Inhibition of metastasis by a dialysable factor in fetal bovine serum in B16 melanoma cells

Anti-tumor effect of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of pigment epithelium-derived factor on mouse B16-F10 melanoma

Background

Angiogenesis plays an important role in tumor growth, invasion, and eventually metastasis. Antiangiogenic strategies have been proven to be a promising approach for clinical therapy for a variety of tumors. As a potent inhibitor of tumor angiogenesis, pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) has recently been studied and used as an anticancer agent in several tumor models.

Methods

A recombined adenovirus carrying PEDF gene (Ad-PEDF) was prepared, and its expression by infected cells and in treated animals was confirmed with Western blotting and ELISA, respectively. Its activity for inhibiting human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) proliferation was tested using the MTT assay. C57BL/6 mice bearing B16-F10 melanoma were treated with i.v. administration of 5 × 10⁸ IU/mouse Ad-PEDF, or 5 × 10⁸ IU/mouse Ad-Null, or normal saline (NS), every 3 days for a total of 4 times. Tumor volume and survival time were recorded. TUNEL, CD31 and H&E stainings of tumor tissue were conducted to examine apoptosis, microvessel density and histological morphology changes. Antiangiogenesis was determined by the alginate-encapsulated tumor cell assay.

Results

The recombinant PEDF adenovirus is able to transfer the PEDF gene to infected cells and successfully produce secretory PEDF protein, which exhibits potent inhibitory effects on HUVEC proliferation. Through inhibiting angiogenesis, reducing MVD and increasing apoptosis, Ad-PEDF treatment reduced tumor volume and prolonged survival times of mouse bearing B16-F10 melanoma.

Conclusion

Our data indicate that Ad-PEDF may provide an effective approach to inhibit mouse B16-F10 melanoma growth.

Decrease of metastatic ability after selection for intravasating ability in Lewis lung carcinoma (3LL) cell line

The release of cancer cells from the primary site and penetration into blood vessels are obligatory preliminary steps for metastasis. To investigate the mechanism of such steps we isolated variant cells (designated as Int-3LL) possessing enhanced intravasating ability from Lewis lung carcinoma (3LL) cells by in vivo selection. In spite of the enhanced intravasating ability of Int-3LL, the spontaneous and experimental metastatic abilities of Int-3LL decreased significantly compared to parent cells. Such a cell line has never been reported so far. The matched pair of cell lines described in this report provides a useful system for investigating the primary steps of metastasis.

Opposite effects of TPA on G1/S transition and on cell size in the low metastatic B16F1 with respect to high metastatic BL6 murine melanoma cells

Phorbol esters, known activators of c- and n-protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms, play a pivotal role in tumor promotion. In order to better understand the relationships between PKC activation, the metastatic potential and the proliferative capacity, we have analyzed the effect of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) treatment on the proliferative as well as on the cell cycle distribution and on the cell size of low and high metastatic murine B16F1 and B16-BL6 (BL6) melanoma cells, respectively. TPA-treated B16F1 cells showed an increased proliferative capacity up to 72 h, the cytofluorimetric analysis revealing an increased number of cells in the S + G2-M phase of the cell cycle. In contrast, TPA-treated BL6 cells reached a plateau at 48 h and showed an increased cell volume in the G1 and S phases of the cell cycle, with a reduction in the percentage of cells in the S + G2-M phase. Taken together, our results indicate opposite effects of TPA treatment in murine melanoma cells of different metastatic potential. TPA could cause a block in the G1 phase of the cell cycle with enhanced cell volume in high metastatic BL6 cells. The same treatment, on the contrary, induced an increased entry into the cell cycle of low metastatic B16F1 cells, suggesting a relationship between cell proliferation and the metastatic potential of B16 murine melanoma cells. Moreover, under the present conditions, classical PKC isoforms were inactivated, suggesting the involvement of the TPA-dependent novel PKCs.