Comparison of ability of protein kinase C inhibitors to arrest cell growth and to alter cellular protein kinase C localisation

Sera and lungs metabonomics reveals key metabolites of resveratrol protecting against PAH in rats

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a type of high morbidity and mortality disease. Currently, the intrinsic metabolic alteration and potential mechanism of PAH are still not fully uncovered. Previously, we have found that polyphenol resveratrol (Rev) reversed the remodeling of the pulmonary vasculature and decreased the number of mitochondria in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) (Lei Yu et al. (2017)). However, potential effects of Rev on the changed metabolic molecules derived from lung tissue and serum have no fully elucidated. Thus, we conducted a systematic elaboration through the metabonomics method. Various of metabolites in different pathways including amino acid metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), acetylcholine metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and biosynthesis in male Wistar rats' sera and lung tissues were explored in three groups (normal group, PAH group, PAH and Rev treatment group). We found that leucine and isoleucine degradation, valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis were involved in the development of PAH. Hydroxyphenyllactic, isopalmitic acid and cytosine might be significant key metabolites. Further work in this area may inform personalized treatment approaches in clinical practice of PAH through elucidating pathophysiology mechanisms of experimental verification.

M2 polarization of macrophages by Oncostatin M in hypoxic tumor microenvironment is mediated by mTORC2 and promotes tumor growth and metastasis

Oncostatin M (OSM), an inflammatory cytokine belonging to the interleukin-6 (IL-6) superfamily, plays a vital role in multitude of physiological and pathological processes. Its role in breast tumor progression and metastasis to distant organs is well documented. Recent reports implicate OSM in macrophage M2 polarization, a key pro-tumoral phenomenon. M2 polarization of macrophages is believed to promote tumor progression by potentiating metastasis and angiogenesis. In the current study, we delineated the mechanism underlying OSM induced macrophage M2 polarization. The findings revealed that OSM skews macrophages towards an M2 polarized phenotype via mTOR signaling complex 2 (mTORC2). mTORC2 relays signals through two effector kinases i.e. PKC-α and Akt. Our results indicated that mTORC2 mediated M2 polarization of macrophages is not dependent on PKC-α and is primarily affected via Akt, particularly Akt1. In vivo studies conducted on 4T1/BALB/c mouse orthotropic model of breast cancer further corroborated these observations wherein i.v. reintroduction of mTORC2 abrogated monocytes into orthotropic mouse model resulted in diminished acquisition of M2 specific attributes by tumor associated macrophages. Metastasis to distant organs like lung, liver and bone was reduced as evident by decrease in formation of focal metastatic lesions in mTORC2 abrogated monocytes mice. Our study pinpoints key role of mTORC2-Akt1 axis in OSM induced macrophage polarization and suggests for possible usage of Oncostatin-M blockade and/or selective mTORC2 inhibition as a potential anti-cancer strategy particularly with reference to metastasis of breast cancer to distant organs such as lung, liver and bone.

Protein kinase C as a target for new anti-cancer agents

Cancer joins the category of diseases involving abnormalities in the rate of proliferation of cells and is associated with uncontrolled cell division, where cells either generate their own growth-promoting stimuli or neighboring cells or do not respond to growth inhibitory signals. Protein kinase C (PKC) is one of the key elements in the tumor growth signal transduction pathways and is found to be overexpressed in several malignant cell types. A way to control cell proliferation and cell differentiation is by influencing signal transduction pathways by modulation of PKC. PKC encloses 12 different isoenzymes, and each isoenzyme is found to have a different functional property. Because specific PKC isoenzyme types are present in different (malignant) cell species, they may be an attractive target in the development of anti-cancer agents. Classification and identification of the available PKC isoenzymes in different tumor cells could be useful in targeting specific tumors. PKC also tends to be overexpressed in association with the multidrug resistance pheno-type. This concise review deals with the role of PKC isoenzymes in (tumor) cell biology and evaluates the antineoplastic agents interacting on PKC isoenzymes.

The DNA Methyltransferase DNMT1 and Tyrosine-Protein Kinase KIT Cooperatively Promote Resistance to 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (Decitabine) and Midostaurin (PKC412) in Lung Cancer Cells

Lung cancer cells are sensitive to 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (decitabine) or midostaurin (PKC412), because decitabine restores the expression of methylation-silenced tumor suppressor genes, whereas PKC412 inhibits hyperactive kinase signaling, which is essential for cancer cell growth. Here, we demonstrated that resistance to decitabine (decitabine(R)) or PKC412 (PKC412(R)) eventually results from simultaneously remethylated DNA and reactivated kinase cascades. Indeed, both decitabine(R) and PKC412(R) displayed the up-regulation of DNA methyltransferase DNMT1 and tyrosine-protein kinase KIT, the enhanced phosphorylation of KIT and its downstream effectors, and the increased global and gene-specific DNA methylation with the down-regulation of tumor suppressor gene epithelial cadherin CDH1. Interestingly, decitabine(R) and PKC412(R) had higher capability of colony formation and wound healing than parental cells in vitro, which were attributed to the hyperactive DNMT1 or KIT, because inactivation of KIT or DNMT1 reciprocally blocked decitabine(R) or PKC412(R) cell proliferation. Further, DNMT1 knockdown sensitized PKC412(R) cells to PKC412; conversely, KIT depletion synergized with decitabine in eliminating decitabine(R). Importantly, when engrafted into nude mice, decitabine(R) and PKC412(R) had faster proliferation with stronger tumorigenicity that was caused by the reactivated KIT kinase signaling and further CDH1 silencing. These findings identify functional cross-talk between KIT and DNMT1 in the development of drug resistance, implying the reciprocal targeting of protein kinases and DNA methyltransferases as an essential strategy for durable responses in lung cancer.

ColonyArea: an ImageJ plugin to automatically quantify colony formation in clonogenic assays

The clonogenic or colony formation assay is a widely used method to study the number and size of cancer cell colonies that remain after irradiation or cytotoxic agent administration and serves as a measure for the anti-proliferative effect of these treatments. Alternatively, this assay is used to quantitate the transforming potential of cancer associated genes and chemical agents. Therefore, there is a need for a simplified and standardized analysis of colony formation assays for both routine laboratory use and for parallelized automated analysis. Here we describe the freely available ImageJ-plugin "ColonyArea", which is optimized for rapid and quantitative analysis of focus formation assays conducted in 6- to 24-well dishes. ColonyArea processes image data of multi-well dishes, by separating, concentrically cropping and background correcting well images individually, before colony formation is quantitated. Instead of counting the number of colonies, ColonyArea determines the percentage of area covered by crystal violet stained cell colonies, also taking the intensity of the staining and therefore cell density into account. We demonstrate that these parameters alone or in combination allow for robust quantification of IC50 values of the cytotoxic effect of two staurosporines, UCN-01 and staurosporine (STS) on human glioblastoma cells (T98G). The relation between the potencies of the two compounds compared very well with that obtained from an absorbance based method to quantify colony growth and to published data. The ColonyArea ImageJ plugin provides a simple and efficient analysis routine to quantitate assay data of one of the most commonly used cellular assays. The bundle is freely available for download as supporting information. We expect that ColonyArea will be of broad utility for cancer biologists, as well as clinical radiation scientists.

Inhibitors of K-Ras plasma membrane localization

Oncogenic mutant K-Ras is highly prevalent in multiple human tumors. Despite significant efforts to directly target Ras activity, no K-Ras-specific inhibitors have been developed and taken into the clinic. Since Ras proteins must be anchored to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane (PM) for full biological activity, we devised a high-content screen to identify molecules with ability to displace K-Ras from the PM. Here we summarize the biochemistry and biology of three classes of compound identified by this screening method that inhibit K-Ras PM targeting: staurosporine and analogs, fendiline, and metformin. All three classes of compound significantly abrogate cell proliferation and Ras signaling in K-Ras-transformed cancer cells. Taken together, these studies provide an important proof of concept that blocking PM localization of K-Ras is a tractable therapeutic target.

Staurosporines disrupt phosphatidylserine trafficking and mislocalize Ras proteins

Oncogenic mutant Ras is frequently expressed in human cancers, but no anti-Ras drugs have been developed. Since membrane association is essential for Ras biological activity, we developed a high content assay for inhibitors of Ras plasma membrane localization. We discovered that staurosporine and analogs potently inhibit Ras plasma membrane binding by blocking endosomal recycling of phosphatidylserine, resulting in redistribution of phosphatidylserine from plasma membrane to endomembrane. Staurosporines are more active against K-Ras than H-Ras. K-Ras is displaced to endosomes and undergoes proteasomal-independent degradation, whereas H-Ras redistributes to the Golgi and is not degraded. K-Ras nanoclustering on the plasma membrane is also inhibited. Ras mislocalization does not correlate with protein kinase C inhibition or induction of apoptosis. Staurosporines selectively abrogate K-Ras signaling and proliferation of K-Ras-transformed cells. These results identify staurosporines as novel inhibitors of phosphatidylserine trafficking, yield new insights into the role of phosphatidylserine and electrostatics in Ras plasma membrane targeting, and validate a new target for anti-Ras therapeutics.

Acrosin activity regulation by protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase in bovine sperm acrosome exocytosis induced by lysophosphatidylcholine

Acrosin is an important proteolytic enzyme that is capable of hydrolysing the zona pellucida in bovine oocyte. Lysophosphatydic acid (LPA) derivated from lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is known to trigger the acrosome exocytosis. The present study was aimed at examining the acrosin activity variations in LPC-induced acrosome exocytosis and its regulation by tyrosine kinase, protein kinase C (PKC) and voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCC) in spermatozoa previously capacitated with heparin or quercetin. The enzyme activities were spectrophotometrically measured using N-α-benzoyl-DL-arginine p-nitroanilide as an acrosin-specific substrate. The capacitation and acrosomal reaction were evaluated by chlorotetracycline assay, and the viability and acrosome integrity were evaluated by the trypan blue stain/differential interference contrast. It was observed that LPC induced acrosome exocytosis and increased the activity of acrosin in spermatozoa previously capacitated with heparin. In heparin/LPC-treated samples, it was observed that the inhibition of tyrosine kinase and PKC blocked the acrosome exocytosis and the acrosin activity (p < 0.05). Under these conditions, in heparin-capacitated spermatozoa, the LPC provokes an acrosin activity increase that is independent of calcium influx through VDCC Type L. In cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa, LPC might require modulation, mainly tyrosine kinase participation with respect to PKC activity to induce acrosome exocytosis and increase acrosin activity.

Targeting the S and G2 checkpoint to treat cancer

Cell survival following DNA damage depends on activating checkpoints to arrest proliferation. Most cancer cells have dysregulated G1 checkpoints making them dependent on their S and G2 checkpoints, which are activated by ATR/Chk1 signalling. Thus, inhibiting ATR or Chk1 should selectively sensitise cancer cells to DNA damage. Genetic inactivation of ATR and Chk1 abrogates cell cycle arrest and enhances cytotoxicity following exposure to DNA-damaging agents. Similar effects were seen with small-molecule Chk1 inhibitors in preclinical studies, and clinical trial data are starting to emerge. Recently, potent ATR inhibitors have been identified that also sensitise cancer cells in vitro. ATR and Chk1 inhibitors might also cause 'synthetic lethality' in tumour cells defective in defined DNA repair pathways.

Conventional protein kinase C plays a critical role in negative regulation of CD98-induced homotypic aggregation

CD98, a heterodimeric type II transmembrane protein, is involved in many different cellular events, ranging from amino acid transport to cell-cell adhesion. Little is known about the positive and negative signalling pathways involved in these responses. Therefore, we examined the role of conventional protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms during CD98-induced intracellular signalling and homotypic aggregation of U937 cells. The CD98-induced aggregation was enhanced by the general protein kinase inhibitors GF109203X and staurosporin, and by specific PKC-alpha/-beta peptide inhibitor 19-27, but inhibited by PKC activators such as phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). PMA-inhibition was reversed by PKC inhibitors recognising the ATP-binding site in PKC (e.g. staurosporin, GF109203X and Go6983). Inhibitors which bind to diacylglycerol (DAG) or Ca(2+)-binding sites of PKC (calphostin C and Go6967) had no effect. PMA-induced translocation of conventional PKC (cPKC) isozymes (alpha, beta and gamma), but decreased the expression of PKC-delta, which plays an important role in CD98-induced homotypic aggregation. PMA treatment also suppressed the surface level of CD98 but not CD29, CD18 and CD147, dose- and time-dependently. These data provide evidence that PMA-responsive cPKC isoforms (alpha, beta and gamma) play a key role in negative regulation of CD98 signalling and homotypic aggregation.

DNA-damage sensitizers: Potential new therapeutical tools to improve chemotherapy

Agents that induce DNA damage in cells--the so-called genotoxins--have successfully been used for decades to treat patients with tumors. Genotoxins alter the DNA of cells, which is detected by DNA damage sensors and which leads to the activation of p53. Activation of p53 can lead to the death of cancer cells. The efficacy of genotoxins in humans is however limited by their toxicity to normal tissues. Specific sensitization of tumor cells to the action of genotoxins would reduce the efficacious doses of genotoxins to be used in patients, diminishing the detrimental side-effects of the drugs on normal tissues. A series of compounds able to sensitize cancer cells to DNA-damaging drugs have recently been identified that have the potential to increase the efficacy of currently used anti-cancer treatments.

Downstream intracellular effectors of epidermal growth factor receptor as targets for anticancer therapy

In recent years, the knowledge about mutations in components of the intracellular signal transduction pathway has greatly improved. Pivotal target molecules, such as Ras, PI3K, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and PKC, form an important biochemical network, which, when mutated, drives cell growth in an unlimited manner. Cancer cells have been shown to be able to harness different growth factor signalling pathways. Protein kinase inhibitors, targeted to the above pathways, have demonstrated activity against several solid tumours and are generally better tolerated than standard cytotoxic agents. The future challenge will be to find the most clever way to use combinations of these novel compounds.

Ceramide structural features required to stimulate ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux to apolipoprotein A-I

Ceramide is a component of the sphingomyelin cycle and a well-established lipid signaling molecule. We recently reported that ceramide specifically increased ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux to apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), a critical process that leads to the formation of cardioprotective HDL. In this report, we characterize the structural features of ceramide required for this effect. C2 dihydroceramide, which contains a fully saturated acyl chain and is commonly used as a negative control for ceramide apoptotic signaling, stimulated a 2- to 5-fold increase in ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux to apoA-I over a 0-60 muM concentration range without the cell toxicity apparent with native C2 ceramide. Compared with C2 ceramide, C6 and C8 ceramides with medium-length N-acyl chains showed a similar extent of efflux stimulation (a 2- to 5-fold increase) but at a higher onset concentration than the less hydrophobic C2 ceramide. In contrast, the reduced and methylated ceramide analogs, N,N-dimethyl sphingosine and N,N,N-trimethyl sphingosine, failed to stimulate cholesterol efflux. We found that changes in the native spatial orientation at either of two chiral carbon centers (or both) resulted in an approximately 50% decrease compared with native ceramide-stimulated cholesterol efflux. These data show that the overall ceramide shape and the amide bond are critical for the cholesterol efflux effect and suggest that ceramide acts through a protein-mediated pathway to affect ABCA1 activity.

Dual activity of triterpenoids: apoptotic versus antidifferentiation effects

Triterpenoids are natural, biologically active compounds extracted from many plants. They possess antiinflammatory, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. In the report presented, antiproliferative effects and leukemia cell growth and apoptosis modulating activities of ursolic acid (UA) and oleanolic acid (OA) were investigated. Both triterpenoids are inhibitors of leukemia cell growth and inductors of apoptosis. However, when applied in combination with anthracycline antitumor antibiotic doxorubicin (Dox), UA and OA diversely modulate therapeutic efficacy of Dox, due to different antioxidant activities. Compare to OA showing synergism/additive effect with Dox, UA (stronger antioxidant) acts antagonistically and reduces leukemia cell growth inhibiting and differentiation effects induced by Dox. In conclusion, these findings suggest that although triterpenoids UA and OA can induce apoptosis, their antioxidant activities can interfere with the therapeutic effect of antitumor antibiotic Dox which mechanism of action is attributed to the production of reactive oxygen species.

Combined effects of protein kinase inhibitors and 5-fluorouracil on CEA expression in human colon cancer cells

Previous studies showed that 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and Staurosporine (ST), a protein kinase inhibitor (PKI), were able to increase the expression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in human colon cancer cells. In the present study, we examined the in vitro effects of five PKIs, i.e. ST, 1-5-isoquinolinyl-sulfonyl-2-methylpiperazine (H-7), bisindolylmaleimide-I (BIS), Genistein (GEN), and Herbimycin A (HERB) alone or in combination with 5-FU on CEA expression. C22-20, a clonal subline, derived from colon cancer HT-29 line, selected for low expression of CEA, was used in our experimental model. Among the PKIs tested, only ST, at non-toxic concentrations of 5 nM, was capable of increasing the level of CEA. The other PKIs did not modify CEA expression when used either alone or in combination with 5-FU. Flow cytometric analysis showed that treatment of cells with 5-FU + ST resulted in a synergistic increase of CEA expression, being higher than that obtainable with both agents alone. Moreover, the increase of CEA expression occurred not only in membrane fractions but also in cytosolic compartments, as indicated by Western blot analysis. The present study suggests that ST-mediated induction of CEA expression in cancer cells is PKC independent and could be of potential clinical interest for the development of new diagnostic and/or immunotherapeutic approaches.

Effects of quercetin combined with cisplatin on proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells

AIM: To investigate the effects of quercetin combined with cisplatin on the proliferation and apoptosis of, and the expression of apoptosis-related gene Bcl-X_L in human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells.

METHODS: After treated with quercetin (QU), cisplatin (DDP) or both (QU-DDP), the viability of SGC-7901 cells was evaluated by MTT assay. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. Cell morphology was examined under light microscope and electron microscope. The expression of Bcl-X_L mRNA was detected by the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTS: After exposure to different drugs for 24 h, SGC-7901 cells manifested typical morphological features of apoptosis. Both DDP and QU inhibited the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of SGC7901 cells in a time and concentration-dependent manner. QU combined with DDP synergistically enhanced cell death. The apoptosis was more pronounced in cells treated with both drugs (QU: 1 mmol/L, DDP: 80 mmol/L) than DDP alone (80 mmol/L) (19.930.07 vs 5.160.11, P<0.01). After exposure to DDP for 48 h, Bcl-X_L mRNA expression was down-regulated, which was promoted by QU.

CONCLUSION: QU combined with DDP effectively inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of the human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells in vitro in a dose-dependent manner.

A Phase I and Pharmacokinetic Study of Short Infusions of UCN-01 in Patients with Refractory Solid Tumors

Purpose: To define the maximum tolerated dose and the dose-limiting toxicity of the kinase modulator UCN-01 administered as a short (1-3 hours) infusion to patients with refractory solid tumors and to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of this novel agent.

Experimental Design: Twenty-four patients (15 men, 9 women; median age, 59 years; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, 0-2) were treated with UCN-01 in this phase I study. Using an accelerated titration design, six dose levels were evaluated ranging from 3 mg/m2 over 3 hours to 95 mg/m2 over 1 to 3 hours administered every 28 days. Plasma, urine, and saliva samples were collected for pharmacokinetic analysis.

Results: Seventy courses were evaluable for toxicity. The most frequent adverse events were grade 1 to 2 nausea, vomiting, hyperglycemia, and hypotension. Hypotension was dose limiting at 95 mg/m2 when UCN-01 was administered over 1 hour. The recommended dose of UCN-01 as a short infusion is 95 mg/m2 over 3 hours for the first course and 47.5 mg/m2 over 3 hours for second and subsequent courses. No objective responses were observed. Mean (SD) pharmacokinetic variable values in nine patients treated at 95 mg/m2 over 3 hours were volume of distribution at steady state, 14 (5.4) L; β half-life, 406 (151) hours; systemic clearance, 0.028 (0.017) L/h; Cmax, 51 (16) μmol/L; and area under the curve, 19,732 (12,195) μmol/L h.

Conclusions: UCN-01 is well tolerated when given at doses of 95 mg/m2 over 3 hours every 28 days with second and subsequent courses given at 50 % of the first course dose.

Cell cycle modulators for the treatment of lung malignancies

It has become clear in the past decade that most human malignancies, including lung neoplasms, have aberrations in cell cycle control. The tumor suppressor gene retinoblastoma is an important player in the G1/S transition and its function is abnormal in most human neoplasms. Retinoblastoma function is lost as a result of phosphorylation by the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). Thus, modulation of CDKs may have an important use for the therapy and prevention of human neoplasms. Direct CDK modulators are small molecules that target specifically the adenosine triphosphate binding site of CDKs. In contrast, indirect CDK modulators affect CDK function by modulation of upstream pathways required for CDK activation. The first example of a direct small-molecule CDK modulator tested in the clinic, flavopiridol, is a pan-CDK inhibitor that not only promotes cell cycle arrest but also halts transcriptional elongation, promotes apoptosis, induces differentiation, and has antiangiogenic properties. The second example of direct small-molecule CDK modulators tested in clinical trials is UCN-01 (7-hydroxystaurosporine). UCN-01 has interesting preclinical features: it inhibits Ca2+-dependent protein kinase C, promotes apoptosis, arrests cell cycle progression at G1/S, and abrogates checkpoints upon DNA damage. In summary, novel small-molecule CDK modulators are being tested in the clinic with interesting results. Although these small molecules are directed toward a very prevalent cause of carcinogenesis, their role in the clinical armamentarium is still uncertain.

Differential effects of staurosporine and its analogues on chemokine release by promyelocytic leukemia cell line NB-4

The protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine elicits multiple responses in various systems. We evaluated nine naturally occurring staurosporine derivatives as modulators of chemokine production by monitoring the secretion of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in the cell line NB-4. Several staurosporines increased, dose- and time-dependently, the IL-8 and MCP-1 concentration in the cell culture supernatants and three derivatives strongly inhibited proliferation of the NB-4 cells. By comparing the efficiency of these analogues at the same concentration, the lead compound staurosporine (STS-1) was the best inducer of chemokine secretion, whereas 3-hydroxystaurosporine (STS-3) was the most potent growth inhibitor. Besides the staurosporines, also 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) strongly increased the IL-8 and MCP-1 secretion of NB-4 cells. Several staurosporine analogues clearly inhibited the TPA-induced but enhanced the TNFalpha-mediated chemokine increase. These effects, namely the increase of chemokines in untreated or TNFalpha-treated cells and the inhibition of chemokine release in TPA-treated cells, cannot be explained by the exclusive inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC). It may indicate that staurosporines are additionally involved in activation of the PKC-triggered chemokine production.

Involvement of PKC betaII in anti-proliferating action of a new antitumor compound gnidimacrin

Daphnane-type diterpene gnidimacrin (NSC 252940) shows significant antitumor activity against murine tumors and human tumor cell lines. This compound binds to and directly activates protein kinase C (PKC), arresting the cell cycle at the G(1) phase through inhibition of cdk2 activity in human K562 leukemia cells. In our study, we examined whether cellular PKC is involved in the antiproliferating effect of gnidimacrin. In a 24-hr exposure of K562 cells to high concentrations of bryostatin 1 (0.11-3.3 microM), both expression of PKC alpha and PKC betaII was downregulated, and thereafter these cells became resistant to gnidimacrin in response to the degree of PKC downregulation. In addition, PKC alpha and PKC betaII genes were transfected to gnidimacrin-resistant human hepatoma HLE cells that demonstrated positive expression of PKC alpha and negative expression of PKC betaII. PKC betaII gene-transfected cells became sensitive to gnidimacrin in relation to the degree of PKC betaII expression. The most sensitive clone to show 0.001 microg/mL (1.2 nM) as IC(50) in a continuous 4-day exposure was obtained. While PKC alpha gene-transfected cells exhibited an increase in PKC alpha expression and became sensitive to gnidimacrin, sensitivity was one-hundredth of that in PKC betaIotaIota gene-transfected cells. These results suggest that PKC, in particular PKC betaIotaIota, is necessary in the antitumor effect of gnidimacrin.

Effects of flavonoids on cisplatin-induced apoptosis of HL-60 and L1210 leukemia cells

Effects of three flavonoids, quercetin (QU), galangin (GA), and chrysin (ChR) on cisplatin (cis-Pt)-induced apoptosis of human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells and murine leukemia L1210 cells were investigated. The quantitative analysis of apoptotic DNA fragmentation was used to show that preincubation of cells with flavonoids can influence cis-Pt-induced apoptosis in different way. ChR had no effect, QU enhanced, and GA reduced apoptotic DNA fragmentation. It is also shown that combined treatment with QU and cis-Pt showed synergistic effect, however, GA combined with cis-Pt exhibited antagonism on cytotoxicity in L1210 murine leukemia cells. We assume that tested flavonoids affect the important biological activities connected with cancer chemotherapy and chemoprevention as they differently modulated the sensitivity of cells to cis-Pt treatment. QU is presented as pro-apoptotic agent and GA as agent with anti-apoptotic potential.

Pharmacological modulation of carcinoembryonic antigen in human cancer cells: studies with staurosporine

Preliminary studies, performed in our laboratory, showed that staurosporine (ST), a protein-kinase (PK) inhibitor, increases the expression of the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in a human colon cancer cell line. The present study explores the cellular and molecular effects of ST on the CEA expression in breast cancer MCF-7 line and in a number of colon cancer cell lines characterized by the different basal levels of the antigen, including two cloned sublines (i.e. C22.20 and C6.6, expressing low and high CEA levels, respectively). In all cases, increase of the CEA expression was observed at drug concentrations devoid of marked cytostatic effects (e.g. 5 nM) and was accompanied by the enhanced CEA shedding in the supernatant. Moreover, the increase of the CEA levels both occurred in the cell membranes and in the cytosolic compartments and appeared to be the result of the enhanced CEA gene transcription. Similar results have been previously obtained with interferon-gamma. However, ST treatment, different from interferon-gamma, did not up-regulate the level of the HLA class I molecules. A preliminary investigation also showed that other PKC inhibitors did not substantially modulate the CEA expression. Therefore, the biochemical mechanism underlying the effect of ST should not be correlated with that involved in the PKC inhibition. The present study suggests that ST and, presumably, its analogs used in the cancer treatment could enhance the CEA expression on neoplastic cells in patients affected by the CEA-positive malignancies. This appears to be of potential clinical interest for the development of new immunotherapeutic or diagnostic approaches based on the pharmacological modulation of this antigenic marker.

Anti-proliferative effects of new staurosporine derivatives isolated from a marine ascidian and its predatory flatworm

Nine indolocarbazole alkaloids of the staurosporine type, including three new derivatives, were evaluated for their potential as inhibitors of cell proliferation and macromolecule synthesis. Four derivatives were tested as inhibitors of cell proliferation with twelve human leukemia cell lines and demonstrated powerful antiproliferative activities, with 3-hydroxystaurosporine being the most potent. IC(50) values were determined using the cell line MONO-MAC-6 and with an IC(50) of 13 ng/ml, 3-hydroxystaurosporine turned out to be one of the most active staurosporine-type inhibitors described so far. All derivatives, except 3-hydroxy-3'-demethoxy-3'-hydroxystaurosporine and 4'-N-methylstaurosporine very strongly reduced RNA and DNA synthesis with 3-hydroxystaurosporine again being the strongest inhibitor. Analysis of structure-activity relationships demonstrated that hydroxylation of staurosporine at position 3 of the indolocarbazole moiety caused an increase in anti-proliferative activity, while hydroxylation at carbon 11 resulted in a decrease in activity. Our results suggest that not only the presence or absence of hydrophilic substitutions, but also the position of the alteration within the molecule, is important in the antiproliferative properties of the various staurosporine analogues.

Protein kinase C inhibitors as novel anticancer drugs

The role of PKC isoforms in signal transduction pathways involved in regulation of the cell cycle, apoptosis, angiogenesis, differentiation, invasiveness, senescence and drug efflux are reviewed, along with the clinical results on the current crop of PKC inhibitors, including midostaurin (PKC-412, CGP 41251, N -benzoylstaurosporine), UCN-01 (7-hydroxystaurosporine), bryostatin 1, perifosine, ilmofosine, Ro 31-8220, Ro 32-0432, GO 6976, ISIS-3521 (CGP 64128A) and the macrocyclic bis (indolyl) maleimides (LY-333531, LY-379196, LY-317615). An appreciation of the complex, often contradictory roles of PKC isoforms in signal transduction pathways involved in cancer is important for interpreting the clinical results observed with PKC inhibitors of varying selectivity. An antisense oligonucleotide, ISIS-3521 and two orally available small molecule inhibitors, LY 333531 and midostaurin, have now advanced to latter stage development for cancer and/or other indications. These compounds have varying levels of selectivity for the PKC isoforms and for the kinase and initial safety and early clinical efficacy have been encouraging. At this stage, the potential of PKC inhibition for the treatment of cancer has not been fully realised. The concurrent inhibition of multiple PKC isoforms may yet provide an improved clinical outcome in treating cancers in view of the complex interrelated roles of the PKC isoforms.

Regulation of MDR1 promoter activity in human breast carcinoma cells by protein kinase C isozymes alpha and theta

Increased levels of the protein kinase C (PKC) isoenzymes alpha and theta occur in conjunction with MDR1 gene expression in cells and tissues that have acquired a multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype. Studies using PKC activators or antisense strategies against PKC suggest that activation of PKC engenders MDR1 gene transcription. In this study the potential roles of PKC-alpha and PKC-theta in MDR1 gene transcriptional regulation were explored. Human-derived MCF-7 breast cancer cells that lack constitutive expression of PKC-alpha or PKC-theta at detectable levels were transfected with full-length PKC-alpha or PKC-theta genes driven by the ecdysone promoter. Stable transfectants were selected by use of the appropriate antibiotics. Treatment of these cells with ponasterone A induced expression of PKC that was catalytically active and underwent translocation and down-regulation on exposure to 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-phorbol acetate (TPA). These cells were used to analyse PKC-mediated regulation of the MDR1 promoter by further transient transfection with either 1073 bp of the MDR1 gene promoter or deletion fragments thereof to -8 bp, each linked to a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene. In PKC-alpha expressing cells TPA caused activation of all promoter fragments to -29 bp. This finding suggests that TPA-inducible MDR1 transcription mediated through the TPA responsive factor early growth response 1 (EGR-1) in this region of the promoter may be due to activation of PKC-alpha. In contrast, PKC-theta activated only two MDR1 fragments, -982 and -612 bp. The effect of TPA on reporter gene expression was attenuated by the PKC inhibitor GF 109203X. These data suggest that MDR1 promoter transcription can be regulated by PKC-alpha and PKC-theta. The results support the search for therapeutic strategies directed specifically against PKC-alpha to ameliorate resistance of tumours against cytotoxic agents.

DNA binding of TEA/ATTS domain factors is regulated by protein kinase C phosphorylation in human choriocarcinoma cells

Transcription enhancer factor 1 (TEF-1) controls the expression of a diverse set of genes. Previous studies implicated protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated signal transduction in modulating TEF function. We demonstrate that in human choriocarcinoma BeWo cells, the PKC activator 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate and PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide reciprocally down- and up-regulate, respectively, TEF-mediated GGAATG core enhancer activity. In vitro TEF-1 phosphorylation with several PKC isozymes and phosphoamino acid analysis confirmed that TEF-1 is a potential PKC substrate. TEF-1.DNA complexes formed by BeWo nuclear extracts are supershifted by phosphoserine- and phosphothreonine- but not phosphotyrosine-specific antibodies, indicating that TEF-1 is phosphorylated in vivo at serine and threonine residues. The TEF-1 phosphorylation domain was localized to the third alpha-helix of the DNA binding domain and adjacent hinge region by phosphopeptide analysis. TEF-1 phosphorylation significantly reduced its DNA binding activity both in vitro and in vivo, providing a possible mechanism for the inhibitory action of PKC. Finally, BeWo cells contained abundant levels of gamma and delta PKC isoforms, and their overexpression resulted in even greater inhibition of GGAATG core enhancer activity after 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate treatment. These data strongly suggest that PKC-mediated phosphorylation is a key factor controlling TEF function.

Modulation of protein kinase C in antitumor treatment

PKC isoenzymes were found to be involved in proliferation, antitumor drug resistance and apoptosis. Therefore, it has been tried to exploit PKC as a target for antitumor treatment. PKC alpha activity was found to be elevated, for example, in breast cancers and malignant gliomas, whereas it seems to be underexpressed in many colon cancers. So it can be expected that inhibition of PKC activity will not show similar antitumor activity in all tumors. In some tumors it seems to be essential to inhibit PKC to reduce growth. However, for inhibition of tumor proliferation it may be an advantage to induce apoptosis. In this case an activation of PKC delta should be achieved. The situation is complicated by the facts that bryostatin leads to the activation of PKC and later to a downmodulation and that the PKC inhibitors available to date are not specific for one PKC isoenzyme. For these reasons, PKC modulation led to many contradicting results. Despite these problems, PKC modulators such as miltefosine, bryostatin, safingol, CGP41251 and UCN-01 are used in the clinic or are in clinical evaluation. The question is whether PKC is the major or the only target of these compounds, because they also interfere with other targets. PKC may also be involved in apoptosis. Oncogenes and growth factors can induce cell proliferation and cell survival, however, they can also induce apoptosis, depending on the cell type or conditions in which the cells or grown. PKC participates in these signalling pathways and cross-talks. Induction of apoptosis is also dependent on many additional factors, such as p53, bcl-2, mdm2, etc. Therefore, there are also many contradicting results on PKC modulation of apoptosis. Similar controversial data have been reported about MDR1-mediated multidrug resistance. At present it seems that PKC inhibition alone without direct interaction with PGP will not lead to successful reversal of PGP-mediated drug efflux. One possibility to improve chemotherapy would be to combine established antitumor drugs with modulators of PKC. However, here also very contrasting results were obtained. Many indicate that inhibition, others, that activation of PKC enhances the antiproliferative activity of anticancer drugs. The problem is that the exact functions of the different PKC isoenzymes are not clear at present. So further investigations into the role of PKC isoenzymes in the complex and interacting signalling pathways are essential. It is a major challenge in the future to reveal whether modulation of PKC can be used for the improvement of cancer therapy.

Antitumor activity of benzamide riboside and its combination with cisplatin and staurosporine

Benzamide riboside (BR), a new synthetic nucleoside analogue, has demonstrated a potent cytotoxic activity in murine leukemia in vitro. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the antitumor activity of BR in mice bearing leukemia L1210. The results revealed that BR possesses a potent antitumor activity in vivo. It increases life-span of mice with leukemia. Synergistic cytotoxicity of BR with select DNA damaging agents, cisplatin (cis-Pt) and staurosporine (STP) was examined in MTT chemosensitivity assay, FACS analyses and apoptotic DNA fragmentation on L1210 cells in culture. A simultaneous treatment of leukemia L1210 cells with the combination of BR and STP resulted in synergistic cytotoxicity that correlated with increased apoptotic activity in those cells. On the other hand, treatment of L1210 cells with combination of BR and cis-Pt resulted in antagonistic cytotoxic effect. Finally, to elucidate the synergistic effect of BR and STP in inducing apoptosis, the attention was directed to the activation of cell death processes through various cell cycle signals. This is the first report describing in vivo antitumor activity of BR and its utilization in combination chemotherapy.

A role for protein kinase cepsilon in the inhibitory effect of epidermal growth factor on calcium-stimulated chloride secretion in human colonic epithelial cells

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) inhibits carbachol-induced chloride secretion in T(84) colonic epithelial cells and has been shown to activate phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase, leading to inhibition of a basolateral potassium conductance. We asked whether the inhibitory effect of EGF on secretion is due to activation of specific isoforms of protein kinase C (PKC) by PI 3-kinase. Western analysis revealed that PKCalpha, gamma, epsilon, eta, mu, lambda/iota, and zeta were expressed in T(84) cells. Ro318220 (an inhibitor active against PKCepsilon, 10 micrometer) but not Gö6983 (an inhibitor active against PKCzeta, 10 micrometer) reversed the inhibitory effect of EGF (100 ng/ml) on carbachol-stimulated chloride secretion. EGF induced the rapid translocation of PKCepsilon from the cytoplasm to the membrane. Wortmannin (50 micrometer) and LY294002 (20 nm), which are PI 3-kinase inhibitors that by themselves had no effect on PKCepsilon activity, significantly suppressed PKCepsilon translocation activated by EGF. LY294002 also reversed the inhibitory action of EGF on chloride secretion. PI (3,4)P(2) increased membrane-associated PKCepsilon and reduced carbachol-induced (86)Rb(+) efflux. Antisense oligonucleotides against PKCepsilon decreased PKCepsilon mass and prevented the inhibitory effect of EGF on carbachol-induced (86)Rb(+) efflux. Thus, the inhibitory effect of EGF on carbachol-induced chloride secretion involves the activation of PKCepsilon mediated by PI 3-kinase. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the cellular mechanisms that control chloride secretion.

UCN-01 enhances the in vitro toxicity of clinical agents in human tumor cell lines

UCN-01 is undergoing Phase I evaluation and is a candidate for combination strategies in the clinic. UCN-01 has been shown to have a variety of effects on cellular targets and the cell cycle. It has also been reported to sensitize cells to several clinical drugs in vitro, possibly in a manner related to p53 status. Thus, combinations of UCN-01 with a series of clinical agents in variety of cell lines have been investigated in vitro. Certain cell lines demonstrated synergistic interactions with combinations of UCN-01 (20-150 nM) and thiotepa, mitomycin C, cisplatin, melphalan, topotecan, gemcitabine, fludarabine or 5-fluorouracil. In contrast, UCN-01 combinations with the antimitotic agents, paclitaxel and vincristine, or topoisomerase II inhibitors, adriamycin and etoposide, did not result in synergy, only in additive toxicity. Cells with non-functional p53 were significantly more susceptible to the supra-additive effects of certain DNA-damaging agents and UCN-01 combinations, than cells expressing functional p53 activity. In contrast, there was no significant relationship between p53 status and susceptibility to synergy between antimetabolites and UCN-01. The mechanism behind the observed synergy appeared unrelated to effects on protein kinase C or abrogation of the cell cycle in G2. Moreover, increased apoptosis did not fully explain the supradditive response. These data indicate that UCN-01 sensitizes a variety of cell lines to certain DNA-damaging agents (frequently covalent DNA-binding drugs) and antimetabolites in vitro, but the mechanism underlying this interaction remains undefined.

Staurosporine analogues - pharmacological toys or useful antitumour agents?

This review summarises the evidence for the potential antineoplastic activity of the staurosporine analogues 7-hydroxystaurospine (UCN-01) and N-benzoylstaurosporine (CGP 41251) and defines the role of the enzyme family protein kinase C (PKC) in the mechanisms by which these agents interfere with malignant cell growth. PKC function is altered in some neoplasias, and this dysfunction has been related to uncontrolled proliferation. PKC also influences resistance of cancer cells against cytotoxic drugs. Staurosporine analogues compete with ATP, even though the exact action by which they inhibit PKC is more complicated. Staurosporine analogues do not exhibit specificity for particular PKC isoenzymes, but they inhibit 'conventional' PKC isoenzymes more potently than 'novel' and 'atypical' ones. They also interfere directly with the cell cycle machinery. Both CGP 41251 and UCN-01 are currently progressing through clinical evaluation. There is a remarkable difference in pharmacokinetic handling of CGP 41251 and UCN-01 between rodents and humans. CGP 41251 and UCN-01 might offer advantages in cancer therapy when applied in combination with conventional cytotoxic agents.

Staurosporine increases carcinoembryonic antigen expression in a human colon cancer cell line

Staurosporine (ST), a protein kinase C inhibitor, was found to produce antitumor effects against C22.20, a clonal subline derived from colon cancer HT-29 line, selected for low expression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). However, as assessed by FACS analysis using propidium iodide, no apoptosis or cell cycle alteration was found on day 3 after treatment of C22.20 cells with ST (1-100nM). Exposure of cells to graded concentrations of the drug (i.e., from 1 to 25nM) resulted in a concentration-dependent increase in the percentage of CEA positive cells, as determined by flow cytometric analysis. However, when higher concentrations (i.e. 50nM - 100nM) of ST were used, the percentage of CEA positive cells declined compared to that detected in 25nM-treated tumor. Since these results were obtained in a clonal cell population, it is reasonable to hypothesize that induction rather than selection mechanism is involved in this phenomenon. The potential clinical interest of the present findings stems from the consideration that treatment with ST or its derivatives could improve sensitivity and efficacy of diagnostic and/or immunotherapeutic approaches based on CEA molecules.

Reduction of transition metals by human (THP-1) monocytes is enhanced by activators of protein kinase C

Macrophages oxidize low density lipoprotein (LDL) by enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms; however, it is evident that macrophage reduction of transition metals can accelerate LDL oxidation in vitro, and possibly in vivo. Distinct cellular pathways contribute to this process, including trans-plasma membrane electron transport (TPMET), and production of free thiols or superoxide. Here, we explore the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in regulating transition metal reduction by each of these redox-active pathways, in human (THP-1) monocytes. We demonstrate that PKC agonists and/or inhibitors modulate reduction of transition metals by monocytes: both thiol-independent (direct) and thiol-dependent (indirect) pathways for transition metal reduction are enhanced by PKC activation, suggesting a potential strategy for therapeutic intervention.

UCN-01-mediated G1 arrest in normal but not tumor breast cells is pRb-dependent and p53-independent

In this study we investigated the growth inhibitory effects of UCN-01 in several normal and tumor-derived human breast epithelial cells. We found that while normal mammary epithelial cells w were very sensitive to UCN-01 with an IC(50) of 10nM tumor cells displayed little to no inhibition of growth with any measurable IC(50) at low UCN-01 concentrations (i.e. 0-80 nM). The UCN-01 treated normal cells arrested in G1 phase and displayed decreased expression of most key cell cycle regulators examined, resulting in inhibition of CDK2 activity due to increased binding of p27 to CDK2. Tumor cells on the other hand displayed no change in any cell cycle distribution or expression of cell cycle regulators. Examination of E6- and E7-derived strains of normal cells revealed that pRb and not p53 function is essential for UCN-01-mediated G1 arrest. Lastly, treatment of normal and tumor cells with high doses of UCN-01 (i.e. 300 nM) revealed a necessary role for a functional G1 checkpoint in mediating growth arrest. Normal cells, which have a functional G1 checkpoint, always arrest in G1 even at very high concentrations of UCN-01. Tumor cells on the other hand have a defective G1 checkpoint and only arrest in S phase with high concentrations of UCN-01. The effect of UCN-01 on the cell cycle is thus quite different from staurosporine, a structural analogue of UCN-01, which arrests normal cells in both G1 and G2, while tumor cells arrest only in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. Our results show the different sensitivity to UCN-01 of normal compared to tumor cells is dependent on a functional pRb and a regulated G1 checkpoint.

Developmental and protein kinase-dependent regulation of ovarian connexin mRNA and oocyte maturational competence in Atlantic croaker

The acquisition of oocyte maturational competence (OMC) in ovarian follicles of Atlantic croaker is associated with increased gap junction (GJ) contacts and increased levels of ovarian connexin (Cx) 32.2 mRNA. However, the developmental control of ovarian Cx gene expression and the mechanisms of OMC acquisition are unknown. Ovarian Cx32.2 and Cx32.7 mRNA levels were determined in fish with gonadosomatic indices (GSI; gonad weight-to-body weight ratio) ranging from 0.1 to 13%. The mRNA level for both Cx increased from a low level in previtellogenic ovaries (GSI, <1%) to a peak level during the midstage of ovarian growth (GSI, 6-7%). Levels of Cx32.2 mRNA, but not Cx32.7 mRNA, declined markedly during late ovarian vitellogenic growth (GSI, 7-13%), and increased again upon stimulation of OMC by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). These changes in ovarian Cx32.2 mRNA seem to parallel previously reported changes in the incidence of oocyte-granulosa cell GJ during follicular growth and early maturation. In vitro treatment with hCG and protein kinase A (PKA) activators (dbcAMP and forskolin) induced ovarian Cx32.2 mRNA levels and OMC. The effects of hCG were blocked by PKA inhibitors (H89, H7). Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors (GF 109207X) had little effect on hCG-induced Cx32.2 mRNA or OMC, whereas PKC activators (PMA) blocked both events. There was no association between changes in Cx32.7 mRNA levels and OMC status in these experiments. In conclusion, changes in Cx32.2 gene expression seem to be involved in the regulation of oocyte-granulosa cell GJ during growth and differentiation of the croaker ovarian follicle. Also, the stimulation of OMC and Cx32.2 mRNA levels by hCG is mediated by PKA-dependent pathways and antagonized by PKC-dependent mechanisms.

Heparan sulfate and cell division

Heparan sulfate is a component of vertebrate and invertebrate tissues which appears during the cytodifferentiation stage of embryonic development. Its structure varies according to the tissue and species of origin and is modified during neoplastic transformation. Several lines of experimental evidence suggest that heparan sulfate plays a role in cellular recognition, cellular adhesion and growth control. Heparan sulfate can participate in the process of cell division in two distinct ways, either as a positive or negative modulator of cellular proliferation, or as a response to a mitogenic stimulus.

Effect of serum starvation on expression and phosphorylation of PKC-alpha and p53 in V79 cells: implications for cell death

The effect of serum starvation on the expression and phosphorylation of PKC-alpha and p53 in Chinese hamster V79 cells was investigated. Serum starvation led to growth arrest, rounding up of cells and the appearance of new PKC-alpha and p53 bands on Western blots. Prolonged incubation (> or = 48 hr) in serum-deprived medium led to cell detachment and death. Moving cells to fresh medium containing 10% serum before, but not after, cell detachment reversed the changes observed in PKC-alpha and p53, and also prevented later cell detachment. Radiolabelling studies showed that the higher-molecular-weight PKC-alpha and p53 bands result from increased phosphorylation, while a lower-molecular-weight PKC-alpha band reflects newly synthesized protein. Immunocomplex kinase assays have shown that the increased phosphorylation of PKC-alpha is associated with its increased activity. To study the relationship between PKC-alpha, p53 and cell death, cells were treated either with TPA, to down-regulate PKC or with staurosporine, to inhibit PKC activity. Staurosporine, a potent PKC inhibitor and inducer of programmed cell death, caused the appearance of new PKC-alpha and p53 bands similar to those induced by serum starvation. If serum starvation was preceded by prolonged (48 hr) TPA treatment to down-regulate PKC-alpha, cell detachment and death did not take place within the same time frame. Intracellular fractionation of cells demonstrated that increased expression of PKC-alpha and the appearance of the associated higher and lower molecular-weight bands occurred in the nucleus. These data highlight the association of PKC-alpha and p53 with cellular events leading to cell death.

Effect of polyisobutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles and lipofectin loaded with oligonucleotides on cell viability and PKC alpha neosynthesis in HepG2 cells

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect on protein kinase C alpha (PKC alpha) neosynthesis of antisense oligonucleotides delivered by two types of carriers. First, PKC alpha antisense oligonucleotides were associated with polyisobutylcyanoacrylate (PIBCA) nanoparticles pre-coated with cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), a hydrophobic cation. Adsorption of oligonucleotides onto PIBCA nanoparticles was shown to be a saturating process. From these studies, it was possible to identify two types of particles: positively and negatively charged. Secondly, Lipofectin was used as another carrier system. These systems were incubated with HepG2 cells. Toxicity was evaluated by the MTT assay, and PKC alpha neosynthesis was determined by Western blots in conditions where nanoparticles and Lipofectin were not inducing cytotoxicity. It was observed that both mismatch and antisense oligonucleotides induced an inhibition of PKC alpha neosynthesis when loaded onto cationic or anionic nanoparticles as well as when complexed to cationic liposomes (Lipofectin). This non-specific effect was only observed in the phase of PKC alpha neosynthesis when the cells were first depleted in PKC alpha by phorbol 12-myristate beta-acetate (12-PMA) and in the absence of serum. These results strongly suggest that delivery systems, PIBCA nanoparticles or Lipofectin, containing a positively charged component (CTAB or cationic lipids), are able to induce a perturbation in the intracellular metabolic activity. In conclusion, it was shown that the commonly used strategy of oligonucleotides targeting with cationic non-viral vectors may display non-specific effects which can lead to artifactual results.

H-7 stimulates desmosome formation and inhibits growth in KB oral carcinoma cells

Protein kinase inhibitor H-7 was reported to stimulate desmosome formation in normal keratinocytes and to inhibit proliferation of neural cell lines. In the present study, the effects of this inhibitor on adhesion and growth of KB human oral carcinoma cells were investigated. H-7 was found to enhance desmosome assembly, as evidenced by an increased punctate labeling for the major desmosomal markers. Immunogold labeling confirmed the formation of desmosomes both at the cell surface and in the cytoplasm. In order to assess cell proliferation and possible correlation with adhesion, confluent cultures were treated and both adherert and detached cell fractions were counted. Under serum-free conditions, H-7 significantly reduced cell detachment. In contrast, EGF stimulated cell detachment, and this effect was abolished when cells were simultaneously treated with both EGF and H-7. Total cell counts were also significantly reduced by H-7, both in the presence and absence of EGF. Using the TUNEL technique, labeled cells were increased after H-7 treatment, thus implicating protein kinase inhibition in cell death. These results indicate that H-7 inhibits growth and stimulates adhesion of KB carcinoma cells.

Analogs of staurosporine: potential anticancer drugs?

1. Protein kinase C (PKC) is a family of serine/threonine-directed protein kinases that are pivotal regulators of cellular growth, transformation and death. PKC has therefore been considered to be a suitable target for novel antineoplastic drugs. 2. Twenty years ago, staurosporine was isolated from bacteria and identified as a potent inhibitor of PKC activity. Its analogs UCN-01 and CGP 41251 effectively arrest the growth of several human-derived tumor cell lines in vitro. They also possess antineoplastic activity in vivo in human tumors grown as xenografts in nude mice. CGP 41251 reverses the multidrug-resistance phenotype of cancer cells. Both agents are currently under clinical evaluation as potential antitumor drugs. 3. Staurosporine analogs inhibit "conventional" PKC isoenzymes more potently than "novel" and "atypical" ones. They are also potent modulators of the cyclin-dependent kinase system, which determines the progression of cells through the cell cycle. The nature of this interaction is complex. UCN-01 blocks cells in G1 phase by promoting accumulation of dephosphorylated retinoblastoma protein as a consequence of inhibition of the activity of certain cyclin-dependent kinases, downregulation of their partner cyclins and an increase in the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor proteins. 4. Preliminary results of early clinical trials suggest that UCN-01 and CGP41251 are without remarkable toxicity but display high binding to human plasma protein.

Stimulation of heparan sulfate proteoglycan synthesis and secretion during G1 phase induced by growth factors and PMA

Fetal calf serum (FCS) and PMA (phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate) specifically stimulate the synthesis of heparan sulfate proteoglycan in endothelial cells. Staurosporine and n-butanol, kinase inhibitors, abolish the PMA effect. Forskolin and 8-bromo adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate, activators of, respectively, adenylate cyclase and protein kinase A cannot reproduce the PMA effect. The kinetics of cell entry into S phase of the endothelial cells was determined by DNA synthesis ([3H]-thymidine and Br-dU incorporation), and flow cytometry. The mitogenic effect of fetal calf serum is abolished by PMA. Also, PMA pre-treatment inhibits the enhanced synthesis of heparan sulfate proteoglycan after a second PMA exposure. Remarkably, the stimulation of heparan sulfate proteoglycan synthesis by fetal calf serum and PMA seems to be mainly restricted to G1 phase. Therefore fetal calf serum and PMA cause an enhanced synthesis of heparan sulfate proteoglycan, and PMA causes a cell cycle block at G1 phase.

Mechanism of antitumor action of PKC activator, gnidimacrin

Daphnane-type diterpene gnidimacrin isolated from the Chinese plant Stellera chamaejasme L. is an antitumor agent that activates protein kinase C (PKC). The mechanism of antitumor action of gnidimacrin and the possible involvement of PKC were examined using sensitive K562 and refractory HLE cells. Gnidimacrin did bind to K562 cells 3 times more than to HLE cells. Immunoblot analyses revealed pronounced PKC betaII expression in gnidimacrin sensitive cell lines including K562 cells, while refractory HLE cells strongly expressed PKC alpha, but not PKC betaII. In a 24-hr exposure of K562 cells to gnidimacrin, G1 phase arrest and inhibition of cdk2 kinase activity was found at growth-inhibitory concentration (0.0005 microg/ml). Complete inhibition of cdk2 activity and maximum G1 phase arrest were observed at 0.005 microg/ml, however, these biological effects were reduced at 0.05 microg/ml (260 times the 50% inhibitory concentration). Cellular PKC after a 24-hr exposure was examined by immunoblot analysis and specific binding of [3H]phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate as a ligand of PKC. Expression and the amount of functional PKC of K562 cells were not changed at 0.002 microg/ml, but down-regulated to less than 1/10th of the control at 0.05 microg/ml. The reduction of biological effects at 0.05 microg/ml is most likely due to PKC down-regulation. Our results suggest that PKC (particularly betaII) is one of the major determinants of the ability of cells to respond to gnidimacrin and that the antitumor action might be associated with cell-cycle regulation through suppression of cdk2 activity.

Effects of protein kinase inhibitors on heat-induced hsp72 gene expression in a human glioblastoma cell line

We examined the effects of several kinds of protein kinase inhibitors against calcium/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (PKC) and cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) on heat-induced hsp72 gene expression in a human glioblastoma cell line (T98G) as a source of insight into the type of protein kinase contributing to its gene expression. When the cells were treated with 1-(5-isoquinolinesulphonyl)-2-methylpiperazine [(H7) a potent inhibitor of PKC, PKA, and others], the suppression of heat-induced Hsp72 accumulation was observed. Heat-induced Hsp72 accumulation was also suppressed by staurosporine (a potent inhibitor of PKC and PKA) or calphostin C [(CAL) a potent inhibitor of PKC] at high concentration (10 x IC50) but not at low concentration (1 x IC50). N-(2-(p-Bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulphonamide [(H89) a potent inhibitor of PKA] did not affect heat-induced Hsp72 accumulation at either low (1 x IC50) or high concentrations (10 x IC50). Combination treatment with CAL and H89 suppressed the heat-induced Hsp72 accumulation more strongly than did treatment with either inhibitor alone. Furthermore, the heat-induced DNA-binding activation of heat-shock factor (HSF) was suppressed by CAL at high concentration (10 x IC50), and combination treatment with CAL and H89 showed stronger suppression. In the H7 treatment, the clear suppression of HSF activation was observed even at low concentration (1 x IC50). In addition, the cellular content of Hsp72 increased after the treatment of PKC or PKA activator. These results suggest that not only PKC, but also PKA may play an important role in heat-induced hsp72 gene expression.

Simultaneous cross-linking of CD6 and CD28 induces cell proliferation in resting T cells

In the present study, we showed that simultaneous ligation of the monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against CD6 and CD28 induces T-cell proliferation in purified resting T lymphocytes in the absence of T-cell receptor (TCR) occupancy. No cell proliferation was observed when the mAb were cross-linked alone or used simultaneously in the soluble form. T-cell proliferation mediated through CD6/CD28 is accompanied by the up-regulation of interleukin-2 (IL-2) mRNA and expression of IL-2 receptors on the cell surface. In the presence of IL-2-neutralizing mAb the proliferative response of the T cell induced through CD6/CD28 was inhibited dose dependently. Cross-linking mAb to CD6 and CD28 alone or together did not down-regulate the CD3/TCR complex. T-cell proliferation mediated through CD6/CD28 was only partially blocked by the immunosuppressive drug, cyclosporin A (CsA), whereas anti-CD28-induced T-cell proliferation in the presence of the phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), was unaffected. In sharp contrast T-cell proliferation mediated by anti-CD6 in the presence of TPA was efficiently blocked by CsA. In addition, two protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, GF 109203X and H-7 dose-dependently inhibited T-cell proliferation mediated through CD6/CD28, suggesting that PKC activation may be involved. Furthermore, there was a marked differential dose-dependent inhibitory effect of the PKC inhibitors on T-cell proliferation mediated by the co-ligation of anti-CD6 or anti-CD28 in the presence of anti-CD3, with the former being more sensitive to PKC inhibition. Taken collectively, our results suggest that T-cell activation can occur through an antigen-independent pathway by cross-linking the accessory molecules, CD6 and CD28, and that these two cell surface antigens may have distinct signalling pathways.

Contribution of protein kinase C to p53-dependent WAF1 induction pathway after heat treatment in human glioblastoma cell lines

To examine whether protein kinase C (PKC) contributes to p53-dependent WAF1 induction after heat treatment, the effects of calphostin C (CAL), a specific inhibitor of PKC, on WAF1 induction were analyzed by PKC activity and gel mobility-shift assays and Western blot analysis in human glioblastoma cell lines. Heat-induced accumulation of WAF1 in A-172 cells carrying wild-type p53 (wtp53) was suppressed by CAL in a dose-dependent manner. In T98G cells carrying mutant p53 (mp53), no significant accumulation of WAF1 was observed after heat treatment and CAL exerted no significant effects on this response of T98G cells. In accordance with the accumulation of WAF1, heat-induced activation of the binding ability of p53 to p53 consensus sequence (p53 CON) was suppressed by CAL in A-172 cells but no DNA-binding activity was observed in the mp53 in T98G cells. PKC in A-172 cells was activated rapidly (within 5 min) after heat treatment in the membrane fraction but not in the cytosolic fraction. When the cell lines were treated with the PKC activator, 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), WAF1 was accumulated in A-172 cells in a dose-dependent manner but not in T98G cells. In addition, the cellular contents of WAF1 after heating did not increase in A-172 cells transformed with mp53. These results suggest that PKC contributes to heat-induced signal transduction leading to p53-dependent WAF1 induction in a way that PKC is involved in the specific DNA-binding activation of p53.

Characterisation of novel human lung carcinoma cell lines selected for resistance to anti-neoplastic analogues of staurosporine

The staurosporine analogues CGP 41251, UCN-01 and Ro 31-8220 are specific inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC). CGP 41251 and UCN-01 exert anti-neoplastic activity against human tumours grown in rodents, and CGP 41251 reverses multidrug resistance. The hypothesis was tested that these agents can induce drug resistance and alter cellular levels of target kinases. Human-derived A549 lung carcinoma cells were exposed for 6 months to CGP 41251, UCN-01 or Ro 31-8220 at gradually increasing concentrations. Cells acquired resistance against these agents, 4.3-fold against CGP 41251 (A549/CGP cells), 4.0-fold against UCN-01 (A549/UCN cells) and 14-fold against Ro 31-8220 (A549/Ro cells). Cells were neither collaterally cross-resistant towards the PKC inhibitors nor resistant against the growth-inhibitory properties of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. However, cross-resistance was observed in A549/CGP cells against staurosporine (13-fold) and in A549/Ro cells against doxorubicin (26-fold). All 3 cell types expressed multidrug resistance-associated protein, and A549/Ro cells expressed P-glycoprotein, as adjudged by Western blot analysis. Phorbol ester-stimulated PKC activity in these cells was decreased by between 57% and 96% compared to wild-type A549 cells. Levels of the PKC isoenzymes alpha and theta in all 3 resistant cell types and of PKC-epsilon in A549/UCN cells were concomitantly reduced. Cells regained drug sensitivity after culture in the absence of drug for 6 (A549/Ro cells), 5 (A549/CGP cells) and 1 (A549/UCN cells) months. Our results suggest the following features of this type of anti-signalling drug: (i) they can induce drug resistance, (ii) they may be potentially useful in combination because of the lack of cross-resistance between them and (iii) they can down-regulate PKC, which may have pharmacological or toxicological consequences.

Cellular relocalisation of protein kinase C-theta caused by staurosporine and some of its analogues

The microbial product staurosporine is a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor with some phorbol ester-agonistic properties. It is known to cause the translocation of the PKC isoenzymes epsilon and delta from the cellular cytosol to the membrane and nucleus. We tested the hypothesis that it also affects the cellular localisation of the novel PKC isoenzyme theta, and that staurosporine analogues, some of which are currently under clinical evaluation as potential anticancer drugs, have a similar effect. Their ability to alter PKC-theta distribution was studied in human-derived A549 lung carcinoma cells. Western blot analysis and confocal microscopy after indirect immunofluorescence staining showed that staurosporine (100 nM), like the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorhol-13-acetate (25 nM) caused the translocation of PKC-theta from the cytosol to the membrane and the nucleus. The bisindolylmaleimide GF 109203X mimicked staurosporine, but had a weaker effect. Ro 31-8220 and UCN-01 decreased cytosolic PKC-theta only at 1 microM. CGP 41251 had no effect on PKC-theta in either experimental design. The results show that some, but not all, staurosporine analogues share the partial phorbol ester-agonistic PKC-translocatory activity of the parent molecule.