Ectopic expression of von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor induces apoptosis in 786-O renal cell carcinoma cells and regresses tumor growth of 786-O cells in nude mouse

The von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) is a known tumor suppressor that binds to alpha-subunits of hypoxia-inducible factors and induces ubiquitin-mediated degradation of the protein in an oxygen-dependent manner. VHL is also involved in the regulation of tumor angiogenesis, glycolysis, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis. In the present study, we showed that ectopic expression of VHL induces apoptosis in renal cell carcinoma 786-O cells which contain only the mutant VHL, evidenced by TUNEL assay and DAPI staining. Furthermore, biochemical studies indicated that expression of VHL in 786-O cells results in both PARP and CPP32 cleavage, suggesting that VHL-induced apoptosis in 786-O cells is caspase dependent. Moreover, we also observed that apoptosis induced by ectopic VHL expression was associated with up-regulation of p27 as well as Bax, implicating the roles of these two proteins in VHL-induced apoptosis. The up-regulation of p27 and Bax by VHL was specific since we did not detect any changes in the level of other apoptotic factors including Fas and Bcl2 by the expression of VHL. We next examined the effect of VHL expression on the tumor growth of 786-O renal cell carcinoma cells in nude mouse. The results showed that injection of Ad.VHL adenovirus regresses the tumor growth of 786-O cells in nude mouse. The analysis by TUNEL assay as well as DAPI staining of 786-O tumors injected with Ad.VHL showed clear evidence of apoptosis. These results suggest that ectopic VHL expression induces apoptotic response in 786-O VHL mutant cells both in vitro and in vivo.     

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Sensitize Lung Cancer Cells to Hyperthermia: Involvement of Ku70/SirT-1 in Thermo-Protection

This study describes the sensitization mechanism to thermal stress by histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) in lung cancer cells and shows that Ku70, based on its acetylation status, mediates the protection of lung cancer from hyperthermia (42.5°C, 1-6 hrs). Ku70 regulates apoptosis by sequestering pro-apoptotic Bax. However, its role in thermal stress is not fully understood. The findings showed that, pre-treating lung cancer cells with HDACIs, nicotinamide (NM) or Trichostatin A (TsA) or both significantly enhanced hyperthermia-induced Bax-dependent apoptosis in PC-10 cells. We found that hyperthermia induces SirT-1, Sirtuin, upregulation but not HDAC6 or SirT-3, therefore transfection with dominant negative SirT-1 (Y/H) also eliminated the protection and resulted in more cell death by hyperthermia, in H1299 cells through Bax activation. Hyperthermia alone primed lung cancer cells to apoptosis without prominent death. After hyperthermia Bax was upregulated, Bcl-2 was downregulated, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was inversed and Bax/Bcl-2 heterodimer was dissociated. Although hyperthermia did not affect total Ku70 expression level, it stimulated Ku70 deacetylation, which in turn could bind more Bax in the PC-10 cells. These findings suggest an escape mechanism from hyperthermia-induced Bax activation. To verify the role of Ku70 in this protection mechanism, Ku70 was silenced by siRNA. Ku70 silencing significantly sensitized the lung cancer cells to hyperthermia. The Ku70 KD cells underwent cytotoxic G1 arrest and caspase-dependant apoptosis when compared to scrambled transfectants which showed only G2/M cytostatic arrest in the cell lines investigated, suggesting an additional cell cycle-dependent, novel, role of Ku70 in protection from hyperthermia. Taken together, our data show a Ku70-dependent protection mechanism from hyperthermia. Targeting Ku70 and/or its acetylation during hyperthermia may represent a promising therapeutic approach for lung cancer.     

Insulin-like factor binding protein-3 promotes the G1 cell cycle arrest in several cancer cell lines

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) is a multi-functional protein known to induce apoptosis of various cancer cells in an insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-dependent and IGF-independent manner. In our previous study, we found that IGFBP-3 induced apoptosis through the activation of caspases in 786-O cells. In this study, we further examined that whether IGFBP-3 induced apoptosis through the induction of cell cycle arrest in 786-O, A549 and MCF-7 cells. Our results showed that overexpressed IGFBP-3 resulted in typical apoptotic ultrastructures in A549 cells under transmission electron microscope. The result of flow cytometry analysis indicated that IGFBP-3 arrested the cell cycle at G1-S phase in 786-O, A549 and MCF-7 cells. In A549 cells, quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis showed a significant change in the expression of cell cycle-regulated proteins—a decrease in cyclin E1 expression, an increase in p21 expression. These results indicate a possible mechanism for G1 cell cycle arrest by IGFBP-3. Taken together, cyclin E1 and p21 may play important roles in the IGFBP-3-inducing G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in several human cancer cells.     

IGFBP-3在真核细胞中的分泌表达及功能分析

将人胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白3(IGFBP-3)的cDNA片段亚克隆入pSectagA载体, 构建真核分泌型表达载体pSectag-IGFBP3。采用脂质体转染的方法将真核表达载体转染人肾癌786-O细胞, 转染48 h后用免疫印迹法检测IGFBP-3的表达状况; 同时以Annexin V-EGFP/PI染色, 流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡率, 观察分泌表达的IGFBP-3对宿主细胞的促凋亡作用。转染48 h后, 经Western blotting检测, 在细胞培养上清中有分泌表达的IGFBP-3蛋白。流式细胞技术检测结果表明, 表达产物可直接作用于宿主细胞, 发挥促肿瘤细胞凋亡的作用。由此表明所构建的重组表达质粒pSectag-IGFBP3能在真核细胞水平正常表达并发挥生物学功能, 为进一步探索IGFBP-3的作用机制奠定了基础。     

IGFBP-3在真核细胞中的分泌表达及功能分析

将人胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白3(IGFBP-3)的cDNA片段亚克隆入pSectagA载体, 构建真核分泌型表达载体pSectag-IGFBP3。采用脂质体转染的方法将真核表达载体转染人肾癌786-O细胞, 转染48 h后用免疫印迹法检测IGFBP-3的表达状况; 同时以Annexin V-EGFP/PI染色, 流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡率, 观察分泌表达的IGFBP-3对宿主细胞的促凋亡作用。转染48 h后, 经Western blotting检测, 在细胞培养上清中有分泌表达的IGFBP-3蛋白。流式细胞技术检测结果表明, 表达产物可直接作用于宿主细胞, 发挥促肿瘤细胞凋亡的作用。由此表明所构建的重组表达质粒pSectag-IGFBP3能在真核细胞水平正常表达并发挥生物学功能, 为进一步探索IGFBP-3的作用机制奠定了基础。     

MicroRNA-145在肾癌中的临床意义及其分子机制探讨

目的:探讨miRNA-145在肾癌中的临床意义及其分子机制。方法:通过实时定量PCR检测和比较16例肾癌患者的肿瘤组织及癌旁正常肾组织中miRNA-145的表达,并分析miRNA-145的表达水平与肾癌患者病理特征及临床分级的相关性。进一步采用实时定量PCR检测和比较肾癌细胞株786-O、769P及正常肾细胞株HK2中miRNA-145表达量,通过转染miRNA-145 mimics和阴性对照miRNA至769P、786-O肾癌细胞株后观察癌基因(bcl-2、e2f3、cdk6、ccnd1)mRNA的表达。结果:肾癌组织中miRNA-145的表达显著低于癌旁正常肾组织(P0.05),且与肾癌的直径、病理核分级及临床分级呈显著负相关(P0.05)。肾癌细胞株769P、786-O中miRNA-145的表达显著低于正常HK-2肾细胞(P0.05),而转染miRNA-145 mimics的769P、786-O细胞中多个癌基因(bcl-2、e2f3、cdk6、ccnd1)的mRNA表达均较阴性对照组显著降低(P0.05)。结论:MiRNA-145在肾癌中呈低表达,可能通过调控多个癌基因的表达在肾癌的发生发展过程中发挥重要的作用。     

Induction of apoptosis by magnolol via the mitochondrial pathway and cell cycle arrest in renal carcinoma cells

Magnolol (Mag), an effective natural compound isolated from the stem bark of Magnolia officinalis, was found to have the potential for antitumor activity by inducing apoptosis in tumor cells. However, the effect of Mag on renal carcinoma cells and its molecular mechanism are unexplored. Our study provided evidence that Mag induced apoptosis in 786-O and OS-RC-2?cell lines via the mitochondrial pathway and cell cycle arrest. In this work, we found that Mag induced morphological changes and inhibited the proliferation of 786-O and OS-RC-2?cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner but exerted no notable inhibitory effects on normal human renal proximal tubular (HK-2) cells. Treatment with Mag suppressed the migration and invasion ability of renal carcinoma cells. Moreover, Mag caused the openness of mPTP, the accumulation of intracellular ROS and decreased △Ψm, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. However, pretreatment with the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) reversed the apoptosis induced by Mag and decreased the generation of ROS. In addition, the increased proportion of the G1/G0 phase indicated that Mag caused cell cycle arrest. Further analyses suggested that magnolol-induced apoptosis was related to the abnormal expression of p53, Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome c and caspase activation. Together, the results above revealed that Mag had antitumor effects in renal carcinoma cells via ROS production as well as cell cycle arrest and the apoptotic mitochondrial pathway was suppressed in part by NAC.     

IGFBP3通过癌旁脂肪细胞促进肾癌细胞生长与转移的作用研究

目的:探讨肾透明细胞癌的分泌蛋白IGFBP3对癌旁脂肪细胞分化的作用及通过脂肪细胞促进肾透明癌细胞生长与转移的作用。方法:通过肾细胞癌的基因数据库发现过表达的基因IGFBP3,免疫组化和RT-PCR确认IGFBP3在标本中的表达。RT-PCR和Western Blot检测IGFBP3对脂肪细胞分化成熟特征标志物表达的影响。以过表达IGFBP3的786-O细胞为模型,Western Blot检测IGFBP3的促脂肪细胞分化作用与TGFβ-smad1/5/8及TGFβ-p38MAPK信号通路的关系。将过表达IGFBP3的786-O细胞与脂肪细胞共培养得到条件培养基,通过油红染色检测条件培养的肾癌细胞中脂滴含量,迁移实验和CCK8实验分别检测脂肪细胞对肾癌细胞侵袭性及增殖的影响。结果:相较于正常组,肾癌标本中IGFBP3的表达增加(P=0.017)。IGFBP3使脂肪细胞分化成熟相关标志物PPARγ、PGC1α、c/EBPα、Prdm16、UCP1表达增加。以IGFBP3处理脂肪细胞时,可以增加TGFβ下游蛋白表达水平,30 min后p-smad1/5/8表达增加(P=0.024),60 min后p-p38MAPK表达明显增加(P=0.013)。条件培养后的786-O细胞内的脂滴形成增加(P=0.028),脂肪细胞促进786-O细胞的增殖和迁移能力。结论:IGFBP3是肾透明细胞癌中过度表达的蛋白,能够促进前脂肪细胞分化,其机制主要通过激活TGFβ通路中的smad1/5/8、p38MAPK。成熟的脂肪细胞能够促进肾癌细胞质脂滴形成,并且促进肿瘤的增殖、提高肿瘤的侵袭性。     

LINC00961 restrains cancer progression via modulating epithelial–mesenchymal transition in renal cell carcinoma

Recently, long noncoding RNA have been identified as new gene regulators and prognostic biomarkers in various cancers, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The expression and biological roles of LINC00961 have been reported in many human cancers. However, up to date, no study of LINC00961 has been shown in RCC. Currently, we aimed to investigate the function of LINC00961 in RCC progression. Interestingly, we observed that LINC00961 could act as a novel biomarker in predicting the diagnosis of RCC. Then, we found that LINC00961 was greatly downregulated in RCC cell lines (Caki-1, Caki-2, 786-O, A498, and ACHN cells) compared with normal renal cell lines (HK-2 cells). Then, 786-O cells and ACHN cells were infected with LV-LINC00961. As displayed in our current study, LINC00961 overexpression could obviously suppress the proliferation and survival of RCC cells in vitro. In addition, RCC cell apoptosis was greatly induced and cell cycle progression was blocked in G1 phase by upregulation of LINC00961 in 786-O cells and ACHN cells. Subsequently, we found that LV-LINC00961 was able to restrain RCC cell migration and cell invasion capacity. Meanwhile, the messenger RNA and protein expression levels of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated markers Slug and N-cadherin in RCC cell lines were dramatically inhibited by overexpressing LINC00961. Finally, the in vivo experiment was carried out and we observed that LINC00961 could inhibit RCC development through modulating EMT process. Taken these together, it was indicated in our study that LINC00961 was involved in RCC progression through targeting EMT pathway.     

Anti-tumor effects of fusion vaccine prepared by renal cell carcinoma 786-O cell line and peripheral blood dendritic cells of healthy volunteers in vitro and in human immune reconstituted SCID mice

Dendritic cells (DC), as professional antigen presenting cells, play the central role in the process of body initiating the anti-tumor immunity, and the study on DC anti-tumor vaccine has become heated in recent years. In this study, we used polyethylene glycol (PEG) to induce renal cell carcinoma (RCC) 786-O cell line fused with peripheral blood DC of healthy volunteers, and discuss the biological characteristics of fusion vaccine and its anti-tumor effects in vitro and in human immune reconstituted SCID mice model of RCC. The study found that PEG could effectively induce cell fusion, and the expressions of CD86 and HLA-DR in fusion vaccine group were significantly up-regulated compared with the DC control group; the secretion of IL-12 was much higher and longer than that of the control; the functions of dendritic cell-tumor fusion vaccine to stimulate the proliferation of allogenic T lymphocytes and to kill RCC786-O cells in vitro were significantly higher than those of the control group, and after the killing, apoptosis body was observed in the target cells; after the injection of fusion vaccine into human immune reconstituted SCID mice model of RCC786-O via vena caudalis, the volume of mice tumor was reduced significantly, proliferation index of tumor cells decreased obviously compared with that of the control group, and more hemorrhage and putrescence focuses presented, accompanying large quantity of lymphocytes soakage. The results of this experimental study shows that fusion vaccine of RCC786-O cell line and DC can significantly stimulate the proliferation of allogenic T cells and specifically inhibit and kill RCC cells in vitro and in vivo, which makes the DC-RCC786-O fusion vaccine a possible new way of effective RCC immunotherapy.     

异常激活的葡萄糖-6-磷酸脱氢酶通过上调周期蛋白D1表达促进肾透明细胞癌增殖

葡萄糖6-磷酸脱氢酶（glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase,G6PD）为磷酸戊糖途径的调节酶。研究表明,G6PD与多种恶性肿瘤的发生密切相关。然而,G6PD在肾透明细胞癌（clear cell renal cell carcinoma, ccRCC）中的功能及其作用机制却鲜有报道。本研究通过TCGA数据分析发现,G6PD在肾透明细胞癌TNM Ⅲ/Ⅳ期mRNA表达水平显著升高,与患者的性别、原发肿瘤直径、淋巴结转移、远端转移、病灶一侧的偏重性、病理分级以及TNM临床分期密切相关。并且,G6PD异常激活有可能成为评价肾透明细胞癌患者不良预后的分子。细胞系检测结果提示,与对照293T细胞及恶性程度较低的786-O细胞相比,恶性程度较高的Caki-1细胞中的G6PD表达及活性明显增加。基因稳定转染结合CCK8分析结果显示,G6PD过表达或异常激活可显著提高293T及786-O细胞的增殖能力,并且促进786-O细胞中周期蛋白D1基因表达上调。综上,本研究通过TCGA数据库分析和稳定细胞系检测及CCK8分析,结果显示,G6PD在肾透明细胞癌中异常激活,并可上调细胞周期蛋白D1表达,进而促进肿瘤细胞增殖。该研究为进一步揭示肾透明细胞癌分子发病机制以及开发有效的靶向治疗方案提供了借鉴。     

RNA干扰Ezrin体外对肾癌细胞株786-0增殖、凋亡的影响

目的：构建膜- 细胞骨架联接蛋白Ezrin 基因特异性短发卡RAN 表达载体（small hairpin RNA,shRNA）,探讨其对肾癌细胞株786-0 细胞凋亡、增殖的影响。方法：以Ezrin 为靶基因,以Pgenesil-1 质粒为载体,设计和构建重组体,设计2 条发夹式RNA（shRNA）,合成后克隆入载体Pgenesil-1,扩增并中量提取质粒,应用脂质体Lipofectamine 2000 转染进786-0 细胞,重组质粒转染786-0 肾癌细胞株,用运实时荧光定量PCR 进行筛选鉴定,筛选出抑制率较高的重组质粒载体shRNA-Ezrin1,用shRNA-Ezrin1转染786-0 细胞,采用MTT、流式细胞仪、电镜检测,观察RNA干扰Ezrin 后肾癌细胞株786-0 细胞增殖能力的改变。结果：shRNA干扰后786-0 细胞增殖活性减弱,G0/G1时段明显延长（P〈0.01）,PI缩短（P〈0.01）,细胞凋亡率增加（P〈0.01）。结论：Ezrin与肾癌细胞凋亡、增殖有关,有望成为肾癌基因治疗的一个新靶点。     

Timosaponin AIII inhibits metastasis of renal carcinoma cells through suppressing cathepsin C expression by AKT/miR-129-5p axis

Timosaponin AIII (TSAIII) is a steroidal saponin that exerts anticancer activity on various cancer cells. In this study, we explore the effects of TSAIII on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells. Our findings show that TSAIII treatment (<8 μM) insignificantly influenced cell viability and cell cycle distribution of human RCC cell lines 786-O, A-498, and ACHN. Further observations revealed that TSAIII inhibited migration and invasion of 786-O and A-498 cells, as well as significantly decreased the production and expression of cathepsin C (CTSC) in both the cell types. Kinase cascade analysis exhibited that PI3K/AKT activation was inhibited, but PTEN expression was increased, in response to TSAIII treatments. Combining TSAIII and PI3K inhibitors, LY294002 synergically reduced the migration and invasion of 786-O and A-498 cells, as well as decreased the CTSC expression in both the cell types. We also observed that miR-129-5p bound to CTSC gene and suppressed the expression of CTSC and demonstrated that the miR-129-5p expression was synergically enhanced by TSAIII and LY294002. In addition, pretreatment with antago-miR-129-5p significantly restored the CTSC expression and the migration and invasion of TSAIII-treated 786-O cells. In conclusion, our findings reveal that TSAIII inhibits the metastatic properties of RCC cells, contributing to the inhibition of PI3K/AKT and the increase of miR-129-5p and the subsequent downregulation of CTSC. This suggests that TSAIII has significant antimetastatic activity against RCC cells and may be beneficial to RCC treatments.     

Gene networks involved in apoptosis induced by hyperthermia in human lymphoma U937 cells

To define the molecular mechanisms that mediate hyperthermia-induced apoptosis, we performed microarray and computational gene expression analyses. U937 cells, a human myelomonocytic lymphoma cell line, were treated with hyperthermia at 42 °C for 90 min and cultured at 37 °C. Apoptotic cells (∼15%) were seen 6 h after hyperthermic treatment, and elevated expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) including Hsp27, Hsp40, and Hsp70 was detected, following the activation of heat shock factor-1. Of the 54,675 probe sets analyzed, 1334 were upregulated and 4214 were downregulated by >2.0-fold in the cells treated with hyperthermia. A non-hierarchical gene clustering algorithm, K-means clustering, demonstrated 10 gene clusters. The gene network U1 or U2 that was obtained from up-regulated genes in cluster I or IX contained HSPA1B, DNAJB1, HSPH1, and TXN or PML, LYN, and DUSP1, and were mainly associated with cellular compromise, and cellular function and maintenance or death, and cancer, respectively. In the decreased gene cluster II, the gene network D1 including CCNE1 and CEBPE was associated with the cell cycle and cellular growth and proliferation. These findings will provide a basis for understanding the detailed molecular mechanisms of apoptosis induced by hyperthermia at 42 °C in cells.     

Proline oxidase induces apoptosis in tumor cells,and its expression is frequently absent or reduced in renal carcinomas

Proline oxidase is a p53-induced gene that can mediate apoptosis in lung carcinoma cells. Here, we provide evidence implicating a role for proline oxidase in renal carcinoma. We observed absent or reduced expression of proline oxidase in 8 of 12 primary renal cell carcinomas, with respect to their normal tissue counterparts. Two renal cell carcinomas, which displayed little or no expression of proline oxidase, expressed p53s that were less capable of inducing proline oxidase than p53 isolated from normal renal tissue. One of those tumor-derived p53s contained a double transition mutation at amino acid residues 125 (Ala to Thr) and 193 (Arg to His), and the other exhibited a single transition mutation at amino acid 149 (Ser to Phe). Forced up-regulation of proline oxidase induced the formation of reactive oxygen species and mediated apoptosis in the 786-0 renal cell carcinoma cell line. A proline oxidase antisense vector repressed p53-induced up-regulation of proline oxidase, release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, and apoptosis in 786-0 renal carcinoma cells. Taken together, these findings support a role for proline oxidase as a downstream effector in p53-mediated apoptosis. We hypothesize that its altered expression can contribute to the development of renal carcinomas. The presence of proline oxidase in mitochondria, a primary organelle that regulates apoptosis, places this molecule in a subcellular localization that can directly influence the apoptotic pathway and thus tumorigenesis.     

Calcium-activated nucleotidase 1 silencing inhibits proliferation,migration, and invasion in human clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Calcium-activated nucleotidase 1 (CANT1, belongs to the apyrase family, is widely expressed in various organs. However, the biological function of CANT1 remains poorly explored. In this study, we aimed to investigate the expression profile and functions of CANT1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Our data show that the protein level of CANT1 was significantly higher in tumor tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. CANT1 silencing suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion obviously in 769-P and 786-O cells, arrested cell cycle in S phase and promoted apoptosis in 769-P cells. In conclusion, the present study shows the different expression mode of CANT1 in human ccRCC tumor tissue and adjacent normal tissue, denotes the function of CANT1 in ccRCC cells and provides potential molecular mechanisms and pathways of CANT1 antitumor function in ccRCC.     

Effects of homocysteine and its related compounds on oxygen consumption of the rat heart tissue homogenate: the role of different gasotransmitters

Accumulating evidence indicates that microRNAs are implicated in tumor initiation and progression through negatively regulating oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. In the present study, we report that the expression of miR-200a was significantly lower in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) specimens and RCC cell lines. Restoration of miR-200a suppressed cell growth, arrested cell cycle progression, and promoted cell apoptosis in RCC cell lines. We next used qRT-PCR array technology to identify Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) as one of the downregulated proteins during miR-200a overexpression in 786-O cells. Following a further assay by luciferase reporter system, SIRT1 was validated as a direct target of miR-200a. Moreover, siRNA-mediated knockdown of SIRT1 could partially phenocopy the effects of miR-200a overexpression. In contrast, overexpression of truncated SIRT1 (without an endogenous 3′-UTR) could rescue the effect of miR-200a overexpression on 786-O cells, which suggested that SIRT1 3′-UTR is targeted by miR-200a specifically. These observations provide further evidence for a critical tumor-suppressive role of the miR-200a in RCC in addition to identifying a novel regulatory mechanism, which may contribute to SIRT1 upregulation in RCC.     

Acute and long-term effects of hyperthermia in B16-F10 melanoma cells

Objective

Hyperthermia uses exogenous heat induction as a cancer therapy. This work addresses the acute and long-term effects of hyperthermia in the highly metastatic melanoma cell line B16-F10.

Materials and Methods

Melanoma cells were submitted to one heat treatment, 45°C for 30 min, and thereafter were kept at 37°C for an additional period of 14 days. Cultures maintained at 37°C were used as control. Cultures were assessed for the heat shock reaction.

Results

Immediately after the heat shock, cells began a process of fast degradation, and, in the first 24 h, cultures showed decreased viability, alterations in cell morphology and F-actin cytoskeleton organization, significant reduction in the number of adherent cells, most of them in a process of late apoptosis, and an altered gene expression profile. A follow-up of two weeks after heat exposure showed that viability and number of adherent cells remained very low, with a high percentage of early apoptotic cells. Still, heat-treated cultures maintained a low but relatively constant population of cells in S and G₂/M phases for a long period after heat exposure, evidencing the presence of metabolically active cells.

Conclusion

The melanoma cell line B16-F10 is susceptible to one hyperthermia treatment at 45°C, with significant induced acute and long-term effects. However, a low but apparently stable percentage of metabolically active cells survived long after heat exposure.     

Acyldepsipeptides inhibit the growth of renal cancer cells through G1 phase cell cycle arrest

Acyldepsipeptides are a group of potent antibiotics discovered in the secondary metabolites of Streptomyces species. However, besides the function of antibiotics, no other activities have been reported about these important compounds so far. In the course of searching the natural products as chemotherapeutic agents for renal cell carcinoma, we found that ADEP1, a major metabolic component of Streptomyces hawaiiensis NRRL 15010, could effectively inhibit the growth of 786-O, 769-P, and ACHN renal carcinoma cells in MTT assay. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that ADEP1 could block the cell cycle arrested at G1 phase. Moreover, it was found that ADEP1 down-regulated the expressions of cyclin D1, CDK4 and PCNA and inhibited activity of MAPK–ERK pathway by detection of decreased expression of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and c-Fos in 786-O and 769-P cells by Western blotting. To our knowledge, this is the first report concerning to the antitumor activities of acyldepsipeptides. Based on these results, ADEP1 may become a promising lead compound to be developed a novel chemotherapeutic agent for treatment of renal carcinoma.