Involvement of Epigenetic Mechanisms in the Regulation of Secreted Phospholipase A2 Expressions in Jurkat Leukemia Cells

Epigenetic changes provide a frequent mechanism for transcriptional silencing of genes in cancer cells. We previously established that epigenetic mechanisms are important for control of group IIA phospholipase A2 (PLA2G2A) gene transcription in human DU-145 prostate cells. In this study, we analyzed the involvement of such mechanisms in the regulation of five sPLA2 isozymes and the M-type receptor of sPLA2 (sPLA2-R) in human leukemic Jurkat cells. These cells constitutively expressed sPLA2-IB, sPLA2-III, sPLA2-X, and sPLA2-R but not sPLA2-IIA and sPLA2-V. Transcription of sPLA2-IIA and sPLA2-V was, however, detected after exposure of cells to the DNA demethylating agent, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC). Expression of sPLA2-IIA was further enhanced by additional exposure to interferon-γ and blocked by inhibitors of specificity protein 1, nuclear factor κB, and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription-dependent pathways. Sequence analysis and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction of bisulfite-modified genomic DNA revealed two 5′-CpG sites (-111 and -82) in the sPLA2-IIA proximal promoter that were demethylated after 5-aza-dC treatment. These sites may be involved in the DNA binding of specificity protein 1 and other transcription factors. Similar findings after treatment of human U937 leukemia cells with 5-aza-dC indicate that this mechanism of PLA2G2A gene silencing is not restricted to Jurkat and DU-145 cells. These data establish that regulation of sPLA2-IIA and sPLA2-V in Jurkat and other cells involves epigenetic silencing by DNA hypermethylation

Differential Expression of Secretory Phospholipases A2 in Normal and Malignant Prostate Cell Lines: Regulation by Cytokines, Cell Signaling Pathways, and Epigenetic Mechanisms

Upregulation of group IIA phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-IIA) correlates with prostate tumor progression suggesting prooncogenic properties of this protein. Here, we report data on expression of three different sPLA2 isozymes (groups IIA, V, and X) in normal (PrEC) and malignant (DU-145, PC-3, and LNCaP) human prostate cell lines. All studied cell lines constitutively expressed sPLA2-X, whereas sPLA2-V transcripts were identified only in malignant cells. In contrast, no expression of sPLA2-IIA was found in PrEC and DU-145 cells, but it was constitutively expressed in LNCaP and PC-3 cells. Expression of sPLA2-IIA is upregulated in PC-3 and in PrEC cells by IFN-γ in a signal transducer and activator of transcription-1-dependent manner, but not in LNCaP cells. Additional signaling pathways regulating sPLA2-IIA expression include cAMP/protein kinase A, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, protein kinase C, Rho-kinase, and mitogen-activated/extracellular response protein kinase / extracellular signal-regulated kinase. No deletions were revealed in the sPLA2-IIA gene from DU-145 cells lacking the expression of sPLA2-IIA. Reexpression of sPLA2-IIA was induced by 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine demonstrating that DNA methylation is implicated in the regulation of sPLA2-II. Together, these data suggest that sPLA2-IIA and sPLA2-V, but not sPLA2-X, are differentially expressed in normal and malignant prostate cells under the control of proinflammatory cytokines; epigenetic mechanisms appear involved in the regulation of sPLA2-IIA expression, at least in DU-145 cells

A strategy for in-silico prediction of skin absorption in man.

For some time, in-silico models to address substance transport into and through the skin are gaining more and more importance in different fields of science and industry. In particular, the mathematical prediction of in-vivo skin absorption is of great interest to overcome ethical and economical issues. The presented work outlines a strategy to address this problem and in particular, investigates in-vitro and in-vivo skin penetration experiments of the model compound flufenamic acid solved in an ointment by means of a mathematical model. Experimental stratum corneum concentration-depth profiles (SC-CDP) for various time intervals using two different in-vitro systems (Franz diffusion cell, Saarbruecken penetration model) were examined and simulated with the help of a highly optimized three compartment numerical diffusion model and compared to the findings of SC-CDPs of the in-vivo scenario. Fitted model input parameters (diffusion coefficient and partition coefficient with respect to the stratum corneum) for the in-vitro infinite dose case could be used to predict the in-use conditions in-vitro. Despite apparent differences in calculated partition coefficients between in-vivo and in-vitro studies, prediction of in-vivo scenarios from input parameters calculated from the in-vitro case yielded reasonable results