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The cytotoxicity of paclitaxel against eight human tumour cell lines has been studied with in vitro clonogenic assays. The fraction of surviving cells fell sharply after exposure for 24 h to paclitaxel concentrations ranging from 2 to 20 nM; the paclitaxel IC50 was found to range between 2.5 and 7.5 nM. Increasing the paclitaxel concentration above 50 nM,however,resulted in no additional cytotoxicity after a 24 h drug exposure. Cells incubated in very high concentrations of paclitaxel (10,000 nM) had an increase in survival compared with cells treated with lower concentrations of the drug. Prolonging the time of exposure of cells to paclitaxel from 24 to 72 h increased cytotoxicity from 5 to 200 fold in different cell lines. Exponentially growing cells were more sensitive to paclitaxel than were cells in the plateau phase of growth. Cremophor EL,the diluent in which the clinical preparation of paclitaxel is formulated,antagonised paclitaxel at concentrations of 0.135% (v/v). These data suggest that paclitaxel will be most effective clinically when there is prolonged exposure of tumour to the drug. Further,it appears that modest concentrations (i.e.,50 nM) should be as effective as higher concentrations of paclitaxel. Finally,we have noted that Cremophor EL is a biologically active diluent and,at high concentrations (0.135% v/v),can antagonise paclitaxel cytotoxicity. View Publication

Thiazolidinedione derivatives are antidiabetic agents that increase the insulin sensitivity of target tissues in animal models of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In vitro,thiazolidinediones promote adipocyte differentiation of preadipocyte and mesenchymal stem cell lines; however,the molecular basis for this adipogenic effect has remained unclear. Here,we report that thiazolidinediones are potent and selective activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma),a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily recently shown to function in adipogenesis. The most potent of these agents,BRL49653,binds to PPAR gamma with a Kd of approximately 40 nM. Treatment of pluripotent C3H10T1/2 stem cells with BRL49653 results in efficient differentiation to adipocytes. These data are the first demonstration of a high affinity PPAR ligand and provide strong evidence that PPAR gamma is a molecular target for the adipogenic effects of thiazolidinediones. Furthermore,these data raise the intriguing possibility that PPAR gamma is a target for the therapeutic actions of this class of compounds. View Publication

A class of pyridinyl imidazoles inhibit the MAP kinase homologue,termed here reactivating kinase (RK) [Lee et al. (1994) Nature 372,739-746]. We now show that one of these compounds (SB 203580) inhibits RK in vitro (IC50 = 0.6 microM),suppresses the activation of MAPKAP kinase-2 and prevents the phosphorylation of heat shock protein (HSP) 27 in response to interleukin-1,cellular stresses and bacterial endotoxin in vivo. These results establish that MAPKAP kinase-2 is a physiological RK substrate,and that HSP27 is phosphorylated by MAPKAP kinase-2 in vivo. The specificity of SB 203580 was indicated by its failure to inhibit 12 other protein kinases in vitro,and by its lack of effect on the activation of RK kinase and other MAP kinase cascades in vivo. We suggest that SB 203580 will be useful for identifying other physiological roles and targets of RK and MAPKAP kinase-2. View Publication

The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is believed to protect cells against environmental stress (e.g. heat shock) by switching off biosynthetic pathways,the key signal being elevation of AMP. Identification of novel targets for the kinase cascade would be facilitated by development of a specific agent for activating the kinase in intact cells. Incubation of rat hepatocytes with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) results in accumulation of the monophosphorylated derivative (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside; ZMP) within the cell. ZMP mimics both activating effects of AMP on AMPK,i.e. direct allosteric activation and promotion of phosphorylation by AMPK kinase. Unlike existing methods for activating AMPK in intact cells (e.g. fructose,heat shock),AICAR does not perturb the cellular contents of ATP,ADP or AMP. Incubation of hepatocytes with AICAR activates AMPK due to increased phosphorylation,causes phosphorylation and inactivation of a known target for AMPK (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase),and almost total cessation of two of the known target pathways,i.e. fatty acid and sterol synthesis. Incubation of isolated adipocytes with AICAR antagonizes isoprenaline-induced lipolysis. This provides direct evidence that the inhibition by AMPK of activation of hormone-sensitive lipase by cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase,previously demonstrated in cell-free assays,also operates in intact cells. AICAR should be a useful tool for identifying new target pathways and processes regulated by the protein kinase cascade. View Publication

Sphingolipids,particularly gangliosides,are enriched in neuronal membranes where they have been implicated as mediators of various regulatory events. We recently provided evidence that sphingolipid synthesis is necessary to maintain neuronal growth by demonstrating that in hippocampal neurons,inhibition of ceramide synthesis by Fumonisin B1 (FB1) disrupted axonal outgrowth (Harel,R. and Futerman,A. H. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268,14476-14481). We now analyze further the relationship between neuronal growth and sphingolipid metabolism by examining the effect of an inhibitor of glucosylceramide synthesis,D-threo-1-phenyl-2-decanoylamino-3-morpholino-1- propanol (PDMP) and by examining the effects of both FB1 and PDMP at various stages of neuronal development. No effects of FB1 or PDMP were observed during the first 2 days in culture,but by day 3 axonal morphology was significantly altered,irrespective of the time of addition of the inhibitors to the cultures. Cells incubated with FB1 or PDMP had a shorter axon plexus and less axonal branches. FB1 appeared to cause a retraction of axonal branches between days 2 and 3,although long term incubation had no apparent effect on neuronal morphology or on the segregation of axonal or dendritic proteins. In contrast,incubation of neurons with conduritol B-epoxide,an inhibitor of glucosylceramide degradation,caused an increase in the number of axonal branches and a corresponding increase in the length of the axon plexus. A direct correlation was observed between the number of axonal branch points per cell and the extent of inhibition of either sphingolipid synthesis or degradation. These results suggest that sphingolipids play an important role in the formation or stabilization of axonal branches. View Publication

We have recently shown that conservation and differentiation of primitive human hematopoietic progenitors in in vitro long-term bone marrow cultures (LTBMC) occurs to a greater extent when hematopoietic cells are grown separated from the stromal layer than when grown in direct contact with the stroma. This finding suggests that hematopoiesis may depend mainly on soluble factors produced by the stroma. To define these soluble factors,we examine here whether a combination of defined early-acting cytokines can replace soluble stroma-derived biologic activities that induce conservation and differentiation of primitive progenitors. Normal human Lineage-/CD34+/HLA-DR- cells (DR-) were cultured either in the absence of a stromal layer (stroma-free") or in a culture system in which DR- cells were separated from the stromal layer by a microporous membrane ("stroma-noncontact"). Both culture systems were supplemented three times per week with or without cytokines. These studies show that culture of DR- cells for 5 weeks in a "stroma-free" culture supplemented with a combination of four early acting cytokines (Interleukin-3 [IL-3]� View Publication

The growth of human megakaryocyte progenitors from human bone marrow (BM) cells was compared using a methylcellulose semisolid assay supplemented either by normal human plasma or by a serum-free medium. Far better growth of megakaryocyte colonies from CD34+ BM cells stimulated by interleukin 3 (IL-3) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) was observed in serum-free medium compared with human plasma supplemented cultures. These results were confirmed in liquid cultures using the same serum-free medium composition. The megakaryocytes were identified by using an immunocytochemical procedure after labeling with an anti-GPIIb-IIIa monoclonal antibody. High percentages (15 to 20%) of megakaryocytes were present in serum-free cultures stimulated by IL-3 alone or combined with IL-6. The absolute number of megakaryocytes in serum-free medium exceeds by 3.3 (IL-3 plus IL-6) to 4.4 (IL-3 alone) times the corresponding number of megakaryocytes observed in human plasma supplemented cultures. The optimal concentration of IL-3 alone was 5 ng/ml,and an optimal synergistic effect of IL-6 (5 ng/ml) was obtained when combined with a suboptimal dose of IL-3 (1 ng/ml). The poor growth of megakaryocyte colonies from CD34+ BM cells in human plasma suggested the presence of an inhibitory factor. When a neutralizing monoclonal antibody against transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) is present in human plasma supplemented cultures of CD34+ BM cells,the number of megakaryocyte colonies is increased to the level observed in corresponding serum-free cultures. The high efficiency of this serum-free medium to promote the growth of human megakaryocytes will be useful to study the effects of regulators and platelet agonists acting on human megakaryocytes,without interference from factors in the serum. View Publication

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK),which is involved in DNA double-stranded break repair and V(D)J recombination,comprises a DNA-targeting component called Ku and an approximately 460 kDa catalytic subunit,DNA-PKcs. Here,we describe the cloning of the DNA-PKcs cDNA and show that DNA-PKcs falls into the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase family. Biochemical assays,however,indicate that DNA-PK phosphorylates proteins but has no detectable activity toward lipids. Strikingly,DNA-PKcs is most similar to PI kinase family members involved in cell cycle control,DNA repair,and DNA damage responses. These include the FKBP12-rapamycin-binding proteins Tor1p,Tor2p,and FRAP,S. pombe rad3,and the product of the ataxia telangiectasia gene,mutations in which lead to genomic instability and predisposition to cancer. The relationship of these proteins to DNA-PKcs provides important clues to their mechanisms of action. View Publication

The microbial product wortmannin has previously been shown to be a potent inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase. In view of the potential role of this enzyme in transduction of mitogenic signals,we determined the cytotoxic activity of wortmannin against several human tumor cell lines in vitro. The most sensitive lines included GC3 colon carcinoma,IGROV1 ovarian carcinoma,and CCRF-CEM leukemia (IC-50s ranging from 0.7-2.1 microM). The cytotoxicity of wortmannin was decreased approximately 10-fold by serum-free conditions. Wortmannin was generally less active in low passage human breast cancer cell lines that overexpress either epidermal growth factor receptor or Her2/neu. Wortmannin was also tested for in vivo antitumor activity against seven murine tumor and ten human tumor xenograft models. Activity (textgreater 60% inhibition of tumor growth) was observed in only the C3H mammary carcinoma and the human BxPC-3 pancreatic carcinoma xenograft. In vivo antitumor activity did not correlate with in vitro sensitivity to wortmannin cytotoxicity. View Publication

Treatment of cells with a variety of growth factors triggers a phosphorylation cascade that leads to activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs,also called extracellular signal-regulated kinases,or ERKs). We have identified a synthetic inhibitor of the MAPK pathway. PD 098059 [2-(2'-amino-3'-methoxyphenyl)-oxanaphthalen-4-one] selectively inhibited the MAPK-activating enzyme,MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK),without significant inhibitory activity of MAPK itself. Inhibition of MEK by PD 098059 prevented activation of MAPK and subsequent phosphorylation of MAPK substrates both in vitro and in intact cells. Moreover,PD 098059 inhibited stimulation of cell growth and reversed the phenotype of ras-transformed BALB 3T3 mouse fibroblasts and rat kidney cells. These results indicate that the MAPK pathway is essential for growth and maintenance of the ras-transformed phenotype. Further,PD 098059 is an invaluable tool that will help elucidate the role of the MAPK cascade in a variety of biological settings. View Publication

Retinoids elicit biological responses by activating a series of nuclear receptors. Six retinoid receptors belonging to two families are currently known: retinoic acid receptors (RAR alpha,beta,and gamma) and retinoid X receptors (RXR alpha,beta,and gamma). Stilbene retinoid analogs of retinoic acid (RA),such as (E)-4-[2-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)prope n-1- yl]benzoic acid (TTNPB,1) and (E)-4-[2-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-3,5,5,8,8-pentamethyl-2-naphthalenyl)pro pen-1- yl]benzoic acid (3-methyl-TTNPB,2),display differential RAR and RXR activities,depending on the substituent at C3 of the naphthalene ring. We report here structural modifications of the benzoate moiety of 2 that result in analogs with greater RXR selectivity as well as those with pan-agonist (activate both RAR and RXR receptors) activities,analyze the structural features that impart receptor selectivity,and describe a stereoselective method for the synthesis of these analogs. The biological activities associated with the RAR and RXR receptors were examined by testing representative examples with different receptor activation profiles for their ability to induce tissue transglutaminase (Tgase) activity in a human promyelocytic leukemia cell line (HL-60 cdm-1) and to inhibit tumor-promoter-induced ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in hairless mouse skin. These results suggest that RAR agonists and RXR agonists may have different therapeutic applications. Finally,we show that RXR agonists are significantly reduced in teratogenic potency relative to RAR agonists and may therefore have significant advantages in clinical practice. View Publication