Potential role of caspase-3 and -9 in arsenic trioxide-mediated apoptosis in PCI-1 head and neck cancer cells

Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of hematologic malignant cells. Previously, we reported that As2O3 had an antitumoral effect in head and neck cancer. Here, we investigated the induction of apoptosis and its mechanism in PCI-1 head and neck squamous carcinoma cells, after treatment with As2O3. Treatment with 2 microM of As2O3 caused apoptosis in PCI-1 cells following 3 days of exposure, which was detected by the annexin V-PI and DAPI staining methods. The cell death population was markedly increased, being 88% larger than the As2O3-untreated control cells. To address the mechanism of apoptosis, a Western blot assay was performed, showing that Bax was up-regulated without a change in Bcl-2. Activation of caspase-9 during As2O3-induced apoptosis was substantiated by monitoring the proteolysis of the caspase-9, which was associated with an increase of Apaf-1 and cytochrome c protein. PCI-1 cells rapidly changed the mitochondria membrane potential (DeltaPsim) after addition of As2O3. Furthermore, activation of caspase-3 was demonstrated by monitoring the proteolysis of the caspase-3 and by measuring caspase-3 activity with a fluorogenic substrate, which was associated with the cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. To examine the in vivo effect of As2O3, C3H mouse inoculated with syngenic SCC7 cells was treated by intratumoral injection of As2O3 (300 microg) every day, demonstrating that tumor mass was dramatically reduced on day 4, and revealed induction of apoptosis by TUNEL assay. These results suggest that apoptosis of PCI-1 cells by As2O3 is induced by activation of caspase-3 via cytochrome c, caspase-9 and Apaf-1 complex.

Immunological alterations associated with Plasmodium vivax malaria in South Korea

Various haematological and immunological studies on patients infected with Plasmodium vivax were undertaken, at diagnosis (day 0), after treatment with chloroquine but during primaquine treatment (day 10) and after all treatment (day 59), in South Korea (where there has been a recent and abrupt increase in the incidence of such infection). The main aims were to gain an understanding of the haemto-immunological alterations of this malarial infection, both before and after treatment, and to identify at least one useful marker for the diagnosis and post-treatment monitoring of P. vivax malaria. Thirty-eight patients with P. vivax malaria were compared with 20, apparently healthy controls. At diagnosis, the patients had lymphopenia, marked eosinopenia (the eosinophil count being correlated with the platelet count) and thrombopenia. Cells of most of the lymphocyte subsets investigated [i.e. CD3+, CD8+, CD19+, CD56+, CD3-/CD56+ and CD8+/CD56+ but not CD4+, CD3+/CD56+ or CD25+] were significantly less common among the lymphocytes of patients at diagnosis than among those of the controls. After initiating treatment, the numbers of CD19+ lymphocytes gradually increased (to normal values by day 59), whereas those of CD3+/56+ lymphocytes remained abnormally low throughout the follow-up period. The proportions of lymphocytes identified as CD4+ appeared to be unaffected by treatment. Although serum concentrations of IgE (and, to a lesser extent, IgM) were elevated in the patients at diagnosis, they were subnormal on day 10 post-treatment and normal at the day-59 follow-up. Serum concentrations of IgG and IgA in the patients were always found to be similar to those in the controls. At diagnosis the serum concentrations of complements C3 and C4 were significantly elevated in the patients. C3 remained at the same high concentration during follow-up but the concentration of C4, like that of IgE, was found to be subnormal on day 10 and normal 7 weeks later. The level of parasitaemia (%) was only found to be significantly correlated with haemoglobin concentration. The observation of eosinopenia with elevated IgE and C4 could be a useful indicator of P. vivax malaria, and treatment response could be followed by serial monitoring of serum concentrations of IgE and C4.

In vitro maturation, fertilization, and development of human germinal vesicle oocytes collected from stimulated cycles

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes from stimulated cycles can be a source of embryos.

DESIGN

In vitro model study.

SETTING

Specialized laboratory of women's clinic.

PATIENT(S)

Women in whom oocytes were retrieved at the GV stage.

INTERVENTION(S)

After culture of GV oocytes in the modified TLP medium with human follicular fluid, oocytes that reached the metaphase II stage underwent ICSI. Potential of fertilization and subsequent cleavage of in vitro-matured oocytes was compared with that of an in vivo-matured control.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Maturation rate, rate of pronuclei formation, and developmental activity.

RESULT(S)

The maturation rate of GV oocytes from follicles primed with gonadotropin was not affected by the presence or absence of cumulus. However, the maturation was more synchronous in oocytes with cumulus than in those without cumulus. Proportions of oocytes with two pronuclei and embryos cleaved to the 16-cell stage after ICSI were significantly lower in the oocytes matured in vitro than in the oocytes matured in vivo.

CONCLUSION(S)

Human GV oocytes from stimulated ovaries can be matured, fertilized, and developed in vitro. Production of embryos from GV oocytes will increase the opportunity for achieving pregnancy.

Peritubular capillary loss is associated with chronic tubulointerstitial injury in human kidney: altered expression of vascular endothelial growth factor

Chronic tubulointerstitial injury (CTI) including tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis represents one major determinant for the progression of chronic renal disease regardless of cause. Although peritubular capillaries (PTCs) are essential to maintain the normal structure and function of renal tubules, little is known about the role of PTCs in the development of CTI. The integrity of PTCs seems to be regulated by growth factors. Vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) has recently been recognized as a potent regulator of angiogenesis, vascular survival, and vascular permeability. Knowledge of the role of VEGF in renal disease is still rudimentary, and its role in CTI has not been explored. We analyzed the morphologic changes of PTCs and correlated them with other morphologic parameters of CTI in 32 human kidneys with various types of chronic tubulointerstitial disease. The VEGF expression was immunohistochemically evaluated. Compared with normal kidney, PTC loss (41% to 55% of control) and reduced size of PTCs (55% to 88% of control) were noted in kidneys with CTI. The PTC density was positively correlated with the proximal tubular density (r = 0.66, P <.0001), proximal tubular size (r = 0.54, P <.001), and negatively correlated with interstitial volume (r = -0.84, P <.0001). Compared with normal kidney, where podocytes were the only cell type that constantly expressed VEGF, an interesting pattern of increased VEGF expression by renal tubules, especially morphologically intact or hypertrophic ones, was shared by all cases with CTI. Loss of VEGF in sclerotic glomeruli was noted. PTC injury is pathogenetically linked to tubular atrophy, tubular loss, and interstitial fibrosis in human kidneys with CTI and might be a key factor for the progression of chronic tubulointerstitial disease. The characteristic and uniform pattern of altered VEGF expression in kidneys with CTI may result from ischemia induced by PTC loss and represent a protective mechanism against further PTC injuries. HUM PATHOL 31:1491-1497.

Immunotactoid glomerulopathy associated with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome

A case of immunotactoid glomerulopathy in an 18-year-old man with an idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome is presented. The patient showed cervical lymphadenopathy, asymptomatic proteinuria of nephrotic range, and hematuria without any defined immunologic disease. Marked and prolonged hypereosinophilia was found in peripheral blood (eosinophil count; 6,248/mm3) and bone marrow (eosinophil series; 32%). Diffuse and/or nodular eosinophilic infiltration was identified in multiple organs such as kidney, stomach, liver, lymph node, and skin. Renal biopsy revealed endocapillary proliferative features of typical immunotactoid glomerulopathy with IgG and C3 deposition and microtubular structures of variable size, 20-80 nm in diameter, mainly in the subendothelium. This study suggests that immunotactoid glomerulopathy may be a secondary immunologic manifestation of the tissue damage by eosinophils in the idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome.

Ontogeny of natural killer cells and T cells by analysis of BCR-ABL rearrangement from patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia

Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) is a haematological malignant disorder characterized by the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) and BCR-ABL gene rearrangement. This abnormal fusion gene can be considered to serve as a marker for the transformed cell clone in CML and is found in all cells arising from the same malignant precursor cell. It has been detected in CML cells of the myeloid, monocytic, erythroid and B-lymphocytic lineages. However, it is still arguable as to whether T lymphocytes or natural killer (NK) cells carry this marker. Answering this question would clarify the ontogenic relationship between NK cells and T cells. We examined 12 CML patients and studied the expression of BCR-ABL rearrangement by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in both NK cells and T cells sorted by flow cytometry. The purity of T cells was 95.6-99.8% and that of NK cells was 95.3-99.3% after sorting. Neither NK cells nor T cells showed any positive BCR-ABL signal with the exception of one patient who recovered from a lymphoid blastic crisis. We speculate that T cells and NK cells originate from BCR-ABL-negative stem cells.

Combined peripheral facial and abducens nerve palsy caused by caudal tegmental pontine infarction

Isolated peripheral facial and abducens nerve palsy could theoretically be caused by a caudal pontine infarction, but as far as we know, there has been no published case history which has demonstrated this point. We describe the cases of two hypertensive patients who showed combined peripheral facial and abducens nerve palsy without other neurologic symptoms or signs. Other than hypertension, there was no identifiable etiology. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated compatible isolated ipsilateral ischemic infarction of the caudal tegmental pons. The present cases indicate that a well-placed small pontine infarction can cause isolated peripheral facial and abducens nerve palsy.

Colorectal adenocarcinoma as a second malignant neoplasm following rhabdomyosarcoma of the urinary bladder: a case report

Following improvements in therapy for childhood malignancies, the striking increase in survival rate over the past 30 years has led to the increase risk of developing second malignant neoplasms (SMNs). We report a case of colorectal carcinoma as a SMN, following treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma. The patient was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma of the urinary bladder at his age of three years, and developed adenocarcinoma in the colon 13 years later. Histologic examination of the surgical specimen revealed adenocarcinoma involving the rectosigmoid area with radiation colitis in its background. The tumor cells showed strong immunoreactivity for p53 protein, suggesting the role of irradiation and p53 mutation in carcinogenesis. This case emphasizes the need for dose observation in survivors of early childhood malignancies treated with radiation and multiagent chemotherapy.

Lymphangioma of large intestine: report of ten cases with endoscopic and pathologic correlation

BACKGROUND

Lymphangioma of the intestinal tracts is extremely rare and usually presents as a sessile or pedunculated polyp. The cause of these gross morphologic differences is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristic histopathology of the colonic lymphangiomas in comparison with their endoscopic findings.

METHODS

Ten colonic lymphangiomas, diagnosed and resected endoscopically between 1992 and 1999, were microscopically examined and immunohistochemically stained with CD31, CD34, Factor VIII-related antigen, and smooth muscle actin.

RESULTS

The characteristic endoscopic finding was a transparent, fluctuating sessile (7 cases) or pedunculated (3 cases) polypoid mass with the color of normal colonic mucosa. Proliferative and dilated lymphatic tumor vessels were found in the colonic mucosa as well as in the submucosa in seven cases. In three pedunculated lymphangiomas, dilated lymphatics were exclusively restricted to the submucosa. The endothelial lining cells stained positively for both CD31 and Factor VIII-related antigen in all 10 cases tested, but most cases were negative for CD34.

CONCLUSION

A pedicle does not exclude the endoscopic diagnosis of lymphangioma and there is a close correlation between its presence and histologic submucosal localization of dilated lymphatic vessels.

Hamartomatous gastric polyposis in a patient with tuberous sclerosis

A 42-year-old female diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis was found to have multiple polyps in the fundus of stomach. On histologic examination, the lesions were hamartomatous polyps. In tuberous sclerosis, many lesions occur in multiple organs and there are several reports about the frequent association of hamartomatous polyps of the colon. However, gastric manifestation of tuberous sclerosis has not been established probably due to its asymptomatic nature. This is the first report of multiple gastric hamartomatous polyposis in patient with tuberous sclerosis.

Verrucous carcinoma arising in pseudoepitheliomatous keratotic and micaceous balanitis, without evidence of human papillomavirus

Pseudoepitheliomatous keratotic and micaceous balanitis (PKMB) is a condition which occurs on the glans penis of older men and may be associated with the development of a verrucous carcinoma. A role for human papillomavirus (HPV) in the aetiology of verrucous carcinoma has been implicated and several different HPV types have been found. We report a 74-year-old man who developed a verrucous carcinoma within an area of PKMB on the glans penis. Using a broad-spectrum polymerase chain reaction technique for identifying HPV, the epidermis of the area of PKMB and of the verrucous carcinoma were examined and no HPV DNA was identifiable. These results suggest that there is no part for HPV in the pathogenesis of PKMB or its transformation to verrucous carcinoma.

Liver disease during the first post-transplant year in bone marrow transplantation recipients: retrospective study

Liver dysfunction is a common problem in BMT recipients and it is important to determine the etiology in order to institute appropriate therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible causes of liver dysfunction during the first post-transplant year in BMT recipients and to identify a possible relationship between pre-existing liver dysfunction and viral hepatitis with prognosis after BMT. We reviewed liver status before and after BMT in 130 consecutive patients at the Catholic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Center. Liver dysfunction during the first post-transplant year occurred in 85 out of 101 (84. 2%) allogeneic BMT recipients and 13 out of 29 (44.8%) autologous BMT recipients. In allogeneic BMT, GVHD and drug hepatotoxicity were major causes. In autologous BMT, drug hepatotoxicity was the most common cause. Eighteen out of 130 patients (13.8%) had abnormal liver function tests before BMT. These patients did not have an increased risk of post-transplant liver dysfunction, GVHD, and death compared to patients who had normal liver function tests prior to BMT. Nine patients were hepatitis B antigen positive and three patients were anti-HCV positive prior to BMT. There was no significant increase in the incidence of post-transplant liver dysfunction, GVHD, and death in these patients.

Arsenic trioxide-mediated growth inhibition in MC/CAR myeloma cells via cell cycle arrest in association with induction of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21, and apoptosis

We investigated the in vitro effect of As2O3 on proliferation, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis in human myeloma cell lines. As2O3 significantly inhibited the proliferation of all of eight myeloma cell lines examined in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 of approximately 1-2 microM. DNA flow cytometric analysis indicated that As2O3 (2 microM) induced a G1 and/or a G2-M phase arrest in these cell lines. To address the mechanism of the antiproliferative effect of As2O3, we examined the effect of As2O3 on cell cycle-related proteins in MC/CAR cells in which both G1 and G2-M phases were arrested. Western blot analysis demonstrated that treatment with As2O3 (2 microM) for 72 h did not change the steady-state levels of CDK2, CDK4, cyclin D1, cyclin E, and cyclin B1 but decreased the levels of CDK6, cdc2, and cyclin A. The mRNA and protein levels of CDKI, p21 were increased by treatment with As2O3, but those of p27 were not. In addition, As2O3 markedly enhanced the binding of p21 with CDK6, cdc2, cyclin E, and cyclin A compared with untreated control cells. Furthermore, the activity of CDK6-associated kinase was reduced in association with hypophosphorylation of Rb protein. The activity of cdc2-associated kinase was decreased, which was accompanied by the up-regulation of cdc2 phosphorylation (cdc2-Tyr15 phosphorylation) resulting from reduction of cdc25B and cdc25C phosphatases. As2O3 also induced apoptosis in MC/CAR cells as evidenced by flow cytometric detection of sub-G1 DNA content and annexin V binding assay. This apoptotic process was associated with down-regulation of Bcl-2, loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (delta psi(m)), and an increase of caspase-3 activity. These results suggest that As2O3 inhibits the proliferation of myeloma cells, especially MC/CAR cells, via cell cycle arrest in association with induction of p21 and apoptosis.

Induction of apoptosis by vitamin D3 analogue EB1089 in NCI-H929 myeloma cells via activation of caspase 3 and p38 MAP kinase

EB1089, a novel 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 analogue, has been known to have potent antiproliferative properties in a variety of malignant cells both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we analysed the effect of EB1089 on NCI-H929 human myeloma cells. EB1089 inhibited cell growth of NCI-H929 and efficiently induced the G1 phase arrest of the cell cycle in a dose-dependent manner. We could also detect apoptosis in NCI-H929 cells exposed to EB1089 (1 x 10-7 M for 72 h) using the sub-G1 group of the cell cycle by FACS and annexin V binding assays. Induction of apoptosis by EB1089 was associated with down-regulation of the Bcl-2 protein without change of the Bax protein. Regarding caspase activity, which plays a crucial role in apoptosis, EB1089-treated NCI-H929 cells revealed an increased activity of caspase 3 protease accompanied by degradation of the PARP protein in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, EB1089 caused the down-regulation of p44 extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) activity and up-regulation of the p38 kinase activity during apoptosis of NCI-H929 cells. These results suggest that EB1089 inhibits growth of NCI-H929 cells via G1 cell cycle arrest as well as apoptosis by activating p38 kinase and suppressing ERK activity.

Design of an optimal wave-vector filter for enhancing the resolution of reconstructed source field by near-field acoustical holography (NAH)

In near-field acoustical holography using the boundary element method, the reconstructed field often diverges due to the presence of small measurement errors. In order to handle this instability in the inverse problem, the reconstruction process should include some form of regularization for enhancing the resolution of source images. The usual method of regularization has been the truncation of wave vectors associated with small singular values, although the determination of an optimal truncation order is difficult. In this article, an iterative inverse solution technique is suggested in which the mean-square error prediction is used. A statistical estimation of the minimum mean-square error between measured pressures and the model solution is required for yielding the optimal number of iterations. The continuous curve of an optimal wave-vector filter is designed, for suppressing the high-order modes that can produce large reconstruction errors. Experimental results from a baffled radiator reveal that the reconstruction errors can be reduced by this form of regularization, by at least 48% compared to those without any regularization. In comparison to results using the optimal truncation method of regularization, the new scheme is shown to give further reductions of truncation error of between 7% and 39%, for the example in this article.

Extranasal T/NK-cell lymphoma presenting as intestinal diverticulum

A case of intestinal angiocentric T/NK-cell lymphoma in a 58-year-old man is reported. The patient presented initially with panperitonitis because of perforation of sigmoid colon diverticulum. He underwent segmentectomy of involved bowel. Histologically, the intestinal wall showed diffuse infiltration of medium or large size lymphoma cells with angiocentric growth and necrosis. The lymphoma cells were CD56+, CD45RO+, CD3+, CD4-, CD8-, CD20-, and CD30- in paraffin sections with germline configuration of TCR-gamma gene, consistent with T/NK-cell lymphoma. Further staging revealed splenomegaly. Intestinal angiocentric T/NK cell lymphoma represents a distinct etiology of diverticulum with perforation.

Nitric oxide-mediated endothelium-dependent relaxation of rat thoracic aorta induced by aqueous extract of red rice fermented with Monascus ruber

Vasodilatory effects of aqueous extract of red rice fermented with Monascus ruber IFO32318 were examined on the isolated rat aorta. The water phase of fermented rice with Monascus (WP/FRM, 0.1-10 mg/ml) caused a transient relaxation of the endothelium-intact rat aorta precontracted with norepinephrine (NE, 300 nM). The WP/FRM-induced relaxation was abolished by removal of endothelium or in the presence of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 10 microM), a nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor. Neither atropine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist (10 microM), nor indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor (10 microM), altered the WP/FRM-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation. gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), one of the principle components of the extract, did not affect the muscle tension of the aorta with intact endothelium. In addition, WP/FRM increased the production of NO in primary cultured endothelial cells from human umbilical vein. The enhanced production of NO by WP/FRM was diminished by pretreatment with L-NNA (10 microM). In conclusion, WP/FRM induces relaxation of rat aorta by releasing NO from endothelium. There seem to be some unknown factor(s) other than acetylcholine (Ach) and GABA, in the aqueous extract of red rice, which stimulate vascular endothelial cells to produce and/or release NO leading to endothelium-dependent relaxation by WP/FRM.

Screening method for detecting staphylococci with reduced susceptibility to teicoplanin

The incidence of infections caused by staphylococci with decreased susceptibility to teicoplanin (MIC>/=8 microg/ml) is increasing, but the disk diffusion test has difficulty detecting this low level of resistance. In addition, detection is complicated because of the heterogeneous phenotypes for teicoplanin. In this study, we evaluated an agar screening method to detect staphylococci with decreased susceptibility to teicoplanin or heterogeneous resistance. First, to investigate the inoculum density and teicoplanin concentration of screening agar, we used 10(5) and 10(6) CFU/ml and Mueller-Hinton agars supplemented with 6 and 8 microg of teicoplanin/ml to test 39 genetically distinct staphylococcal strains (15 strains with teicoplanin MICs>/=8 microg/ml and 24 strains with teicoplanin MICs</=4 microg/ml). On the basis of the results obtained, a final inoculum of 10(6) CFU/spot and a teicoplanin concentration of 8 microg/ml were selected. By this screening method, all strains having teicoplanin MICs>/=8 microg/ml or showing heteroresistance could be detected. These findings indicate that the method can be used as a reliable screening method for detecting staphylococci with reduced susceptibility to teicoplanin.

Mycelial protoplast isolation and regeneration of Lentinus lepideus

Generation of fungal protoplast is essential for fusion and transformation systems. Protoplast fusion offers great potential for the improvement of industrially important microorganisms. To establish conditions for the protoplast isolation and regeneration of the mycelia of Lentinus lepideus, various enzymes and osmotic stabilizers were examined. To investigate suitable medium for the culture of L. lepideus, the mycelia were grown in ten different media at 28 degrees C for 10 days. Among them potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium was found to be the best for colony growth. When Novozym 234, cellulase and beta-glucuronidase were added to the mycelia in combination or alone, Novozym 234 alone at the concentration of 10 mg/ml was the most effective for the protoplast yield. Purified spherical protoplasts of the mycelia were osmotically hypersensitive and further incubation of the mycelia with the lytic enzyme resulted in the older parts of the hyphae swollen. When we applied various osmotic stabilizers at the fixed concentration of 0.6 M on the protoplasts, the yields of protoplasts were increased until 4-hr incubation. However application of sucrose or MgSO4 led to further protection of protoplasts after that time and reached a plateau on 5- and 7-hr incubations, respectively. The suitable incubation time and optimal pH with the lytic enzyme for the maximum release of protoplasts were 6 hrs of incubation and pH 5, respectively. When we examined various osmotic stabilizers for the regeneration of the protoplast, the complete medium containing 0.6 M sucrose induced highest hyphal growth with regeneration frequency of 3.28%.

Synthesis and characterization of new cationic hexacoordinate silanes

The reaction of N,N,N',N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (pmdeta) with HSiCl3 and H2SiCl2 in dry CH2Cl2 affords the novel cationic intermolecular hexacoordinate silanes [pmdeta.HSiCl2]+Cl- (1) and [pmdeta.H2SiCl]+Cl(2), respectively. The addition of N,N,N',N',N"-pentaethyldiethylenetriamine (pedeta) to a solution of HSiCl3 in dry CH2Cl2 gives the redistribution product formulated as the salt [pedeta.H2SiCl]+Cl- (3) and SiC4. Treatment of H2SiCl2 with pedeta and N,N,N',N',N",N"'-hexamethyltriethylenetetramine (hmteta) produces [pedeta.H2SiCl]+Cl(3) and [hmteta.H2SiCl]+C1- (HCl) (4). In 4, the fourth amine is not bonded to silicon. Reactions of 2, 3, and 4 with NaBPh4 give the ion exchange products [pmdeta.H2SiC1]+BPh4- (5), [pedeta.H2SiCl]+BPh4- (6), and [hmteta.H2SiCl]+BPh4- (HCl) (7), respectively. The salts 1, 5, 6, and 7 were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Most notable is that the cations in 1, 5, 6, and 7 are slightly distorted octahedra in which two hydrogen atoms are at the trans positions. The reactions of 3 with tmeda and pmdeta afford the intermolecular ligand exchange products tmeda.H2SiCl2 and 2, respectively.

Molecular identification of metastatic cancer to the skin using laser capture microdissection: a case report

BACKGROUND

In the current study the authors report a 57-year-old woman with a scalp tumor and cervical lymphadenopathy who had a previously resected duodenal carcinoid. Histologic and immunophenotypic characteristics of the duodenal carcinoid differed from those of the scalp and cervical lymph node tumors, prompting the use of molecular methodologies to make the diagnosis.

METHODS

Paraffin embedded tissues from the duodenal carcinoid, scalp, and lymph node tumors were dissected using microscopic visualization and laser capture microdissection. DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to evaluate loss of heterozygosity and microsatellite alterations using primers flanking 22 polymorphic microsatellite markers from 9 chromosomal regions, including genes associated with MEN-1 (11q), CDKN2 (9p), p53 (17p), and bronchial carcinoid (3p). Microdissected lymphocytes from the three tissues were used as source of constitutional DNA (controls).

RESULTS

Fourteen of the 22 markers were informative (heterozygous in control lymphocytes). A marker on 3p12 showed loss of the same parental allele in the three tumors. A different marker on 3p14.2 showed an identical shifted band in the three tumors indicative of a common microsatellite alteration.

CONCLUSIONS

The shared molecular abnormalities among the three tumors indicated a common clonal origin, leading to a diagnosis of primary duodenal carcinoid with clear cell metastases to the scalp and cervical lymph nodes. These findings led to radiation therapy and immunotherapy rather than chemotherapy. This case illustrates the novel application of laser capture microdissection combined with PCR-based analyses of genomic markers for the identification of the origin of metastatic disease.

Cell cycle arrest induced by the vitamin D(3) analog EB1089 in NCI-H929 myeloma cells is associated with induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27

EB1089, a 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) analog, has been known to have potent antiproliferative properties in a variety of malignant cells in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we analyzed the effect of EB1089 on human myeloma cell lines. EB1089 inhibited the proliferation of NCI-H929 cells and RPMI8226 cells in a dose-dependent manner among three myeloma cell lines tested. The antiproliferative effect of EB1089 on myeloma cells was related to the expression level of vitamin D receptor. To investigate the mechanism of the antiproliferative effect of EB1089, cell cycle analysis was attempted in EB1089-sensitive NCI-H929 cells. EB1089 (1 x 10(-8) M) efficiently induced G(1) arrest of the cell cycle. Analysis of G(1) regulatory proteins demonstrated that protein levels of CDK2, CDK4, cyclin D1, and cyclin A were decreased in a time-dependent manner, but not those of CDK6 and cyclin E, by EB1089. In addition, EB1089 (1 x 10(-8) M, 72 h) increased the protein level of the CDKI p27 and markedly enhanced the binding of p27 with CDK2 compared to EB1089-untreated cells. Furthermore, the activity of CDK2-associated cyclin kinase was decreased, which was accompanied by the reduction of cyclin-D1-, cyclin-E-, and cyclin-A-associated kinase activities, resulting in the hypophosphorylation of Rb protein. These results suggest that EB1089 can inhibit the proliferation of human myeloma cells, especially NCI-H929 cells, via a G(1) block in association with the induction of p27 and the reduction of CDK2 activity.

Effect of a novel vitamin D3 analog, EB1089, on G1 cell cycle regulatory proteins in HL-60 cells

Progression of cell cycle in eukaryotes is regulated by a series of the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs). It has been shown that 1,25(OH)2D3 is able to arrest cell cycle at G1 phase in malignant cells including HL-60 cells. EB1089 is a novel 1,25(OH)2D3 analog that has more potent antileukemic properties with reduced hypercalcemic effect in vitro and in vivo than 1,25(OH)2D3. In the present study, we examined the effect of EB1089 on HL-60 cells at the protein levels of several G1 regulatory proteins. Exposure of HL-60 cells to EB1089 (1x10-8 M) for 3 days showed the G1 block by FACS analysis. The level of p21 was markedly induced in HL-60 cells treated with EB1089 at 24 h, and p27 were progressively increased in a time-dependent manner. The expressions of CDK2 and CDK6 were down-regulated during G1 block of HL-60 cells, and CDK4 is progressively elevated. In addition, level of cyclin D1 was increased in a time-dependent manner, however, no change of cyclin E was noted through the G1 to S traverse. Immunoprecipitation study demonstrated that p27 did not bind to CDK2, CDK4 and CDK6 in EB1089-treated HL-60 cell extracts. In contrast, complexes immunoprecipitated from EB1089-treated HL-60 cells with antibodies CDK2 and CDK6 contained higher amounts of immunodetectable p21 protein compared to untreated HL-60 cells, whereas no detectable change was noted with anti-CDK4 antibody. Furthermore, the kinase activities of CDK2 and CDK6 were decreased while little change was observed in CDK4 activity. These data indicated that p21 protein is a strong candidate for the control of G1 progression in EB1089-treated HL-60 cells, and its major target molecules are CDK2 and CDK6.

Generation of nuclear hybrids overcoming the natural barrier of incompatibility: transfer of nuclei from Lentinula edodes into protoplasts of Coriolus versicolor

Heterokaryotic nuclear hybrids overcoming the natural barriers of incompatibility have been studied in basidiomycetes. To produce these nuclear hybrids between incompatible mushrooms, which have several potent pharmacological effects, nuclear transfer was performed between Lentinula edodes and Coriolus versicolor. Nuclei from serine auxotrophs of Lentinula edodes, LE207 (Ser-) were transferred into the protoplasts of arginine auxotrophs of Coriolus versicolor, CV17 (Arg-), using 30% polyethylene glycol 4000 in 10 mM CaCl2-glycine solution (pH 8.0). Nuclear transfer progenies were selected by nutritional complementation on minimal media supplemented with 0.6 M sucrose. The progenies were classified based on colony morphology to L. edodes-like, C. versicolor-like and non-parental type. Most of the progenies grew slower than either parent. The number of nuclei per cell was similar but the DNA content varied between progenies. The isozyme patterns of nuclear hybrids resembled either of the parent profiles or showed a mixed profile.