An apical permeability barrier to NH3/NH4+ in isolated, perfused colonic crypts.

Fermentation of nonabsorbed nutrients in the colon generates high concentrations of NH3/NH4+ in the colonic lumen. NH3 is a small, lipophilic neutral weak base that readily permeates almost all cell membranes, whereas its conjugate weak acid NH4+ generally crosses membranes much more slowly. It is not known how colonocytes maintain intracellular pH in the unusual acid-base environment of the colon, where permeant acid-base products of fermentation exist in high concentration. To address this issue, we hand dissected and perfused single, isolated crypts from rabbit proximal colon, adapting techniques from renal-tubule microperfusion. Crypt perfusion permits control of solutions at the apical (luminal) and basolateral (serosal) surfaces of crypt cells. We assessed apical- vs. basolateral-membrane transport of NH3/NH4+ by using fluorescent dyes and digital imaging to monitor intracellular pH of microvacuolated crypt cells as well as luminal pH. We found that, although the basolateral membranes have normal NH3/NH4+ permeability properties, there is no evidence for transport of either NH3 or NH4+ across the apical borders of these crypt cells. Disaggregating luminal mucus did not increase the transport of NH3/NH4+ across the apical border. We conclude that, compared to the basolateral membrane, the apical border of crypt colonocytes has a very low permeability-area product for NH3/NH4+. This barrier may represent an important adaptation for the survival of crypt cells in the environment of the colon.

Are transglutaminase 2 inhibitors able to reduce gliadin-induced toxicity related to celiac disease? A proof-of-concept study

Purpose Celiac disease is an autoimmune-mediated enteropathy characterized by adaptive and innate immune responses to dietary gluten in wheat, rye and barley in genetically susceptible individuals. Gluten-derived gliadin peptides are deamidated by transglutaminase 2 (TG2), leading to an immune response in the small-intestinal mucosa. TG2 inhibitors have therefore been suggested as putative drugs for celiac disease. In this proof-of-concept study we investigated whether two TG2 inhibitors, cell-impermeable R281 and cell-permeable R283, can prevent the toxic effects of gliadin in vitro and ex vivo. Methods Intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells were treated with peptic-tryptic-digested gliadin (PT-gliadin) with or without TG2 inhibitors and thereafter direct toxic effects (transepithelial resistance, cytoskeletal rearrangement, junction protein expression and phoshorylation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2) were determined. In an organ culture of celiacpatient- derived small-intestinal biopsies we measured secretion of TG2-autoantibodies into the culture medium and the densities of CD25- and interleukin (IL) 15-positive cells, forkhead box P3 (FOXP3)-positive regulatory Tcells (Tregs) and Ki-67- positive proliferating crypt cells. Results Both TG2 inhibitors evinced protective effects against gliadin-induced detrimental effects in Caco-2 cells but the cellimpermeableR281seemedslightlymorepotent. Inaddition,TG2 inhibitor R281 modified the gluten-induced increase in CD25- and IL15-positive cells,Tregs and crypt cell proliferation, but had no effect on antibody secretion in celiac-patient-derived biopsies. Conclusions Our results suggest that TG2 inhibitors are able to reduce certain gliadin-induced effects related to responses in vitro and ex vivo. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012.

Effects of early nutrition on the wnt and bone morphogenic protein pathways in the developing intestine

Infant formula is consumed by the majority of infants in the United States for at least part of the first year of life. Infant formula lacks many of the bioactive compounds that are naturally occurring in breast milk. Because of this, there has been an increased interest by the companies that manufacture infant formula to include additives that would potentially allow formula to more closely mimic breast milk activity. One such ingredient currently being added to infant formula is prebiotics. Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth of specific healthful bacteria in the colon. It is speculated that prebiotics replicate the activity of breast milk oligosaccharides, which through the production of butyrate by intestinal microbiota, may interact with the Wnt/BMP pathways. The Wnt/BMP pathways regulate intestinal stem cells, which determine the growth, development and maintenance of the intestine. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the effects that the addition of prebiotics to formula have on the regulation of the Wnt/BMP pathways when fed to neonatal piglets, a model commonly used in the study of infant nutrition. Piglets (n=5) were randomized into sow-reared (SR), fed control formula (F), or fed formula with added prebiotics (F+P). Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) (2 g/L) and polydextrose (PDX) (2 g/L) were chosen as the prebiotics for this study, because this combination had been less studied than other combinations. Ileum and ascending colon were collected at 7 and 14 days-of-age. Dry matter content, pH, and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) content was measured. The mRNA expression of β-catenin, sFRP3, sFRP4, frizzled 6, DKK1 (Wnt pathway), gremlin (BMP pathway), TNF-a, HNF-4α and osteopontin (OPN) was measured by RT-qPCR. Piglets fed the F+P diet had greater acetate concentration and lower pH in the ileum at day 14 and in the colon at day 7 and day 14 than F piglets. Butyrate concentrations were highest in SR with F+P not differing from F in ileum at day 14 and colon at day 7 and day 14. Effects of age were seen in all genes, with the exception of OPN, sFRP-3 and sFRP-4. On day 7, no effect of diet was observed in the ileum, however, mRNA expression of DKK1 and frizzled 6 were greater in F+P than SR (p≤0.05). On day 14, gremlin expression was lower and OPN was greater in the ileum of SR piglets compared to F and F+P. Also on day 14, HNF-4α mRNA expression was greater in both ileum and colon of F+P piglets and sFRP3 mRNA expression was greater in the colon than F or SR . In summary, differences were observed between gene expression of F+P and SR piglet intestines, but the supplementation of 2 g/L scFOS and 2 g/L PDX to formula did not shift expression of genes in the Wnt/BMP pathways to be more similar to SR than F. As the Wnt/BMP pathway is known to exist in a gradient along the crypt-villus axis, with Wnt expression dominating in the crypt region and BMP expression dominating in the villi, it was possible that pooling whole tissue reduced our ability to detect treatment effects that would be concentrated in either region. A method was therefore developed to remove intestinal epithelial cells along the villus-to-crypt axis. Twenty-five-day-old F and SR piglets were euthanized and ileal tissue was collected and placed in a dissociation buffer in a shaking water bath. Exfoliated cells were removed at increasing time points from 5 to 100 minutes in order to remove cells along the villus-to-crypt axis. After the final incubation, remaining mucosal tissue was removed using a sterile glass microscope slide and pooled with the final exfoliated cell isolation. After each cell collection, a section of tissue was fixed in formalin for histomorphological examination. Expression of genes in the Wnt/BMP pathways, along with crypt marker genes (CDK5 and v-myb), were measured in both whole ileal tissue, pooled epithelial cells, and separate epithelial cell isolations from the same piglet. The expression of β-catenin, HNF-4α, TNF-α, TGF-β and the crypt marker v-myb matched the expected villus-to-crypt pattern in cells collected after 10 (incubation 1), 30 (incubation 2) and 60 (incubation 3) minutes. However, expression of expression in cells collected after 100 minutes (incubation 4) was variable, which may be due to the fact that crypt cells were not efficiently removed and the presence of unwanted non-epithelial tissue. Gremlin, OPN, DKK1, sFRP3 and sFRP4 expression was not statistically different along the villus-to-crypt axis. Frizzled 6 and CDK5 did not express as we had predicted, with expression highest towards the villi. In summary, the epithelial cell collection method used was not entirely successful. While much of the gene data suggests that cells were removed along the villus-to-crypt axis through the first three incubations, the last incubation, which involved scraping the tissue, removed non-epithelial components of the mucosa, while leaving the crypts intact. In conclusion, the addition of 2 g/L PDX and 2 g/L scFOS did not cause gene expression of the Wnt/BMP pathways to mirror either F or SR expression. New isolation methods to extract cells along the crypt-villus axis should be considered, including the use of a laser capture microdissection. While this combination of prebiotics did not yield the intended effects, future research should be done on other combinations, such as the inclusion of galactooligosaccharides (GOS), which is commonly added to food products including infant formula.

The melatonin action on stromal stem cells within pericryptal area in colon cancer model under constant light

Constant light (LL) is associated with high incidence of colon cancer. MLT supplementation was related to the significant control of preneoplastic patterns. We sought to analyze preneoplastic patterns in colon tissue from animals exposed to LL environment (14 days; 300 lx), MLT-supplementation (10 mg/kg/day) and DMH-treatment (1,2 dimethylhydrazine; 125 mg/kg). Rodents were sacrificed and MLT serum levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Our results indicated that LL induced ACF development (p < 0.001) with a great potential to increase the number of CD133(+) and CD68(+) cells (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001). LL also increased the proliferative process (PCNA-Li; p < 0.001) as well as decreased caspase-3 protein (p < 0.001), related to higher COX-2 protein expression (p < 0.001) within pericryptal colonic stroma (PCCS). However, MLT-supplementation controlled the development of dysplastic ACF (p < 0.001) diminishing preneoplastic patterns into PCCS as CD133 and CD68 (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001). These events were relative to decreased PCNA-Li index and higher expression of caspase-3 protein. Thus, MLT showed a great potential to control the preneoplastic patterns induced by LL. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stimulation of protein kinase C-dependent and -independent signaling pathways by bistratene A in intestinal epithelial cells

The marine toxin bistratene A (BisA) potently induces cytostasis and differentiation in a variety of systems. Evidence that BisA is a selective activator of protein kinase C (PKC) delta implicates PKC delta signaling in the negative growth-regulatory effects of this agent. The current study further investigates the signaling pathways activated by BisA by comparing its effects with those of the PKC agonist phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) in the IEC-18 intestinal crypt cell line. Both BisA and PMA induced cell cycle arrest in these cells, albeit with different kinetics. While BisA produced sustained cell cycle arrest in G(o)/G(1) and G(2)/M, the effects of PMA were transient and involved mainly a G(o)/G(1), blockade. BisA also produced apoptosis in a proportion of the population, an effect not seen with PMA. Both agents induced membrane translocation/activation of PKC, with BisA translocating only PKC delta and PMA translocating PKC alpha, delta, and epsilon in these cells. Notably, while depletion of PKC alpha, delta, and epsilon abrogated the cell cycle-specific effects of PMA in IEC-18 cells, the absence of these PKC isozymes failed to inhibit BisA-induced G(o)/G(1), and G(2)/M arrest or apoptosis. The cell cycle inhibitory and apoptotic effects of BisA, therefore, appear to be PKC-independent in IEG-18 cells. On the other hand, BisA and PMA both promoted PKC-dependent activation of Erk 1 and 2 in this system. Thus, intestinal epithelial cells respond to BisA through activation of at least two signaling pathways: a PKC delta -dependent pathway, which leads to activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and possibly cytostasis in the appropriate context, and a PKC-independent pathway, which induces both cell cycle arrest in G(o)/G(1) and G(2)/M and apoptosis through as yet unknown mechanisms. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in the transcriptional profile of transporters in the intestine along the anterior-posterior and crypt-villus axes.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this work was to characterize the expression of drug and nutrient carriers along the anterior-posterior and crypt-villus axes of the intestinal epithelium and to study the validity of utilizing whole gut tissue rather than purified epithelial cells to examine regional variations in gene expression. RESULTS: We have characterized the mRNA expression profiles of 76 % of all currently known transporters along the anterior-posterior axis of the gut. This is the first study to describe the expression profiles of the majority of all known transporters in the intestine. The expression profiles of transporters, as defined according to the Gene Ontology consortium, were measured in whole tissue of the murine duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon using high-density microarrays. For nine transporters (Abca1, Abcc1, Abcc3, Abcg8, Slc10a2, Slc28a2, Slc2a1, Slc34a2 and Slc5a8), the mRNA profiles were further measured by RT-PCR in laser micro-dissected crypt and villus epithelial cells corresponding to the aforementioned intestinal regions. With respect to differentially regulated transporters, the colon had a distinct expression profile from small intestinal segments. The majority (59 % for p cutoff < or = 0.05) of transporter mRNA levels were constant across the intestinal sections studied. For the transporter subclass "carrier activity", which contains the majority of known carriers for biologically active compounds, a significant change (p < or = 0.05) along the anterior-posterior axis was observed. CONCLUSION: All nine transporters examined in laser-dissected material demonstrated good replication of the region-specific profiles revealed by microarray. Furthermore, we suggest that the distribution characteristics of Slc5a8 along the intestinal tract render it a suitable candidate carrier for monocarboxylate drugs in the posterior portion of the intestine. Our findings also predict that there is a significant difference in the absorption of carrier-mediated compounds in the different intestinal segments. The most pronounced differences can be expected between the adjoining segments ileum and colon, but the differences between the other adjoining segments are not negligible. Finally, for the examined genes, profiles measured in whole intestinal tissue extracts are representative of epithelial cell-only gene expression.

Establishment of models to study mouse and human retinogenesis "in vitro" : isolation and characterization of retinal stem cells

SUMMARY IN FRENCH Les cellules souches sont des cellules indifférenciées capables a) de proliférer, b) de s'auto¬renouveller, c) de produire des cellules différenciées, postmitotiques et fonctionnelles (multipotencialité), et d) de régénérer le tissu après des lésions. Par exemple, les cellules de souches hematopoiétiques, situées dans la moelle osseuse, peuvent s'amplifier, se diviser et produire diverses cellules différenciées au cours de la vie, les cellules souches restant dans la moelle osseuse et consentant leur propriété. Les cellules souches intestinales, situées dans la crypte des microvillosités peuvent également régénérer tout l'intestin au cours de la vie. La rétine se compose de six classes de neurones et d'un type de cellule gliale. Tous ces types de cellules sont produits par un progéniteur rétinien. Le pic de production des photorécepteurs se situe autour des premiers jours postnatals chez la souris. A cette période la rétine contient les cellules hautement prolifératives. Dans cette étude, nous avons voulu analyser le phénotype de ces cellules et leur potentiel en tant que cellules souches ou progénitrices. Nous nous sommes également concentrés sur l'effet de certains facteurs épigéniques sur leur destin cellulaire. Nous avons observé que toutes les cellules prolifératives isolées à partir de neurorétines postnatales de souris expriment le marqueur de glie radiaire RC2, ainsi que des facteurs de transcription habituellement trouvés dans la glie radiaire (Mash1, Pax6), et répondent aux critères des cellules souches : une capacité élevée d'expansion, un état indifférencié, la multipotencialité (démontrée par analyse clonale). Nous avons étudié la différentiation des cellules dans différents milieux de culture. En l'absence de sérum, l'EGF induit l'expression de la β-tubulin-III, un marqueur neuronal, et l'acquisition d'une morphologie neuronale, ceci dans 15% des cellules présentes. Nous avons également analysé la prolifération de cellules. Seulement 20% des cellules incorporent le bromodéoxyuridine (BrdU) qui est un marqueur de division cellulaire. Ceci démontre que l'EGF induit la formation des neurones sans une progression massive du cycle cellulaire. Par ailleurs, une stimulation de 2h d'EGF est suffisante pour induire la différentiation neuronale. Certains des neurones formés sont des cellules ganglionnaires rétiniennes (GR), comme l'indique l'expression de marqueurs de cellules ganglionnaires (Ath5, Brn3b et mélanopsine), et dans de rare cas d'autres neurones rétiniens ont été observés (photorécepteurs (PR) et cellules bipolaires). Nous avons confirmé que les cellules souches rétiniennes tardives n'étaient pas restreintes au cours du temps et qu'elles conservent leur multipotencialité en étant capables de générer des neurones dits précoces (GR) ou tardifs (PR). Nos résultats prouvent que l'EGF est non seulement un facteur contrôlant le développement glial, comme précédemment démontré, mais également un facteur efficace de différentiation pour les neurones rétiniens, du moins in vitro. D'autre part, nous avons voulu établir si l'oeil adulte humain contient des cellules souches rétiniennes (CSRs). L'oeil de certains poissons ou amphibiens continue de croître pendant l'âge adulte du fait de l'activité persistante des cellules souches rétiniennes. Chez les poissons, le CSRs se situe dans la marge ciliaire (CM) à la périphérie de la rétine. Bien que l'oeil des mammifères ne se développe plus pendant la vie d'adulte, plusieurs groupes ont prouvé que l'oeil de mammifères adultes contient des cellules souches rétiniennes également dans la marge ciliaire plus précisément dans l'épithélium pigmenté et non dans la neurorétine. Ces CSRs répondent à certains critères des cellules souches. Nous avons identifié et caractérisé les cellules souches rétiniennes résidant dans l'oeil adulte humain. Nous avons prouvé qu'elles partagent les mêmes propriétés que leurs homologues chez les rongeurs c.-à-d. auto-renouvellement, amplification, et différenciation en neurones rétiniens in vitro et in vivo (démontré par immunocoloration et microarray). D'autre part, ces cellules peuvent être considérablement amplifiées, tout en conservant leur potentiel de cellules souches, comme indiqué par l'analyse de leur profil d'expression génique (microarray). Elles expriment également des gènes communs à diverses cellules souches: nucleostemin, nestin, Brni1, Notch2, ABCG2, c-kit et son ligand, aussi bien que cyclin D3 qui agit en aval de c-kit. Nous avons pu montré que Bmi1et Oct4 sont nécessaires pour la prolifération des CSRs confortant leur propriété de cellules souches. Nos données indiquent que la neurorétine postnatale chez la souris et l'épithélium pigmenté de la marge ciliaire chez l'humain adulte contiennent les cellules souches rétiniennes. En outre, nous avons développé un système qui permet d'amplifier et de cultiver facilement les CSRs. Ce modèle permet de disséquer les mécanismes impliqués lors de la retinogenèse. Par exemple, ce système peut être employé pour l'étude des substances ou des facteurs impliqués, par exemple, dans la survie ou dans la génération des cellules rétiniennes. Il peut également aider à disséquer la fonction de gènes ou les facteurs impliqués dans la restriction ou la spécification du destin cellulaire. En outre, dans les pays occidentaux, la rétinite pigmentaire (RP) touche 1 individu sur 3500 et la dégénérescence maculaire liée à l'âge (DMLA) affecte 1 % à 3% de la population âgée de plus de 60 ans. La génération in vitro de cellules rétiniennes est aussi un outil prometteur pour fournir une source illimitée de cellules pour l'étude de transplantation cellulaire pour la rétine. SUMMARY IN ENGLISH Stem cells are defined as undifferentiated cells capable of a) proliferation, b) self maintenance (self-renewability), c) production of many differentiated functional postmitotic cells (multipotency), and d) regenerating tissue after injury. For instance, hematopoietic stem cells, located in bone marrow, can expand, divide and generate differentiated cells into the diverse lineages throughout life, the stem cells conserving their status. In the villi crypt, the intestinal stem cells are also able to regenerate the intestine during their life time. The retina is composed of six classes of neurons and one glial cell. All these cell types are produced by the retinal progenitor cell. The peak of photoreceptor production is reached around the first postnatal days in rodents. Thus, at this stage the retina contains highly proliferative cells. In our research, we analyzed the phenotype of these cells and their potential as possible progenitor or stem cells. We also focused on the effect of epigenic factor(s) and cell fate determination. All the proliferating cells isolated from mice postnatal neuroretina harbored the radial glia marker RC2, expressed transcription factors usually found in radial glia (Mash 1, Pax6), and met the criteria of stem cells: high capacity of expansion, maintenance of an undifferentiated state, and multipotency demonstrated by clonal analysis. We analyzed the differentiation seven days after the transfer of the cells in different culture media. In the absence of serum, EGF led to the expression of the neuronal marker β-tubulin-III, and the acquisition of neuronal morphology in 15% of the cells. Analysis of cell proliferation by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation revealed that EGF mainly induced the formation of neurons without stimulating massively cell cycle progression. Moreover, a pulse of 2h EGF stimulation was sufficient to induce neuronal differentiation. Some neurons were committed to the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) phenotype, as revealed by the expression of retinal ganglion markers (Ath5, Brn3b and melanopsin), and in few cases to other retinal phenotypes (photoreceptors (PRs) and bipolar cells). We confirmed that the late RSCs were not restricted over-time and conserved multipotentcy characteristics by generating retinal phenotypes that usually appear at early (RGC) or late (PRs) developmental stages. Our results show that EGF is not only a factor controlling glial development, as previously shown, but also a potent differentiation factor for retinal neurons, at least in vitro. On the other hand, we wanted to find out if the adult human eye contains retina stem cells. The eye of some fishes and amphibians continues to grow during adulthood due to the persistent activity of retinal stem cells (RSCs). In fish, the RSCs are located in the ciliary margin zone (CMZ) at the periphery of the retina. Although, the adult mammalian eye does not grow during adult life, several groups have shown that the adult mouse eye contains retinal stem cells in the homologous zone (i.e. the ciliary margin), in the pigmented epithelium and not in the neuroretina. These RSCs meet some criteria of stem cells. We identified and characterized the human retinal stem cells. We showed that they posses the same features as their rodent counterpart i.e. they self-renew, expand and differentiate into retinal neurons in vitro and in vivo (indicated by immunostaining and microarray analysis). Moreover, they can be greatly expanded while conserving their sternness potential as revealed by the gene expression profile analysis (microarray approach). They also expressed genes common to various stem cells: nucleostemin, nestin, Bmil , Notch2, ABCG2, c-kit and its ligand, as well as cyclin D3 which acts downstream of c-kit. Furthermore, Bmil and Oct-4 were required for RSC proliferation reinforcing their stem cell identity. Our data indicate that the mice postnatal neuroretina and the adult pigmented epithelium of adult human ciliary margin contain retinal stem cells. We developed a system to easily expand and culture RSCs that can be used to investigate the retinogenesis. For example, it can help to screen drugs or factors involved, for instance, in the survival or generation of retinal cells. This could help to dissect genes or factors involved in the restriction or specification of retinal cell fate. In Western countries, retinitis pigmentosa (RP) affects 1 out of 3'500 individuals and age-related macula degeneration (AMD) strikes 1 % to 3% of the population over 60. In vitro generation of retinal cells is thus a promising tool to provide an unlimited cell source for cellular transplantation studies in the retina.

DNA damage and aberrant crypt foci as putative biomarkers to evaluate the chemopreventive effect of annatto (Bixa orellana L.) in rat colon carcinogenesis

Chemoprevention opens new perspectives in the prevention of cancer and other degenerative diseases. Use of target-organ biological models at the histological and genetic levels can markedly facilitate the identification of such potential chemopreventive agents. Colon cancer is one of the highest incidence rates throughout the world and some evidences have indicated carotenoids as possible agents that decrease the risk of colorectal cancer. In the present study, we evaluate the activity of annatto (Bixa orellaria L.), a natural food colorant rich in carotenoid, on the formation of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) induced by dimethy1hydrazine (DMH) in rat colon. Further, we investigate, the effect of annatto on DMH-induced DNA damage, by the comet assay. Male Wistar rats were given s.c. injections of DMH (40 mg/kg body wt.) twice a week for 2 weeks to induce ACE They also received experimental diets containing annatto at 20, 200 or 1000 ppm for five 5 weeks before (pre-treatment), or 10 weeks after (post-treatment) DMH treatment. In both protocols the rats were sacrificed on week 15th. For the comet assay, the animals were fed with the same experimental diets for 2 weeks. Four hours before the sacrifice, the animals received an s.c. injection of DMH (40 mg/kg body wt.). Under such conditions, dietary administration of 1000 ppm annatto neither induce DNA damage in blood and colon cells nor aberrant crypt foci in rat distal colon. Conversely, annatto was successful in inhibiting the number of crypts/colon (animal), but not in the incidence of DMH-induced ACF, mainly when administered after DMH. However, no antigenotoxic effect was observed in colon cells. These findings suggest possible chemopreventive effects of annatto through their modulation of the cryptal cell proliferation but not at the initiation stage of colon carcinogenesis. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modifying effect of propolis on dimethylhydrazine-induced DNA damage but not colonic aberrant crypt foci in rats

Propolis is a honeybee product with several biological and therapeutic properties, including antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activities. The effects of an aqueous extract of propolis (AEP) were evaluated on the formation of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and DNA damage in the colon of male Wistar rats by the ACF and Comet assays, respectively. AEP was administered orally at 0.01%, 0.03%, 0.1%, and 0.3% in the drinking water, which resulted in doses of approximately 12, 34, 108, and 336 mg/kg body weight/day. Animals were also given a single subcutaneous injection of 40 mg/kg DMH and sacrificed 4 hr later for evaluating DNA damage, or 4 doses of 40 mg/kg DMH, administered 2 doses/week for 2 weeks, and sacrificed 12 weeks after the last injection for evaluating ACF development in the distal colon. Administration of AEP either simultaneously with or after the DMH treatment resulted in no statistically significant reduction of ACF. In contrast, 0.01%, 0.03%, and 0.3% AEP, given simultaneously with DMH, reduced DNA damage induction in the mid and distal colon. However, 0.3% AEP alone increased DNA damage in the colon. In conclusion, AEP had no effect on the formation of DMH-induced ACF in rat colon, but it modulated DMH-induced DNA damage in colon cells. Further investigations are recommended in order to establish the conditions under which propolis produces either protective or deleterious effects. (C) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Lack of Chemopreventive Activity of Agaricus blazei Mushroom on the Development of 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine-Induced Colonic Aberrant Crypt Foci in Rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Impaired cell volume regulation in intestinal crypt epithelia of cystic fibrosis mice.

Cystic fibrosis is a disease characterized by abnormalities in the epithelia of the lungs, intestine, salivary and sweat glands, liver, and reproductive systems, often as a result of inadequate hydration of their secretions. The primary defect in cystic fibrosis is the altered activity of a cAMP-activated Cl- channel, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) channel. However, it is not clear how a defect in the CFTR Cl- channel function leads to the observed pathological changes. Although much is known about the structural properties and regulation of the CFTR, little is known of its relationship to cellular functions other than the cAMP-dependent Cl- secretion. Here we report that cell volume regulation after hypotonic challenge is also defective in intestinal crypt epithelial cells isolated from CFTR -/- mutant mice. Moreover, the impairment of the regulatory volume decrease in CFTR -/- crypts appears to be related to the inability of a K+ conductance to provide a pathway for the exit of this cation during the volume adjustments. This provides evidence that the lack of CFTR protein may have additional consequences for the cellular function other than the abnormal cAMP-mediated Cl- secretion.

Pipkiiα Is Widely Expressed In Hematopoietic-derived Cells And May Play A Role In The Expression Of Alpha- And Gamma-globins In K562 Cells.

Characterized for the first time in erythrocytes, phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinases (PIP kinases) belong to a family of enzymes that generate various lipid messengers and participate in several cellular processes, including gene expression regulation. Recently, the PIPKIIα gene was found to be differentially expressed in reticulocytes from two siblings with hemoglobin H disease, suggesting a possible relationship between PIPKIIα and the production of globins. Here, we investigated PIPKIIα gene and protein expression and protein localization in hematopoietic-derived cells during their differentiation, and the effects of PIPKIIα silencing on K562 cells. PIPKIIα silencing resulted in an increase in α and γ globins and a decrease in the proliferation of K562 cells without affecting cell cycle progression and apoptosis. In conclusion, using a cell line model, we showed that PIPKIIα is widely expressed in hematopoietic-derived cells, is localized in their cytoplasm and nucleus, and is upregulated during erythroid differentiation. We also showed that PIPKIIα silencing can induce α and γ globin expression and decrease cell proliferation in K562 cells.

An Efficient Protocol For The Generation Of Monocyte Derived Dendritic Cells Using Serum-free Media For Clinical Applications In Post Remission Aml Patients.

Protocols for the generation of dendritic cells (DCs) using serum as a supplementation of culture media leads to reactions due to animal proteins and disease transmissions. Several types of serum-free media (SFM), based on good manufacture practices (GMP), have recently been used and seem to be a viable option. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of the differentiation, maturation, and function of DCs from Acute Myeloid Leukemia patients (AML), generated in SFM and medium supplemented with autologous serum (AS). DCs were analyzed by phenotype characteristics, viability, and functionality. The results showed the possibility of generating viable DCs in all the conditions tested. In patients, the X-VIVO 15 medium was more efficient than the other media tested in the generation of DCs producing IL-12p70 (p=0.05). Moreover, the presence of AS led to a significant increase of IL-10 by DCs as compared with CellGro (p=0.05) and X-Vivo15 (p=0.05) media, both in patients and donors. We concluded that SFM was efficient in the production of DCs for immunotherapy in AML patients. However, the use of AS appears to interfere with the functional capacity of the generated DCs.

Up-regulation Of Dnam-1 And Nkp30, Associated With Improvement Of Nk Cells Activation After Long-term Culture Of Mononuclear Cells From Patients With Ovarian Neoplasia.

This study aimed at evaluating the functional activation and activating receptors expression on resting, short- and long-term NK and NK-like T cells from blood of ovarian neoplasia patients. Blood from patients with adnexal benign alterations (n = 10) and ovarian cancer (grade I-IV n = 14) were collected after signed consent. Effector cells activation was evaluated by the expression of the CD107a molecule. Short-term culture was conducted overnight with IL-2 and long-term culture for 21 days, by a method designed to expand CD56(+) lymphocytes. Short-term culture significantly increased NK cells activation compared to resting NK cells (p<0.05), however, the long-term procedure supported an even higher increase (p<0.001). Resting NK-like T cells showed poor activation, which was not altered by the culture procedures. The long-term culture effectively increased the expression of the activating receptors on NK and NK-like T cells, either by increasing the number of cells expressing a given receptor and/or by up-regulating their expression intensity. As a conclusion, the long-term culture system employed, resulted in a high number of functional NK cells. The culture system was particularly efficient on the up-regulation of NKp30 and DNAM-1 receptors on NK cells.

Nanomolar Levels Of Pahs In Extracts From Urban Air Induce Mapk Signaling In Hepg2 Cells.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are common environmental pollutants that occur naturally in complex mixtures. Many of the adverse health effects of PAHs including cancer are linked to the activation of intracellular stress response signaling. This study has investigated intracellular MAPK signaling in response to PAHs in extracts from urban air collected in Stockholm, Sweden and Limeira, Brazil, in comparison to BP in HepG2 cells. Nanomolar concentrations of PAHs in the extracts induced activation of MEK4 signaling with down-stream increased gene expression of several important stress response mediators. Involvement of the MEK4/JNK pathway was confirmed using siRNA and an inhibitor of JNK signaling resulting in significantly reduced MAPK signaling transactivated by the AP-1 transcription factors ATF2 and c-Jun. ATF2 was also identified as a sensitive stress responsive protein with activation observed at extract concentrations equivalent to 0.1 nM BP. We show that exposure to low levels of environmental PAH mixtures more strongly activates these signaling pathways compared to BP alone suggesting effects due to interactions. Taken together, this is the first study showing the involvement of MEK4/JNK/AP-1 pathway in regulating the intracellular stress response after exposure to nanomolar levels of PAHs in environmental mixtures.