Correlation of N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 expression with clinical outcomes of colorectal cancer patients of different race/ethnicity

AIM: To evaluate the role of N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) expression in prognosis and survival of colorectal cancer patients with different ethnic backgrounds. METHODS: Because NDRG1 is a downstream target of p53 and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α),we examined NDRG1 expression together with p53 and HIF-1α by immunohistochemistry. A total of 157 colorectal cancer specimens including 80 from Japanese patients and 77 from US patients were examined. The correlation between protein expression with clinicopathological features and survival after surgery was analyzed.in colorectal tumor compared with normal epithelium in both Japanese and US patient groups. Expression of NDRG1 protein was significantly correlated with lymphatic invasion,venous invasion,depth of invasion,histopathological type,and Dukes' stage in Japanese colorectal cancer patients. NDRG1 expression was correlated to histopathological type,Dukes' stage and HIF-1α expression in US-Caucasian patients but not in US-African American patients. Interestingly,Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that NDRG1 expression correlated significantly with poorer survival in US-African American patients but not in other patient groups. However,in p53-positive US cases,NDRG1 positivity correlated significantly with better survival. In addition,NDRG1 expression also correlated significantly with improved survival in US patients with stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ tumors without chemotherapy. In Japanese patients with stages Ⅱ and Ⅲ tumors,strong NDRG1 staining in p53-positive tumors correlated significantly with improved survival but negatively in patients without chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: NDRG1 expression was correlated with various clinicopathological features and clinical outcomes in colorectal cancer depending on the race/ethnicity of the patients. NDRG1 may serve as a biological basis for the disparity of clinical outcomes of colorectal cancer patients with different ethnic backgrounds.

Protective effects of anti-ricin A-chain RNA aptamer against ricin toxicity

AIM: To investigate the therapeutic potential of an RNA ligand (aptamer) specific for the catalytic ricin A-chain (RTA), the protective effects of a 31-nucleo-tide RNA aptamer (31RA), which formed a high affi nity complex with RTA, against ricin-induced toxicity in cellbased luciferase translation and cell cytotoxicity assays were evaluated. METHODS: To test the therapeutic potential of anti-RTA aptamers in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) AA8 cells stably transfected with a tetracycline regulat-able promoter, ricin ribotoxicity was measured using luciferase and ricin-induced cytotoxicity was ascertained by MTS cell proliferation assay with tetrazolium compound [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium]. RESULTS: Inhibition of protein synthesis by ricin in CHO AA8 cells resulted in diminished luciferase activity and treatment with polyclonal antibody against degly-cosylated RTA (dgA) neutralized the inhibitory effects of ricin on luciferase activity and protected against ricin-induced cytotoxicity as measured by MTS assay. The 31RA anti-RTA aptamer inhibited the translation of luciferase mRNA in cell-free reticulocyte translation as- say. 31RA aptamer also partially neutralized the inhibitory effects of ricin on luciferase activity and partially protected against ricin-induced cytotoxicity in CHO AA8 cells. CONCLUSION: We have shown that anti-RTA RNA aptamer can protect against ricin ribotoxicity in cellbased luciferase and cell cytotoxicity assays. Hence, RNA aptamer that inhibits RTA enzymatic activity represents a novel class of nucleic acid inhibitor that has the potential to be developed as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of ricin intoxication.

Protective effects of anti-ricin A-chain antibodies delivered intracellularly against ricin-induced cytotoxicity

AIM:To evaluate the ability of anti-ricin A-chain antibodies,delivered intracellularly,to protect against ricininduced cytotoxicity in RAW264.7 cells. METHODS:Anti-deglycosylated ricin A-chain antibody and RAC18 anti-ricin A-chain monoclonal antibody were delivered intracellularly by encapsulating in liposomes or via conjugation with the cell-penetrating MTS-transport peptide.RAW264.7 cells were incubatedwith these antibodies either before or after ricin exposure.The changes in cytotoxicity were estimated by MTT assay.Co-localization of internalized antibody and ricin was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS:Internalized antibodies significantly increased cell viability either before or after ricin exposure compared to the unconjugated antibodies.Fluorescence microscopy confirmed the co-localization of internalized antibodies and ricin inside the cells. CONCLUSION:Intracellular delivery of antibodies to neutralize the ricin toxin after cellular uptake supports the potential use of cell-permeable antibodies for postexposure treatment of ricin intoxication.

d-limonene prevents ultraviolet irradiation:Induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers in Skh1 mouse skin

AIM: To establish whether d-limonene can protect against induction of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers(CPDs) and sunburn in ultraviolet irradiation(UVR) irradiated mouse skin. METHODS: The d-limonene was given in 4 daily oral 20 μL aliquots at different concentrations as follows: 100%, 10% or 1% in liponate and 100% liponate as control. One day after the final d-limonene treatment, the mice were anesthetized with i.p. sodium pentobarbital and placed in boxes to allow a rectangular(2 cm × 4 cm) region of dorsal skin to be irradiated with a single, ultraviolet radiation dose of 1.5 kJ /m2. Skin samples from UVR irradiated area were obtained at 5 min after UVR exposure for CPD detection, at 6 d after UVR exposure, skin samples were obtained for in situ analysis for N-myc downstream regulating gene 1(NDRG1)(a stress response gene), proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA)(an S-phase marker) and filaggrin(a barrier integrity gene). Based on immunohistochemistry staining, the number of CPD, NDRG1 and PCNA positive cells, as well as unstained cells was counted in 3 different individually selected areas and percentage of positive cells was established. RESULTS: CPD reduction occurred as follows: liponate only-none; 1% d-limonene-54.3% reduction of CPDs; 10% d-limonene-73.4% reduction of CPDs; 100% d-limonene-86.1% reduction of CPDs, the latter equivalent to a UV dose of only 0.21 k J/m2. Sunburn was also dose-dependently reduced by d-limonene. The NDRG1 protein was strongly induced by UVR(70.0% ± 10.4% positive cells), but 1% d-limonene reduced the response to 64.6% ± 9.2%, 10% d-limonene reduced the response to 16.2% ± 3.4% and 100% d-limonene reduced the response to 6.3% ± 1.7%. Similarly, PCNA was 52.4% ± 9.9% positive in UVR exposed skin, and 1% d-limonene reduced it to 42.9% ± 8.1%, 10% d-limonene reduced it to 36.2% ± 6.7% and 100% d-limonene reduce it to 13.8% ± 3.4%. NDRG1 and PCNA were increased by d-limonene or UVR separately, but combined they produced less than either agent separately owing to the protective effect of pre-exposure to d-limonene. CONCLUSION: Overall d-limonene acted to protect against ultraviolet B-induced DNA photodamage and sunburn in UVR exposed skin.