showing 13 related works from this author
Regulation of cell-to-cell communication in non-tumorigenic and malignant human prostate epithelial cells.
2002
BACKGROUND Gap-junction-mediated intercellular communication (GJIC) is required for normal development and tissue homeostasis. However, the role of GJIC in human prostate carcinogenesis and progression remains ill-defined. METHODS The ability of hormones, anti-hormones, and the anti-hypertensive drug, forskolin, to restore GJIC in non-tumorigenic (RWPE-1 and PWR-1E) and malignant (RWPE-2, LNCaP, DU-145) human prostate epithelial cell lines, was examined by Scrape-Loading/Dye Transfer (SL/DT) and Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) methods using an Ultima laser cytometer. RESULTS Results from both assays show that PWR-1E, RWPE-2, LNCaP, and DU-145 cells have weak or absent GJIC…
Estrogen regulates cytokine production and apoptosis in PMA-differentiated, macrophage-like U937 cells
2003
We have investigated the effects of sex steroids, estradiol (E2), and testosterone (T) on the synthesis of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in phorbol-myristate-acetate (PMA)-differentiated human monoblastic U937 cells. The ability of both hormones to modulate the viability and programmed cell death of macrophage-like PMA-differentiated U937 cells was also inspected. E2 increased TNF-alpha synthesis, whereas T had no effect on the production of this cytokine. The combination of E2 and its antagonist tamoxifen or ICI-182,789 completely abolished the induction of TNF-alpha, while combination of T and its antagonist Casodex (CSDX) did not significantly affect …
Sex steroids, carcinogenesis, and cancer progression
2004
The relationship between sex steroids and cancer has been studied for more than a century. Using an original intact cell analysis, we investigated sex steroid metabolism in a panel of human cancer cell lines, either hormone responsive or unresponsive, originating from human breast, endometrium, and prostate. We found that highly divergent patterns of steroid metabolism exist and that the catalytic preference (predominantly reductive or oxidative) is strictly associated with the steroid receptor status of cells. We explored intra-tissue concentrations and profiles of estrogens in a set of human breast tumors as compared to normal mammary tissues, also in relation to their estrogen receptor s…
Sildenafil protects human mammary epithelial cells against ROS production induced by estradiol
2010
Several studies suggest that xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) and its oxidase form (XO) play an important role in various types of ischemic and vascular injuries. Recently, we have demonstrated that estradiol (E2) induces a significant decrease of the expression and activity of XDH and of its conversion to XO in human mammary epithelial cells. E2 is known to induce upregulation of eNOS gene expression in aortic endothelial cells. Because the XO-derived O2·- combines with ·NO to yield ONOO-, and considering that ONOO- converts XDH to XO, the resulting increase of XO activity and reactive oxygen species production would eventually lead to a further increase of ONOO- production, thus creating a vi…
Estradiol decreases xanthine dehydrogenase enzyme activity and protein expression innon-tumorigenicand malignant human mammary epithelial cells
2009
The retinoic acid deficiency in breast tumour epithelial cells has been ascribed to an insufficient expression of either the enzyme(s) involved in its biosynthesis or the cellular retinol binding protein (CRBP) or both. In an attempt to define the mechanisms underpinning retinoic acid deficiency in these cell model systems, we have investigated the potential regulatory effect of oestrogen (17β-estradiol) on one key player in retinoic acid biosynthesis, the xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH). This enzyme is consistently expressed and very active in non-malignant human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC), as opposed to tumour MDA-MB231 and MCF7 cells. In these latter two cell lines, as opposed to HMEC …
Retinol oxidation to retinoic acid in human thyroid glandular cells.
2014
Abstract Retinoic acid is regarded as the retinol metabolite that controls proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells. In the present study, we investigated the potential role of xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) in retinoic acid biosynthesis in human thyroid glandular cells (HTGC). In particular, we observed that cellular retinoids binding proteins (CRBPs) are also implicated in the biosynthetic pathway leading to retinoic acid formation in primary cultures of HTGC, as we have already reported for human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC). After partial protein purification, the enzyme responsible for retinoic acid biosynthesis was identified and quantified as XDH by immunoassay, by its …
Abstract 1726: Estrogen implication in human hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with changes in estrogen receptors and aromatase expression
2010
Abstract There is evidence that hints at a potential role of sex steroids in development and progression of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Previous studies have revealed that estrogen receptors (ER) are expressed in primary HCC. However, the use of antiestrogens has failed to improve disease-free and overall survival of patients. In the present study we have investigated aromatase-driven estrogen formation in nontumoral and malignant human liver tissues and cells, also in relation to the expression of ERα, ERβ, and their splicing variants, aiming to get insights into the potential role of estrogens and the underlying mechanism(s) in human HCC. Chromatographic and exon-specific RT-PCR…
Low levels of both xanthine dehydrogenase and of cellular retinol binding protein are responsible for retinoic acid deficiency in malignant human mam…
2009
The seeming impairment of retinoid metabolism in human breast tumor cells has been attributed to the lower expression of cellular retinol binding proteins (CRBPs), of alcohol/retinol dehydrogenases, or aldehyde/retinaldehyde dehydrogenases. In a previous study we indicated that xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) is able to oxidize actively both all-trans-retinol (t-ROL) bound to the CRBP (holo-CRBP) and all-trans-retinaldehyde (t-RAL) to all-trans-retinoic acid (t-RA) in human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC). Since both XDH and CRBP are required for the biosynthesis of t-RA, we have inspected their bioavailability in both estrogen-responsive and nonresponsive human mammary epithelial cancer cells…
Expression of Wild-Type and Variant Estrogen Receptor Alpha in Liver Carcinogenesis and Tumor Progression.
2011
Although estrogen receptors (ERs) are expressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), several clinical trials have failed to demonstrate the efficacy of antiestrogen treatment in HCC patients. Recently, the identification of several ER splicing variants has enlightened the complex nature of estrogen signaling in peripheral tissues; this may help understanding estrogen role in either nontumoral or malignant nonclassical target organs, including liver. In this work we have investigated mRNA expression of wild-type and splice variants of ERα in nontumoral, cirrhotic, and malignant human liver, as well as in HCC cell lines, using an exon-specific reverse transcription polymerase chain reacti…
Intercellular communication and human hepatocellular carcinoma.
2005
We have previously reported that gap junction-mediated intercellular communication (GJIC) can be restored in junctionally deficient human prostate epithelial cells, also suggesting that GJIC activity is regulated by estrogen. In the present work, we report studies on sex steroid regulation of GJIC and proliferative activity in both nontumoral (Chang liver, CL) and malignant (HepG2, Huh7) human liver cells. Junctional activity and liver cell growth were measured using the scrape-loading/dye-transfer (SL/DT) and the MTS assay, respectively. Using the SL/DT, only Huh7 cells exhibited a moderate degree of Junctional activity in basic conditions, while neither CL nor HepG2 cells showed functiona…
Molecular Profiling of Potential Human Prostate Cancer Stem Cells
2013
We have investigated the expression of Oct-4, Suz-12, and Cripto-1, as presumptive “stemness” genes, and of connexin 43 (Cx43), Cx32 and androgen receptor (AR), as cell differentiation genes, in two human prostate cancer cell lines, PC3 and LNCaP. This aiming to define molecular profiles of prostate cancer stem cells for a better understanding of prostate carcinogenesis and tumor progression, as well as for prognostic or therapeutic purposes. Cells were grown in 3-dimensional (3D) cell cultures to favor clonal expansion of cancer stem and early progenitor cells, and compared to cells grown in 2-dimensional (2D) cell cultures. Under 3D culture conditions, LNCaP cells and PC3 cells generated …
Sildenafil protects epithelial cell through the inhibition of xanthine oxidase and the impairment of ROS production
2009
Recent reports suggest that xanthine oxidase (XO), a modified form of the native xanthine dehydrogenase enzyme, plays an important role in various forms of ischemic and vascular injuries, inflammatory diseases, and chronic heart failure. The XO inhibitors allopurinol and its oxidation product oxypurinol held considerable promises in the treatment of these conditions both in experimental animals and in human clinical trials. More recently, an endothelium-based protective effect of sildenafil, a well-known type-5 phosphodiesterase inhibitor, has been reported in preconditioning prior to ischemia/reperfusion in healthy human subjects. Based on the structural similarities between allopurinol an…
Pasta Supplemented with Opuntia ficus-indica Extract Improves Metabolic Parameters and Reduces Atherogenic Small Dense Low-Density Lipoproteins in Pa…
2020
Food supplementation with Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) has been associated with a significant reduction in total cholesterol, body fat, hyperglycemia and blood pressure. Since OFI may also have antioxidant and anti-atherogenic properties, we hypothesized that its supplementation might reduce atherogenic lipoproteins, including small, dense low-density lipoproteins (sdLDL). Forty-nine patients (13 men and 36 women, mean age: 56 ±