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Journal Article

Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Apoptosis; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; Bioware; Breast Neoplasms; Cell Growth Processes; Cell Line, Tumor; Ergosterol; Female; Forkhead Transcription Factors; Humans; MDA-MB-231-D3H1 cells; Membrane Proteins; Mice; Mice, Nude; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; RNA, Small Interfering; Transfection; Withanolides; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Withaferin A (WA) is derived from the medicinal plant Withania somnifera, which has been safely used for centuries in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for treatment of different ailments. We now show, for the first time, that WA exhibits significant activity against human breast cancer cells in culture and in vivo. The WA treatment decreased viability of MCF-7 (estrogen-responsive) and MDA-MB-231 (estrogen-independent) human breast cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The WA-mediated suppression of breast cancer cell viability correlated with apoptosis induction characterized by DNA condensation, cytoplasmic histone-associated DNA fragmentation, and cleavage of poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase. On the other hand, a spontaneously immortalized normal mammary epithelial cell line (MCF-10A) was relatively more resistant to WA-induced apoptosis compared with breast cancer cells. The WA-mediated apoptosis was accompanied by induction of Bim-s and Bim-L in MCF-7 cells and induction of Bim-s and Bim-EL isoforms in MDA-MB-231 cells. The cytoplasmic histone-associated DNA fragmentation resulting from WA exposure was significantly attenuated by knockdown of protein levels of Bim and its transcriptional regulator FOXO3a in both cell lines. Moreover, FOXO3a knockdown conferred marked protection against WA-mediated induction of Bim-s expression. The growth of MDA-MB-231 cells implanted in female nude mice was significantly retarded by 5 weekly i.p. injections of 4 mg WA/kg body weight. The tumors from WA-treated mice exhibited reduced cell proliferation and increased apoptosis compared with tumors from control mice. These results point toward an important role of FOXO3a and Bim in regulation of WA-mediated apoptosis in human breast cancer cells.

Journal Article

Animals; B16-F10-luc-G5 cells; Bioware; Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; Female; Melanoma, Experimental; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neoplasm Metastasis; Ultrasonic Therapy

This study aims to assess the risk of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy on the incidence of distant metastases and to investigate its association with HIFU-elicited anti-tumor immunity in a murine melanoma (B16-F10) model. Tumor-bearing legs were amputated immediately after or 2 days following HIFU treatment to differentiate the contribution of the elicited anti-tumor immunity. In mice undergoing amputation immediately after mechanical, thermal, or no HIFU treatment, metastasis rates were comparable (18.8%, 13.3%, and 12.5%). In contrast, with a 2-day delay in amputation, the corresponding metastasis rates were 6.7%, 11.8%, and 40%, respectively. Animal survival rate was higher and CTL activity was enhanced in the HIFU treatment groups. Altogether, our results suggest that HIFU treatment does not increase the risk of distant metastasis. Instead, HIFU treatment can elicit an anti-tumor immune response that may be harnessed to improve the overall effectiveness and quality of cancer therapy.

Journal Article

Animals; Bioware; Breast Neoplasms; Disease Models, Animal; Humans; Luciferases; Luminescent Measurements; Lung Neoplasms; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal; MDA-MB-231-D3H1 cells; Mice; Mice, Nude; Tumor Cells, Cultured

INTRODUCTION Convenient animal models are needed to study the progression and treatment of human tumors in vivo. Luciferase-based bioluminescent imaging (BLI) enables researchers to monitor tumors noninvasively and is sensitive to subtle changes in tumors. METHODS Three human breast cancer models in nude mice were established by using luciferase-expressing MDA-MB-231-luc cells. They were subcutaneous xenografts (n = 8), mammary gland xenografts (n = 5), and lung metastases (n = 3). The tumors were imaged in live mice by using a highly sensitive BLI system. The relationship between the intensity of bioluminescence from the tumor was analyzed with respect to tumor volume. Bioluminescent signals from lung metastases were studied to determine the threshold of detectability. RESULTS Tumors growing in the mice's backs and mammary gland fat pads were imaged dynamically after administration of D-luciferin. The bioluminescent intensity from the tumors gradually increased and then decreased in a one-hour span. The time to reach maximum signal intensity differed significantly among tumors and was independent of tumor volume and unrelated to maximum signal intensity. A significant correlation was observed between tumor volume and maximum signal intensity in tumors from both sites. Lung metastatic lesions of .3-.5 mm in diameter were clearly detectable through the entire animal imaging process. CONCLUSION The animal models established with luciferase-expressing cancer cells in combination with BLI provide a system for rapid, noninvasive, and quantitative analysis of tumor biomass and metastasis. This biosystem simplifies in vivo monitoring of tumors and will be useful for noninvasive investigation of tumor growth and response to therapy.

Journal Article

Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Bacterial Adhesion; Biofilms; Bioware; Chromosomes, Bacterial; Colony Count, Microbial; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Prostheses and Implants; pXen-5; Soft Tissue Infections; Staphylococcal Infections; Staphylococcus aureus; Xen29

Infection is the main cause of biomaterials-related failure. A simple technique to test in-vivo new antimicrobial and/or nonadhesive implant coatings is unavailable. Current in vitro methods for studying bacterial adhesion and growth on biomaterial surfaces lack the influence of the host immune system. Most in vivo methods to study biomaterials-related infections routinely involve implant-removal, preventing comprehensive longitudinal monitoring. In vivo imaging circumvents these drawbacks and is based on the use of noninvasive optical imaging of bioluminescent bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus Xen29 is genetically modified to be stably bioluminescent, by the introduction of a modified full lux operon onto its chromosome. Surgical meshes with adhering S. aureus Xen29 were implanted in mice and bacterial growth and spread into the surrounding tissue was monitored longitudinally from bioluminescence with a highly sensitive CCD camera. Distinct spatiotemporal bioluminescence patterns, extending beyond the mesh area into surrounding tissues were observed. After 10 days, the number of living organisms isolated from explanted meshes was found to correlate with bioluminescence prior to sacrifice of the animals. Therefore, it is concluded that in vivo imaging using bioluminescent bacteria is ideally suited to study antimicrobial coatings taking into account the host immune system. In addition, longitudinal monitoring of infection in one animal will significantly reduce the number of experiments and animals.

Journal Article

Animals; Biofilms; Bioware; Colony-Forming Units Assay; Disease Susceptibility; Female; Luminescence; Mice; Mice, SCID; pXen-5; Staphylococcal Infections; Staphylococcus epidermidis; T-Lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic

Staphylococcus epidermidis is the leading cause of hospital-acquired device-related infections, but there is a lack of suitable methods to investigate the pathogenesis of S. epidermidis infection. We created a bioluminescent strain of S. epidermidis and developed a subcutaneous catheter-related murine infection model for real-time monitoring of biofilm-associated infection. Additionally, we compared severely immunocompromised and immunocompetent mice, demonstrating the substantial effect of animal immune status on susceptibility to experimentally induced S. epidermidis disease. This study presents a novel approach for investigating the in vivo details of the pathogenesis of S. epidermidis infection.