Expression of biomarkers modulating prostate cancer angiogenesis: Differential expression of annexin II in prostate carcinomas from India and USA

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) incidences vary with genetic, geographical and ethnic dietary background of patients while angiogenesis is modulated through exquisite interplay of tumor-stromal interactions of biological macromolecules. We hypothesized that comprehensive analysis of four biomarkers modulating angiogenesis in PCa progression in two diverse populations might explain the variance in the incidence rates. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical analysis of 42 PCa biopsies reveals that though Anx-II expression is lost in both the Indian and American population with Gleason scores (GS) ranging between 6 and 10, up to 25 % of cells in the entire high grade (GS > 8) PD PCa samples from US show intense focal membrane staining for Anx-II unlike similarly graded specimens from India. Consistent with this observation, the prostate cancer cell lines PC-3, DU-145 and MDA PCa 2A, but not LNCaP-R, LNCAP-UR or MDA PCa 2B cell lines, express Anx-II. Transcriptional reactivation of Anx-II gene with Aza-dC could not entirely account for loss of Anx-II protein in primary PCa. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was moderately expressed in most of high grade PIN and some MD PCa and surrounding stroma. COX-2 was not expressed in PD PCa (GS ~7–10), while adjacent smooth muscles cells stained weakly positive. Decorin expression was observed only in high grade PIN but not in any of the prostate cancers, atrophy or BPH while stromal areas of BPH stained intensively for DCN and decreased with advancing stages of PCa. Versican expression was weak in most of the MD PCa, moderate in all of BPH, moderately focal in PD PC, weak and focal in PIN, atrophy and adjacent stroma. CONCLUSIONS: Expression of pro- and anti-angiogenic modulators changes with stage of PCa but correlates with angiogenic status. Focal membrane staining of Anx-II reappears in high grade PCa specimens only from US indicating differential expression of Anx-II. COX-2 stained stronger in American specimens compared to Indian specimens. The sequential expression of DCN and VCN in progressive stages was similar in specimens from India and USA indicating no population-based differences. The mechanistic and regulatory role of Anx-II in PCa progression warrants further investigation

Hepatoprotective activity of Cayratia trifolia (L.) domin against nitrobenzene induced hepatotoxicity

The hepatoprotective activity of ethanolic extract of the whole plant of Cayratia trifolia (L.) Domin was evaluated against nitrobenzene (NB) (50 mg/Kg bw, orally) induced hepatic damage in rats. The extract at the dose of 200 mg/kg body weight were administered orally once every day for 7 successive days. The treatment restores the elevated levels of the liver marker enzymes such as alanine amino transferase, aspartate amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase in serum and lipid peroxidation in tissue homogenate. Whereas the antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase remains decreased in carcinogen induced group and after treatment the levels of antioxidant enzymes increased. Histopathological analysis of the NB induced animals showed severe necrosis and fatty infiltration in liver. After treatment with C. trifolia the rats showed regeneration of hepatocytes. The results thus support the use of C. trifolia as a hepatoprotective agent.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Casodex treatment induces hypoxia-related gene expression in the LNCaP prostate cancer progression model

BACKGROUND: The changes in gene expression profile as prostate cancer progresses from an androgen-dependent disease to an androgen-independent disease are still largely unknown. METHODS: We examined the gene expression profile in the LNCaP prostate cancer progression model during chronic treatment with Casodex using cDNA microarrays consisting of 2305 randomly chosen genes. RESULTS: Our studies revealed a representative collection of genes whose expression was differentially regulated in LNCaP cells upon treatment with Casodex. A set of 15 genes were shown to be highly expressed in Casodex-treated LNCaP cells compared to the reference sample. This set of highly expressed genes represents a signature collection unique to prostate cancer since their expression was significantly greater than that of the collective pool of ten cancer cell lines of the reference sample. The highly expressed signature collection included the hypoxia-related genes membrane metallo-endopeptidase (MME), cyclin G2, and Bcl2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa (BNIP3). Given the roles of these genes in angiogenesis, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis, we further analyzed their expression and concluded that these genes may be involved in the molecular changes that lead to androgen-independence in prostate cancer. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that one of the mechanisms of Casodex action in prostate cancer cells is induction of hypoxic gene expression