Monitoring of premitotic and postmitotic apoptosis in gamma-irradiated HL-60 cells by the mitochondrial membrane protein-specific monoclonal antibody APO2.7

BACKGROUND: Majority of hematopoietic cells die by apoptosis after irradiation with ionizing radiation. In present study it is shown that human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells can undergo two different types of apoptosis, premitotic and postmitotic. METHODS: HL-60 cells were irradiated with doses 8 and 20 Gy. For apoptosis detection APO2.7 antigen (mitochondrial membrane specific protein) expression without and with permeabilization by digitonin was used. This method was compared with flow-cytometric analysis of cell light scattering properties and determination of subG1 DNA. RESULT: Cells irradiated with high dose (20 Gy) died rapidly by premitotic apoptosis (interphase death) from all phases of cell cycle. 2 hours after irradiation cells with subdiploid DNA content and cells stained by APO2.7 after digitonin permeabilization appeared. After 6 hours 40% of cells were apoptotic, nonapoptotic cells were mainly in G1-phase. Lower dose (8 Gy) after 6 hours of irradiation caused accumulation of cells in S-phase. After 24 hours majority of cells was in G2-phase and apoptotic cells appeared (subG1 peak, APO2.7 with permeabilization). CONCLUSION: Data presented herein indicate that mitochondrial membrane protein-specific antibody APO2.7 after permeabilization is a useful marker for detection of early apoptotic cells dying by premitotic and postmitotic apoptosis.     

Differentiation of HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells monitored by flow cytometric measurement of nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction

Reduction of nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) to insoluble blue formazan granules occurs during the stimulus-induced respiratory burst of mature granulocytes and is routinely used as an indicator of the extent of granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 acute promyelocytic leukemia cells. In the present study, the differentiation of HL-60 leukemia cells induced by dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or retinoic acid was monitored by flow cytometric (FCM) measurement of forward and 90 degree light scatter of NBT treated cells. Two-parameter correlated analysis permitted a distinction between cells with increased forward and decreased 90 degree light scatter (NBT-), and cells with decreased forward and increased 90 degree light scatter (NBT+). Fixation of NBT treated cells with 1% paraformaldehyde facilitated flow cytometric analysis, and allowed differences in NBT reduction to be quantitated. DMSO-induced cells expressed an all-or-none reduction of NBT to formazan, compared with retinoic acid treated cells that exhibited a graded response. Three parameter flow cytometric analysis of HL-60 leukemia cells stained with propidium iodide in combination with NBT allowed the determination of the cell cycle distribution of NBT-treated cells.     

Modulation of ionizing radiation-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest by all-trans retinoic acid in promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60)

Acute promyelocytic leukemia is characterized by a block of myeloid differentiation. The incubation of cells with 1 micromol/l all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) for 72 h induced differentiation of HL-60 cells and increased the number of CD11b positive cells. Morphological and functional changes were accompanied by a loss of proliferative capacity. Differentiation caused by preincubation of leukemic cells HL-60 with ATRA is accompanied by loss of clonogenicity (control cells: 870 colonies/10(3) cells, cells preincubated with ATRA: 150 colonies/10(3) cells). D0 for undifferentiated cells was 2.35 Gy, for ATRA differentiated cells 2.46 Gy. Statistical comparison of clonogenity curves indicated that in the whole range 0.5-10 Gy the curves are not significantly different, however, in the range 0.5-3 Gy ATRA differentiated cells were significantly more radioresistant than non-differentiated cells. When HL-60 cells preincubated with 1 micromol/l ATRA were irradiated by a sublethal dose of 6 Gy, more marked increase of apoptotic cells number was observed 24 h after irradiation and the surviving cells were mainly in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, while only irradiated cells were accumulated in G(2) phase. Our results imply that preincubation of cells with ATRA accelerates apoptosis occurrence (24 h) after irradiation by high sublethal dose of 6 Gy. Forty-eight hours after 6 Gy irradiation, late apoptotic cells were found in the group of ATRA pretreated cells, as determined by APO2.7 positivity. This test showed an increased effect (considering cell death induction) in comparison to ATRA or irradiation itself.     

不同灵芝菌株菌丝体乙醇提取物体外抑瘤活性的比较和机理

以人急性早幼粒白血病细胞HL-60细胞株作为模型,用MTT法测定生长抑制率,流式细胞Annexin Ⅴ实验和DNA含量法研究抑瘤机制,比较了8个灵芝Ganoderma lucidum菌株发酵菌丝体乙醇提取物的体外抗肿瘤活性和抑瘤机制。筛选结果得到了能产生高抑瘤活性乙醇提取物的灵芝菌株L5。其对HL-60细胞的抑制率为91.4±0.9%(72小时,125μg/mL); 作用48小时后,13.3%的细胞发生早期凋亡,G0/G1期细胞比例比对照组增加15.9%,而S期细胞比例则下降了8.4%,G2/M期细胞数减少7.6%。本研究证明了灵芝菌丝体乙醇提取物能有效抑制HL-60肿瘤细胞的体外生长,抑制率与菌株相关,其抑瘤机制与细胞G0/G1期阻滞和诱导凋亡有关。     

Effects of denaturation with HCl on the immunological staining of bromodeoxyuridine incorporated into DNA

Immunochemical procedures for detection of BrdUrd incorporated into DNA require a denaturation step of DNA. Denaturation with HCl is widely used for flow cytometric analysis of the cell cycle and for histological preparations. This brief communication describes an attempt to standardize a denaturation procedure with HCl. Various denaturation conditions at 20 degrees C were examined for human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60 cells) fixed in ethanol. After denaturation of DNA, the cells were stained by an indirect immunofluorescence method using a commercially available monoclonal anti-BrdUrd antibody or by propidium iodide. The relative fluorescence intensities of stained BrdUrd and double-stranded DNA were altered reciprocally by changing HCl concentration and/or denaturation time. Treatment with 4N HCl for 10-20 min at 20 degrees C allowed denaturation of more than 80% of DNA and the maximum BrdUrd-linked immunofluorescence. Under this condition, the coefficient of variation of the DNA histograms remained relatively small.     

Comparison of methods based on annexin-V binding, DNA content or TUNEL for evaluating cell death in HL-60 and adherent MCF-7 cells

HL-60 and MCF-7 cells were treated with 0.15 μ M camptothecin (CPT) or with the solvent dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) for the controls, for 2, 3 and 4 h or for 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. The apoptotic index (AI) was then evaluated in parallel by the following flow cytometric methods: (1) double staining of unfixed cells with fluoresceinated annexin V and propidium iodide (PI), this after detachment by trypsinization in the case of MCF-7 cultures; (2) prefixation in 70% ethanol, extraction of degraded, low molecular weight DNA with 0.2 M phosphatecitrate buffer and analysis of the DNA content stained with PI; (3) TUNEL, i.e. labelling of DNA strand breaks with biotin-dUTP, followed by staining with streptavidin-fluorescein and counterstaining with PI. In HL-60 cells, the three methods gave similar results for the AI (3–4% in the controls and at 2 h of CPT treatment, and 35–43% at 3 and 4 h after CPT). This indicates that CPT-induced membrane alteration and DNA fragmentation occurred concomitantly in those cells. For MCF-7 cells, CPT-induced apoptosis developed more slowly, the AI, whether based on annexin V or on DNA content, remained unchanged at 24 h, then was increasing to 8% at 48 h and to 25% at 72 h of treatment. In these cells, the TUNEL index did not increase prior to 72 h, and the increase was minor (up to 9% vs. 2–3% in the controls) at 72 h of the treatment. This indicates that in MCF-7 cells DNA strand breaks cannot be effectively labelled, which may be due to inaccessibility of 3-OH ends in the breaks to exogenous terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. The mechanism of endonucleolytic DNA fragmentation thus may be different, depending on the cell type.     

Nurr-1基因转染促进脂肪干细胞的神经分化

目的:研究孤儿核受体相关基因1(Nurr-1)对脂肪干细胞(adipose tissue-derived stem cells,ADSC)向神经元方向分化的潜在作用。方法:流式细胞术与成骨、成脂诱导技术鉴定脂肪干细胞;Nurrr-1基因转染脂肪干细胞后,应用神经特异性标志物MAP-2,β-tubulin的免疫荧光染色评估其向神经方向分化的能力。结果:流式细胞术结果表明培养的细胞CD29,CD44表达90%以上,CD45,CD90表达均低于1.5%,经过诱导后,油红O、茜素红S染色均呈阳性,表明所培养的细胞为脂肪干细胞;慢病毒转染Nurr-1基因后,免疫荧光染色检测MAP-2,β-tubulin的免疫荧光强度显著增加;RT-PCR结果显示Nurr-1转染的脂肪干细胞的MAP-2、β-tubulin、NF200的表达量显著提高。结论:Nurr-1基因转染能促进脂肪干细胞向神经方向分化,为神经损伤和神经退行性病变的治疗提供了新途径。     

Monoclonal Antibody to Single-Stranded DNA Is a Specific and Sensitive Cellular Marker of Apoptosis

The most widely used histochemical marker of apoptosis (in situend labeling, TUNEL) detects both apoptotic and necrotic cells and evaluates only late stages of apoptosis. Hence, a specific and sensitive cellular marker of apoptosis is needed to determine the role of apoptotic death in biology and pathology. The present study describes a novel immunohistochemical procedure for the staining of apoptotic cells using a monoclonal antibody (MAb) to single-stranded DNA. This MAb stained all cells with the morphology typical of apoptosis in etoposide-treated HL-60, MOLT-4, and R9 cell cultures, in which apoptosis was accompanied by high, moderate, and low levels of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, respectively. TUNEL stained all apoptotic cells in HL-60 cultures, nearly 60% of apoptotic cells in MOLT-4 cultures, and only 14% of apoptotic cells in R9 cultures. Apoptotic R9 cells, which progressed into secondary necrosis, retained MAb staining and became TUNEL-positive. Necrotic cells in MOLT-4 cultures treated with sodium azide were stained by TUNEL, but were negative for MAb staining. All floating cells at a late stage of apoptosis in MDA-MB-468 cultures treated with cisplatin were stained by both MAb and TUNEL. However, among adherent cells in the early stages of apoptosis, MAb stained nearly 20 times more cells than TUNEL. In histological sections of human tumor xenografts, MAb detected clusters of apoptotic cells in viable tumor tissue, but did not stain cells in areas of central ischemic necrosis. In contrast, TUNEL stained nuclei in necrotic areas. Thus, MAb to single-stranded DNA is a specific and sensitive cellular marker of apoptosis, which differentiates between apoptosis and necrosis and detects cells in the early stages of apoptosis.     

Flow cytometric scoring of apoptosis compared to electron microscopy in gamma irradiated lymphocytes

One of the early events occurring at the cell membrane during apoptosis is the translocation of phosphatidylserine from the inner side of the plasma membrane to the outer layer. These phosphatidylserine groups can be bound by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled annexin V. The aim of this study was to evaluate the power of the annexin V flow cytometric assay in detecting apoptosis in gamma irradiated peripheral blood lymphocytes and in differentiating between apoptosis and primary necrosis in these cells. Therefore, 5 Gy and 20 Gy gamma irradiated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were examined after a 24-h culture period. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) technique was performed as well. A comparison with an electron microscopic (EM) evaluation was made. EM is based on established morphological criteria allowing the classification of cells into four groups: viable, early apoptotic, secondary necrotic and primary necrotic cells. EM performed on annexin V positive sorted cells proved that a 5 Gy gamma irradiation of PBMCs mainly causes apoptosis, whereas a 20 Gy gamma irradiation mainly induces primary necrosis. Neither the annexin V flow cytometric assay nor the TUNEL assay were able to distinguish between primary and secondary necrotic cells. These results illustrate that if quantification of apoptosis is required, one should be careful in interpreting flow cytometric results obtained by annexin V or TUNEL staining in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Although in general primary necrotic cells show an increased forward scatter due to cellullar swelling, both early apoptotic and necrotic (primary or secondary) lymphocytes show a decreased forward scatter signal. Moreover, both primary and secondary necrotic lymphocytes are annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) positive and therefore indistinguishable. We conclude that if a new experiment focusing on apoptosis is set up, an initial EM evaluation is mandatory. If EM shows that the apoptosis inducing agent used in the design of the experiments is not causing primary necrosis, than the annexin V flow cytometric assay can provide rapid and quantitative information about apoptosis.     

Influence of polysulfone and hemophan hemodialysis membranes on phagocytes

The aim of the study was to compare the effect of hemophane and polysulfone membranes on the phagocyte-derived production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as on neutrophil CD11b and CD62L expression in patients undergoing regular hemodialysis. The effects of hemodialysis membranes were also studied in in vitro conditions after coincubating them with differentiated HL-60 cells. ROS production was measured using chemiluminometric and flow cytometric methods. Expression of CD11b, CD62L and mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by monoclonal antibodies and by the JC-1 fluorescent probe, respectively. Depressed ROS production was observed in patients already before dialysis. Further decrease in ROS production and an increase in CD11b expression were observed especially in patients after hemophan hemodialysis. Decreased ROS production and increased CD11b expression were observed also after incubation of HL-60 cells with hemophan membranes. Mitochondrial membrane potential dropped only after incubating cells with hemophan membranes proving its more serious adverse effects in comparison with the polysulfone membrane. In conclusion, deleterious effects of hemodialysis on the metabolic activity of phagocytes were proved. Combining chemiluminescent and flow cytometric methods for the detection of ROS production and determining mitochondrial membrane potential can be useful tools for the analysis of material biocompatibility.     

Modulation of CD157 expression in multi-lineage myeloid differentiation of promyelocytic cell lines

CD157/BST-1 is expressed on mature myeloid cells but not on their precursors in vivo. Also CD38, a homologous gene to CD157, is upregulated in promyelocytic HL-60 cells by the monocyte and granulocyte differentiation-inducing 1alpha,25dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3) and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), respectively. We have examined whether CD157 expression is upregulated when the promyeloid HL-60 and/or U937 cells are induced to differentiate into mature phenotypes in vitro. VD3 treatment irreversibly upregulated the expression of CD157 in HL-60 cells but not in U937 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner when analyzed by flow cytometry, immunoblotting and/or RT-PCR. Different monocyte and granulocyte lineage inducers induced CD157 expression to varying extents while the macrophage differentiation-inducing phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) induced its down-regulation. Time-kinetics of VD3 treatment of HL-60 cells showed that the appearance of CD157 and CD11b (a differentiation marker) antigens were not substantial up to 24 hours but increased subsequently although the appearance of CD38 became significant within 6 hours. Two-color staining of VD3-treated HL-60 cells displayed an apparently linear correlation between CD157 and CD11b expression. Dibutyryl cAMP (cAMP agonist) and forskolin (cAMP-increasing agent) augmented the VD3-dependent induction of CD157 and CD11b expression while PGE1 (cAMP-decreasing agent) inhibited it, suggesting the involvement of a cAMP-dependent mechanism in VD3-induced CD157 upregulation. Co-treatment of HL-60 cells with VD3 plus TNF-alpha or ara-C produced an additive effect on CD157 upregulation. The upregulated CD157 in the VD3-differentiated HL-60 cells was able to activate CD157-dependent tyrosine kinase signal when cross-linked with anti-CD157 antibody.     

2’-羟基二氢黄酮诱导白血病HL-60细胞凋亡过程中抗氧化酶活性的变化

目的：观察2’-羟基二氢黄酮诱导白血病细胞HL-60凋亡过程中胞内抗氧化酶活性的变化,并探讨其抗肿瘤作用机制。方法：采用CASY-TT亚流式细胞术测定2’-羟基二氢黄酮对HL-60细胞存活率的影响;Annexin V／PI双染流式细胞仪检测分析细胞凋亡变化;化学比色法测定2’-羟基二氢黄酮作用后,HL-60细胞胞内抗氧化酶SOD、CAT、GSH—Px的活性变化。结果：2’-羟基二氢黄酮显著降低HL-60细胞存活率,其作用呈剂量和时间依赖性;凋亡分析结果显示,20μM的2’一羟基二氢黄酮作用HL-60细胞后,细胞凋亡率逐渐升高,并在12h后显著高于作用前水平;酶活性检测表明,20μM2’一羟基二氢黄酮作用后,HL-60细胞胞内抗氧化酶SOD、CAT、GSH．Px活性均显著降低,脂质过氧化产物MDA含量显著升高。结论：2’-羟基二氢黄酮显著降低白血病HL广60细胞存活率并诱导细胞凋亡,其中伴随着胞内抗氧化酶活性的显著降低。     

Flow cytometry and sorting of meiotic prophase cells of female rabbits

We present a new, flow cytometric method by which cells in various stages of the meiotic prophase can be quantitated and sorted in partly enriched fractions. Ovarian cells of 3-16-day-old rabbits were mechanically dispersed and fixed in ethanol and aldehydes. The cell suspension was stained with the DNA fluorochrome mithramycin and analysed and sorted in a FACS IV cell sorter according to the fluorescence and forward light scatter distribution. Cells sorted onto slides were stained with haematoxylin and eosin and differentially counted in the microscope. In the diploid fraction, preleptotene cells were more fluorescent than somatic cells. Leptotene cells were found throughout the S fraction and the tetraploid fraction. Zygotene and pachytene cells caused a major peak in the tetraploid region with 10-25% more fluorescence than somatic cells. Cells in diplotene had 5-15% more fluorescence than somatic cells. Mitotic cells were 20-40% more fluorescent than somatic cells and scattered the light more intensely than did meiotic cells with the same fluorescence.     

Detection of cell cycle subcompartments by flow cytometric estimation of DNA-RNA content in combination with dual-color immunofluorescence

BACKGROUND: Correlated flow cytometric measurements of phenotype and DNA-RNA content offer detailed information on cell cycle status of subpopulations in heterogeneous cell preparations in response to stimulation. We have developed a method for flow cytometric analysis of DNA-RNA content that has been optimized for simultaneous measurement of dual-color immunofluorescence. METHODS: Nucleic acid staining was performed at low pH in the presence of saponin. DNA was stained with 7-aminoactinomycin D (7-AAD) and RNA with pyronin Y(G) (PY); both dyes were used at low concentrations, and 7-AAD was exchanged with nonfluorescent actinomycin D after DNA staining to minimize fluorochrome-fluorochrome interactions. For cell surface antigen staining, allophycocyanin was combined with pH-independent Alexa488 instead of fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC) because FITC is pH sensitive. RESULTS: This method identified cell cycle subcompartments in CEM cells comparable to published results on cell lines using other dyes and staining methods. Measurement of DNA-RNA content in CD8 lymphocyte subsets of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells costimulated with CD3/CD28.2 showed that, after 48 h of stimulation, 80% of CD8(+) T cells were in the proliferative state, whereas 86% of CD8(+) non-T cells remained in G(0). CONCLUSIONS: This technique permits the clear identification of cellular subpopulations by phenotype and assessment of their cell cycle status.     

Vitamin K2 induces autophagy and apoptosis simultaneously in leukemia cells

Vitamin K2 (menaquinone-4: VK2) is a potent inducer for apoptosis in leukemia cells in vitro. HL-60bcl-2 cells, which are derived from a stable transfectant clone of the human bcl-2 gene into the HL-60 leukemia cell line, show 5-fold greater expression of the Bcl-2 protein compared with HL-60neo cells, a control clone transfected with vector alone. VK2 induces apoptosis in HL-60neo cells, whereas HL-60bcl-2 cells are resistant to apoptosis induction by VK2 but show inhibition of cell growth along with an increase of cytoplasmic vacuoles during exposure to VK2. Electron microscopy revealed formation of autophagosomes and autolysosomes in HL-60bcl-2 cells after exposure to VK2. An increase of acid vesicular organelles (AVOs) detected by acridine orange staining for lysosomes as well as conversion of LC3B-I into LC3B-II by immunoblotting and an increased punctuated pattern of cytoplasmic LC3B by fluorescent immunostaining all supported induction of enhanced autophagy in response to VK2 in HL-60bcl-2 cells. However, during shorter exposure to VK2, the formation of autophagosomes was also prominent in HL-60neo cells although nuclear chromatin condensations and nuclear fragments were also observed at the same time. These findings indicated the mixed morphologic features of apoptosis and autophagy. Inhibition of autophagy by either addition of 3-methyladenine, siRNA for Atg7, or Tet-off Atg5 system all resulted in attenuation of VK2-incuded cell death, indicating autophagy-mediated cell death in response to VK2. These data demonstrate that autophagy and apoptosis can be simultaneously induced by VK2. However, autophagy becomes prominent when the cells are protected from rapid apoptotic death by a high expression level of Bcl-2.     

There is substantial nuclear and cellular disintegration before detectable phosphatidylserine exposure during the camptothecin-induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells

BACKGROUND: An early sign of apoptosis in many cells is the appearance of phosphatidylserine (PS) on the outside of the plasma membrane, whilst the cells still retain the ability to exclude DNA-binding molecules such as propidium iodide and 7-aminoactinomycin D (7-AAD). The protein annexin V binds preferentially to PS and has often been used to monitor the early phase of apoptosis. There have been some conflicting results concerning whether annexin V binds to camptothecin (CAM)-treated HL-60 cells, a commonly used model for apoptosis. We investigated the effects of culturing HL-60 cells for up to 8 h with a range of CAM concentrations. METHODS: We used flow cytometry to measure cellular light scatter, annexin V-FITC binding, and 7-AAD uptake, and DNA content after fixation and permeabilization. We also used microscopy to examine the morphology of cells (both unsorted and sorted according to their light scatter) after cytocentrifugation. RESULTS: We found that CAM caused the rapid appearance of low light scatter apoptotic bodies. Even among cells with "normal" light scatter, there was widespread DNA cleavage and nuclear fragmentation by 3 h. The percentage of apoptotic bodies peaked at about 4 h and it was only afterward that annexin V binding could be detected to both intact cells and to apoptotic bodies. When they first appeared, the intact annexin V+ cells had S-phase DNA content. CONCLUSIONS: During CAM-induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells, the external exposure of PS can either precede or follow DNA cleavage, which suggests that PS exposure is not always an indicator of early apoptosis.     

STAT3-siRNA对人结直肠癌细胞的干涉作用

目的:研究STAT3-siRNA对STAT3基因表达阳性的结直肠癌细胞凋亡的影响。方法:应用脂质体转染试剂将STAT3-siRNA表达盒(STAT3-siRNA expression cassettes,STAT3-SECs)体外转染至人结直肠癌SW480细胞及人成纤维细胞中,同时分别设立人成纤维对照组、SW480对照组、SW480错配链-SECs组和SW480空转染试剂组。于48h后收集细胞,先经荧光染色方法观察细胞表象变化,再通过流式细胞仪检测人结直肠癌SW480细胞凋亡情况,后分别提取细胞总RNA,用RT-PCR测定STAT3基因在mRNA水平的表达。结果:SW480STAT3-SECs组的细胞可见凋亡小体,出现明显的凋亡现象,而人成纤维对照组、人成纤维STAT3-SECs组、SW480对照组、SW480错配链-SECs组和SW480空转染试剂组未出现明显的凋亡现象。SW480STAT3-SECs组细胞的凋亡比率较SW480对照组、SW480错配链-SECs组和SW480空转染试剂组有明显的增高。RT-PCR所得数据经统计学处理得出:SW480STAT3-SECs组细胞的STAT3基因表达在mRNA水平上显著低于SW480对照组(P0.01);而人成纤维对照组与人成纤维STAT3-SECs组,SW480细胞对照组与SW480错配链-SECs组、SW480空转染试剂组之间无明显差异(P0.05)。结论:应用RNAi技术沉默STAT3基因可以降低人结直肠癌SW480细胞中STAT3的表达,诱导细胞的凋亡。     

A comparison of in vitro anticancerous activity and mechanism of ethanolic extracts from different Ganoderma genus

Five ethanolic extracts from the mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum,G.tsugae,G.oerstedii,G.subamboinense,and G.resinaceum were respectively studied on their anticancerous activities against leukemic HL-60 cell line in vitro.Results showed that all five extracts potently inhibited HL-60 proliferation.The extract from G.lucidum mycelia exerted the highest activity.Annexin V/PI bivariate flow cytometric analysis further revealed that the five extracts significantly induced early apoptosis in HL-60 cells.The results illustrate that not only G.lucidum but also other Ganoderma species can inhibit cancer cells,and their mechanisms are related to induction of apoptosis.     

Simplified quantitation of myeloid dendritic cells in peripheral blood using flow cytometry

BACKGROUND: Recognition of the importance of dendritic cells (DC) in the initiation of T-cell-dependent immune responses has led to increasing interest in methods for the identification of DC within the circulation. We sought to develop a flow cytometric method that would allow the reliable enumeration of absolute myeloid DC counts in minimally manipulated blood samples. METHODS: Myeloid DC were identified by three-color staining of whole blood leukocytes as a discrete population of mononuclear cells expressing high levels of HLA-DR and CD33, yet having little or no expression of CD14 and CD16. This method was analyzed for reproducibility and variation in blood DC number during typical clinical day hours and after exercise. The new method was compared to an established commercial kit method. RESULTS: FACS sorting of the CD33(+) DC showed that they morphologically resembled immature DC, and developed cytoplasmic projections typical of mature DC following overnight culture in granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Within peripheral blood, these DC were found at a mean concentration of 17. 4 +/- 5.4 x 10(6) per liter, corresponding to 0.93 +/- 0.27% of mononuclear cells. Comparison of duplicate samples stained and analyzed in parallel showed that the intrasample variability was very low, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.95. The frequency of CD33(+) myeloid DC and their light scatter characteristics were similar to that of CD11c(+) myeloid cells. Four-color FACS analysis revealed complete identity of CD11c(hi), HLA-DR(+) DC with CD33(+), HLA-DR(+) DC. Only rare CD33(+) DC coexpressed CD123 and HLA-DR. Numbers of blood myeloid DC, identified by CD33 staining, showed no significant variation during standard laboratory hours. However, their numbers rose significantly during vigorous exercise, in parallel to other blood cells. CONCLUSIONS: The method described herein is rapid, reproducible, requires only small volumes of blood, can be readily used by a clinical immunology laboratory, and requires fewer antibodies than a currently available commercial method.     

The importance of abrogation of G2-phase arrest in combined effect of TRAIL and ionizing radiation

BACKGROUND: In this work we studied the relationship between the enhanced expression of DR5 receptor and the effect of combination of TRAIL and ionizing radiation on cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction in human leukemia cell line HL-60. MATERIAL AND METHODS: DR5, APO2.7 and cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry. Proteins Bid and Mcl-1 were analyzed by Western-blotting. For clonogenic survival, colony assay on methylcellulose was used. RESULTS: Ionizing radiation caused significantly enhanced positivity of DR5 receptors 24 h after irradiation with high doses (6 and 8 Gy). An increase of DR5 receptor positivity after a dose of 2 Gy was not statistically significant and application of TRAIL 48 h after irradiation did not increase the apoptosis induction. However, a decrease of radiation-induced G(2) phase arrest and an increase of apoptosis were observed when TRAIL was applied 16 h before irradiation with the dose of 2 Gy. Incubation with 6 microg/l TRAIL for 16 h reduced D(0) value from 2.9 Gy to 1.5 Gy. The induction of apoptosis by TRAIL was accompanied by Bid cleavage and a decrease of antiapoptotic Mcl-1 16 h after incubation with TRAIL. CONCLUSION: TRAIL in concentration of 6 microg/l applied 16 h before irradiation by the dose of 1.5 Gy caused the death of 63% of clonogenic tumor cells, similarly as the dose of 2.9 Gy alone, which is in good correlation with the enhanced apoptosis induction.