Iris pigment epithelial cyst induced by topical administration of latanoprost.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M T Kuo.
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Overexpression of multidrug resistance genes and their encoded P-glycoproteins is a major mechanism for the development of multidrug resistance in cancer cells. The hepatocarcinogen 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) efficiently activates rat mdr1b expression. However, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that a NF-kappa B site on the mdr1b promoter was required for this induction. Overexpression of antisense p65 and I kappa B alpha partially abolished the induction. We then delineated the pathway through which 2-AAF activates NF-kappa B. 2-AAF treatment led to the increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) which causes activation of IKK kinases, degradation of I kappa B beta (but not I kappa B alpha), and increase in NF-kappa B DNA binding activity. Consistent with the idea that ROS may participate in mdr1b regulation, antioxidant N-acetylcysteine inhibited the induction of mdr1b by 2-AAF. Overproduction of a physiological antioxidant glutathione (GSH) blocked the activation of IKK kinase complex and NF-kappa B DNA binding. Based on these results, we conclude that 2-AAF up-regulates mdr1b through the generation of ROS, activation of IKK kinase, degradation of I kappa B beta, and subsequent activation of NF-kappa B. This is the first report that reveals the specific cis-elements and signaling pathway responsible for the induction of mdr1b by the chemical carcinogen 2-AAF.
Treatment of human colorectal cancer cells HT29 with interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) induces expression of the multidrug resistance protein (MRP1) gene encoding the ATP-dependent glutathione S-conjugate export (GS-X) pump and the gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCSh) gene encoding heavy (catalytic) subunit of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, the rate-limiting enzyme for the biosynthesis of glutathione (GSH). The induction can be suppressed by N(G)-methyl-L-arginine, a specific inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). These results suggest that IL-1beta-mediated MRP1 and gamma-GCSh induction involve nitric oxide (NO) -related signaling. Further supports to the involvement of NO in the induction of MRP1 and gamma-GCSh expression are made by the following observations. (i) Expression of MRP1 and gamma-GCSh genes were induced by treating the cells with NO donors, i.e., S-nitro-N-acetyl-D,L-penicillamide (SNAP) and S-nitroso-L-glutathione, in a concentration-dependent manner. (ii) Ectopic expression of inducible NOS (iNOS) activity by transfecting expressible recombinant iNOS cDNA encoding functional iNOS but not the nonfunctional version resulted in elevated expression of MRP1 and gamma-GCSh. We also demonstrated that HT-29 cells treated with either 1L-1beta or SNAP induced ceramide production, and addition of C2 or C6 ceramides into cultured HT-29 cells resulted in induction of gamma-GCSh but not MRP1 expression. Collectively, our results demonstrate that induction of MRP1 and gamma-GCSh by IL-1beta is regulated, at least in part, by an NO-related signaling, and induction of gamma-GCSh is by NO-related ceramide signaling.
Recent studies have shown that expression levels of the multidrug resistance gene MDR1, which encodes the drug transporter P-glycoprotein, correlate with prognostic outcomes of certain tumor types. These findings suggest that expression of MDR1 may affect tumor behaviors. To address this issue further, we investigated the expression of mdr1a, a human MDR1 homolog, on the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in a transgenic mouse model carrying the liver-targeted expression of human hepatitis-B virus (HBV) surface antigen. The pathogenetic program was compared in HBV mice carrying either mdr1a(+/+) or mdr1a(-/-). We found that the expressions of proliferative activity markers, Ki67 nuclear antigen, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen were elevated in mdr1a(-/-) mice younger than 10 wk in comparison with those in the same age group of wild-type animals. Replication in the hepatic population as determined by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation tended to support observation that mdr1a(-/-) mice exhibited elevated labeling indices in this age group. Moreover, histologic staining and flow-cytometric analysis showed that the mdr1a(-/-) animals exhibited a higher cell population with polyploidy than did the mdr1a(+/+) counterparts of the same age. However, no significant differences in the expression of the liver-injury markers serum alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase were observed. Although our results showed that absence of mdr1a expression is correlated with modest enhanced proliferative characteristics in the livers at stage before the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, the overall life spans between these two strains of mice were not significantly different. The implication of these findings to the role of P-glycoprotein in tumor development and cancer chemotherapy is discussed.
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The ATP-binding cassette transmembrane proteins play an important role in transport of drugs as well as of biologically active endogenous substances. The human multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) subfamily consists of at least six members, exhibiting a wide spectrum of biological functions. MRP1 operates as an ATP-dependent primary active transporter for substrates conjugated with glucuronide, sulfate or glutathione. Leukotriene C4 is an important endogenous substrate for MRP1. Glutathione serves as a cofactor in MRP1-mediated drug transport as well. Genes encoding both MRP1 and the catalytic subunit of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) are coordinately regulated in cultured cancer cell lines as well as colorectal cancer tissues from colon cancer patients. The induction of MRP1 and gamma-GCS expression by oxidative stress varies among different cell lines, and p53 mutations are associated with elevated levels of induction. To modulate the transport function of MRP1, we have synthesized novel glutathione derivatives as photoreactive biochemical probes targeting the transporter protein. GIF-0019 restored the cellular sensitivity of MRP1-overexpressing drug-resistant cancer cells to anticancer prostaglandins in vitro, which was characterized by enhanced mRNA levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21, suppressed c-myc expression and G1 arrest.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a highly pleiotropic cytokine whose activity is at least partially regulated by the redox status of the cell. The cellular redox status is controlled primarily by glutathione, a major cellular antioxidant, whose synthesis is regulated by the rate-limiting enzyme gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS). In the present report we investigated the effect of gamma-GCS overexpression on the TNF-induced activation of nuclear transcription factors NF-kappa B and AP-1, stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) and apoptosis. Transfection of cells with gamma-GCS cDNA blocked TNF-induced NF-kappa B activation, cytoplasmic I kappa B alpha degradation, nuclear translocation of p65, and NF-kappa B-dependent gene transcription. gamma-GCS overexpression also completely suppressed NF-kappa B activation induced by phorbol ester and okadaic acid, whereas that induced by H2O2, ceramide, and lipopolysaccharide was minimally affected. gamma-GCS also abolished the activation of AP-1 induced by TNF and inhibited TNF-induced activation of JNK and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase. TNF-mediated cytotoxicity and activation of caspase-3 were both abrogated in gamma-GCS-overexpressing cells. Overall, our results indicate that most of the pleiotropic actions of TNF are regulated by the glutathione-controlled redox status of the cell.
Expression of the MRP1 gene encoding the GS-X pump and of the gamma-GCSh gene encoding the heavy (catalytic) subunit of the gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase is frequently elevated in many drug-resistant cell lines and can be co-induced by many cytotoxic agents. However, mechanisms that regulate the expression of these genes remain to be elucidated. We report here that like gamma-GCSh, the expression of MRP1 can be induced in cultured cells treated with pro-oxidants such as tert-butylhydroquinone, 2,3-dimethoxy-1, 4-naphthoquinone, and menadione. Intracellular reactive oxygen intermediate (ROI) levels were increased in hepatoma cells treated with tert-butylhydroquinone for 2 h as measured by flow cytometry using an ROI-specific probe, dihydrorhodamine 123. Elevated GSH levels in stably gamma-GCSh-transfected cell lines down-regulated endogenous MRP1 and gamma-GCSh expression. ROI levels in these transfected cells were lower than those in the untransfected control. In the cell lines in which depleting cellular GSH pools did not affect the expression of the MRP1 and gamma-GCSh genes, only minor increased intracellular levels of ROIs were observed. These results suggest that intracellular ROI levels play an important role in the regulation of MRP1 and gamma-GCSh expression. Our data also suggest that elevated intracellular GSH levels not only facilitate substrate transport by the MRP1/GS-X pump as previously demonstrated, but also suppress MRP1 and gamma-GCSh expression.
It has been well established that DNA amplification is one of the important mechanisms by which cultured cells acquire resistance to many cytotoxic compounds. Amplification of important genes including those encoding oncoproteins, growth factors, their receptors and cell-cycle regulators has been reported in human neoplasms. Yet, despite intensive research since the first description of DNA amplification in cultured cells about 20 years ago, the mechanisms of DNA amplification remain largely unknown. Many models have been proposed to account for the diverse manifestations of amplified DNA in many different cell sources. It is not the intention of this commentary to review these many different models. Rather, we wil focus on the recent advances in this area of research, made mainly via the fluorescence in situ hybridization technique, that have revealed a fairly common chromosomal manifestation of amplified DNA in the drug-resistant hamster cell lines and have demonstrated the association of chromosomal fragile site breakage with early events in DNA amplification. These new developments underscore the importance of future research toward understanding the molecular bases of chromosomal fragile sites, including mechanisms involved in DNA strand breakage and repair, chromosomal translocations, and deletions, which may, in turn, provide important new insights into genomic plasticity and neoplastic transformation.
Overexpression of the multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP1) gene encoding a human GS-X pump in cultured cells resulted in increased cellular resistance to antitumor agents, including doxorubicin (Dox) and daunomycin (Dau), as well as certain heavy metals. However, studies with membrane vesicles prepared from the resistant cells revealed that Dox and Dau are poor substrates for the transport mediated by MRP/GS-X pump, suggesting that metabolic modifications of these drugs might be required for the transport. To test this hypothesis, we prepared four glutathione conjugates by linking the cysteine residue of GSH to Dox and Dau at eitehr the C-7 or C-14 position. The affinity of the synthesized conjugates toward MRP/GS-X pump was examined in the LTC4 transport assay using membrane vesicles prepared from an MRP1 gene-overexpressing cell line, SR3A. Unconjugated Dox and Dau failed to inhibit the transport of LTC4, whereas 30 microM GS-Dox or GS-Dau conjugates completely inhibited the transport. Kinetic analyses revealed that the inhibition by these GS-conjugates is competitive with Ki values ranging from 60 to 200 nM, suggesting that these compounds have high affinities toward MRP/GS-X pump and share the common binding site(s) with LTC4. Our present results support the hypothesis that glutathionation can facilitate the transport of anthracyclines by the MRP/GS-X pump.
The expression of P-glycoproteins encoded by the mdr gene family is associated with the emergence of the multidrug resistance phenotype in animal cells. mdr expression can be induced by many extracellular stimulants including cytotoxic drugs and chemical carcinogens. However, little is known about the mechanisms involved. Here, we report that the expression of the rat mdr1b can be induced by anticancer drug daunorubicin. Further analysis identified a bona fide p53-binding site spanning from base pairs -199 to -180 (5'-GAACATGTAGAGACATGTCT-3') in the rat mdr1b promoter that is essential for basal and daunorubicin-inducible promoter activities. In addition, our results show that wild-type p53 can up-regulate not only the promoter function but also endogenous expression of the rat mdr1b. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing that a specific p53-binding site is involved in the transcriptional regulation of mdr gene by wild-type p53. Since p53 is a sensor for a wide variety of genotoxic stresses, our finding has broad implications for understanding the mechanisms involved in the inducible expression of mdr gene by anticancer drugs, chemical carcinogens, UV light, and other DNA-damaging agents.
Expression of the multidrug-resistance protein gene MRP, which confers non-P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance, has been found in many drug-resistant variants and tumor samples. Recent studies have demonstrated that MRP functions as an ATP-dependent transporter functionally related to the previously described glutathione-conjugate (GS-X) pump. We have shown recently that the MRP and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) heavy subunit mRNA levels are coordinately overexpressed in cisplatin (CP)-resistant human leukemia cells (Ishikawa et al., J Biol Chem 271: 14981-14988, 1996) and frequently co-elevated in human colorectal tumors (Kuo et al., Cancer Res 56: 3642-3644, 1996). In the present study, we showed the coexpression patterns of thirteen additional human drug-resistant cell lines representing different tumor cell origins selected with different agents, except for one doxorubicin-selected line which demonstrated minor elevation in MRP mRNA with no detectable increase in gamma-GCS mRNA, suggesting that the increase of MRP mRNA preceded the increase in gamma-GCS mRNA. Furthermore, in seventeen randomly selected untreated tumor cell lines, the overall correlation coefficient between MRP and gamma-GCS mRNA levels was 0.861. In normal mice, the correlation coefficient of mrp and gamma-gcs mRNA was 0.662 in fourteen tissues (kidney and liver were not included) analyzed. Kidney and liver expressed low levels of mrp relative to gamma-gcs; however, these two tissues expressed high levels of a functionally related mrp homologue, mrp2 (cMoat or cMrp), which may have compensated for the underexpressed mrp in maintaining the total GS-X pump activities. Altogether, these results demonstrated the frequent coexpression of these two genes in various cell settings.
Treatment of human glioma A172 cells with 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea (ACNU), an alkylating antitumor agent the primary target of which has been thought to be DNA, resulted in elevated expression of mRNA for multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) within the first 2 h and then a decrease in expression 24 h after the treatment. Western blot analyses revealed that levels of MRP in these ACNU-treated cells paralleled mRNA levels. Membrane vesicles prepared from ACNU-treated cells also displayed elevated transport activities for leukotriene C4, a known substrate for MRP. Gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) mRNA expression was coinduced with MRP by ACNU. Because gamma-GCS is the rate-limiting enzyme involved in the de novo biosynthesis of glutathione, increases in glutathione were also transiently induced by ACNU. These results demonstrate for the first time that the expression of functional MRP and gamma-GCS can be transiently coinduced by ACNU. Multiple short exposures (1 h) of ACNU following a long duration (1 week) of drug-free conditions resulted in the development of an ACNU-resistant population (designated A172R) that overexpressed MRP/gamma-GCS mRNA and had elevated transport activities for leukotriene C4. A172R exhibited cross-resistance to the antitumor drug doxorubicin and heavy metal sodium arsenate but not to cisplatin. Our results also demonstrate that intermittent treatments of human glioma cells with ACNU can lead to the development of MRP-related multidrug resistance. These results, taken together, reveal a possible new mechanism of the development of drug resistance for the antitumor nitrosoureas.
Treatment of human glioma A172 cells with 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl) methyl-3-(2-chloroethy-3-nitrosourea (ACNU) for 2 to 4 hr resulted in a 2- to 3-fold increase in steady-state levels of multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) mRNA. Nuclear run-on assays revealed a less than 0.5-fold increase in transcription rates of these genes under the same treatment conditions, suggesting that posttranscriptional regulation plays an important role for the increased mRNA levels. In the absence of ACNU, rates of MRP and gamma-GCS mRNA degradation were similar in A172 cells as determined by incubating cells with the RNase inhibitor, Actinomycin D. ACNU treatments resulted in increased MRP mRNA stability. Induction of MRP and gamma-GCS mRNA by ACNU apparently did not require de novo protein synthesis as determined by the use of protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX). However, CHX alone could induce accumulation of gamma-GCS mRNA, also by posttranscriptional mechanism. Taken together, these results demonstrate that (i) posttranscriptional regulation is primarily involved in the induction of MRP and gamma-GCS expression by ACNU and CHX in human glioma cells; and (ii) despite the fact that these two genes have been reported to be frequently co-expressed, their responses to the treatments of RNA and protein synthesis inhibitors are not the same.
The expression of P-glycoproteins encoded by the mdr gene family is associated with the emergence of multidrug resistance phenotype in animal cells. However, the mechanisms controlling the expression of these genes have not been well elucidated. Here, we report that the expression of rat mdr1b gene in cultured H-4-II-E hepatoma cells can be induced by insulin. Transient transfection assays using reporter gene constructs containing various 5' mdr1b sequences showed that the sequence located between base pairs -243 and -163 is important for insulin's induction of mdr1b promoter activity. Further analyses revealed that a NF-kappaB-binding site (located between base pairs -167 and -158) is required for insulin-induced promoter activity. Gel mobility shift assay demonstrated that insulin stimulates the binding of nuclear p50/p65 subunits to the mdr1b NF-kappaB sequence. Cotransfection of plasmids expressing either the p50/p65 NF-kappaB subunits or Raf-1 kinase or both resulted in increased expression of the gene containing wild-type but not NF-kappaB site-mutated mdr1b promoter. Finally, expression of either the antisense p65 subunit of NF-kappaB or dominant negative Raf-1 kinase blocked insulin's induction of the mdr1b promoter activity. Taken together, our results suggest that the insulin-induced mdr1b expression is mediated by transcription factor NF-kappaB via the Raf-1 kinase signaling pathway.
Mouse uterine epithelial cells (UEC) express high levels of both messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein encoding the polymorphic mucin glycoprotein, Muc-1, under most conditions in vivo and in vitro. Although steroid hormones modulate Muc-1 expression in vivo, it is not clear if these actions are mediated directly by steroid hormone receptors or indirectly by modulation of key intracellular signal transduction cascades. To address the latter issue, we examined the effects of a wide variety of modulators of signal transduction cascades on the expression of Muc-1 in primary cultures of polarized mouse UEC. Transient exposure of UEC to agents that inhibit tyrosine kinases by distinct mechanisms, i.e., tyrphostin, genistein, and staurosporine, consistently and significantly reduced Muc-1 expression. In contrast, a variety of agents that modulate protein kinase A- or C-dependent pathways had little or no effect on Muc-1. The effect of tyrphostin proved to be similar in magnitude at both the level of Muc-1 protein and mRNA expression. Transient transfection assays of mouse UEC and a murine mammary epithelial cell line, NMuMG, with mouse Muc-1 promoter-CAT reporter constructs demonstrated a similar (50-60%) degree of tyrphostin inhibition. These observations suggested an action at the level of Muc-1 gene expression. Levels of 100,000 g soluble tyrosine kinase activity in mouse UEC freshly isolated from estrous stage (high-level Muc-1 expression) and day 4 of pregnancy (low-level Muc-1 expression) correlated with Muc-1 expression. Furthermore, pretreatment of day 4 pregnant mice with the anti-progestin, RU486, an agent previously shown to restore or maintain high levels of Muc-1 expression, also restored soluble tyrosine kinase activity to levels similar to that observed in estrous stage mice. Collectively, these results indicate that tyrosine kinase activity is required to maintain high level Muc-1 expression in mice.
We have recently shown that multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) heavy subunit genes are coordinately overexpressed in cisplatin-resistant human leukemia cells (T. Ishikawa et al. J. Biol. Chem., 271: 14981-14988, 1996). Using the RNase protection assay, we examined expression levels of these genes in colon tumor and nontumorous biopsy specimens from 32 cancer patients who had not been treated with chemotherapy. Increased mRNA levels (P < 0.001) of MRP and gamma-GCS genes were observed in 16 (50%) and 20 (62%) tumor samples, respectively. More importantly, all of the 16 (100%) MRP-overexpressing tumor specimens also exhibited higher levels of gamma-GCS mRNA than those in the matched nontumorous specimens. The correlation coefficient between MRP and gamma-GCS mRNA levels was r = 0.78 for all of the tumor samples studied. These results strongly suggest that MRP and gamma-GCS genes are coordinately up-regulated during colorectal carcinogenesis.
We recently reported that GS-X pump activity, as assessed by ATP-dependent transport of the glutathione-platinum complex and leukotriene C4, and intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels were remarkably enhanced in cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin)-resistant human leukemia HL-60 cells (Ishikawa, T., Wright, C. D., and Ishizuka, H. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 29085-29093). Now, using Northern hybridization and RNase protection assay, we provide evidence that the multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) gene, which encodes a human GS-X pump, is expressed at higher levels in cisplatin-resistant (HL-60/R-CP) cells than in sensitive cells, whereas amplification of the MRP gene is not detected by Southern hybridization. Culturing HL-60/R-CP cells in cisplatin-free medium resulted in reduced MRP mRNA levels, but these levels could be induced to rise within 30 h by cisplatin and heavy metals such as arsenite, cadmium, and zinc. The increased levels of MRP mRNA were closely related with enhanced activities of ATP-dependent transport of leukotriene C4 (LTC4) in plasma membrane vesicles. The glutathione-platinum (GS-Pt) complex, but not cisplatin, inhibited ATP-dependent LTC4 transport, suggesting that the MRP/GS-X pump transports both LTC4 and the GS-Pt complex. Expression of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase in the cisplatin-resistant cells was also co-induced within 24 h in response to cisplatin exposure, resulting in a significant increase in cellular GSH level. The resistant cells exposed to cisplatin were cross-resistant to melphalan, chlorambucil, arsenite, and cadmium. These observations suggest that elevated expression of the MRP/GS-X pump and increased GSH biosynthesis together may be important factors in the cellular metabolism and disposition of cisplatin, alkylating agents, and heavy metals.