Journal Article

Xen26, Xen 26, Salmonella typhumurium, Animals; Biological Therapy/*methods; Colonic Neoplasms/chemistry/*therapy; Disease Models, Animal; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; Male; Mass Spectrometry; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Proteome/analysis; Salmonella typhimurium/*growth & development/*pathogenicity

The use of bacteria has contributed to recent advances in targeted cancer therapy especially for its tumor-specific accumulation and proliferation. In this study, we investigated the molecular events following bacterial therapy using an attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium defective in ppGpp synthesis (DeltappGpp), by analyzing those proteins differentially expressed in tumor tissues from treated and untreated mice. CT26 murine colon cancer cells were implanted in BALB/c mice and allowed to form tumors. The tumor-bearing mice were treated with the attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium. Tumor tissues were analyzed by 2D-PAGE. Fourteen differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. The analysis revealed that cytoskeletal components, including vimentin, drebrin-like protein, and tropomyosin-alpha 3, were decreased while serum proteins related to heme or iron metabolism, including transferrin, hemopexin, and haptoglobin were increased. Subsequent studies revealed that the decrease in cytoskeletal components occurred at the transcriptional level and that the increase in heme and iron metabolism proteins occurred in liver. Most interestingly, the same pattern of increased expression of transferrin, hemopexin, and haptoglobin was observed following radiotherapy at the dosage of 14 Gy.

Journal Article

Xen8.1, Xen 8.1, S. aureus, IVIS, bioluminescence imaging, Analysis of Variance; Animals; Extracellular Space/*metabolism; Genetic Vectors/genetics; Green Fluorescent Proteins/metabolism; Humans; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Microscopy, Confocal; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Movement/*physiology; Neutrophils/*immunology/metabolism/physiology; Opsonin Proteins/metabolism; Skin Diseases, Bacterial/*immunology/metabolism; Toll-Like Receptor 2/metabolism

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are released as neutrophils die in vitro in a process requiring hours, leaving a temporal gap that invasive microbes may exploit. Neutrophils capable of migration and phagocytosis while undergoing NETosis have not been documented. During Gram-positive skin infections, we directly visualized live polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) in vivo rapidly releasing NETs, which prevented systemic bacterial dissemination. NETosis occurred during crawling, thereby casting large areas of NETs. NET-releasing PMNs developed diffuse decondensed nuclei, ultimately becoming devoid of DNA. Cells with abnormal nuclei showed unusual crawling behavior highlighted by erratic pseudopods and hyperpolarization consistent with the nucleus being a fulcrum for crawling. A requirement for both Toll-like receptor 2 and complement-mediated opsonization tightly regulated NET release. Additionally, live human PMNs injected into mouse skin developed decondensed nuclei and formed NETS in vivo, and intact anuclear neutrophils were abundant in Gram-positive human abscesses. Therefore early in infection NETosis involves neutrophils that do not undergo lysis and retain the ability to multitask.

Journal Article

VivoTag, IVIS, Vivotag, Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal/*diagnostic use/immunology/pharmacokinetics; Antigens, Neoplasm/*metabolism; Blotting, Western; Breast/immunology/metabolism/pathology; Breast Neoplasms/*diagnosis/immunology/metabolism; Carbonic Anhydrases/*metabolism; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/*diagnosis/immunology/metabolism; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/*diagnosis/immunology/metabolism; *Diagnostic Imaging; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Gene Expression Profiling; Humans; Luciferases/metabolism; Luminescent Measurements; Lymphatic Metastasis; Mice; Mice, Nude; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; RNA, Messenger/genetics; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Tissue Array Analysis; Tissue Distribution; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumor Markers, Biological/genetics/metabolism

PURPOSE: To develop targeted molecular imaging probes for the noninvasive detection of breast cancer lymph node metastasis. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Six cell surface or secreted markers were identified by expression profiling and from the literature as being highly expressed in breast cancer lymph node metastases. Two of these markers were cell surface carbonic anhydrase isozymes (CAIX and/or CAXII) and were validated for protein expression by immunohistochemistry of patient tissue samples on a breast cancer tissue microarray containing 47 normal breast tissue samples, 42 ductal carcinoma in situ, 43 invasive ductal carcinomas without metastasis, 46 invasive ductal carcinomas with metastasis, and 49 lymph node macrometastases of breast carcinoma. Targeted probes were developed by conjugation of CAIX- and CAXII-specific monoclonal antibodies to a near-infrared fluorescent dye. RESULTS: Together, these two markers were expressed in 100% of the lymph node metastases surveyed. Selectivity of the imaging probes were confirmed by intravenous injection into nude mice-bearing mammary fat pad tumors of marker-expressing cells and nonexpressing cells or by preinjection of unlabeled antibody. Imaging of lymph node metastases showed that peritumorally injected probes detected nodes harboring metastatic tumor cells. As few as 1,000 cells were detected, as determined by implanting, under ultrasound guidance, a range in number of CAIX- and CAXII-expressing cells into the axillary lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: These imaging probes have potential for noninvasive staging of breast cancer in the clinic and elimination of unneeded surgery, which is costly and associated with morbidities.

Journal Article

FMT, Prosense, CatB, Cathepsin B, fluorescence imaing, tomography, microCT

Inflammation as a core pathological event of atherosclerotic lesions is associated with the secretion of cathepsin proteases and the expression of alpha(v)beta(3) integrin. We employed fluorescence molecular tomographic (FMT) noninvasive imaging of these molecular activities using cathepsin sensing (ProSense, CatB FAST) and alpha(v)beta(3) integrin (IntegriSense) near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) agents. A statistically significant increase in the ProSense and IntegriSense signal was observed within the chest region of apoE(-/-) mice (P < 0.05) versus C57BL/6 mice starting 25 and 22 weeks on high cholesterol diet, respectively. In a treatment study using ezetimibe (7 mg/kg), there was a statistically significant reduction in the ProSense and CatB FAST chest signal of treated (P < 0.05) versus untreated apoE(-/-) mice at 31 and 21 weeks on high cholesterol diet, respectively. The signal of ProSense and CatB FAST correlated with macrophage counts and was found associated with inflammatory cells by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry of cells dissociated from aortas. This report demonstrates that cathepsin and alpha(v)beta(3) integrin NIRF agents can be used as molecular imaging biomarkers for longitudinal detection of atherosclerosis, and cathepsin agents can monitor anti-inflammatory effects of ezetimibe with applications in preclinical testing of therapeutics and potentially for early diagnosis of atherosclerosis in patients.

Journal Article

Apo866; Arthritis; In vivo; Living Image software; MMPSense 750 FAST; Xenogen Caliper IVIS 200

OBJECTIVE: Using APO866, studies assessed the ability of Pre-B-cell colony-Enhancing Factor (PBEF) to regulate inflammatory and degradative processes in fibroblasts and collagen-induced arthritis. METHODS: ELISAs were used to examine regulation of metalloproteinases and chemokine expression by HFF fibroblasts. PBEF was further examined in the collagen-induced arthritis model using APO866. Disease activity was assessed using radiography, histology, in vivo imaging and quantitative PCR (qPCR). RESULTS: In vitro activation of fibroblasts with PBEF promoted MMP-3, CCL-2 and CXCL-8 expression, an effect inhibited by APO866. Early intervention with APO866 in collagen-induced arthritis inhibited both synovial inflammation, including chemokine-directed leukocyte infiltration, and the systemic marker of inflammation, serum hyaluronic acid. Blockade of degenerative processes by APO866 was further illustrated by the reduced expression of MMP-3 and MMP-13 in joint extracts and reduction of the systemic marker of cartilage erosion, serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP). Radiology showed that APO866 protected against bone erosion, whilst qPCR demonstrated inhibition of RANKL expression. APO866 treatment in established disease (clinical score >=5) reduced synovial inflammation, cartilage destruction and halted bone erosion. MMP-3, CCL-2 and RANKL activity, as assessed by in vivo imaging with MMPSense750 and qPCR were reduced in treated animals. qPCR of synovial explants from animals with CIA showed that APO866 inhibited MMP-3, CCL-2 and RANKL production, a result that was reversed with nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm PBEF to be an important regulator of inflammation, cartilage catabolism and bone erosion, and highlights APO866 as a promising therapy for targeting PBEF activity in inflammatory arthritis.