Establishment and characterization of a human urinary bladder carcinoma cell line (TSGH-8301)

Pharmaceutical Evaluation of Honokiol and Magnolol on Apoptosis and Migration Inhibition in Human Bladder Cancer Cells

Among herbal medicines, magnolia bark extract, particularly its components honokiol (Hono) and magnolol (Mag), has been widely documented to have antineoplastic properties. The present study aimed to evaluate the synergism of Hono and Mag in bladder cancer therapy both in vitro and in vivo. Treatment with Mag alone at concentrations up to 80 μM failed to have an antiproliferative effect. In contrast, the combination of Hono and Mag at 40 μM decreased viability, caused cell cycle arrest and enhanced the proportion of Annexin V/7AAD-positive cells. Moreover, Mag with Hono at 40 μM induced caspase 3-dependent apoptosis and autophagy. Neither Hono nor Mag alone had an anti-migratory effect on bladder cancer cells. In contrast, Hono and Mag at 20 μM inhibited the motility of TSGH8301 and T24 cells in wound-healing and Transwell assays. The above phenomena were further confirmed by decreased phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase (p-FAK), p-paxillin, integrin β1, and integrin β3 protein levels. In a nude mouse xenograft model, Mag/Hono administration preferentially retarded T24 tumor progression, which was consistent with the results of cellular experiments. Current findings suggest Hono and Mag treatment as a potential anticancer therapy for both low- and high-grade urothelial carcinoma.

Metallothionein 3 Is a Hypoxia-Upregulated Oncogene Enhancing Cell Invasion and Tumorigenesis in Human Bladder Carcinoma Cells

Metallothioneins have been viewed as modulators in a number of biological regulations regarding cancerous development; however, the function of metallothionein 3 (MT3) in bladder cancer is unexplored. We determined the regulatory mechanisms and potential function of MT3 in bladder carcinoma cells. Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) assays revealed that TSGH-8301 cells expressed more MT3 levels than RT-4, HT1376, and T24 cells. Immunoblot and RT-qPCR assays showed that arsenic (AS₂O₃) treatments enhanced the gene expression of MT3. Hypoxia induced HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and MT3 expression; furthermore, HIF-2α-knockdown attenuated hypoxic activation on MT3 expression. Ectopic overexpression of MT3 increased cell proliferation, invasion, and tumorigenesis significantly in T24 and HT1376 cells in vitro and in vivo; however, MT3-knockdown in TSGH-8301 cells had the reverse effect. Moreover, knockdown of MT3 enhanced arsenic-induced apoptosis determined by the Annexin V-FITC apoptosis assay. MT3-overexpression downregulated the gene expressions of N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 (NDRG1), N-myc downstream regulated gene 2 (NDRG2), and the mammary serine protease inhibitor (MASPIN) in HT1376 and T24 cells, whereas MT3-knockdown in TSGH-8301 cells had the opposite effect. The experiments indicated that MT3 is an arsenic- and hypoxia-upregulated oncogene that promotes cell growth and invasion of bladder carcinoma cells via downregulation of NDRG1, NDRG2, and MASPIN expressions.

MiR-429 reverses epithelial-mesenchymal transition by restoring E-cadherin expression in bladder cancer

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) accompanying loss of E-cadherin is important for invasiveness and metastasis of bladder cancer. MicroRNAs (miRs) had been associated with cancer progression and differentiation in several cancers. Our goal is to find out the specific miR which modulates EMT in bladder cancer. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to measure the miRs expression in urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) cell lines. MiR or siRNA mimics was used to regulate miR and mRNA level respectively. Migration and scratch assays were used to determine the migratory ability. Zymography assay was used to confirm the metalloproteinase activity. Western blotting was used to elucidate the mechanism which regulated by specific miR. MiR-429 was highly expressed in low grade UCC cell lines. Exogenous mimic of miR-429 treatment dramatically inhibited the migratory ability of T24 cells. MiR-429 downstream target ZEB1 was decreased, E-cadherin was restored, and β-catenin was contrarily decreased by exogenous mimic of miR-429 treatment in T24 cells. Cell invasive ability was also inhibited by exogenous mimic of miR-429 treatment through inactivating the MMP-2 activity in T24 cells. E-cadherin protein expression level was inhibited by E-cadherin siRNA accompanied with increasing cell migratory ability when compared with control group in low grade TSGH8301 cells. MiR-429 decreased the cell migratory and invasive abilities through reducing ZEB1 and β-catenin, restoring the E-cadherin expression and inactivation of MMP-2 of UCC cells. MiR-429 might be used as a progression marker of bladder cancer.

Promoter hypermethylation of LGALS4 correlates with poor prognosis in patients with urothelial carcinoma

Galectine-4 (gal-4), encoded by the LGALS4 gene, was recently shown to exhibit a tumor suppressive effect in colorectal carcinoma and pancreatic adenocarcinoma, although how the expression of this gene is regulated remains unknown. No reports describe the significance of gal-4 in the malignant potential of urothelial tumors. Thus, we analyzed LGALS4 methylation and gene expression and their clinical relevance and biological function in urothelial carcinoma (UC). LGALS4 methylation was initially identified as a progression biomarker for UC patients through genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of 16 tumor samples. Bisulfite sequencing PCR and immunohistochemistry were performed to validate the promoter methylation and expression of LGALS4. We used quantitative methylation-specific PCR to determine the methylation levels of LGALS4 normalized to ACTB in the tumor samples of 79 UC patients and compared the levels between patients with different clinicopathological characteristics. The association with survival probability was analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. The ectopic expression of gal-4 in cancer cell lines was used to address its biological function in UC in vitro. The promoter hypermethylation of LGALS4 (>2.51, log₁₀ scale) revealed a positive correlation with high levels of both histological grade and tumor T category and with lymph node metastasis (all P≤0.001). In addition, LGALS4 hypermethylation was an independent predictor of inferior survival in UC patients (P<0.05). The ectopic expression studies demonstrated that gal-4 suppressed urothelial cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion. Thus, LGALS4 may function as a tumor suppressor gene in UC progression. Our findings provide evidence that methylation-mediated LGALS4 gene repression may be involved in urothelial tumor progression.

Cantharidin alters the expression of genes associated with the NKG2D-associated immune response in TSGH-8301 human bladder carcinoma cells

Cantharidin (CTD) is a natural toxin in beetles of the Mylabris genus (blister beetle), which has been revealed to induce cell death in various types of human cancer cells. However, to the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have investigated the effect of CTD on the expression of genes and their associated signaling pathways in human bladder carcinoma cells. In the present study, CTD-induced cell morphological changes and apoptosis were observed using phase-contrast microscopy and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay, respectively, in TSGH-8301 human bladder carcinoma cells. In addition, a complementary DNA microarray analysis demonstrated that CTD treatment led to a >2-fold upregulation of 269 genes. For example, the DNA damage-associated gene DNA-damage-inducible transcript 3 had a 4.75-fold upregulation. Furthermore, another 286 genes were >2-fold downregulated in response to CTD treatment. Matrix-remodeling associated 5, which is associated with cell migration and invasion, was downregulated 7.98-fold.

Role of galectin-1 in urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma cell invasion through the JNK pathway

Human galectin-1 is a member of the galectin family, proteins with conserved carbohydrate-recognition domains that bind galactoside. Galectin-1 is highly expressed in various tumors and participates in various oncogenic processes. However, detailed descriptions of the function of galectin-1 in urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma have not been reported. Our previous cohort investigation showed that galectin-1 is associated with tumor invasiveness and is a possible independent prognostic marker of urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma. The present study aimed to clarify the relevance of galectin-1 expression level to tumor progression and invasion. In order to decipher a mechanism for the contribution of galectin-1 to the malignant behavior of urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma, two bladder cancer cell lines (T24 and J82) were established with knockdown of galectin-1 expression by shRNA. Bladder cancer cells with LGALS1 gene silencing showed reduced cell proliferation, lower invasive capability, and lower clonogenicity. Extensive signaling pathway studies indicated that galectin-1 participated in bladder cancer cell invasion by mediating the activity of MMP9 through the Ras-Rac1-MEKK4-JNK-AP1 signaling pathway. Our functional analyses of galectin-1 in urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma provided novel insights into the critical role of galectin-1 in tumor progression and invasion. These results revealed that silencing the galectin-1-mediated MAPK signaling pathway presented a novel strategy for bladder cancer therapy.

Clarification of the molecular pathway of Taiwan local pomegranate fruit juice underlying the inhibition of urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma cell by proteomics strategy

Background

Pomegranate fruit has been shown to exhibit the inhibitory activity against prostate cancer and lung cancer in vitro and in vivo, which might be a resource for chemoprevention and chemotherapy of cancer. Our previous documented findings indicated that treatment of urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma cell with the ethanol extract isolated from the juice of pomegranate fruit grown in Taiwan could inhibit tumor cell. In this study we intended to uncover the molecular pathway underlying anti-cancer efficacy of Taiwan pomegranate fruit juice against urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma.

Methods

We exploited two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to find the de-regulated proteins. Western immunoblotting was used to confirm the results collected from proteomics study.

Results

Comparative proteomics indicated that 20 proteins were differentially expressed in ethanol extract-treated T24 cells with 19 up-regulated and 1 down-regulated proteins. These de-regulated proteins were involved in apoptosis, cytoskeleton regulation, cell proliferation, proteasome activity and aerobic glycolysis. Further studies on signaling pathway demonstrated that ethanol extract treatment might inhibit urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma cell proliferation through restriction of PTEN/AKT/mTORC1 pathway via profilin 1 up-regulation. It also might evoke cell apoptosis through Diablo over-expression.

Conclusions

The results of this study provide a global picture to further investigate the anticancer molecular mechanism of pomegranate fruit.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1071-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The cAMP responsive element binding protein 1 transactivates epithelial membrane protein 2, a potential tumor suppressor in the urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma

In this study, we report that EMP2 plays a tumor suppressor role by inducing G₂/M cell cycle arrest, suppressing cell viability, proliferation, colony formation/anchorage-independent cell growth via regulation of G₂/M checkpoints in distinct urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma (UBUC)-derived cell lines. Genistein treatment or exogenous expression of the cAMP responsive element binding protein 1 (CREB1) gene in different UBUC-derived cell lines induced EMP2 transcription and subsequent translation. Mutagenesis on either or both cAMP-responsive element(s) dramatically decreased the EMP2 promoter activity with, without genistein treatment or exogenous CREB1 expression, respectively. Significantly correlation between the EMP2 immunointensity and primary tumor, nodal status, histological grade, vascular invasion and mitotic activity was identified. Multivariate analysis further demonstrated that low EMP2 immunoexpression is an independent prognostic factor for poor disease-specific survival. Genistein treatments, knockdown of EMP2 gene and double knockdown of CREB1 and EMP2 genes significantly inhibited tumor growth and notably downregulated CREB1 and EMP2 protein levels in the mice xenograft models. Therefore, genistein induced CREB1 transcription, translation and upregulated pCREB1(S133) protein level. Afterward, pCREB1(S133) transactivated the tumor suppressor gene, EMP2, in vitro and in vivo. Our study identified a novel transcriptional target, which plays a tumor suppressor role, of CREB1.

Gab1 is essential for membrane translocation, activity and integrity of mTORCs after EGF stimulation in urothelial cell carcinoma

Urothelial carcinoma is the most common type of malignancy in long-term dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients in Taiwan. mTORCs (mammalian target of rapamycin complexes) and EGF are important in urothelial carcinoma. To identify the regulation of mTORCs upon EGF stimulation is necessary. mTOR integrates signals from growth factors via mTOR Complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR Complex 2 (mTORC2). The mechanism of mTORC1 action has been widely studied; however, the regulation of mTORC2 has not been well studied. Here, we demonstrate that Gab1 is an important upstream regulator in EGF-mediated activation of mTORCs. In our study, we confirm that mTORCs translocate from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane via the PH domain of Gab1 upon EGF stimulation. Moreover, Gab1 associates with mTORCs. This association stabilizes the integrity of mTORCs and induces mTORC activity. Compared to normal bladder tissue, the expression of Gab1 and activity of mTORCs are elevated in urothelial carcinoma. Collectively, our results suggest that Gab1 is an essential regulator of the EGF-mediated mTORC pathways and may potentially be used as a biomarker for urothelial carcinoma to predict diagnosis and drug response.

Galectin-1 dysregulation independently predicts disease specific survival in bladder urothelial carcinoma

PURPOSE

Galectin-1 is highly expressed in various tumors and participates in various oncogenic processes. Our previous proteomics investigation demonstrated that galectin-1 is up-regulated in high compared to nonhigh grade lesions. Thus, in the current cohort study we clarified the correlation of galectin-1 over expression with various clinicopathological features and prognosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We selected 185 cases of consecutively treated primary localized bladder urothelial carcinoma for study. Transurethral resection of bladder tumor was performed in all patients followed by radical cystectomy in those with T2 to T4 tumors. Pathological slides were examined to determine cytoplasmic galectin-1 immuno-expression and correlate galectin-1 dysregulation with various clinicopathological factors and disease specific survival.

RESULTS

Positive galectin-1 immuno-expression in tumors was significantly linked to pT status (p = 0.0295), histological grade (p = 0.037), vascular invasion (p = 0.0287) and nodal status (p = 0.0012). Galectin-1 over expression in tumors significantly predicted disease specific survival at the univariate (p = 0.0002) and multivariate levels (p = 0.03, HR 2.438, 95% CI 1.090-5.451). In situ hybridization indicated that the LGALS1 gene was amplified in 43 specimens in an independent cohort of 56 snap frozen tumor specimens. Association analysis showed that an increased LGALS1 mRNA level was linked to bladder urothelial carcinoma invasiveness (p = 0.016) and LGALS1 gene amplification was significantly associated the amount of GAL-1 protein in tumors (p <0.0001). On the univariate level gene amplification was also closely linked to disease specific survival (p = 0.0006).

CONCLUSIONS

These results reveal that galectin-1 over expression is a possible independent factor for bladder cancer prognosis.

The investigation of a traditional Chinese medicine, Guizhi Fuling Wan (GFW) as an intravesical therapeutic agent for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

Background

The high risk of recurrence faced by patients with bladder cancer has necessitated the administration of supplemental intravesical chemotherapy; however, such treatments often result in severe side effects. As a result, novel intravesical agents with enhanced efficacy and minimal toxicity are urgently required for the treatment of bladder cancer.

Methods

Guizhi Fuling Wan (GFW) is a traditional Chinese medicine shown to inhibit the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma. This study evaluated the growth inhibition of GFW using normal human urothelial cells and bladder cancer cells; the efficacy of GFW treatment was further compared with mitomycin C, epirubicin, and cisplatin. We also examined the progression of cell cycle and apoptosis in bladder cancer cells in response to GFW treatment. CCK-8 was employed to analyze cell viability and flow cytometry was used to study the cell cycle and apoptosis. The mechanisms underlying GFW-induced cell cycle arrest were determined by Western blot analysis.

Results

Our data demonstrate the potent inhibitory effect of GFW in the proliferation of bladder cancer cell lines, BFTC 905 and TSGH 8301. GFW presented relatively high selectivity with regard to cancer cells and minimal toxicity to normal urothelial cells. Our results also demonstrate that GFW interferes with cell cycle progression through the activation of CHK2 and P21 and induces apoptosis in these bladder cancer cells.

Conclusions

Our results provide experimental evidence to support GFW as a strong candidate for intravesicle chemotherapy against bladder cancer.

Comparative and targeted proteomic analyses of urinary microparticles from bladder cancer and hernia patients

Bladder cancer is a common urologic cancer whose incidence continues to rise annually. Urinary microparticles are an attractive material for noninvasive bladder cancer biomarker discovery. In this study, we applied isotopic dimethylation labeling coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to discover bladder cancer biomarkers in urinary microparticles isolated from hernia (control) and bladder cancer patients. This approach identified 2964 proteins based on more than two distinct peptides, of which 2058 had not previously been reported as constituents of human urine exosomes/microparticles. A total of 107 differentially expressed proteins were identified as candidate biomarkers. Differences in the concentrations of 29 proteins (41 signature peptides) were precisely quantified by LC-MRM/MS in 48 urine samples of bladder cancer, hernia, and urinary tract infection/hematuria. Concentrations of 24 proteins changed significantly (p<0.05) between bladder cancer (n=28) and hernia (n=12), with area-under-the-curve values ranging from 0.702 to 0.896. Finally, we quantified tumor-associated calcium-signal transducer 2 (TACSTD2) in raw urine specimens (n=221) using a commercial ELISA and confirmed its potential value for diagnosis of bladder cancer. Our study reveals a strong association of TACSTD2 with bladder cancer and highlights the potential of human urinary microparticles in the noninvasive diagnosis of bladder cancer.

Paeonia lactiflora Pall inhibits bladder cancer growth involving phosphorylation of Chk2 in vitro and in vivo

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Extracts of Paeonia lactiflora Pall (RPA), a traditional Chinese medicines has been shown to treat cancers.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the anticancer effect of RPA in urinary bladder carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The cell viability was analyzed with DAPI. Flow cytometry and Western blot were used to study the apoptosis and cell cycle related mechanism. A rat model of bladder cancer was induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (OH-BBN). Tumors were analyzed with immunohistochemical analysis.

RESULTS

Our data suggested that RPA inhibits growth of bladder cancer via induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Treatment of TSGH-8301 cells with RPA resulted in G2-M phase arrest that was associated with a marked decline in protein levels of cdc2, cyclin B1, cell division cycle 25B (Cdc25B) and Cdc25C. We also reported that RPA-mediated growth inhibition of TSGH-8301 cells was correlated with activation of checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2). Herein, we further evaluated urinary bladder cancer using a model of bladder cancer induced by OH-BBN. Analysis of tumors from RPA-treated rats showed significant decrease in the expression of Bcl2, cyclin D1, and PCNA, and increase in the expression of p-Chk2 (Thr-68), Bax, and Cip1/p21.

CONCLUSION

Our data provide the experimental evidence that RPA could modulate apoptosis in models of bladder cancer.

Aqueous Extract of Shi-Liu-Wei-Liu-Qi-Yin Induces G2/M Phase Arrest and Apoptosis in Human Bladder Carcinoma Cells via Fas and Mitochondrial Pathway

Shi-Liu-Wei-Liu-Qi-Yin (SLWLQY) was traditionally used to treat cancers. However, scientific evidence of the anticancer effects still remains undefined. In this study, we aimed to clarify the possible mechanisms of SLWLQY in treating cancer. We evaluated the effects of SLWLQY on apoptosis-related experiments inducing in TSGH-8301 cells by (i) 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-zyl)-2,5-diphenylterazolium bromide (MTT) for cytotoxicity; (ii) cell-cycle analysis and (iii) western blot analysis of the G2/M-phase and apoptosis regulatory proteins. Human bladder carcinoma TSGH-8301 cells were transplanted into BALB/c nude mice as a tumor model for evaluating the antitumor effect of SLWLQY. Treatment of SLWLQY resulted in the G2/M phase arrest and apoptotic death in a dose-dependent manner, accompanied by a decrease in cyclin-dependent kinases (cdc2) and cyclins (cyclin B1). SLWLQY stimulated increases in the protein expression of Fas and FasL, and induced the cleavage of caspase-3, caspase-9 and caspase-8. The ratio of Bax/Bcl₂ was increased by SLWLQY treatment. SLWLQY markedly reduced tumor size in TSGH-8301 cells-xenografted tumor tissues. In the tissue specimen, SLWLQY up-regulated the expression of Fas, FasL and Bax proteins, and down-regulated Bcl₂ as well as in in vitro assay. Our results showed that SLWLQY reduced tumor growth, caused cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in TSGH-8301 cells via the Fas and mitochondrial pathway.

Combretastatin A-4 inhibits cell growth and metastasis in bladder cancer cells and retards tumour growth in a murine orthotopic bladder tumour model

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Bladder cancer is a highly recurrent cancer after intravesical therapy, so new drugs are needed to treat this cancer. Hence, we investigated the anti-cancer activity of combretastatin A-4 (CA-4), an anti-tubulin agent, in human bladder cancer cells and in a murine orthotopic bladder tumour model.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Cytotoxicity of CA-4 was measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, propidium iodide (PI) staining assay and clonogenic survival assay. In vivo microtubule assembly assay, cell cycle analyses, Western blot and cell migration assay were used to study the mechanism of CA-4. The effect of intravesical CA-4 therapy on the development of tumours was studied in the murine orthotopic bladder tumour model.

KEY RESULTS

CA-4 inhibited microtubule polymerization in vivo. Cytotoxic IC(50) values of CA-4 in human bladder cancer cells were below 4 nM. Analyses of cell-cycle distribution showed CA-4 obviously induced G(2)-M phase arrest with sub-G(1) formation. The analyses of apoptosis showed that CA-4 induced caspase-3 activation and decreased BubR1 and Bub3 in cancer cells. In addition to apoptosis, CA-4 was also found to induce the formation of multinucleated cells. CA-4 had a significantly reduced cell migration in vitro. Importantly, the in vivo study revealed that intravesical CA-4 therapy retarded the development of murine bladder tumours.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

These data demonstrate that CA-4 kills bladder cancer cells by inducing apoptosis and mitotic catastrophe. It inhibited cell migration in vitro and tumour growth in vivo. Hence, CA-4 intravesical therapy could provide another strategy for treating superficial bladder cancers.

SOX2 modulates alternative splicing in transitional cell carcinoma

Aberrant alternative splicing of key cellular regulators may play a pivotal role in cancer development. To investigate the potential influence of altered alternative splicing on the development of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), splicing activity in the TCC cell lines TSGH8301 and BFTC905 was examined using the SV40-immortalized uroepithelial cell line SV-HUC-1 as a reference. Our results indicate a significant alteration in splice site selection in the TCC cell lines. By gene expression profiling and subsequent validation, we discovered that sex-determining region Y-box protein 2 (SOX2) is specifically upregulated in BFTC905. Furthermore, ectopic expression of SOX2 modulates alternative splicing of the splicing reporter in vivo. More significantly, using an in vitro pull-down assay, it was found that SOX2 exhibits RNA-binding capability. Our observations suggest that SOX2 modulates alternative splicing by functioning as a splicing factor.

Supraphysiological thermal injury in different human bladder carcinoma cell lines

Depending on the duration of exposure to supraphysiological temperatures, cellular proteins and organelles can suffer from structural alternations and irreversible denaturation, which may induce cell death. The thermotolerance of three human urinary bladder carcinoma cell lines, TSGH-8301, J82 and TCC-SUP (cytological grade 2, 3 and 4, respectively), was investigated in the present study. A home-made heating stage was used to provide a constant temperature for different cell lines of bladder carcinoma. The experimental data showed that the TCC-SUP and TSGH-8301 cells exhibited the lowest and highest thermotolerances, respectively, while J82 cells were intermediate. Moreover, the differences in the thermotolerances for the TSGH-8301 and J82 cells are significant when the supraphysiological temperature is higher than 43 degrees C. As for TSGH-8301 and TCC-SUP cells, the thermotolerances are significantly different for all of the thermal treatments tested. Furthermore, the thermotolerances of J82 and TCC-SUP are significantly different when the cells are exposed to a temperature less than 50 degrees C for longer than 2 min. Overall, the results suggest that the high cytological grade of the cell line of bladder cancer exhibits a low thermotolerance. The kinematic parameters of the activation energy and frequency factor for bladder cancer cell lines with different cytological grades were also quantitatively evaluated in this work.

Evaluation of CA19-9 as a tumor marker in urothelial malignancy

OBJECTIVE

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is known to be a marker with a high positive rate in pancreatic cancer. There are limited data on the use of CA19-9 as a tumor marker in bladder carcinoma. We tested the expression of CA19-9 in transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) cell lines and bladder cancer patients to determine its usefulness in clinical applications.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The expression of CA19-9 was determined in six TCC cell lines and 42 bladder carcinoma tissues using two approaches: immunohistochemistry and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) analysis. EIA was used for testing CA19-9 levels in spent medium of cultured TCC cells and the urine of bladder tumor patients.

RESULTS

The CA19-9 value was low in spent media of the MGH-U1, MGH-U1R and MGH-U3 cell lines, but high in that of reactivity in MGH-U4 cells, while negative reactivity was found in high-grade MGH-U1 and MGH-U1R cells, both of which were derived from a stage B, grade 3 TCC. High incidences of negative CA19-9 staining were found in high-grade and invasive tumor tissues: 69.6% (16/23) and 70.8% (17/24), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of urinary CA19-9 for detecting tumor recurrence were 83.3% and 50.8%, respectively. However, urinary tract infection also resulted in a high false-positive rate.

CONCLUSION

CA19-9 is promising for use as a biomarker for the detection and monitoring of low-grade and low-stage bladder cancer, with the proviso that patients to be tested should be free of infection.

Antrodia camphorata extract induces replicative senescence in superficial TCC, and inhibits the absolute migration capability in invasive bladder carcinoma cells

The Antrodia camphorata crude extract (ACCE), an extract obtained from a precious traditional Chinese folkloric herbal medicine Zhan-Ku (a camphor tree mushroom) since the 18th century, has showed rather significant inhibitory effects on the growth and proliferation of the transitional cell carcinomas (TCC) cell lines RT4, TSGH-8301, and T24. On treatment with ACCE at 100 microg/mL, the p53-independent overexpression of p21 with simultaneous down alteration of pRb was observed in RT4, which was thus speculative of proceeding through a mechanism of replicative senescence. On the contrary treatment with ACCE, at 50 microg/mL, resulting in simultaneous down-regulations of Cdc2 and Cyclin B1, with suppression of the absolute migrating capability of the two cell lines TSGH-8301 and T24, and eventually the cell deaths. We conclude that ACCE can be rather effective and beneficial in suppression of both the superficial cancer cell line RT4 and the metastatic cell lines (TSGH-8301 and T24) through different mechanisms.

H-Ras oncogene counteracts the growth-inhibitory effect of genistein in T24 bladder carcinoma cells

Among eight human bladder cancer cell lines we examined, only T24 cells were resistant to the growth inhibition effect of genistein, an isoflavone and potent anticancer drug. Since the T24 cell line was the only cell line known to overexpress oncogenic H-Ras(val 12), we investigated the role of H-Ras(val 12) in mediating drug resistance. Herein, we demonstrate that the phenotype of T24 cells could be dramatically reversed and became relatively susceptible to growth inhibition by genistein if the synthesis of H-Ras(val 12) or its downstream effector c-Fos had been suppressed. The inhibition of Ras-mediated signalling with protein kinase inhibitors, such as PD58059 and U0126 which inhibited MEK and ERK, in T24 cells also rendered the identical phenotypic reversion. However, this reversion was not observed when an inhibitor was used to suppress the protein phosphorylation function of PI3 K or PKC. These results suggest that the signal mediated by H-Ras(val 12) is predominantly responsible for the resistance of the cells to the anticancer drug genistein.

The novel targets for anti-angiogenesis of genistein on human cancer cells

Genistein has been reported to be a natural chemopreventive in several types of human cancer. In our prior study, soy isoflavones were shown to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of bladder cancer cells in the range of human urine excretion. This study was designed to identify the novel molecular basis underlying anti-angiogenic activities of soy isoflavones. An immortalized E6 and five human bladder cancer cell lines were studied by immunoassay, flow cytometry, functional activity, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting, and transwell co-culture in vitro. The efficacy of soy isoflavones on angiogenesis inhibition in vivo was examined by nude mice xenograft and chick chorioallantoic membrane bioassay. Factors analyzed included angiogenic factors, matrix-degrading enzymes, and angiogenesis inhibitors. Genistein was the most potent inhibitor of angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo among the isoflavone compounds tested. It may also account for most of the reduced microvessel density of xenografts observed and the suppressed endothelial migration by soy isoflavones. Genistein exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition of expression/excretion of vascular endothelial growth factor165, platelet-derived growth factor, tissue factor, urokinase plasminogen activator, and matrix metalloprotease-2 and 9, respectively. On the other hand, there was an up-regulation of angiogenesis inhibitors-plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, endostatin, angiostatin, and thrombospondin-1. In addition, a differential inhibitory effect between immortalized uroepithelial cells and most cancer cell lines was also observed. Altogether, we discovered that tissue factor, endostatin, and angiostatin are novel molecular targets of genistein. The current investigation provides further evidence in support of soy-based foods as natural dietary inhibitors of tumor angiogenesis.

Gene therapy for bladder cancer using E1B-55 kD-deleted adenovirus in combination with adenoviral vector encoding plasminogen kringles 1-5

Mutations or loss of heterozygosity of p53 are detected in approximately 50% of bladder cancers. E1B-55 kD-deleted adenovirus has been shown to kill tumour cells with defective p53 function while sparing normal cells. Here, we examined the cytolytic effect and replication of E1B-55 kD-deleted adenovirus, designated Ad5WS1, on human bladder cancer cell lines with various p53 status. Ad5WS1 caused more severe cytolytic effect and replicated more efficiently in J82 and TCC-SUP bladder cancer cells carrying mutant p53 compared with TSGH-8301 and BFTC-905 bladder cancer cells retaining wild-type p53. Introduction of dominant negative p53 into BFTC-905 cells rendered them more susceptible to Ad5WS1-induced cytolysis. Furthermore, cells susceptible to lysis caused by Ad5WS1 were not attributable to their greater infectability by adenovirus. Finally, Ad5WS1 suppressed the growth of TCC-SUP bladder tumour xenografts, which could be augmented when combined with replication-defective adenoviral vector encoding kringles 1-5 of plasminogen (K1-5), an angiogenic inhibitor. Taken together, our results show that E1B-55 kD-deleted adenovirus replicates and hence lyses bladder cancer cells with mutant p53 much more efficient than those with wild-type p53. Thus, E1B-deleted adenovirus may have therapeutic potential, especially in combination with adenoviral vector expressing K1-5, for the treatment of bladder cancer.

Microarray profiling of gene expression patterns in bladder tumor cells treated with genistein

Microarray technology was used to gain an insight into the molecular events of tumor cell growth inhibition mediated by the soy isoflavone genistein. For this, a susceptible bladder tumor line TCCSUP was treated with the inhibitory dose (50 microM) of genistein for various periods of time, followed by mRNA isolations, cDNA probe preparations, and hybridization individually to cDNA chips containing 884 sequence-verified known human genes. After analyzing the hybridization signals with a simple quantitative method developed by this study, we detected that egr-1, whose expression has been associated with proliferation and differentiation, was transiently induced and this expression pattern was later confirmed by RT-PCR. Thus, microarray technology is a reliable and powerful tool for profiling gene expression patterns in many biological systems related to cancer. We further detected many groups of genes with distinct expression profiles and most of them encode for proteins that regulate the signal transduction or the cell cycle pathways. These genes warrant further investigation as regards their roles in the susceptibility of the tumor cell line to the antitumor drug.

Overexpression of MDM-2 mRNA and mutation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene in bladder carcinoma cell lines

To investigate the importance of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in bladder carcinogenesis, we determined the status of the expression of the MDM-2 and p53 genes and genetic alterations in the p53 gene in five bladder carcinoma cell lines and one kidney urothelial carcinoma cell line. Overexpression of MDM-2 mRNA was observed in three bladder carcinoma cell lines, J82, SCaBER, and BFTC-905. Amplification of the MDM-2 gene was not detected in any of the six cell lines by southern analysis. The deletion in the p53 gene was observed in J82, and point mutation was detected in J82 and BFTC-909, the kidney urothelial carcinoma cell line. In contrast, no mutations were found in codons 12, 13, and 61 in the Ha-ras and Ki-ras genes in these six cell lines. These results indicate that alterations in the p53-regulated pathway are important in bladder carcinogenesis.