BRCA1 and its phosphorylation involved in caffeine-inhibitable event upstream of G2 checkpoint

Caffeine, which specifically inhibits ATM/ATR kinases, efficiently abrogates the ionizing radiation (IR)-induced G2 arrest and increases the sensitivity of various tumor cells to IR. Mechanisms for the effect of caffeine remain to be elucidated. As a target of ATM/ATR kinases, BRCA1 becomes activated and phosphorylated in response to IR. Thus, in this work, we investigated the possible role of BRCA1 in the effect of caffeine on G2 checkpoint and observed how BRCA1 phosphorylation was regulated in this process. For these purposes, the BRCA1 protein level and the phosphorylation states were analyzed by Western blotting by using an antibody against BRCA1 and phospho-specific antibodies against Ser-1423 and Ser-1524 residues in cells exposed to a combination of IR and caffeine. The results showed that caffeine down-regulated IR-induced BRCA1 expression and specifically abolished BRCA1 phosphorylation of Ser-1524, which was followed by an override of G2 arrest by caffeine. In addition, the ability of BRCA1 to transactivate p21 may be required for MCF-7 but not necessary for Hela response to caffeine. These data suggest that BRCA1 may be a potential target of caffeine. BRCA1 and its phosphorylation are most likely to be involved in the caffeine-inhibitable event upstream of G2 arrest.

DNA损伤检验点蛋白表达对肿瘤细胞辐射敏感性的影响

本论文应用X射线和12C6+离子对不同肿瘤细胞：HL-60、K562、SMMC-7721和HepG2进行辐照，用克隆形成率和四唑盐比色法(MTT)测定四种细胞的辐射敏感性；通过流式细胞术测定细胞周期分布、细胞凋亡、ATM和SMC1蛋白的表达变化。应用免疫细胞化学法与流式检测相结合研究了γ-H2AX蛋白表达的时间效应与剂量效应之间的关系。实验结果表明，四种细胞的辐射敏感性由强到弱依次为HL-60>K562>SMMC-7721>HepG2。即ATM表达量越低的细胞对辐射越敏感，周期阻滞水平越低，细胞凋亡越明显，但辐照后ATM蛋白的表达无显著增加，说明ATM的表达量和功能状态与细胞辐射敏感性有关，但其表达水平不能完全反映ATM蛋白激酶的活性。对ATM表达量差异最显著的HepG2和HL-60细胞来说,辐照前SMC1的表达水平与细胞S期的含量没有直接关系，辐照后SMC1蛋白的上调表达在S期阻滞修复中发挥明显的作用。辐照后1h,HL-60和HepG2细胞的H2AX磷酸化水平随吸收剂量的增加呈线性正相关,但曲线斜率与细胞辐射抗性的差异没有直接的联系。γ-H2AX的消失率与存活分数存在良好的相关性，HepG2细胞抗辐射能力强，这一时间短，HL-60细胞抗辐射能力弱，这一时间长。可以用γ-H2AX的消失速率来评估细胞的辐射敏感性。 以SMMC-7721细胞为同步化细胞模型发现，与其它同步化方法相比，步进电机旋转同步化培养法对细胞损伤最小，同步化效率最高，达到M期＞90%，GO/G1期＞80%，S期＞60%，G2/M>50%。同种射线辐照，GO/G1期SMMC-7721细胞的存活相对G2/M期来说较高。12C6+离子辐照明显减小了二者敏感度的差异性

不同LET辐射对健康人血淋巴细胞和肿瘤细胞的损伤效应

目的: 探讨不同LET辐射对健康人外周血淋巴细胞的遗传损伤效应；了解重离子辐射诱导人血淋巴细胞染色体畸变的特点；研究用G2期染色体畸变预测肿瘤细胞辐射敏感性的可行性。材料与方法：采用兰州近代物理研究所重离子研究装置产生的12C离子和兰州大学第一附属医院放疗科提供的X射线照射健康人外周血，用常规染色体分析技术和姊妹染色体差别染色法研究不同LET辐射对健康人血淋巴细胞中期染色体的损伤效应、高LET辐射的剂量率效应、时程效应和染色体畸变的特点；用Calyculin A诱导间期染色体凝集技术研究12C 离子对淋巴细胞G2期染色体的损伤效应。用60Coγ射线照射人卵巢癌细胞和肝癌细胞，以细胞克隆存活率和G2期染色体畸变为生物学终点，探讨用G2期染色体畸变预测肿瘤细胞辐射敏感性的可行性。 结果与结论 1. 不同LET辐射诱导‘双+环’畸变与剂量之间存在良好的线性平方关系， 12C 离子诱导的畸变在细胞间的分布不符合泊松分布； 12C离子的相对生物学效应随着LET的增大而增大；12C离子诱导染色体畸变在1－5 Gy/min的范围内不存在剂量率效应；在0－4 Gy的剂量范围内不存在时程效应，说明培养48小时后中期‘双+环’畸变能很好的反应12C离子对淋巴细胞的损伤效应。本研究可以帮助人们了解重离子的相对生物学效应，为病人健康组织的保护以及放射医师的防护提供重要的理论数据。 2. LET为34.6 keV/μm的12C离子诱导淋巴细胞G2-期染色体数目畸变与剂量之间存在良好的线性关系(r=0.99)；最长G2-PCC与最短G2-PCC的长度之比与剂量之间存在良好的线性平方关系(r2=0.96)。表明有希望用G2-期染色体畸变评估重离子的相对生物学效应和估计重离子的辐射剂量，也为合理评估空间混合辐射场中重离子辐射所占比例提供了两个潜在的指标。 3. LET为34.6 keV/μm12C 离子诱导的畸变，除大部分染色体型畸变外，还出现少量的染色单体畸变，这一现象在理论上突破了传统的认识，对重离子辐射损伤机理的认识有重要意义。这可能是由于重离子特殊的离子径迹结构诱导染色单体畸变。重离子相对生物学效应是相对于常规射线而言的，而常规射线辐照G0期淋巴细胞只产生染色体型畸变，因此这一现象的存在对重离子相对生物学效应的确定提出了新的问题。 4. γ射线诱导肿瘤细胞G2期染色体初始断裂畸变和修复24小时后残余断裂畸变都与辐射剂量有良好的相关性；肿瘤细胞克隆存活率与G2染色单体初始断裂(r=0.96)和修复24小时后残余断裂(r=0.91)都有一定的相关性，比较而言，G2染色单体初始断裂畸变能更好的反映肿瘤细胞的辐射敏感性，预示G2染色单体初始断裂畸变有希望成为肿瘤细胞辐射敏感性的预测指标。 5. 2 Gyγ射线诱导的G2-染色单体断裂畸变，有近65% 的断裂在辐射后24小时内得以修复；对G2等点染色单体断裂畸变，在辐射后24小时内只有20%左右得以修复；两类畸变的修复主要发生在辐射后2小时内。 6. 在用G2-assay法测定染色体畸变的实验中，给予较高剂量时，很难获得足够的中期细胞以供观察。用G2-assay和G2-PCC技术获得的数据都与细胞克隆存活率有一定的相关性，比较而言，后者的相关性要好一些。表明G2-PCC技术可以作为细胞存活实验和用常规染色体畸变分析放射敏感性的替代方法

重离子照射后肿瘤细胞辐射敏感性和DNA双链断裂及修复的研究

本论文的实验内容立足于我所重离子治癌研究的基础之上，本着进行基础研究的目的，研究了肿瘤细胞对于重离子的辐射敏感性和重离子引起肿瘤细胞DNA双链断裂(DSB)及修复的情况，这可为我所开展重离子治癌提供有效的基础数据和理论参考，对于治疗计划的制定也具有重要的意义。实验从四个方面开展，首先考察了不同肿瘤细胞对低LETγ射线的辐射敏感性差异及其与修复可能存在的联系，其次考察了重离子在放射治疗中的优势及重离子用于肿瘤放射治疗的优越性，第三为了进一步寻求重离子对肿瘤细胞强杀伤能力的原因所在，对重离子引起的肿瘤细胞DSB及修复水平进行了研究，最后通过分次照射实验，考察细胞存活与细胞DSB修复水平之间可能存在的相关性。实验取得了一系列有意义的结果和结论： 1． 低LET电离辐射作用后，不同组织来源的肿瘤细胞的辐射敏感性有较大差 异，其各自的修复功能也有相应的差异，且肿瘤细胞的辐射敏感性与其修复能力呈负相关。 2．重离子具有的独特物理特性及其高LET下对肿瘤细胞的强杀伤作用，使得重离子成为肿瘤治疗的热点。与此同时，重离子还显示出其它值得关注的优势，它可以同样有效的杀伤不同肿瘤细胞，减弱了细胞间的敏感性差异，这对于治疗计划的制定和治疗对常规辐射抗性较高的肿瘤来说，具有重大的意义。对于临床的分次照射，重离子治疗时，细胞的亚致死修复明显降低，可以采取较少的照射次数就达到杀伤肿瘤的目的，这样大大提高了肿瘤治疗效率，同时减轻了病人的痛苦。 3．在两种高LET重离子引起细胞DSB及其修复实验中，初始DSB量均与剂量呈线性关系。 DSB的片段分布检测结果显示两种重离子辐照后DSB的分布呈明显的非随机分布，剂量增大时，大片段的DSB和小片段的DSB变化趋势不同：剂量超过一定数值后，小片段的DSB随剂量增大而呈现出高的增加速度，而大片段的DSB则呈现微弱增加甚至减少。同时LET变化对于这一现象存在影响。除了离子种类和LET之外，剂量也影响了DSB分布形式。修复实验结果显示4h后，残余的DSB相差不大。由于氩离子引起的初始DSB高于碳离子，在相同时间内，高LET的氩离子完成了对DSB更多的修复，这似乎提示，LET升高引起了更强的修复，但是这里值得考虑的有两点，一是慢修复的DSB所占的比例，二是错修复的问题，即使高LET的氩离子照射后DSB得到了更多的修复，但是其修复的忠实性并未得到证明，更多的工作还需要进行。 4．分次照射实验发现高LET的碳离子辐照后的剂量存活曲线不再存在明显肩区，分次照射细胞的存活也没有明显上升，这与光子辐照情况不同，应证了随着LET升高，分次效应降低的结论。同时检测DSB的引入情况，发现分次照射和单次照射时，DSB的引入并未发生明显变化，这显示在分次照射的间隙中，重离子引入的DSB并未得到明显的修复。提示细胞对高LET照射更为敏感与其对高LET辐照引起的DSB修复能力降低之间的相关性

Folate-Conjugated Micelles and Their Folate-Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis

A folate-conjugated copolymer PEG-PLA-PLL/folate was synthesized and mixed with pure PEG-PLA-PLL and a fluorescent model drug mFITC to prepare folate-conjugated micelles. The distribution of micelles was studied on cancer-cell-bearing mice via frozen slicing. The results show that mFITC is successfully encapsulated into folate(+) and folate(-)micelles; PEG-PLA-PLL micelles the latter can be internalized by both HeLa and CHO cells without selectivity due to their cationic surface charges, while folate(+)micelles exhibit more preferential endocytosis by HeLa cells than by CHO cells. The folate(-)micelles showed retention in both organs and tumors. The folate(+)micelles are a promising active targeting drug delivery system for FR over-expressing cells and they accumulate in tumor beds.

The experimental research of R-phycoerythrin subunits on cancer treatment: A new photosensitizer in PDT

The mouse tumor cell 5180 and human liver carcinoma cell SMC 7721 cells were first treated with R-PE and its subunits (alpha, beta, gamma subunits), then irradiated with Argon laser (496 nm, 28.8 J/cm(2)). Survival rate was measured by MTT method. In order to compare the phototoxicity in normal cells, the mouse marrow cells were treated with photofrin II and beta-subunit, irradiated with 45 J/cm(2) of light; survival rate was also measured by MTT method. The result showed that R-PE subunits had better PDT effect on s180 cells than R-PE and lower phototoxicity in marrow cells than photofrin II Flow cytometric analysis showed that PDT results in a growth inhibition and a G(0)-G(1) cell cycle arrest in SMC 7721 cells. The tumor cells inhibited by PDT in vivo were morphologically observed by TEM, the tumor cell death was daze to the occlusion of tumor blood vessels and inducement of cell programmed death in nuclei. Therefore, with the advantage in special fluorescence activity, loth molecular weight, good light absorbent character and weak phototoxicity, R-PE subunit is art attractive option for improving the selectivity of PDT.

Biological effect of R-phycoerythrin-mediated photosensitization on DNA.

R-phycoerythrin (R-PE) is one of important proteins involved in capturing light during photosynthesis in red algae, and it is highly fluorescent, and water-soluble chromophores. In vivo, it can transfer the light energy into photosynthetic center, however, it can deliver the captured light energy captured to the surrounding oxygen in vitro and produce reactive oxygen species such as singlet oxygen, which is toxic to tumor cells. R-PE was added to the culture medium of tumor cells, subsequently with irradiation of 488 nm, Argon laser of 25.6 J/cm(2). The result by MTT assay showed that the survival rate decreased with the increase of R-PE concentration from 1 to 100 mg/L. The result from H-3-TdR incorporation demonstrated that the synthesis of DNA reduced when the concentration of R-PE increased from 0.01 to 0.32 mg/L. Besides, pUC18 DNA showed a conversion from supercoiled into linear conformation. The conclusion comes that R-PE mediated PDT can influence the conformation of DNA, and it may be one of the mechanisms of R-PE mediated photodynamic therapy.

Highly Oxygenated Triterpenoids from the Marine Red Alga Laurencia mariannensis (Rhodomelaceae)

Two new and one known squalenoid-derived triterpenoids. namely, laurenmariannol (1) and (21 alpha)-21-hydroxythyrsiferol (2). and the known thyrsiferol (3) were isolated and identified from the marine red alga Laurencia mariannensis, which was collected off the coast of Hainan and Weizhou Islands of China. The structures of these compounds were established by means of spectroscopic analyses, as well as by comparison with literature data. Compounds I and 2 displayed significant cytotoxic activity against P-388 tumor cells with IC50 values of 0.6 and 6.6 mu g/ml, respectively.

In vivo antitumor and immunomodulation activities of different molecular weight Lambda-Carrageenans from Chondrus ocellatus

lambda-Carrageenan is a sulfated galactan isolated from some red algae and have been reported to have many kinds of biological activities. lambda-Carrageenan from Chondrus ocellatus, an important economic alga in China and many other parts of the world, was degraded by microwave, and obtained five products that have different molecular weight: 650, 240, 140, 15, 9.3 kDa. Analytical results confirmed that microwave degradation might not change the chemical components and structure of polysaccharides under certain condition. In this study, tumor-inhibiting activities, weight of immune organ, nature killer cells activity, lymphocyte proliferation ratio and pathological slice of spleen and tumor cells from the control group and lambda-carrageenan-treated mice of transplanted S 180 and H22 tumor were investigated. The results indicated that the five lambda-carrageenan samples all showed antitumor and immunomodulation activities in different degree. Molecular weight of polysaccharides had notable effect on the activities. In addition, their antitumor and immunomodulation have some relevance and the five lambda-carrageenans probably inhibited tumor by means of activating the immunocompetence of the body. Among all the experiment results, samples with the highest activities are PC4 and PC5 whose molecular weight are 15 and 9.3 kDa. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.