Extracellular adenosine deprivation induces epithelial differentiation of HT29 cells: evidence for a concomitant adenosine A(1)/A(2) receptor balance regulation

Purine-metabolizing ectoenzymes control IL-8 production in human colon HT-29 cells

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) plays key roles in both chronic inflammatory diseases and tumor modulation. We previously observed that IL-8 secretion and function can be modulated by nucleotide (P2) receptors. Here we investigated whether IL-8 release by intestinal epithelial HT-29 cells, a cancer cell line, is modulated by extracellular nucleotide metabolism. We first identified that HT-29 cells regulated adenosine and adenine nucleotide concentration at their surface by the expression of the ectoenzymes NTPDase2, ecto-5′-nucleotidase, and adenylate kinase. The expression of the ectoenzymes was evaluated by RT-PCR, qPCR, and immunoblotting, and their activity was analyzed by RP-HPLC of the products and by detection of P_i produced from the hydrolysis of ATP, ADP, and AMP. In response to poly (I:C), with or without ATP and/or ADP, HT-29 cells released IL-8 and this secretion was modulated by the presence of NTPDase2 and adenylate kinase. Taken together, these results demonstrate the presence of 3 ectoenzymes at the surface of HT-29 cells that control nucleotide levels and adenosine production (NTPDase2, ecto-5′-nucleotidase and adenylate kinase) and that P2 receptor-mediated signaling controls IL-8 release in HT-29 cells which is modulated by the presence of NTPDase2 and adenylate kinase.

Pathogenesis of human enterovirulent bacteria: lessons from cultured, fully differentiated human colon cancer cell lines

Hosts are protected from attack by potentially harmful enteric microorganisms, viruses, and parasites by the polarized fully differentiated epithelial cells that make up the epithelium, providing a physical and functional barrier. Enterovirulent bacteria interact with the epithelial polarized cells lining the intestinal barrier, and some invade the cells. A better understanding of the cross talk between enterovirulent bacteria and the polarized intestinal cells has resulted in the identification of essential enterovirulent bacterial structures and virulence gene products playing pivotal roles in pathogenesis. Cultured animal cell lines and cultured human nonintestinal, undifferentiated epithelial cells have been extensively used for understanding the mechanisms by which some human enterovirulent bacteria induce intestinal disorders. Human colon carcinoma cell lines which are able to express in culture the functional and structural characteristics of mature enterocytes and goblet cells have been established, mimicking structurally and functionally an intestinal epithelial barrier. Moreover, Caco-2-derived M-like cells have been established, mimicking the bacterial capture property of M cells of Peyer's patches. This review intends to analyze the cellular and molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis of human enterovirulent bacteria observed in infected cultured human colon carcinoma enterocyte-like HT-29 subpopulations, enterocyte-like Caco-2 and clone cells, the colonic T84 cell line, HT-29 mucus-secreting cell subpopulations, and Caco-2-derived M-like cells, including cell association, cell entry, intracellular lifestyle, structural lesions at the brush border, functional lesions in enterocytes and goblet cells, functional and structural lesions at the junctional domain, and host cellular defense responses.

Dysfunctions at human intestinal barrier by water-borne protozoan parasites: lessons from cultured human fully differentiated colon cancer cell lines

Some water-borne protozoan parasites induce diseases through their membrane-associated functional structures and virulence factors that hijack the host cellular molecules and signalling pathways leading to structural and functional lesions in the intestinal barrier. In this Microreview we analyse the insights on the mechanisms of pathogenesis of Entamoeba intestinalis, Giardia and Cryptosporidium observed in the human colon carcinoma fully differentiated colon cancer cell lines, cell subpopulations and clones expressing the structural and functional characteristics of highly specialized fully differentiated epithelial cells lining the intestinal epithelium and mimicking structurally and functionally an intestinal barrier.

Differential effect of adenosine receptors on growth of human colon cancer HCT 116 and HT-29 cell lines

The study aimed to evaluate the impact of adenosine receptors (ARs) on human colon tumor cells (HCT 116, HT-29) growth and sensitivity to 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) an anticancer chemotherapeutic drug. The exposure of cancer cells to a selective A(3)-AR agonist (IB-MECA) resulted in an increase in HT-29 cells number, whereas the number of HCT 116 cells decreased significantly. In the presence of IB-MECA (1 μM) the percentage of apoptotic HT-29 cells significantly decreased, whereas the number of apoptotic and necrotic HCT 116 cells increased by 3- and 2,5-fold, respectively. The application of a selective A(2A)-AR agonist resulted in the increased survival of HCT 116 cells, but not HT-29 cells. The blockade of A(2A)-AR with ZM 241385 (0.1 μM) significantly increased the cytotoxicity of 5-FU (1 μM) in HCT 116 cells but not in HT-29 cells. The suppression of A(3)-AR with MRS 1523 (1 μM) increased the sensitivity of HT-29 cells to 5-FU while response of HCT 116 cells to 5-FU decreased. The growth promoting effect of IB-MECA in HT-29 cells was associated with the decreased intracellular cAMP level, whereas IB-MECA growth inhibitory effect in HCT 116 cells was abolished by okadaic acid (2 nM) indicating the involvement of protein phosphatase PP2A.

Effect of Adenosine on the Growth of Human T-Lymphocyte Leukemia Cell Line MOLT-4

Adenosine has been observed to suppress the growth of MOLT-4 human leukemia cells in vitro. Changes in the cell cycle, especially increased percentage of cells in S phase, prolonged generation time, and induction of apoptosis at higher adenosine concentrations have been found to be responsible for the growth suppression. Dipyridamole, a drug inhibiting the cellular uptake of adenosine, reversed partially but significantly the adenosine-induced growth suppression. It follows from these results that the action of adenosine on the MOLT-4 cells comprises its cellular uptake and intracellular operation. These findings present new data on anticancer efficacy of adenosine.

Antithetical effects of corticosterone and dibutyryl cAMP on adenosine deaminase in the gastrointestinal tract of chicken during postnatal development

Adenosine deaminase (ADA; EC 3.5.4.4) is a purine catabolic enzyme causing hydrolytic deamination of adenosine and 2'-deoxyadenosine to inosine and 2'-deoxyinosine. In the present study, the normal endogenous activity level of ADA was investigated in different regions of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) during postnatal development of chicken. The effects of corticosterone and dibutyryl cAMP (Bt(2)-cAMP) were studied at two selected postnatal ages. The results indicated a significantly high level of ADA at day 1 in all the regions of GIT, which then declined (-34% in esophagus, -35% in crop, and -48% in small intestine) at day 10 and remained fairly constant till day 90. While in the proventiculus, the activity of ADA decreased (-30%) at day 30 and showed further decline (-52%) at day 90 as compared to day 1. Corticosterone was seen to significantly decrease (-23 to 79%) the activity level, depending on the regions of GIT studied except proventriculus. The magnitude of decline was more pronounced at day 60 compared to day 10. Bt(2)-cAMP, on the other hand, caused a significant increase (+21 to 67%) in the activity level of ADA again depending on the regions of GIT studied except crop. Western blot analyses also depicted that the decrease and/or increase, respectively, of ADA activity by corticosterone and Bt(2)-cAMP was at the ADA protein level. In conclusion, the study suggests that the ADA activity level is highest at day 1 in all the regions of chicken GIT and could be reduced or enhanced by corticosterone and dibutyryl cAMP, respectively, in an age-specific manner.

Disruption of the PACAP gene promotes medulloblastoma in ptc1 mutant mice

Hedgehog (Hh) proteins and cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) generally play opposing roles in developmental patterning events. Humans and mice heterozygous for mutations in the sonic hedgehog (Shh) receptor gene patched-1 (ptc1) have an increased incidence of certain types of cancer, including medulloblastoma (MB), a highly aggressive tumor of the cerebellum. Despite the importance of PKA in Hh signaling, little is known about how PKA activity is regulated in the context of Hh signaling, or the consequences of improper regulation. One molecule that can influence PKA activity is pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP), which has been shown to regulate cerebellar granule precursor proliferation in vitro, a cell population thought to give rise to MB. To test for a PACAP/Hh interaction in the initiation or propagation of these tumors, we introduced a PACAP mutation into ptc1 mutant mice. Deletion of a single copy of PACAP increased MB incidence approximate 2.5-fold, to 66%, thereby demonstrating that PACAP exerts a powerful inhibitory action on the induction, growth or survival of these tumors. Tumors from PACAP/ptc1 mutant mice retained PACAP receptor gene expression, and exhibited superinduction of Hh target genes compared to those from ptc1+/- mice. Moreover, PACAP inhibited proliferation of cell lines derived from tumors in a PKA-dependent manner, and inhibited expression of the Hh target gene gli1. The results provide genetic evidence that PACAP acts as a physiological factor that regulates the pathogenesis of Hh pathway-associated MB tumors.

Wnt and beta-catenin signaling target the expression of ecto-5'-nucleotidase and increase extracellular adenosine generation

Solid tumors, which routinely experience necrosis and ischemia, release and degrade adenine nucleotides. This process may lead, depending on the expression of enzymes that regulate adenosine, to the generation of extracellular adenosine. Since genes encoding ecto-5'-nucleotidase (eN) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) contain TCF/LEF consensus binding sites, we asked whether Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, a pathway that is deregulated in several human tumors, targets the expression of these genes and thus influence extracellular adenosine generation. Our results show that beta-catenin strongly increased the activity of the 969-bp promoter of eN and this increase depended on the presence of TCF-1 transcription factor. Reciprocally, the eN promoter activity was decreased by co-transfection of APC, a beta-catenin antagonist. The expression of endogenous eN mRNA was increased either in Cos-7 cells transfected with a mutated beta-catenin and TCF-1 or in Rat-1 cells transformed by the Wnt-1 oncogene. In Rat-1 cells, expression of Wnt-1 correlated with increased eN protein levels and enzymatic activity and a concomitant decrease of adenosine deaminase mRNA and enzymatic activity. This expression profile is accompanied by a threefold increase in the generation of extracellular adenosine. Our study demonstrates a link between the Wnt signaling and the regulation of two enzymes that control the metabolism of adenosine.

Predicting therapeutic value in the lead optimization phase of drug discovery

Recombinant and natural cellular assays for human G-protein-coupled receptors are used to optimize initial lead molecules obtained from screening. Although the activity of these molecules can be assessed on human genotype receptors, there is increasing evidence that cells impose a phenotypic selectivity to molecules in various cellular backgrounds. This opens the possibility of dissimulations between activity seen in lead optimization assays and the intended therapeutic value in humans. This review discusses the mechanisms by which cells can impose phenotypic selectivity on molecules and approaches to reduce this practical problem for drug discovery.

The invertebrate growth factor/CECR1 subfamily of adenosine deaminase proteins

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) catalyzes the hydrolysis of adenosine to inosine. Its lack determines severe combined immunodeficiency in mammals, possibly due to accumulation of extracellular adenosine, which induces apoptosis in lymphocytes (Franco et al., 1998). Thus, presence of normal levels of ADA leads to normal growth and proliferation of lymphocytes. Several vertebrate and microbial ADA amino-acid sequences are known, with substantial similarity to each other. On the other hand, there are invertebrate growth factors as well as a candidate gene for the human cat eye syndrome (CECR1) (Riazi et al., 2000. Genomics 64, 277-285), which share substantial similarity to each other, and also to ADA. In this study, we report the expression and ADA enzymatic activity of a cDNA from the salivary glands of Lutzomyia longipalpis, a blood-sucking insect, with substantial similarity to insect growth factors and to human CECR1. We also demonstrate the existence of a subfamily of the adenosine deaminase family characterized by their unique amino-terminal region. Both Drosophila melanogaster and humans have both types of adenosine deaminases. Results indicate that these invertebrate proteins previously annotated as growth factors, as well as the human CECR1 gene product, may exert their actions through adenosine depletion. The different roles played by each type of adenosine deaminase in humans and Drosophila remains to be fully investigated.