Structure–activity relationships and the cytotoxic effects of novel diterpenoid alkaloid derivatives against A549 human lung carcinoma cells

The cytotoxicity of three alkaloids from the roots of Aconitum yesoense var. macroyesoense as well as 36 semi-synthetic C20-diterpenoid atisine-type alkaloid derivatives against A549 human lung carcinoma cells was examined. Ten acylated alkaloid derivatives, pseudokobusine 11-veratroate (9), 11-anisoate (12), 6,11-dianisoate (14), 11-p-nitrobenzoate (18), 11,15-di-p-nitrobenzoate (22), 11-cinnamate (25) and 11-m-trifluoromethylbenzoate (27), and kobusine 11-p-trifluoromethylbenzoate (35), 11-m-trifluoromethylbenzoate (36) and 11,15-di-p-nitrobenzoate (39), exhibited cytotoxic activity, and 11,15-dianisoylpseudokobusine (16) was found to be the most potent cytotoxic agent. Their IC50 values against A549 cells ranged from 1.72 to 5.44 μM. In the occurrence of cytotoxic effects of atisine-type alkaloids, replacement by an acyl group at both C-11 and C-15 resulted in the enhancement of activity of the parent alkaloids compared to that from having hydroxy groups at this position, and the presence of a hydroxy group at the C-6 position was required for the cytotoxic effects. These acylated alkaloid derivatives inhibit cell growth through G1 arrest

DNA methylation status of REIC/Dkk-3 gene in human malignancies

The REIC (reduced expression in immortalized cells)/Dkk-3 is down-regulated in various cancers and considered to be a tumor suppressor gene. REIC/Dkk-3 mRNA has two isoforms (type-a,b). REIC type-a mRNA has shown to be a major transcript in various cancer cells, and its promoter activity was much stronger than that of type-b. In this study, we examined the methylation status of REIC/Dkk-3 type-a in a broad range of human malignancies. We examined REIC/Dkk-3 type-a methylation in breast cancers, non-small-cell lung cancers, gastric cancers, colorectal cancers, and malignant pleural mesotheliomas using a quantitative combined bisulfite restriction analysis assay and bisulfate sequencing. REIC/Dkk-3 type-a and type-b expression was examined using reverse transcriptional PCR. The relationships between the methylation and clinicopathological factors were analyzed. The rate of REIC/Dkk-3 type-a methylation ranged from 26.2 to 50.0% in the various primary tumors that were examined. REIC/Dkk-3 type-a methylation in breast cancer cells was significantly heavier than that in the other cell lines that we tested. REIC/Dkk-3 type-a methylation was inversely correlated with REIC/Dkk-3 type-a expression. There was a correlation between REIC/Dkk-3 type-a and type-b mRNA expression. REIC/Dkk-3 type-a expression was restored in MDA-MB-231 cells using 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment. We found that estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers were significantly more common among the methylated group than among the non-methylated group. REIC/Dkk-3 type-a methylation was frequently detected in a broad range of cancers and appeared to play a key role in silencing REIC/Dkk-3 type-a expression in these malignancies

A Common Polymorphism in the Promoter Region of the TNFSF4 Gene Is Associated with Lower Allele-Specific Expression and Risk of Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND: The TNFSF4/TNFRSF4 system, along with several other receptor-ligand pairs, is involved in the recruitment and activation of T-cells and is therefore tentatively implicated in atherosclerosis and acute coronary syndromes. We have previously shown that genetic variants in TNFSF4 are associated with myocardial infarction (MI) in women. This prompted functional studies of TNFSF4 expression. METHODS AND RESULTS: Based on a screening of the TNFSF4 genomic region, a promoter polymorphism (rs45454293) and a haplotype were identified, conceivably involved in gene regulation. The rs45454293T-allele, in agreement with the linked rs3850641G-allele, proved to be associated with increased risk of MI in women. Haplotype-specific chromatin immunoprecipitation of activated polymerase II, as a measure of transcriptional activity in vivo, suggested that the haplotype including the rs45454293 and rs3850641 polymorphisms is functionally important, the rs45454293T- and rs3850641G-alleles being associated with lower transcriptional activity in cells heterozygous for both polymorphisms. The functional role of rs45454293 on transcriptional levels of TNFSF4 was clarified by luciferase reporter assays, where the rs45454293T-allele decreased gene expression when compared with the rs45454293C-allele, while the rs3850641 SNP did not have any effect on TNFSF4 promoter activity. Electromobility shift assay showed that the rs45454293 polymorphism, but not rs3850641, affects the binding of nuclear factors, thus suggesting that the lower transcriptional activity is attributed to binding of one or more transcriptional repressor(s) to the T-allele. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that the TNFSF4 rs45454293T-allele is associated with lower TNFSF4 expression and increased risk of MI

The Response of the Prostate to Circulating Cholesterol: Activating Transcription Factor 3 (ATF3) as a Prominent Node in a Cholesterol-Sensing Network

Elevated circulating cholesterol is a systemic risk factor for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, however the manner in which the normal prostate responds to variations in cholesterol levels is poorly understood. In this study we addressed the molecular and cellular effects of elevated and suppressed levels of circulating cholesterol on the normal prostate. Integrated bioinformatic analysis was performed using DNA microarray data from two experimental formats: (1) ventral prostate from male mice with chronically elevated circulating cholesterol and (2) human prostate cells exposed acutely to cholesterol depletion. A cholesterol-sensitive gene expression network was constructed from these data and the transcription factor ATF3 was identified as a prominent node in the network. Validation experiments confirmed that elevated cholesterol reduced ATF3 expression and enhanced proliferation of prostate cells, while cholesterol depletion increased ATF3 levels and inhibited proliferation. Cholesterol reduction in vivo alleviated dense lymphomononuclear infiltrates in the periprostatic adipose tissue, which were closely associated with nerve tracts and blood vessels. These findings open new perspectives on the role of cholesterol in prostate health, and provide a novel role for ATF3, and associated proteins within a large signaling network, as a cholesterol-sensing mechanism

BAAV Transcytosis Requires an Interaction with β-1-4 Linked- Glucosamine and gp96

Cell surface carbohydrates play an important role in virus entry and intracellular trafficking. Bovine Adeno-Associated Virus (BAAV) uses plasma membrane gangliosides for transduction and infection. In addition, independent of the infectious pathway, BAAV also has the ability to pass through barrier epithelia and endothelia using a transcytosis pathway dependent upon the presence of cell surface carbohydrates. Thus, in order to better define the carbohydrate interactions that are necessary for BAAV infection or transcytosis, a glycan microarray composed of both natural and synthetic carbohydrates was probed with HA-tagged BAAV particles. This identified chitotriose, a trimer of β-1-4-linked N-acetyl glucosamine, as having an interaction with BAAV. Competition experiments showed that the BAAV interaction with this carbohydrate is not necessary for infection but is instead important in the transcytosis pathway. The β-1-4-linked N-acetyl glucosamine modification has been reported on gp96, a glycoprotein involved in the transcytosis of bacteria and toxins. Significantly, immunoprecipitation and competition experiments with an anti-gp96 antibody and a soluble form of gp96, respectively, showed this glycoprotein can also interact with BAAV to serve as a receptor for its transcytosis

Potent antitumor effects of combined therapy with a telomerase-specific, replication-competent adenovirus (OBP-301) and IL-2 in a mouse model of renal cell carcinoma

OBP-301 (a telomerase-specific, replication-competent adenovirus with hTERT promoter) was constructed in a previous study and it showed a strong anticancer effect by inducing cell lysis in human lung and prostate cancer cells. This study investigated the effectiveness of a combination therapy of OBP-301 and interleukin-2 (IL-2) in a mouse model of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The cell-killing effect of OBP-301 was confirmed in vitro in the RENCA cancer cells. In in vivo experiment, luciferase-expressing RENCA cells were implanted in the left kidney and lung of BALB/c mice to prepare the RCC metastatic model. The animals were randomly divided into four treatment groups: PBS, IL-2 alone, OBP-301 alone and the combination. The analyses of orthotopic tumor weight, lung metastasis and luciferin-stained tumor images 14 days after each treatment showed significant tumor growth inhibition in the combination group in comparison with that in the OBP-301- or IL-2-treated groups. In addition, the percentage of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) in the combination group was significantly suppressed in comparison with that in the PBS and single-agent treatment groups. The outcomes of this study suggest that tumor-specific oncolytic immunovirotherapy may become an attractive strategy for the treatment of human RCC

RNA interference approaches for treatment of HIV-1 infection

HIV/AIDS is a chronic and debilitating disease that cannot be cured with current antiretroviral drugs. While combinatorial antiretroviral therapy (cART) can potently suppress HIV-1 replication and delay the onset of AIDS, viral mutagenesis often leads to viral escape from multiple drugs. In addition to the pharmacological agents that comprise cART drug cocktails, new biological therapeutics are reaching the clinic. These include gene-based therapies that utilize RNA interference (RNAi) to silence the expression of viral or host mRNA targets that are required for HIV-1 infection and/or replication. RNAi allows sequence-specific design to compensate for viral mutants and natural variants, thereby drastically expanding the number of therapeutic targets beyond the capabilities of cART. Recent advances in clinical and preclinical studies have demonstrated the promise of RNAi therapeutics, reinforcing the concept that RNAi-based agents might offer a safe, effective, and more durable approach for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Nevertheless, there are challenges that must be overcome in order for RNAi therapeutics to reach their clinical potential. These include the refinement of strategies for delivery and to reduce the risk of mutational escape. In this review, we provide an overview of RNAi-based therapies for HIV-1, examine a variety of combinatorial RNAi strategies, and discuss approaches for ex vivo delivery and in vivo delivery