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Biomedical subjects

R Lotan

Publications and source records attributed to R Lotan.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Suppression of retinoic acid receptor-beta in premalignant oral lesions and its up-regulation by isotretinoin.

BACKGROUND: Retinoids are effective in the treatment and prevention of certain human cancers. Most of their actions are thought to result from changes in gene expression mediated by nuclear retinoic acid receptors and retinoid X receptors. We conducted a study to determine whether the expression of these receptors was altered in premalignant oral lesions and, if so, whether their expression could be restored by treatment with isotretinoin. METHODS: We performed in situ hybridization of retinoic acid receptors and retinoid X receptors using antisense riboprobes in specimens of oral mucosa from 7 normal subjects and specimens of premalignant oral lesions from 52 patients before treatment with isotretinoin and from 39 of the 52 patients after three months of treatment. RESULTS: All the normal specimens expressed retinoic acid receptor-beta messenger RNA (mRNA). In contrast, retinoic acid receptor-beta mRNA was detected in only 21 of the 52 premalignant oral lesions (P = 0.003). Thirty-five of the 39 specimens available for evaluation after treatment expressed retinoic acid receptor-beta mRNA (P < 0.001). All normal and premalignant specimens expressed similar levels of mRNA for retinoic acid receptor-alpha and retinoic acid receptor-gamma and the three types of retinoic X receptors, alpha, beta, and gamma. The levels of retinoic acid receptor-beta mRNA increased in the specimens from 18 of the 22 patients who had responses to isotretinoin and in 8 of the 17 specimens from the patients without responses (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of retinoic acid receptor-beta mRNA is selectively lost in premalignant oral lesions and can be restored by treatment with isotretinoin. Restoration of the expression of retinoic acid receptor-beta mRNA is associated with a clinical response. Retinoic acid receptor-beta may have a role in mediating the response to retinoids and may be a useful intermediate biologic marker in trials of these agents for the prevention of oral carcinogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Carcinoembryonic antigen and other glycoconjugates act as ligands for galectin-3 in human colon carcinoma cells.

Galectin-1 and galectin-3, galactoside-binding lectins with molecular weights of M(r) 14,500 and 31,000, respectively, are expressed in normal and malignant cells and have been implicated in regulation of cell growth, adhesion, and metastasis. We analyzed the expression of galectins in 21 cultured human colon carcinoma cell lines by immunoblotting. Galectin-1 was detected in only 7, whereas galectin-3 was found in 20 of the cell lines. KM12 cells, which express only galectin-3, were used to isolate this lectin by affinity chromatography, and the purified lectin was used to identify complementary glycoconjugates by blotting. Galectin-3 was shown to bind to human laminin, carcinoembryonic antigen, and lysosome-associated membrane glycoproteins, which are involved in cell adhesion. Galectin-3 was localized on the KM12 cell surface and colocalized with carcinoembryonic antigen. Several endogenous glycoproteins and cell surface proteins of molecular weights in the range M(r) 58,000 to > 200,000, including carcinoembryonic antigen and lysosome-associated membrane glycoproteins, were identified as galectin-3 ligands by coimmunoprecipitation with and affinity chromatography on immobilized galectin-3. These data demonstrate that galectin-3 interacts with several adhesion molecules and suggest that this lectin may have a role in human colon carcinoma cell adhesion.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed1995

Enhanced efficacy of combinations of retinoic acid- and retinoid X receptor-selective retinoids and alpha-interferon in inhibition of cervical carcinoma cell proliferation.

Retinoic acid receptors and retinoid X receptors form heterodimers, bind to retinoic acid response elements, and transactivate the transcription of retinoid-responsive genes. Two synthetic retinoids [4-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-anthracenyl)benzoic acid (TTAB) and 6-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-2-naphthale n ecarboxylic acid (TTNN)], which preferentially bind retinoic acid receptors, inhibited the proliferation of cervical carcinoma ME180 cells by 50% at 0.2 nM and 0.2 microM, respectively. In contrast, two other retinoids [2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-2-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2- naphthalenyl)-1,3-dithiane (SR11203) and 4-(2-methyl-1-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2- naphthalenyl)propenyl)benzoic acid (SR11217)], which preferentially bind retinoic X receptors, inhibited growth by only 12 and 18% at 1 microM, respectively. The combination of suboptimal concentrations of TTAB (0.1 nM) or TTNN (10 nM) with each of the retinoic X receptor-selective retinoids at 1 microM showed more than additive effects on cell proliferation, especially with SR11217. Further increases in proliferation inhibition were observed when IFN-alpha (100 units/ml) was added to these retinoid combinations. Activation of transcription of a reporter gene linked 3' to the retinoic acid receptor beta retinoic acid response element in transiently transfected cells also exhibited additive effects when the cells were treated with combinations of TTAB or TTNN with SR11217. This additive activation of transcription may be the reason why the combination of retinoids is more effective than each retinoid alone. The results also suggest that the use of combinations of retinoids and IFN-alpha may lead to enhanced antitumor effects.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1995

p53 and retinoid chemoprevention of oral carcinogenesis.

We studied p53 protein's pattern of expression, association with retinoid response or resistance, and modulation by retinoid intervention in oral premalignancy. These p53 analyses were included in a prospective trial of the retinoid isotretinoin (1.5 mg/kg/day for 3 months) in 40 patients (45 oral premalignant lesions). Seven nonsmoking subjects (eight oral biopsies) were included as a control. Protein levels of p53 were determined separately for the whole epithelium and the basal, parabasal, and superficial layers. A wide range of accumulated p53 protein levels occurred in 40 (89%) of 45 lesions in basal and parabasal but not superficial layers. No p53 protein was detected in any normal controls. Accumulation of p53 increased in direct association with histological grade (P = 0.0004). An inverse relationship occurred between the levels of accumulated p53 protein and response to isotretinoin (P = 0.006). High-dose isotretinoin did not modulate accumulated p53 protein expression.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis in cervical carcinoma cells by retinoids: implications for chemoprevention.

The effects of retinoids including all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), 13-CIS-RETINOIC ACID (13CRA), and N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4-HPR) on several cervical carcinoma cell lines in culture were investigated as a prelude to investigating the mechanisms underlying the chemopreventive potential of retinoids in cervical cancer. We found that when used at a concentration of 1 microM, 13CRA and ATRA inhibited the proliferation of three cell lines (ME-180 [HPV 68], SiHa [HPV 18], and HT-3 [HPV-]) by about 80% after a seven-day treatment. Three other cell lines (MS-751 [HPV 18], HeLa [HPV 18], C-33A [HPV-]) were moderately inhibited (30-48%), and two (C-4 II [HPV 18], CaSki [HPV 16]) responded poorly (< 25% inhibition). 4-HPR failed to inhibit the growth of any of these cell lines when used at 1 microM; however, when used at 5 or 10 microM, it induced apoptosis as evidenced by DNA fragmentation in several of the cell lines and was more potent in this effect than 10 microM ATRA. Retinoids that induce apoptosis in malignant cells may be able to exert similar effects on premalignant cells. Such retinoids would be expected to exhibit greater potency as chemopreventive agents than retinoids that exert only cytostatic effects.

Anticarcinogenic Agents↗
PubMed1995

Differential expression of galectin-1 and galectin-3 in thyroid tumors. Potential diagnostic implications.

Carcinoma of the thyroid gland, the most frequently diagnosed endocrine malignancy, is often associated with early regional metastases. With the exception of papillary carcinoma, distinguishing benign from malignant thyroid neoplasms in the absence of metastatic disease is difficult. Recently, the vertebrate lectins galectin-1 and galectin-3 have been implicated in the regulation of cellular growth, differentiation, and malignant transformation of a variety of tissues. To determine whether these galectins have a role in thyroid neoplasia, we analyzed 32 specimens from thyroid malignancies (16 papillary, 7 follicular, 8 medullary carcinomas, and 1 metastasis to lymph node), 10 benign thyroid adenomas, 1 nodular goiter, and 33 specimens from adjacent normal thyroid tissue for the expression of galectin-1 and galectin-3 with immunohistochemical and immunoblotting techniques utilizing anti-galectin antibodies. All thyroid malignancies of epithelial origin (ie, papillary and follicular carcinomas) and a metastatic lymph node from a papillary carcinoma expressed high levels of both galectin-1 and galectin-3. The medullary thyroid carcinomas, which are of parafollicular C cell origin, showed a weaker and variable expression of these galectins. In contrast, neither benign thyroid adenomas nor adjacent normal thyroid tissue expressed galectin-1 or galectin-3. These results suggest that galectin-1 and galectin-3 may be associated with malignant transformation of thyroid epithelium and may potentially serve as markers for distinguishing benign thyroid adenomas from differentiated thyroid carcinomas.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1995

Increased expression of cytokeratins CK8 and CK19 is associated with head and neck carcinogenesis.

Malignant transformation is often associated with alterations in the expression of normal differentiation markers, which may serve as intermediate end points in carcinogenesis and cancer prevention. To identify early changes in differentiation markers during head and neck cancer development, we examined the expression of cytokeratins (CK1, CK8, CK13, and CK19) and involucrin by immuohistochemical methods in surgical specimens from 29 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients that included, in addition to carcinoma, adjacent dysplastic lesions (17 cases), hyperplastic lesions (21 cases), and adjacent histologically normal tissues (15 cases) and in specimens from 31 subjects with premalignant oral lesions (e.g, oral leukoplakia) without cancer, CK13 and involucrin were detected in all specimens from the cancer patients, and no differences in their expression were found among the different histopathological group. CK8 was detected in only 2.7% (1 of 36) of adjacent normal and hyperplastic tissues but in 58.8% (10 of 17) and 75.9% (22 of 29) of dysplastic and carcinoma tissues. The corresponding figures for CK19 expression in adjacent normal, hyperplastic, dysplastic, and carcinoma tissues were 13.3, 70, 71.4, and 82.1%, respectively. The expression of CK1 was not related to the progression from normal to malignant. In the leukoplakia lesions, CK8 CK13, CK19 and involucrin were detected in 13.8, 100, 74.2 and 100% of the specimens, respectively. These results demonstrate that CK19 expression increases in hyperplastic lesions and continues to be expressed in dyplastic and malignant lesions, whereas CK8 expression in low in adjacent normal and hyperplastic tissues and increases only in dysplastic and malignant lesions. Thus, CK19 and CK8 could be markers of sequential premalignant changes in head and neck carcinogenesis.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1995

Chemoprevention trials in the cervix: design, feasibility, and recruitment.

The cervix is an ideal organ for chemoprevention studies and the study of squamous carcinogenesis. In chemoprevention trial design, four factors are important: high-risk cohorts must be identified; suitable agents must be selected; study designs should include Phase 1, II, and III; and studies should include the use of surrogate endpoint biomarkers. High-risk cohorts can be selected for Phase I, II and III trials in the cervix, for example, patients with high grade lesions such as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 3 and carcinoma in situ (CIS). A Phase III trial might also include patients with lesions infected with oncogenic HPV types. The cervix is accessible and can be safely followed with Papanicolaou (Pap) smears and colposcopy. Suitable agents include those likely to work in squamous lesions, including retinoids, difluoromethylornithine, beta-carotene, and others. In Phase I chemopreventive studies, does are de-escalated rather than escalated, determining toxicity and optimal dose schedule. Phase II studies looking at effectiveness need placebo control groups since regression of high-risk lesions is possible. Phase III studies, now multicentric, should be carefully designed and include wide patient representation in order to evaluate the risk-benefit ratio of therapy, focusing on cancer incidence reduction. Surrogate endpoint biomarkers include quantitative histopathology, biologic measures of proliferation, regulation, differentiation, genetic instability, and fluorescence emission. Quantitative histopathologic markers include nuclear grading (i.e., shape, area, optical density, texture), nuclear pleomorphism, ploidy, and nucleolar size and position. Biomarkers under study at the present time in the cervix include proliferation markers (PCNA), regulation marker (EGFR, ras, myc, p53, retinoic acid receptors, ODC, spermidine/spermine ratios), differentiation markers (involucrin, cornifin, keratins), and markers of genetic instability (chromosome polysomy). Fluorescent spectroscopy uses light to probe the biochemical properties of tissue. This technique provides an automated diagnosis in real time with comparable sensitivity and specificity to colposcopy and can be used to monitor lesions in chemoprevention trials. Recruitment designs for cervix studies need to include a large referral population and patients with sufficiently large lesions. Clinicians involved in such studies need to stress contraception and smoking cessation, deal with language barriers, and provide compensation for child care and parking to patients in order to increase compliance.

Anticarcinogenic Agents↗
PubMed1995

Retinoid chemoprevention of aerodigestive cancer: from basic research to the clinic.

Epithelial cancers in the lung and head and neck are a devastating group of diseases which account for approximately 35% of cancer deaths in the United States. Chemoprevention is a new strategy to block or reverse the carcinogenic process. Biological concepts including field carcinogenesis and multistep carcinogenesis strongly support the rationale for using chemopreventive approaches. Our group has focused on applications of translational retinoid studies to increase our knowledge of the molecular events in biology and chemoprevention. In this review, we will focus on four issues, biology, retinoids, retinoid clinical trials, and translational research, in the chemoprevention of aerodigestive cancers.

Anticarcinogenic Agents↗
PubMed1994

Concomitant increases in galectin-1 and its glycoconjugate ligands (carcinoembryonic antigen, lamp-1, and lamp-2) in cultured human colon carcinoma cells by sodium butyrate.

Galactoside-binding lectins (galectins) with molecular masses of about 14.5 kilodaltons (galectin-1) and 31 kilodaltons (galectin-3) have been found in a variety of normal and malignant cells and have been implicated in the regulation of cell growth, cell adhesion, and metastasis. The KM12 human colon carcinoma cell line was found to express only galectin-3. Because the levels of both galectins are developmentally regulated and can be modulated during the differentiation of several cultured tumor cell lines, we studied the ability of 11 differentiation-inducing agents to induce galectin-1 expression in the KM12 cells. Treatment of these cells with sodium butyrate, an established differentiation-inducing agent for colon carcinoma cells, resulted in the induction of galectin-1, which was detected by immunoblotting as well as by affinity chromatography. This effect was not seen with any of the 10 other differentiating agents: hexamethylene bisacetamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethyl formamide, herbimycin A, mycophenolic acid, retinoic acid, difluoromethyl ornithine, dibutyryl cAMP, 8-chloro cAMP, and transforming growth factor beta 1. Galectin-1 induction by butyrate was observed in seven other human colon carcinoma cell lines. Further studies with the KM12 cells revealed that butyrate caused cell flattening, suppressed cell proliferation and colony formation in agarose, and increased the level of carcinoembryonic antigen, a marker of human colon carcinoma cell differentiation, within 48 h of treatment. The increase in galectin-1 level was dependent linearly on butyrate concentration (range, 1-4 mM). Galectin-1 mRNA expression was detected by Northern blotting as early as 6 h, and the protein was detected after 24 h of treatment initiation. The level of the constitutively expressed galectin-3 was also increased by butyrate but to a lesser extent than the level of galectin-1. Butyrate-induced galectin-1 was detected on the cell surface by immunoprecipitation from radioiodinated cell surface proteins as well as by indirect immunofluorescence labeling. Affinity-purified human galectin-1 was found to bind to purified polylactosamine-containing glycoproteins and to detergent-solubilized cellular proteins electroblotted onto nitrocellulose membranes. Affinity chromatography of [3H]glucosamine-labeled KM12 cell extracts on immobilized galectin-1 followed by immunoprecipitation from the lactose-eluted material demonstrated that lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein-1, carcinoembryonic antigen, and nonspecific cross-reacting antigen are the major galectin-1-binding proteins in these cells. These results indicate that galectin-1 expression may be associated with the differentiation of KM12 cells and that several glycoproteins shown to be important in colon carcinoma adhesion and metastasis are capable of functioning as its endogenous ligands.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Modulation by retinoic acid (RA) of squamous cell differentiation, cellular RA-binding proteins, and nuclear RA receptors in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines.

The ability of all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) to modulate the growth and squamous differentiation of four head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (183, 886, 1483, and SqCC/Y1) was examined, and the relationship of their state of squamous differentiation and RA responsiveness to the expression of cytosolic RA-binding proteins (CRABPs), nuclear RA receptors (RARs), and retinoid X receptors (RXRs) was investigated. RA inhibited proliferation of all but the 183 cell line and suppressed squamous differentiation markers K1 keratin, type 1 transglutaminase, and involucrin mRNAs and proteins to varying degrees in 183, 1483, and SqCC/Y1 cells. Traces of CRABP-I mRNA were detected only in the 886 cells, whereas CRABP-II mRNA was detected in the other three cell lines. RA suppressed CRABP-II expression in SqCC/Y1 cells but had no effect on its expression in the other cell lines. All cell lines expressed mRNAs for RAR-alpha, RAR-beta, RAR-gamma, and RXR-alpha. The RAR-beta mRNA level was lowest in the SqCC/Y1 cells, and RXR-beta and RXR-gamma were not detected in any of the cell lines. RA treatment increased the levels of the three RAR mRNAs in most of the cell lines but had no effect on the RXR mRNAs. The CRABP-II mRNA level in SqCC/Y1 cells was lowest in cells grown in serum-free medium and increased when the cells were grown in medium with 5 or 10% serum. In contrast, the RXR-alpha mRNA level was inversely related to serum concentration. The results show that, in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells, there are no simple relationships among the expression of CRABPs, RARs, and RXRs and either squamous differentiation or response to RA-induced growth inhibition or suppression of squamous differentiation.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1994

Differential expression of nuclear retinoid receptors in normal, premalignant, and malignant head and neck tissues.

Retinoids reverse premalignant lesions and inhibit the development of second primary cancers in patients with upper aerodigestive tract cancers. It is thought that these effects result from the ability of retinoids to restore normal cell growth and differentiation. Since nuclear retinoid receptors (RARs and RXRs) are the ultimate mediators of retinoid actions, alterations in their expression could lead to cancer development. To determine whether the expression of the mRNAs of the receptors is related to the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), we used digoxigenin-labeled antisense riboprobes of RAR-alpha, RAR-beta, RAR-gamma, RXR-alpha, and RXR-beta for in situ hybridization to histological sections of specimens from 7 normal volunteers and 31 HNSCC patients. All 31 tissue specimens contained carcinomas, 16 also contained dysplastic lesions, 22 also contained hyperplastic lesions, 17 also contained adjacent normal tissue, and 6 contained all 4 types of tissue. All specimens from normal volunteers expressed the 5 receptors. Similar levels of RAR-gamma and RXR-alpha and RXR-beta mRNAs were detected in most of the adjacent normal, hyperplastic, dysplastic, and malignant tissues. RAR-alpha mRNA was detected in 94% of adjacent normal tissues and hyperplastic tissues, in 87% of dysplasias, and in 77% of HNSCCs. In contrast, RAR-beta mRNA was detected in about 70% of adjacent normal and hyperplastic lesions, and its expression decreased further to 56% of dysplastic lesions and to 35% of HNSCCs. The difference in RAR-beta level in carcinoma and adjacent normal tissues was significant (P < 0.05). These results indicate that the decreased expression of RAR-beta may be associated with HNSCC development.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1994

Suppression of squamous cell carcinoma growth and differentiation by retinoids.

The epithelium of the oral cavity is mostly nonkeratinizing. However, it undergoes an abnormal squamous differentiation with keratinization during vitamin A deficiency or oral carcinogenesis. Vitamin A analogues (retinoids) were found to be effective in preventing oral premalignant lesions and second primary cancers in the upper aerodigestive tract. Further development of retinoids for prevention and therapy of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) requires a better understanding of their mechanism action on the growth and differentiation of SCC cells. We used cultured head and neck SCC (HNSCC) cell lines as a model system. Treatment of HNSCC cells with beta-all-trans-retinoic acid resulted in inhibition of growth (proliferation and colony formation) and suppression of squamous differentiation to varying degrees in the different cell lines. Because some of the malignant HNSCC cells recapitulate the main characteristics of keratinocyte squamous differentiation and responsiveness to retinoids, they can serve as a model for investigating the mechanism underlying the effects of retinoids on cell growth and differentiation. It is thought that nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs) mediate the above effects of retinoids by acting as DNA-binding transcription-modulating factors. We found that HNSCC cell lines express several nuclear RAR and that their level could be modulated by retinoids in some cell lines. An inverse relationship was found between RAR-beta expression and squamous differentiation. An analysis of RAR mRNA expression in head and neck cancer specimens revealed a decrease in RAR-beta in premalignant and malignant tissues relative to normal mucosa. The expression of this receptor increased in vivo after treatment with 13-cis-retinoic acid. These results implicate the loss of RAR-beta expression in the development of head and neck cancer and suggest that RAR-beta could serve as an intermediate marker in prevention trials.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Expression of a 31-kDa lactoside-binding lectin in normal human gastric mucosa and in primary and metastatic gastric carcinomas.

The expression of lactoside-binding lectin L-31 was analyzed in normal mucosa and in primary and metastatic gastric carcinomas. Immunoblotting revealed L-31 lectin in extracts of normal and malignant gastric tissues from 26 patients. The L-31 level was higher in tumor than in normal tissue in 9/26 cases, similar in 14/26 cases, and lower in 3/26 cases. Anti-L-31 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were used in immunohistochemical analyses to compare lectin expression in specimens of primary gastric carcinomas and adjacent normal mucosa from 39 patients and in specimens of metastases and the corresponding primary gastric carcinomas from 74 patients. The lectin was detected in normal gastric epithelial cells and in all gastric carcinoma specimens, albeit in varying amounts. The L-31 level was significantly higher in the primary tumor than in adjacent normal tissue in 55% of the well-differentiated tubular carcinoma cases and in 50% of stage-III and -IV tumors. L-31 expression in liver metastases from well-differentiated tubular primary gastric carcinomas was higher in 31% of the cases relative to the corresponding primary cancers. Likewise, L-31 expression in metastases from poorly differentiated gastric carcinomas in lymph nodes was higher in 38% of the cases compared to the primary cancers. The higher expression of L-31 in primary cancers and metastases of certain types implicates this lectin in the metastatic phenotype, but the presence of L-31 in a primary cancer is not sufficient to allow the metastatic propensity of the tumor to be predicted.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1994

Expression of galectins on microvessel endothelial cells and their involvement in tumour cell adhesion.

Lactoside-binding lectins (galectins) with molecular weights of about 14.5 kDa (galectin-1) and 29-35 kDa (galectin-3) bind preferentially to polylactosaminoglycan-containing glycoconjugates and have been found on the surface of tumour cells and implicated in cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix adhesion and metastasis. We have demonstrated by immunoblotting that both galectin-1 and galectin-3 are present in extracts of endothelial cells cultured from bovine aorta, rat lung, mouse lung and mouse brain microvessels, whereas mouse hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells expressed primarily galectin-1. These galectins were also localized by indirect immunofluorescent labelling on the surface of the different endothelial cells in culture and by immunohistochemical staining in human tissues in vivo. Anti-galectin-1 antibodies inhibited the adhesion of liver-preferring murine RAW117-H10 large-cell lymphoma cells to hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells or lung microvessel endothelial cells in vitro. The data indicate that galectin-1 is expressed on the extracellular surface of endothelial cells and can mediate in part the adhesion of RAW117-H10 cells to liver microvessel endothelial cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Detection of nuclear retinoic acid receptor mRNA in histological tissue sections using nonradioactive in situ hybridization histochemistry.

Nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RARs) function as ligand-activated trans-acting transcription factors and mediate the effects of retinoids on gene expression, cell growth, and differentiation. Determination of the receptors' expression in premalignant and malignant lesions may provide prognostic value and direct the selection of receptor-specific retinoids in cancer prevention or treatment. We describe a sensitive and practical in situ hybridization method for the analysis of RARs in tissue sections of fixed and embedded surgical specimens. Digoxigenin-labeled antisense and sense RNA probes were prepared for nuclear RAR-alpha, RAR-beta, and RAR-gamma. The specificity of the probes for their respective receptor mRNAs was demonstrated by Northern blot hybridization to total RNA extracted from murine and human cells. Optimal conditions for in situ localization of the RAR mRNA were established using cultured tumor cells, and these conditions were then used for the detection of RAR mRNA in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of surgical specimens from human tumors. The hybridization stain was detected in the cytoplasm (where it was expected to be localized) and not seen in the cell nucleus. This method provides a rapid detection procedure with good resolution that allows one to clearly distinguish strongly and weakly stained cells. A comparison of receptor expression in head and neck squamous carcinoma specimens and in adjacent normal tissues revealed a significant decrease in the level of RAR-beta mRNA in the tumor cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Branching beta 1-6N-acetylglucosaminetransferases and polylactosamine expression in mouse F9 teratocarcinoma cells and differentiated counterparts.

beta-All-trans-retinoic acid (RA)-induced endodermal differentiation of mouse F9 teratocarcinoma cells is accompanied by changes in glycoprotein glycosylation, including expression of i antigen (i.e. polylactosamine) and leukophytohemagglutinin-reactive oligosaccharides (i.e. -GlcNAc beta 1-6Man alpha 1-6-branched N-linked). We have used the F9 teratocarcinoma cells as a model to study developmental regulation of glycosyltransferase activities which are responsible for the biosynthesis of beta 1-6GlcNAc-branched N- and O-linked oligosaccharides and polylactosamine. Growth of F9 cells in the presence of 10(-6) M RA for 4 days increased core 2 GlcNAc transferase and GlcNAc transferase V activities by 13- and 6-fold, respectively, whereas the activities of GlcNAc transferase I, beta 1-3GlcNAc transferase (i), beta 1-4Gal transferase, and beta 1-3Gal transferase increased 2-4-fold. Induction of glycosyltransferase activities by RA was dose-dependent and showed a biphasic response with approximately half of the increase observed 3 days after RA treatment and the remainder occurred by day 4. PYS-2, a parietal endoderm cell line, showed levels of glycosyltransferase activities similar to those of RA-treated F9 cells. Glycosyltransferase activities in the RA-resistant F9 cell line (RA-3-10) were low and showed only a small induction by RA. These observations suggest that differentiation of F9 cells is closely associated with induction of multiple glycosyltransferase activities, with most pronounced increases in GlcNAc transferase V and 2',5'-tetradenylate (core 2) GlcNAc transferase. The increase in GlcNAc transferase V was also reflected by the 4-6-fold increase in the binding of 125I-leukophytohemagglutinin to several cellular glycoproteins, which occurred after 3 days of RA treatment. The endo-beta-galactosidase-sensitive polylactosamine content of membrane glycoproteins and, in particular, the LAMP-1 glycoprotein was markedly increased after RA treatment of F9 cells. Consistent with these observations, fucosylated polylactosamine (i.e. dimeric Lex) was also increased in RA-treated cells. Analysis of the aryl oligosaccharides produced by F9 cells cultured in the presence of aryl alpha-D-GalNAc showed that RA treatment enhanced the synthesis of disialyl core 2 O-linked oligosaccharides and increased the polylactosamine content of the aryl oligosaccharides by > 20-fold. The results suggest that differentiation of F9 cells into endoderm is closely associated with increased GlcNAc transferase V and core 2 GlcNAc transferase activities, enzymes which control the level of beta 1-6GlcNAc-branched N- and O-linked oligosaccharides, the preferred substrates for polylactosamine addition.

Amino Sugars↗