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Cold atmospheric pressure plasmas (CAPPs) increasingly attracted scientific attention in the field of medicine, especially oncology. Because of the surface action of CAPPs, treatment of skin cancers appears to be one of the most promising CAPP applications. This novel controlled CAPP application in the cancer treatment is associated with the selective anticancer characteristics of CAPP. In this literature review, the latest achievements in the field of plasma medicine related to effects of CAPP on the skin cancers were presented. Additionally, typical methods for CAPP generation and application towards skin cancer models were discussed. For a better understanding of complex interactions between reactive species (generated during CAPP operation) and cellular components, biological processes in various experimental models were analyzed. Furthermore, biological impacts of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species on skin cancer models was evaluated. Finally, prospects for receiving a clinically applicable product and cooperating with conventional therapies or drugs used in skin cancer management were debated.

The human HEPC-CB.1 cell line with many characteristics of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) was tested for its proangiogenic properties as a potentially therapeutic compound. HEPC-CB.1 cells’ potential to differentiate into endothelial cells was revealed after treating the cells with a mixture of ATRA, cAMP and VEGF, as shown by the reduced expression levels of CD133, CD271 and CD90 antigens, augmentation of CD146 and CD31, and a decrease in cell clonogenicity. The cooperation of HEPC-CB.1 with the endothelial cell line HSkMEC.2 resulted in the formation of a common network. Tube formation was significantly more effective when resulting from HEPC-CB.1 and HSkMEC.2 cell co-culture as compared to a monoculture of each cell line. The exocrine mechanism of HEPC-CB.1 and HSkMEC.2 cross talk by secreted factors was evidenced using the HEPC-CB.1 supernatant to increase the efficacy of HSkMEC.2 tube formation. The proangiogenic factors produced by HEPC-CB.1 were identified using cytokine antibody array. Out of 120 examined factors, the HEPC-CB.1 cell line produced 63, some with known angiogenic activity. As in vivo the angiogenic process occurs at low oxygen tension, it was observed that in hypoxia, the production of defined factors was augmented. The presented results demonstrate that HEPC-CB.1 cells are able to both cooperate and integrate in a newly formed network and produce factors that help the network formation. The results suggest that HEPC-CB.1 cells are indeed endothelial progenitors and may prove to be an effective tool in regenerative medicine. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11033-020-05662-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

In this work, the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized using pulse-modulated radio-frequency atmospheric pressure glow discharge (pm-rf-APGD). By tailoring selected operating parameters of the pm-rf-APGD reaction-discharge system, the experimental conditions for the synthesis of raw-AuNPs with controlled optical and structural properties were found. The colloidal suspension of the size-controlled raw-AuNPs was mixed with an aqueous solution of gelatine and turmeric oil to produce an oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsion. AuNPs loaded into the nanoemulsion were characterized using ultraviolet–visible absorption spectrophotometry, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy supported by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy equipped with selected area X-ray diffraction. Additionally, attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm the efficient functionalization of the AuNPs by nanoemulsion component. It was revealed that AuNPs were mostly spherical with an average size of 4.6 ± 1.0 nm and a face-centered cubic crystal system. The developed O/W nanoemulsion carrying AuNPs was applied towards the human breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and MDA-MB-231. It was found that it exhibited the cytotoxicity towards the breast cancer cells while were non-cytotoxic towards the non-tumour breast cells MCF10A. Moreover, it also inhibited the migration of the invasive cancer breast cells (line MDA-MB-231) and hence, could prevent the breast cancer metastasis.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can improve chronic wound healing, however, recent studies suggest that the therapeutic effect of MSCs is mediated mainly through the growth factors and cytokines secreted by these cells, referred to as the MSC secretome. To overcome difficulties related to the translation of cell therapy into clinical use such as efficacy, safety and cost, we propose a hydrogel loaded with a secretome from the recently established human adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cell line (HATMSC2) as a potential treatment for chronic wounds. Biocompatibility and biological activity of hydrogel-released HATMSC2 supernatant were investigated in vitro by assessing the proliferation and metabolic activity of human fibroblast, endothelial cells and keratinocytes. Hydrogel degradation was measured using hydroxyproline assay while protein released from the hydrogel was assessed by interleukin-8 (IL-8) and macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) ELISAs. Pro-angiogenic activity of the developed treatment was assessed by tube formation assay while the presence of pro-angiogenic miRNAs in the HATMSC2 supernatant was investigated using real-time RT-PCR. The results demonstrated that the therapeutic effect of the HATMSC2-produced factors is maintained following incorporation into collagen hydrogel as confirmed by increased proliferation of skin-origin cells and improved angiogenic properties of endothelial cells. In addition, HATMSC2 supernatant revealed antimicrobial activity, and which therefore, in combination with the hydrogel has a potential to be used as advanced wound-healing dressing.

For twenty-five years, attempts have been made to use MSCs in the treatment of various diseases due to their regenerative and immunomodulatory properties. However, the results are not satisfactory. Assuming that MSCs can be replaced in some therapies by the active factors they produce, the immortalized MSCs line was established from human adipose tissue (HATMSC1) to produce conditioned media and test its regenerative potential in vitro in terms of possible clinical application. The production of biologically active factors by primary MSCs was lower compared to the HATMSC1 cell line and several factors were produced only by the cell line. It has been shown that an HATMSC1-conditioned medium increases the proliferation of various cell types, augments the adhesion of cells and improves endothelial cell function. It was found that hypoxia during culture resulted in an augmentation in the pro-angiogenic factors production, such as VEGF, IL-8, Angiogenin and MCP-1. The immunomodulatory factors caused an increase in the production of GM-CSF, IL-5, IL-6, MCP-1, RANTES and IL-8. These data suggest that these factors, produced under different culture conditions, could be used for different medical conditions, such as in regenerative medicine, when an increased concentration of pro-angiogenic factors may be beneficial, or in inflammatory diseases with conditioned media with a high concentration of immunomodulatory factors.

Rapid endothelialization of cardiovascular stents is critical to prevent major clinical complications such as restenosis. Reconstruction of the native endothelium on the stent surface can be achieved by the capture of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) or neighboring endothelial cells (ECs) in vivo. In this study, stainless steel cardiovascular stents were functionalized with recombinant scFv antibody fragments specific for vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) that is expressed on EPCs and ECs. Anti-VEGFR2 scFvs were expressed in glycosylated form in Escherichia coli and covalently attached to amine-functionalized, titania-coated steel disks and stents. ScFv-coated surfaces exhibited no detectable cytotoxicity to human ECs or erythrocytes in vitro and bound 15 times more VEGFR2-positive human umbilical vein ECs than controls after as little as 3 min. Porcine coronary arteries were successfully stented with scFv-coated stents with no adverse clinical events after 30 days. Endovascular imaging and histology revealed coverage of the anti-VEGFR2 scFv-coated stent with a cell layer after 5 days and the presence of a neointima layer with a minimum thickness of 80 μm after 30 days. Biofunctionalization of cardiovascular stents with endothelial cell-capturing antibody fragments in this manner offers promise in accelerating stent endothelialization in vivo. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 108B:213-224, 2020.

We proposed an innovative and economic method for rapid production of functionalized orange juice (OJ) with excellent nutritional properties, prolonged shelf life, and safe consumption. To reach this goal, we have employed direct current atmospheric pressure glow discharge, generated in contact with a flowing liquid cathode (FLC-dc-APGD) in a highly-throughput reaction-discharge system. It was found that controlled FLC-dc-APGD-treatment of OJ lead to increase the concentration of selected metals and phenolic compounds. The so-obtained OJ had the same qualitative composition of fragrance as the untreated one, however, its shelf life was prolonged up to 26 days. Furthermore, OJ exposed to FLC-dc-APGD-treatment did not exhibit any cytotoxic properties towards non-malignant human intestinal epithelial cell lines. On the other hand, the induction of cell cytotoxicity was observed in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells line after FLC-dc-APGD-treated OJ application. We truly believe that produced by us functionalized OJ might be a tempting alternative to classic, non-treated by FLC-dc-APGD OJ.

Breast cancer remains the most common type of cancer, occurring in middle-aged women, and often leads to patients’ death. In this work, we applied a cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP)-based reaction-discharge system, one that is unique in its class, for the production of CAPP-activated media (DMEM and Opti-MEM), it is intended for further uses in breast cancer treatment. To reach this aim, different volumes of DMEM or Opti-MEM were treated by CAPP. Prepared media were exposed to the CAPP treatment at seven different time intervals and examined in respect of their impact on cell viability and motility, and the induction of the apoptosis in human non-metastatic (MCF7) and metastatic (MDA-MB-231) breast cancer cell lines. As a control, the influence of CAPP-activated media on the viability and motility, and the type of the cell death of the non-cancerous human normal MCF10A cell line, was estimated. Additionally, qualitative and quantitative analyses of the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), generated during the CAPP operation in contact with analyzed media, were performed. Based on the conducted research, it was found that 180 s (media activation time by CAPP) should be considered as the minimal toxic dose, which significantly decreases the cell viability and the migration of MDA-MB-231 cells, and also disturbs life processes of MCF7 cells. Finally, CAPP-activated media led to the apoptosis of analyzed cell lines, especially of the metastatic MDA-MB-231 cell line. Therefore, the application of the CAPP system may be potentially applied as a therapeutic strategy for the management of highly metastatic human breast cancer.

We present an optimized non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP)-based reaction-discharge system that was applied for a continuous-flow treatment of apple juice (AJ). To optimize this system for a high-throughput production of AJ with ameliorated properties, the effect of several parameters was studied using design of experiments approach followed by the response surface methodology. Additionally, nutritional, physicochemical, microbiological and cytotoxic properties of resulting AJ were assessed. It was established that NTAP treatment of AJ led to rise in concentration of Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na and Sr by 8–10% as well as Al, B, Ba, Cu, Mn and Zn by 11–15%. Additionally, the increased total phenolic content by ~ 11% in addition to the prolonged by up to 12 days shelf life of the product were observed. Moreover, it was found that the NTAP-treatment of AJ did not change the structure of organic compounds present in AJ, in addition to its °Brix value, color and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power. Furthermore, AJ subjected to NTAP did not show any cytotoxic activity towards non-malignant human intestinal epithelial cells but exhibited induced cell cytotoxicity in human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. Our study provided arguments for future introduction of these types of preparations to the global market.

Transport of bioactive cargo of microvesicles (MVs) into target cells can affect their fate and behavior and change their microenvironment. We assessed the effect of MVs derived from human immortalized mesenchymal stem cells of adipose tissue-origin (HATMSC2-MVs) on the biological activity of the ovarian cancer cell lines ES-2 (clear cell carcinoma) and OAW-42 (cystadenocarcinoma). The HATMSC2-MVs were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy, and flow cytometry. The anti-tumor properties of HATMSC2-MVs were assessed using MTT for metabolic activity and flow cytometry for cell survival, cell cycle progression, and phenotype. The secretion profile of ovarian cancer cells was evaluated with a protein antibody array. Both cell lines internalized HATMSC2-MVs, which was associated with a decreased metabolic activity of cancer cells. HATMSC2-MVs exerted a pro-apoptotic and/or necrotic effect on ES-2 and OAW-42 cells and increased the expression of anti-tumor factors in both cell lines compared to control. In conclusion, we confirmed an effective transfer of HATMSC2-MVs into ovarian cancer cells that resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation via different pathways, apoptosis and/or necrosis, which, with high likelihood, is related to the presence of different anti-tumor factors secreted by the ES-2 and OAW-42 cells.

A one-step, highly-efficiency, and low-cost cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP)-based method for obtaining safe-to-consume beetroot juice (BRJ) with enhanced nutritional quality is presented. Three reaction-discharge systems with different CAPPs were studied to check how the composition and physicochemical properties changed during CAPP treatment of BRJ. To identify reactive species occur in gas phase of applied CAPP for BRJ treatment, optical emission spectrometry was used. Finally, the cytotoxicity of so-obtained BRJ to human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) and human non-malignant intestine microvascular endothelial cells (HIMEC) was assessed. Based on the performed analyses it was found that controlled CAPP treatment of BRJ changes the fraction pattern of elements in addition to increase the content of phenolic compound presents in BRJ. Furthermore, the defined CAPP treatment of BRJ inhibits proliferation of Caco-2 cell lines, exhibiting non-cytotoxic effect for HIMEC non-malignant endothelial cells. As a result, safe-to-consume BRJ of improved nutritional quality was produced.

Adipose tissue is a reliable source of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) for use in regenerative medicine. The aim of this pilot study was to describe the method, and assess the safety and the potential efficacy of transplantation of autologous adipose tissue-derived MSC for the treatment of chronic venous stasis ulcers. Study group consisted of 11 patients (mean age: 66.6 ± 9.5 years) with chronic venous stasis ulcers. Adipose tissue was harvested by tumescent-aspiration method. Stromal cells were separated using a dedicated closed system in a real-time bedside manner. The phenotype of cells was determined immediately after separation. Cell concentrate was implanted subcutaneously around the wound and the wound bed. All ulcers were assessed planimetrically before autotransplantation and every two weeks during the six-month follow-up. During the study all patients received standard local and general treatment. The preparation contained an average of 5.6 × 106 ± 4 × 106 cells per milliliter. The phenotype of 65–82% of transplanted cells expressed MSC markers: CD73+ CD90+ and CD34+. An improvement was observed in 75% of ulcers. The data showed highly significant negative correlation (p

Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) secrete a cocktail of growth factors and cytokines, which could promote tissue regeneration and wound healing. Therefore, in clinical practice, post-culture MSC supernatant treatment could be a more attractive alternative to autologous stem cell transplantation. In this study, we compared the regenerative properties of supernatants harvested from four newly established human adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cell lines (HATMSCs) derived from chronic wound patients or healthy donors. Methods HATMSC supernatants were produced in a serum-free medium under hypoxia and their content was analyzed by a human angiogenesis antibody array. The regenerative effect of HATMSCs supernatants was investigated in an in vitro model of chronic wound, where cells originating from human skin, such as microvascular endothelial cells (HSkMEC.2), keratinocytes (HaCaT), and fibroblasts (MSU-1.1), were cultured in serum-free and oxygen-reduced conditions. The effect of supernatant treatment was evaluated using an MTT assay and light microscopy. In addition, fibroblasts and HATMSCs were labeled with PKH67 and PKH26 dye, respectively, and the effect of supernatant treatment was compared to that obtained when fibroblasts and HATMSCs were co-cultured, using flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy. Results A wide panel of angiogenesis-associated cytokines such as angiogenin, growth-regulated oncogene (GRO), interleukin-6 and 8 (IL-6, IL-8), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) were found in all tested HATMSCs supernatants. Moreover, supernatant treatment significantly enhanced the survival of fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and keratinocytes in our chronic wound model in vitro. Importantly, we have shown that in in vitro settings, HATMSC supernatant treatment results in superior fibroblast proliferation than in the case of co-culture with HATMSCs. Conclusions Our results suggest that therapy based on bioactive factors released by the immortalized atMSC into supernatant has important effect on skin-derived cell proliferation and might preclude the need for a more expensive and difficult cell therapy approach to improve chronic wound healing.

This review article is focused on element composition of medicinal plants and herbs as well as their decoctions and infusions determined by atomic spectrometry methods. Considering quality and safety of these herbal beverages, widely practiced in herbalism for medicinal and supplementing purposes, element analysis is important, and quality of its results should not raise any doubts about reliability. Hence, original researches devoted to element analysis of decoctions and infusions of medicinal plants and herbs, published after 2000, have been surveyed in details, particularly focusing on sources of elements in medicinal plants, their availability for the intake during preparation of infusions and decoctions as well as different methodological aspects related to element analysis by atomic spectrometry, including sample pretreatment and preparation before measurements, calibration methods used, and verification of reliability of results.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are associated with maintaining tissue homeostasis and tissue repair. Both types of cells contribute to tissue regeneration through the secretion of trophic factors (alone or in the form of microvesicles). This study investigated the isolation and biological properties of microvesicles (MVs) derived from human immortalized MSC line HATMSC1 of adipose tissue origin and EPC line. The human immortalized cell line derived from the adipose tissue of a patient with venous stasis was established in our laboratory using the hTERT and pSV402 plasmids. The human EPC line originating from cord blood (HEPC-CB.1) was established in our previous studies. Microvesicles were isolated through a sequence of centrifugations. Analysis of the protein content of both populations of microvesicles, using the Membrane-Based Antibody Array and Milliplex ELISA showed that isolated microvesicles transported growth factors and pro- and antiangiogenic factors. Analysis of the miRNA content of isolated microvesicles revealed the presence of proangiogenic miRNA (miR-126, miR-296, miR-378, and miR-210) and low expression of antiangiogenic miRNA (miR-221, miR-222, and miR-92a) using real-time RT-PCR with the TaqMan technique. The isolated microvesicles were assessed for their effect on the proliferation and proangiogenic properties of cells involved in tissue repair. It was shown that both HEPC-CB.1- and HATMSC1-derived microvesicles increased the proliferation of human endothelial cells of dermal origin and that this effect was dose-dependent. In contrast, microvesicles had a limited impact on the proliferation of fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Both types of microvesicles improved the proangiogenic properties of human dermal endothelial cells, and this effect was also dose-dependent, as shown in the Matrigel assay. These results confirm the hypothesis that microvesicles of HEPC-CB.1 and HATMSC1 origin carry proteins and miRNAs that support and facilitate angiogenic processes that are important for cutaneous tissue regeneration.

Spectrochemical elemental analysis of pharmaceuticals and raw materials used for their production will be in the nearest future an obligatory part of quality and safety control for compliance with new standards announced by the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH Q3D). The present paper surveys R&D articles and scientific papers devoted to determination of the elemental impurities by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry (ICP-OES and ICP-MS) in different pharmaceuticals products that have been published since 2000. In reference to recent changes described in the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) general chapters and , different aspects of such measurements are presented, including appropriate sample preparation procedures, possible interferences and means of their avoidance, suitable calibration strategies and validation parameters that have to be assessed to prove reliability of the analytical results on the elemental impurities in pharmaceutical products.

Background It is well established that expression of multi-drug resistance (MDR) proteins (MDR1, BCRP, MDR3, MRP1 and LRP) in leukemic blasts correlates with AML patients clinical response. Assuming that leukemic stem cells (LSC) are resistant to chemotherapy and responsible for relapse it might be clinically relevant to evaluate the expression level of MDR proteins in LSC and relate it to the clinical outcome. Methods Bone marrow samples from 26 patients with de novo AML were labeled with antibodies to distinguish CD34+CD38-CD123+ LSC population and with antibodies against MDR1, BCRP, MDR3, MRP1 or LRP proteins. Multicolor flow cytometry was applied to evaluate the expression of MDR proteins in blasts and LSC. Results Nine of 26 patients with AML attained CR (30%). High negative correlation was found between MDR1 and LRP expression in blasts and the patients remission. MDR proteins were expressed more frequently in LSC than in leukemic blasts. High negative correlation was also observed between remission achievement and MRP1 expression in LSC. Conclusions Our data presents for the very first time the high negative correlation between MRP1 protein expression in LSC and AML patients’ remission. It does strongly suggest that MRP1 expression in LSC is an adverse prognostic marker in patients with de novo AML. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Consumption of honey cannot raise any concern about its wholesomeness, safety and quality in reference to the content of different contaminants, particularly trace and hazardous elements. Element analysis of honey by atomic and mass spectrometry methods is an important part of its quality and safety. The present paper comprehensively reviews recent achievements in element analysis of honey that have been reported since 2012. The survey is focused on different research aspects of such analysis, including assessment of biological and geographical origin of honey by using chemometric methods, quality and safety of honey, and sample preparation of honey prior to element analysis by atomic and mass spectrometry methods. Calibration strategies and ways of quality assurance and control of the results are surveyed as well.

Skin injury leading to chronic wounds is of high interest due to the increasing number of patients suffering from this symptom. Proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis are key factors in the wound healing processes. For that reason, controlled promotion of these processes is required. In this work, we present the portable helium-dielectric barrier discharge (He-DBD)-based reaction-discharge system of controlled gas temperature for biological activities. To make this He-DBD-based reaction-discharge system safe for biological purposes, a multivariate optimization of the operating parameters was performed. To evaluate the effect of the He-DBD operating parameters on the rotational gas temperature Trot(OH), a design of experiment followed by a Response Surface Methodology was applied. Based on the suggested statistical model, the optimal operating conditions under which the Trot(OH) is less than 37 °C (310 K) were estimated. Then, the resulted model was validated in order to confirm its accuracy. After estimation the optical operating conditions of He-DBD operation, the spectroscopic characteristic of the He-DBD-based reaction-discharge system in relevance to the several optical temperatures in addition to electron number density has been carried out. Additionally, the qualitative and quantitative analyses of the reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species were performed in order to investigate of reactions and processes running in the He-DBD-gaseous phase and in the He-DBD-treated liquid. Next, the developed portable He-DBD-based reaction-discharge system, working under the optimal operating conditions, was used to stimulate the wound healing process. It was found that a 30 s He-DBD treatment significantly increased the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of keratinocytes (HaCaT) and fibroblasts (MSU-1.1) cell lines, as well as human skin microvascular endothelial cells (HSkMEC.2). Hence, the application of the cold atmospheric pressure plasma generated in this He-DBD-based reaction-discharge system might be an alternative therapy for patient suffering from chronic wounds.

International audience; Objectives: It is generally believed that circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) reflect the state of the endothelium, its injury and/or repair possibilities. In different types of cancers, increased numbers of CECs and EPCs were found, suggesting their participation in cancer angiogenesis. The objective of this study was to determine whether, in the blood circulation of women with early endometrial cancer, CEC and EPC levels differ from those of healthy women of similar age.Methods: For CEC number evaluation, samples of peripheral blood cells of women with endometrial carcinoma and control subjects were labeled with anti-CD31 and anti-CD45 antibodies; for EPCs, with anti-VEGFR2(vascular-endotheliumgrowth factor receptor 2)/KDR and anti-CD34 antibodies. The CEC and EPC cells were then quantified by flow cytometry.Results: Endothelial progenitor cell numbers (CD34(+), VEGFR2/KDR+) in the peripheral blood of women with endometrial carcinoma were significantly augmented as compared with those of control healthy women and CEC numbers (CD31(+), CD45(-)) were similar in both groups. Cancer patients were divided according to the grading into G1 and G2 groups and according to the stage into International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IA and FIGO IB groups. Statistically significant augmented EPC numbers were demonstrated only in G1 and FIGO IA patients.$Conclusions: These results strongly suggest new vessel formation from recruited endothelial precursors as being involved mainly at the early stages of tumor progression.

International audience; Active cellular transporters of harmful agents-multidrug resistance (mdr) proteins-are present in tumor, stem and endothelial cells, among others. While mdr proteins are broadly studied in tumor cells, their role in non-tumor cells and the significance of their action not connected with removal of harmful xenobiotics is less extensively documented. Proper assessment of mdr proteins expression is difficult. Mdr mRNA presence is most often evaluated but that does not necessarily correlate with the protein level. The protein expression itself is difficult to determine; usually cells with mdr overexpression are studied, not cells under physiological conditions, in which a low expression level of mdr protein is often insufficient for detection in vitro. Various methods are used to identify mdr mRNA and protein expression, together with functional tests demonstrating their biological drug transporting activities. Data comparing different methods of investigating expression of mdr mRNAs and their corresponding proteins are still scarce. In this article we present the results of a study concerning mdr mRNA and protein expression. Our goal was to search for the best method to investigate the expression level and functional activity of five selected mdr proteins-MDR1, BCRP, MRP1, MRP4 and MRP5-in established in vitro cell lines of human endothelial cells (ECs) and their progenitors. Endothelial cells demonstrated mdr presence at the mRNA level, which was not always confirmed at the protein level or in functional tests. Therefore, several different assays had to be applied for evaluation of mdr proteins expression and functions in endothelial cells. Among them functional tests seemed to be the most conclusive, although not very specific.

Dendritic cells (DC) were initially considered as antigen presenting cells participating in the polarization of the immune response. Further understanding of their biology allowed determining their additional functions such as immunoregulatory and cytotoxicity. Until recently natural killer (NK) cells were known as a homogeneous population of lymphocytes capable of non-specific recognizing and eliminating target cells. Now it is widely accepted that NK cells, as a heterogeneous population, may also possess immunomodulatory functions. Moreover, the most recent analysis of the interactions between DC and NK cells revealed the exceptional functions of these cells. As a result of these studies the existence of bitypic cell population was postulated. The distinguishing features of these hybrid cells are: the expression of surface receptors typical for NK cells and DC, the cytotoxic activity, the production of interferons as well as their ability to present antigen after prior stimulation. Despite the lack of strong direct evidence that the same cell can be both cytotoxic and effectively present the antigen at the same time, there are experimental findings suggesting that generated ex vivo bitypic cells may be used in antitumor therapy.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) of cancer cells constitutes one of the main reasons for chemotherapy failure. The search for nontoxic modulators that reduce MDR is a task of great importance. An ability to enhance apoptosis of resistant cells would also be beneficial. In the present study, the MDR reversal and apoptosis-inducing potency of three flavonoids produced by Citrus plants, namely, naringenin (1a), aromadendrin (2), and tangeretin (3), and the methylated naringenin derivatives (1b, 1c), have been studied in sensitive (LoVo) and multidrug-resistant (LoVo/Dx) human colon adenocarcinoma cells. Cytotoxicity of methoxylated flavonoids was higher as compared to hydroxylated analogues. Only 3 turned out to inhibit P-glycoprotein, as demonstrated by a rhodamine 123 accumulation assay. It also increased doxorubicin accumulation in LoVo/Dx cells and enabled doxorubicin to enter cellular nuclei. In addition, 3 was found to be an effective MDR modulator in resistant cells by sensitizing them to doxorubicin. Tangeretin-induced caspase-3 activation and elevated surface phosphatidylserine exposure demonstrated its apoptosis-inducing activity in LoVo/Dx cells, while the other flavonoids evaluated were not active. Additionally, 3 was more toxic to resistant rather than to sensitive cancer cells. Its apoptosis-inducing activity was also higher in LoVo/Dx than in LoVo cells. It was concluded that the activity of 3 against multidrug-resistant cancer cells may be enhanced by its apoptosis-inducing activity.

Podoplanin (PDPN), an O-glycosylated, transmembrane, mucin-type glycoprotein, is expressed by cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs). In malignant transformation, PDPN is subjected to changes and its role is yet to be established. Here we show that it is involved in modulating the activity of the CCL21/CCR7 chemokine/receptor axis in a hypoxia-dependent manner. In the present model, breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and NKL3 cells express the surface CCR7 receptor for CCL21 chemokine which is a potent chemoattractant able to bind to PDPN. The impact of the CCL21/CCR7 axis in the molecular mechanism of the adhesion of NKL3 cells and of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells was reduced in a hypoxic tumor environment. In addition to its known effect on migration, CCL21/CCR7 interaction was shown to allow NK cell adhesion to endothelial cells (ECs) and its reduction by hypoxia. A PDPN expressing model of CAFs made it possible to demonstrate the same CCL21/CCR7 axis involvement in the tumor cells to CAFs recognition mechanism through PDPN binding of CCL21. PDPN was induced by hypoxia and its overexpression undergoes a reduction of adhesion, making it an anti-adhesion molecule in the absence of CCL21, in the tumor. CCL21/CCR7 modulated NK cells/ECs and MDA-MB-231 cells/CAF PDPN-dependent interactions were further shown to be linked to hypoxia-dependent microRNAs as miRs: miR-210 and specifically miR-21, miR-29b which influence PDPN expression.

The antitumour activity of the dendritic cell (DC)-based cellular vaccines is greatly reduced in hostile tumour microenvironment. Therefore, there are many attempts to eliminate or neutralize both suppressor cells and cytokines. The aim of the investigation was to verify if temporary elimination of IL-10 just before injection of bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) enhance the antitumour activity of applied vaccines and help to overcome the immunosuppressive tumour barrier. Mice bearing colon carcinoma MC38 were given single dose of cyclophosphamide (CY) followed by alternate injections of anti-IL-10 antibodies and BMDC-based vaccines consisted of BMDCs stimulated with MC38 tumour antigen (BMDC/TAg) or the combination of BMDC/TAg with BMDCs transduced with IL-12 genes (BMDC/IL-12). The high tumour growth inhibition was observed in mice treated with CY+anti-IL-10+BMDC/TAg as well as CY±anti-IL-10+BMDC/TAg+BMDC/IL-12. However, the mechanisms of action of particular treatment schemes were diversified. Generally, it was observed that application of anti-IL-10 Abs reduced suppressor activity of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). However, anti-IL-10 Abs in combination with diversely composed BMDC-based vaccines induced different components of an antitumour response. The high cytotoxic activity of spleen-derived NK cells and increased influx of these cells into tumours of mice treated with CY+anti-IL-10+BMDC/TAg indicate that mice from the group developed strong NK-dependent response. Whereas, application of anti-IL-10 Abs just before injection of BMDC/TAg+BMDC/IL-12 did not enhanced NK cell activity. Furthermore, it significantly impaired effectiveness of therapy composed of CY+BMDC/TAg+BMDC/IL-12 vaccine in induction of Th1 type immune response. Taken together, our results indicate that temporary elimination of IL-10 is an important and effective way to decrease the immune suppression associated with MDSCs activity and represents a useful strategy for successful enhancement of the antitumour activity of BMDC/TAg-based vaccines.

The search for promising modulators of cancer multidrug resistance (MDR) that are able to reduce the activity of P-glycoprotein, thus restoring the cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs, is ongoing. The identification of compounds that overcome the apoptosis deficiency that frequently accompanies MDR is also of great therapeutic importance.Four stilbenes, resveratrol, piceatannol and its two derivatives, were tested for their MDR-modulating and apoptosis-inducing activity in drug-sensitive (LoVo) and doxorubicin-resistant human adenocarcinoma cell line (LoVo/Dx) by means of flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy.Trans-3,5,3',4'-tetramethoxystilbene (PicMet) was identified as a promising modulator that efficiently increased accumulation of both rhodamine 123 and doxorubicin inside resistant cells. It also increased sensitivity of LoVo/Dx cells to doxorubicin. Resveratrol and trans-3,5,3',4'-tetracetoxystilbene (PicAcet) were identified as apoptosis inducers in LoVo/Dx cells.The stilbene structure may constitute a promising chemical scaffold for the synthesis of potential MDR modulators.

Flavonoids with hydrophobic e.g. prenyl substituents might constitute the promising candidates for multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal agents. The interaction of 8-prenylnaringenin (8-isopentenylnaringenin), a potent phytoestrogen isolated from common hop (Humulus lupulus), with two multidrug resistance-associated ABC transporters of cancer cells, P-glycoprotein and MRP1, has been studied for the first time. Functional test based on the transport of fluorescent substrate BCECF revealed that the flavonoid strongly inhibited MRP1 transport activity in human erythrocytes (IC(50)=5.76+/-1.80muM). Expression of MDR-related transporters in drug-sensitive (LoVo) and doxorubicin-resistant (LoVo/Dx) human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines was characterized by RT-PCR and immunochemical methods and elevated expression of P-glycoprotein in resistant cells was found to be the main difference between these two cell lines. By means of flow cytometry it was shown that 8-prenylnaringenin significantly increased the accumulation of rhodamine 123 in LoVo/Dx cells. Doxorubicin accumulation in both LoVo and LoVo/Dx cells observed by confocal microscopy was also altered in the presence of 8-prenylnaringenin. However, the presence of the studied compound did not increase doxorubicin cytotoxicity to LoVo/Dx cells. It was concluded that 8-prenylnaringenin was not able to modulate MDR in human adenocarcinoma cell line in spite of the ability to inhibit both P-glycoprotein and MRP1 activities. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of 8-prenylnaringenin interaction with clinically important ABC transporters.

International audience; We have previously reported that the in vivo transfer of murine interleukin-12 (IL-12) gene using a Semliki Forest virus vector induced tumor regression through inhibition of tumor blood vessel formation. To examine whether IL-12 anti-angiogenic activity interferes with the NO pathway, we used inducible nitric oxide synthase-deficient mice (iNOS−/−) and demonstrated that the anti-tumor effect of IL-12 is more pronounced in these mice. In addition, despite the increased level of intratumoral VEGF in iNOS−/− mice, IL-12 induced a stronger inhibition of blood vessel formation. Histological analysis of SFV-IL-12-treated tumors showed an increase in natural killer (NK) perivascular infiltration in iNOS−/− as compared to control mice. In vitro IL-12-stimulated murine splenic NK cells displayed significant killing activity towards established murine endothelial cells used as targets. These studies indicate that the anti-angiogenic activity of IL-12 interferes with iNOS pathway and involves NK cell recruitment.

A series of novel 6H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives, substituted at C-2, C-9 or N-6 position with dialkyl(alkylamino)alkyl chains differing in the number of methylene groups, was prepared. These compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity against several cell lines of different origin and tested for their ability to influence the cell cycle and inhibit topoisomerase II activity. Liphophilic and calf thymus DNA-binding properties of these compounds were also investigated. All the compounds tested inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria and fungi at MIC values ranging between 0.25 and 1 mM. They also showed cytotoxic activity against KB (human cervix carcinoma) cells (ID50 varied from 2.1 to 9.0 microM) and were able to overcome multidrug resistance in colorectal adenocarcinoma LoVo/DX, uterine sarcoma MES-SA/DX5 and promyelocytic leukemia HL-60/MX2 cells (the values of the resistance index RI fell between 0.54 and 2.4). The compounds induced G2M-phase cell cycle arrest in Jurkat T-cell leukemia cells, revealed DNA-binding properties and inhibited topoisomerase II activity.

Human organ-specific microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) were established and used in the present study to investigate their susceptibility to natural killer cell line (NKL)-induced lysis. Our data indicate that although IL-2-stimulated NKL (NKL2) cells adhered to the human peripheral (HPLNEC.B3), mesenteric lymph node (HMLNEC), brain (HBrMEC), and lung (HLMEC) and skin (HSkMEC.2) ECs, they significantly killed these cells quite differently. A more pronounced lysis of OSECs was also observed when IL-2-stimulated, purified peripheral blood NK cells were used as effector cells. In line with the correlation observed between adhesion pattern and the susceptibility to NKL2-mediated killing, we demonstrated using different chelators that the necessary adhesion step was governed by an Mg2+-dependent, but Ca2+-independent, mechanism as opposed to the subsequent Ca2+-dependent killing. To identify the cytotoxic pathway used by NKL2 cells, the involvement of the classical and alternate pathways was examined. Blocking of the Ca2+-dependent cytotoxicity pathway by EGTA/MgCl2 significantly inhibited endothelial target cell killing, suggesting a predominant role for the perforin/granzyme pathway. Furthermore, using confocal microscopy, we demonstrated that the interaction between NKL2 effectors and ECs induced cytochrome c release and Bid translocation in target cells, indicating an involvement of the mitochondrial pathway in NKL2-induced EC death. In addition, although all tested cells were sensitive to the cytotoxic action of TNF, no susceptibility to TRAIL or anti-Fas mAb was observed. The present studies emphasize that human NK cell cytotoxicity toward ECs may be a potential target to block vascular injury.

Recently, many new potent multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal agents have been discovered, among them lathyrane and jatrophane diterpenes isolated from various Euphorbia species. In the present study, the cytotoxicity, P-glycoprotein inhibition activity, and MDR reversal potency of six diterpenes and two coumarins from two Euphorbia species were studied in human colon carcinoma LoVo cells, and doxorubicin-resistant, LoVo/Dx cells.Cytotoxicity of the studied compounds (alone and in combination with doxorubicin) was investigated. Inhibition of P-glycoprotein transport activity was monitored by flow cytometry. Changes in intracellular doxorubicin accumulation were observed by means of fluorescence microscopy.Latilagascene B was demonstrated to be an effective P-glycoprotein inhibitor, able to increase doxorubicin accumulation in resistant cells, however not able to restore doxorubicin cytotoxicity in LoVo/Dx cells.The structure of latilagascene B seems to be an interesting candidate for further synthesis of new derivatives of reduced cytotoxicity and high anti-MDR potency.