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In vitro differentiation of a cloned bovine mammary epithelial cell.

The aim of the study was to establish in vitro a bovine mammary epithelial cell (MEC) clone, able to respond to mitogenic growth factors and to lactogenic hormones. Mammary tissue from a 200-d pregnant Holstein cow was used as a source of MEC, from which a clone was established through a process of limiting dilution. When plated on plastic, the cells assumed a monolayer, cobblestone, epithelial-like morphology, with close contact between cells. Inclusion of IGF-1 and EGF in the media significantly increased the number of cells 5 d after plating. All cells stained strongly for cytokeratin and moderately for vimentin at young and old passage stages, indicating the epithelial nature of this cell clone. When the cells were plated at a high density on a thin layer of a commercial extracellular matrix preparation (Matrigel), lobular, alveoli-like structures developed within approximately 5 d, with a clearly visible lumen. When cells were plated onto Matrigel in differentiation media (containing lactogenic hormones), detectable quantities of alpha-casein were present in the media and particularly on the lumen side of the structures. Omission of one of the lactogenic hormones (insulin, prolactin or hydrocortisone) reduced alpha-casein release to the limit of detection of the assay used. Lactoferrin was also produced when the cells were plated on Matrigel, again principally on the lumen side of the lobules, though this was independent of the lactogenic hormones. By passage 40, the cells had senesced, and it was not possible to induce alpha-casein or lactoferrin production. This study notes the establishment of a functional bovine mammary epithelial cell clone, which is responsive to mitogenic and lactogenic hormones and an extracellular matrix.

Animals↗

Development of a cell culture system to study antibody convection in tumors.

The convective transport of fluid and of a binding antibody through a cultured tumor cell layer was investigated with a mouse melanoma cell line (B16F10) grown on a microporous polycarbonate filter (Snapwell inserts). The inserts were precoated with Matrigel or collagen, or were uncoated. The cell layers were exposed to nominal pressure gradients from 5 to 25 cm H2O, and the volume flux was measured by collecting the effluent volume over time. The rate of convective transport of a binding monoclonal antibody that recognizes the murina transferrin receptor (a-TfR) was investigated at a nominal pressure gradient of 15 cm H2O and compared with that of an isotype matched, nonbinding control. The resistance, R, of the cell layer to fluid flow was quantified as the hydraulic conductivity, Lp (= 1/R); the ability of the cell layer to retard antibody transport was quantified as the reflection coefficient, sigma. The resulting Lp values decreased with increasing cell density, in a manner consistent with Poiseuille flow. Collagen or Matrigel precoating also decreased Lp values, with cells grown on Matrigel providing the greatest resistance. The sigma values were 0.67 (+/-0.08) for the a-TfR antibody and 0.51 (+/-0.06) for the control, indicating that the cell layer acts as a semipermeable barrier to convective transport of antibody that is less permeable to the binding antibody.

Animals↗

Matrix-degrading proteinases are shed in membrane vesicles by ovarian cancer cells in vivo and in vitro.

The in vitro release of matrix-degrading proteinases from breast cancer cells is associated in part with shed membrane vesicles. To determine whether shed vesicles might play a similar role in ovarian cancer cells, we analyzed the shedding phenomenon in vivo and in vitro as well as the enzymatic content of their vesicles. This is the first time that an immunoelectron microscopical analysis revealed membrane vesicles carrying tumor-associated antigen alpha-Folate Receptor (alpha-FR), circulating in biological fluids (ascites and serum) of an ovarian carcinoma patient. These vesicles were trapped in a fiber network with characteristic fibrin periodicity. An ovarian cancer cell line (CABA I) established from ascitic fluid cells of this patient, grew in Matrigel and formed tubular structures suggesting invasive capability. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated strong cytoplasmic staining of CABA I cells with anti-matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and anti-urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) antibodies. CABA I cells shed membrane vesicles, which were morphologically similar to those identified in vivo, as determined by electron microscopy. Gelatin zymography of vesicles isolated both in vivo and in vitro revealed major gelatinolytic bands of the MMP family, identified as the zymogen and active forms of gelatinase B (MMP-9) and gelatinase A (MMP-2). By casein-plasminogen zymography we observed high-molecular weight (HMW)-uPA and plasmin bands. Incubation of purified vesicles from CABA I cells with Matrigel led to cleavage of Matrigel components. Taken together, our results point to a possible role of shed vesicles, both in vivo and in vitro, in proteolysis that mediates invasion and spread of ovarian epithelial carcinoma cells.

Adenocarcinoma, Papillary↗

Infiltrative capacity of T leukemia cell lines: a distinct functional property coupled to expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1).

Infiltrative capacity was found to distinguish separate T leukemia cell lines. Of seven T-cell lines four exhibited capacity to infiltrate Matrigel. Analysis of infiltration was performed at the single-cell level throughout the Matrigel using a depth meter. Further, we examined differences in migration capacity and metalloproteinase production between infiltrating and non-infiltrating T-cell lines. The capacity to infiltrate was not directly correlated to the capacity to adhere to the Matrigel or to migrate on/to extracellular matrix components. It is concluded that infiltration capacity does not simply reflect capacity to migrate but represents a distinct functional property. The production of metalloproteinases and their inhibitors by the separate T-cell lines was analyzed using rt PCR, biosynthetic labelling, zymography, immunoprecipitation and ELISA. All T-cell lines with capacity to infiltrate produced matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) while non-infiltrating cell lines did not express MMP-9. Expression of MMP-1, 2, 3, 10, 14 and 17 showed no correlation to capacity to infiltrate. Analysis of infiltration in the presence of a metalloprotease inhibitor showed an increased number of cells within the gel. This enhancement of infiltration suggests that the function of MMPs and/or their inhibitors in lymphocyte infiltration is more complex than previously thought.

Cell Adhesion↗

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) inhibits cellular invasion of melanoma cells.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) is a 110-kD, trans-membrane, ectoenzyme, with ubiquitous expression. DPPIV has numerous functions including involvement in T-cell activation, cell adhesion, digestion of proline containing peptides in the kidney and intestines, HIV infection and apoptosis, and regulation of tumorigenicity in certain melanoma cells. Constitutively expressed on numerous epithelial cell types, DPPIV is often disregulated in a variety of human malignancies. The most striking evidence of DPPIV down-regulation is found in transformed melanocytes. where nearly 100% of melanomas lack DPPIV expression. We have identified DPPIV as a gene that can alter the invasive potential of a number of melanoma cell lines. By transfecting the full-length cDNA of DPPIV, we have established stable melanoma cell lines that express comparable levels of the DPPIV protein as normal epidermal melanocytes. Matrigel invasion assays were utilized to study the effects of DPPIV expression on the invasive potential of these cells. The parental and vector transfectants readily migrated across the Matrigel while the invasiveness of DPPIV transfected cells was reduced by greater than 75%. The effects on cellular invasion are not attributed to overall growth characteristics, as both DPPIV expressing and non-expressing cells behave comparably in culture. We have also constructed mutants of DPPIV that lack either the extra-cellular serine protease activity or the six amino acid cytoplasmic domain. Both mutants were stably expressed in melanoma cells. Matrigel invasion assays performed with cells expressing the two mutant forms of the protein revealed phenotypic effects similar to wild type function. In this study. we have demonstrated that expression of a proteolytically active form of the DPPIV protein inhibits the invasiveness of malignant melanoma cell lines lacking endogenous DPPIV expression. Furthermore, we have shown that neither the protease activity nor the cytoplasmic domain of DPPIV is required for its anti-invasive activity.

Carcinogenicity Tests↗

Exposure to hypoxia, glucose starvation and acidosis: effect on invasive capacity of murine tumor cells and correlation with cathepsin (L + B) secretion.

Cells in tumors may be exposed to adverse conditions such as nutrient deprivation, acidic pH and hypoxia. It has been shown previously that exposure to hypoxia, acidosis and glucose starvation in vitro increases the experimental metastatic ability of murine KHT-LP1 sarcoma, SCC-VII squamous carcinoma and B16 melanoma cells. This effect was most marked when cells were allowed to recover under normal in vitro growth conditions before injection. In the present study we examined whether the invasive capacity of the cells could be influenced by these modifications of the cell microenvironment. We used Matrigel, a basement membrane-like preparation in a two-chamber invasion assay to address this issue. Both KHT-LP1 and SCC-VII murine cell lines showed an increased ability to invade through Matrigel after hypoxia, and glucose starvation, but there was no consistent change in invasive capacity following acidosis exposure. The results for hypoxia and glucose starvation are in agreement with our previous studies of metastatic ability for these cell lines and we confirmed this for KHT-LP1 cells exposed to hypoxia in the current study. In parallel with the invasion assays, we compared cathepsin (L + B) content of the cells in treated and control suspensions. The effect observed varied according to the cell line and the treatment received (hypoxia, glucose starvation). There was an increase of cathepsin content for KHT-LP1 cells exposed to hypoxia and this increase correlated well with the increase of the invasion ability through Matrigel. We did not observe any increase of cathepsin for hypoxia-treated SCC-VII or for KHT-LP1 and SCC-VII cells treated with glucose starvation. These results suggest that transient hypoxia and glucose starvation can increase the invasive ability of tumor cell lines and thus may cause tumor progression by facilitating the invasive step of the metastatic process. The increased levels of cathepsin (L + B) in the KHT-LP1 cells treated with hypoxia, compared to control non-treated cells, may play a part in this increased invasive capacity.

Acidosis↗

Extracellular matrix substrata alter adipocyte yield and lipogenesis in primary cultures of stromal-vascular cells from human adipose.

The stromal-vascular fraction of human adipose was subjected to in vitro adipogenesis on different extracellular matrix substrata. Adipose tissue was harvested from the breast of 25 to 45 year-old female patients undergoing elective surgery. After 24 d, less than 5% of stromal-vascular cells had converted to adipocytes on fibronectin, 13% to 28% on tissue culture plastic and collagen I; and 59% +/- 7% on Matrigel. Lipid volume surpassed 4.5 x 10(3) microm3 cell(-1) for Matrigel and was 30% lower for the other substrata. Cell proliferation was evident for Matrigel and fibronectin, and cell spreading was most pronounced for fibronectin with a projected area exceeding 3 x 10(3) microm2 cell(-1). These results are relevant to the design of an adipose implant, providing insight into its feasibility and scaffold composition.

Adipocytes↗

Outgrowth of BT-474 human breast cancer cells in immune-deficient mice: a new in vivo model for hormone-dependent breast cancer.

The effect of co-inoculation of basement membrane matrix, Matrigel and two human breast cancer cell lines, BT-474 and SK-BR-3, was tested in immune-deficient mice. Both cell lines strongly overexpress c-ErbB-2 protein, whereas only BT-474 is reported to be oestrogen receptor positive. Co-inoculation of Matrigel and BT-474 cells but not of Matrigel and SK-BR-3 cells resulted in tumour formation in bg-nu-xid mice. Oestrogen supplementation greatly enhanced tumorigenicity, but did not seem to be an absolute requirement. In vivo, BT-474 cells grow as a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with a doubling time of 9.4 +/- 1.1 days after inoculation into the neck region. A high proliferative activity appears to be compensated by a relatively high rate of cell loss, as BT-474 tumours contain many cells with the typical morphology of apoptotic cell death. Wild-type p53, known to participate in the induction of apoptosis, is absent from the tumours, whereas Bcl-2, known to inhibit apoptosis, is expressed at intermediate levels. BT-474 tumours tend to metastasise to the regional lymph nodes and are capable of forming micrometastatic lesions in the lung. Flow cytometrical analysis of DNA ploidy demonstrated no change in tumours compared with the cell line. Immunohistochemical and flow cytometrical detection of a number of hormone and growth factor receptors, transcription factors, cell adhesion molecules and proteins involved in proliferation and cell death demonstrated no major changes in ploidy and phenotype of tumours compared with the cell line. High expression of the cell-surface molecules c-ErbB-2 and episialin make it a potentially useful model for research in immune therapy.

Animals↗

Human melanoma cell invasion: selected neurotrophin enhancement of invasion and heparanase activity.

Heparanase is an endo-beta-D-glucuronidase whose enzymatic targets are the glycosaminoglycan chains of heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Elevated levels of heparanase are associated with the metastatic potential of melanoma cells. Treatment of murine and human melanoma cells with the prototypic neurotrophin nerve growth factor (NGF) increases the production of heparanase by melanoma cells. We previously reported that physiologic concentrations of NGF increased in vitro Matrigel invasion of early passage human brain-metastatic 70W melanoma cells but not melanoma cells metastatic to other sites or nonmetastatic melanoma cells. Here we found that treatment of 70W melanoma cells with neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) increased Matrigel invasion, whereas treatment with neurotrophins other than NGF or NT-3 did not influence invasion. Mutants of NGF that do not bind to the neurotrophin receptor p75NTR or other nonneuronal growth factors were not able to enhance the invasion of 70W melanoma cells. When 70W cells were exposed to anti-sense oligonucleotides directed against p75NTR mRNA, there was a reduction in NGF and NT-3 binding, and the neurotrophins failed to enhance Matrigel invasion. To study to properties of heparanase in NT-regulated melanoma-invasive processes, we developed a sensitive heparanase assay consisting of purified [35S]heparan sulfate subpopulations separated by agarose gel electrophoresis. Incubation of 70W cells with NGF or NT-3, but not BDNF, NT-4/5, or mutant NGF, resulted in increased release of heparanase activity that was capable of degrading a subpopulation of heparan sulfate molecules.

Biocompatible Materials↗

Role of laminin in endothelial cell recognition and differentiation.

The vascular endothelium normally is maintained in a quiescent state, but under certain conditions it is induced to undergo marked changes in behavior and form new vascular structures. A complex interaction among various growth and differentiation factors and the extracellular milieu regulates this behavior. One series of signals affecting endothelial behavior is provided by laminin, a major structural protein of basement membrane. These signals have been studied using Matrigel, a reconstituted basement membrane preparation from the murine Englebreth-Holm-Swarm sarcoma, in an in vitro assay of endothelial cell differentiation. Three biologically-active sequences from the laminin molecule have been evaluated. Synthetic peptides that include the sequences -RGD-, -YIGSR-, and -SIKVAV- mediate, respectively, cell binding to Matrigel, alterations in cell morphology, and induction of migration and collagenase activity. Preliminary data indicate that observations made with this system may be relevant to endothelial function in vivo. Endothelial cell differentiation on Matrigel may thus be a useful in vitro model for the study of certain steps in angiogenesis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Periodate-treated, non-anticoagulant heparin-carrying polystyrene (NAC-HCPS) affects angiogenesis and inhibits subcutaneous induced tumour growth and metastasis to the lung.

Periodate-treated, non-anticoagulant heparin-carrying polystyrene consists of about ten periodate-oxidized, alkaline-degraded low molecular weight-heparin chains linked to a polystyrene core and has a markedly lower anti-coagulant activity than heparin. In this study, we evaluated the effect of non-anticoagulant heparin-carrying polystyrene on tumour growth and metastasis. Non-anticoagulant heparin-carrying polystyrene has a higher activity to inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor-165-, fibroblast growth factor-2- or hepatocyte growth factor-induced human microvascular endothelial cell growth than heparin, ten periodate-oxidized-heparin and ten periodate-oxidized-low molecular weight-heparin, which is probably due to the heparin-clustering effect of non-anticoagulant heparin-carrying polystyrene. Non-anticoagulant heparin-carrying polystyrene inhibited human microvascular endothelial cell, B16 melanoma and Lewis lung cancer cell adhesion to Matrigel-coated plates. Non-anticoagulant heparin-carrying polystyrene also showed strong inhibitory activities in the tubular formation of endothelial cells on Matrigel and B16-melanoma and Lewis lung cancer cell invasion in a Matrigel-coated chamber assay. In vivo studies showed that growth of subcutaneous induced tumours and lung metastasis of B16-melanoma and Lewis lung cancer cells were more effectively inhibited by non-anticoagulant heparin-carrying polystyrene than ten periodate-oxidized-heparin and ten periodate-oxidized-low molecular weight-heparin. Furthermore, non-anticoagulant heparin-carrying polystyrene markedly reduced the number of CD34-positive vessels in subcutaneous Lewis lung cancer tumours, indicating a strong inhibition of angiogenesis. These results suggest that non-anticoagulant heparin-carrying polystyrene has an inhibitory activity on angiogenesis and tumour invasion and may be very useful in cancer therapy.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗

A comparative evaluation of various invasion assays testing colon carcinoma cell lines.

Various colon carcinoma cell lines were tested in different invasion assays, i.e. invasion into Matrigel, into confluent fibroblast layers and into chicken heart tissue. Furthermore, invasive capacity and metastatic potential were determined in nude mice. The colon carcinoma cells used were the human cell lines Caco-2, SW-480, SW-620 and HT-29, and the murine lines Colon-26 and -38. None of the human colon carcinoma cells migrated through porous membranes coated with Matrigel; of the murine lines, only Colon-26 did. When incubated in a mixture of Matrigel and culture medium non-invading cells formed spheroid cultures, whereas invading cells showed a stellate outgrowth. Only the heterogeneously shaped (epithelioid and stellate) cells of SW-480 and SW-620 and the spindle-shaped cells of Colon-26 invaded clearly confluent skin and colon fibroblasts as well as chicken heart tissue. However, when transplanted into the caecum of nude and syngeneic mice, all the lines tested were invasive with the exception of Caco-2 cells. We conclude that the outcome of in vitro tests measuring the invasive capacity of neoplastic cells is largely dependent on the test system used. Invasive capacity in vitro is strongly correlated with cells having a spindle cell shape, vimentin expression and E-cadherin down regulation. In contrast, HT-29 and Colon-38 cells having an epithelioid phenotype were clearly invasive and metastatic in vivo, but not in vitro.

Animals↗

Tranilast inhibits the proliferation, chemotaxis and tube formation of human microvascular endothelial cells in vitro and angiogenesis in vivo.

1. First developed as an antiallergic drug, tranilast inhibits chemical mediator release from mast cells. In the present study, we examine the effects of tranilast on angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo and discuss the application of tranilast for angiogenic diseases. 2. Tranilast inhibited significantly the proliferation (IC50: 136 microM, 95% confidence limits: 134-137 microM) and vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF)-induced chemotaxis (IC50: 135 microM, 95% confidence limits: 124-147 microM) of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs) at concentrations greater than 25 micrograms ml-1. No toxicity to HDMECs measuring by LDH release and no inhibitory effects on metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 activity were observed even at 100 micrograms ml-1 (306 microM). 3. Tube formation of HDMECs cultured on the matrigel as an in vitro angiogenesis model was inhibited by tranilast in a concentration-dependent manner. The IC50 value and 95% confidence limits were 175 microM and 151-204 microM, respectively. 4. In vivo angiogenesis was induced in mice by the subcutaneous injection of matrigel containing 30 ng ml-1 VEGF and 64 micrograms ml-1 heparin. Tranilast was administered orally twice a day for 3 days. Tranilast dose-dependently suppressed angiogenesis in the matrigel and a significant change was observed at a dose of 300 mg kg-1. 5. These results indicate that tranilast is an angiogenesis inhibitor which may be beneficial for the improvement of angiogenic diseases such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, tumour invasion and rheumatoid arthritis.

Animals↗

Imaging prostate cancer invasion with multi-nuclear magnetic resonance methods: the Metabolic Boyden Chamber.

The physiological milieu within solid tumors can influence invasion and metastasis. To determine the impact of the physiological environment and cellular metabolism on cancer cell invasion, it is necessary to measure invasion during well-controlled modulation of the physiological environment. Recently, we demonstrated that magnetic resonance imaging can be used to monitor cancer cell invasion into a Matrigel layer [Artemov D, Pilatus U, Chou S, Mori N, Nelson JB, and Bhujwalla ZM (1999). Dynamics of prostate cancer cell invasion studied in vitro by NMR microscopy. Mag Res Med 42, 277-282.]. Here we have developed an invasion assay ("Metabolic Boyden Chamber") that combines this capability with the properties of our isolated cell perfusion system. Long-term experiments can be performed to determine invasion as well as cellular metabolism under controlled environmental conditions. To characterize the assay, we performed experiments with prostate cancer cell lines preselected for different invasive characteristics. The results showed invasion into, and degradation of the Matrigel layer, by the highly invasive/metastatic line (MatLyLu), whereas no significant changes were observed for the less invasive/metastatic cell line (DU-145). With this assay, invasion and metabolism was measured dynamically, together with oxygen tensions within the cellular environment and within the Matrigel layer. Such a system can be used to identify physiological and metabolic characteristics that promote invasion, and evaluate therapeutic interventions to inhibit invasion.

Humans↗

RRR-alpha-tocopheryl succinate inhibits human prostate cancer cell invasiveness.

RRR-alpha-tocopheryl succinate (alpha-vitamin E succinate, VES), one of the vitamin E derivatives, can effectively inhibit the proliferation of human prostate cancer cells. However, little is known about its effect on prostate cancer cell invasive ability. Tumor metastasis is a complex process and the extracellular matrix (ECM) is the first barrier that tumor cells encounter. Therefore, we tested the effect of VES on the invasion of different prostate tumor cells, PC-3, DU-145, and LNCaP, through Matrigel, a reconstituted ECM, using an in vitro cell invasion assay. The invasion of PC-3 and DU-145 cells through Matrigel was inhibited by 20 microM VES after treating for 24 h. The condition did not alter cell survival, cell cycle, cell adhesion or cell motility. We further investigated whether the ability of VES to inhibit prostate cancer cell invasiveness was associated with its ability to inhibit the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), the key enzymes in the proteolysis of basement membrane during invasion. PC-3 and DU-145 cells that were treated with VES showed a significant reduction in the levels of MMP-9 in the culture medium. In contrast, LNCaP cells, which did not secrete MMP-9, were poorly invasive in Matrigel and were hardly affected by treatment with VES. This is the first report suggesting that VES inhibits human prostate cancer cell invasiveness and the reduction of secreted MMP-9 activity could be one of the contributory factors, which points to the potential use of VES in the prevention and therapy of prostate cancer invasion.

Base Sequence↗

Intrinsic focal adhesion kinase activity controls orthotopic breast carcinoma metastasis via the regulation of urokinase plasminogen activator expression in a syngeneic tumor model.

Expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is elevated in malignant breast cancer, yet the role of intrinsic FAK activity in promoting tumor progression remains undefined. Here, we have inhibited FAK activity or expression in murine 4T1 breast carcinoma cells via dominant-negative focal adhesion kinase-related non-kinase (FRNK) or anti-FAK short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression, respectively. Neither FRNK nor FAK shRNA ( approximately 80% reduced FAK levels) affected 4T1 proliferation in culture, whereas reduced FAK activity or expression blocked 4T1 cell invasion through Matrigel and resulted in 2-3-fold lower urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) expression. Control 4T1 cells implanted into mammary fat pads of BALB/c mice exhibited spontaneous metastasis to the lungs, to the peritoneal cavity, and resulted in 90% lethality within 21 days. Whereas FAK shRNA-expressing 4T1 cells formed tumors in mice with low levels of apoptosis, when mammary-injected, these cells did not exhibit lung metastasis after 21 days and caused only 40% lethality up to 60 days. Transient re-expression of wild-type but not kinase-dead FAK in 4T1 FAK shRNA cells promoted uPA production and mammary to lung metastasis within 7 days. In fact, stable human uPA overexpression in 4T1 FAK shRNA cells promoted Matrigel invasion and lung metastasis equal to 4T1 controls. Conversely, treatment with plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 or neutralizing antibody to uPA blocked Matrigel invasion of 4T1 control cells. These studies provide the first direct proof that FAK catalytic activity can facilitate metastatic breast cancer progression by regulating uPA expression.

Animals↗

Inhibition of the adherence of Escherichia coli strains to basement membrane by Lactobacillus crispatus expressing an S-layer.

AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency with which Lactobacillus crispatus JCM 5810 inhibited the adhesion of enteric pathogens to a synthetic basement membrane and to elucidate the mechanism underlying the inhibition. METHODS AND RESULTS: Lactobacillus crispatus JCM 5810 inhibited the adhesion of three diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli strains to a reconstituted basement membrane preparation called Matrigel, used as a model of a damaged intestinal tissue site. Inhibition was also observed with the use of immobilized laminin, a major component of Matrigel, but diminished after the removal of S-layer protein (CbsA) from JCM 5810 cells. The isolated CbsA inhibited the adhesion of E. coli to both Matrigel and immobilized laminin. Lactobacillus crispatus JCM 5810 and CbsA seem to inhibit pathogenic E. coli from adhering to basement membrane via competition with laminin molecules for binding sites. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that not only Lact. crispatus JCM 5810 cells but CbsA alone might prevent pathogens from colonizing damaged intestinal tissues. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is the first study to show the applied aspect of Lactobacillus S-layer protein.

Antibiosis↗

Differentiation of the mouse hepatic primordium cultured in vitro.

The differentiation of hepatic endodermal cells is affected by endodermal-mesodermal interactions. To examine the control mechanisms of this differentiation, we cultured mouse liver primordium and tissue recombinants of the hepatic endoderm with homo- or heterologous mesenchyme in vitro. When the hepatic primordia at somite stages 15-23 were cultured in vitro for 5-10 days, the endodermal cells differentiated into large hepatocytes expressing alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), albumin and carbamoylphosphate synthetase I (CPSI) and storing glycogen. AFP continued to be expressed in hepatocytes through culture for 10 days. Albumin and CPSI expression started in hepatocytes at 1 and 2 days after culture, respectively. Dexamethasone stimulated hepatocyte differentiation (expression of CPSI and glycogen accumulation) and large lumen formation of hepatocytes, but it did not change the commencement of differentiation. When the hepatic endoderm was recombined with hepatic mesenchyme or 4-day embryonic chick lung mesenchyme, clotted in Matrigel, which is a basement-membrane-like substratum, and cultured for 5 days in vitro, it differentiated into large hepatocytes expressing albumin and CPSI and accumulating glycogen. Lung mesenchyme promoted duct formation more efficiently than the hepatic mesenchyme did. However, the hepatic endodermal cells failed to differentiate into large hepatocytes when cultured with 6-day embryonic chick metanephric mesenchyme or with 2.5-day chick somitic mesenchyme, or cultured alone in Matrigel, suggesting that the endodermal cells require the presence of splanchnic mesoderm for their differentiation in vitro. Addition of HGF (hepatocyte growth factor), aFGF (acidic fibroblast growth factor), or bFGF (basic fibroblast growth factor) also did not support the survival of hepatic endodermal cells or hepatocyte differentiation in culture without mesenchyme. Matrigel and those growth factors might not be a suitable substitute for the mesenchyme.

Albumins↗