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Biomedical subjects

M Jakóbisiak

Publications and source records attributed to M Jakóbisiak.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Heme oxygenase-1 protects tumor cells against photodynamic therapy-mediated cytotoxicity.

Photodynamic therapy is a promising antitumor treatment modality approved for the management of both early and advanced tumors. The mechanisms of its antitumor action include generation of singlet oxygen and reactive oxygen species that directly damage tumor cells and tumor vasculature. A number of mechanisms seem to be involved in the protective responses to PDT that include activation of transcription factors, heat shock proteins, antioxidant enzymes and antiapoptotic pathways. Elucidation of these mechanisms might result in the design of more effective combination strategies to improve the antitumor efficacy of PDT. Using DNA microarray analysis to identify stress-related genes induced by Photofrin-mediated PDT in colon adenocarcinoma C-26 cells, we observed a marked induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Induction of HO-1 with hemin or stable transfection of C-26 with a plasmid vector encoding HO-1 increased resistance of tumor cells to PDT-mediated cytotoxicity. On the other hand, zinc (II) protoporphyrin IX, an HO-1 inhibitor, markedly augmented PDT-mediated cytotoxicity towards C-26 and human ovarian carcinoma MDAH2774 cells. Neither bilirubin, biliverdin nor carbon monoxide, direct products of HO-1 catalysed heme degradation, was responsible for cytoprotection. Importantly, desferrioxamine, a potent iron chelator significantly potentiated cytotoxic effects of PDT. Altogether our results indicate that HO-1 is involved in an important protective mechanism against PDT-mediated phototoxicity and administration of HO-1 inhibitors might be an effective way to potentiate antitumor effectiveness of PDT.

Animals↗

Increased local vascular endothelial growth factor expression associated with antitumor activity of proteasome inhibitor.

Inhibition of the proteasome, a multicatalytic proteinase complex, is an attractive approach to cancer therapy. Here we report that a selective inhibitor of the chymotrypsin-like activity of the proteasome, PSI (N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Ile-Glu(O-t-butyl)-Ala-leucinal) may inhibit growth of solid tumors not only through apoptosis induction, but also indirectly--through inhibition of angiogenesis. Two murine tumors: colon adenocarcinoma (C-26) and Lewis lung carcinoma (3LL) were chosen to study the antitumor effect of PSI. In an in vivo model of local tumor growth, PSI exerted significant antitumor effects against C-26 colon carcinoma, but not against 3LL lung carcinoma. Retardation of tumor growth was observed in mice treated with both 10 nmoles and 100 nmoles doses of PSI and in the latter group prolongation of the survival time of tumor-bearing mice was observed. PSI inhibited angiogenesis in the C-26 growing tumors with no such effect in 3LL tumors. Unexpectedly, that activity was associated with upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at the level of mRNA expression and protein production in C-26 tumors treated with PSI. C-26 cells treated with PSI produced increased amounts of VEGF in vitro in a dose- and time-dependent manner. We demonstrated that in C-26 colon adenocarcionoma higher VEGF production may render endothelial cells susceptible to the proapoptotic activity of PSI and is associated with inhibition of tumor growth.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Antitumor activity of tributyrin in murine melanoma model.

Butyric acid has been known to inhibit growth and to induce differentiation of a variety of tumor cells. Butyrate-treated tumor cells have also been observed to undergo apoptosis. Although butyrate compounds have demonstrated antitumor activity in murine tumor models and have already been admitted to clinical trials in tumor patients, the exact mechanism of their antitumor effects has not been elucidated. The results of our study showed antitumor activity of tributyrin, a butyric acid prodrug, in murine melanoma model and are strongly suggestive that antiangiogenic effects could participate in antitumor effects of butyrate compounds in vivo.

Animals↗

Potentiatied antitumor effectiveness of combined chemo-immunotherapy with interleukin-12 and 5-fluorouracil of L1210 leukemia in vivo.

In this study we investigated the efficacy of a combination of IL-12 and 5-FU, a chemotherapeutic exerting several immunomodulatory effects, in murine L1210 leukemia. Mice inoculated with 1 x 10(5) leukemia cells were treated with a single dose of 5-FU (50 mg/kg) and seven daily doses of IL-12 (100 ng/dose), and were observed for survival. Treatment with IL-12 or 5-FU given alone produced moderate anti-leukemic effects. However, combination of both drugs resulted in a significant prolongation of mouse survival time. Importantly, there were 70% of long-term (>60 days) survivors among mice treated with both agents simultaneously. Moreover, we observed 100% of long-term survivors when mice were treated with a minimally increased dose of IL-12 (170 ng) in combination with 5-FU (50 mg/kg). The antileukemic effects were completely abrogated in scid/scid mice and in mice depleted of peritoneal macrophages and significantly decreased after administration of anti-CD3+, anti-CD4+ or anti-CD8+ monoclonal antibodies. Administration of anti-NK1.1 antibodies did not decrease the antileukemic effects indicating that NK cells are not important effectors of this treatment regimen. Collectively, these results indicate that the combination of IL-12 and 5-FU is inducing strong antileukemic responses that are dependent on the presence and activity of macrophages and T lymphocytes and warrant further studies of combined chemo-immunotherapy with IL-12.

Animals↗

Potentiated antitumor effects of interleukin 12 and interferon alpha against B16F10 melanoma in mice.

Systemic administration of cytokines has not found broad application in cancer immunotherapy due to its toxicity and lack of effectiveness in a broad spectrum of tumors. Among the most promising cytokines used often in pre-clinical and clinical trials are interferon alpha and interleukin 12. We have shown in our study that combining IL-12 with IFN-alpha in a dose which alone does not show antitumor activity results in potentiated antitumor effects without inducing toxicity.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Direct stimulation of macrophages by IL-12 and IL-18--a bridge too far?

A novel pathway of autocrine macrophage activation based on a positive feedback loop involving interleukin (IL)-12, IL-18 and IFN-gamma has recently been suggested. However, the macrophage isolation technique employed to describe the above phenomenon does not allow obtaining a pure population of macrophages casting some doubt to its existence. In the present study, we show that even minor contamination with lymphoid cells of a pure population of macrophage-like cells (Raw 264.7) results in a marked production of nitric oxide after stimulation with both IL-12 and IL-18. Neither macrophage-like cells nor lymphoid cells were capable of secreting high amounts of nitric oxide after stimulation with IL-12 and/or IL-18. Based on these observations we hypothesize that proposed autocrine feedback loop of macrophage activation is rather paracrine in nature and involves direct stimulation of residual lymphoid cells to secrete IFN-gamma that is then capable of activating macrophages.

Animals↗

Interleukin 12 and indomethacin exert a synergistic, angiogenesis-dependent antitumor activity in mice.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to reduce the incidence and mortality from colorectal cancer. It has recently been demonstrated that these drugs are capable of suppressing the production of pro-angiogenic factors from tumor cells. The mechanisms of antitumor action of interleukin 12 include the enforced secretion of anti-angiogenic factors and stimulation of antitumor immunity. Therefore, we hypothesized that the combination of a model nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug--indomethacin and interleukin 12--would result in enhanced angiogenesis-dependent antitumor effects against a colon-26 carcinoma cells transplanted into syngeneic mice. As expected the combined administration of both agents simultaneously resulted in a strengthened antitumor activity that was manifested as a retardation of tumor growth and prolongation of mouse survival. Importantly some mice were completely cured after the combined treatment. As administration of interleukin 12 and indomethacin resulted in enhanced inhibition of angiogenesis it seems possible that prevention of new blood vessel formation is one of the mechanisms responsible for the observed antitumor effects.

Animals↗

Lovastatin and simvastatin are modulators of the proteasome.

Lovastatin and simvastatin are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors widely used as antihyperlipidemic drugs, which also display antiproliferative properties. In the present paper, we provide evidence that both lovastatin and simvastatin are modulators of the purified bovine pituitary 20 S proteasome, since they mildly stimulate the chymotrypsin-like activity and inhibit the peptidylglutamylpeptide hydrolyzing activity without interfering with the trypsin-like activity. However, those effects are only observed when the closed ring forms of the drugs are used, while the opened ring form of lovastatin acts as a mild inhibitor of the chymotrypsin like activity. The closed ring form of lovastatin is much more potent as a cytotoxic agent on the Colon-26 (C-26) colon carcinoma cell line than the opened ring form, which is only mildly cytostatic. Moreover, neither the cytotoxic effects nor the effects on 20 S proteasome activities are prevented by mevalonate, which by itself inhibits the trypsin-like activity of the proteasome. Neither the opened ring nor the closed ring form of lovastatin induces an accumulation of ubiquitin-protein conjugates, which is observed after treatment with lactacystin, a selective proteasome inhibitor. In contrast with the opened ring form of lovastatin, the closed ring form induces the disappearance of detectable p27(kip1) from C-26 cells. Altogether, our results indicate that the closed ring form of lovastatin induces cytotoxic effects independent of its HMG-CoA inhibiting activity, however, those effects are mediated by a complex modulation of proteasome activity rather than by inhibition of the 20 S proteasome.

Animals↗

Antitumor effects of the combination therapy with TNF-alpha gene-modified tumor cells and interleukin 12 in a melanoma model in mice.

In the present study, TNF-alpha gene-transduced B78 melanoma cells (B78/TNF) were used as a vaccine and combined with interleukin (IL)-12 in the treatment of B78 melanoma-bearing mice. The combined administration of genetically modified melanoma cells and IL-12 induced specific protective antitumor immunity resulting in a decreased rate of the tumor take following a rechallenge with parental B78 cells. When used therapeutically, intratumoral injections of irradiated B78/TNF melanoma cells and IL-12 exerted strong antitumor effects and led to complete regression of established tumors in 50% of mice. Injections of irradiated B78/TNF cells alone did not influence tumor development and IL-12 itself significantly delayed tumor growth but without curative effect. FACS analysis of parental B78 melanoma cells and its B78/TNF genetically modified variant showed that a proportion of cells of both cell lines expressed 87-1 (CD80) costimulatory molecule and that the expression of this molecule was increased during incubation with IFN-gamma. Moreover, IFN-gamma markedly augmented expression of major histocompatibility class (MHC) class I and II molecules on B78/TNF cells that were primarily MHC class I and II negative with no substantial effect on MHC-negative parental B78 melanoma. IFN-gamma also synergized in cytostatic/cytotoxic effects with TNF-alpha against B78 melanoma in vitro. Lymphocyte depletion studies in vivo showed reduction of the antitumor response in mice treated with anti - NK monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as well as in mice treated with anti-CD4+ anti-CD8 mAbs. The results suggest that, when used therapeutically, IL-12 and a vaccine containing TNF-alpha gene-transduced tumor cells may reciprocally augment their overall antitumor effectiveness by facilitating development of systemic antitumor immunity and by stimulating local effector mechanisms of the tumor destruction.

Animals↗

Potentiation of the anti-tumour effects of Photofrin-based photodynamic therapy by localized treatment with G-CSF.

Photofrin-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) has recently been approved for palliative and curative purposes in cancer patients. It has been demonstrated that neutrophils are indispensable for its anti-tumour effectiveness. We decided to evaluate the extent of the anti-tumour effectiveness of PDT combined with administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) as well as the influence of Photofrin and G-CSF on the myelopoiesis and functional activity of neutrophils in mice. An intensive treatment with G-CSF significantly potentiated anti-tumour effectiveness of Photofrin-based PDT resulting in a reduction of tumour growth and prolongation of the survival time of mice bearing two different tumours: colon-26 and Lewis lung carcinoma. Moreover, 33% of C-26-bearing mice were completely cured of their tumours after combined therapy and developed a specific and long-lasting immunity. The tumours treated with both agents contained more infiltrating neutrophils and apoptotic cells then tumours treated with either G-CSF or PDT only. Importantly, simultaneous administration of Photofrin and G-CSF stimulated bone marrow and spleen myelopoiesis that resulted in an increased number of neutrophils demonstrating functional characteristics of activation. Potentiated anti-tumour effects of Photofrin-based PDT combined with G-CSF observed in two murine tumour models suggest that clinical trials using this tumour therapy protocol would be worth pursuing.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Lovastatin potentiates antitumor activity and attenuates cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin in three tumor models in mice.

Lovastatin, a drug commonly used in the clinic to treat hypercholesterolemia, has previously been reported to exert antitumor effects in rodent tumor models and to strengthen the antitumor effects of immune response modifiers (tumor necrosis factor alpha and IFN-gamma) or chemotherapeutic drugs (cisplatin). In the present report, we show in three murine tumor cell lines (Colon-26 cells, v-Ha-ras-transformed NIH-3T3 sarcoma cells, and Lewis lung carcinoma cells) that lovastatin can also effectively potentiate the cytostatic/cytotoxic activity of doxorubicin. In three tumor models (Co-ion-26 cells, v-Ha-ras-transformed NIH-3T3 sarcoma cells, and Lewis lung carcinoma cells) in vivo, we have demonstrated significantly increased sensitivity to the combined treatment with both lovastatin (15 mg/kg for 10 days) and doxorubicin (3 x 2.5 mg/kg; cumulative dose, 7.5 mg/kg) as compared with either agent acting alone. Lovastatin treatment also resulted in a significant reduction of troponin T release by cardiomyocytes in doxorubicin-treated mice. This observation is particularly interesting because lovastatin is known to reduce doxorubicin-induced cardiac injury.

3T3 Cells↗

The potentiated antileukemic effects of doxorubicin and interleukin-12 combination are not dependent on nitric oxide production.

In our recent study we described a significant antileukemic efficacy of a combination therapy with interleukin-12 (IL-12) and doxorubicin (DOX) in the L1210 leukemia model. This therapeutic effect was abrogated by elimination of activated macrophages. Activated macrophages produce a variety of factors that can contribute to the elimination of tumor cells in vivo, including proteases, TNF, reactive oxygen intermediates, and nitric oxide (NO). Based on the results of previous reports, the contribution of NO in potentiated antileukemic effects of IL-12 + DOX combination seemed to be highly possible. Both DOX and IL-12 given alone increased the production of NO by peritoneal macrophages, however, macrophages derived from the mice treated with the combination of those agents produced significantly less NO than macrophages from IL-12-alone-treated mice. Production of NO by spleen macrophages after IL-12 + DOX treatment was higher than it was in controls, IL-12-alone or DOX-alone-treated groups. In serum, concentrations of NOx- in IL-12- or IL-12 + DOX-treated mice were significantly higher in comparison with controls, however not significantly different from each other. Addition of L-NAME treatment to the IL-12 + DOX therapy in leukemia-bearing mice did not significantly change the antileukemic efficacy of this therapy. Thus, our results indicate that the augmented antileukemic effects of IL-12 + DOX combination therapy in L1210 model are NO-independent. Therefore, further studies on the possible mechanisms of potentiated antileukemic activity of combination of IL-12 and DOX would be worth pursuing.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Lovastatin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha exhibit potentiated antitumor effects against Ha-ras-transformed murine tumor via inhibition of tumor-induced angiogenesis.

Lovastatin, a drug commonly used in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, has previously been reported to exert potentiated antitumor activity when combined with either tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), cisplatin or doxorubicin in a melanoma model in mice. Since lovastatin interferes with the function of ras oncogene-encoded (Ras) proteins, we have investigated the antitumor activity of lovastatin and TNF-alpha using a Ha-ras-transformed murine tumor model. In in vitro studies, lovastatin inhibited the growth of cells transformed with Ha-ras oncogene (Ras-3T3 and HBL100-ras cells) more effectively than control NIH-3T3 and HBL100-neo cells. In in vivo experiments, the Ras-3T3 tumor demonstrated significantly increased sensitivity to combined treatment with both lovastatin (50 mg/kg) and TNF-alpha (1 microg/day) compared with either agent alone. Combined treatment with both agents also resulted in greater inhibition of blood-vessel formation. Ras-3T3 tumor cells produced increased amounts of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and lovastatin effectively suppressed VEGF production by these cells. Our results suggest that lovastatin increases antitumor activity of TNF-alpha against tumor cells transformed with v-Ha-ras oncogene via inhibition of tumor-induced blood-vessel formation.

3T3 Cells↗

Lovastatin induces mitotic abnormalities in various cell lines.

We examined the effects of lovastatin, a common anti-atherosclerotic drug and a blocker of the cell cycle, on the process of mitosis. It is known that lovastatin induces an arrest or a retardation of the cell cycle in many cell types not only at the G(1)phase, but also at the G(2)/M transition. After 24-48 h incubation of epithelial PtK(2), T24, HeLa cells and fibroblastic L929 cells in the presence of 1. 0-60.0 microm lovastatin, diverse mitotic perturbations have been observed. The most noteworthy phenomena recorded were prometaphase retardation and chromosome lagging during metaphase and anaphase. After the recovery in lovastatin-free media, the cells continued mitosis without any disturbances. Mevalonic acid prevented the effects of lovastatin. We conclude that the effects were specific for lovastatin-induced inhibition of mevalonic acid synthesis. Immunofluorescence studies with anticentromeric antibodies suggested that one of the possible causes of the lovastatin-induced mitotic disorder could be an interference with the development and function of the centromeres.

Anticholesteremic Agents↗

Subtherapeutic doses of interleukin-15 augment the antitumor effect of interleukin-12 in a B16F10 melanoma model in mice.

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a potent immunoregulatory cytokine that exhibits antitumor activity in many experimental tumor models. In the present study, we investigated the ability of IL-15, a cytokine sharing many functions of IL-2, to modulate antitumor effectiveness of IL-12 against B16F10 melanoma in mice. In a model of locally growing tumor, intratumoral (i.t.) administration of IL-12, in three cycles of five consecutive daily injections (0.1 mug) followed by 2 days of rest, led to considerable delay of tumor development but no curative response was achieved. When combined with IL-12, subtherapeutic doses of IL-15 (0.4 mug) pontentiated the antitumor effects of IL-12 and induced complete tumor regressions in 50% of mice. Similar results were obtained in a model in which tumor-bearing mice were intravenously co-injected with melanoma cells to induce metastases. Combined administration of IL-12 and IL-15 yielded greater antitumor activity than injections of either cytokine alone and resulted in prolonged survival of mice bearing locally growing tumor and metastases. Studies of immunological parameters in mice treated with both IL-12 and IL-15 have shown enhanced NK activity (against YAC-1 cells) in the spleen and stimulation of both NK activity and specific anti-B16F10 cytotoxic effector cells in tumor-draining lymph nodes (LN). The strong antitumor effect of the IL-12 + IL-15 combination correlated with a high serum level of IFN-gamma in the treated mice. Moreover, increased expression of IL-15Ralpha was demonstrated in LN lymphocytes isolated from mice injected with IL-12. This result together with findings of other authors showing enhanced expression of IL-12 receptor by IL-15 [1] suggests that the augmentation of the antitumor effect during the course of IL-12/IL-15-based therapy could result from reciprocal upregulation of receptors by both cytokines and synergistic effects on IFN-gamma induction.

Animals↗