scholarly journals Ultrasound-Stimulated Microbubbles Enhance Radiosensitization of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 1530-1542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Deng ◽  
Yanxia Cai ◽  
Qian Feng ◽  
Xiaoyan Wang ◽  
Wenhong Tian ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Recent studies indicate that therapies targeting the vasculature can significantly sensitize tumors to radiation. Ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles (USMBs) are regarded as a promising radiosensitizer. In this study, we investigated the effect of USMBs on the sensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) to radiation. Methods: Human NPC (CNE-2) cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed to radiation (0, 2, and 8 Gy) alone or in combination with USMBs. Cell viability and apoptosis were measured with the MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The angiogenic activity of HUVECs was detected using matrigel tubule formation. The in vitro effects induced by these treatments were confirmed in vivo with xenograft models of CNE-2 cells in nude mice by examining vascular integrity using color Doppler flow imaging and cell survival using immunohistochemistry. Additionally, the in vivo and in vitro expressions of angiotensin II (ANG II) and its receptor (AT1R) were detected by immunohistochemistry and western blotting, respectively. With CNE-2 cells and HUVECs transfected with control, ANG II, or AT1R, perindopril (an inhibitor of angiotensin-converting enzyme) and candesartan (an inhibitor of AT1R) were used to verify the role of ANG II and AT1R in the radiosensitivity of tumor and endothelial cells by USMBs, by determining cell viability and apoptosis and angiogenic activity. Results: In the NPC xenografts, USMBs slightly reduced blood flow and CD34 expression, increased tumor cell death and ANG II and AT1R expression, and significantly enhanced the effects of radiation. With CNE-2 cells and HUVECs, the USMBs further enhanced the inhibition of tumor cell viability and endothelial tubule formation and further enhanced the increase in ANG II and AT1R due to radiation. Furthermore, perindopril and candesartan significantly enhanced the inhibitory effect of radiation and USMBs on tumor cell growth and angiogenesis in vitro. Conclusions: We have demonstrated for the first time that USMB exposure can significantly enhance the destructive effect on NPC of radiation, and this effect might be further increased by ANG II and AT1R inhibition. Our findings suggest that USMBs can be used as a promising sensitizer of radiotherapy to treat NPC, and the clinical effect might be increased by ANG II and AT1R inhibition.

Biomedicines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary I. Stryker ◽  
Mehdi Rajabi ◽  
Paul J. Davis ◽  
Shaker A. Mousa

Angiogenesis assays allow for the evaluation of pro- or anti-angiogenic activity of endogenous or exogenous factors (stimulus or inhibitors) through investigation of their pro-or anti- proliferative, migratory, and tube formation effects on endothelial cells. To model the process of angiogenesis and the effects of biomolecules on that process, both in vitro and in vivo methods are currently used. In general, in vitro methods monitor specific stages in the angiogenesis process and are used for early evaluations, while in vivo methods more accurately simulate the living microenvironment to provide more pertinent information. We review here the current state of angiogenesis assays as well as their mechanisms, advantages, and limitations.


RSC Advances ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (40) ◽  
pp. 22921-22930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kongpeng Lv ◽  
Qin Ren ◽  
Xingyan Zhang ◽  
Keda Zhang ◽  
Jia Fei ◽  
...  

Pro-angiogenic activity of astilbin on endothelial cells in vitro and zebrafish in vivo.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaotian Sun ◽  
James M. Angelastro ◽  
David Merino ◽  
Qing Zhou ◽  
Markus D. Siegelin ◽  
...  

Abstract Survivin (BIRC5, product of the BIRC5 gene) is highly expressed in many tumor types and has been widely identified as a potential target for cancer therapy. However, effective anti-survivin drugs remain to be developed. Here we report that both vector-delivered and cell-penetrating dominant-negative (dn) forms of the transcription factor ATF5 that promote selective death of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo cause survivin depletion in tumor cell lines of varying origins. dn-ATF5 decreases levels of both survivin mRNA and protein. The depletion of survivin protein appears to be driven at least in part by enhanced proteasomal turnover and depletion of the deubiquitinase USP9X. Survivin loss is rapid and precedes the onset of cell death triggered by dn-ATF5. Although survivin downregulation is sufficient to drive tumor cell death, survivin over-expression does not rescue cancer cells from dn-ATF5-promoted apoptosis. This indicates that dn-ATF5 kills malignant cells by multiple mechanisms that include, but are not limited to, survivin depletion. Cell-penetrating forms of dn-ATF5 are currently being developed for potential therapeutic use and the present findings suggest that they may pose an advantage over treatments that target only survivin.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 113 (23) ◽  
pp. 5927-5937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Encouse B. Golden ◽  
Philip Y. Lam ◽  
Adel Kardosh ◽  
Kevin J. Gaffney ◽  
Enrique Cadenas ◽  
...  

Abstract The anticancer potency of green tea and its individual components is being intensely investigated, and some cancer patients already self-medicate with this “miracle herb” in hopes of augmenting the anticancer outcome of their chemotherapy. Bortezomib (BZM) is a proteasome inhibitor in clinical use for multiple myeloma. Here, we investigated whether the combination of these compounds would yield increased antitumor efficacy in multiple myeloma and glioblastoma cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Unexpectedly, we discovered that various green tea constituents, in particular (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and other polyphenols with 1,2-benzenediol moieties, effectively prevented tumor cell death induced by BZM in vitro and in vivo. This pronounced antagonistic function of EGCG was evident only with boronic acid–based proteasome inhibitors (BZM, MG-262, PS-IX), but not with several non–boronic acid proteasome inhibitors (MG-132, PS-I, nelfinavir). EGCG directly reacted with BZM and blocked its proteasome inhibitory function; as a consequence, BZM could not trigger endoplasmic reticulum stress or caspase-7 activation, and did not induce tumor cell death. Taken together, our results indicate that green tea polyphenols may have the potential to negate the therapeutic efficacy of BZM and suggest that consumption of green tea products may be contraindicated during cancer therapy with BZM.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Keramidas ◽  
J. Lavaud ◽  
F. Sergent ◽  
P. Hoffmann ◽  
S. Brouillet ◽  
...  

Angiogenesis is a key process for proper placental development and for the success of pregnancy. Although numerousin vitromethods have been developed for the assessment of this process, relatively few reliablein vivomethods are available to evaluate this activity throughout gestation. Here we report anin vivotechnique that specifically measures placental neovascularization. The technique is based on the measurement of a fluorescent alphavbeta 3 (αvβ3) integrin-targeting molecule called Angiolone-Alexa-Fluor 700. Theαvβ3integrin is highly expressed by endothelial cells during the neovascularization and by trophoblast cells during their invasion of the maternal decidua. Angiolone was injected to gravid mice at 6.5 and 11.5 days post coitus (dpc). The fluorescence was analyzed one day later at 7.5 and 12.5 dpc, respectively. We demonstrated that (i) Angiolone targetsαvβ3protein in the placenta with a strong specificity, (ii) this technique is quantitative as the measurement was correlated to the increase of the placental size observed with increasing gestational age, and (iii) information on the outcome is possible, as abnormal placentation could be detected early on during gestation. In conclusion, we report the validation of a new noninvasive and quantitative method to assess the placental angiogenic activity,in vivo.


2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul Rai ◽  
Asish K Ghosh ◽  
Layton H Smith ◽  
Douglas E Vaughan

Background: Apelinergic signaling is a recently discovered GPCR mediated pathway. Endothelial cells are the main source of endogenous apelin (apln) while apelin receptor (aplnr) is present on multiple cell types. Since the role of endogenous apelinergic pathway within the context of senescence is largely unknown, we ask if levels of apln- aplnr vary with aging. We also investigate the effects of downregulated apln- aplnr on cellular and organismal aging. Approach and Results: To assess variations in endogenous apln- aplnr with aging, we compared their levels in 1 month (young) and 1 year old (old) WT mice. We noticed significant downregulation of apln- aplnr with chronological senescence in multiple tissues. Expression of apelin was also reduced with replicative senescence of endothelial cells. L-NAME administration, a model of stress induced senescence, also repressed aortic and cardiac apln. To address the mechanism involved in downregulation of apln- aplnr, we administered young wild type mice with Ang II. After a week of Ang II, there was significant downregulation of aortic apln and aplnr. Ang II and TGF-β also repressed apln and aplnr in vitro . Next we investigated the effects of downregulated apln on endothelial cells. In response to shRNA mediated apelin knockdown, cells exhibited slower proliferation and upregulated senescence associated markers. We observed similar results when endothelial aplnr was blocked with an antagonist, ML221. In addition, apln and aplnr deficient mice also exhibited features of cardiovascular aging, including ventricular hypertrophy and lower EF. Importantly, aplnr deficient mice at eight months of age were also hypertensive. Conclusion: We provide a systematic assessment of senescence associated variation in levels of apln- aplnr. We demonstrate the role of Ang II- TGF-β axis in downregulating apln- aplnr during chronological and stress induced senescence in vivo and in vitro . We propose a novel model of Ang II- TGF-β induced senescence. Where in, with aging Ang II and TGF-β repress endogenous apln- aplnr. Downregulation of endogenous apln- aplnr axis decreases beneficial “youthful” effects of apelin, resulting in endothelial dysfunction and accelerated organismal aging.


Author(s):  
Mariko Oba ◽  
Shuichiro Yano ◽  
Tsuyoshi Shuto ◽  
Mary Suico ◽  
Ayaka Eguma ◽  
...  

Blood ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
pp. 1810-1817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annemie Collen ◽  
Roeland Hanemaaijer ◽  
Florea Lupu ◽  
Paul H. A. Quax ◽  
Natascha van Lent ◽  
...  

Adult angiogenesis, associated with pathologic conditions, is often accompanied by the formation of a fibrinous exudate. This temporary matrix consists mainly of fibrin but is intermingled with plasma proteins and collagen fibers. The formation of capillary structures in a fibrinous matrix in vivo was mimicked by an in vitro model, in which human microvascular endothelial cells (hMVECs) seeded on top of a fibrin-10% collagen matrix form capillarylike tubular structures after stimulation with basic fibroblast growth factor/tumor necrosis factor α (bFGF/TNF-α) or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/TNF-α. In the fibrin-collagen matrix the metalloproteinase inhibitor BB94 inhibited tubule formation by 70% to 80%. Simultaneous inhibition of plasmin and metalloproteinases by aprotinin and BB94 caused a nearly complete inhibition of tubule formation. Adenoviral transduction of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1) and TIMP-3 into endothelial cells revealed that TIMP-3 markedly inhibited angiogenesis, whereas TIMP-1 had only a minor effect. Immunohistochemical analysis showed the presence of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), MMP-2, and membrane-type 1 (MT1)–MMP, whereas MMP-9 was absent. The endothelial production of these MMPs was confirmed by antigen assays and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). MT1-MMP mRNA was markedly increased in endothelial cells under conditions that induced tubular structures. The presence of MMP-1, MMP-2, and MT1-MMP was also demonstrated in vivo in the newly formed vessels of a recanalized arterial mural thrombus. These data suggest that MMPs, in particular MT-MMPs, play a pivotal role in the formation of capillarylike tubular structures in a collagen-containing fibrin matrix in vitro and may be involved in angiogenesis in a fibrinous exudate in vivo.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Flaviu Bulat ◽  
Friederike Hesse ◽  
De-En Hu ◽  
Susana Ros ◽  
Connor Willminton-Holmes ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Trialing novel cancer therapies in the clinic would benefit from imaging agents that can detect early evidence of treatment response. The timing, extent and distribution of cell death in tumors following treatment can give an indication of outcome. We describe here an 18F-labeled derivative of a phosphatidylserine-binding protein, the C2A domain of Synaptotagmin-I (C2Am), for imaging tumor cell death in vivo using PET. Methods A one-pot, two-step automated synthesis of N-(5-[18F]fluoropentyl)maleimide (60 min synthesis time, > 98% radiochemical purity) has been developed, which was used to label the single cysteine residue in C2Am within 30 min at room temperature. Binding of 18F-C2Am to apoptotic and necrotic tumor cells was assessed in vitro, and also in vivo, by dynamic PET and biodistribution measurements in mice bearing human tumor xenografts treated with a TRAILR2 agonist or with conventional chemotherapy. C2Am detection of tumor cell death was validated by correlation of probe binding with histological markers of cell death in tumor sections obtained immediately after imaging. Results 18F-C2Am showed a favorable biodistribution profile, with predominantly renal clearance and minimal retention in spleen, liver, small intestine, bone and kidney, at 2 h following probe administration. 18F-C2Am generated tumor-to-muscle (T/m) ratios of 6.1 ± 2.1 and 10.7 ± 2.4 within 2 h of probe administration in colorectal and breast tumor models, respectively, following treatment with the TRAILR2 agonist. The levels of cell death (CC3 positivity) following treatment were 12.9–58.8% and 11.3–79.7% in the breast and colorectal xenografts, respectively. Overall, a 20% increase in CC3 positivity generated a one unit increase in the post/pre-treatment tumor contrast. Significant correlations were found between tracer uptake post-treatment, at 2 h post-probe administration, and histological markers of cell death (CC3: Pearson R = 0.733, P = 0.0005; TUNEL: Pearson R = 0.532, P = 0.023). Conclusion The rapid clearance of 18F-C2Am from the blood pool and low kidney retention allowed the spatial distribution of cell death in a tumor to be imaged during the course of therapy, providing a rapid assessment of tumor treatment response. 18F-C2Am has the potential to be used in the clinic to assess early treatment response in tumors.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document