Kenji Hyoudou

Inhibition of metastatic tumor growth in mouse lung by repeated administration of polyethylene glycol-conjugated catalase: quantitative analysis with firefly luciferase-expressing melanoma cells.

Purpose: To develop a novel and effective approach to inhibit tumor metastasis based on controlled delivery of catalase, we first evaluated the characteristics of the disposition and proliferation of tumor cells. Then, we examined the effects of polyethylene glycol-conjugated catalase (PEG-catalase) on tumor metastasis. On the basis of the results obtained, PEG-catalase was repetitively administered to completely suppress the growth of tumor cells. Experimental Design: Murine melanoma B16-BL6 cells were stably transfected with firefly luciferase gene to obtain B16-BL6/Luc cells. These cells were injected intravenously into syngeneic C57BL/6 mice. PEG-catalase was injected intravenously, and the effect was evaluated by measuring the luciferase activity as the indicator of the number of tumor cells. Results: At 1 hour after injection of B16-BL6/Luc cells, 60 to 90% of the injected cells were recovered in the lung. The numbers decreased to 2 to 4% at 24 hours, then increased. An injection of PEG-catalase just before inoculation significantly reduced the number of tumor cells at 24 hours. Injection of PEG-catalase at 1 or 3 days after inoculation was also effective in reducing the cell numbers. Daily dosing of PEG-catalase greatly inhibited the proliferation and the number assayed at 14 days after inoculation was not significantly different from the minimal number observed at 1 day, suggesting that the growth had been markedly suppressed by the treatment. Conclusions: These findings indicate that sustained catalase activity in the blood circulation can prevent the multiple processes of tumor metastasis in the lung, which could lead to a state of tumor dormancy.

Prevention of pulmonary metastasis from subcutaneous tumors by binary system-based sustained delivery of catalase

Catalase delivery can be effective in inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated acceleration of tumor metastasis. Our previous studies have demonstrated that increasing the plasma half-life of catalase by pegylation (PEG-catalase) significantly increases its potency of inhibiting experimental pulmonary metastasis in mice. In the present study, a biodegradable gelatin hydrogel formulation was used to further increase the circulation time of PEG-catalase. Implantation of (111)In-PEG-catalase/hydrogel into subcutaneous tissues maintained the radioactivity in plasma for more than 14 days. Then, the effect of the PEG-catalase/hydrogel on spontaneous pulmonary metastasis of tumor cells was evaluated in mice with subcutaneous tumor of B16-BL6/Luc cells, a murine melanoma cell line stably expressing luciferase. Measuring luciferase activity in the lung revealed that the PEG-catalase/hydrogel significantly (P<0.05) inhibited the pulmonary metastasis compared with PEG-catalase solution. These findings indicate that sustaining catalase activity in the blood circulation achieved by the use of pegylation and gelatin hydrogel can reduce the incidence of tumor cell metastasis.

Improvement of insulin resistance by removal of systemic hydrogen peroxide by PEGylated catalase in obese mice.

Insulin resistance, a condition in which insulin action is impaired, is one of the characteristic features of type 2 diabetes. Excessive amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) interfere with the insulin signaling pathway, which leads to the progression of insulin resistance. To examine whether removal of systemic hydrogen peroxide is effective in improving insulin resistance, polyethylene glycol-conjugated catalase (PEG-catalase), a derivative with a long circulation half-life, was repeatedly injected into leptin-deficient ob/ob or high fat diet-induced obese mice for 16 or 10 consecutive weeks, respectively. Although ob/ob mice gradually gained weight with time irrespective of the treatment, repeated intraperitoneal injections of PEG-catalase significantly reduced glucose levels in the fed state. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests also showed PEG-catalase significantly improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in ob/ob mice, respectively. Similar but less marked results were obtained in the diet-induced obese mice. Treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with glucose oxidase (GO) increased lipid hydroperoxide formation and reduced insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation. Addition of catalase or PEG-catalase significantly inhibited the GO-induced changes in adipocytes. These findings indicate that systemic removal of hydrogen peroxide by PEG-catalase activates the insulin signaling pathway and improves insulin resistance in obese mice.

Hydrogen peroxide‐mediated nuclear factor κB activation in both liver and tumor cells during initial stages of hepatic metastasis

Various factors involved in tumor metastasis are regulated by the transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB). Because NF‐κB activation may contribute to establishment of hepatic metastasis, its activation in liver cells and tumor cells was separately evaluated in a mouse model of hepatic metastasis. pNF‐κB‐Luc, a firefly luciferase‐expressing plasmid DNA depending on the NF‐κB activity, was injected into the tail vein of mice by the hydrodynamics‐based procedure, a well‐established method for gene transfer to BALB/c male mouse liver. The luciferase activity in the liver was significantly increased by an intraportal inoculation of murine adenocarcinoma colon26 cells, but not of peritoneal macrophages, suggesting that the NF‐κB in liver cells is activated when tumor cells enter the hepatic circulation. Then, colon26 cells stably transfected with pNF‐κB‐Luc were inoculated. The firefly luciferase activity, an indicator of NF‐κB activity in tumor cells, was significantly increased when colon26/NFκB‐Luc cells were inoculated into the portal vein of BALB/c male mice. The NF‐κB activation in both liver and tumor cells was significantly inhibited by injection of catalase derivatives, which have been reported to inhibit hepatic metastasis of tumor cells. These findings indicate for the first time that NF‐κB, a key agent regulating the expression of various molecules involved in tumor metastasis, is activated in both liver and tumor cells during the initial stages of tumor metastasis through a hydrogen peroxide mediated pathway. Thus, the removal of hydrogen peroxide will be a promising approach to treating hepatic metastasis. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 1546–1552)

Analysis of in vivo nuclear Factor-κB activation during liver inflammation in mice : Prevention by catalase delivery

Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is a transcription factor that plays crucial roles in inflammation, immunity, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Until now, there have been few studies of NF-κB activation in whole animals because of experimental difficulties. Here, we show that mice receiving a simple injection of plasmid vectors can be used to examine NF-κB activation in the liver. Two plasmid vectors, pNF-κB-Luc (firefly luciferase gene) and pRL-SV40 (Renilla reniformis luciferase gene), were injected into the tail vein of mice by the hydrodynamics-based procedure, an established method of gene transfer to mouse liver. Then, the ratio of the firefly and R. reniformis luciferase activities (F/R) was used as an indicator of the NF-κB activity in the liver. Injection of thioacetamide or lipopolysaccharide plus d-galactosamine increased the F/R ratio in the liver, and this was significantly (P < 0.001) inhibited by an intravenous injection of catalase derivatives targeting liver nonparenchymal cells. Imaging the firefly luciferase expression in live mice clearly demonstrated that the catalase derivatives efficiently prevented the NF-κB-mediated expression of the firefly luciferase gene. Plasma transaminases and the survival rate of mice supported the findings obtained by the luminescence-based analyses. Thus, this method, which requires no genetic recombination techniques, is highly sensitive to the activation of NF-κB and allows us to continuously examine the activation in live animals. In conclusion, this novel, simple, and sensitive method can be used not only for analyzing the NF-κB activation in the organ under different inflammatory conditions but also for screening drug candidates for the prevention of liver inflammation.

Serum mannan binding protein inhibits mannosylated liposome-mediated transfection to macrophages

The effects of serum mannan binding proteins (MBP) in the transfection of plasmid DNA/Man-liposome complex via mannose receptor-mediated endocytosis was studied in vitro using cultured mouse peritoneal macrophages. Plasmid DNA encoding luciferase gene was complexed with cationic mannosylated liposomes (Man-liposomes), composed of cholesten-5-yloxy-N-(4-((1-imino-2-D-thiomannosylethyl)amino)alkyl)formamide (Man-C4-Chol) and dioleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE). The transfection efficiency, as well as the binding and uptake of the plasmid DNA/Man-liposome complex, was investigated with or without serum MBP. The in vitro transfection efficiency of the complex was significantly reduced on increasing the amount of serum MBP. In addition, the cellular association of the complex was also reduced. These results indicate that serum MBP specifically binds to the mannose moieties on the complex and suppresses its cellular uptake, resulting in inhibition of the gene transfection in macrophages. Such an interaction is an obstacle to mannose receptor-mediated in vivo gene transfer to mannose receptor-positive cells using mannosylated gene carriers.