Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J C Barrett.
The design and function of a free-standing outpatient surgical facility is described in which a wide range of surgical procedures have been carried out. In selected patients and with adequate facilities, outpatient surgery offers safe, convenient and relatively cheap surgery for a wide range of conditions.
It has been shown that treatment of many but not all tumor cell lines with retinoids affects cell proliferation and expression of the transformed phenotype. To determine whether the response of the tumor cell to retinoids is influenced by specific oncogenes activated in the cell, we studied the action of these agents in the immortal, nontumorigenic Syrian hamster embryo cell lines DES-4 and 10W transfected with either v-Ha-ras or v-src oncogenes. In this paper we show that in transformed DES-4 cells expressing v-src, retinoic acid inhibited anchorage-independent growth, reduced saturation density, and inhibited the induction of ornithine decarboxylase by the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. In contrast, retinoic acid enhances the expression of the transformed phenotype in DES-4-derived cells that express v-Ha-ras. In these cells retinoic acid increases the number and the average size of colonies formed in soft agar. Moreover, retinoic acid enhances ornithine decarboxylase activity and acts in a synergistic fashion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. These results indicate that oncogenes activated in cells can indeed influence the response of cells to retinoids. Retinoic acid does not appear to alter the levels of pp60src or p21ras proteins in these cells, suggesting that retinoic acid does not affect the synthesis of these oncogene products. Furthermore, retinoic acid does not affect the protein kinase activity of pp60src. Transformed cell lines derived from 10W cells responded differently, indicating that the presence of a specific oncogene is not the only factor determining the response to retinoids. Possible mechanisms by which retinoic acid may interfere with the expression of the oncogene products are discussed.
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We demonstrated previously that carcinogen-induced neoplastic transformation of Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cells requires multiple steps. Normal, diploid SHE cells and carcinogen-induced preneoplastic cells were transfected with different oncogenes. The normal, early-passage cells were not transformed by the v-Ha-ras or v-myc oncogenes alone, but the two oncogenes combined caused tumors in nude mice and syngeneic hamsters. Cytogenetic analysis of the ras-plus-myc-induced tumors showed a nonrandom chromosome loss (monosomy of chromosome 15) in the ras/myc tumor cells. Tumorigenicity of the ras/myc tumor cells was suppressed following hybridization with normal SHE cells; reexpression of tumorigenicity at later passages correlated with loss of chromosome 15. The hybrid cells in which tumorigenicity was suppressed still expressed the ras and myc oncogenes. An early change in carcinogen-induced neoplastic progression of SHE cells is induction of immortality. At early passages, immortal cells retain the ability to suppress tumorigenicity in cell hybrids. This ability decreases with passaging of immortal cell lines. The susceptibility of immortal cell lines to neoplastic transformation by DNA transfection with the v-Ha-ras oncogene or tumor DNA inversely correlated with the tumor-suppressive ability of the cells in cell hybrids. These observations indicate that neoplastic transformation of SHE cells involves at least three steps: (1) induction of immortality, (2) activation of a transforming gene or oncogene, and (3) loss of or inactivation of a tumor-suppressor gene.
The purpose of the studies described in this and the accompanying paper (D.J. Fitzgerald et al., Cancer Res., 46:4642-4649, 1986) was to define the transformed colonies of the rat tracheal epithelial cell transformation system (see P. Nettesheim and J.C. Barrett, CRC Crit. Rev. Toxicol., 12: 215-239, 1984) in terms of differentiation and growth characteristics. Exposure of low-density primary rat tracheal epithelial cell cultures to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine results in the development of growth-altered colonies of different sizes and morphologies, which can be readily scored 5 wk after treatment. These colonies were classified into four morphological types (I to IV) based on their light microscopic and ultrastructural features. Colonies designated as types I and II were small, had a low cell density, and were composed principally of large, pale-staining (Giemsa) flattened cells with a low nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio. Examination of the fine structure of these colonies revealed a monolayer of extremely attenuated cells containing well-developed Golgi complexes, endoplasmic reticulum, numerous secondary lysosomes, but few tonofilaments and desmosomes. Colonies of types III and IV were large, basophilic (Giemsa), high-density colonies, consisting primarily of closely packed, small, round cells with high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio. Analysis of the fine structure of these colonies revealed two to four stratified layers of poorly differentiated cells and cells having features of keratinocyte differentiation, as evidence by abundant tonofilament bundles, well-developed desmosomes, and occasional keratohyaline granules. Differential cell counts were carried out at the ultrastructural level on pooled cells from each colony type (except type I); approximately 90% of the cells from type II colonies were large, electron-lucent cells, while this cell type comprised only 20 to 30% of the cells of colonies of types III and IV. The predominant cell type (approximately 60%) in colonies of types III and IV showed clear signs of keratinocyte differentiation. Type IV colonies contained a significantly larger proportion (greater than 20%) of small, poorly differentiated cells than type III (6%) and type II (1%) colonies. A combined autoradiographic and ultrastructural study revealed that the small, poorly differentiated cells were most active in synthesizing DNA and had a labeling index of 60%. Other cell types were far less frequently labeled, particularly the large, electron-lucent cells which had a labeling index of only 10%. Morphometric measurements on fixed and stained colonies disclosed that each colony type differs markedly in cell population size.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The purpose of the studies described here was to define the biological behavior of the various clonally transformed colonies observed in cultures of carcinogen-exposed rat tracheal epithelial cells. As described in the preceding paper (H. Kitamura et al., Cancer Res., 46: 4631-4641, 1986), these colonies fall into four morphologically distinct categories. In the studies reported here we found that type I colonies had the smallest growth fraction (7%) and contained the lowest frequency of clonogenic cells (approximately 10(-3)). Colonies of types II to IV had mean growth fractions of 21 to 28%, and the frequency of clonogenic cells was 2 to 5 X 10(-2) when measured under growth-permissive conditions (3T3 feeders). When the clonogenic cell assays were performed under selective conditions to identify cell variants which can grow without feeder support, the average frequency of such clonogenic cells in type I colonies was less than 4 X 10(-5) and in colonies of types II to IV, between 5 X 10(-4) and 10(-2). In type IV colonies, the total number of cells per colony increased 8-fold between 5 and 12 wk postcarcinogen, but the clonogenic cell compartment increased 42-fold; the compartment of variant clonogenic cells, which are able to replicate on plastic, increased 139-fold during the same period of time. This indicated that major changes in the self-renewal capacity of the clonogenic cells were taking place during this early stage of transformation. Examination of the daughter colonies produced by replating colonies of types I to IV revealed that clonogenic cells with different growth potential existed within the same parent colony. Comparison of transformed colonies of the same type showed a marked degree of heterogeneity in the sizes of growth fractions and clonogenic cell fractions. These studies further indicated that, within all colonies, including the most advanced transformants, the majority of the cells were nonreplicating, terminal cells, suggesting that, at least during early stages of transformation, the transformed characteristics were not transferred from parent to daughter cells. With the exception of type I colonies, most of the colonies recognizable at 5 wk after carcinogen exposure progressed with time and acquired the morphological characteristics of type IV colonies, which were the most transformed phenotype. We conclude that transformation of rat tracheal epithelial cells is an asynchronous process and that the morphologically distinct types of rat tracheal epithelial cell colonies represent different stages of the clonal evolution of transformants.
We have shown previously that asbestos and other mineral dusts, including glass fibers, induce cell transformation and chromosomal mutations in Syrian hamster embryo cells in culture. In the present study, we observed that both asbestos and glass fibers were phagocytized by these cells and accumulated in the perinuclear region of the cytoplasm. In order to understand the mechanism of fiber length-dependent cellular effects, we examined the phagocytosis and intracellular distribution of glass fibers of differing lengths in cells at various times after treatment. Glass fiber length was decreased by milling with a mortar and pestle. Cells treated with an equal dose of milled glass fibers (on a weight per surface area basis) were exposed to 7-fold more fibers since milling of glass fibers resulted in a 7-fold decrease in length with little change in diameter. However, cells exposed to milled glass fibers phagocytized a similar number of fibers as cells exposed to an equal mass of unmilled glass fibers, indicating that milled fibers were less readily phagocytized. In cells treated with either unmilled or milled glass fibers, the length of the intracellular fibers was more than 2-fold greater than the length of the fibers on the surface, suggesting that cells selectively internalized longer fibers. Fiber length, however, did not appear to affect the migration of intracellular fibers to the perinuclear region of the cytoplasm. Even though cells treated with milled glass fibers contained a similar number of fibers as those treated with unmilled glass fibers, the resulting cytotoxicity, transformation frequency, and frequency of micronuclei were greatly reduced in the cultures treated with milled glass fibers. Thus, fiber length appears to affect the phagocytosis of fibers as well as the ability of intracellular fibers to induce cytogenetic damage and the resultant transformation.
Diethylstilbestrol (DES) has been shown to induce neoplastic transformation in the absence of measurable mutations at specific loci in Syrian hamster embryo cells. It has been proposed that DES induces cell transformation via the production of aneuploidy. In the present study we document that concentrations of DES that cause aneuploidy also produce abnormal or arrested mitotic spindles. Thus, DES may disrupt spindle microtubules and produce aneuploidy that results in disordered gene expression and eventual neoplastic transformation.
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The karyotypic evolution of three chemically induced cell lines of Syrian hamster embryo in culture are described. The only karyotypic alteration of one clone was a trisomy of chromosome #11, which presumably arose by nondisjunction after carcinogen treatment. A pure population of cells with the trisomy was observed repeatedly upon karyotyping of cells at the first three passages after cloning. However, at a late passage, apparently normal diploid cells appeared in the culture, which we propose resulted from a second nondisjunction of one chromosome #11, reverting the cells from trisomy 11 to disomy 11. The karyotypic evolution of two other cell lines also involved double nondisjunction, which resulted in duplication of a translocated chromosome and concurrent loss of the normal nonrearranged chromosome. Taken together with the reported findings of others, the results indicate that double nondisjunction is a mechanism in karyotypic progression during neoplastic development.
Vital statistics data previously published by the Registrar General of England and Wales have been separated into male and female deaths in 1960-69 aged 100, 1961-70 aged 101, 1962-71 aged 102 etc., to represent cohorts of 292 male and 1463 female centenarians born in 1859-1869. Mortality is fitted to age by the method of maximum likelihood. Estimated male mortality declines after age 103 and falls below that of females (who show no decline) at age 105. The cause of this non-Gompertzian tapering off in mortality is found to be selection due to variability in the males, which is more than sufficient to offset the biological effects of aging that nevertheless occur in each individual. Selection causes a reduction of 0.01 per year of age in mean male centenarian mortality rates in England and Wales.
Sodium arsenite and sodium arsenate were observed to induce morphological transformation of Syrian hamster embryo cells in a dose-dependent manner. A linear dose-dependence with a slope of approximately 1 was observed with both compounds when the data were plotted on a log-log graph. The trivalent sodium arsenite was greater than 10-fold more potent than the pentavalent sodium arsenate. The compounds also exhibited toxicity; however, transformation was observed at non-toxic as well as toxic doses. At low doses, enhanced colony-forming efficiency of the cells was observed. To understand the mechanism of arsenic-induced transformation, the genetic effects of the two arsenicals were examined over the same doses that induced transformation. No arsenic-induced gene mutations were detected at two genetic loci. However, cell transformation and cytogenetic effects, including endoreduplication, chromosome aberrations, and sister chromatid exchanges were induced by the arsenicals with similar dose-responses. These results support a possible role for chromosomal changes in arsenic-induced transformation.
The purpose of our studies was to examine the effect of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) on survival, proliferation, and differentiation of normal and preneoplastic rat tracheal epithelial (RTE) cells. Normal RTE cells obtained from 8-week-old rats were plated into medium containing TPA at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 100 ng/ml. A dose-related increase in colony-forming efficiency (CFE) was observed at concentrations above 0.1 ng/ml. At 100 ng/ml the CFE was increased 5-fold above that observed in controls. Similar studies were carried out with immortal, preneoplastic RTE cells derived from carcinogen-exposed primary cultures. Upon exposure to 10 ng/ml of TPA, 9 out of 11 cell lines showed a marked decrease in CFE ranging from a 70 to a greater than 99% reduction. Two out of 11 cell lines showed only a minor reduction in CFE at this TPA concentration. Teleocidin B was as potent as TPA in causing inhibition of CFE in preneoplastic RTE cells; the potency of 4-O-methyl TPA was approximately 1/100 that of TPA and phorbol was virtually inactive. Further studies suggested that inhibition of clonal growth of the preneoplastic tracheal cells by TPA was due to rapid cell death. As early as 2 h after addition of TPA to the cultures, a loss of viable cells from the cultures as well as a reduction in CFE was observed. Morphological studies support the interpretation that a large number of cells was severely damaged within 2--4 h after TPA exposure. The formation of cross-linked envelopes (CLE), a measure of keratinocyte differentiation, was determined in cultures of preneoplastic RTE cells. TPA caused only minor increases in CLE formation indicating that the cells were not dying from TPA-induced terminal keratinocyte differentiation, but rather from TPA toxicity. Thus, preneoplastic RTE cells respond differently to TPA from normal RTE cells and also from normal and transformed keratinocytes of various origins. The role of TPA toxicity in promoting preneoplastic RTE cells to the neoplastic state is being investigated.
An assay for the degradation of type IV (basement membrane) collagen was developed as a biochemical marker for neoplastic cells from chemically transformed human skin fibroblasts. Type IV collagen was isolated from basement membrane of Syrian hamster lung and type I collagen was isolated from rat tails; the collagens were radioactively labelled by reductive alkylation. Both collagens were in the native form as shown by their low sensitivity to degradation by trypsin. The abilities of normal (KD) and chemically transformed (Hut-11A) human skin fibroblasts to degrade the collagens were studied. The normal cells released a collagenase into the medium which after activation by trypsin or oxidized glutathione degraded type I collagen. Hut-11A cells also produced a collagenolytic activity that degraded type I collagen; however, no activation of the medium was required for this activity. Type IV collagen was not degraded by medium conditioned with the normal (KD) cells with or without activation. In contrast, Hut-11A cells secreted an active collagenase into the medium that degraded type IV collagen extensively. Treatment of the medium from Hut-11A cells with trypsin resulted in only a loss of activity while treatment with oxidized glutathione was without effect. The degradation of type IV collagen by Hut-11A conditioned medium was linear for up to 1 h and the extent of degradation increased linearly with increasing amounts of conditioned medium. A cell-associated assay was performed by growing either normal or transformed cells in the presence of radioactively labelled type IV collagen and measuring the released soluble peptides in the medium. This assay also demonstrated that KD cells failed to synthesize an activity capable of degrading type IV collagen whereas Hut-11A cells degraded type IV collagen in a linear manner for up to 4 h. Human serum at very low concentrations, EDTA and L-cysteine inhibited the enzyme activity, whereas protease inhibitors like phenylmethyl sulfonyl fluoride, N-ethyl maleimide or soybean trypsin inhibitor did not inhibit the enzyme from Hut-11A cells. These results suggest that the ability to degrade specifically type IV collagen may be an important marker for neoplastic human fibroblasts and supports a role for this collagenase in tumor cell invasion.
Syrian hamster embryo cells were treated with crocidolite asbestos at a dose (1 microgram/cm2) which was shown in previous studies to induce cell transformation and aneuploidy in these cells. Treatment of cells with asbestos induced a greater than 20-fold increase in the incidence of cells in anaphase with abnormalities, including lagging chromosomes, bridges, and sticky chromosomes. Asbestos fibers were observed in mitotic cells and appeared, in some cases, to be interacting directly with the chromosomes. From these studies, we propose that the physical interaction of the asbestos fibers with the chromosomes or structural proteins of the spindle apparatus causes missegregation of chromosomes during mitosis resulting in aneuploidy. These findings provide a mechanism, at the chromosomal level, by which asbestos and other mineral fibers might induce cell transformation and cancer.
The ability of cloned Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) DNA encoding the v-src oncogene to neoplastically transform normal, diploid Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cells was examined. Transfection of RSV DNA into early passage SHE cells resulted in a low but significant number of tumors when treated cells were injected into nude mice. Tumors formed with a low frequency (two tumors out of ten sites injected) and only after a long latency period (14 weeks). In contrast to the normal SHE cells, several different carcinogen-induced preneoplastic immortal SHE cell lines were highly susceptible to transformation by the v-src oncogene to the neoplastic phenotype. Tumors formed with high efficiency and a short latency period (less than 3 weeks). Further studies were performed to determine the basis for the inefficient transformation of the normal SHE cells. NeoR clones isolated after cotransfection of SHE cells with pSV2-neo and RSV DNAs were neither morphologically altered nor immortal and did not contain detectable levels of the v-src gene product. These results suggest that neoplastic transformation by v-src DNA in the normal cells is initially suppressed. However, cells from a v-src-induced tumor expressed v-src RNA, and antibody to v-src protein precipitated from the tumor cells a 60,000-molecular-weight protein which displayed protein kinase activity. Karyotypic analyses confirmed that the tumor was derived from Syrian hamster cells and suggested that it was clonal in nature. These results indicate that the v-src oncogene was primarily responsible for neoplastic transformation of SHE cells. In contrast to the results with the v-src oncogene, our previous studies showed that v-Ha-ras oncogene alone is unable to induce neoplastic transformation of SHE cells. Furthermore, the v-myc oncogene was able to compliment v-Ha-ras to neoplastically transform SHE cells, while cotransfection with v-src plus v-myc did not increase the incidence of tumors.