Characterization and partial purification of neuroblastoma growth inhibitory factor from the culture medium of glioblasts

Human neuroblastoma growth inhibitory factor (h-NGIF), derived from human astrocytoma conditioned medium, has neurotrophic properties

Investigations on the general characteristics of human astrocytoma cell line NAC-1 revealed neuroblastoma growth inhibitory activity in conditioned medium. Neuroblastoma growth inhibitory factor (NGIF) was partially purified by Econo Q, Econo CM, and Superose 12 column chromatography. The protein is weakly basic with an estimated M(r) of 120,000, possibly having an M(r) 60,000 dimeric structure. NGIF inhibits the growth of human neuroblastoma cell lines but has no effect on morphology nor does it produce any change in the growth of human glioblastoma cell lines. Interestingly, NGIF appears to promote survival and neurite outgrowth of embryonal rat cortical neurons. These neurotrophic properties suggest a role for NGIF in the development of the nervous system.

Neuroblastoma growth factors derived from neurofibroma (NF1): participation of uridine in a neuroblastoma growth

Human glioma cell extracts were found to elicit a marked growth-promoting activity on human neuroblastoma cells. This activity was also detected in the extracts of neurofibroma type 1 (NF1; von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis) comprising aberrant Schwann cell growth. The purified substance from the NF1 extracts by HPLC on ODS columns was identical to a pyrimidine nucleoside, uridine, the chemical structure of which was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The authentic uridine showed a strong growth-promoting activity on human neuroblastoma cells. Other purine or pyrimidine nucleotides, their derivatives, and ribose sources for their syntheses were employed to test the activity; a purine nucleoside, adenosine, showed a stronger activity than uridine. The current study raises the possibility that human neuroblastoma cells may be affected by dysfunctions of the de novo pathway of both purine and pyrimidine nucleotide biosyntheses.

A novel glial growth inhibitory factor, gliostatin, derived from neurofibroma

Neurofibroma tissue was investigated for the presence of glial growth modulators that would suppress the proliferation of glial cells. A novel endogenous polypeptide inhibitor of proliferation and DNA synthesis in glial cells, gliostatin, was purified from the extracts of neurofibroma by a procedure comprising dye and anion-exchange column chromatography, and HPLC. A monoclonal antibody raised against partially purified gliostatin showed no cross-reactivity with known cytokines, but adsorbed the growth inhibitory activity of gliostatin and immunochemically visualized the putative gliostatin bands on western blot analyses. Although the product showed an apparent M(r) of 100,000 accompanied by an inhibitory activity on gel filtration column chromatography, it migrated at a lower apparent M(r) of 50,000 under the reducing conditions on western blotting, indicating that a homodimeric structure of native gliostatin consisted of 50-kDa subcomponents. Gliostatin was a potent growth inhibitor acting at nanomolar concentrations against all glial tumor cells and glia maturation factor-stimulated astroblasts, but not neuronal cells.

Cultured neurons release an inhibitor of astroglia proliferation (astrostatine)

Using in vitro techniques, we looked for a possible downregulation of rat astroglia proliferation by neuronal cells. We demonstrate that medium conditioned by 7-day-old rat cerebellar granule neurons or by 16-day-old rat embryo hippocampal neurons strongly inhibits the proliferation of cultured astroglial cells. Two neuronal cell lines, the PC12 rat pheocromocytoma and the neuro 2A (N2A) murine neuroblastoma also release such an activity. This release in N2A-conditioned medium (CM) occurs when the cells are at high density and show a low proliferation rate. This activity is present in media conditioned by neuronal cells, but not in media conditioned by normal astrocytes, by two glioma cell lines, or by one fibroblastic cell line. This proliferation inhibitor addresses normal astrocytes: the proliferation of two glioma cell lines, of a fibroblastic cell line, and of the two neuronal cell lines (PC12, N2A) is not inhibited by N2A CM. Moreover, this activity is directed against type 1 astrocytes, but not against type 2. Using three different assays, we demonstrate that DNA synthesis by astroglial cells is inhibited. N2A CM has no cytotoxic effect on astrocytes and does not modify their overall protein synthesis. Using affinity and gel filtration chromatography, we show that this activity is associated with a protein whose molecular weight ranges between 15 and 20 kDa. The possible relationship between this N2A cell-derived astroglia proliferation inhibitor and other types of potential glial proliferation inhibitors has been investigated. A brain glycoprotein immunologically related to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was reported to inhibit astroglial cell proliferation in vitro. Using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against EGFR, we were unable to immunoprecipitate the astrocyte proliferation inhibitor in N2A CM or to demonstrate by immunoblotting the presence of an EGFR-like immunoreactivity in the N2A CM or in the active chromatographic fractions of N2A CM. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) is a well-known modulator of the proliferation of various cell types and was shown to be present in N2A CM. Using a polyclonal anti-TGF beta antibody that recognizes TGF beta on Western blots of N2A CM, we were unable to immunoprecipitate the astrocyte proliferation inhibitor of N2A CM. It seems thus far that the neuronal astroglia proliferation inhibitor is a new protein for which we propose the name astrostatine.

Enhancement of both intracellular uptake and antitumor action of cisplatinum on human neuroblastoma cells by encapsulation in liposomes

Phospholipid vesicles (phosphatidylcholine:phosphatidylserine:cholesterol = 6:2:3 in molar ratio) with a small unilamellar structure were used as drug carriers for introducing cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (CDDP) into human neuroblastoma cells, IMR-32, GOTO, Nagai, and TGW. DNA synthesis of IMR-32 cells among the human neuroblastoma cell lines was inhibited most strongly by CDDP-liposomes. CDDP-liposomes dose-dependently inhibited the DNA synthesis of IMR-32 in a similar fashion to that observed with free CDDP, but the drug concentration required to induce 50% inhibition of DNA synthesis for CDDP-liposomes (IC50: 0.7 micrograms CDDP/ml) was 1/3 of the IC50 for free CDDP (2.0 micrograms CDDP/ml). In support of the marked growth-inhibitory action of CDDP-liposomes, the intracellular incorporation rate of CDDP-liposomes was 3-fold higher when liposomes were used as carriers than when free CDDP was directly applied. CDDP-liposomes showed a stronger growth inhibition on IMR-32 cells at a high cell density than at a low density in culture. CDDP-liposomes were rapidly incorporated by IMR-32 cells within 5 min, resulting in the inhibition of DNA synthesis to 40% of the control. Swiss albino mouse 3T3 cells were less inhibited by CDDP-liposomes than by free CDDP, suggesting that encapsulation of CDDP in liposomes decreases cytotoxicity to normal cells.

Production of tumor growth-inhibiting protein by the neonatal mouse brain: dependence on intracellular glutamine metabolism

We previously reported that the mouse brain at the neonatal stage but not at the adult stage secreted a carcinostatic factor of 62,000 Da, termed NBCF, which inhibited clonal growth and DNA synthesis of malignant cells preferentially over those of normal cells. In the present study, NBCF production by the neonatal mouse brain in culture was investigated. Addition of L-glutamine to the culture medium markedly promoted NBCF production in a concentration-dependent manner. The production seemed to be specific to glutamine, since no promotive effect was exerted by L-glutamic acid, its analogue DL-alpha-aminoadipic acid, L-aspargine, or L-aspartic acid or by other amino acids or vitamins. NBCF production was markedly reduced in culture medium either devoid of L-glutamine or containing 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine, a glutamine antagonist, or L-methionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase. Thus NBCF production was promoted by extracellular supply, intracellular synthesis, and utilization of L-glutamine but was not affected by its deamidated form or homologue amino acids. On the other hand, NBCF production was completely repressed by addition of cycloheximide to the culture medium. The repressive effect was also exerted by actinomycin D although not completely, whereas cytosine beta-D-arabinofuranoside did not repress NBCF production. These results indicated that NBCF production by cultivation was independent of DNA replication but dependent mostly on a transcription stage and its following stages and partly on a translation stage from the preexisting mRNA to the protein.

Glial conditioned media inhibit the proliferation of cultured rat cerebellar astrocytes

Conditioned medium (CM) obtained from rat cerebellar astrocytes cultured in a serum-containing medium was able to inhibit [3H]thymidine incorporation into proliferating astrocytes, when compared to fresh medium. This effect could be attributed to two fractions of the CM with different molecular weights. The low molecular weight fraction (Mr less than 1,000) inhibited the cellular transport of the labeled precursor, without significantly affecting cell proliferation. The high molecular weight fraction (Mr greater than 10,000) showed a strong inhibitory effect on astrocyte proliferation, which was documented using different assay techniques: i) [3H]thymidine incorporation performed in conditions preventing the effects of CM on transport; ii) [3H]thymidine autoradiography; iii) determination of the DNA content of the cultures. The inhibitory activity was present in media conditioned by non proliferating astrocytes treated with the antimitotic cytosine arabinoside, but not in media conditioned by neuron-enriched cultures nor in a chemically defined (N2) CM. The antiproliferative activity of astrocyte CM could be due either to a rapid depletion of mitogenic factors present in serum, or, to a secretion of growth inhibitory factor(s) by cultured astrocytes.

Cytostatic effect of gangliosides present in the membrane of macrophages

Stimulated macrophages are known to inhibit the growth of certain tumor cells. Using mouse peritoneal exudates as a source of macrophages and the mastocytoma cell line P815 as the target, the inhibition was found to depend on direct contact between the macrophages and the growing cells. Cytostatic activities were detected in extracts of macrophages as well as in membranes of macrophages bound to substances of low molecular weight. Physical and biochemical characteristics of the cytostatic activity hint toward N-acetylneuraminic acid containing glycosphingolipids (gangliosides). The different macrophage gangliosides were separated by thin-layer chromatography. All types showed cytostatic activity, but the most effective gangliosides were identified as monosialoganglioside GM1 and disialoganglioside GD3.

Inhibition of tumor cell growth by protein factors derived from the developing mouse brain

It was recently reported (Endoh et al. 1981, Exp Cell Biol 49:272-277) that conditioned medium of neonatal mouse brain (CM-NB) inhibited the growth of mouse neuroblastoma cells. In this work we fractionated CM-NB by size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography, and separated two active principles (28,000 and 62,000 daltons) Each or a combination of the 28,000 and 62,000 dalton fractions showed a differential inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis or clonal growth of the three human lung cell lines: the normal diploid fibroblast WI38 cells were less susceptible than their simian virus 40-transformed VA13 cells and carcinoma A549 cells. This preferential growth-inhibition of malignant cells was also observed for rat fibroblast 3Y1 and its simian virus 40-transformed W3Y cells, and for two other normal and five other malignant cell lines. The growth-inhibitory activity of CM-NB or the 28,000 and 62,000 dalton fractions was lost by pronase, trypsin, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, or dithiothreitol in the presence of guanidine, and also labile to heat, vigorous agitation, or freeze-thawing. The activity was also found in the conditioned medium of prenatal mouse brain, but not in either the conditioned medium of the adult brain and of the secondary culture of the neonatal brain, or in the homogenate and rinsing fluid of the neonatal brain. Thus the mouse brain at the terminal stage of ontogenesis liberates proteinaceous factors, which exhibit a preferential growth-inhibition of tumor or transformed cells and act on malignant cells of human and rodent origin.