, the 3' terminus of the SS rRNA is involved in mRNA binding; analysis of Entamoeba and Trichomonas mRNA 5' non-coding sequences suggests an analogous mechanism involving potential base pairing to the loop of the terminal SS rRNA hairpin. Giardia sensitivity to paromomycin was previously correlated with the presence of a C:G bp near the decoding region of SS rRNA. This bp is also present in Entamoeba and Trichomonas, consistent with their susceptibility. Its absence in Encephalitozoon and other microsporidia predicts paromomycin resistance, and suggests a distinct evolutionary origin for this group.

Antiprotozoal activities of benzimidazoles and correlations with beta-tubulin sequence

Benzimidazoles have been widely used since the 1960s as anthelmintic agents in veterinary and human medicine and as antifungal agents in agriculture. More recently, selected benzimidazole derivatives were shown to be active in vitro against two protozoan parasites, Trichomonas vaginalis and Giardia lamblia, and clinical studies with AIDS patients have suggested that microsporidia are susceptible as well. Here, we first present in vitro susceptibility data for T. vaginalis and G. lamblia using an expanded set of benzimidazole derivatives. Both parasites were highly susceptible to four derivatives, including mebendazole, flubendazole, and fenbendazole (50% inhibitory concentrations of 0.005 to 0.16 microgram/ml). These derivatives also had lethal activity that was time dependent: 90% of T. vaginalis cells failed to recover following a 20-h exposure to mebendazole at 0.17 microgram/ml. G. lamblia, but not T. vaginalis, was highly susceptible to five additional derivatives. Next, we examined in vitro activity of benzimidazoles against additional protozoan parasites: little or no activity was observed against Entamoeba histolytica, Leishmania major, and Acanthamoeba polyphaga. Since the microtubule protein beta-tubulin has been identified as the benzimidazole target in helminths and fungi, potential correlations between benzimidazole activity and beta-tubulin sequence were examined. This analysis included partial sequences (residues 108 to 259) from the organisms mentioned above, as well as the microsporidia Encephalitozoon hellem and Encephalitozoon cuniculi and the sporozoan Cryptosporidium parvum. beta-tubulin residues Glu-198 and, in particular, Phe-200 are strong predictors of benzimidazole susceptibility; both are present in Encephalitozoon spp. but absent in C. parvum.

Inhibitory effect of silymarin, an anti-hepatotoxic flavonoid, on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced epidermal ornithine decarboxylase activity and mRNA in SENCAR mice

In recent years, considerable emphasis has been placed on identifying new cancer chemopreventive agents which could be useful for human populations. Silymarin, an anti-oxidant flavonoid isolated from artichoke, has been shown to possess significant activity against hepatotoxicity and other pharmacological and physiological disorders. Since many antioxidants inhibit tumor promotion, and because ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is a well known biochemical marker of tumor promotion, we assessed the effect of skin application of silymarin on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced epidermal ODC activity and ODC mRNA levels in SENCAR mice. Application of silymarin at doses of 0.5-18 mg (1-37 mumol)/mouse prior to that of TPA (2.5 micrograms) treatment resulted in significant inhibition of TPA-induced epidermal ODC activity in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Northern blot analysis revealed that topical application of silymarin at the dose of 2 mg/mouse resulted in almost complete inhibition of TPA-induced epidermal ODC mRNA. In other studies, silymarin also showed significant inhibition of epidermal ODC activity induced by several other tumor promoters, including free radical-generating compounds. Our data suggest that silymarin could be a useful anti-tumor promoting agent capable of ameliorating the tumor promoting effects of a wide range of tumor promoters.

Inhibition of spontaneous and photo-enhanced lipid peroxidation in mouse epidermal microsomes by epicatechin derivatives from green tea

In recent years green tea has been shown to afford protection against chemical- and photo-carcinogenesis in several animal tumor bioassay systems. It has been suggested that the wide range of anticarcinogenic properties of green tea may be due to the antioxidant effect of epicatechins present therein. In this study, we assessed whether these epicatechin derivatives (ECDs)--namely (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and (-)-epicatechin (EC) inhibit spontaneous and photo-enhanced lipid peroxidation (LPO) in mouse epidermal microsomes. Our data indicate that significant inhibition (significance levels for P, < 0.05 to < 0.0001) was evident by EGCG, EGC and ECG in Fe3+/ADP supported LPO. Interestingly each of these epicatechin derivatives was also effective in inhibiting photo-enhanced LPO generated by incubating epidermal microsomes in the presence of silicon phthalocyanine and 650 nm irradiation. However, at equimolar basis, EGCG, which is also the major constituent in GTP, showed maximum inhibitory effects compared to other ECDs. Taken together, our results provide the direct evidence for the antioxidant property of ECDs, and suggest that such an effect may contribute towards anticarcinogenic (specifically anti-skin tumor) promoting effects of green tea.

Beta-tubulin genes of Trichomonas vaginalis

Microtubules, formed by polymerization of alpha and beta-tubulins, are major structural components of the mitotic spindle, cytoskeleton, and flagella, and are also an important target for the antiparasitic benzimidazole drugs. Trichomonas vaginalis, a flagellated protozoan responsible for urogenital tract infections in humans, is highly sensitive to certain benzimidazoles in vitro. As a first step towards defining the roles of microtubules in this organism, the regulation of their expression, and the basis for their benzimidazole sensitivity, we have characterized the genes encoding T. vaginalis beta-tubulin. A combination of genomic DNA cloning using bacteriophage lambda and PCR amplification using conserved beta-tubulin gene primers was employed. Southern blots of DNA from two different T. vaginalis strains suggest there are 6-7 beta-tubulin gene copies. Sequencing identified three distinct genes: btub1, btub2, and btub3. Amplification of cDNA with gene-specific primers indicated that the relative expression of RNA transcripts was btub1 > btub2 >> btub3. The promoter region from btub1 includes a 15-bp repeat also found (with 1-bp difference) upstream of the T. vaginalis ferredoxin gene. Primer extension suggests the 5' leader of the mRNA transcribed from btub1 is only 10 nucleotides long, similar to the lengths found in other anaerobic protozoa. In 152 residues examined by PCR, btub2 and btub3 differed by 1 and 12 amino acids, respectively, from btub1. All three sequences, however, have diverged considerably (20-24%) from beta-tubulins of other protozoa. T. vaginalis beta-tubulins include residues Tyr167 and Phe200, previously implicated in resistance and sensitivity, respectively, to the benzimidazole derivative benomyl.

Green tea and skin--anticarcinogenic effects

Because of its special aroma, green tea is a popular beverage consumed by some human populations worldwide. In recent years, many laboratory studies have shown that in a variety of animal tumor bioassay systems the administration of green tea, specifically the polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea leaves (green tea polyphenols), affords protection against cancer induction. In mouse skin tumor bioassay systems, topical application of green tea polyphenols to skin has been shown to result in protection against a) 3-methylcholanthrene-induced skin tumorigenicity, b) 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced skin tumor initiation, c) 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and other tumor promoters caused tumor promotion in DMBA-initiated skin, and d) benzoyl peroxide- and 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide caused enhanced malignant progression of nonmalignant lesions. Green tea extract has also been shown to cause partial regression of established skin papillomas in mouse. Similarly, chronic oral feeding of green tea polyphenols or water extract of green tea has also been shown to result in the protection against both chemical carcinogen- and ultraviolet B radiation-induced skin tumorigenicity. Collectively these data suggest that green tea possesses significant chemopreventive effect against each stage of carcinogenesis, and that it may be useful against inflammatory responses associated with the exposure of skin to chemical tumor promoters as well as to solar radiation. Available data regarding the mechanism by which green tea affords these diversified effects is discussed.

Conservative management of empyema thoracis and broncho-pleural fistula

One hundred and eight cases of empyema with and without broncho pulmonary fistula (BPF) were studied to analyse the efficacy of conservative management (aspiration/s and/or ICD). It was successful in 87.04% cases. Among those treated with intercostal drainage, the tube was removed within 2 months in 61.22%, 5 months in 71.42%, and 24 months in 85.71% cases. Only 14.29% cases showed persistent air leak even after 2 years of closed drainage. It was concluded that all cases of simple empyema and most cases of empyema with BPF can be managed successfully with conservative methods including aspirations and closed intercostal tube drainage.

Inhibition of both stage I and stage II skin tumor promotion in SENCAR mice by a polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea: inhibition depends on the duration of polyphenol treatment

The polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea (GTP) is a potent inhibitor of phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced tumor promotion in mouse skin. In this study, we assessed the effect of GTP on both stage I and stage II skin tumor promotion, and also analyzed the effect of duration of GTP treatment on skin tumor promotion in SENCAR mice. Topical application of GTP (6 mg/animal) concurrently with each application of either TPA (3.2 nmol) or mezerein (3.2 nmol) in stage I or stage II of the murine skin tumor promotion protocol, respectively, resulted in significant protection against skin papilloma formation in terms of both tumor multiplicity (42-50%) and tumor growth (43-54%). More profound and sustained protective effects of GTP were evident when it was applied continuously during both stage I and stage II of the skin tumor promotion protocol concurrently with TPA or mezerein treatments, respectively. Under this treatment regimen, compared to non-GTP-treated positive controls, GTP application showed 71%, 37% and 74% protection in terms of tumor multiplicity, tumor incidence and tumor growth, respectively. These data indicate that GTP inhibits both stage I and stage II of skin tumor promotion and that the inhibition of tumor promotion depends on the duration of GTP treatment.

Protection against malignant conversion of chemically induced benign skin papillomas to squamous cell carcinomas in SENCAR mice by a polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea

Progression of benign tumors to malignant cancer is critical since cancerous lesions are capable of metastatic spread and eventually causing death. Inhibitors of the conversion process, therefore, would likely be useful as cancer chemopreventive agents. In this study, we assessed the protective effect of topical application of a polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea (GTP) against spontaneous as well as benzoyl peroxide (BPO)- and 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide (4-NQO)-enhanced malignant conversion of chemically induced skin papillomas in SENCAR mice. Papillomas were induced in SENCAR mice by topical application of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene as a tumor-initiating agent followed by twice a week application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate as a tumor-promoting agent. Beginning at the 20th week, when papilloma yield was stabilized, enhanced malignant conversion was achieved by twice weekly topical application of either BPO or 4-NQO, whereas spontaneous malignant conversion was associated with topical application of acetone. In these protocols, preapplication of GTP (6 mg/animal) 30 min prior to skin application of acetone, BPO, or 4-NQO resulted in 14, 31, and 29% protection, respectively, in terms of percentage of mice with carcinomas, and 20, 35, and 43% protection in terms of number of carcinomas/mouse. In these experiments, a BPO- and 4-NQO-enhanced rate of malignant conversion was also found to be decreased significantly by the skin application of GTP; however, such effects of GTP were less profound in the cases of spontaneous malignant conversion. The results of this study suggest that, in addition to its chemopreventive effects against tumor initiation and promotion stages of multistage carcinogenesis, green tea also possesses significant protective effects against tumor progression, specifically tumor progression induced by BPO and 4-NQO.

Protection against ultraviolet B radiation-induced effects in the skin of SKH-1 hairless mice by a polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea

In prior studies we and others have shown that oral feeding of a polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea (GTP) or water extract of green tea affords protection against ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation-induced carcinogenesis in SKH-1 hairless mice (Wang et al., Carcinogenesis 12, 1527-1530, 1991). It is known that exposure of murine skin to UVB radiation results in cutaneous edema, depletion of the antioxidant-defense system and induction of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and cyclooxygenase activities. In this study we assessed the protective effect of GTP on these UVB radiation-caused changes in murine skin. Oral feeding of 0.2% GTP (wt/vol) as the sole source of drinking water for 30 days to SKH-1 hairless mice followed by irradiation with UVB (900 mJ/cm2) resulted in significant protection against UVB radiation-caused cutaneous edema (P < 0.0005) and depletion of the antioxidant-defense system in epidermis (P < 0.01-0.02). The oral feeding of GTP also resulted in significant protection against UVB radiation-caused induction of epidermal ODC (P < 0.005-0.01) and cyclooxygenase activities (P < 0.0001) in a time-dependent manner. Our data indicate that the inhibition of UVB radiation-caused changes in these markers of tumor promotion in murine skin by GTP may be one of the possible mechanisms of chemopreventive effects associated with green tea against UVB-induced tumorigenesis. The results of this study suggest that green tea, specifically polyphenols present therein, may be useful against inflammatory responses associated with the exposure of skin to solar radiation.

Protective effects of green tea polyphenols administered by oral intubation against chemical carcinogen-induced forestomach and pulmonary neoplasia in A/J mice

Our studies and others have shown the cancer chemopreventive effects of chronic administration of green tea in several animal tumor models. In this study, the administration of a polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea (GTP) by oral intubation at a dose of 5 mg in 0.2 ml water 30 min prior to challenge with carcinogen, afforded significant protection against both diethylnitrosamine (DEN)- and benzo(a)pyrene (BP)-induced forestomach and lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice. The protective effects were evident by a decrease in numbers of tumors/mouse in GTP-fed groups compared to non GTP-fed controls. In the forestomach tumorigenesis protocol, GTP afforded 71 and 66% protection against, respectively DEN- and BP-induced tumor multiplicity. In the case of lung tumorigenesis protocol, however, the protective effects of GTP were 41 and 39%, respectively. Histological examination of forestomach tumors showed significantly lesser number of squamous cell carcinoma formation in GTP-fed groups of mice compared to carcinogen alone-treated controls. When pulmonary tumors were examined histologically, no adenocarcinomas were observed in GTP-fed groups compared to 15% mice with adenocarcinomas in DEN and BP alone-treated controls. The results of this study suggest that limited doses of GTP administration by gavage 30 min prior to carcinogen challenge may afford protection against carcinogen-induced tumorigenesis in internal body organs.

Protection against N-nitrosodiethylamine and benzo[a]pyrene-induced forestomach and lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice by green tea

In recent years we and others have shown the cancer chemopreventive effects of green tea in several animal tumor models. In this study we assessed the cancer chemopreventive effects of water extract of green tea (WEGT) and the polyphenolic fraction (GTP) isolated from WEGT against N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN)- and benzo[a]pyrene (BP)-induced forestomach and lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice. The protective effects, both in forestomach and lungs, were evident by a decrease in number of tumors and the percentage of mice with tumors when WEGT and GTP were fed to animals during initiation, post-initiation and entire period of tumorigenesis protocols. Oral feeding of 0.2% GTP in drinking water to mice afforded 68-82 and 39-66% protection against DEN- and BP-induced forestomach tumorigenesis respectively. In case of pulmonary tumor multiplicity caused by DEN and BP, the protective effects of GTP were between 38-43 and 25-46% respectively. Similarly, oral feeding of 2.5% WEGT to mice also afforded 80-85 and 61-71% protection against DEN- and BP-induced forestomach tumorigenesis respectively. In case of lung tumorigenesis, the protective effects of WEGT were 43-62 and 25-51% respectively. Histological studies of forestomach tumors showed significantly lower squamous cell carcinoma counts in GTP- and WEGT-fed groups of mice compared to carcinogen alone treated control group of mice. When pulmonary tumors were examined histologically, no adenocarcinomas were observed in GTP- and WEGT-fed groups of mice compared to 20% mice with adenocarcinomas in carcinogen alone treated control group. Oral feeding of GTP and WEGT in drinking water also showed significant enhancement in the activities of glutathione S-transferase and NADP(H): quinone reductase in liver, small bowel, stomach and lung. The results of this study suggest that green tea possesses chemopreventive effects against carcinogen-induced tumorigenesis in internal body organs, and that the mechanism of such effects may involve the enhancement of phase II and anti-oxidant enzyme systems.

Protection against 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-caused inflammation in SENCAR mouse ear skin by polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea

Earlier studies conducted in our laboratory have shown that a polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea (GTP) possesses anti-skin tumor initiating and anti-skin tumor promoting activity in the two-stage skin tumorigenesis protocol in SENCAR mouse. We have also shown that topical application of GTP inhibits tumor promoter-caused induction of epidermal ornithine decarboxylase activity in SENCAR mice in a dose-dependent manner, and that its oral feeding in drinking water to SKH-1 hairless mice enhances antioxidant and phase II enzyme activity in liver, lung, small bowel and skin. In this study, we show that single or multiple applications of GTP on SENCAR mouse ear prior to or after the application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) afford significant protection (P < 0.05) against TPA-induced edema. Pre-application of GTP also afforded significant protection against TPA-induced hyperplasia in the ear skin. The percentage protection by GTP both in terms of epidermal thickness and vertical cell layers was 75 and 90% respectively (P < 0.005). In further studies, we assessed the protective effect of GTP against TPA-caused infiltration of neutrophils in the ear skin of SENCAR mouse, by determining a naturally occurring constituent of neutrophils, myeloperoxidase, as a quantitative marker of tissue neutrophil content. Prior application of GTP resulted in significant protection against TPA-caused infiltration of neutrophils (P < 0.005). These results suggest that GTP possesses potential as a cancer chemopreventive agent against stage I tumor promotion.

Domain V of Giardia lamblia large-subunit rRNA: structure of the peptidyl transferase loop from an early-branching eukaryote and correlation with antibiotic sensitivity

Large subunit rRNA (LSR) sequences that have been implicated in peptide bond formation form a specific secondary structure called the peptidyl transferase loop (PTL). Although well conserved, the PTLs of eubacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes have several distinct differences. These differences correlate with different sensitivities to peptidyl transferase and translocase inhibitors. To shed light on the basis for these kingdom-specific differences in PTL structure and function, we have analyzed the sequence and secondary structure of LSR domain V, which contains the PTL, from Giardia lamblia. This parasitic protozoan derives from a very early branch in eukaryotic evolution, and its rRNA was previously shown to have bacteria-like features. In vitro and cell-free systems were also used to test the sensitivity of G. lamblia protein synthesis to specific PTL-targeted inhibitors. Our results indicate that the PTL structure and inhibitor sensitivity typical of higher eukaryotes is conserved in G. lamblia. However, several adjacent domain V sequences more closely resemble archaebacterial rRNA, confirming the 'primitive' nature of G. lamblia rRNA. Thus, the eukaryotic PTL has been conserved over a vast evolutionary period. We speculate that the eukaryotic PTL is primordial and employs specific RNA-RNA interactions to catalyze protein synthesis. Three potential interactions were identified.

Inhibition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-caused tumor promotion in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-initiated SENCAR mouse skin by a polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea

Our laboratory has been studying cancer chemopreventive effects of polyphenolic fraction isolated from green tea (GTP). In prior studies we have shown that (a) GTP possesses antigenotoxic effects in various test systems; (b) topical application of GTP protects against UV radiation and chemical carcinogen-induced tumorigenesis in murine skin; and (c) feeding of GTP in drinking water p.o. to mice protects against carcinogen-induced forestomach and lung tumorigenesis. Recently, we showed that in a dose-dependent manner GTP inhibits tumor promoter-caused induction of epidermal ornithine decarboxylase activity in SENCAR mice (R. Agarwal et al., Cancer Res., 52: 3582-3588, 1992). In the present study, we assessed the effect of GTP on TPA-induced skin tumor promotion in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-initiated SENCAR mouse. Topical application of varying doses of GTP (1-24 mg) 30 min prior to that of each TPA application resulted in highly significant protection against skin tumor promotion in a dose-dependent manner. The animals pretreated with GTP showed substantially lower tumor body burden such as decrease in total number of tumors per group, number of tumors per animal, tumor volume per mouse, and average volume per tumor, as compared to the animals that did not receive GTP. Since TPA-induced epidermal cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase activities and edema and hyperplasia are conventionally used markers of skin tumor promotion, we also assessed the effect of preapplication of GTP on these parameters. As quantitated by the formation of prostaglandin and hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid metabolites from, respectively, cyclooxygenase- and lipoxygenase-catalyzed metabolism of arachidonic acid, skin application of GTP to SENCAR mice resulted in significant inhibition of TPA-caused effects on these 2 enzymes. Prior application of GTP to mouse skin also resulted in 30-46% inhibition of TPA-induced epidermal edema and hyperplasia. The results of the present study suggest that GTP possesses anti-skin tumor-promoting effects, and that the mechanism of such effects may involve inhibition of tumor promoter-induced epidermal ornithine decarboxylase, cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase activities, edema, and hyperplasia. Further studies are in progress to define which component present in GTP is responsible for its anti-skin tumor-promoting effects.