Study on Binding Reaction between Flucytosine and Bovine Serum Albumin

The binding of flucytosine to bovine serum albumin （BSA） was studied by means of fluorescence and absorption spectra under the conditions of simulant clay physiology. It showed a powerful ability to quench the fluorescence launching from BSA. After analyzing the fluorescence quenching data by Stem-Volmer equation and Lineweaver-Burk double-reciprocal equation, it was found that they matched the latter better and so they belonged to static quenching. The binding constant was calculated to be 5.710 × 10^3 L·mol^-1 at 297 K. The binding locality was a distance 2.49 nm away from tryptophan residue-212 based on Foster＇s non-radiation energy transfer mechanism. The binding power is mainly the hydrogen bond and van der Waals force according to the thermodynamic parameters. The information of BSA conformation was acquired by synchronous fluorescence spectrum and three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum.

Treatment of cryptococcal meningitis with low-dose amphotericin B and flucytosine

Background Amphotericin B （0.7 mg/kg） with flucytosine is the standard treatment for cryptococcal meningitis.However,the long treatment course can induce adverse reactions in patients; therefore,reducing the dose may decrease such reactions.We performed a retrospective analysis of treatment effects and adverse reactions when amphotericin B （0.4 mg/kg or 0.7 mg/kg per day） and flucytosine were used together to treat HIV-negative patients with cryptococcal meningitis.Methods Retrospective analysis was conducted on inpatients at the First Affiliated Hospital,College of Medicine,Zhejiang University （January 2005 to December 2009）.Low- or high-dose amphotericin B （0.4 or 0.7 mg/kg per day,respectively） plus flucytosine was used.The negative conversion rate of Cryptococcus in the cerebrospinal fluid （CSF）,patient mortality,and the incidence of side effects for the two groups （low- vs.high-dose） were compared immediately after treatment and 2 and 10 weeks later.Data were analyzed by the Student＇s t test,chi-square tests using SPSS 12.0 statistical soitware.Results Two weeks post-treatment,Cryptococcus negative CSF rates were 78% （18/23） in the low-dose group and 87% （13/15） in the high-dose group （P=0.28）.Ten weeks post-treatment,both groups were negative.The mortality rate was 8% （2/25） in the low-dose group and 17% （3/18） in the high-dose group （P=-0.25）.There was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the groups,48% （12/25） and 78% （14/18） in the low- and high-dose groups,respectively （P=0.04）.Adverse events that required a change in treatment program in the low-dose group were 12% （3/25） compared to 39% （7/18） in the high-dose group （P=-0.04）.Conclusion Low-dose treatment regimens were better tolerated

Specific CEA-producing colorectal carcinoma cell killing with recombinant adenoviral vector containing cytosine deaminase gene

AIM: To kill CEA positive colorectal carcinoma cells specifically using the E coli cytosine deaminase (CD) suicide gene, a new replication-deficient recombinant adenoviral vector was constructed in which CD gene was controlled under CEA promoter and its in vitro cytotoxic effects were evaluated. METHODS: Shuttle plasmid containing CD gene and regulatory sequence of the CEA gene was constructed and recombined with the right arm of adenovirus genome DNA in 293 cell strain. Dot blotting and PCR were used to identify positive plaques. The purification of adenovirus was performed with ultra-concentration in CsCl step gradients and the titration was measured with plaque formation assay. Cytotoxic effects were assayed with MTT method, The fifty percent inhibition concentration (IC(50)) of 5-FC was calculated using a curve-fitting parameter. The human colorectal carcinoma cell line, which was CEA-producing, and the CEA-nonproducing Hela cell line were applied in cytological tests. An established recombinant adenovirus vector AdCMVCD, in which the CD gene was controlled under CMV promoter, was used as virus control. Quantitative results were expressed as the mean +/- SD of the mean. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA test. RESULTS: The desired recombinant adenovirus vector was named AdCEACD. The results of dot blotting and PCR showed that the recombinant adenovirus contained CEA promoter and CD gene. Virus titer was about 5.0 X 10(14)pfu/L(-1) after purification. The CEA-producing Lovo cells were sensitive to 5-FC and had the same cytotoxic effect after infection with AdCEACD and AdCMVCD (The IC(50) values of 5-FC in parent Lovo cells, Lovo cells infected with 100 M.O.I AdCEACD and Lovo cells infected with 10 M.O.I AdCMVCD were 】15000, 216.5+/-38.1 and 128.8+/-25.4 micromol.L(-1), P【0.001, respectively), and the cytotoxicity of 5-FC increased accordingly when the m.o.i of adenoviruses were enhanced (The value of IC(50) of 5-FC was reduced to 27.9+/-4.2 micromol.L(-1) in 1000 M.O.I AdCEACD infected Lovo cells and 24.8+/-7.1 micromol.L(-1) in 100 M.O.I AdCMVCD infected Lovo cells, P【0.05, P【0.01, respectively). The CEA-nonproducing Hela cells had no effect after infection with AdCEACD, but Hela cells had the cytotoxic sensitivity to 5-FC after infection with AdCMVCD (The IC(50) of 5-FC in parent Hele cells and Hela cells infected with AdCMVCD at 10 M.O.I was 】15000 and 214.5+/-31.3 micromol.L(-1), P【0.001). AdCEACD/5-FC system also had bystander effect, and the viability was about 30 percent when the proportion of transfected cells was only 10 percent. CONCLUSION: The recombinant adenovirus vector AdCEACD has the character of cell type-specific gene delivery. The AdCEACD/5-FC system may become a new, potent and specific approach for the gene therapy of CEA-positive neoplasms, especially colon carcinoma.

In situ transduction of cytosine deaminase gene followed by systemic use of 5-fluorocytosine inhibits tumor growth and metastasis in orthotopic prostate cancer mouse models

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antitumor and anti-metastatic effect of in situ transduction of adenovirus encoding cytosine deaminase (AdCD) followed by the systemic use of 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) in the orthotopic (o.t.) prostate cancer mouse model. METHODS: The o.t. prostate cancer model of C57BL/6 mouse was developed by o.t. inoculation of RM-1 cells to the subcapsular area of the prostate gland. In situ transduction of the CD gene, followed by systemic use of 5-FC at a daily dosage of 300 mg/kg for 14 days, was performed two days later. RESULTS: Compared with mice treated with Adbeta-gal/5-FC, 5-FC and PBS, mice of the o.t. model receiving in situ treatment of AdCD/5-FC had significant prolongation of survival and suppression of local tumor growth. More importantly, pathological observations showed that metastatic activity occurred in all mice of the PBS, 5-FC and Adbeta-gal groups including metastasis to the iliac lymph node (10/10, 10/10, 10/10) and the lung (8/10, 7/10, 7/10). However, only two out of ten had iliac lymphatic metastasis in the AdCD/5-FC group with no systemic or preaotic lymphatic metastasis, suggesting a strong metastatic inhibitory effect. CONCLUSIONS: In situ transduction of AdCD followed by systemic use of 5-FC leads to the inhibitory effect on tumor growth and metastatic activity in the o.t. mouse model of prostate cancer. Clinically, it may be possible to treat metastatic or recurrent prostate cancer with a novel gene therapy using in situ injection techniques in future.