Clonal Variability in β-Globin mRNA Content in an Interleukin-3–Dependent Bone Marrow Cell Line Transfected With the Erythropoietin Receptor Before and After Stimulation With Erythropoietin

Inhibition of all-trans retinoic acid-induced granulocytic differentiation of WEHI-3B D+ cells by forced expression of SCL (TAL1) and GATA-1

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) induces granulocytic maturation of WEHI-3B D+ leukemia cells and LiCl enhances this maturation, while WEHI-3B D- cells are non-responsive to ATRA. Transfection of SCL, expressed in D- but absent in D+ cells, into D+ cells, caused resistance to ATRA, while transfection of GATA-1 into D+ cells produced resistance to the combination of ATRA and LiCl. SCL expression in D+ cells did not induce the expression of c-Kit, a putative target gene for SCL. LiCl, known to inhibit some kinases by displacing Mg2+, did not affect tyrosine kinase activity of the cytoplasmic domain of c-Kit.

Relationship between the induction of leukemia cell differentiation and the enhancement of reporter gene expression in 3T3 Swiss cells

The histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) and hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA), which lacks HDAC inhibitory activity, both possess the capacity to induce leukemia cell differentiation and to enhance the expression of a wide range of transiently transfected reporter genes in 3T3 Swiss cells. In addition, known inducers of leukemia cell differentiation, including hypoxanthine, diazepam, 6-thioguanine and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, also exhibited the ability to enhance reporter gene expression, while randomly chosen compounds that did not induce leukemia cell differentiation did not enhance reporter gene expression. The activity of TSA in the transfection system was modified by co-expression of histone acetyltransferase p300 and HDAC1; whereas, that of HMBA was enhanced by co-expression of the TATA-binding protein TBP. The stimulatory effects of diverse chemical inducers on transiently transfected genes suggest the existence of multiple exploitable targets for the selection of novel inducers of differentiation that function as modulators of gene activity.

A Monte Carlo and physical phantom evaluation of quantitative In-111 SPECT

Accurate estimation of the 3D in vivo activity distribution is important for dose estimation in targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT). Although SPECT can potentially provide such estimates, SPECT without compensation for image degrading factors is not quantitatively accurate. In this work, we evaluated quantitative SPECT (QSPECT) reconstruction methods that include compensation for various physical effects. Experimental projection data were obtained using a GE VH/Hawkeye system and an RSD torso phantom. Known activities of In-111 chloride were placed in the lungs, liver, heart, background and two spherical compartments with inner diameters of 22 mm and 34 mm. The 3D NCAT phantom with organ activities based on clinically derived In-111 ibritumomab tiuxetan data was used for the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation studies. Low-noise projection data were simulated using previously validated MC simulation methods. Fifty sets of noisy projections with realistic count levels were generated. Reconstructions were performed using the OS-EM algorithm with various combinations of attenuation (A), scatter (S), geometric response (G), collimator-detector response (D) and partial volume compensation (PVC). The QSPECT images from the various combinations of compensations were evaluated in terms of the accuracy and precision of the estimates of the total activity in each organ. For experimental data, the errors in organ activities for ADS and PVC compensation were less than 6.5% except the smaller sphere (-11.9%). For the noisy simulated data, the errors in organ activity for ADS compensation were less than 5.5% except the lungs (20.9%) and blood vessels (15.2%). Errors for other combinations of compensations were significantly (A, AS) or somewhat (AGS) larger. With added PVC, the error in the organ activities improved slightly except for the lungs (11.5%) and blood vessels (3.6%) where the improvement was more substantial. The standard deviation/mean ratios were all less than 1.5%. We conclude that QSPECT methods with appropriate compensations provided accurate In-111 organ activity estimates. For the collimator used, AGS was almost as good as ADS and may be preferable due to the reduced reconstruction time. PVC was important for small structures such as tumours or for organs in close proximity to regions with high activity. The improved quantitative accuracy from QSPECT methods has the potential for improving organ dose estimations in TRT.

Coinduction of Embryonic and Adult-Type Globin mRNAs by Sodium Butyrate and Trichostatin A in Two Murine Interleukin-3–Dependent Bone Marrow–Derived Cell Lines

Using an RNase protection assay, globin mRNA species expressed in clones derived from Ba/F3 and B6SUtA cells transfected with the erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) and selected with erythropoietin (Epo) were compared with globin mRNA species induced in corresponding parental cells by sodium butyrate (SB) and trichostatin A (TSA). βMajor/βminor- and -1/-2–globin mRNAs were the major species, with trace amounts of ɛ-globin mRNA, formed in Epo-stimulated EpoR+ Ba/F3 clones, whereas SB and TSA allowed expression of all species of globin mRNAs, ie, ɛ, βh1, βmajor/βminor, ζ, and -1/-2, in parental Ba/F3 cells. In contrast, ɛ- and -1/-2–globin mRNAs were the major species present in Epo-stimulated EpoR+ B6SUtA clones, whereas SB and TSA activated ɛ-, βh1-, βS/βT-, and -1/-2–globin genes in parental B6SUtA cells; ζ-globin mRNA was not detected in SB- and TSA-treated B6SUtA cells. Because TSA is a specific inhibitor of histone deacetylase, the mimicry of action exhibited by SB and TSA suggests that the effects of SB are mediated through its ability to inhibit histone deacetylase and that histone deacetylase is an integral part of the repression of globin genes in these interleukin-3–dependent cells. Efficient coinduction of embryonic and adult types of globin mRNA in bone marrow cell lines derived from adult mice indicates that adult hematopoietic precursors possess an embryonic nature. These cell lines are useful models to study the mechanism(s) of developmental globin gene switching.