Citation Details

Journal Article

Animals; Antigens, CD31; Bioware; Blotting, Western; Cell Line; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Chemokine CXCL1; Chemokine CXCL5; Chemokines; Endothelial Cells; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Interleukin-8; Male; Mice; Mice, Nude; Neoplasms, Experimental; Neovascularization, Pathologic; NF-kappa B; PC-3M-luc2; Prostatic Neoplasms; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA Interference; Transplantation, Heterologous

Overexpression of the Ron receptor tyrosine kinase has recently been shown in a wide variety of human cancers. However, no studies have examined Ron receptor expression or function during prostate tumorigenesis. In this study we report that Ron is highly expressed in human prostate adenocarcinoma and metastatic lymph nodes when compared with normal prostate or benign prostate hyperplasia. Furthermore, we show that Ron is overexpressed in PC-3 and DU145 prostate cancer cell lines, and that the levels of angiogenic chemokines produced by prostate cancer cells positively correlate with Ron expression. The knockdown of Ron in PC-3 or DU145 cells results in a significant decrease in angiogenic chemokine production and is associated with a decreased activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). Moreover, exogenous overexpression of Ron in LNCaP cells is sufficient to induce a significant increase in angiogenic chemokines that can be abrogated by inhibition of NF-kappaB signaling. Given that the function of angiogenic chemokines is important in the development of new blood vessels, we also examined the ability of Ron to modulate endothelial cell migration. Our data show that knockdown of Ron in prostate cancer cells results in significantly less endothelial cell chemotaxis when compared with Ron-expressing cells in vitro as well as in reduced tumor growth and decreased microvessel density after orthotopic transplantation into the prostate in vivo. In total, our data suggest that the Ron receptor is important in modulating prostate tumor growth by modulating angiogenic chemokine production and subsequent endothelial cell recruitment.

Journal Article

Xen29, Xen 29, Staphylococcus aureus Xen29, IVIS

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Journal Article

Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Biocompatible Materials; Biofilms; Bioware; Coated Materials, Biocompatible; Fluorescent Dyes; Humans; Image Enhancement; Light; Luminescent Measurements; Luminescent Proteins; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Prosthesis-Related Infections; Sensitivity and Specificity; Xen29

This review presents the current state of Bioluminescence and Fluorescent Imaging technologies (BLI and FLI) as applied to Biomaterial-Associated Infections (BAI). BLI offers the opportunity to observe the in vivo course of BAI in small animals without the need to sacrifice animals at different time points after the onset of infection. BLI is highly dependent on the bacterial cell metabolism which makes BLI a strong reporter of viable bacterial presence. Fluorescent sources are generally more stable than bioluminescent ones and specifically targeted, which renders the combination of BLI and FLI a promising tool for imaging BAI. The sensitivity and spatial resolution of both imaging tools are, however, dependent on the imaging system used and the tissue characteristics, which makes the interpretation of images, in terms of the location and shape of the illuminating source, difficult. Tomographic reconstruction of the luminescent source is possible in the most modern instruments, enabling exact localization of a colonized implant material, spreading of infecting organisms in surrounding tissue and immunological tissue reactions. BLI studies on BAI have successfully distinguished between different biomaterials with respect to the development and clearance of BAI in vivo, simultaneously reducing animal use and experimental variation. It is anticipated that bio-optical imaging will become an indispensable technology for the in vivo evaluation of antimicrobial coatings.

Journal Article

Cancer; flank tumor; In vivo; MMPSense 750; ProSense 680; tomography; VisEn FMT

<AbstractText Label=“BACKGROUND” NlmCategory=“BACKGROUND”>The possibility that μ opioid agonists can influence cancer recurrence is a subject of recent interest. Epidemiologic studies suggested that there were differences in cancer recurrence in breast and prostate cancer contingent on anesthetic regimens. In this study, we identify a possible mechanism for these epidemiologic findings on the basis of μ opioid receptor (MOR) regulation of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) tumorigenicity in cell and animal models.</AbstractText> <AbstractText Label=“METHODS” NlmCategory=“METHODS”>We used human lung tissue and human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines and evaluated MOR expression using immunoblot and immunohistochemical analysis. LLC cells were treated with the peripheral opioid antagonist methylnaltrexone (MNTX) or MOR shRNA and evaluated for proliferation, invasion, and soft agar colony formation in vitro and primary tumor growth and lung metastasis in C57BL/6 and MOR knockout mice using VisEn fluorescence mediated tomography imaging and immunohistochemical analysis.</AbstractText> <AbstractText Label=“RESULTS” NlmCategory=“RESULTS”>We provide several lines of evidence that the MOR may be a potential target for lung cancer, a disease with high mortality and few treatment options. We first observed that there is ~5- to 10-fold increase in MOR expression in lung samples from patients with NSCLC and in several human NSCLC cell lines. The MOR agonists morphine and [d-Ala(2), N-MePhe(4), Gly-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO) increased in vitro LLC cell growth. Treatment with MNTX or silencing MOR expression inhibited LLC invasion and anchorage-independent growth by 50%-80%. Injection of MOR silenced LLC lead to a ~65% reduction in mouse lung metastasis. In addition, MOR knockout mice do not develop significant tumors when injected with LLC in comparison with wild-type controls. Finally, continuous infusion of the peripheral opioid antagonist MNTX attenuates primary LLC tumor growth and reduces lung metastasis.</AbstractText> <AbstractText Label=“CONCLUSIONS” NlmCategory=“CONCLUSIONS”>Taken together, our data suggest a possible direct effect of opiates on lung cancer progression, and provide a plausible explanation for the epidemiologic findings. Our observations further suggest a possible therapeutic role for opioid antagonists.</AbstractText>

Journal Article

AngioSense, Animals; Arthritis/genetics/*immunology/metabolism; Autoantibodies/*immunology; Bone Marrow Cells/immunology/metabolism/pathology; Calcium/immunology/metabolism; Female; Male; Mast Cells/immunology/metabolism/pathology; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred NOD; Mice, Knockout; Mice, Transgenic; Neuropeptides/deficiency/genetics/*immunology; Protein Isoforms/deficiency/genetics/immunology; Receptors, Neurotensin/deficiency/genetics/immunology; Receptors, Neurotransmitter/deficiency/genetics/*immunology; Spleen/immunology/metabolism/pathology

INTRODUCTION: Neuromedin U (NMU) is a neuropeptide with pro-inflammatory activity. The primary goal of this study was to determine if NMU promotes autoantibody-induced arthritis. Additional studies addressed the cellular source of NMU and sought to define the NMU receptor responsible for its pro-inflammatory effects. METHODS: Serum containing arthritogenic autoantibodies from K/BxN mice was used to induce arthritis in mice genetically lacking NMU. Parallel experiments examined whether NMU deficiency impacted the early mast-cell-dependent vascular leak response induced by these autoantibodies. Bone-marrow chimeric mice were generated to determine whether pro-inflammatory NMU is derived from hematopoietic cells or stromal cells. Mice lacking the known NMU receptors singly and in combination were used to determine susceptibility to serum-transferred arthritis and in vitro cellular responses to NMU. RESULTS: NMU-deficient mice developed less severe arthritis than control mice. Vascular leak was not affected by NMU deficiency. NMU expression by bone-marrow-derived cells mediated the pro-arthritogenic effect. Deficiency of all of the known NMU receptors, however, had no impact on arthritis severity and did not affect the ability of NMU to stimulate intracellular calcium flux. CONCLUSIONS: NMU-deficient mice are protected from developing autoantibody-induced inflammatory arthritis. NMU derived from hematopoietic cells, not neurons, promotes the development of autoantibody-induced inflammatory arthritis. This effect is mediated by a receptor other than the currently known NMU receptors.