“莪黄灌肠液”对人大肠癌SW480细胞HIF-1α通路uPA、uPAR基因表达的影响

目的:通过莪黄灌肠液对SW480细胞HIF-1α通路uPA、uPAR基因表达的影响，探讨莪黄灌肠液对SW480细胞侵袭与迁移的影响。方法:根据随机数学分组的原则，将50只健康SD雄性大鼠分成随机5组并逐个编号，体重控制在（200±20）g。通过预实验得出的药物分组量分别灌胃给药:莪黄灌肠液（莪黄汤）每毫升药液中含生药2 g，莪黄灌肠液（莪黄汤）组由低、中、高（6.075 g/kg，12.15 g/kg，24.3 g/kg）剂量组（灌胃剂量2 ml）组成，空白组为生理盐水组(灌胃剂量2 ml，pH 7.2)，阳性对照组由腹腔注射氟尿嘧啶0.025 g/(kg·d)，调整注射剂量1 ml构成。标准化灌胃1周，无菌条件下提取各组含药血清。在体外使用含药血清体培养SW480细胞，划痕实验观察莪黄灌肠液含药血清在体外对SW480细胞迁移能力的影响；Transwell实验检测肿瘤细胞侵袭能力；Western-blot实验检测各组细胞中HIF-1α、uPA、uPAR蛋白表达。结果:预实验提示莪黄灌肠液对大鼠无明显副作用。SW480细胞具有明显的迁移及侵袭能力。各组莪黄灌肠液含药血清能抑制SW480细胞的侵袭与迁移特性，其中莪黄灌肠液各组（24.3 g/kg，12.15 g/kg，6.075 g/kg）和氟尿嘧啶组较空白组均能够有效抑制肿瘤细胞的侵袭与迁移作用，且氟尿嘧啶组作用最强，中药24.3 g/kg组表现出的抑制侵袭作用较12.15 g/kg，6.075 g/kg组均强（P<0.05）。莪黄灌肠液含药血清作用于肿瘤细胞24 h后，其细胞内HIF-1α、uPA、uPAR蛋白含量均有明显的下降，HIF-1α、uPA、uPAR蛋白表现出浓度依赖性（P<0.05)。结论:“莪黄灌肠液”可能通过作用于HIF-1α通路抑制SW480细胞的侵袭与转移。     

Indocyanine green loaded hyaluronan-derived nanoparticles for fluorescence-enhanced surgical imaging of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is highly lethal and surgical resection is the only potential curative treatment for the disease. In this study, hyaluronic acid derived nanoparticles with physico-chemically entrapped indocyanine green, termed NanoICG, were utilized for intraoperative near infrared fluorescence detection of pancreatic cancer. NanoICG was not cytotoxic to healthy pancreatic epithelial cells and did not induce chemotaxis or phagocytosis, it accumulated significantly within the pancreas in an orthotopic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma model, and demonstrated contrast-enhancement for pancreatic lesions relative to non-diseased portions of the pancreas. Fluorescence microscopy showed higher fluorescence intensity in pancreatic lesions and splenic metastases due to NanoICG compared to ICG alone. The in vivo safety profile of NanoICG, including, biochemical, hematological, and pathological analysis of NanoICG-treated healthy mice, indicates negligible toxicity. These results suggest that NanoICG is a promising contrast agent for intraoperative detection of pancreatic tumors.     

p38 MAPK在LPS诱导牙龈成纤维细胞表达uPA中作用的研究

目的：研究p38 MAPK在LPS诱导牙龈成纤维细胞表达uPA中的作用。方法：采用Western blotting观察LPS对牙龈成纤维细胞内p38 MAPK活性的影响；蛋白激酶活性实验SB203580地p38 MAPK活性的抑制作用；Northern blotting观察SB203580对LPS诱导uPA表达的影响。结果：LPS能够迅速地激活牙龈成纤维细胞内p38 MAPK的活性；SB203580能够有效地抑制牙龈成纤维细胞内的p38 MAPK的活性；经SB203580处理后，LPS对uPA的诱导作用受到显著的抑制。结论：LPS通过p38 MAPK信号转导途径诱导牙龈成纤维细胞表达uPA。     

Independent validation of stromal uPA in ABCSG-08: Level 1b evidence for the prognostic value of uPA immunohistochemistry

PurposeTo validate the prognostic role of urokinase-type plasminogen-activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) protein expression in FFPE archived tumor samples when assessed by immunohistochemistry.Patients and methodsFresh-frozen, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples from 303 postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive, early breast cancer were investigated. The patients had received 5 years of endocrine therapy in the prospectively randomized ABCSG-8 trial. Immunohistochemistry for stromal uPA and PAI-1 protein expression was correlated with distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) and overall survival (OS).ResultsWe detected stromal uPA in 132 of 297 tumors (44.4%) and stromal PAI-1 expression in 74 out of 299 samples (24.7%). Co-expression of uPA and PAI-1 was present in 48 of 294 (16.3%) cases. Neither uPA nor PAI-1 expression was associated with tumor size, age, nodal status, grading, or quantitative receptor status. Patients whose tumor stroma expressed uPA protein had a significantly shorter DRFS (adjusted HR for relapse: 2.78; 95% CI 1.31–5.93; p = 0.008 Cox regression analysis) than women without uPA expression. No such association was seen for PAI-1 and the uPA/PAI1 ratio. After a median follow-up of 5.6 years, women with uPA-positive tumors demonstrated significantly shorter DRFS (93.3% vs. 84.8%; p < 0.013 log-rank test), and tended to have a worse OS (83.0% vs. 77.3%; p = 0.106) compared to women with uPA negative tumors.ConclusionThis independent validation in archived tumor samples from a large prospective randomized trial confirms the clinical utility of stromal uPA evaluation by immunohistochemistry. This provides level 1b evidence for the prognostic role of stromal uPA in women with endocrine-responsive early breast cancer.     

uPA、uPAR、PAI-1血浆含量与卵巢恶性肿瘤的相关性研究

目的：探讨尿激酶型纤溶酶原激活物（uPA）及其受体（uPAR）和抑制剂（PAI-1）血浆含量与卵巢恶性肿瘤之间的关系。方法：收集52例卵巢恶性肿瘤患者血液标本,以30例健康人作对照,用ELISA法分别检测uPA、uPAR和PAI-1的含量。结果：uPA、uPAR在卵巢恶性肿瘤各期之间均有极显著性差异（P〈0．01）,PAI-1在卵巢恶性肿瘤FIGO Ⅰ～Ⅲ期的含量逐渐升高,但在FIG0Ⅳ期时显著下降（P〈0．05）。患者组uPA、uPAR、PAI-1均较对照组升高,差异极显著（P〈0．01）。结论uPA、uPAR在卵巢恶性肿瘤患者可作为预后的判断指标,PAI-1与卵巢恶性肿瘤的分期有一定的相关性。     

Thrombus lysis by uPA, scuPA and tPA is regulated by plasma TAFI

Summary.  The carboxypeptidase, TAFIa or CPU, is known to prolong plasma clot lysis by tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and to have a role in thrombus stability in vivo. This current study examined lysis by urokinase (uPA) and single chain urokinase (scuPA) in addition to tPA. Further, we investigated the role of TAFIa in a model thrombus system, in which thrombi are formed under conditions of flow. We show that human thrombi, formed in vivo , and model thrombi both contain TAFI . No effect of thrombus TAFIa was observed in thrombus lysis assays, except when thrombi were bathed in plasma, in which case addition of potato tuber carboxypeptidase inhibitor (CPI) resulted in doubling of the rate of lysis. TAFIa inhibited lysis of model thrombi and plasma clots by uPA, scuPA in addition to lysis by tPA. The effect of TAFIa was more evident at high concentrations of plasminogen activator such as those used in thrombolytic therapy. Addition of plasminogen increased lysis and, in its presence, the enhancement by CPI was smaller. Thus the action of TAFIa could be partially overcome by plasminogen, whether lysis was by tPA, uPA or scuPA. This is consistent with TAFIa exerting its effect primarily through modifying the binding of plasminogen to fibrin and to a lesser extent through modification of the binding of tPA to fibrin.     

Preservation of the Characteristics of the Cultured Human Type II Alveolar Epithelial Cells

The human type II alveolar epithelial cells lost their specific characteristics during cultivation. We examined the ultrastructural and biochemical nature of the human type II cells cultured by two culture systems. To make a physiological alveoli model, the epithelial cells were seeded onto the cell culture insert and allowed contact with the air directly. The cells exposed to the air expressed polarity and immature lamellar bodies in their cytoplasm. Separately, the alveolar epithelial cells were cultured as spheroids to construct the three-dimensional condition. These cells expressed mature morphological characteristics as epithelial cells and lamellar bodies. The expression of the surfactant apoprotein-A (SP-A) and -C (SP-C) mRNA was compared in the cells cultured as a monolayer, the air exposed and the spheroids. SP-A mRNA was detected in all the cultured epithelial cells, but SP-C mRNA, a specific protein for the type II cells, was expressed only in the cells forming spheroids. The expression of uPA, one of the fibrinolytic enzymes, its receptor (uPAR) and its inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were also examined. The epithelial cells exposed to the air and formed spheroids expressed a larger amount of uPA mRNA than the monolayer, although the amount of uPAR mRNA were comparable in these cells. The amount of PAI-1 mRNA significantly increased when the epithelial cells were exposed to the air. These results indicate that the type II alveolar epithelial cells induced and preserved their specific characteristics by taking the physiological three-dimensional structure, and these characteristics were partially restored by exposure to the air. Those findings suggest that the alveolar epithelial cells should be cultivated in three-dimensional form with contact to the air to regenerate an appropriate alveolar tissue.     

Ultra-rapid cardiotoxicity of the hepatitis C virus protease inhibitor BILN 2061 in the urokinase-type plasminogen activator mouse

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Because current therapies for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are suboptimal and associated with severe side effects, novel treatment options are needed. A small animal model has recently been developed to study HCV infections. To examine the usefulness of this human liver-urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA)(+/+) severe combined immune deficient (SCID) mouse for the development of HCV-targeted drugs, we evaluated the antiviral efficacy and safety of an HCV NS3-protease inhibitor, BILN 2061. METHODS: BILN 2061 was orally administered at clinical range doses for 4 days to SCID mice that differed in the presence of HCV infection, human hepatocyte grafts, and uPA zygosity. Treatment outcome was evaluated clinically, virologically, and morphologically. Using standard high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) methods and mass spectrometry, single-dose pharmacokinetics and multiple-dose drug exposures were analyzed. The (13)C-aminopyrine breath test was applied to compare in vivo liver function. RESULTS: A 4-day treatment with BILN 2061 of HCV genotype-1b infected chimeric animals reduced the viral load by >100-fold, but concomitant clinical and ultrastructural signs of cardiotoxicity appeared. BILN 2061 administration to uPA-transgenic mice induced mitochondrial swelling with aberrant cristae in cardiomyocytes, but not in skeletal muscle. Because both drug accumulation and liver function were identical in affected uPA-transgenic and nontransgenic SCID mice without cardiac involvement, the urokinase plasminogen activator transgene itself appears to be implicated. CONCLUSIONS: The human liver-uPA(+/+)SCID mouse is an interesting small animal model to evaluate the preclinical safety and efficacy of new antiviral compounds against HCV. The uPA-transgene increases the susceptibility of mice to BILN 2061-induced cardiotoxicity.     

Animal model for study of human hepatitis viruses

Human hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infect only chimpanzees and humans. Analysis of both viruses has long been hampered by the absence of a small animal model. The recent development of human hepatocyte chimeric mice has enabled us to carry out studies on viral replication and cellular changes induced by replication of human hepatitis viruses. Various therapeutic agents have also been tested using this model. In the present review, we summarize published studies using chimeric mice and discuss the merits and shortcomings of this model.     

The development of cardiac fibrosis in low tissue factor mice is gender-dependent and is associated with differential regulation of urokinase plasminogen activator

Tissue factor (TF) initiates the protease coagulation cascade in response to tissue injury. Homozygous deficiency of murine TF results in embryonic lethality, which is rescued by low-level expression of human TF. These low-TF mice have been shown to develop cardiac fibrosis. We tested the hypothesis that the development of cardiac fibrosis in low-TF mice results from dysregulated protease expression and is affected by gender. Mice were divided into the age groups 2-5, 6-12, 13-18 and 19+ weeks. Fibrosis was assessed by trichrome staining. Protease expression was measured in male and female mice by RT-PCR for mRNA and zymography, ELISA or immunoblot for protein. Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) activity was determined by zymography and chromogenic substrate assay. A marked gender effect was noted for the development of fibrosis, with interstitial collagen deposition occurring from 9 weeks in male low-TF mice, but not until 19 weeks in low-TF females. This delayed onset in females was accompanied by delayed up-regulation of molecular markers of injury. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 expression were up-regulated in the hearts of male low-TF mice from 6 to 12 weeks and in females from 19 weeks. MMP/TIMP dysregulation was not seen prior to cardiac fibrosis and did not appear to explain the gender differences. However, uPA expression and activity were down-regulated prior to cardiac fibrosis in low-TF females, but were up-regulated in age-matched males. This suggests that the down-regulation of uPA in female low-TF mice protects them from more severe cardiac fibrosis.