Modelling the Cell Cycle and Cell Movement in Multicellular Tumour Spheroids

This paper analyses a recent mathematical model of avascular tumour spheroid growth which accounts for both cell cycle dynamics and chemotactic driven cell movement. The model considers cells to exist in one of two compartments: proliferating and quiescent, as well as accounting for necrosis and apoptosis. One particular focus of this paper is the behaviour created when proliferating and quiescent cells have different chemotactic responses to an extracellular nutrient supply. Two very different steady-state behaviours are identified corresponding to those cases where proliferating cells move either more quickly or more slowly than quiescent cells in response to a gradient in the extracellular nutrient supply. The case where proliferating cells move more rapidly leads to the commonly accepted spheroid structure of a thin layer of proliferating cells surrounding an inner quiescent core. In the case where proliferating cells move more slowly than quiescent cells the model predicts an interesting structure of a thin layer of quiescent cells surrounding an inner core of proliferating and quiescent cells. The sensitivity of this tumour structure to the cell cycle model parameters is also discussed. In particular variations in the steady-state size of the tumour and the types of transient behaviour are explored. The model reveals interesting transient behaviour with sharply delineated regions of proliferating and quiescent cells.     

Clusterin抑制人肾近曲小管上皮HK-2细胞的凋亡

Clusterin是一种硫酸糖蛋白.最近研究发现,clusterin具有抗凋亡作用,同时对肾细胞具有保护作用,但抗凋亡的具体机制仍不清楚.为研究clusterin及其不同功能区域在人肾近曲小管上皮HK-2细胞中的抗凋亡作用,构建了含有全长及缺失前导序列的clusterin重组质粒（分别命名为pIRES2-EGFP/cluac和pIRES2-EGFP/clubc）.将重组质粒转染人肾近曲小管上皮HK-2细胞后,检测转染细胞中clusterin的表达及其抗Na₂SeO₃（10μmol/L）诱导的凋亡作用.Western印迹显示,转染pIRES2-EGFP/cluac的HK-2细胞培养上清及细胞裂解液中均可检测到clusterin蛋白表达,但转染pIRES2-EGFP/clubc的HK-2细胞仅在裂解液中检测到clusterin,在培养上清液中未检测到该蛋白表达.流式细胞术检验显示,HK-2 /clubc细胞实验组出现明显凋亡峰,而 HK-2 /cluac细胞组则未见凋亡;两组的凋亡百分率之间也存在显著性差异（P<0.05）.以Cy3标记的Annexin V染色后于荧光显微镜下观察细胞凋亡情况与FCM检测结果基本一致.上述结果证明,clusterin有明显的抑制人肾近曲小管上皮HK-2细胞凋亡的作用;clusterin前导序列是其发挥抗凋亡作用的必需功能区域,提示clusterin抗凋亡作用是通过细胞外途径产生的.     

盘基网柄菌细胞发育过程中尿囊酸酶的亚细胞定位

利用胶体金免疫电镜技术,观察了盘基网柄菌细胞分化与凋亡过程中胞内尿囊酸酶的位置变化。结果表明,在细胞聚集期细胞产生的尿囊酸酶主要分布于线粒体及周围细胞质内。到了细胞丘时期,尿囊酸酶只特异地存在于发生内自噬的线粒体内,且仅局限于线粒体因内自噬产生的空泡区域,这些发生线粒体内自噬的细胞将分化成前孢子细胞。随着前孢子细胞分化的进行,尿囊酸酶颗粒在细胞内分布逐渐减少,在靠近质膜处的空泡内还能观察到一些酶颗粒;而另一些细胞内,几乎所有的胞器内都能观察到酶颗粒,一直延续至柄细胞形成。从中可以看到尿囊酸酶在将发育成孢子细胞和柄细胞两种类型细胞内的分布位置明显不同,结果提示了尿囊酸酶蛋白与盘基网柄菌细胞分化和凋亡调控途径有密切关系。     

大肠杆菌yijP侵袭蛋白诱导人脑微血管内皮细胞凋亡

为研究大肠杆菌的脑微血管内皮细胞侵袭基因yijP的功能,将yijP基因（1．04kb）克隆到pQE30表达载体,构建表达产物为N末端带有6个组氨酸（His）序列的yijP汇合蛋白,以M15（pREP4）为受体菌,大量表达（His）6-yijP汇合蛋白,利用Ni—NTA亲和层析纯化汇合蛋白,将经透析法复性的一定浓度的（His）6-yijP蛋白加入到体外培养的人脑微血管内皮细胞中,结果显示yijP蛋白对人脑微血管内皮细胞有较强的细胞毒作用：在相差显微镜下可观察到细胞皱缩、胞膜呈泡状膨出,随着时间延长细胞逐渐脱落;荧光显微镜下可见细胞核呈现为致密团块状或圆形浓染颗粒状,呈凋亡样改变：DNA琼脂糖凝胶电泳可见DNA阶梯状条带;流式细胞仪显示在正常二倍体峰之前出现一个亚二倍体峰;Western印迹可检测到caspase-3的活性片段。这些现象均出现在yijP蛋白作用于人脑微血管内皮细胞的16h之后,提示在大肠杆菌侵袭人脑微血管内皮细胞过程中,yijP蛋白可能起到诱导脑微血管内皮细胞迟发性凋亡的毒素作用。     

TAK1 Prevents Endothelial Apoptosis and Maintains Vascular Integrity

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Oxygen Toxicity Induces Apoptosis in Neuronal Cells

1. A high oxygen atmosphere induced apoptosis in cultured neuronal cells including PC12 cells and rat embryonic cortical, hippocampal, and basal forebrain neurons associated with DNA fragmentation and nuclear condensation.2. The sensitivity of CNS neurons to a high-oxygen atmosphere was the following order; cortex > basal forebrain > hippocampus.3. Cycloheximide and actinomycin-D inhibited the apoptosis, indicating that it depends on new macromolecular synthesis. In contrast, cultured postnatal CNS neurons were resistant to oxidative stress.4. Neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor (NGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) blocked the apoptosis induced by a high-oxygen atmosphere.     

Lymphatic Endothelial Differentiation in Pulmonary Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Cells

Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare, low-grade neoplasm affecting almost exclusively women of childbearing age. LAM belongs to the family of perivascular epithelioid cell tumors, characterized by spindle and epithelioid cells with smooth muscle and melanocytic differentiation. LAM cells infiltrate the lungs, producing multiple, bilateral lesions rich in lymphatic channels and forming cysts, leading to respiratory insufficiency. Here we used antibodies against four lymphatic endothelial markers—podoplanin (detected by D2-40), prospero homeobox 1 (PROX1), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3), and lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1 (LYVE1)—to determine whether LAM cells show lymphatic differentiation. Twelve of 12 diagnostic biopsy specimens (early-stage LAM) and 19 of 19 explants (late-stage LAM) showed immunopositivity for D2-40 in most neoplastic cells. PROX1, VEGFR-3, and LYVE1 immunoreactivity varied from scarce in the early stage to abundant in the late stage. Lymphatic endothelial, smooth muscle, and melanocytic markers were partially co-localized. These findings indicate that lymphatic endothelial differentiation is a feature of LAM and provide evidence of a previously unidentified third lineage of differentiation in this neoplasm. This study has implications for the histological diagnosis of LAM, the origin of the neoplastic cells, and potential future treatment with drugs targeting lymphangiogenesis.     

西达本胺诱导胰腺癌细胞凋亡

目的：观察西达本胺对胰腺癌细胞BxPC-3和PANC-1生长抑制及诱导细胞凋亡作用,探讨西达本胺抗胰腺癌的机制。方法：西达本胺处理BxPC-3和PANC-1细胞后,用流式细胞术检测细胞的凋亡率,用罗丹明123和DCFH—DA染色方法测定细胞线粒体膜跨膜电位变化和活性氧（ROS）的产生,用Western印迹检测Bcl-2家族和γH2AX蛋白表达的变化。结果：西达本胺对胰腺癌细胞BxPC-3和PANC-1具有生长抑制和诱导细胞凋亡的作用,且呈时间和剂量依赖关系;处理72h后,胰腺癌细胞内ROS产生增强导致DNA损伤发生,且线粒体跨膜电位明显下降;促凋亡蛋白Bax的表达,抑制抑凋亡蛋白Bcl-2和Mcl—1的表达。结论：西达本胺具有抑制胰腺癌细胞增殖,诱导细胞凋亡的作用;西达本胺增强胰腺癌细胞内ROS的产生并导致DNA损伤,最终诱导细胞凋亡的发生。     

Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Inhibition in Oxidant-Stressed Endothelial Cells Prevents Oncosis and Permits Caspase Activation and Apoptosis

Endothelial cells (EC) are subject to oxidative-induced cell death. Activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) occurs early in oxidant-induced EC injury and putatively mediates cell death by depleting its substrate, NAD⁺. In this study, the role of PARP in H₂O₂-induced EC death was investigated. EC were exposed to oxidant stress and viability continuously monitored using fluorescent dye exclusion. Inhibition of PARP with 1,5-dihydroxyisoquinoline (DIQ) delayed the time course of oxidant-induced EC death. Concurrent addition of the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, or the endonuclease inhibitor, aurintricarboxylic acid, to PARP-inhibited cells further delayed the onset and attenuated the extent of H₂O₂-induced cell lysis, consistent with an active mode of cell death. Caspase-3-like activity, a hallmark of apoptosis, was negligible in oxidant-treated EC alone, however, inhibition of PARP by 3-aminobenzamide or DIQ dramatically increased caspase-3-like activity. Morphological assessment confirmed that the primary mode of death in oxidant-stressed EC was oncosis. However, following PARP inhibition, the cells switched to apoptosis. Since inflammation is associated with oncosis and not apoptosis, the results presented here could explain the beneficial effects seen with PARP inhibition in various in vivo models of oxidant injury and provide a mechanism to manipulate this injury into a state of cell death that could ultimately be controlled.     

雷公藤甲素诱导胰腺癌细胞凋亡

目的：观察雷公藤甲素对胰腺癌细胞BxPC-3和PANC-1生长抑制及诱导细胞凋亡作用,探讨雷公藤甲素抗胰腺癌的机制。方法：雷公藤甲素处理BxPC-3和PANC—1细胞后,用M1rr法检测细胞的生长抑制,用流式细胞术检测细胞的凋亡率,用罗丹明123和DCFH—DA染色方法测定细胞线粒体膜跨膜电位变化和活性氧（ROS）的产生,用Western印迹检测Bcl-2、Bax蛋白表达的变化。结果：雷公藤甲素对胰腺癌细胞BxPC-3和PANC—1具有生长抑制和诱导细胞凋亡的作用,且呈时间和剂量依赖关系;处理72h后,胰腺癌细胞线粒体跨膜电位明显下降,Bax表达上调,Bcl-2表达下降。结论：雷公藤甲素能有效抑制胰腺癌细胞增殖,通过增强线粒体通透性诱导细胞凋亡。     

阿司匹林诱导人恶性睾丸生殖细胞瘤NTera-2细胞凋亡

阿司匹林,又称乙酰水杨酸,已证实有抑制肿瘤细胞增殖、诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡和抑制血管生成等多种抗癌功能.除已知对环氧合酶COX-2的活性有抑制外,阿司匹林抗癌分子机制尚不十分清楚.已报道阿司匹林可以降低多种癌症发生风险,但应用于人类睾丸肿瘤治疗的研究报道很少.本文研究了阿司匹林对人恶性睾丸肿瘤NTera-2细胞凋亡的机制.通过MTT方法检测细胞活力,发现阿司匹林以时间和剂量依赖方式抑制NTera-2细胞增殖.不同浓度阿司匹林处理NTera-2细胞后,采用Hoechest 33258染色方法和Annexin V-FITC/PI流式法分别检测NTera-2细胞的形态学变化、凋亡小体形成、细胞凋亡水平;RT-PCR结果显示,NTera-2细胞中Fas和caspase-8的表达以阿司匹林剂量依赖性上升;蛋白印迹结果显示,FasL的蛋白表达水平下降并活化caspase-8、caspase-3蛋白表达,PARP出现剪切体. 进一步的实验证明,caspase广谱抑制剂Z-VAD-FMK能够减弱阿司匹林诱导NTera-2细胞凋亡. 结果显示,阿司匹林能明显抑制NTera-2细胞活力,并通过激活caspase 通路诱导NTera-2细胞的凋亡,为进一步利用阿司匹林治疗人类睾丸肿瘤的研究奠定基础.     

Short-Term Shear Stress Induces Rapid Actin Dynamics in Living Endothelial Cells

Hemodynamic shear stress guides a variety of endothelial phenotype characteristics, including cell morphology, cytoskeletal structure, and gene expression profile. The sensing and processing of extracellular fluid forces may be mediated by mechanotransmission through the actin cytoskeleton network to intracellular locations of signal initiation. In this study, we identify rapid actin-mediated morphological changes in living subconfluent and confluent bovine aortic endothelial cells (ECs) in response to onset of unidirectional steady fluid shear stress (15 dyn/cm²). After flow onset, subconfluent cells exhibited dynamic edge activity in lamellipodia and small ruffles in the downstream and side directions for the first 12 min; activity was minimal in the upstream direction. After 12 min, peripheral edge extension subsided. Confluent cell monolayers that were exposed to shear stress exhibited only subtle increases in edge fluctuations after flow onset. Addition of cytochalasin D to disrupt actin polymerization served to suppress the magnitude of flow-mediated actin remodeling in both subconfluent confluent EC monolayers. Interestingly, when subconfluent ECs were exposed to two sequential flow step increases (1 dyn/cm² followed by 15 dyn/cm² 12 min later), actin-mediated edge activity was not additionally increased after the second flow step. Thus, repeated flow increases served to desensitize mechanosensitive structural dynamics in the actin cytoskeleton.     

过表达Runx2促进C2C12细胞成骨分化

利用Tet-on(Tetracycline-on)基因表达系统,通过强力霉素(doxycycline,DOX)诱导Runx2基因在C2C12细胞中的表达,探究Runx2促成骨分化功能,为其分子机制的研究提供一个理想的实验平台.先后将调控质粒pTet-on和反应质粒pTRE-Flag-Runx2转染入C2C12细胞,并用G418和潮霉素分别进行2轮筛选,运用实时荧光定量PCR选择对强力霉素诱导敏感的细胞克隆.用不同浓度DOX诱导C2C12/Tet/pTRE-Flag-Runx2细胞,蛋白免疫印迹检测Runx2的表达,确定DOX的最佳诱导浓度与时间,并检测C2C12细胞的成骨分化能力.结果表明,诱导细胞最佳DOX浓度为10μg/ml;最佳诱导时间为12h;诱导后Runx2基因高表达,C2C12细胞向成骨方向分化(P0.05).成功建立Tet调控Runx2基因表达C2C12细胞系,为进一步研究Runx2基因功能分子机制提供理想的细胞模型.     

雷公藤甲素诱导HeLa细胞p53依赖的自噬和凋亡

自噬与凋亡被认为是细胞程序性死亡的两种重要途径,二者的交互联系对阐明药物的抗肿瘤机理有重要价值.众多的研究表明,雷公藤甲素对多种肿瘤细胞都具有显著的抑制作用.细胞凋亡与自噬可被相同的因素所诱导,p53蛋白可以同时对二者起调控作用,在自噬与凋亡的交互作用(crosstalk)中扮演着重要角色.本文以He La细胞为模型,研究雷公藤甲素诱导He La细胞发生自噬和凋亡的机制,并通过抑制p53依赖的转录,研究雷公藤甲素诱导He La细胞p53依赖的自噬和凋亡交互联系.     

仙人掌提取物对浅Ⅱ度烫伤小鼠VEGF及FGF-2表达的影响

为探讨野生仙人掌和食用仙人掌提取物对浅Ⅱ度烫伤小鼠内源性血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)及碱性成纤维细胞生长因子(FGF-2)表达的影响,建立小鼠浅Ⅱ度烫伤模型。野生、食用仙人掌提取物组(浓度均为12.5 mg/mL),药物组(京万红),烫伤组(生理盐水),每天2次涂药并观察创面,分别在3 d和7 d各组取5只小鼠处死,取烫伤组织提取蛋白并检测VEGF、FGF-2的表达状况。仙人掌组中VEGF及FGF-2的表达量均高于烫伤组,且两种仙人掌组VEGF及FGF-2的表达量有差异。即仙人掌提取物能提高VEGF及FGF-2的表达量并能促进创面的修复。     

Fucoidan Induces Cell Aggregation and Apoptosis in Osteosarcoma MG-63 Cells

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide found in brown algae, possesses various biological activities including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. In this study, we investigated the effects of fucoidan on the cell growth and morphology of human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells and found that fucoidan induces cell aggregation and apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells when the cells are treated with fucoidan upon seeding before becoming stably attached to the plates. Typical characteristics of apoptotic cells such as chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation were observed in fucoidan-treated cells. The number of annexin V-stained cells was increased by fucoidan treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Consistent with these results, cell viability and growth rate were decreased and cell spreading was inhibited in the presence of fucoidan, leading to rounded morphological changes of the cells. Our results demonstrate that fucoidan treatment results in cell aggregation through F-actin accumulation at the rounded cell cortex and apoptosis in osteosarcoma MG-63 cells.     

Knockdown of VEGFR2 Inhibits Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis in Hemangioma-Derived Endothelial Cells

Angiogenesis is a process of development and growth of new capillary blood vessels from pre-existing vessels. Angiogenic growth factors play important roles in the development and maintenance of some malignancies, of which vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGFR2 interactions are involved in proliferation, migration, and survival of many cancer cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the function of VEGFR2 in human hemangiomas (HAs). Using immunohistochemistry assay, we examined the expression levels of VEGF, VEGFR2, Ki-67, glucose transporter-1 (Glut-1), phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT) and p-ERK in different phases of human HAs. Positive expression of VEGF, VEGFR2, Ki-67, Glut-1, p-AKT and p-ERK was significantly increased in proliferating phase HAs, while decreased in involuting phase HAs (P=0.001; P=0.003). In contrast, cell apoptotic indexes were decreased in proliferating phase HAs, but increased in involuting phase HAs (P<0.01). Furthermore, we used small hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated VEGFR2 knockdown in primary HA-derived endothelial cells (HemECs) to understand the role of VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling. Knockdown of VEGFR2 by Lv-shVEGFR2 inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis in primary HemECs companied with decreased expression of p-AKT, p-ERK, p-p38MAPK and Ki-67 and increased expression of caspase-3 (CAS-3); Overexpression of VEGFR2 promoted cell viability and blocked apoptosis in Lv-VEGFR2-transfected HemECs. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that, increased expression of VEGFR2 is involved in the development of primary HemECs possibly through regulation of the AKT and ERK pathways, suggesting that VEGFR2 may be a potential therapeutic target for HAs.Key words: vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, hemangioma, proliferation, apoptosis     

Isoegomaketone Induces Apoptosis through Caspase-Dependent and Caspase-Independent Pathways in Human DLD1 Cells

Isoegomaketone (IK) is an essential oil component of Perilla frutescens (L.), but the mechanism by which IK induces apoptosis has never been studied. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the IK-induced apoptotic pathway in DLD1 human colon cancer cells. We observed that IK treatment over 24 h significantly inhibited cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. We also found that IK triggered cleavage of PARP. Moreover, IK treatment resulted in cleavage of caspase-8, -9, and -3 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. IK treatment also resulted in cleavage of Bid and translocation of Bax, and triggered the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm. Furthermore, it resulted in the translocation of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), a caspase-independent mitochondrial apoptosis factor, from the mitochondria into the nucleus. Overall, these results suggest that IK induces apoptosis through caspase-dependent and capase-independent pathways in DLD1 cells.     

脂可平对实验性早期动脉粥样硬化内皮细胞凋亡及Bax、Bcl-2表达的影响

研究脂可平对大鼠血脂、早期动脉粥样硬化血管内皮细胞凋亡及Bax、Bcl-2表达的影响。应用高脂饲料复制SD大鼠早期动脉粥样硬化模型,分别给以脂可平、辛伐他汀片混悬液灌胃,实验10周后,全自动生化分析仪、流式细胞仪定量分别检测各组血脂、主动脉内皮细胞凋亡率及Bax、Bcl-2蛋白的表达;苏木素伊红(HE)染色观察主动脉组织形态学变化。两治疗组均可降低血脂,不同程度的改善了主动脉组织病理损伤,降低内皮细胞凋亡率,调控Bax、Bcl-2蛋白表达。本实验说明脂可平可降低血脂,干预动脉粥样硬化的始动环节及其发生并从蛋白水平调控早期动脉粥样硬化内皮细胞凋亡。     

Glutathione Induces Neuronal Differentiation in Rat Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

It has been reported that rat bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) are differentiated into neuronal cells by administration of 2-mercaptoethanol [Woodbury et al (2000) J Neurosci Res 61:364–370]. In this study, we examined the effects of various sulfhydryl (SH) compounds on the differentiation of BMSCs obtained from rat femurs. Neuronal differentiation was detected morphologically and immunocytochemically. It was found that the cells treated with reduced glutathione (GSH) apparently differentiated into neurons, showing extensive processes, and expressing neuron-specific enolase and microtubule-associated protein 2. Glutathione monoethyl ester (GEE), which increased the cellular GSH content, showed no effect on the expression of neuronal markers. It is concluded that the neural differentiation of BMSCs occurs by the administration of GSH. It was suggested that extracellular and not intracellular GSH have effects on the induction of the neuronal differentiation of BMSCs.