Rami Saydjari

Polyamine levels and gastrin receptors in colon cancers.

Polyamincs and gastrin receptors (GR) were studied in samples of colon cancer and mucosa from 40 patients and in control mucosa from 11 patients without cancer. Polyamines (i.e., putrescine, spermidine, spermine) are essential for growth and differentiation. The concentration of polyamines is elevated in rapidly proliferating normal tissues and in some cancers. The presence of GR in human colon cancers has been previously reported. The purpose of the present study was twofold: (1) to determine whether polyamine levels are elevated in colon cancers and in adjacent normal colon mucosa compared to colon mucosa from patients without cancer; and (2) to examine the relationship between polyamine levels and GR in colon cancers. Polyamine levels in colon cancers were significantly higher than in the normal colon mucosa from the same patients. The polyamines, spermidine and spermine, were significantly higher in colon mucosa from patients with cancer compared to patients without cancer. Spermidine and the spermidine:spermine ratio, an index of cell proliferation, were increased in colon cancers with GR compared to cancers without GR. There were no significant correlations between polyamine levels and the following: patient age, CEA level, site of cancer, stage, or differentiation. Because polyamine levels are increased in colon mucosa from patients with cancer, measurement of polyamines may detect patients at risk for subsequent development of colon cancer. Increased levels of polyamines in colon cancers with GR is evidence that gastrin may play a trophic role in human colon cancers.

Effects of cyclosporine and α-difluoromethylornithine on the growth of mouse colon cancer in vitro

The growth and survival of mouse (MC-26) colon carcinoma in vitro and in vivo are significantly reduced by inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis. alpha-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), is a specific and irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC); the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis. DFMO treatment inhibits the growth of MC-26 colon cancer cells and decreases MC-26 cell survival both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we examined the effects of cyclosporine (CsA) on growth, survival, and polyamine levels in MC-26 colon cancer in vitro. CsA had inhibitory effects on MC-26 colon cancer growth which were similar to DFMO; these effects were blocked by the addition of the polyamine, putrescine. The combination of CsA (8.3 X 10(-4) mM) and DFMO (0.5 mM or 1.0 mM) inhibited MC-26 cell survival to a greater extent than either agent alone. These results suggest that CsA given in combination with other agents which inhibit polyamine synthesis may be useful for the treatment of colon cancer.

Coronary-Subclavian Steal Syndrome following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Angina pectoris resulting from the coronary-subclavian steal syndrome is a rare phenomenon with only 10 previously reported cases. However, with the increasing use of the internal mammary artery in the coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedure it may be encountered more frequently in the future. We report our recent experience with coronary-subclavian steal syndrome after CABG with 2 patients in whom complete relief from angina pectoris was obtained following bypass of a proximal subclavian artery occlusion in one patient and improvement of angina in the other. A review of the relevant literature is also presented.

Aging and the trophic effects of cholecystokinin, bombesin and pentagastrin on the rat pancreas

We examined the effect of age on the trophic response of the pancreas to chronic treatment with cholecystokinin (CCK), bombesin, or pentagastrin. Three age groups (3-, 12-, and 24-months) male F344 rats received saline; CCK-8 (5 ng/kg), bombesin (10 μgkg), or pentagastrin (100 μg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection t.i.d. for 2 weeks. Rats were then killed and the pancreases excised, weighed, and assayed for DNA, RNA, protein, and polyamine (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) concentrations and contents. We found that none of the treatments altered body weight at any age. All three hormones increased pancreas size and cell number in 3-month old rats, but by 12 months, all three had increased only pancreatic RNA content. Pancreatic spermidine concentration was decreased by all three hormone regimens in 3- but not in 12-month old rats, and pancreatic putrescine concentration and content were increased in 12-month old rats receiving all three hormones. There was no change in any parameter following any of the three hormones, tested at 24 months of age. We conclude that, at the dosages tested, the trophic response of pancreas to chronic administration of CCK, bombesin, and pentagastrin, which is normally present in young adult rats, is lost with aging.

Amiloride inhibits the growth of human colon cancer cells in vitro

Cytoplasmic alkalinization induced by activation of the Na+/H+ antiport plays an essential role in the initiation of cell proliferation. In the present study we examined the effects of amiloride, a specific and reversible inhibitor of Na+/H+ antiporter, on the growth of human colon cancer cells (HT-29). Amiloride (50-800 microM) inhibited the growth of HT-29 cells in a dose-dependent fashion. Forty-three percent inhibition of growth was found at an amiloride concentration of 400 microM after 4 days of treatment. The inhibitory effect of amiloride on growth of HT-29 cells was reversible since removal of amiloride by a media change after 48 h treatment lead to rapid regrowth to control levels. The reversibility of growth inhibition suggests that amiloride is not a non-specific cytotoxin for HT-29 cells. We examined the possible mechanisms for the inhibitory effects of amiloride. Amiloride (400 microM) completely abolished serum-stimulated ODC activity and inhibited difluoromethylornithine (DMFO)-stimulated putrescine uptake by 56%. We conclude that amiloride inhibits the in vitro growth of human colon cancer cells; since ODC-activity and polyamine transport were both inhibited, the inhibitory effects may be mediated in part by polyamine-dependent processes. Amiloride may be a useful agent in the treatment of colon cancer.

Cyclosporine and α-difluoromethylornithine exhibit differential effects on colon and pancreatic cancer in vitro

Abstractα-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) is a known irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis. Cyclosporine (CsA) has been reported to inhibit ODC activity in vitro. In the present study, we compared the effects of DFMO and CsA on growth, survival, and polyamine levels in mouse colon cancer (MC-26) and hamster pancreatic cancer (H2T) cells in vitro. The growth and survival of MC-26 and H2T cells were inhibited by both DFMO and CsA. However, H2T cells were observed to be significantly more sensitive than MC-26 cells to both CsA and DFMO. The inhibitory effects of CsA were blocked by the addition of the polyamine, putrescine, in both MC-26 and H2T cells. Polyamine levels were altered significantly in both MC-26 and H2T cells treated with CsA and DFMO. However, the profile of these alterations differed between MC-26 and H2T cell lines. Putrescine and spermidine levels in MC-26 cells were more sensitive to DFMO inhibition than were H2T cells. Spermine levels were consistently elevated in MC-26 cells exposed to CsA or DFMO, while the level of spermine in H2T cells decreased significantly in response to the same drugs. These results suggest that CsA and DFMO exhibit different effects on colon and pancreatic cancer growth in vitro. In addition, the differences in the sensitivity of pancreatic and colon cancer to CsA and DFMO indicate potentially important differences in polyamine metabolism between the two cell lines.

Bombesin inhibits growth of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (H2T) in nude mice

Bombesin (BBS), a tetradecapeptide, stimulates growth of various types of cells, including fibro-blasts and human small cell lung cancer, and has been termed the universal “on-switch” due to its ability to stimulate the release of numerous hormones. In addition, BBS receptors have been identified in normal and neo-plastic pancreatic tissue. A pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell line (H2T), established in our laboratory, possesses specific binding sites for BBS. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of BBS on the growth of H2T tumors transplanted into athymic nude mice. H2T cells (5 × 106 celldmouse) were injected S.C. into the interscapular region of the nude mice and then the mice were randomized into two groups (n = 10/group). Mice received either 0.1 ml of saline with 0.1% bovine serum albumin (BSA) (control) or 0.1 ml BBS (5 μg/kg) intra-peritoneally, three timedday. Tumor area was measured twice weekly until the mice were killed (day 321, when tumor and normal pancreas were removed, weighed, and assayed for DNA and protein content. Administration of BBS significantly inhibited H2T tumor area, weight, and DNA and protein content. Conversely, growth of normal pancreas, removed as an in vivo bioassay so as to ensure the efficacy of BBS, was stimulated. We conclude that BBS is a growth inhibitory factor for H2T tumors and that different mechanisms may be responsible for the differential growth effects elicited by normal and neoplastic pancreas in response to BBS.

Photoperiod influences the growth of colon cancer in mice

We have developed a mouse colon adenocarcinoma cell line that produces tumors in a dose-dependent manner when injected subcutaneously. Our previous work has demonstrated its sequential pattern of tumor area and weight under 12L:12D (12 hours light, 12 hours darkness) photoperiod. This study investigated whether shorter (6L:18D) or longer (18L:6D) photoperiods alter tumor growth. Significantly greater tumor area, weight, and group mortality were found in mice exposed to 12L:12D photoperiods as compared to either 6L:18D or 18L:6D photoperiods, and difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) was a more effective inhibitor of tumor growth under the 6L:18D photoperiod compared to 12L:12D. These results demonstrate an important role of photoperiod on tumor growth.

2-deoxy-D-glucose inhibits the antitumor effects of α-difluoromethylornithine on the growth of colon cancer in vivo

SummaryThe glycolytic inhibitor, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), has been shown to inhibit the growth of certain cancers. α-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) is an irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the ratelimiting enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis. DFMO has been shown to inhibit cancer growth in a number of models. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of 2-DG alone and combined with DFMO on MC-26 mouse colon adenocarcinoma tumors growing in vivo. Twenty-eight male Balb/c mice were inoculated with 250,000 MC-26 cells, and then randomized into four groups of 7 each: group I served as control; group II received DFMO (3% in drinking water); group III received 2-DG (500 mg/kg/d IP); group IV received a combination of 2-DG and DFMO. Treatment began 5 days after tumor cell inoculation. MC-26 tumor area was reduced 73% by DFMO compared to a 24% reduction caused by 2-DG. The tumor weight was reduced 80% by DFMO and 52% by 2-DG. The tumor contents of DNA, RNA, and protein were significantly reduced by DFMO but not 2-DG. The tumor concentration of the polyamines putrescine and spermidine were reduced by DFMO alone or combined with 2-DG while spermine levels remained unchanged. 2-DG alone did not alter polyamine levels. These results indicate that both 2-DG and DFMO, when added as single agents, inhibit tumor growth. However, the addition of 2-DG to the DFMO regimen inhibited the antitumor effects of DFMO. Survival studies performed on MC-26 cells in vitro corroborated the antagonisms between DFMO and 2-DG that were shown in vivo.

Twenty-Four-Hour Variations in Ornithine Decarboxylase and Acid Phosphatase in Mice

Abstract Polyamines are essential for cell growth and differentiation. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis. Acid phosphatases (AP) are lysosomal enzymes that are important in normal intracellular metabolism. Twenty-four-hour variations in these enzymes may be important in understanding the temporal responses of different tissues to various stimuli. The purpose of this study was to examine a variety of tissues for fluctuations in the levels of ODC and AP over a 24-hr period. Significant circadian variations in the amount of ODC activity were observed in all tissues examined. Activity of AP varied with time of day in the liver, kidney, and heart. The highest and lowest measurements of ODC activity were as follows: liver, 81.5 ± 7.0, 47.9 ± 4.4; colon, 11.7 ± 1.2, 3.1 ± 0.7; stomach 3.1 ± 0.4, 0.9 ± 0.1; kidney, 420.9 ± 0.9, 67.5 ± 0.8; and heart, 4.7 ± 1.0, 2.5 ± 0.2. The highest and lowest measurements of AP activity were as follows: liver 3.8 ± 0.1, 2.8 ± 0.1; kidney, 3.4 ± 0.1, 1.9 ± 0.1; and heart, 2.6 ± 0.1, 2.0 ± 0.1. These findings suggest that rhythmic fluctuations in polyamine biosynthesis and lysosomal enzymes may influence other metabolic pathways differentially throughout 24 hr.