Screening for supra-additive effects of cytotoxic drugs and gamma irradiation in an in vitro model for hepatocellular carcinoma

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Lambert ◽  
L De Ridder ◽  
G Slegers ◽  
V de Gelder ◽  
R A Dierckx ◽  
...  

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world. A wide variety of treatment modalities is available for palliative therapy of HCC, although there is no strong evidence that these treatments can have a significant impact on survival. The aim of this work was to screen cytotoxic drugs relevant in the treatment of HCC for enhancement of the effect of irradiation in an in vitro model. As the majority of patients presenting with HCC suffer reduced liver function, attention was paid to low-dose effects of the cytotoxic drugs tested. To reflect this situation in vivo, multicellular tumor aggregates or "spheroids" of HepG2 cells were cultured and exposed to gamma irradiation alone or in combination with cisplatin for 4 h, gemcitabin for 4 or 24 h, or 5-fluorouracil for 4 h. In one experiment, the spheroids were cultured for 4 weeks in multiwell plates that allowed adhesion. Measurement of two-dimensional spheroid outgrowth was made every week for each spheroid. This kind of growth depends on the proliferation and motility of the cells that form the spheroid. In a second experiment, toxicity was evaluated by comparative growth curves by means of a three-dimensional growth assay and by histology. Supra-additive effects lasting for 4 weeks were observed for all drugs tested in combination with a gamma irradiation of 10 Gy.Key words: hepatocellular carcinoma, cisplatin, gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil, gamma irradiation.

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (10) ◽  
pp. 1021-1028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bieke Lambert ◽  
Leo De Ridder ◽  
Filip De Vos ◽  
Guido Slegers ◽  
Virginie de Gelder ◽  
...  

The use of 5-fluorouracil, topotecan, or gemcitabine was tested for enhancement of the effects of low dose rate (LDR) irradiation in an in vitro model for hepatocellular carcinoma. For comparison, all drugs were tested in combination with high dose rate (HDR) γ-irradiation as well. Multicellular spheroids of HepG2 cells were exposed to HDR or LDR irradiation by means of external beam cobalt-60 or rhenium-188 (188Re), respectively, dissolved in the culture medium. Secondly, exposure to irradiation was combined with the cytotoxic drug. Toxicity was evaluated by means of a quantitative spheroid outgrowth assay and histology. For 5-fluorouracil, supra-additive effects were observed in combination with HDR irradiation. With 188Re, the supra-additive toxicity was only transient. For topotecan and 188Re, no supra-additive effects were seen, whereas the addition of HDR irradiation at the end of the topotecan exposure yielded lasting supra-additive effects. Incubation with gemcitabine followed by exposure to HDR irradiation, induced a synergistic toxicity on the outgrowth. No supra-additive effects were observed when HDR irradiation was added at the start of the incubation with gemcitabine or combined with LDR irradiation. For all drugs tested, supra-additive effects were observed with HDR irradiation if the timing of the irradiation was appropriate. For 188Re, no lasting supra-additive effects were observed.


Author(s):  
Susan Gallogly ◽  
Takeshi Fujisawa ◽  
John D. Hung ◽  
Mairi Brittan ◽  
Elizabeth M. Skinner ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Endothelial dysfunction is central to the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndrome. The study of diseased endothelium is very challenging due to inherent difficulties in isolating endothelial cells from the coronary vascular bed. We sought to isolate and characterise coronary endothelial cells from patients undergoing thrombectomy for myocardial infarction to develop a patient-specific in vitro model of endothelial dysfunction. Methods In a prospective cohort study, 49 patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention with thrombus aspiration. Specimens were cultured, and coronary endothelial outgrowth (CEO) cells were isolated. CEO cells, endothelial cells isolated from peripheral blood, explanted coronary arteries, and umbilical veins were phenotyped and assessed functionally in vitro and in vivo. Results CEO cells were obtained from 27/37 (73%) atherothrombotic specimens and gave rise to cells with cobblestone morphology expressing CD146 (94 ± 6%), CD31 (87 ± 14%), and von Willebrand factor (100 ± 1%). Proliferation of CEO cells was impaired compared to both coronary artery and umbilical vein endothelial cells (population doubling time, 2.5 ± 1.0 versus 1.6 ± 0.3 and 1.2 ± 0.3 days, respectively). Cell migration was also reduced compared to umbilical vein endothelial cells (29 ± 20% versus 85±19%). Importantly, unlike control endothelial cells, dysfunctional CEO cells did not incorporate into new vessels or promote angiogenesis in vivo. Conclusions CEO cells can be reliably isolated and cultured from thrombectomy specimens in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Compared to controls, patient-derived coronary endothelial cells had impaired capacity to proliferate, migrate, and contribute to angiogenesis. CEO cells could be used to identify novel therapeutic targets to enhance endothelial function and prevent acute coronary syndromes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 2925
Author(s):  
Victor Häussling ◽  
Romina H Aspera-Werz ◽  
Helen Rinderknecht ◽  
Fabian Springer ◽  
Christian Arnscheidt ◽  
...  

A large British study, with almost 3000 patients, identified diabetes as main risk factor for delayed and nonunion fracture healing, the treatment of which causes large costs for the health system. In the past years, much progress has been made to treat common complications in diabetics. However, there is still a lack of advanced strategies to treat diabetic bone diseases. To develop such therapeutic strategies, mechanisms leading to massive bone alterations in diabetics have to be well understood. We herein describe an in vitro model displaying bone metabolism frequently observed in diabetics. The model is based on osteoblastic SaOS-2 cells, which in direct coculture, stimulate THP-1 cells to form osteoclasts. While in conventional 2D cocultures formation of mineralized matrix is decreased under pre-/diabetic conditions, formation of mineralized matrix is increased in 3D cocultures. Furthermore, we demonstrate a matrix stability of the 3D carrier that is decreased under pre-/diabetic conditions, resembling the in vivo situation in type 2 diabetics. In summary, our results show that a 3D environment is required in this in vitro model to mimic alterations in bone metabolism characteristic for pre-/diabetes. The ability to measure both osteoblast and osteoclast function, and their effect on mineralization and stability of the 3D carrier offers the possibility to use this model also for other purposes, e.g., drug screenings.


2007 ◽  
Vol 88 (11) ◽  
pp. 2977-2984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don Stoltz ◽  
Renée Lapointe ◽  
Andrea Makkay ◽  
Michel Cusson

Unlike most viruses, the mature ichnovirus particle possesses two unit membrane envelopes. Following loss of the outer membrane in vivo, nucleocapsids are believed to gain entry into the cytosol via a membrane fusion event involving the inner membrane and the plasma membrane of susceptible host cells; accordingly, experimentally induced damage to the outer membrane might be expected to increase infectivity. Here, in an attempt to develop an in vitro model system for studying ichnovirus infection, we show that digitonin-induced disruption of the virion outer membrane not only increases infectivity, but also uncovers an activity not previously associated with any polydnavirus: fusion from without.


Neurosurgery ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 883-890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew H. Kaye ◽  
George Morstyn ◽  
Robert G. Ashcroft

2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (3) ◽  
pp. L536-L545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackeline Agorreta ◽  
Javier J. Zulueta ◽  
Luis M. Montuenga ◽  
Mercedes Garayoa

Adrenomedullin (ADM) is upregulated independently by hypoxia and LPS, two key factors in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI). This study evaluates the expression of ADM in ALI using experimental models combining both stimuli: an in vivo model of rats treated with LPS and acute normobaric hypoxia (9% O2) and an in vitro model of rat lung cell lines cultured with LPS and exposed to hypoxia (1% O2). ADM expression was analyzed by in situ hybridization, Northern blot, Western blot, and RIA analyses. In the rat lung, combination of hypoxia and LPS treatments overcomes ADM induction occurring after each treatment alone. With in situ techniques, the synergistic effect of both stimuli mainly correlates with ADM expression in inflammatory cells within blood vessels and, to a lesser extent, to cells in the lung parenchyma and bronchiolar epithelial cells. In the in vitro model, hypoxia and hypoxia + LPS treatments caused a similar strong induction of ADM expression and secretion in epithelial and endothelial cell lines. In alveolar macrophages, however, LPS-induced ADM expression and secretion were further increased by the concomitant exposure to hypoxia, thus paralleling the in vivo response. In conclusion, ADM expression is highly induced in a variety of key lung cell types in this rat model of ALI by combination of hypoxia and LPS, suggesting an essential role for this mediator in this syndrome.


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