Circadian transitions in radiation dose-dependent augmentation of mRNA levels for DNA damage-induced genes elicited by accurate real-time RT-PCR quantification

The power of small changes: Comprehensive analyses of microbial dysbiosis in breast cancer

Disparate occurrence of breast cancer remains an intriguing question since only a subset of women with known risk factors develop cancer. Recent studies suggest an active role of local and distant microbiota in breast cancer initiation, progression, and overall prognosis. A dysbiotic microbiota predisposes the body to develop cancer by inducing genetic instability, initiating DNA damage and proliferation of the damaged progeny, eliciting favorable immune response, metabolic dysregulation and altered response to therapy. In this review, we present our analyses of the existing datasets and discuss the local dysbiosis observed in breast cancer patients and different aspects of breast carcinogenesis that can be potentially influenced by local breast microbiota. Striking differences between microbial community compositions in breast of cancer patients compared to healthy individuals were noted. Differences in microbiome were also apparent between benign and malignant disease and between nipple aspirate fluid of healthy individuals and breast survivors. We also discuss the identification of distinct bacterial, fungal, viral as well as parasite signatures for breast cancer. These microbes are capable of producing numerous secondary metabolites that can act as signaling mediators effecting breast cancer progression. We review how microbes potentially alter response to therapy affecting drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, anti-tumor effects and toxicity. In conclusion, breast harbors a community of microbes that can communicate with the host cells inducing downstream signaling pathways and modulating various aspects of breast cancer growth and metastatic progression and an improved understanding of microbial dysbiosis can potentially reduce breast cancer risk and improve outcomes of breast cancer patients. The human microbiome, now referred to as, the "forgotten organ" contains a metagenome that is 100-fold more diverse compared to the human genome, thereby, is critically associated with human health [1,2]. With the revelations of the human microbiome project and advent of deep sequencing techniques, a plethora of information has been acquired in recent years. Body sites like stomach, bladder and lungs, once thought to be sterile, are now known to harbor millions of indigenous microbial species. Approximately 80% of the healthy microbiome consists of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes accompanied by Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Tenericutes and Cyanobacteria [2-7]. The role of microbiome in diabetes, obesity and even neurodegenerative diseases was greatly appreciated in the last decade [1,7-14] and now it has been established that microbiome significantly contributes to many organ specific cancers [1,15,16].

Microbiota: a key orchestrator of cancer therapy

The microbiota is composed of commensal bacteria and other microorganisms that live on the epithelial barriers of the host. The commensal microbiota is important for the health and survival of the organism. Microbiota influences physiological functions from the maintenance of barrier homeostasis locally to the regulation of metabolism, haematopoiesis, inflammation, immunity and other functions systemically. The microbiota is also involved in the initiation, progression and dissemination of cancer both at epithelial barriers and in sterile tissues. Recently, it has become evident that microbiota, and particularly the gut microbiota, modulates the response to cancer therapy and susceptibility to toxic side effects. In this Review, we discuss the evidence for the ability of the microbiota to modulate chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy with a focus on the microbial species involved, their mechanism of action and the possibility of targeting the microbiota to improve anticancer efficacy while preventing toxicity.

Quantification of damage due to low-dose radiation exposure in mice: construction and application of a biodosimetric model using mRNA indicators in circulating white blood cells

Biodosimetry, the measurement of radiation damage in a biologic sample, is a reliable tool for increasing the accuracy of dose estimation. Although established chromosome analyses are suitable for estimating the absorbed dose after high-dose irradiation, biodosimetric methodology to measure damage following low-dose exposure is underdeveloped. RNA analysis of circulating blood containing radiation-sensitive cells is a candidate biodosimetry method. Here we quantified RNA from a small amount of blood isolated from mice following low-dose body irradiation (<0.5 Gy) aimed at developing biodosimetric tools for situations that are difficult to study in humans. By focusing on radiation-sensitive undifferentiated cells in the blood based on Myc RNA expression, we quantified the relative levels of RNA for DNA damage-induced (DDI) genes, such as Bax, Bbc3 and Cdkn1a. The RNA ratios of DDI genes/Myc in the blood increased in a dose-dependent manner 4 h after whole-body irradiation at doses ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 Gy (air-kerma) of X-rays, regardless of whether the mice were in an active or resting state. The RNA ratios were significantly increased after 0.014 Gy (air-kerma) of single X-ray irradiation. The RNA ratios were directly proportional to the absorbed doses in water ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 Gy, based on gamma-irradiation from (137)Cs. Four hours after continuous irradiation with gamma-rays or by internal contamination with a beta-emitter, the increased RNA ratios resembled those following single irradiation. These findings indicate that the RNA status can be utilized as a biodosimetric tool to estimate low-dose radiation when focusing on undifferentiated cells in blood.

Circadian rhythm influences genome-wide transcriptional responses to (131)I in a tissue-specific manner in mice

Background

Circadian variation of gene expression is often neglected when ionizing radiation-induced effects are studied, whether in animal models or in cell culture. This study characterized diurnal variation of genome-wide transcriptional regulation and responses of potential biomarkers and signature genes in normal mouse tissues at 24 h after i.v. administration of ¹³¹I.

Methods

Female BALB/c nude mice were i.v. injected with 90 kBq ¹³¹I at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., or 3:00 p.m. and killed after 24 h (n = 4/group). Paired control groups were mock-treated (n = 3–4/group). The kidneys, liver, lungs, spleen, and thyroid were excised, snap-frozen, and stored at −80 °C until extraction of total RNA. RNA microarray technology was used for genome-wide expression analysis. Enriched biological processes were categorized after cellular function. Signature genes for ionizing radiation and thyroid hormone-induced responses were taken from the literature. Absorbed dose was estimated using the Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) formalism.

Results

The thyroid received an absorbed dose of 5.9 Gy and non-thyroid tissues received 0.75–2.2 mGy over 24 h. A distinct peak in the total number of significantly regulated transcripts was observed at 9:00 a.m. in the thyroid, but 3 h later in the kidney cortex, kidney medulla, and liver. Transcriptional regulation in the lungs and spleen was marginal. Associated cellular functions generally varied in quality and response strength between morning, noon, and afternoon. In the thyroid, 25 genes were significantly regulated at all investigated times of day, and 24 thereof showed a distinct pattern of pronounced down-regulation at 9:00 a.m. and comparatively weak up-regulation at later times. Eleven of these genes belonged to the species-specific kallikrein subfamily Klk1b. Responses in signature genes for thyroid hormone-induced responses were more frequent than for ionizing radiation, and trends persisted irrespective of time of day.

Conclusion

Diurnal variation of genome-wide transcriptional responses to 90 kBq ¹³¹I was demonstrated for the thyroid, kidney cortex and medulla, and liver, whereas variation was only marginal in the lungs and spleen. Overall, significant detection of potential biomarkers and signature genes was validated at each time of day, although direction of regulation and fold-change differed between morning, noon, and afternoon. These findings suggest that circadian rhythm should be considered in radiation research and that biological and analytical endpoints should be validated for circadian robustness.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13550-015-0150-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Deregulation of the circadian clock constitutes a significant factor in tumorigenesis: a clockwork cancer. Part I: clocks and clocking machinery

Many physiological processes occur in a rhythmic fashion, consistent with a 24-h cycle. The central timing of the day/night rhythm is set by a master clock, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (a tiny region in the hypothalamus), but peripheral clocks exist in different tissues, adjustable by cues other than light (temperature, food, hormone stimulation, etc.), functioning autonomously to the master clock. Presence of unrepaired DNA damage may adjust the circadian clock so that the phase in which checking for damage and DNA repair normally occurs is advanced or extended. The expression of many of the genes coding for proteins functioning in DNA damage-associated response pathways and DNA repair is directly or indirectly regulated by the core clock proteins. Setting up the normal rhythm of the circadian cycle also involves oscillating changes in the chromatin structure, allowing differential activation of various chromatin domains within the 24-h cycle.

Pharmaceutical drugs supporting regeneration of small-intestinal mucosa severely damaged by ionizing radiation in mice

Accidental exposure of the abdomen to high-dose radiation leads to severe consequences initiated by disruption of the mucosa in the small intestine. Therapeutic options are limited, even though various treatments have been investigated, particularly in the field of regenerative therapy. In order to identify readily available treatment methods, we included several current pharmaceutical drugs, for which the clinical trials have already been completed, in tests on mice that had undergone severe mucosal damage by radiation. The drugs were injected into mice 24 h after exposure to 15.7 Gy X-rays. The effects of the drugs on the damaged mucosa of the small intestine were evaluated using early regeneration indices [the expression of c-myb mRNA, and proliferation of epithelial cells in the form of microcolonies (MCs) by Days 4 and 5 post-irradiation] and the survival rate of the mice. Enhancement of mucosal regeneration at Day 4 (c-myb: P < 0.01, MC: P < 0.05) and improvement of the survival rate (P < 0.05) were observed when a clinical dose of gonadotropin, a stimulator of androgen, was injected. Similarly, a clinical dose of thiamazole (which prevents secretion of thyroid hormone) stimulated mucosal growth by Day 5 (c-myb: P < 0.01, MC: P < 0.05) and also improved the survival rate (P < 0.05). The nonclinical drugs histamine and high-dose octreotide (a growth hormone antagonist) also gave significant survival-enhancing benefits (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). These results can be used to construct therapeutic programs and applied in various experimental studies to control the regeneration of damaged mucosa.

Differences in micronucleus induction in peripheral blood reticulocytes of mice exposed to N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea at light and dark dosing times

Mammals, including human beings, have a circadian clock system to regulate behavioral and physiological processes. In this study, we investigated the effect of dosing time on micronucleus induction in the bone marrow by evaluating the frequencies of micronucleated peripheral reticulocytes (MNRETs) in mice exposed to N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) to assess any difference in genotoxic sensitivity to chemicals between light and dark periods (inactive phase for rodents and active phase for rodents). Male C3H/He mice were treated intraperitoneally with ENU (12.5 or 25 mg/kg body weight) at zeitgeber time (ZT) 3 in the light period or ZT15 in the dark period, and then the time courses of the frequencies of the MNRETs were determined. The frequencies of the MNRETs induced by ENU increased time-dependently and peaked at 48 hr after treatment for ZT3 and ZT15, and were obviously higher in the ZT15 treatment group than the ZT3 treatment group. The MNRETs were measured at 48 hr after treatment with ENU (25 mg/kg body weight) at various dosing times (ZT0, 3, 6, 12, 15 and 18). The frequencies of the MNRETs in mice treated at ZT0, 15 and 18 were significantly higher than those in mice treated at ZT3, 6 and 12. These results suggest that genotoxic sensitivity to chemicals in mouse bone marrow is different between light and dark periods maybe due to different biological responses (detoxification, cell cycle, DNA repair, etc.) related to circadian rhythms.