ABSTRACT
TNFa has been associated with both, tumor survival and apoptosis. This cytokine is also involved in promoting cell migration during wound healing and tumorigenesis. SW756 is a HPV18-positive cervical carcinoma cell line, which has been used to study different mechanisms of cervical cancer progression. An in vitro assay of scratch wound healing onto monolayers of SW756 cells was used to assess the effect of TNFa on cell migration into a wound space. It was found that SW756 cells have the ability to migrate, but not proliferate in response to scratch wounding in a serum-free medium supplemented with TNFa. RT-PCR analysis showed that SW756 cells express TNFa mRNA when incubated in medium with and without serum. Wound closure and migration rate of SW756 cells were significantly increased in the presence of serum-free media supplemented with TNFa (10 ng/mL) as compared to serum-free media, and media supplemented with either anti-TNFa antibody or both TNFa and anti-TNFa antibody (p<0.05). The results showed a stimulatory effect of TNFa on the migration of SW756 cervical carcinoma cells, suggesting a novel and important role for TNFa in cervical cancer progression.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Carcinoma/microbiology , Cell Movement/drug effects , /genetics , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/pharmacology , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/microbiology , Cell Line, Tumor , Culture Media, Serum-Free , Carcinoma/genetics , Carcinoma/pathology , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , /isolation & purification , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted , Kinetics , Microscopy, Video , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Recombinant Proteins/drug effects , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/genetics , Wound Healing/drug effectsABSTRACT
Birth is the result of complex, well-defined, and coordinated events, that are tightly regulated by endocrine, nervous, and immune responses, and take place primarily in the female reproductive tract. Various mechanisms and mediators involved in pregnancy, labor, and delivery, are highly conserved among different mammalian species and mast cells emerge as potential and crucial participants in these processes, as it is discussed in this review.
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Pregnancy , Mast Cells/metabolism , Parturition/physiology , Uterus/metabolism , Muscle Contraction/physiology , Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/metabolism , Gonadal Steroid Hormones/metabolism , Mast Cells/cytology , Muscle, Smooth/physiology , Oxytocin/metabolism , Uterus/cytologyABSTRACT
The purpose of this review, based on studies from our laboratory as well as from others, is to summarize salient features of mast cell immunobiology and to describe their associations with gastrointestinal mucosal defense. Gastrointestinal mast cells are involved in many pathologic effects, such as food hypersensitivity. On the other hand, they also play a protective role in defense against parasitic and microbial infections. Thus, they have both positive and negative effects, but presently the mechanisms that control the balance of these various effects are poorly known. It has been suggested that stabilization of mast cells may be a key mechanism to protect the gastrointestinal tract from injury. Few molecules are known to possess both mast cell stabilizing and gastrointestinal cytoprotective activity. These include zinc compounds, sodium cromoglycate, FPL 52694, ketotifen, aloe vera, certain flavonoids such as quercetin, some sulfated proteoglycans such as chondroitin sulfate and dehydroleucodine. Dehydroleucodine, a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Artemisia douglasiana Besser, exhibits anti-inflammatory and gastrointestinal cytoprotective action. The lactone stimulates mucus production, and inhibits histamine and serotonin release from intestinal mast cells. The lactone could act as a selective mast cell stabilizer by releasing cytoprotective factors and inhibiting pro-inflammatory mast cell mediators.