A potent chemotherapeutic strategy in prostate cancer： S-（methoxytrityl）-L-cysteine, a novel Eg5 inhibitor

Docetaxel-based combination chemotherapy remains the predominant treatment for castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, taxane-related drug resistance and neurotoxicity have prompted us to develop substitute treatment strategies. Eg5 （kinesin spindle protein）, which is crucial for bipolar spindle formation and duplicated chromosome separation during the early phase of mitosis, has emerged as an attractive target for cancer chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer efficacy of $-（methoxytrityl）-L-cysteine （S（MeO）TLC）, a novel Eg5 inhibitor in prostate cancer. Eg5 expression was examined in human prostate cancer cell lines and tissue microarrays were constructed from clinical specimens. Antiproliferative activity of S（MeO）TLC in prostate cancer cells was assessed by a cell viability assay. The anticancer effect and inhibitory mechanism of S（MeO）TLC in prostate cancer cells was further explored by Hoechst staining, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. In addition, the antitumor effect of S（MeO）TLC on subcutaneous xenograft models was assessed. Eg5 expression was identified in PC3, DU145 and LNCaP cells. More than half of prostate cancer clinical specimens displayed Eg5 expression. S（Me0）TLC exhibited more powerful anticancer activity in prostate cancer cells compared with the other four Eg5 inhibitors tested. S（MeO）TLC induced cell death after arresting dividing cells at mitosis with distinct monopolar spindle formation. S（MeO）TLC exhibited its significant inhibitory activity （P〈0.05） on subcutaneous xenograft models also through induction of mitotic arrest. We conclude that Eg5 is a good target for prostate cancer chemotherapy, and S（MeO）TLC is a potent promising anticancer agent in prostate cancer.

Helicobacter pylori arginase mutant colonizes arginase Ⅱ knockout mice

AIM: To investigate the role of host and bacterial arginases in the colonization of mice by Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori).METHODS: H.pylori produces a very powerful urease that hydrolyzes urea to carbon dioxide and ammonium,which neutralizes acid.Urease is absolutely essential to H.pylori pathogenesis;therefore,the urea substrate must be in ample supply for urease to work efficiently.The urea substrate is most likely provided by arginase activity,which hydrolyzes L-arginine to L-ornithine and urea.Previous work has demonstrated that H.pylori arginase is surprisingly not required for colonization of wild-type mice.Hence,another in vivo source of the critical urea substrate must exist.We hypothesized that the urea source was provided by host arginase Ⅱ,since this enzyme is expressed in the stomach,and H.pylori has previously been shown to induce the expression of murine gastric arginase Ⅱ.To test this hypothesis,wild-type and arginase (rocF) mutant H.pylori strain SS1 were inoculated into arginase Ⅱ knockout mice.RESULTS: Surprisingly,both the wild-type and rocF mutant bacteria still colonized arginase Ⅱ knockout mice.Moreover,feeding arginase Ⅱ knockout mice the host arginase inhibitor S-(2-boronoethyl)L-cysteine (BEC),while inhibiting > 50% of the host arginase Ⅰ?activity in several tissues,did not block the ability of the rocF mutant H.pylori to colonize.In contrast,BEC poorly inhibited H.pylori arginase activity.CONCLUSION: The in vivo source for the essential urea utilized by H.pylori urease is neither bacterial arginase nor host arginase Ⅱ;instead,either residual host arginase Ⅰ?or agmatinase is probably responsible.