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M A Knowles

Publications and source records attributed to M A Knowles.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Loss of a tumor suppressor function during neoplastic progression of epithelial cells in vitro.

In vitro transformation of rat urothelial cells is a multi-step process. We have used cell fusion to analyse the role of recessive events during in vitro progression of an immortal urothelial cell line. Somatic cell hybrids were made between the transformed cell line RM2T and a series of immortal urothelial cell lines, including the progenitor line RM2AD, from which RM2T was isolated. The ability to produce colonies in soft agar (anchorage independence) was used as an in vitro marker of transformation, and a series of 10 hybrid clones and 4 mass populations of hybrids were assessed for suppression of this phenotype. Hybrids between early-passage (less than passage 35, anchorage-dependent) RM2AD cells and late-passage (greater than passage 35, anchorage-independent) RM2T cells, showed suppression of anchorage independence when tested early after fusion (4/4 mass populations, 7/10 clones). This indicates that in vitro progression of this cell line is associated with loss of a function which can suppress growth in soft agar. Fusions between anchorage-independent RM2T cells and a series of other anchorage-dependent immortal urothelial cell lines generated hybrids which showed no suppression of anchorage independence, indicating that these anchorage-dependent cells have lost the suppressor function identified in RM2AD. Our results indicate that loss of a suppressor function can contribute to urothelial transformation in vitro and that clonal populations of immortal cells, at apparently the same stage of transformation, differ in their ability to suppress anchorage independence of the cell line RM2T. These differences provide the basis for suppressor-gene cloning experiments based on gene transfer.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Amplification and over-expression of c-erbB-2 in transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.

The structure and expression of the proto-oncogene c-erbB-2 was studied in 86 patients with transitional cell carcinoma. Initial tissue samples comprised 37 grade 1, 32 grade 2 and 13 grade 3 tumours and four cases of carcinoma in situ. At the time of this first tumour sample, amplification of the c-erbB-2 gene was demonstrated by Southern blotting in 1/37 grade 1, 5/32 grade 2 and 6/13 grade 3 tumours (0.005 less than P less than 0.01). Tumour 're-occurrences' were obtained from 23 of these patients on one or more occasions. Amplification was detected in re-occurrences from seven of these 23, none of whom showed amplification in the first tumour sample. DNA was also extracted from exfoliated cells in urine collected from five cases of carcinoma in situ and c-erbB-2 amplification was demonstrated in one of these. No gene amplification was identified in patients' lymphocytes, ten biopsies of normal urothelium and 22 various intravesical pathologies. Increased expression of c-erbB-2 mRNA correlated with amplification of the gene. In addition, raised levels of mRNA were seen in the absence of gene amplification in six tumours. Immunoblotting using the polyclonal antibody 21N, raised against the c-terminus of the c-erbB-2 protein demonstrated increased amounts of a 185 kD immunoreactive protein in tumours with increased c-erbB-2 gene copy number compared with control tissues. In some tumours with high c-erbB-2 gene copy number, a 155 kD immunoreactive protein not detected in controls was expressed at higher level than the 185 kD protein. Immunocytochemistry using a monoclonal antibody AB-3, raised against the c-terminus of the c-erbB-2 protein, showed a positive reaction in the cytoplasm and cell membrane of tumours with gene amplification and in 40% of tumours with no amplification. An association was found between c-erbB-2 amplification and over-expression and the development of tumour re-occurrences. We suggest that c-erbB-2 amplification and over-expression may provide a useful molecular marker in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and merits further investigation as a potential prognostic indicator.

Blotting, Northern↗
PubMed1991

Loss of heterozygosity at the RB locus is frequent and correlates with muscle invasion in bladder carcinoma.

Studies of second, non-ocular tumours in surviving retinoblastoma patients and their families have reported a higher than expected incidence and lower age at diagnosis of bladder tumours. This suggests that RB mutations may predispose to bladder cancer. To determine whether this gene is involved in the development of sporadic bladder tumours we have examined 162 bladder tumours for evidence of structural alterations to the RB gene. Ninety-four patients were informative with one or more intragenic RB probes, and 28 of these (29%) showed loss of heterozygosity (LOH). Of these, two tumours showed homozygous deletions with the 5' intragenic probe p123M1.8. The probe p68RS2.0, which recognizes a variable number of tandem repeats site in intron 17 of the RB gene, detected new alleles in 5 of 162 tumours, one of which also showed LOH at another polymorphic site within the gene. The 28 tumours with RB LOH were screened with the RB cDNA probes pR3.8 and pR0.9, which revealed two homozygous deletions and one rearrangement. The tumours with RB LOH were also screened for loss of three markers which flank RB, D13S1 which maps proximal and D13S2 and D13S3 which map distal to RB on chromosome 13q. Two tumours showed retention of heterozygosity for flanking markers on one side of RB and another for markers on both sides. These results suggest that RB is the target gene on 13q in these bladder tumours. When RB loss was compared with tumour grade and stage, an association between high tumour grade and RB loss (0.005 greater than P greater than 0.001) and between muscle invasion and RB loss (P greater than 0.001) was found. Twenty-six of the 28 tumours with LOH were muscle-invasive. This represents 56% of invasive tumours. Only 2/48 (4%) superficial tumours showed RB allele loss, and one of these has progressed rapidly to invasive disease. These results show that LOH at the RB locus is a frequent genetic event in bladder tumours and may identify a subset of more aggressive tumours.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1991

Amplification at chromosome 11q13 in transitional cell tumours of the bladder.

Amplification of several markers which map to chromosome 11q13 was detected by Southern blotting in transitional cell tumours of the urinary bladder. The oncogenes INT2 and HST and the BCL1 locus were co-amplified in 20/97 (20.6%) tumours and the locus-specific minisatellite probe pMS51 (D11S97) detected amplification in 17/97 (17.5%) tumours. The high frequency of heterozygosity (greater than 70%) detected by this latter probe on HaeIII-digested DNAs provided a sensitive means to measure low levels of gene amplification (2-fold) by comparing signals obtained from each allele. A number of probes which map to 11q were used in an attempt to map the region of amplification more precisely. PGA, PGR, STMY, D11Z1 and D11S149 were not amplified in any tumours studied. SEA was amplified in 1/59 tumours and D11S146 in 12/89 tumours. A comparison of the patterns of co-amplification of individual markers in this series of tumours revealed that of the 23 tumours with amplification at this site, 11 had co-amplification of D11S97, D11S146, BCL1, INT2 and HST, 3 had co-amplification of D11S97, BCL1, INT2 and HST, 6 had co-amplification of BCL1, INT2 and HST, 1 had co-amplification of D11S97 and D11S146 and 2 had amplification of D11S97 alone. Based on available linkage data for these markers, this suggests that a putative target gene within this amplicon lies centromeric to BCL1. Amplification at 11q13 showed no correlation with tumour grade or with HER2 amplification.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMed1990

Simultaneous isolation of DNA, RNA, and antigenic protein exhibiting kinase activity from small tumor samples using guanidine isothiocyanate.

Correlative studies of genes and their expression in human tumors are often hampered by the small sample size and the need to use differing and incompatible techniques to obtain DNA, RNA, and protein. We describe an extension of the established guanidine isothiocyanate method for isolation of DNA and RNA which allows the simultaneous isolation of total cellular protein. The protein obtained by this method (from solid tumors and cell lines) was comparable to protein extracted by a standard detergent solubilization method. Antigenicity was retained as demonstrated by Western blotting for epidermal growth factor receptor and actin and by immunoprecipitation of p53. Kinase activity was similar in proteins extracted by the two methods. It seems probable that most monomeric proteins can be obtained in a form suitable for Western analysis and immunoprecipitation and that these may also retain some functional activity.

Actins↗
PubMed1988

Activation of ras oncogene in aflatoxin-induced rat liver carcinogenesis.

The presence of activated transforming genes was investigated in four primary aflatoxin-induced rat liver tumors in male Fischer rats, in two cell lines generated from such tumors, in an epithelial liver-derived nontransformed cell line, and in the latter cell line after transformation by aflatoxin B1 in vitro. When DNA extracted from these sources was transfected into NIH 3T3 cells, negative results were obtained from focus assays. Cotransfection of these DNA samples with a gene for resistance to G418, followed by selection for resistance to that antibiotic, and tumorigenicity testing in nude mice demonstrated DNA-mediated transfer of the neoplastic phenotype in all cases except for DNA from the nontransformed cell line. DNA extracted from these primary nude mouse tumors used in a secondary round of transfection with NIH 3T3 cells gave positive results in focus assays, which were conserved through succeeding rounds of transfection. By use of appropriate radiolabeled probes, activated ras oncogenes were detected in all samples. N-ras activation was detected in three of the primary rat liver tumors and both hepatoma cell lines. Ki-ras activation was detected in one primary rat liver tumor, and Ha-ras activation was detected in the cell line transformed in vitro with activated aflatoxin B1. The activated Ki-ras oncogene was further characterized by use of synthetic oligonucleotide probes and was shown to contain a G----A transition at the second nucleotide in codon 12.

Aflatoxins↗
PubMed1987

N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced transformation of rat urothelial cells in vitro is not mediated by activation of ras oncogenes.

Adult rat urothelial cells were transformed in vitro following treatment with a single dose of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) or MNU treatment followed by promotion with sodium saccharin. This in vitro transformation process involves multiple steps: slow-growing 'pre-neoplastic' epithelial foci are induced 70-100 days after MNU treatment and from such foci rapidly proliferating immortal cell lines were established, some of which became tumorigenic after a further latent period. A series of epithelial cell lines and a single fibroblast cell line established in this way were analysed for the presence of transforming genes by DNA transfection into NIH3T3 cells. None of the epithelial cell lines induced foci in a focus formation assay. The single non-epithelial line induced foci and was found to contain an activated c-Ki-ras gene with a G----A transition in codon 12. To assay for the possible presence of transforming genes which were not active in a focus formation assay, two of the epithelial lines were analysed further by co-transfection with a dominant selectable marker, followed by selection and inoculation into nude mice. No tumours were induced within the latent period for tumour production by control cells transfected with NIH3T3 cell DNA (40-60 days). These results suggest that there is cell type specificity for oncogene activation during in vitro rat bladder transformation initiated by a single carcinogen and that ras gene activation is not a necessary step in urothelial transformation in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Multistage transformation of cultured rat urothelium: the effects of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, sodium saccharin, sodium cyclamate and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.

Rat bladder epithelial cell transformation was found to involve at least three distinct phenotypic stages in vitro. The effects on this process of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), sodium saccharin, sodium cyclamate and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) alone or in combination were investigated. MNU was a potent inducer of proliferating preneoplastic epithelial foci. Sodium saccharin alone induced a transient hyperplastic response of the cultured urothelium but did not induce significantly more foci than in controls, though a late toxic effect of saccharin may have masked focus induction. In combination with a single dose of 250 micrograms/ml MNU, sodium saccharin did not increase focus incidence compared with MNU treatment alone but following a single treatment with 25 micrograms/ml MNU which alone induced no foci, saccharin induced a significant number of foci indicating a promoting effect under these conditions. Sodium cyclamate alone induced a marked and prolonged epithelial hyperplasia and a significant increase in focus incidence above controls and above MNU-treated cultures. Following a single treatment with 250 micrograms/ml MNU, cyclamate increased focus incidence still further. TPA, the potent skin tumour promoting agent, alone induced significantly more foci than in controls. Rapidly-proliferating cell lines were established from nine foci induced by treatment with MNU alone or MNU + saccharin. Four of these were tumorigenic. These results indicate that MNU is a potent inducer of preneoplastic foci in rat urothelial cultures. Sodium saccharin and sodium cyclamate can act as promoting agents in this in vitro system as in the in vivo induction of tumours and sodium cyclamate appears to be active as a complete inducer under these conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Induction of morphological changes in the urothelium of cultured adult rat bladder by sodium saccharin and sodium cyclamate.

The direct effects of sodium saccharin and sodium cyclamate on the morphology of organ cultures of normal rat bladder have been studied by histology and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Untreated cultures retained histologically normal urothelia up to 89 days with cell surface features characteristic of mature, fully differentiated superficial cells and maturing intermediate cells. Continuous treatment with either sodium saccharin (6 or 12 mM) or sodium cyclamate (12 or 24 mM) induced progressive abnormalities in the cultured urothelium. Acute toxicity was not seen but focal necrosis was observed with the higher dose of each compound and histological abnormalities were more severe with the higher doses. Sodium saccharin induced mild hyperplasia of the urothelium on the surface of the culture and foci of altered epithelial polarity from 14 days; abnormal nuclear staining plus changes in the basal lamina were evident from 28 days and were pronounced from 56 days onwards. Hyperplasia of the urothelium over the explants was mild but there were extensive epithelial outgrowths onto the culture support. In general, sodium cyclamate induced more severe changes than did sodium saccharin, with alterations in epithelial cell polarity plus basal cell changes from 14 days and focal nodular urothelial hyperplasia over the explant and gross hyperplasia between the explant and culture support and in the outgrowth from 28 days. The severe and rapid surface changes, evident by SEM, were similar both in saccharin-treated and in cyclamate-treated cultures. There was some early loss of superficial cells to reveal underlying immature cells which, together with the remaining mature cells, developed abnormal blebs and processes. From 14 days small immature cells were located at the culture surface between the mature cells. These were covered by a variety of membrane protrusions including long pleomorphic microvilli. Sodium cyclamate-treated cultures mostly had fewer small membrane protrusions than sodium saccharin-treated cultures but more pleomorphic microvilli. These morphological changes induced in the rat urothelium in vitro by direct treatment with sodium saccharin and sodium cyclamate are thus similar to those described previously in association with in vivo long-term feeding studies of sodium saccharin to rats and with both in vivo and in vitro treatment of the rat urothelium with the bladder carcinogen N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU).

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Transforming growth factors induce markers of neoplasia in cultured adult rat bladder.

Transforming growth factors alpha and beta (TGF-alpha and TGF-beta) isolated from normal mouse kidney induced gross morphological changes in rat urothelial cells maintained in organ culture. These morphological effects are similar to those observed after long-term treatment of rat bladder organ cultures with the carcinogen N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) or the promoting agents sodium saccharin and sodium cyclamate. Cultures were treated continuously with 5-25 micrograms/ml of Bio-Gel P-30-purified TGF containing both TGF-alpha and TGF-beta between days 1 and 14 in culture, or with 5 micrograms/ml from days 28 to 42. Controls received 1-10 ng/ml epidermal growth factor (EGF) or control medium. Untreated controls retained a normal urothelium throughout the period of study. Mature superficial-type cells covered most of the surface and less mature forms appeared on the cut sides and damaged areas where cells followed the normal pattern of urothelial differentiation. EGF at 5 and 10 ng/ml caused necrosis of the entire urothelium but at 1 and 2 ng/ml had minimal effects on histology and scanning electron microscopical appearance up to 14 days in culture. Crude P-30-purified TGFs induced a series of dose-related changes from 4 days, which were maximal at 8 days and persisted or decreased between 8 and 14 days. These included hyperplasia, loss of epithelial polarity, hyperchromasia and elongation of basal cells between the overlying cell layers to reach the culture surface. Scanning electron microscopy showed the appearance at the culture surface of immature cells with gross surface abnormalities including large numbers of blebs, stubby microvilli and long pleomorphic microvilli. Immature cells on the sides of the culture and in damaged areas developed similar features. At crude TGF doses of 10 micrograms/ml many superficial cells were rounded, some became cystic and epithelial necrosis was observed. Cultures treated with h.p.l.c.-purified TGF-beta at 80 ng/ml in the presence of 2 ng/ml EGF showed similar effects to those treated with 5 micrograms/ml P-30-purified TGF. Fully differentiated cultures treated from 28 to 42 days with crude TGF, showed changes similar to those seen in early cultures. However, histological changes, particularly basal cell elongation were more widespread and there was an abnormal development of globular processes between the membrane ridges of mature superficial cells. Neither crude TGF nor EGF stimulated growth in soft agar of isolated epithelial cells from freshly killed rats or organ cultures pretreated for 7 days with EGF or TGF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1985

N-methyl-N-nitrosourea induces dysplasia and cell surface markers of neoplasia in long-term rat bladder organ cultures.

Untreated organ cultures of normal rat bladder can be maintained for long periods, up to 160 days, in a supplemented Waymouth's medium MB 752/1. During that time, the urothelium retains a similar appearance to that seen in vivo, namely a three-cell thick epithelium with specialised superficial cells whose characteristic surface features are identifiable by scanning electron microscopy. These superficial cells cover the major part of the explants, but the surface features of basal and intermediate cells can be observed on the cut edges and re-epithelialising surfaces of the explant. These are described and illustrated. When normal cultures are treated with the direct-acting carcinogen, N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), the in vitro response of the urothelium resembles to a certain extent the in vivo response to MNU instilled directly into the bladder. A histological progression is seen through mild to severe dysplasia which resembles carcinoma in situ. However, no marked changes in growth pattern, such as the development of papillary or nodular hyperplasia are seen. It is suggested that this is related to the failure of the vascular and stromal elements of the explants to respond to MNU treatment in vitro. The development of urothelial dysplasia is reflected by marked changes in cell surface differentiation, including development of pleomorphic microvilli, which closely resemble those seen following MNU treatment in vivo. These changes appeared earlier and were far more severe in vitro than in vivo. The significance of pleomorphic microvilli in bladder cultures is considered. A few were seen in control cultures but primarily on epithelial outgrowths onto the Millipore filter support, suggesting a relationship to the distance of the urothelium from viable stromal support. In the MNU-treated cultures, they were numerous and found on the surface of cells covering most of the explants. They were not solely related to the proliferative state of the urothelium in these cultures. This in vitro culture system provides a useful model with which to study the effects on the urothelium of various known and suspect carcinogens.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Long-term organ culture of normal human bladder.

Normal adult human bladder obtained at cystoscopy has been maintained in long-term organ culture. Several media were tested for their ability to maintain viability and normal tissue morphology. The optimum medium was Ham's F-12 nutrient mixture, supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, hydrocortisone (1 microgram/ml), and FeSO4, (0.45 microgram/ml). During the first 28 days in vitro, epithelial damage incurred at biopsy and during preparation of the cultures was repaired, and epithelialization of cut stromal surfaces occurred. A wave of cell proliferation was identified by [3H]thymidine autoradiography, 24-h labeling indices rising to a peak of up to 50% on the cut sides of the cultures between 7 and 21 days and falling to 0 to 5% by 21 to 28 days. The regenerating epithelium showed all the normal features of urothelial cell differentiation when examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. From 28 days, histology and scanning and transmission electron microscopy showed the cultured urothelium in most cultures to resemble closely that in the normal bladder in vivo, and in this mature state cultures were maintained for 100 days. Urothelium derived from certain patients, although showing normal surface maturation, developed enlarged intercellular spaces or intraepithelial mucin-containing acini. A study of the cytology of cells shed into the medium at different stages in culture showed that culture viability and epithelial differentiation could be monitored easily in long-term culture by this nondestructive means.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Urothelial abnormalities in the obstructed bladder.

Bladder mucosa from patients undergoing prostatectomy was examined histologically for evidence of pre-malignant change. The mucosal appearances were compared with tissue taken from control patients without bladder outlet obstruction. The appearances in patients with uncomplicated obstruction and in control patients were found to be similar and dysplastic change was uncommon. However, dysplasia was found relatively frequently in patients with bladder outlet obstruction complicated by the presence of infection, catheters or stones. In all, 10 out of 74 patients were found to have dysplasia and 7 of these agreed to have a further cystoscopy and biopsy taken at an interval of between 10 and 28 months after the first examination. Persistent dysplasia was found in all 7 cases and in 3 of these it had progressed from mild to moderate in severity. The significance of these findings is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Metabolism and binding of benzo(a)pyrene and 2-acetylaminofluorene by short-term organ cultures of human and rat bladder.

The ability of organ cultures of normal human and rat bladder to metabolize the polycyclic hydrocarbon, benzo(a)pyrene (BP), and the arylamine, 2-acetylaminofluorene, has been studied. Cultures were maintained for 0 to 6 days in a chemically defined medium before incubation with [3H]BP (0.3 to 0.5 microM) or 2-[14C]acetylaminofluorene (18 to 25 microM) for 24 hr. Ethyl acetate-soluble and water-soluble metabolites were produced from both compounds by both species. The ethyl acetate extracts from [3H]BP-treated human cultures contained 9,10-dihydro-9,10-dihydroxybenzo(a)pyrene, 7,8-dihydro-7,8-dihydroxybenzo(a)pyrene, and 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene. Rat bladder cultures produced similar metabolites but in slightly different proportions. Ethyl acetate-soluble products of 2-[14C]acetylaminofluorene from human cultures contained 7-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, 9-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene, 2-aminofluorene, and N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene. Rat bladder cultures produced similar metabolites, but 2-aminofluorene was found in relatively higher proportion. Hydrolysis by beta-glucuronidase of the water-soluble products produced from both carcinogens gave ethyl acetate-extractable derivatives. These hydrolyzable glucuronide conjugates were relatively more abundant following metabolism of the carcinogens by the rat than by the human cultures. Covalent binding to DNA occurred with [3H]BP in both human (19.7 +/- 13 pmol/mg DNA) and rat cultures (22.8 +/- 8.6 pmol/mg DNA). As with other human tissues, considerable variation (50-fold) was observed between individuals. The results demonstrate that both human and rat bladder epithelium can metabolize known potent carcinogens and, in the case of BP, can effect covalent binding between the products of metabolism and the urothelial cell DNA. In theory, carcinogenesis in the urinary bladder could thus be initiated by carcinogens produced or excreted in the urine without the necessity for their prior metabolism elsewhere in the body.

2-Acetylaminofluorene↗
PubMed1981

The evaluation of cefuroxime in the prevention of postoperative infection.

Patients undergoing biliary surgery received either 750 mg cefuroxime i.m. with the premedication and then 8 hourly for 3 days ((group A) or 1.5 g cefuroxime i.v. at the time of induction of anaesthesia (group B) or not treatment (group C). Wound infections occurred in 3 out of 35 patients in group A, 1 out of 40 patients in group B and 11 out of 39 patients in group C (group B significantly different than group C, P less than 0.05). Eight patients (23%) in group C had chest complications. Cefuroxime was effective in the reduction of wound sepsis following biliary surgery and 1.5 g i.v. administered during induction of anaesthesia is the dosage of choice. The incidence of chest infection tended to be lower in patients receiving cefuroxime but many more patients would have to be studied for a conclusive result.

Adult↗