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S Loric

Publications and source records attributed to S Loric.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

De novo expression of CD44 in prostate carcinoma is correlated with systemic dissemination of prostate cancer.

AIMS: To evaluate the role of CD44 in early steps in the development of prostate cancer, and to assess the biological significance of preneoplastic lesions in prostate cancer. METHODS: 38 patients with clinically localised prostate cancer were studied. The standard form of CD44 (CD44H) and v6 isoform expressions were semiquantitatively evaluated on paraffin embedded tumour tissue by immunohistochemistry. Disseminated prostatic cells were detected by prostate specific membrane antigen reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in the blood of each patient before radical prostatectomy. RESULTS: In normal or benign prostate glands, only basal cells showed CD44H and v6 labelling. Fourteen of the 38 prostate cancers (37%) had CD44H membranous staining of prostatic tumour cells. In 18 patients (47%), circulating prostatic cells were detected in blood before surgery. Although no correlation between the expression of CD44 and the Gleason score or staging was observed, a significant correlation was found between the expression of CD44H by tumour cells and prostatic cell blood dissemination (p = 0.04). In 28 cases, foci of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia were observed, and nine had CD44H immunostaining. CONCLUSIONS: De novo expression of CD44 by prostatic tumour cells is associated with systemic dissemination of prostate cells independently of pathological criteria.

Adult↗

Expression of prostate-specific antigen and prostate-specific membrane antigen transcripts in blood cells: implications for the detection of hematogenous prostate cells and standardization.

Circulating prostate cells can be detected in cancer patients by using reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) assay for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSM) mRNA. A quality-control study involving a conventional RT-PCR assay was performed and, surprisingly, detected both transcripts in many negative control cell lines and in normal blood samples. The existence of an illegitimate transcription of the PSA and PSM genes was evidenced by sequence analysis of several PSM and PSA-PCR products. Sequencing indeed demonstrated the presence of a PSA or PSM polymorphism in some but not all the cell lines and patient samples, as well as a heterozygous mutation (G to A; Asp to Asn) in the Jurkat cell line. Moreover, the amount of PSA transcript in MCF-7, a PSA-negative breast line, increased after incubation with cycloheximide. Interestingly, the frequency of positivity was as high as 12% in male samples if only tested once, but dropped to 3% upon multiple testing of the same cDNA. This highlights the stochastic effects in RT-PCR results at high sensitivity, hence the importance of repetitive testing in clinical samples. Decreasing the number of cycles avoided the amplification of illegitimate transcripts but also affected the limit of detection, as evidenced with PSA and PSM cDNA containing plasmids, mixing of LNCap with normal blood samples, and the PSA-PSM-negative K562 cell line. The current data raise the need for a multicentric standardization of the RT-PCR methodology used to amplify PSA and PSM transcripts.

Adult↗

[Evaluation and interest in new molecular markers in colon cancer].

The presence of colonic tumor cells in the circulation may predict colorectal carcinoma recurrence and metastases. We have developed a highly sensitive nested RT-PCR assay, with primers derived from the cytokeratin 20 (CK20) and the carcinoembryonic gene CGM2, to detect occult microdisseminated enterocytes in blood of colorectal cancer patients. Among 82 healthy controls analyzed, 40.2% (33/82) have a positive expression of CK20 mRNA which is not statistically different from the 45.5% (15/33) of positive results found in colon cancer patients. This sensitive method may detect non-tissue specific constitutive low level (illegitimate) expression of CK20 mRNA in peripheral nucleated blood cells (PNBC) of a significant number of healthy control as well as in a number of normal bone marrow. The low specificity of this assay therefore hampers its value to detect blood colon cancer dissemination. In 47 patients with colorectal carcinoma, CGM2 primers detected circulating enterocytes in 25 of them (53%). In disseminated Dukes' stage C disease patients, 17 out of 29 (59%) were found positive whereas in localized adenocarcinoma (Dukes's stage A and B), CGM2 primers detected enterocytes in 44% suggesting that an hematogenous spillage of colonic cells may be a relatively early event in colon cancer. None of the patients suffering from benign colonic pathologies or from diverticulitis were found positive for this assay. The analysis of 56 healthy individuals without known colorectal cancer, of 20 non-colorectal cancer patients and of 6 normal bone marrows provide evidence that this assay is highly specific and may predict an hematogenous spread of colonic cells in patients with organ-confined disease. Nevertheless, the clinical significance of enterocyte detection and the potential applications of this molecular tool merit longer term follow-up.

Biomarkers↗

Sedimentation field-flow fractionation of cellular species.

More than 15 years ago a pioneering report on the separation of cellular material using sedimentation field-flow fractionation (SdFFF) was published. Surprisingly, only a few reports on SdFFF applications to cell separations are available as yet. The major limitations which seemed to slow the development of SdFFF applications in biology appeared to be related to the development of specific instrumentation. Therefore, guidelines are given for setting up a biocompatible SdFFF apparatus. SdFFF elution of cells with different characteristics was performed to demonstrate the efficiency, completeness, and rapidity of cell separations by this method. Retention data describing the effect of lifting forces on nucleated cells are compared to those for red blood cells (RBC). The effects of flow rates, field intensity, and injection protocol were studied using normal human RBC eluted in isotonic medium as a probe for retention conditions. When possible, data were also compared to previously published reports. Guidelines for elution and separation optimization are given. Using mixtures of nucleated and living red blood cells, viability studies showed a surprisingly high recovery of each type of material.

Cell Fractionation↗

Ras involvement in signal transduction by the serotonin 5-HT2B receptor.

The family of serotonin 5-HT2 receptors stimulates the phospholipase C second messenger pathway via the alpha subunit of the Gq GTP-binding protein. Here, we show that agonist stimulation of the 5-HT2B receptor subtype stably expressed in the mouse fibroblast LMTK- cell line causes a rapid and transient activation of the proto-oncogene product p21ras as measured by an increase in GTP-bound Ras in response to serotonin. Furthermore, 5-HT2B receptor stimulation activates p42mapk/p44mapk (ERK2/ERK1) mitogen-activated protein kinases as assayed by phosphorylation of myelin basic protein. Antibodies against p21ras, Galphaq, -beta, or -gamma2 subunits of the GTP-binding protein inhibit MAP kinase-dependent phosphorylation. The MAP kinase activation is correlated with a stimulation of cell division by serotonin. In addition to this mitogenic action, transforming activity of serotonin is mediated by the 5-HT2B receptor since its expression in LMTK- cells is absolutely required for foci formation and for these foci to form tumors in nude mice. Finally, we detected expression of the 5-HT2B receptor in spontaneous human and Mastomys natalensis carcinoid tumors and, similar to the 5-HT2B receptor transfected cells, the Mastomys tumor cells are also responsive to serotonin with similar coupling to p21ras activation.

Amphetamines↗

The mouse 5-HT2B receptor: homologous subtype or species variant?

The recently characterized 5-HT2B subfamily of serotonin receptors has now been reported from three different species: human, rat and mouse. Their genomic structures include 2 introns present at identical positions. Despite this similarity, their respective protein sequences show some diversities. In addition, the pharmacology of these receptors is distantly related, and their sites of expression vary amongst species. Thus, it appears difficult at present to unambiguously classify these receptors into the same subfamily, raising the possibility of the existence of other 5-HT2B-like receptors, yet to be discovered.

Animals↗

Sequential onset of three 5-HT receptors during the 5-hydroxytryptaminergic differentiation of the murine 1C11 cell line.

1. The murine 1C11 clone, which derives from a multipotential embryonal carcinoma cell line, has the features of a neuroectodermal precursor. When cultured in the presence of dibutyryl cyclic AMP, the 1C11 cells extend bipolar extensions and express neurone-associated markers. After 4 days, the resulting cells have acquired the ability to synthesize, take up, store and catabolize 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). We have thus investigated the presence of 5-HT receptors during the 5-hydroxytryptaminergic differentiation of this inducible 1C11 cell line. 2. As shown by the binding of [125I]-GTI and the CGS 12066-dependent inhibition of the forskolin-induced cyclic AMP production, functional 5-HT1B/1D receptors become expressed on day 2 of 1C11 cell differentiation. The density of these receptors remained unchanged until day 4. 3. The same holds true for the 5-HT2B receptor, also identified by its pharmacological profile and its positive coupling to the phosphoinositide cascade. 4. On day 4 of 1C11 cell differentiation, a third 5-HT receptor, pharmacologically and functionally similar to 5-HT2A, had become induced. 5. Strikingly, the amounts of each transcript encoding 5-HT1B, 5-HT2A and 5-HT2B receptor did not very significantly during the time course of the 1C11 5-hydroxytryptaminergic differentiation. 6. The clone 1C11 may thus provide a useful in vitro model for studying regulation(s) between multiple G-linked receptors as well as the possible role of 5-HT upon the expression of a complete 5-hydroxytryptamine phenotype.

Animals↗

Potential effect of metabolic acidosis on beta 2-microglobulin generation: in vivo and in vitro studies.

Beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M) is responsible for dialysis-associated amyloidosis. Level of beta 2M in plasma increase during chronic renal failure; however, retention does not appear to be the sole mechanism responsible. The effect of metabolic acidosis on beta 2M production was examined. Thirty-six patients with stable chronic renal insufficiency, 12 uremic patients before their first dialysis, 8 hemodialysis patients who were assigned to acetate or bicarbonate dialysate and then crossed over to the alternative regimen, and 6 normal subjects given NH4Cl to initiate metabolic acidosis were studied. In vitro studies in the human myeloid cell line U 937 were also performed. beta 2M protein was measured with ELISA, beta 2M mRNA was measured with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and the U 937 cells were studied at two pH levels with FACScan flow cytometry. The cells were exposed in vitro up to 60 min in a buffered incubation medium to either pH 5.10 or pH 7.34. An inverse correlation was found between beta 2M and bicarbonate concentrations in plasma in the stable chronic renal failure patients (r = -0.54; P < 0.05) and in the uremic patients before their first dialysis (r = -0.72; P < 0.05). In hemodialysis patients, blood pH and plasma bicarbonate values were lower (P < 0.05) and beta 2M concentrations in plasma were higher (P < 0.05) with acetate than with bicarbonate dialysate. In normal men, NH4Cl resulted in an increase (P < 0.05) in beta 2M mRNA expression in lymphocytes by an average factor of 1.5 (range, 1.1 to 1.8). In U 937 cells, the cell surface expression of beta 2M and HLA Class I heavy chain assembled with beta 2M decreased at low pH compared with normal pH. Concomitantly, an increase in beta 2M release into the supernatant was observed, possibly as the result of beta 2M dissociation from cell surface HLA Class I complex. The results suggest that metabolic acidosis may enhance cellular beta 2M generation and release.

Acidosis↗

Haematogenous dissemination of prostatic epithelial cells during radical prostatectomy.

Radical prostatectomy is one treatment for organ-confined prostatic adenocarcinoma. Dissemination of malignant prostatic cells after radical prostatectomy could be partly due to prostate manipulation during dissection. We confirmed by assay of prostate-specific membrane antigen by reverse-transcription nested PCR that prostate manipulation seeded prostatic epithelial cells in the general circulation in 12 of 14 consecutive patients operated on for organ-confined prostate adenocarcinoma. Our results suggest that surgeons should approach radical prostatectomy with care to avoid seeding from the prostate gland. Antiandrogen therapy might reduce the haematogenous spread of prostatic cells during radical prostatectomy.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Enhanced detection of hematogenous circulating prostatic cells in patients with prostate adenocarcinoma by using nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay based on prostate-specific membrane antigen.

We report the development of a new sensitive nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, using primers derived from the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSM) cDNA sequence, to detect an hematogenous spread of prostate adenocarcinoma cells. In 60 patients with a biopsy-proven prostate cancer, PSM and PSA RT-PCR detected circulating prostate cells in 40 and 20 patients, respectively. In pT4 M+ and pT3 M+ disease patients, nested PSM primers detected cells in 28 of 33 patients (85%), whereas nested PSA primers detected cells in 17 of 33 (51%). In patients with organ-confined cancer spread (pT2a and pT2b patients) before radical prostatectomy, nested PSM RT-PCR detected circulating prostatic epithelial cells in 6 of 17 patients (35%), which suggests that an hematogenous spread of prostate cells may occur early in prostate cancer history. Altogether, these results suggest that the detection of PSM-expressing cells in blood may predict the development of cancer in patients without clinically apparent prostate cancer. Nevertheless, the potential application and the clinical significance of detection of hematogenous prostate cells through the use of nested PSM primers need an extensive longitudinal study.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Functional serotonin-2B receptors are expressed by a teratocarcinoma-derived cell line during serotoninergic differentiation.

Among immortalized teratocarcinoma-derived cells, the clone 1C11 is a committed precursor of the neuronal lineage. On day 2 of its serotoninergic differentiation, this clone expresses only one subtype of serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] receptor, which is functionally coupled to phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis. The identity of these receptors was established by comparing their properties with those of 5-HT2B receptors expressed by LMTK- fibroblasts stably transfected with the recently cloned murine cDNA NP75 (LM5 cells). In both cell types, the analysis of (+/-)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-[125I]iodophenyl)- 2-aminopropane HCl ([125I]DOI) binding revealed the presence of a single class of sites, the affinity of which was 1 order of magnitude lower than that reported for 5-HT2A receptors. In 1C11 cells differentiated for 2 days, as well as in LM5 cells, DOI binding was decreased by nonhydrolyzable analogs of GTP, indicating that the 5-HT2B receptor is functionally coupled to a G protein. The DOI-induced increase of phosphoinositide hydrolysis, which was correlated with both GTPase activity and binding data, is mediated by a Gq protein. This work demonstrates that the 5-HT2B receptor is functionally expressed before complete serotoninergic differentiation of 1C11 cells. The inducible 1C11 clone thus provides an in vitro model to investigate the possible role of the 5-HT2B receptor in the expression of the serotoninergic phenotype.

Animals↗

Serotonin receptors and therapeutics.

Since its discovery, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine = 5-HT) has become a major player on the neurotransmitter "stage". Multiple receptor subtypes for 5-HT have been identified and classified, and a vast pharmacology of 5-HT has emerged. In particular, 5-HT has been shown to exert marked effects on the cardiovascular system, central nervous system (CNS) and gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and important ligands have been developed that mimic or block its action selectively. Furthermore, drugs that release 5-HT, and others that prevent its uptake, have been developed. This brief review focuses on the pharmacology of 5-HT agonists and antagonists that exhibit, at least partly, clinical relevance.

Animals↗