Enhanced antitumor effects of bone marrow transplantation in combination with fibroblast-mediated IL-2 and IL-3 gene therapy

BACKGROUND

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and gene therapy are potent approaches to the recovery of bone marrow depression and induction of antitumor immunity after chemotherapy for the treatment of malignancies. In the present study, enhanced antitumor effect of BMT in combination with fibroblast-mediated interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-3 gene therapy was observed in tumor-bearing mice after chemotherapy.

METHODS

BALB/c mice were inoculated s.c. with J558L plasmacytoma cells and injected i.p. with cyclophosphamide 300 mg/kg 3 days later. 24 hours after chemotherapy syngeneic bone marrow cells in combination with NIH3T3 fibroblast cells engineered to produce IL-2 (NIH3T3-IL-2) and/or NIH3T3 cells engineered to produce IL-3 (NIH3T3-IL-3) were implanted into the tumor-bearing mice.

RESULTS

BMT in combination with implantation of either NIH3T3-IL-2 or NIH3T3-IL-3 cells exerted significant inhibition on the growth of J558L tumors and prolonged the survival period of the tumor-bearing mice as compared with the treatments with Hanks solution, BMT alone, or BMT plus implantation of NIH3T3 cells transduced with Neo gene. Synergistic antitumor effect was observed in mice after combined BMT and cytokine gene therapy. The cytotoxicities of natural killer cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and macrophages in mice increased markedly after the combined treatment. Recovery of CFU-GM, CFU-MK and CFU-E formation in mice after combined therapy was accelerated obviously in mice after combined therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

BMT in combination with fibroblast-mediated IL-2 and IL-3 gene therapy elicited augmented antitumor effects synergistically in tumor-bearing mice after chemotherapy mainly through induction of antitumor immune response and accelerated recovery of hematopoiesis.

Development of a universal immunoenzyme quantitative assay for detecting amplified products of nucleic acid and its preliminary application in hepatitis C virus

OBJECTIVE

To develop a universal quantitative immunoenzyme assay (EIA) for detecting amplified products of nucleic acid and its application in hepatitis C virus (HCV).

METHODS

The appropriate cycle number of amplification was selected to stop polymerase chain reaction (PCR) before the "plateau stage". At the same time, primers HCV (3) of the second PCR were modified with biotin so that the amplified products were labeled. The products were diluted and subsequently added to the streptavidin-coated wells, and the biotinylated products were captured, followed by denaturation of NaOH, and non-biotinylated strands were removed. Hybridization was performed by adding the specific probe labeled with fluorescein. Finally antifluorescein horse radish peroxidase (HRP) conjugates were added, after washing, 3, 3', 5, 5',-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) was added to the wells and then measured on a microplate reader.

RESULTS

EIA detection of amplified products of HCV showed that this assay was rapid, sensitive, specific and accurate. Correlation between the initial number of viral template and the EIA of amplified products was good. We also prospectively investigated the response to interferon in five patients with HCV coinfection. Results showed that this assay could be used as a guidance to the clinical therapy in directing the use of antiviral drugs.

CONCLUSIONS

This assay could be widely used as a universal technique for the quantitative detection of amplified products of all nucleic acid (such as virus, bacterium) and other human genes (such as HLA B27), it has vast vistas.

EMF induces differentiation in HL-60 cells

This investigation provides evidence that a 60-Hz electromagnetic field (EMF) at 1 gauss (G) can drive differentiation of cultured hematopoietic progenitor cells. HL-60 cells are known to differentiate from a nonphagocytic suspension culture to an attached fibroblast-like culture with high phagocytic activity in the presence of the tumor-promoting phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbal-13-acetate (TPA). The effect of 60-Hz EMF at 1 G on differentiation is approximately equivalent to treatment of the cells with 250-500 pg/ml TPA. Furthermore, the effect of both EMF and TPA treatment on differentiation is additive at low TPA concentrations. The results strongly suggest similarities between the effects of TPA treatment and EMF exposure and thus provide an approach for tracing the origins of the molecular effects of EMF exposure, as many transduction pathways in the differentiative process are defined.

Role of a conserved lysine residue in the peripheral cannabinoid receptor (CB2): evidence for subtype specificity

The human cannabinoid receptors, central cannabinoid receptor (CB1) and peripheral cannabinoid receptor (CB2), share only 44% amino acid identity overall, yet most ligands do not discriminate between receptor subtypes. Site-directed mutagenesis was employed as a means of mapping the ligand recognition site for the human CB2 cannabinoid receptor. A lysine residue in the third transmembrane domain of the CB2 receptor (K109), which is conserved between the CB1 and CB2 receptors, was mutated to alanine or arginine to determine the role of this charged amino acid in receptor function. The analogous mutation in the CB1 receptor (K192A) was found to be crucial for recognition of several cannabinoid compounds excluding (R)-(+)-[2, 3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-[(4-morpholinyl)methyl]pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]-1, 4-benzoxazin-6-yl](1-naphthalenyl)methanone (WIN 55,212-2). In contrast, in human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293 cells expressing the mutant or wild-type CB2 receptors, we found no significant differences in either the binding profile of several cannabinoid ligands nor in inhibition of cAMP accumulation. We identified a high-affinity site for (-)-3-[2-hydroxyl-4-(1, 1-dimethylheptyl)phenyl]-4-[3-hydroxyl propyl] cyclohexan-1-ol (CP-55,940) in the region of helices 3, 6, and 7, with S3.31(112), T3.35(116), and N7.49(295) in the K109A mutant using molecular modeling. The serine residue, unique to the CB2 receptor, was then mutated to glycine in the K109A mutant. This double mutant, K109AS112G, retains the ability to bind aminoalkylindoles but loses affinity for classical cannabinoids, as predicted by the molecular model. Distinct cellular localization of the mutant receptors observed with immunofluorescence also suggests differences in receptor function. In summary, we identified amino acid residues in the CB2 receptor that could lead to subtype specificity.

[Investigation and analysis of pregnancy gingivitis in 700 pregnancy women]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between the incidence of pregnancy gingivitis and pregnancy period as well as oral hygiene of pregnancy women. METHODS: From January 1995 to April 1996,700 pregnancy women were inquired and examinated clinically. RESULTS: The incidence of pregnancy gingivitis is 73.57%,of which,the incidence during the first trimester is 67.49%,the second 74.19% and the third,79.17%.The incidence of pregnancy epulis is 0.43%. CONCLUSION: The incidence of pregnancy gingivitis was increasing following the pregnancy month and sexual hormone.It was important of pregnancy women to consulting about oral hygiene.

Augmentation of antitumor effect of adenovirus-mediated CD suicide gene therapy by cotransfer of interleukin 2 gene in melanoma-bearing mice

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the antitumor effect of combined adenovirus encoding E. coli cytosine deaminase (AdCD) and adenovirus encoding murine interleukin 2 (AdIL-2) on murine melanoma.

METHODS

C57BL/6 mice were inoculated s.c. with B16F10 melanoma cells and 3 days later received injections of AdCD and/or AdIL-2 at the site of tumor inoculation followed by administration of 5-flurocytosine (5FC) 300 mg/kg per day for 10 days.

RESULTS

Mice receiving AdCD/5FC/AdIL2 therapy developed tumors more slowly and survived much longer when compared with mice treated with AdCD/5FC, AdIL2, AdlacZ/5FC, or PBS. Immunological analysis illustrated that combined treatment could enhance NK activity and CTL activity. Flow cytometry demonstrated that AdCD/5FC/AdIL2 therapy increased the expression of MHC-1 and CD80 molecules on freshly isolated tumor cells. The CD4+ and CD8+ T cell infiltration in the tumor increased significantly after the combined therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data showed that combined transfer of CD suicide gene and IL-2 gene could inhibit the tumor growth more significantly. The increased specific and non-specific antitumor immunity might be responsible for the enhanced therapeutic effect.

Antibody response to E2 glycoprotein induced in mice by immunization with plasmid DNA containing sequence derived from a Chinese genotype III/2a isolate of hepatitis C virus

OBJECTIVE

To induce antibody response against E2 glycoprotein derived from a Chinese genotype III/2a isolate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in BALB/C mice by plasmid DNA-based immunization.

METHODS

Plasmid p3W14 containing E2/NS1 gene derived from a Chinese genotype III/2a isolate of HCV, which was verified to express 70 kDa E2 glycoprotein in NIH3T3 cells, was used for direct intramuscular injection in BALB/C mice. Specific antibody to E2 glycoprotein was detected by recombinant E2 protein.

RESULTS

Specific anti-E2 antibody could be detected in mice inoculated with p3W14(5/6). Titer of antibody ranged from 1:15 to 1:120.

CONCLUSION

Successfully inducing anti-E2 antibody in mice by plasmid DNA-based immunization containing E2/NS1 gene from a Chinese genotype III/2a isolate of HCV is the first time in China.

Detection of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus RNA by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction

Recently, a novel RNA virus, designated GB virus C or hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) has been identified which may possibly be associated with human hepatitis. In this study, the nucleotide sequences of the partial nonstructural 5 (NS5) gene of GBV-C/HGV derived from sera of eight Chinese patients were determined. The overall degree of nucleotide conservation and the existence of regional highly conserved sequences make this part of the genome suitable for the development of diagnostic reagents. On the basis of sequence analysis, two sets of oligonucleotide primers were designed to establish a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of GBV-C/HGV RNA. The efficacy of three PCR methods (first, one stage PCR, second, nested PCR with primers from the NS5 region designed according to the prototype sequence and the third, our newly developed PCR) was compared in 133 Chinese patients with liver disease. The positive rates of these three methods were 8.3%, 11.3% and 18.0% respectively. The specificity of our PCR detecting system was verified by sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). In conclusion, because of the heterogeneity and geographic distribution character of GBV-C/HGV, it is necessary to assess the sequence variation among Chinese patients infected with GBV-C/HGV. This may allow to identify GBV-C/HGV RNA with high sensitivity and specificity.

Lymphotactin gene-modified bone marrow dendritic cells act as more potent adjuvants for peptide delivery to induce specific antitumor immunity

Dendritic cells (DC) are regarded as attractive candidates for cancer immunotherapy. Our aim is to improve the therapeutic efficacy of DC-based tumor vaccine by augmenting DC preferential chemotaxis on T cells. Mouse bone marrow-derived DC were transduced with lymphotactin (Lptn) gene by adenovirus vector. The supernatants from Lptn gene-modified DC (Lptn-DC) were capable of attracting CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in a chemotaxis assay, whereas their mock control could not. Lptn expression of Lptn-DC was further confirmed by RT-PCR. Lptn-DC were pulsed with Mut1 peptide and used for vaccination. Immunization with the low dose (1 x 10(4)) of Mut1 peptide-pulsed DC induced weak CTL activity, whereas the same amounts of Mut1 peptide-pulsed Lptn-DC markedly induced specific CTL against 3LL tumor cells. A single immunization with 1 x 10(4) Mut1 peptide-pulsed Lptn-DC could render mice resistant to a 5 x 10(5) 3LL tumor cell challenge completely, but their counterpart could not. The protective immunity induced by Mut1 peptide-pulsed Lptn-DC depends on both CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells rather than NK cells in the induction phase and depends on CD8+ T cells rather than CD4+ T cells and NK cells in the effector phase. Moreover, the involvement of CD28/CTLA4 costimulation pathway and IFN-gamma are also necessary. When 3LL tumor-bearing mice were treated with 1 x 10(4) Mut1 peptide-pulsed Lptn-DC, their pulmonary metastases were significantly reduced, whereas the same low dose of Mut1 peptide-pulsed DC had no obvious therapeutic effects. Our data suggest that Lptn-DC are more potent adjuvants for peptide delivery to induce protective and therapeutic antitumor immunity.

Cloning and stable maintenance of DNA fragments over 300 kb in Escherichia coli with conventional plasmid-based vectors

Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) and P1-derived artificial chromosome (PAC) systems were previously developed for cloning of very large eukaryotic DNA fragments in bacteria. We report the feasibility of cloning very large fragments of eukaryotic DNA in bacteria using conventional plasmid-based vectors. One conventional plasmid vector (pGEM11), one conventional binary plasmid vector (pSLJ1711) and one conventional binary cosmid vector (pCLD04541) were investigated using the widely used BAC (pBeloBAC11 and pECBAC1) and BIBAC (BIBAC2) vectors as controls. The plasmid vector pGEM11 yielded clones ranging in insert sizes from 40 to 100 kb, whereas the two binary vectors pCLD04541 and pSLJ1711 yielded clones ranging in insert sizes from 40 to 310 kb. Analysis of the pCLD04541 and pSLJ1711 clones indicated that they had insert sizes and stabilities similar to the BACs and BIBACs. Our findings indicate that conventional plasmid-based vectors are capable of cloning and stably maintaining DNA fragments as large as BACs and PACs in bacteria. These results suggest that many existing plasmid-based vectors, including plant and animal transformation and expression binary vectors, could be directly used for cloning of very large eukaryotic DNA fragments. The pCLD04541 and pSLJ1711 clones were shown to be present at at least 4-5 copies/cell. The high stability of these clones indicates that stability of clones does not seem contingent on single-copy status. The insert sizes and the copy numbers of the pCLD04541 and pSLJ1711 clones indicate that Escherichia coli can stably maintain at least 1200 kb of foreign DNA per cell. These results provide a new conceptual and theoretical basis for development of improved and new vectors for large DNA fragment cloning and transformation. According to this discovery, we have established a system for large DNA fragment cloning in bacteria using the two binary vectors, with which several very large-insert DNA libraries have been developed.

Effects of fibroblast-mediated interleukin 3 and interleukin 6 gene therapy on hematopoiesis in mice treated with 5-fluorouracil

Fibroblast-mediated cytokine gene therapy has proven to be a promising strategy for restoring hematopoiesis following repeated chemotherapy. Interleukin 3 (IL-3) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) can synergistically promote the recovery of hematopoiesis following chemotherapy. In this investigation, combined use of fibroblast-mediated IL-3 and IL-6 gene therapy was tested for hematopoietic effects on mice with or without 5-fluorouracil administration. The results demonstrated that combined therapy with IL-3 gene-modified NIH3T3 cell (NIH3T3-IL-3) and IL-6 gene-modified fibroblast NIH3T3 cell (NIH3T3-IL-6) implantation achieves obvious stimulation of hematopoiesis in normal mice and accelerates recovery of hematopoiesis. In normal mice the quantities of platelets, neutrophils, and total white blood cells in peripheral blood increased significantly after the combined implantation of NIH3T3-IL-3 and NIH3T3-IL-6 cells. The numbers of colony-forming unit (CFU) granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) and CFU megakaryocyte (CFU-MK) formed by stem cells in bone marrow was significantly higher after the combined implantation of NIH3T3-IL-3 and NIH3T3-IL-6 cells than after the implantation of NIH3T3-IL-3 alone, NIH3T3-IL-6 alone, or neomycin gene-modified NIH3T3 cells. In hematopoiesis-depressed mice induced by preinjection with 5-fluorouracil at the dose of 150 mg/kg before cell implantation, the platelets, neutrophils, and white blood cells showed accelerated recovery, and the numbers of CFU-GM and CFU-MK formed by bone marrow cells were also markedly higher after the combined implantation of NIH3T3-IL-3 and NIH3T3-IL-6 cells than in control groups. Our data show that combined use of fibroblast-mediated IL-3 and IL-6 gene therapy may be of clinical relevance for the recovery of hematopoietic depression for patients after chemotherapy.

Relationship between interferon therapy and variability in nonstructural gene 5b of hepatitis C virus

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) quasispecies nature in the hypervariable region (HVR) has been reported and found to relate to the effectiveness of interferon (IFN) treatment. However, the quasispecies nature in the nonstructural (NS) 5b region remains to be addressed. To examine this characterization and relationship with IFN therapy, we sequenced six independent HCV clones from each of eight patients. The eight patients were classified as responders or nonresponders to IFN. In the four responders, we found one to three isolates in each of the six clones. In the nonresponders, the six clones consisted of four, five, six, and six isolates, respectively. Compared the (NS) 5b genes of the isolates obtained from the patients with that of the reported hepatitis C virus HC-C2 or HC-J6 isolate the ratio of nonsynonymous to total substitutions ranged from 17.61% to 30.95% in the responders and from 33.11% to 76.47% in the nonresponders. We also compared posttreatment with pretreatment sequences. The average number of varying amino acids ranged from 5.5 to 9.0 in isolates remaining after IFN treatment and from 4.3 to 5.5 in the isolates that disappeared with IFN treatment. Two changed amino acids (glycine to arginine and valine to isoleucine) (compared with the pretreatment clones) were found in the posttreatment clones of one of the responders and one amino acid change (valine to alanine) was found in another responder. These results suggest that the NS5b quasispecies correlates with IFN treatment effectiveness. These results also implied that the heterogeneity in different hierarchical strata has a common impact on IFN treatment, making infected patients resistant to IFN. Our study also provides evidence that HCV elimination and mutation may occur simultaneously during IFN therapy.

The Epstein-Barr virus major latent promoter Qp is constitutively active, hypomethylated, and methylation sensitive

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) is indispensable for viral DNA replication and episome maintenance in latency. Four promoters, Cp, Wp, Qp, and Fp, are known to drive EBNA1 expression. Here we show that the TATA-less Qp is constitutively active in a variety of EBV-positive [EBV(+)] tumors and cell lines, irrespective of the activities of other EBNA1 promoters, the type of viral latency, and the cell type. The transcription of highly regulated promoters such as the EBV Cp is known to be directly regulated by CpG methylation. To characterize the role of CpG methylation in the regulation of the constitutively active Qp, we performed bisulfite genomic sequencing and functional analyses using a methylation cassette transcriptional reporter assay. Twenty consecutive CpG sites (16 proximal to the Qp initiation site and 4 upstream of the adjacent Fp initiation site) were studied by bisulfite sequencing of DNA extracted from EBV(+) tumors and cell lines. Eighteen EBV(+) tumors of lymphoid (B, T, and NK cell) or epithelial origin and five Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines were studied. The 16 CpG sites proximal to Qp were virtually all unmethylated, but the 4 CpG sites upstream of the Fp initiation site were variably methylated. The methylation cassette assay showed that in vitro methylation of the Qp cassette (-172 to +32) resulted in strong repression of Qp activity in transient transfection. Thus, Qp is susceptible to repression by methylation but was found to be consistently hypomethylated and expressed in all tumors and tumor-derived cell lines studied.

Comparison between homologies of E2/NS1 gene from genotype III Chinese isolates of hepatitis C virus and that from reported isolates

OBJECTIVES

To sequence E2/NS1 gene from genotype III Chinese isolates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and analyze homology corresponding to the region of the reported isolates.

METHODS

E2/NS1 gene derived from genotype III Chinese isolates of HCV was amplified by reverse transcripase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and cloned into vector pcDNA3. Dideoxy chain termination methods were used to sequence E2/NS1 gene.

RESULTS

E2/NS1 gene derived from genotype III Chinese isolates of HCV was cloned for the first time and named HC-W14. Identity of HC-W14 in nucleotide and putative amino acid to those of genotype III Japanese isolates of HCV were 88.37% and 89.29% respectively. Homology to that of non-type III isolates was relatively low.

CONCLUSIONS

High variation existed in E2/NS1 region between genotype III and II Chinese isolates of hepatitis C virus. The variability of E2/NS1 gene should be taken into account in the development of vaccine against HCV in China.

Adenovirus-mediated GM-CSF gene and cytosine deaminase gene transfer followed by 5-fluorocytosine administration elicit more potent antitumor response in tumor-bearing mice

Antitumor effects of combined transfer of suicide and cytokine genes were investigated in this study. Adenovirus harboring E. coli cytosine deaminase gene (AdCD) and adenovirus harboring murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor gene (AdGMCSF) were used simultaneously for in vivo gene transfer in melanoma-bearing mice. Growth inhibition of established tumors and prolongation of survival period were observed more significantly in tumor-bearing mice after transfection with AdGMCSF and AdCD followed by continuous injection of prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) when compared with mice treated with control adenovirus AdlacZ/5FC, AdCD/5FC or AdGMCSF alone (P < 0.01). After combined therapy the expression of MHC-I (H-2Db) and B7-1 molecules on freshly isolated tumor cells increased greatly and more dendritic cells and CD8+ T cells infiltrated into the tumor mass. The activity of specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes was also found to be induced more significantly after the combined therapy. Further experiments showed that apoptosis of tumor cells and induction of antitumor immune response might be involved in the mechanisms of the tumor cell killing by the combined therapy. Our results demonstrated that combined transfer of the GM-CSF and CD suicide genes, being able to inhibit the growth of melanoma synergistically and induce specific antitumor immune response efficiently, thus addressing the drawbacks of suicide gene therapy or cytokine gene therapy which were proved to be not satisfactory when used alone, might be of therapeutic potential for gene therapy of cancer.

[Apoptosis versus proliferation activities and relative mechanism in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]

OBJECTIVE

To study the roles of apoptosis and proliferation and relative genes expression in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary hypertension.

METHODS

Immunohistochemical technique was used for the detection of cell proliferation and expression of relative genes. In situ end labeling technique was used for the detection of nucleosomal DNA fragmentation of apoptotic cells, and Northern blot for the detection of expression of c-myc, bcl-2 and p53 genes in the lungs with COPD.

RESULTS

Both proliferative cells and apoptotic cells were found in the lungs with COPD or without COPD. In lung tissue with COPD. The proliferation index was increased significantly, whereas the apoptosis index was decreased significantly. Compared with controls, the ratio of proliferation to apoptosis in lungs with COPD was increased by 4 folds, and the expression of c-myc or bcl-2 mRNA was significantly increased by 2.5-3 folds in lungs tissue with COPD. The expression of c-myc and bcl-2 protein was also increased significantly in lungs with COPD, the two antigen were predominantly localized in small pulmonary vessels. The expression of p53 mRNA was significantly decreased by 3 folds in lung tissue with COPD.

CONCLUSION

The abnormality of apoptosis versus proliferation activities induced by c-myc, bcl-2 and p53 genes may contribute to pulmonary vascular structural remodeling in COPD.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) variant with a 30-bp deletion at the carboxyl terminus (amino acids 346-355) of latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1) gene is able to transform cells and evade immune surveillance

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Mutation of a highly conserved aspartate residue in the second transmembrane domain of the cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, disrupts G-protein coupling

The cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, are members of the G-protein coupled receptor family and share many of this family's structural features. A highly conserved aspartic acid residue in the second transmembrane domain of G-protein coupled receptors has been shown for many of these receptors to be functionally important for agonist binding and/or G-protein coupling. To determine whether this residue is involved in cannabinoid receptor function, we used site-directed mutagenesis of receptor cDNA followed by expression of the mutant receptor in HEK 293 cells. Aspartate 163 (in CB1) and aspartate 80 (in CB2) were substituted with either asparagine or glutamate. Stably transfected cell lines were tested for radioligand binding and inhibition of cAMP accumulation. Binding of the cannabinoid receptor agonist [3H]CP-55,940 was not affected by either mutation in either the CB1 or CB2 receptor, nor were the affinities of anandamide or (-)-delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Binding of the CB1-selective receptor antagonist SR141716A also was unaltered. However, the affinity of WIN 55,212-2 was attenuated significantly in the CB1, but not the CB2, mutant receptors. Studies examining inhibition of cAMP accumulation showed reduced effects of cannabinoid agonists in the mutated receptors. Our data suggest that this aspartate residue is not generally important for ligand recognition in the cannabinoid receptors; however, it is required for communication with G proteins and signal transduction.

Augmentation of hematopoiesis by fibroblast-mediated interleukin-6 gene therapy in mice with chemotherapy

Murine fibroblast NIH3T3 cells engineered to secrete interleukin-6 (NIH3T3-IL-6) were implanted intraperitoneally into mice and observed for their hematopoietic effects with or without 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) administration. In normal mice, the platelet and neutrophil counts in peripheral blood increased significantly after implantation of NIH3T3-IL-6 cells, but the total white blood cell numbers showed no obvious elevation. The granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming unit (CFU-GM) and megakaryocyte colony-forming unit (CFU-MK) numbers formed by stem cells in bone marrow and spleen were also found to be significantly increased after implantation of NIH3T3-IL-6 cells when compared with those in mice after implantation of NIH3T3 cells transduced with neomycin gene (NIH3T3-Neo). To observe the protective effects of NIH3T3-IL-6 cells on hematopoietic depression in chemotherapy-treated mice, the mice were preinjected with 5-FU at a dosage of 150 mg/kg before implantation of NIH3T3-IL-6 cells. The platelet and neutrophil counts showed accelerated recovery after implantation of NIH3T3-IL-6 cells. The numbers of CFU-GM and CFU-MK in bone marrow and spleen were also found to be markedly increased in hematopoietic-depressed mice when compared with those in mice implanted with NIH3T3-Neo cells. These data suggest that fibroblast-mediated IL-6 gene therapy, which can augment hematopoiesis in mice with or without chemotherapy, will be of great help in the recovery from hematopoietic depression after chemotherapy.

[The effect of c-myc antisense oligodeoxynucleotides on proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells stimulated by hypoxic endothelial cells conditioned medium]

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of c-myc antisense oligodeoxynucleotides on proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (SMC) stimulated by hypoxic endothelial cells conditioned medium (HECCM).

METHOD

After pulmonary arterial SMC were stimulated by HECCM, Northern blot technique was used for detection of expression of c-myc, and 3H-TdR incorporation and cell growth assay for detection of proliferation of SMC.

RESULT

HECCM promoted the expression of c-myc and proliferation of SMC significantly. Antisense-ODNs significantly inhibited the expression of c-myc and proliferation of SMC stimulated by HECCM, whereas sense ODNs didn't affect the expression of c-myc and proliferation of SMC.

CONCLUSION

HECCM promote the proliferation of SMC by increasing the expression of c-myc, antisense ODNs inhibits the proliferation of SMC by downregulating the expression of c-myc gene.

Accelerated recovery of irradiation-induced bone marrow depression by fibroblast-mediated interleukin 6 gene therapy in combination with bone marrow transplantation in mice

BACKGROUND

Both fibroblast-mediated cytokine gene therapy and bone marrow transplantation (BMT) have proven to be efficient protocols for the recovery of bone marrow depression. In this report, the effects of fibroblast-mediated interleukin (IL)-6 gene therapy, in combination with BMT, on the recovery of irradiation-induced bone marrow depression were investigated.

METHODS

NIH3T3 fibroblast cells engineered to secrete IL-6 (NIH3T3-IL-6) or NIH3T3 cells transduced with the neomycin gene (NIH3T3-Neo), in combination with 10(7), 10(6), or 10(5) syngeneic bone marrow cells, were implanted into irradiated mice.

RESULTS

The platelets and white blood cells in the peripheral blood of the irradiated mice increased greatly 12 days after implantation of NIH3T3-IL-6 cells and BMT, the white blood cell counts were restored to a normal level 32 days after the combined therapy, and the platelet number was obviously higher than that in mice implanted with NIH3T3-Neo and BMT. Twenty and 25 days after the combined therapy, the mice showed accelerated recovery of colony-forming unit (CFU)-granulocyte/macrophages and CFU-megakaryocytes when compared with the mice implanted with NIH3T3-Neo cells and BMT. Ten days after lethal irradiation with gamma rays, the spleens formed more CFU-spleen in mice implanted with NIH3T3-IL-6 cells and BMT than in mice injected with phosphate-buffered saline or NIH3T3-Neo cells. Combined therapy with NIH3T3-IL-6 cell implantation and BMT delayed the survival period of the hematopoietic-depressed mice significantly when compared with therapy with NIH3T3-Neo cell implantation and BMT.

CONCLUSIONS

These data demonstrated that the combined therapy of fibroblast-mediated IL-6 gene therapy and BMT could significantly promote the recovery of irradiation-induced hematopoietic depression.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in endemic Burkitt's lymphoma: molecular analysis of primary tumor tissue

Many aspects of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and tumor biology have been studied in Burkitt's lymphoma (BL)-derived cell lines. However, in tissue culture, patterns of gene expression and CpG [corrected] methylation often change and viral strain selection may occur. In this report, 10 cases of snap-frozen endemic BL tumors are characterized in terms of viral gene expression, promoter usage, methylation, and viral strain. EBNA1 and BamHI-A rightward transcripts (BART) were detected in 7 of 7 and LMP2A transcripts in 5 of 7 tumors with well-preserved RNA. Transcripts for the other EBNAs and for LMP1 were not detected in any tumor. These tumors differ from BL cell lines in that they lack a variety of lytic cycle transcripts. This pattern of viral gene expression in endemic BL is similar to that reported in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy EBV-seropositive individuals. EBNA1 transcripts originated from the Q promoter (Qp) but not C, W, or F promoters that drive transcription of EBNA1 in other circumstances. Whereas Cp has been previously shown to be entirely CpG methylated in BL, bisulfite genomic sequencing showed virtually no methylation in Qp. Type-A EBV was detected in 6 of 10 and type B in 4 of 10 cases. A previously reported 30bp deletion variant in the carboxyl terminal of LMP1 gene was detected in 5 of 10 cases. The association with both A and B strains contrasts with EBV-associated Hodgkin's disease, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease, which are much more consistently associated with A strain virus.

[Cloning and sequencing of E2/NS1 gene from a Chinese genotype III isolate of hepatitis C virus]

OBJECTIVE

To clone E2/NS1 gene from a Chinese genotype III isolate of hepatitis C virus into mammalian expression vector and analyze its primary nucleotide structure.

METHODS

Reverse transcription nested-PCR methods were employed for amplification E2/NS1 gene which was cloned into mammalian expression vector pcDNA3 by directed clone. Sequence of inserted gene was analyzed by Sanger's method.

RESULTS

E2/NS1 gene from a Chinese genotype III isolate of hepatitis C virus was cloned into eukaroytic expression vector effectively. Sequence of E2/NS1 showed 88.37% identity in nucleotide and 89.29% in putative amino acid to that of a Japanese genotype III isolate of hepatitis C virus. Nevertheless it showed 70.69% and 75.55% identity to that of a Chinese genotype II isolate of hepatitis C virus.

CONCLUSION

E2/NS1 gene from a Chinese genotype III isolate of hepatitis C virus was successfully cloned into mammalian expression vector by technique of DNA recombination. Sequence analysis showed that E2/NS1 gene has good homology intra-genotype and poor homology intergenotype of hepatitis C virus. Research of primary nucleotide structure of different genotype hepatitis C virus might be helpful for the development of vaccine against the virus.

Genetic variability and characterization of non-structural region 5 of hepatitis C virus genome from Chinese patients

Sequence variation in the putative non-structural region 5b (NS5b) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) was analyzed in China. Complementary DNA fragments from sera of 49 Chinese patients were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the products were cloned and sequenced. Based on the comparison in NS5b of 33 clones of genotype 1b and 16 clones of genotype 2a, Chinese isolates of HCV belong to the same subtype as HCV-J, and HC-J6 from Japan. There does exist, however, some heterogeneity in the primary structure of the nucleotide acid. Higher homology was found among Chinese isolates than among Chinese isolates and Japanese isolates. Furthermore, among Chinese isolates, we found some conserved nucleotide acid positions different from those of Japanese isolates. Comparison of average homology among the 33 clones of genotype 1b and the 16 clones of genotype 2a indicated that the average homology among genotype 2a was lower than that among genotype 1b. In addition, a deletion of three nucleotide acids and a frame-shift, resulting in the introduction of an in-frame stop codon, were first observed in the NS5b region. These results indicated geographical differences in the distribution of individual HCV isolates, and the existence of a local variant in the same subtype. Our findings also suggested the need for further study on the sequence of genotype 2a, to improve diagnosis and help to advance the development of a vaccine.