Control by hyperthermia of ornithine decarboxylase in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

Involvement of protein tyrosine phosphorylation in the effect of green tea polyphenols on Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in vitro

Green tea extract and its polyphenolic components have been found to possess anticarcinogenic, antimutagenic, antihypertensive and antihepatotoxic effects, and several mechanisms have been proposed for these effects. In this study, the effects of five tea polyphenols, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-) epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), ( -) epicatechin (EC) and (+)-catechin (C), were examined on the viability of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in vitro and a possible relationship with tyrosine phosphorylation was determined. Proteins extracted from the cells treated with the tea polyphenols were separated by SDS-PAGE, and tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins were detected by immunoblotting with anti-phosphotyrosine antibody and the extent of phosphorylation determined. EGC (100 microM) caused a significant decrease in cell viability to 4.1 +/- 0.2% of the control value, and this correlated with a stimulation of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity. EGCG (100 microM) also caused a slight decrease in cell viability (approximately 70% of the control value) but this and the other polyphenols, which had no effect on cell viability likewise, had no effect on tyrosine phosphorylation. Tyrosine phosphorylations of 42 and 45 kDa proteins were also observed for EGC. Further evaluation of the effect of EGC showed that the activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a key enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis in cells, decreased significantly as well. A significant correlation has therefore been observed between a cellular event, namely, a reduction in the viability of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells and an association with a tyrosine phosphorylation of 42 and 45 kDa proteins by the polyphenol EGC.

Promotive action of acylated ascorbate on cellular DNA synthesis and growth at low doses in contrast to inhibitory action at high doses or upon combination with hyperthermia

Effects of 6-O-palmitoyl ascorbate (ascorbate) developed to increase the antitumour activity of ascorbic acid on DNA synthesis and proliferation of Ehrlich ascites tumour cells were investigated. Treatment of the cells with the acylated ascorbate at 25-50 microM for 1 h resulted in no effect on DNA synthesis, assayed by pulse incorporation of [3H]thymidine after a culture period of 20 h, but led to 49%-87% enhanced DNA synthesis after 4 days, suggesting that long-term culture is required for promotion by ascorbate to occur. At a dose as high as 75 microM acylated ascorbate, however, cellular DNA synthesis was 64% inhibited after 20 h and 99% after 4 days. The results suggest that acylated ascorbate exhibits a dual action on DNA synthesis: promotion at low doses and inhibition at high doses, both of which are potentiated in a time-dependent manner. In contrast to the above-mentioned results at 37 degrees C, acylated ascorbate at 25-75 microM inhibited but did not promote DNA synthesis at 42 degrees C whatever the culture period. Similar results were exhibited when proliferation of cells cultured for a long period was investigated. At 37 degrees C, 50 microM acylated ascorbate increased the number of the cells to 3.6 times the control values after 8 days and to 1.9 times after 11 days; in contrast, a 75-microM dose decreased the cell number considerably. Combination with hyperthermia (42 degrees C) suppressed the increase and cell growth was completely inhibited at 75 microM.

Polyamine metabolism in the rat liver after orthotopic liver transplantation

We examined the polyamine metabolism in liver transplanted after cold ischemia and effects of putrescine administration on liver injury, liver regeneration, and survival rate after orthotopic liver transplantation in the rat. Male Wistar rats were used as donors and recipients. Grafts were stored in Euro-Collins solution for 6 h at 4 degrees C. Orthotopic liver transplantation was performed by the three cuff technique. The activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase elevated and peaked 4 h after liver transplantation. Hepatic ornithine decarboxylase and spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase activities were also elevated and peaked 8 h after the operation. In agreement with the increases in ornithine decarboxylase and spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase activities, the putrescine content increased and spermidine content decreased in the transplanted liver. Putrescine administrated intraperitoneally improved the survival rate, decreased serum transaminase level and increased the [3H]thymidine incorporation into the liver DNA. These findings suggest that both biosynthetic and biodegradative pathways are stimulated in liver transplantation, resulting in the increase in the formation of putrescine from ornithine and from spermidine, and that putrescine administration improve the survival rate by protecting the damaged graft after cold ischemia and reperfusion and by stimulating liver regeneration.

Effect of sucrose monostearate, an emulsifier, on polyamine metabolism and phosphatidylinositol turnover in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

Sucrose esters of fatty acids have antitumor activity. We studied the effect of sucrose monostearate (SS), an emulsifier, on polyamine metabolism and phosphatidylinositol turnover in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. The activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) was increased in the cells by changing the medium. This increase in the activity was inhibited by adding sucrose stearate, but not sucrose or stearate to the medium. The activity of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SAT), a rate-limiting enzyme of polyamine biodegradation, was enhanced with the addition of SS in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The elevation of SAT activity was completely prevented when cycloheximide was added to the culture simultaneously. In in vitro studies, SS at various concentrations up to 1 mM hardly affected the activities of ODC or SAT. The incorporation of [3H]inositol into both fractions of inositolphospholipid and inositol phosphates was inhibited by SS. These results suggest that the perturbation of polyamine metabolism and phosphatidylinositol turnover is involved in the mechanism of antitumor activity of SS in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells.

Posttranslational regulation of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase with stress

The effect of stress on the activity and level of mRNA of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SAT), a polyamine degradation rate-limiting enzyme, was studied in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. When the cells were treated with sodium arsenite or ethanol for 1 h at 37 degrees C, the activity of SAT increased time- and dose-dependently. Total RNA was isolated from cells treated with stress, and the relative abundance of the SAT mRNA was measured by Northern blot analysis. The amount was comparable to those in control cells. In stress-treated cells, the biological half-life of the enzyme was 48-55 min, but 27-30 min in control cells. When cells were treated with arsenite in the presence of cycloheximide, enzyme activity did not increase. In those cells, half-life of the enzyme was shorter than in the cells treated with arsenite alone. This suggests that stress-treatment of cells enhanced SAT activity posttranslationally and that some factor(s) which was synthesized de novo during the treatment of arsenite is involved in the stabilization of the enzyme.

Enhancement of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase activity by treatment with lithium chloride in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

The activity of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SAT) was enhanced in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells by the addition of lithium chloride. Na+ did not affect the enzyme activity. Total RNA was isolated from cells treated with LiCl and the relative abundance of the SAT mRNA was measured by Northern blot analysis. The levels in cells treated with LiCl were comparable to those in control cells. In the treated cells, the biological half-life of SAT was approximately 20 min, which was the same as for control cells. When LiCl and H-7, a protein kinase inhibitor, were added simultaneously to culture, the elevation caused by LiCl of SAT activity was reduced. LiCl did not cause maximum enhancement of the enzyme in cells treated beforehand with a higher concentration of TPA. These results suggest that treatment of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells with LiCl enhanced SAT activity during translation, not during transcription or after translation and that the enhancement of SAT by LiCl is probably mediated by protein kinase C.

Control by treatment with lithium chloride of ornithine decarboxylase in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

The activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) was increased in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells by a change of the medium. This increase in the activity was inhibited by the addition of LiCl to the medium. Na+ and Mg2+ did not affect the enzyme activity. The inhibition of the enzyme activity with LiCl was not reversed by the addition of inositol or dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Total RNA was isolated from cells treated with LiCl and the relative abundance of the ODC mRNA was measured by Northern blot analysis. These levels in cells treated with LiCl were comparable to those in control cells. In the treated cells, the biological half-life of ODC was 14 min, which was the same as for the control cells. The inhibition by LiCl of ODC activity was not due to the nonspecific toxicity of LiCl. These results suggest that treatment of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells with LiCl suppressed ODC induction during translation, not during transcription or after translation.

Involvement of ornithine decarboxylase in the control of proliferation of the HT29 human colon cancer cell line. Effect of vasoactive intestinal peptide on enzyme activity

Involvement of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) in proliferation of the HT29 cell line and its control by either fetal calf serum (FCS) or vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) as an external signal increasing cAMP level were investigated. Activation of the polyamine-producing system appears to be a necessary step in the proliferative response of HT29 cells since cell growth is arrested by addition of difluoromethylornithine (DFMO, an inhibitor of ODC), then restored by further addition of putrescine into the culture medium. FCS deprivation results in decreased activity of ODC and arrest of cell growth. Addition of FCS induces reactivation of ODC peaking at 9 hr and re-initiates proliferation but does not affect cAMP level. VIP strongly and rapidly stimulated cAMP accumulation, which resulted in significant activation of ODC. When VIP-induced cAMP formation was hindered by the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist UK14304, activation of ODC was no longer observed. The dose-response curve for ODC activation by VIP indicates an EC50 value of 0.078 nM which falls within the range of physiological concentrations for this peptide. However, VIP fails to stimulate proliferation when cells are cultured either in an FCS-free medium or in the presence of a growth-limiting concentration of FCS. We conclude that the mechanisms of ODC activation by either FCS or VIP are different, the latter involving cAMP formation. Activation of ODC to produce polyamines is necessary to support the proliferative process in our model but the VIP-induced activation of the enzyme alone is not sufficient to promote cell growth.