Lindsay Runyan

Soy isoflavones augment radiation effect by inhibiting APE1/ref-1 DNA repair activity in non-small cell lung cancer

Introduction: Soy isoflavones sensitize cancer cells to radiation both in vitro and in vivo. To improve the effect of radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer, we assessed the potential of using a complementary approach with soy isoflavones. Methods: Human A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells were treated with soy isoflavones, radiation, or both and tested for cell growth. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) were detected by immunostaining for &ggr;-H2AX foci. Expressions of &ggr;-H2AX, HIF-1&agr;, and APE1/Ref-1 were assessed by Western blots. DNA-binding activities of HIF-1&agr; and NF-&kgr;B transcription factors were analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Results: Soy isoflavones increased A549 cell killing induced by radiation. Multiple &ggr;-H2AX foci were detectable at 1 hour after radiation but decreased at 24 hours after radiation. Soy isoflavones also caused DNA DSBs, but &ggr;-H2AX foci increased over time. Soy isoflavones and radiation caused an increase in &ggr;-H2AX foci, which persisted at 24 hours, indicating both increased DNA damage and inhibition of repair. Soy isoflavones inhibited the radiation-induced activity of the DNA repair/redox enzyme APE1/Ref-1 and the transcription factors NF-&kgr;B and HIF-1&agr;. E3330, which inhibits the redox activity of APE1/Ref-1, did not alter the repair of radiation-induced DSBs. Methoxyamine, which inhibits APE1/Ref-1 DNA repair activity, partly blocked the decrease in radiation-induced DSBs at 24 hours, suggesting partial mitigation of radiation-induced DNA repair akin to the effect of soy combined with radiation, in agreement with cytotoxic assays. Conclusions: Inhibition of APE1/Ref-1 DNA repair activity by soy could be involved in the mechanism by which soy alters DNA repair and leads to cell killing.

Soy isoflavones radiosensitize lung cancer while mitigating normal tissue injury

BACKGROUND We have demonstrated that soy isoflavones radiosensitize cancer cells. Prostate cancer patients receiving radiotherapy (RT) and soy tablets had reduced radiation toxicity to surrounding organs. We have now investigated the combination of soy with RT in lung cancer (NSCLC), for which RT is limited by radiation-induced pneumonitis. METHODS Human A549 NSCLC cells were injected i.v. in nude mice to generate lung tumor nodules. Lung tumor-bearing mice were treated with left lung RT at 12 Gy and with oral soy treatments at 1mg/day for 30 days. Lung tissues were processed for histology. RESULTS Compared to lung tumor nodules treated with soy isoflavones or radiation, lung tissues from mice treated with both modalities showed that soy isoflavones augmented radiation-induced destruction of A549 lung tumor nodules leading to small residual tumor nodules containing degenerating tumor cells with large vacuoles. Soy isoflavones decreased the hemorrhages, inflammation and fibrosis caused by radiation in lung tissue, suggesting protection of normal lung tissue. CONCLUSIONS Soy isoflavones augment destruction of A549 lung tumor nodules by radiation, and also mitigate vascular damage, inflammation and fibrosis caused by radiation injury to normal lung tissue. Soy could be used as a non-toxic complementary approach to improve RT in NSCLC.

Dissociation kinetics of an enzyme-inhibitor system using single-molecule force measurements.

We report on an improved method to interpret single molecule dissociation measurements using atomic force microscopy. We describe an easy to use methodology to reject nonspecific binding events, as well as estimating the number of multiple binding events. The method takes nonlinearities in the force profiles into account that result from the deformation of the used polymeric linkers. This new method is applied to a relevant enzyme-inhibitor system, latent matrix metalloprotease 9 (ProMMP-9, a gelatinase), and its inhibitor, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteases 1 (TIMP 1), which are important players in cancer metastasis. Our method provides a measured kinetic off-rate of 0.010 ± 0.003 s(-1) for the dissociation of ProMMP9 and TIMP1, which is consistent with values measured by ensemble methods.