Biomedical subjects

I Azuma

Publications and source records attributed to I Azuma.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1995

Endotoxin antagonism by a synthetic lipid A analogue, DT-5461, with low endotoxicity in human peripheral blood monocytes.

We examined the molecular mechanism of DT-5461-induced LPS antagonism in human peripheral blood monocytes. Dose-response studies revealed that LPS-induced IL-1 and TNF-alpha production was apparently totally suppressed in a competitive manner by a 10-fold excess of DT-5461. A 10-fold excess of DT-5461 significantly blocked the binding of FITC-LPS to the monocytes. DT-5461 suppressed IL-1 and TNF-alpha mRNA expression in LPS-activated monocytes. Western blots showed that DT-5461 suppressed the LPS-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of p42mapk/ERK2. These results suggested that the competitive binding inhibition and repression of early intracellular signaling involved in DT-5461-mediated LPS antagonism.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

PubMed1995

Inhibitory effect of Korean mistletoe (Viscum album coloratum) extract on tumour angiogenesis and metastasis of haematogenous and non-haematogenous tumour cells in mice.

We examined the inhibitory effect of an aqueous extract (referred to as KM-110) from Viscum album coloratum, a Korean mistletoe, on tumour metastasis produced by highly metastatic murine tumour cells, B16-BL6 melanoma, colon 26-M3.1 carcinoma and L5178Y-ML25 lymphoma cells, using experimental and spontaneous metastasis models in syngeneic mice. In experimental metastasis of B16-BL6 and colon 26-M3.1 cells, intravenous (i.v.) administration of KM-110 (100 micrograms/mouse) 1 day after tumour inoculation significantly inhibited lung metastasis of both tumour cells. The administration of KM-110 also exhibited a therapeutic effect on liver and spleen metastasis of L5178Y-ML25 lymphoma cells. Furthermore, in spontaneous metastasis of B16-BL6 melanoma cells, multiple administration of KM-110 into tumour-bearing mice resulted in significant inhibition of lung metastasis by tumour cells, as well as the suppressive activity to the growth of primary tumour. In in vivo analysis for tumour-induced angiogenesis, the i.v. administration of KM-110 suppressed tumour growth and inhibited the number of blood vessels oriented towards the tumour mass. In a bioassay, the culture supernatant (KM-110-treated medium) of murine peritoneal macrophages that had been stimulated with KM-110 (1-10 micrograms/ml) for 30 min followed by 24 h incubation in fresh medium showed a strong tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) activity. In addition, KM-110-treated medium significantly inhibited the growth of in vitro cultures of rat lung endothelial (RLE) cells. These results suggested that the extract of Korean mistletoe inhibits tumour metastasis caused by haematogenous as well as non-haematogenous tumour cells, and that its antimetastatic effect results from the suppression of tumour growth and the inhibition of tumour-induced angiogenesis by inducing TNF-alpha.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Role of the heparin-binding domain of chimeric peptides derived from fibronectin in cell spreading and motility.

Cellular responses to fibronectin (FN) are likely to have a complex molecular basis involving the interactions between multiple functional domains of FN and specific cell surface molecules. We have utilized several types of recombinant FN fragments and their chimeric fragments to examine the regulatory mechanisms of the spreading and chemotactic migration of HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cells on FN. The CH-271 fusion fragment, in which the cell-binding domain (C-274) of FN is adjacent to the heparin-binding domain (H-271), promoted cell spreading more efficiently than C-274, H-271, or their mixture (C-274 + H-271) over a 60-min incubation. The CH-271 variants containing various modules in the heparin-binding domain (CHV peptide) showed different promotion of cell migration, spreading, and vinculin accumulation at focal adhesion, respectively. The preincubation of the cells with heparitinase I resulted in significant inhibition of chemotactic migration to FN and its fragments containing the III13 and/or III14 modules of the heparin-binding domain. Additionally, migration to CH-271 was inhibited by the presence of the RGDS peptide in a concentration-dependent fashion. Thus, the spread and migration responses of HT1080 cells onto FN fusion peptides require the adjacent coexistence of cell- and heparin-binding domains and are mediated by the interactions between cell surface heparan sulfate and the heparin-binding domain, in concert with the interaction between cell surface integrin and the cell-binding domain. In conclusion, our present study demonstrated that fusion peptides of fibronectin can efficiently induce two signals from the cell-binding and heparin-binding domains required for the completion of cell spreading, the formation of focal contact, and motility at the early stage of the culture, suggesting that the III13 or III14 modules within the heparin-binding domain are responsible for the initiation of different cellular responses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Human melanoma invasion and metastasis enhancement by high expression of aminopeptidase N/CD13.

Aminopeptidase N/CD13 is a Zn(2+)-dependent exoprotease present on the cell surface as a transmembrane protein. Our previous studies using aminopeptidase inhibitors and antibodies demonstrated that aminopeptidase N is involved in the degradation and invasion of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by metastatic tumor cells. In the present study we transfected human A375M melanoma cells with eukaryotic plasmid expression vectors that contained full length cDNA of aminopeptidase N/CD13 and examined their characteristics. The transfectants that expressed extremely high levels of aminopeptidase N/CD13 degraded type IV collagen and invaded ECM more actively than the parental and control vector-transfected cells. Furthermore, the aminopeptidase N/CD13-transfected A375M cells had significantly augmented lung colonizing potential in nude mice. The results show that the aminopeptidase N/CD13 plays an active role in degradation and invasion of ECM and may be involved in the molecular mechanisms of blood-borne metastasis.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Stimulation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infected cells with superoxide enhances the chemotactic motile response of CD4+ human T cells: implication for virus transmission by cell-to-cell interaction.

We previously showed that superoxide (O2-) significantly enhanced human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-induced syncytia formation in co-cultured infected and uninfected human T cells. In this study, we describe a novel chemotactic response of uninfected CD4+ T cells by stimulating infected T cells with O2-. Syncytia formation was amplified only when persistently infected cells were stimulated by O2-. When the infected cells in lower well of microplate were cultured with uninfected cells in the upper well of a Boyden chamber with 8.0 microns pores, uninfected cell migration to the porous membrane was significantly amplified by stimulating infected cells with O2-. In contrast, similar functions were slight under the same assay conditions in the presence of known chemokines such as human RANTES and macrophage inflammatory protein 1 (MIP-1 alpha and beta), which all activate T lymphocytes. In addition, it is unlikely that the O2(-)-induced chemotactic response is due to soluble HIV-1 proteins from infected cells or to amplified expression levels of cell surface functional molecules such as CD4 and LFA-1 (CD11a and CD18) as well as HIV-1 Env gp120 on uninfected and/or infected cells. Thus, an unknown chemotactic factor could be generated from infected T cells by stimulation with O2- and it might contribute to viral transmission by activating cell-to-cell interactions.

Antigens, Surface↗

PubMed1995

Viral activation from latency during retrodifferentiation of U937 cells exposed to phorbol ester followed by infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

To determine the mechanism underlying the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) latency and its activation in monocyte/macrophage lineage, the human promonocytic cell line U937 was infected with HIV-1 after differentiation with varied doses of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Variously differentiated intermediate stages were generated in U937 cells in a dose-dependent manner. When these cells were infected with lymphotropic HIV-1, the kinetics of the production of HIV-1 DNA, the appearance of HIV-1 antigen-positive cells, and viral production in the conditioned media were slower at higher doses of PMA. This different susceptibility to the infection was not due to the rate of HIV-1 adsorption. Viral replication from latency in the differentiated cells was activated in proportion with the retrodifferentiation observed in long-term cultures of the host cells. Thus, our data demonstrate the close correlation between the regulation of HIV-1 replication and the differentiation stage of monocyte/macrophage lineage cells at the time of HIV-1 infection. The retrodifferentiation phenomenon in infected cells seems to be particularly important for understanding the mechanisms for HIV-1 activation from latency.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Effect of MDP-Lys(L18), a derivative of MDP, on enhancing host resistance against Hantaan virus infection in newborn mice.

We examined the effect of MDP-Lys(L18), a lipophilic derivative of muramyl dipeptide, on the enhancement of host resistance against virus infection in newborn mice. Newborn mice were inoculated with 4 LD50/mouse of Hantaan virus strain 76-118 (HTN) one day after birth. Mice given 100 micrograms/mouse of MDP-Lys(L18) before infection exhibited significantly higher survival rates than those of non-treated mice. The effect of MDP-Lys(L18) was also restorative when given to the mice 4 or 7 days after infection. The titers of virus isolated from the lungs and spleens 12 days after infection, were about 30-times lower in MDP-Lys(L18)-treated (lung: 1.0 x 10(3) FFU; spleen: 6.8 x 10(1) FFU/mouse), than those of non-treated mice (lung: 3.4 x 10(4) FFU; spleen: 1.9 x 10(3) FFU/mouse). Furthermore, the virus was undetectable in the brains of MDP-Lys(L18)-treated mice, whereas viruses were isolated from 3 of 6 non-treated mice. MDP-Lys(L18) augmented the number of peripheral leukocytes and splenocytes, as well as mitogenic responses of the cells from bone marrow and spleen of newborn mice. These results suggest that MDP-Lys(L18) enhanced the resistance of newborn mice against HTN virus in a systemic infection model, and that this mechanism is involved in the enhancement of hematopoiesis and responsiveness of immune-related cells to mitogens.

Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine↗

PubMed1995

Establishment of a SCID mouse model having circulating human red blood cells and a possible growth of Plasmodium falciparum in the mouse.

Our previous study has demonstrated that repeated transfusions of bovine red blood cells (RBCs) into SCID mice resulted in a complete substitution of their circulating RBCs. Identical experiments with human (Hu) RBCs, however, gave rise to a poor RBC-substitution because of the rapid elimination of Hu-RBCs from the circulation of SCID mice. Search for substances to decelerate the Hu-RBC clearance picked up some effective polysaccharides, such as sulfated chitin and mannan, but they were not effective enough to achieve a high level of Hu-RBC-substitution. In the present study, we found that Hu-serum significantly extended the lifetime of Hu-RBC in SCID mice and that repeated transfusions of the mice with Hu-RBCs, in combination with Hu-serum administration, resulted in an almost complete substitution of their circulating RBCs. An Hu-RBC-substituted SCID mouse inoculated with Plasmodium falciparum had a parasitemia persisting for two weeks, indicating a possible growth of this parasite in the mouse. Thus, this report gave the first demonstration of a complete substitution of the circulating RBCs in SCID mice with Hu-RBCs and of a successful P. falciparum infection in the mice.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Effects of muramyl dipeptide derivatives as adjuvants on the induction of antibody response to recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen.

The ability of two muramyl dipeptide (MDP) derivatives, B30-MDP and MDP-Lys(L18), to enhance the immunogenicity of recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (rHBsAg) was examined. When mice were immunized intraperitoneally with rHBsAg together with each MDP derivative, the antibody titres were higher than those in mice immunized with alum-adsorbed rHBsAg, which is a commercially available hepatitis B vaccine. When mice were given a subcutaneous or intramuscular injection of rHBsAg and either MDP derivative, the antibody titres were the same as those in mice given alum-adsorbed rHBsAg. These results indicate the usefulness of MDP derivatives as immunoadjuvants for a new-generation vaccine.

Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine↗

PubMed1995

Association of endothelin-1 with normal tension glaucoma: clinical and fundamental studies.

Impaired ocular blood flow is suspected to be one of the causes of normal tension glaucoma (NTG). We investigated whether endothelin (ET), a potent and continuous vasoacting peptide which was discovered recently, is associated with NTG. Plasma ET-1 levels of 52 patients with NTG but without systemic vascular or circulatory disorders were measured by radioimmunoassay, and were found to be significantly higher than those of 10 normal controls. The patients with NTG in the initial stage of visual field loss (Kosaki's classification) showed higher plasma ET-1 levels than those in the middle stage. These facts suggest that elevated plasma levels of ET-1 are correlated with NTG and its stages. We then studied the effects of ET-1 on rabbit eyes. Intravenous administration of ET-1 (10(-10) mol/kg) induced reductions in both intraocular pressure (IOP) and blood flow in the optic nerve head during three hours' observation, although it affected systemic blood pressure slightly and transiently. Blood flow in the choroid also decreased, but recovered at 90 minutes. Intravitreal injection of ET-1 (10(-5) M, 0.1 ml) also caused reductions in IOP (for 14 days) and in blood flow in the optic nerve head (during three hours' observation). Prolongation of VEP-N1 latency was observed for 14 days. These results indicate that ET-1 may be associated with NTG, especially with blood flow in the optic nerve head.

Aged↗

PubMed1995

Inhibition of tumor-induced angiogenesis by a synthetic lipid A analogue with low endotoxicity, DT-5461.

We investigated the effect of a synthetic lipid A analogue with low endotoxicity, DT-5461, on the neovascularization induced by B16-BL6 melanoma in syngeneic mice. A systemic single administration of DT-5461 caused a marked decrease in the number of vessels oriented toward the tumor mass and in the tumor size during the early phase of vasculogenesis (on day 4 after tumor inoculation), with little or no inhibition in the following phases. Multiple i.v. administrations of DT-5461 at intervals of 4 days (an effective schedule for inhibiting tumor metastasis) significantly reduced the number of capillary vessels and tumor growth over a period of 14 days after the tumor implantation. Multiple systemic administrations of DT-5461 on days 1, 5 and 9 after tumor inoculation caused a high production of endogenous tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in tumor sites although this treatment modality induced a low production in serum of tumor-bearing mice. Tumor homogenate from mice treated with DT-5461 suppressed the proliferation of endothelium in vitro, whereas sera from animals given DT-5461 had little effect. Furthermore, the antiproliferative effect of the tumor homogenate from mice treated with DT-5461, was completely abrogated by anti-mTNF-alpha monoclonal antibody (mAb). The anti-angiogenic effect of DT-5461 was also completely abrogated by rabbit anti-mouse tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-mTNF-alpha) antiserum, whereas the inhibition of tumor growth by DT-5461 was only slightly diminished. Tumor homogenate from mice treated with DT-5461 suppressed the proliferation of endothelium in vitro, whereas sera from animals given DT-5461 had little effect. Furthermore, the antiproliferative effect of the tumor homogenate from mice treated with DT-5461 was completely neutralized by anti-mTNF-alpha mAb. Multiple i.v. administrations of DT-5461 after s.c. implantation of B16-BL6 cells significantly inhibited the growth of primary tumors measured at the time of tumor excision on day 21, and the lung metastasis of melanoma cells as compared with the untreated control in the spontaneous metastasis model. These results suggested that the suppressive effect upon tumor-associated angiogenesis by DT-5461 contributes in part to the inhibition of tumor metastasis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

A novel synthetic lipid A analog with low endotoxicity, DT-5461, prevents lethal endotoxemia.

Bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) causes severe damage to the host organism as a result of excessive release of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), from mononuclear phagocytes during gram-negative bacterial infection. We evaluated the ability of a novel synthetic lipid A analog with low endotoxicity, DT-5461, to antagonize LPS-induced IL-1 and TNF-alpha production in cells of monocyte/macrophage lineage and examined the protective effect of DT-5461 against lethal endotoxic shock in mice. The IL-1- or TNF-alpha-inducing activity of DT-5461 is 100,000 to 10,000 times less active than that of Escherichia coli LPS (EcLPS) or synthetic lipid A. DT-5461 significantly inhibited EcLPS-induced IL-1 and TNF-alpha release when murine peritoneal macrophages were incubated with DT-5461 2 h prior to EcLPS stimulation at the same concentration (1 microgram/ml). The antagonistic effect of DT-5461 on the production of IL-1 and TNF-alpha induced by EcLPS occurred in a concentration-dependent manner. DT-5461 also inhibited IL-1 and TNF-alpha induction when murine peritoneal macrophages were stimulated by LPS from Salmonella typhimurium or synthetic lipid A, as well as by EcLPS, but not by muramyl dipeptides. This indicated that DT-5461 specifically antagonized the action of LPS. DT-5461 also antagonized EcLPS-mediated activation of human peripheral blood monocytes. DT-5461 blocked the binding of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled LPS to murine peritoneal macrophages as well as it did the binding of EcLPS and synthetic lipid A, i.e., in a concentration-dependent fashion. Injection of DT-5461 2 h before EcLPS challenge prevented the production of serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha in D-galactosamine-treated mice. Furthermore, this treatment modality protected mice against LPS-induced lethal toxicity. This study suggests that DT-5461 possesses a potent LPS antagonistic effect and may be useful in a protective strategy against lethal endotoxemia caused by gram-negative bacterial infection.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Inhibitory effect of tumor metastasis in mice by saponins, ginsenoside-Rb2, 20(R)- and 20(S)-ginsenoside-Rg3, of red ginseng.

We examined the inhibitory effect of two saponin preparations from Red ginseng, 20(R)- and 20(S)-ginsenoside-Rg3, in comparison with that of ginsenoside-Rb2, on lung metastasis produced by two highly metastatic tumor cells, B16-BL6 melanoma and colon 26-M3.1 carcinoma, in syngeneic mice. In an in vitro analysis, both saponin preparations showed a significant inhibition of adhesion to fibronectin (FN) and laminin (LM) by B16-BL6 melanoma. Similarly, they significantly inhibited the invasion of B16-BL6 cells into the reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel)/FN in a dose-dependent manner. In an experimental metastasis model using B16-BL6 melanoma, consecutive intravenous (i.v.) administrations of 100 micrograms/mouse of 20(R)- or 20(S)-ginsenoside-Rg3 1, 2, 3 and 4 d after tumor inoculation led to a significant decrease in lung metastasis. The inhibitory effect of i.v. administration of both ginseng saponins on the tumor metastasis of B16-BL6 melanoma was also recognized in a low dose of 10 micrograms/mouse. The oral administration (p.o.) of both saponins (100-1000 micrograms/mouse) induced a significant decrease in lung metastasis of B16-BL6 melanoma. Moreover, both ginseng saponins were effective in inhibiting of lung metastasis produced by colon 26-M3.1 carcinoma. When 20(R)- or 20(S)-ginsenoside-Rg3 was orally administered consecutively after tumor inoculation in a spontaneous metastasis model using B16-BL6 melanoma, both of them significantly inhibited lung metastasis. In the experiment involving neovasculization by tumor cells in vivo, both mice groups given each saponin preparation after tumor inoculation exhibited a significant decrease in the number of blood vessels oriented toward the tumor mass, with no repression of tumor size. These findings suggest that both ginseng saponins, 20(R)- and 20(S)-ginsenoside-Rg3, possess an ability to inhibit the lung metastasis of tumor cells, and the mechanism of their antimetastatic effect is related to inhibition of the adhesion and invasion of tumor cells, and also to anti-angiogenesis activity.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Antimetastatic activities of synthetic Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) and Arg-Leu-Asp-Ser (RLDS) peptide analogues and their inhibitory mechanisms.

We have investigated the inhibitory effect of the N-terminal modified Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) analogues, AcDRGDS and AcDRLDS, on tumor cell adhesion to the components of extracellular matrix and basement membrane, and also tested the antimetastatic effect of their conjugates with trimesic acid, Ar(DRGDS)3 and Ar(DRLDS)3. AcDRGDS significantly inhibited tumor cell adhesion to fibronectin, vitronectin and RGDS substrates, but not to CS1 substrate which is a ligand for the alpha 4 beta 1 tumor surface integrin receptor. In contrast, AcDRLDS variant peptide significantly inhibited tumor cell adhesion to laminin, in addition to RGDS-mediated adhesion to fibronectin and vitronectin. AcDRLDS also inhibited tumor cell adhesion to CS1 as well as the RGDS sequence within the fibronectin molecule in a concentration-dependent manner, although the inhibitory effect was less than that of the CS1 (EILDV) peptide. Ar(DRLDS)3 inhibited the laminin- and fibronectin-mediated invasion and migration of tumor cells, whereas Ar(DRGDS)3 selectively inhibited fibronectin-mediated invasion and migration. Ar(DRGDS)3 and Ar(DRLDS)3 were much more effective in inhibiting experimental lung or liver metastases of various types of murine and human tumors than the original RGDS-containing peptides or Ar(COONa)3. Multiple administrations of Ar(DRGDS)3 or Ar(DRLDS)3 potently inhibited spontaneous lung metastasis produced by intra-footpad injection of B16-BL6 cells without affecting the primary tumor size at the time of surgical excision, as compared with RGDS peptide or untreated control. Thus, Ar(DRGDS)3 and Ar(DRLDS)3 substantially increased the exhibiting any antimetastatic effect of the peptides without direct cytotoxicity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Effect of UF-021 on optic nerve head circulation in rabbits.

The effect of UF-021, a prostaglandin-related compound which has recently become available for treatment as an antiglaucoma agent, on the circulation of the optic nerve head (ONH) was studied in normal rabbit eyes and in eyes with circulation insufficiency induced by endothelin-1 (ET-1). The capillary blood flow in the ONH was measured for 5 hours using a hydrogen gas clearance flowmeter, and the intraocular pressure (IOP) was also measured. A single instillation of UF-021 reduced the IOP (maximum reduction: 3.7 mmHg at 2 hours) but had no effect on ONH blood flow in normal rabbit eyes. Intravitreal injection of UF-021 reduced IOP to a lesser extent (maximum reduction: 1.8 mmHg at 3.5 hours) and significantly increased ONH blood flow from 1 to 3.5 hours (maximum increment: 14% of the initial value at 1 hour). Pretreatment with intravitreal injection of UF-021 did not affect IOP but partly inhibited the ONH blood-flow-decreasing effect of ET-1. These results suggest that UF-021 can improve ONH probably by reducing the resistance in ONH blood vessels.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Production of recombinant hantavirus nucleocapsid protein expressed in silkworm larvae and its use as a diagnostic antigen in detecting antibodies in serum from infected rats.

The recombinant nucleocapsid protein (rNP) of Hantaan virus was expressed by a baculovirus vector in silkworm hemolymph and was used as an antigen in western blotting (WB). The rNP is expressed in insoluble form in hemolymph; therefore simple washing of the insoluble fraction with phosphate-buffered saline by low-speed centrifugation allowed preparation of purified antigen for WB. The rNP had strain-specific and hantavirus-common epitopes similar to the authentic NP antigen of hantavirus and was stable after transfer to membrane. For detection of antibody in serially obtained sera from experimentally infected rats, WB enabled detection of IgM antibodies 3 days after infection, which was at least 2 days earlier than detection by the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFA). Thus WB had a higher sensitivity than the IFA for detection of hantavirus antibody in the serum of experimentally infected rats. The WB-determined IgG antibody titer was about 10 times higher than that determined by the IFA. No background staining was observed by WB even at a 1:10 dilution of serum. The selected rat sera with strong background staining or confusing staining patterns by IFA, but not focus reduction neutralization test titers, could be interpreted as test-negative because they did not have a specific reaction to virus antigen by WB. Thus the specificity of WB was higher than that of the IFA. Moreover, WB can distinguish specific from nonspecific reactions by the detection of the specific antigen on the WB membrane. Therefore the IFA or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay followed by WB is recommended for serologic confirmation of hantavirus infection.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Combination of anti-cell adhesive synthetic Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser analogue and anticancer drug doxorubicin heightens their original antimetastatic activities.

A new compound containing the cell-adhesive Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) peptide was synthesized, i.e. tetrahydrofurantetracarboxylic acid (THFTCA)-RGDS conjugate [THFTCA- (RGDS)3, FC-243], and the inhibitory effect of FC-243 on lung metastasis of B16-BL6 melanoma in mice was examined in combination with or without the anticancer agent doxorubicin (DOX). FC-243 showed an inhibitory effect on lung metastasis of melanoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. A mixture of THFTCA and RGDS peptide or THFTCA alone did not show any inhibitory effect on experimental lung metastasis as compared with FC-243 on a molar basis. RGDS peptide, however, required a higher dose to obtain a sufficient antimetastatic effect. Intermittent IV administration of FC-243 after the inoculation of B16-BL6 cells caused significant inhibition of spontaneous lung metastasis as compared with multiple administration of RGDS or untreated control. The in vitro tumor invasion study showed that FC-243 as well as RGDS+THFTCA on a molar basis resulted in similar inhibition of the invasion of B16-BL6 cells into reconstituted basement membrane Matrigel. Combined treatment with FC-243 and DOX significantly inhibited lung metastasis of melanoma as compared with either treatment alone or the untreated control. Administrations of FC-243 and DOX in combination substantially prolonged the survival time of mice. These results demonstrate that combination therapy of the anti-cell adhesive FC-243 and the anticancer agent DOX, i.e. antiadhesion therapy and chemotherapy, is a new approach that offers enhanced inhibitory effects on tumor metastasis and invasion.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Influence of fibroblasts on the invasion and migration of highly or weakly metastatic B16 melanoma cells.

We have examined the influence of fibroblasts on the invasive and migratory potential of highly metastatic melanoma B16-BL6 and weakly metastatic B16-F1 cells in vitro. Co-culture of B16-BL6 cells with a fibroblast monolayer without cellular contact in a Transwell chamber more effectively induced tumor-cell invasion into Matrigel basement membrane than co-culture of B16-F1 cells with a fibroblast monolayer. The activity was closely correlated with the chemotactic migration of tumor cells toward the fibroblast monolayer. We also found that the conditioned medium (CM) from the co-culture of fibroblasts with B16-BL6 cells without cellular contact, i.e., CM (B16-BL6/fibroblast), rather than from co-culture with B16-F1 cells, could potentially promote the migration of tumor cells of both types. Tumor cells did not chemotactically migrate to the CM (B16-BL6), CM (B16-F1) or CM (fibroblast). Antibodies against TGF-beta 1 or FN almost completely abolished the chemotactic migration of B16-BL6 cells to the CM (B16-BL6/fibroblast) or CM (TGF-beta 1-treated fibroblast) when these antibodies were co-incubated with fibroblasts and either B16-BL6 or TGF-beta 1. In contrast, the anti-EGF antibody did not show any inhibitory effects. Analysis of amounts of TGF-beta 1 or FN in various CM using ELISA plates, and using their specific antibodies, revealed that the concentration of TGF-beta 1 in the CM (B16-BL6) was slightly higher than in the CM (B16-F1), and the amount of FN in the CM (B16-BL6/fibroblast) was twice as high as in the CM (B16-F1/fibroblast). These results suggest that TGF-beta 1 released from B16-BL6 cells can stimulate fibroblasts to produce FN; consequently, the tumor cells were able to chemotactically migrate toward the released FN, and the differences in invasive and migratory activities towards fibroblasts in B16-BL6 and B16-F1 cells may in part be due to the amounts of TGF-beta 1 from tumor cells and of FN from TGF-beta 1-stimulated fibroblasts.

Animals↗