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Results for “Senescent fibroblasts”

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PubMed2002

A role for mitochondria as potential regulators of cellular life span.

We demonstrate that by simply raising extracellular pyruvate levels, and hence increasing metabolic supply, human diploid fibroblasts undergo a concentration-dependent induction of cellular senescence. Fibroblasts treated with pyruvate undergo a rapid growth arrest accompanied by elevated levels of the cell-cycle regulatory molecules p53, p21, and p16. These cells also exhibit a rise in mitochondrial oxidant production and a fall in intracellular glutathione levels. Exposure of pyruvate treated cells to the antioxidant and glutathione precursor N-acetylcysteine restores cell growth and reverses the increase in senescence-associated beta-galactosidase activity. Similarly, we demonstrate that by increasing mitochondrial number via retroviral-mediated expression of the mitochondrial biogenesis regulator PGC-1 there is also a reduction in cell growth and the more rapid induction of senescence. These results suggest that mitochondria appear to play a central role in regulating cellular life span.

Acetylcysteine↗

PubMed2004

Role of IFI 16 in cellular senescence of human fibroblasts.

Defects in interferon (IFN) signaling that result in loss of expression of IFN-inducible proteins are associated with cellular immortalization, an important early event in the development of human cancer. Here we report that loss of IFN-inducible IFI 16 expression in human fibroblasts allows bypass of cellular senescence. We found that levels of IFI 16 mRNA and protein were higher in human old versus young fibroblasts and immortalization of fibroblasts with telomerase resulted in decreased expression of IFI 16. Moreover, overexpression of IFI 16 in immortalized fibroblasts strongly inhibited cell proliferation. Interestingly, knockdown of IFI 16 expression in fibroblasts inhibited p53-mediated transcription, downregulated p21(WAF1) expression, and extended the proliferation potential. Importantly, treatment of immortal cell lines with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase, resulted in upregulation of IFI 16. Our observations support the idea that increased levels of IFI 16 in older populations of human fibroblasts contribute to cellular senescence.

Cell Line, Transformed↗

PubMed2003

Novel mechanisms of sublethal oxidant toxicity: induction of premature senescence in human fibroblasts confers tumor promoter activity.

Aging is the highest risk factor for cancer. Although oxidants are thought to contribute to both aging and cancer, the interplay between oxidative stress, aging, and cancer has not been well studied. Human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) undergo premature senescence in response to sublethal doses of H(2)O(2). To test the hypothesis that senescent or senescent-like HDFs function as a tumor promoter, we have employed an in vitro skin tumor promotion model, in which colony formation is measured using initiated mouse keratinocyte 308 cells seeded at clonal density. 308 cells form colonies when co-cultured with normal HDFs only in the presence of the tumor promoter phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA), which induces an average of 5.75 colonies. When co-cultured with H(2)O(2)-treated HDFs, 308 cells form an average of 30.3 colonies. To understand the mechanism behind this phenomenon, we tested whether conditioned medium of HDFs, HDF extracellular matrix (ECM), density of HDFs, or the contact between keratinocytes and HDFs plays a role in 308 cell colony formation. The conditioned medium from prematurely senescent cells resulted in an average of eightfold more 308 cell colonies formed than the conditioned medium from normal HDFs, and the growth-promoting effect of the conditioned medium was trypsin sensitive. The ECM alone was not able to induce 308 cell colony formation. Increasing the density of normal HDFs or contact with normal HDFs but not senescent-like HDFs was inhibitory to the growth of 308 cells. Measurement of Connexin 43 indicated a decreased expression of the protein, which suggests an impaired gap junction communication in senescent-like HDFs. We conclude that H(2)O(2)-treated fibroblasts not only lose contact inhibition of the growth of initiated keratinocytes perhaps related to reduced gap junction communication but also increase production of secreted protein factors to enhance the growth of 308 keratinocytes.

Carcinogens↗

PubMed2006

The chemokine growth-regulated oncogene 1 (Gro-1) links RAS signaling to the senescence of stromal fibroblasts and ovarian tumorigenesis.

Epithelial-stromal interactions play a critical role in tumor initiation and progression; cancer-associated stroma, but not normal stroma, is known to be tumor-promoting. However, the molecular signal used by epithelial cancer cells to reprogram normal stroma to a tumorigenic stroma is not known. Here, we present evidence to suggest that the chemokine growth-regulated oncogene 1 (Gro-1) may be one such signaling molecule. We showed that the expression of Gro-1 is activated by RAS and is vital for cell survival and the malignant transformation of ovarian epithelial cells. Surprisingly, we found that Gro-1 is a potent inducer of senescence in stromal fibroblasts and that this effect depends on functional p53. Senescent fibroblasts induced by Gro-1 can promote tumor growth whereas abrogation of senescence through immortalization results in loss of such tumor promoting activity. We also demonstrated that stromal fibroblasts adjacent to epithelial cancer cells are senescent in human ovarian cancer specimens and in heterografts from RAS-transformed human ovarian epithelial cells and ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, Gro-1 was expressed at significantly higher amounts in ovarian cancer than in normal tissues and was higher in serum samples from women with ovarian cancer than in serum from women without ovarian cancer. These findings provide strong evidence that RAS-induced Gro-1 can reprogram the stromal microenvironment through the induction of senescence of fibroblasts and thus can promote tumorigenesis. Therefore, Gro-1 may be a therapeutic target as well as a diagnostic marker in ovarian cancer.

Apoptosis↗

PubMed1989

Ataxia-telangiectasia fibroblasts have less fibronectin mRNA than control cells but have the same levels of integrin and beta-actin mRNA.

The expression of fibronectin, integrin and beta-actin genes in skin fibroblasts from patients with the genetic disorder ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) was studied. These three genes were selected because their protein products contribute to the shape and function of the fibroblast. Expression of mRNA by these genes was compared with that in fibroblasts from normal individuals and from patients with the genetic disorder, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). A-T fibroblasts were found to produce less fibronectin mRNA than normal and HHT fibroblasts. A-T fibroblasts senesce around passage level 15 while normal and HHT fibroblasts can be propagated for many more passages in vitro. However, the expression of the integrin gene in A-T fibroblasts was similar to that in normal fibroblasts, while the beta-actin gene was expressed at a higher level. The increased beta-actin mRNA levels were similar in fibroblasts of patients with the two genetic disorders, A-T and HHT, but higher than in normal fibroblasts. HHT fibroblasts differed markedly from A-T fibroblasts in having a high level of fibronectin and integrin mRNA expression. The results indicate that regulation of the fibronectin gene in A-T fibroblasts differs from that of the integrin and beta-actin genes, and that the decline in fibronectin mRNA may be linked to the shortened in vitro life-span of these cells.

Actins↗

PubMed1988

Monoclonal antibodies to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)/cyclin as probes for proliferating cells by immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)/cyclin is an intranuclear polypeptide antigen that is found in both normal and transformed proliferating cells. We have recently described two mouse monoclonal antibodies reacting with PCNA. In this report we describe the application of these antibodies to the study of proliferating human cells by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy and by flow cytometry. A fixation/permeation procedure was developed in order to obtain satisfactory binding of monoclonal PCNA-specific antibodies to proliferating cells. This method involved fixation with 1% paraformaldehyde followed by methanol treatment. For the staining of cells in suspension with the IgM type monoclonal antibodies lysolecithin was added to the paraformaldehyde solution to achieve a better permeation by the antibody molecules. This procedure gave a good ratio of specific staining relative to the background staining. It also preserved the shape and normal architecture of the cells as judged by visual microscopic observation and by light scatter measurements using a flow cytometer. Furthermore, this fixation technique permits simultaneous labeling of DNA by propidium iodide and PCNA by monoclonal antibodies. PCNA was detected in various types of normal and transformed proliferating cells by indirect immunofluorescence. Quiescent peripheral blood mononuclear cells were PCNA-negative whereas a fraction of lectin-stimulated lymphocytes became PCNA-positive. Similarly, early passages of fetal skin fibroblasts were PCNA-positive but non-proliferating senescent fibroblasts of later passages were PCNA-negative. The association of PCNA-staining by monoclonal antibodies with cell proliferation was confirmed by flow cytometry. Simultaneous labeling of PCNA and DNA showed that the PCNA signal increased during the G1 phase of the cell cycle, reached its maximum in the S-phase, and declined during the G2/M phase. Using cell sorting we demonstrated that mitotic cells had a very low PCNA signal. Thus, monoclonal PCNA-specific antibodies offer a convenient tool for the detection of human cell proliferation by immunofluorescence microscopy and by flow cytometry.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Replicative senescence, aging and growth-regulatory transcription factors.

Normal somatic cells invariably enter a state of permanent growth arrest and altered function after a finite number of divisions. This phenomenon is termed cellular or replicative senescence. Replicative senescence is thought to be a tumor-suppressive mechanism, and a contributing factor in aging. Three features distinguish senescent from presenescent cells: an irreversible block to cell proliferation, increased resistance to apoptotic death, and changes in differentiated functions. Senescence entails an altered pattern of gene expression, much of which is due to altered transcription. At least three growth regulatory transcriptional modulators are repressed in senescent cells: the c-fos component of the AP1 transcription factor, the Id1 and Id2 helix-loop-helix (HLH) proteins that negatively regulate basic HLH transcription factors, and the E2F-1 component of the E2F transcription factor. Failure to express any one of these modulators is very likely sufficient to arrest cell proliferation. Loss of these modulators may also explain many of the functional changes shown by senescent cells. In the case of c-fos repression, the resulting decline in AP-1 activity may be exacerbated by an altered ratio of AP-1 components to a protein known as QM or Jif. QM interacts with the c-jun component of AP-1 and suppresses AP-1 activity. We cloned QM from a senescent fibroblast cDNA library, and found that it was neither cell cycle- nor senescence-regulated. However, QM suppressed the growth of murine and human fibroblasts when overexpressed. Thus, an altered balance between positive factors (e.g., AP-1 components) and negative factors (e.g., QM) may lead to the growth arrest, as well as the changes in differentiated gene expression, that are a hallmark of senescent cells.

Carrier Proteins↗

PubMed1993

Effect of aging on insulin regulation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate metabolism in human fibroblasts.

Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (Fru-2,6-P2) content in human fibroblasts is under hormonal control and is strictly related to glycolytic flux. In the present study it has been examined whether aging process is accompanied with an impairment in the control exerted by insulin on the metabolite content. Upon insulin stimulation old fibroblasts show a reduced increase in Fru-2,6-P2 content and glycolytic flux. Similarly, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase (PFK-2) activity in old fibroblasts is increased at a lesser extent by insulin treatment, suggesting that an impairment at post-receptor level in the signalling pathway of insulin might occur with aging. In addition in unstimulated senescent fibroblasts PFK-2 displays higher activity and reduced Km for substrate, suggesting either that during senescence PFK-2 undergoes a post-translational modification or that a different PFK-2 isoenzyme is expressed.

Cell Line↗

PubMed1993

Relative mitogenic activities of wild-type and retinoblastoma binding-defective SV40 T antigens in serum-deprived and senescent human diploid fibroblasts.

A novel gene transfer approach was used to investigate whether the retinoblastoma (Rb)-binding domain of simian virus 40 (SV40) T antigen is required for efficient T antigen-mediated stimulation of DNA synthesis is quiescent or senescent human embryo fibroblasts. In senescent cells, comparison between wild-type T antigen and a mutant defective in Rb binding (Glu-107-->Lys) revealed the latter to have approximately 15-fold lower activity. In contrast, comparison of wild-type and Rb- T antigens in serum-deprived quiescent cells revealed a much smaller (1.8-fold) difference. Surprisingly, an 18-fold differential could be induced by treating quiescent cells with the differentiating agent sodium butyrate. These results suggest that the role of Rb in control of the cell cycle is strongly dependent on the physiological state of the cell and the mechanism of growth arrest.

Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming↗

PubMed1999

Microinjection of anti-p21 antibodies induces senescent Hs68 human fibroblasts to synthesize DNA but not to divide.

Replicative senescence is characterized by irreversible growth arrest and has been defined by four genetic complementation groups. One of these groups is associated with the predominance of underphosphorylated, growth-suppressive retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (pRb). Although certain members of the cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk)/cyclin family, some of which phosphorylate pRb, are underexpressed in senescent cells, others are expressed but inactive. This lack of cdk activity and arrest in the G1 phase of the cell cycle is likely attributable to the induction upon senescence of the G1-S cdk/cyclin inhibitors p21 (WAF1/CIP1/Sdi) and p16INK4. In fact, in early presenescent normal diploid fibroblasts in which p21 is inactivated, senescence is bypassed or postponed. Moreover, in senescent cells in which p53 function was inhibited, DNA synthesis was reinitiated, an effect likely attributable, in part, to the dependence of p21 expression on p53. We report here that the apparent inactivation of p21 in senescent human fibroblasts through the introduction of inhibitory alpha-p21 antibodies causes these cells to reenter the S-phase of the cell cycle. The disruption of p21 activity affects the p21-Rb-E2F pathway in that the expression of genes transcriptionally regulated by E2F, such as cyclin A and cdc2, were found to be up-regulated in injected cells. No evidence of cell division was observed. This suggests that p21 plays an important role in the maintenance of senescence and in the inhibition of S-phase progression, but inhibition of p21 activity is insufficient to permit cells to complete the cell cycle.

Bromodeoxyuridine↗

PubMed2006

Proteasomal oscillation during mild heat shock in aging human skin fibroblasts.

Augmentation of proteasome machinery is emerging as a significant gerontomodulatory consequence of hormetic stimulation, such as mild heat stress. This study describes the phenomenon we term hormetic proteasomal oscillation, wherein mildly heat-stressed human fibroblasts (41 degrees C, 1 h) display an adaptation response pattern in proteasome activity. Remarkably, such response appears to be diverse in severely heat-stressed or senescent fibroblasts. This proteasomal oscillation, as an innate cellular reaction to heat and aging, however, is independent of 20S proteasome protein levels and nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) transactivation.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Defective induction of senescence during wound healing is a possible mechanism of keloid formation.

UNLABELLED: Keloids are a hyperproliferative response of connective tissue in response to trauma. The mechanism by which this occurs is poorly understood and currently no successful treatment exists. HYPOTHESIS: Senescent fibroblasts form during wound repair, as the result of oxidative stress. They have a major role in the control of fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix synthesis, acting as inhibitors. The defective induction of stress-induced senescent phenotype (SIPS) creates an insufficient number of senescent cells, diminishing the inhibitor effect, causing the uncontrolled hyperproliferation and keloid formation. In the proposed mechanism of keloid formation, fibroblasts have a major role, but it is also possible that other cells are involved, like keratinocytes and melanocytes. Accepting the hypothesis to be correct, a therapy that induces senescence can be used to prevent the keloid formation. Current therapies are only partially effective because they either induce senescence in too few cells or in enough number of cells, but at the same time inducing death (apoptosis and necrosis) of other cells. Dead cells are probably the source of a new repair cycle (proliferation), therefore the process of keloid formation is only postponed but not blocked. A more efficient prevention of keloid formation could be achieved using specific drugs or physical methods that induce senescence and not cell death. Therapies based on photodynamic and PUVA therapy, capable to induce predominantly cell senescence, can be possibly effective. The magnitude of oxidative stress, created during photodynamic therapy, can be reduced and used to produce sublethal doses, to cause senescence instead of cell death. Except standard photosensitizers, other drugs could be used, that are not so powerful in inducing oxidative stress, i.e. amphotericin B in combination with UV light.

Amphotericin B↗

PubMed1990

[Spontaneous fluctuation of extracellular matrix molecules on the surface of human skin fibroblasts in culture: flow cytometric analysis].

The evolution of five surface markers (CD 10, fibronectin, collagens I, III, IV) was analysed in cytofluorometry after immunolabelling of cultured human skin fibroblasts. The expression of the CD10 molecule and collagen IV remained stable. On the contrary, there was a spontaneous variation of the cell surface distribution of fibronectin and collagens I and III. This variation was periodical and followed the subculture rhythm. After every passage, the density of matrix components increased at the cell surface. The maximum of the density was achieved on confluent fibroblasts then decreased until the next passage. The fibronectin and collagens I and III expression was permanently altered on senescent fibroblasts. Modifications of the expression of extracellular matrix proteins on the fibroblasts surface were closely linked with cellular density and senescence.

Cells, Cultured↗

PubMed2006

Adaptive stress response in segmental progeria resembles long-lived dwarfism and calorie restriction in mice.

How congenital defects causing genome instability can result in the pleiotropic symptoms reminiscent of aging but in a segmental and accelerated fashion remains largely unknown. Most segmental progerias are associated with accelerated fibroblast senescence, suggesting that cellular senescence is a likely contributing mechanism. Contrary to expectations, neither accelerated senescence nor acute oxidative stress hypersensitivity was detected in primary fibroblast or erythroblast cultures from multiple progeroid mouse models for defects in the nucleotide excision DNA repair pathway, which share premature aging features including postnatal growth retardation, cerebellar ataxia, and death before weaning. Instead, we report a prominent phenotypic overlap with long-lived dwarfism and calorie restriction during postnatal development (2 wk of age), including reduced size, reduced body temperature, hypoglycemia, and perturbation of the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1 neuroendocrine axis. These symptoms were also present at 2 wk of age in a novel progeroid nucleotide excision repair-deficient mouse model (XPD(G602D/R722W)/XPA(-/-)) that survived weaning with high penetrance. However, despite persistent cachectic dwarfism, blood glucose and serum insulin-like growth factor 1 levels returned to normal by 10 wk, with hypoglycemia reappearing near premature death at 5 mo of age. These data strongly suggest changes in energy metabolism as part of an adaptive response during the stressful period of postnatal growth. Interestingly, a similar perturbation of the postnatal growth axis was not detected in another progeroid mouse model, the double-strand DNA break repair deficient Ku80(-/-) mouse. Specific (but not all) types of genome instability may thus engage a conserved response to stress that evolved to cope with environmental pressures such as food shortage.

Aging↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Replicative senescence in sheep fibroblasts is a p53 dependent process.

Studies on telomere and telomerase biology are fundamental to the understanding of human ageing, and age-related diseases such as cancer. However, human studies are hampered by the lack of fully reflective animal model systems. Here we describe basic studies of telomere length and telomerase activity in sheep tissues and cells. Terminal restriction fragment lengths from sheep tissues ranged from 9 to 23 kb, with telomerase activity present in testis but suppressed in somatic tissues. Sheep fibroblasts had a finite lifespan in culture, after which the cells entered senescence. During in vitro growth the mean terminal restriction fragment lengths decreased in size at a rate of 210 and 350 bp per population doubling (PD). Senescent skin fibroblasts had increased levels of p53 and p21WAF1 compared to young cells. Incubation of senescent cells with siRNA duplexes specific for p53 suppressed p53 expression and allowed the cells to re-enter the cell cycle. Five PDs beyond senescence the siRNA-treated cells reached a second proliferative barrier. This study shows that telomere biology in sheep is similar to that in humans, with senescence in sheep GM03550 fibroblasts being a telomere-driven, p53-(p21WAF1)-dependent process. Therefore sheep may represent an alternative model system for studying telomere biology, replicative senescence, and by implication human ageing.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Identification of altered expression of ADP/ATP translocase during cellular senescence in vitro.

In this study, we have used the mRNA differential display technique to investigate the changes in gene expression that occur in the process of cellular aging. A number of cDNAs whose corresponding mRNAs are either increasingly or decreasingly expressed in senescent cells were thereby isolated. Through DNA sequencing, one of these differentially displayed mRNAs was identified as mitochondrial ADP/ATP translocase. The altered expression of ADP/ATP translocase in different stages of senescent fibroblasts was further confirmed by Northern blots and semiquantitative RT-PCR. Our results demonstrate that expression of ADP/ATP translocase is progressively decreased during the process of in vitro cellular senescence. Further analyses with MTT assays indicate that the decreased expression of ADP/ATP translocase in senescent cells is in parallel with the decline of mitochondrial functions, suggesting that altered expression of this important mitochondrial enzyme might play an active role in the process of cellular senescence.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Enhancement of Fas-mediated apoptosis in ageing human keratinocytes.

Cellular senescence and apoptosis are two metabolically related and seemingly synergistic processes that are involved in tissue maintenance and homeostasis, anti-tumor protection, and age-related diseases. Despite this apparent co-operativity, senescence can inhibit apoptosis in certain conditions. Here, we describe senescence-apoptosis relationships in human epidermal cells by comparing apoptosis-related effector concentrations in keratinocyte cultures and epidermal skin cells at various stages of ageing. Using western blots, flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence, we determined the amounts of apoptotic effectors in aged cells compared to young ones, in parallel with beta-galactosidase activity at neutral pH (senescence-associated beta-galactosidase, SA beta-gal), found to be a good indicator of cellular ageing. We observed increased levels of several Fas-mediated apoptosis effectors (Fas, Fas ligand, FADD, FLICE), both in cell cultures at advanced passages and in skin cells of aged donors (above 45 years). Furthermore, we found that while the pro-apoptotic p53 increased, the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 declined. In spite of this, the extent of spontaneous apoptosis did not change in senescent keratinocyte cultures. The cells, however, became notably more susceptible to apoptosis when kept in exhausted growth medium, or upon Fas receptor activation by anti-Fas antibody binding. Our results are consistent with recent findings in senescent fibroblasts, showing that the death-signaling pathway is enhanced at senescence.

Apoptosis↗

PubMed1999

Differences in electron transport potential, antioxidant defenses, and oxidant generation in young and senescent fetal lung fibroblasts (WI-38).

The activities and mRNA abundances of enzymes that regulate the rate of electron flow through the electron transport chain (ETC), including NADH dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, and cytochrome c oxidase, were examined in young and senescent fetal lung fibroblasts (WI-38). We also determined the activities and mRNA abundances of antioxidant defenses including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. We confirmed our previous report of a senescence-related increase in the abundance of ND4, a mitochondrially encoded subunit of NADH dehydrogenase. The activities of cytochrome c oxidase and NADH dehydrogenase were also elevated in senescent cultures. No differences were observed in the mRNA abundances of COX-1, a mitochondrially encoded subunit of cytochrome c oxidase or of nuclearly encoded subunits of various electron transport components (SD, COX-4, and ND 51). Lucigenin-detected chemiluminescence and H2O2 generation were both elevated in senescent cells. Catalase activity was also elevated in senescent fibroblasts. However, no differences in catalase mRNA abundance were observed. A small decrease in GSH peroxidase (GPx) mRNA abundance was observed in senescent cells. No other changes in the activities or mRNA abundances of any of the antioxidant defenses were observed in early and late passage cultures. The relationships between oxidant generation, mitochondrial enzyme activities, and antioxidant defense observed during proliferative senescence are dissimilar to those detected between fetal and postnatal fibroblasts as well as those found between fibroblast lines obtained from young and old individuals. The relevance of the differences between these models is discussed.

Acridines↗