High-resolution ROMA CGH and FISH analysis of aneuploid and diploid breast tumors.

Combining representational oligonucleotide microarray analysis (ROMA) of tumor DNA with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of individual tumor cells provides the opportunity to detect and validate a wide range of amplifications, deletions, and rearrangements directly in frozen tumor samples. We have used these combined techniques to examine 101 aneuploid and diploid breast tumors for which long-term follow-up and detailed clinical information were available. We have determined that ROMA provides accurate and sensitive detection of duplications, amplifications, and deletions and yields defined boundaries for these events with a resolution of <50 kbp in most cases. We find that diploid tumors exhibit fewer rearrangements on average than aneuploids, but rearrangements occur at the same locations in both types. Diploid tumors reflect at least three consistent patterns of rearrangement. The reproducibility and frequency of these events, especially in very early stage tumors, provide insight into the earliest chromosomal events in breast cancer. We have also identified correlations between certain sets of rearrangement events and clinically relevant parameters such as long-term survival. These correlations may enable novel prognostic indicators for breast and other cancers as more samples are analyzed.

Frequent co-amplification of two different regions on 17q in aneuploid breast carcinomas.

Chromosome 17q is highly susceptible to rearrangement mutations in breast cancer. c-erbB-2 at 17q11.2 approximately q21.1 is frequently amplified, as is a region at 17q22 approximately q24. As a step in the search for the target gene(s) of the 17q22-q24 amplification we determined whether the placental lactogen (PL) genes at 17q23 were amplified in 59 breast carcinomas. These genes were selected as their upregulation could theoretically be involved in breast cancer tumorigenesis. Amplification of the PL genes, and also of c-erbB-2, was detected using semi-quantitative PCR. The reliability of this method was confirmed since c-erbB-2 results obtained using PCR, Southern blotting and immunohistochemistry were in good agreement. The PL genes were amplified in 13 (22%) of the tumors. Furthermore, the PL and c-erbB-2 genes were frequently co-amplified although there is a non-amplified region between them. Expression of PL was investigated in 26 tumors and was detected in 16 of these cases including all 10 tumors with amplification of the PL genes. The tumors with PL gene amplification were all aneuploid. A trend was seen towards an increased incidence of lymph node involvement for tumors with amplification of the PL genes and for tumors with co-amplification of PL and c-erbB-2, which suggests a possible association with high malignancy.

Relationship between oncogene amplification, aneuploidy and altered expression of p53 in breast cancer.

Many studies have noted an association between amplification of single oncogenes and poor prognosis in breast cancer. We are investigating whether measurement of amplification in a larger number of proto-oncogenes increases the reliability of the prognostic information provided. As the first stage of this investigation, amplification (of c-erbB-2, cycD1, int-2, c-myc and MDM2), aneuploidy and altered expression of p53, which all indicate genetic instability, were studied in 117 primary breast adenocarcinomas. Amplification was correlated with aneuploidy (p=0.002) but not with altered expression of p53 even though the tumours with p53 overexpression were all aneuploid. Our results suggest that measurement of amplification is a potentially valuable prognostic factor.

Induction of liver microsomal epoxide hydrolase, UDP-glucuronyl transferase and cytosolic glutathione transferase in different rodent species by 2-acetylaminofluorene or 3-methylcholanthrene.

Control activities vary 12-fold for microsomal epoxide hydrolase, two-fold for UDP-glucuronyl transferase and five-fold for cytosolic glutathione (GSH) transferase among the different rodents (rat, hamster, guinea-pig, mouse) examined. For all three enzymes the activities in rat liver are towards the lower values. In these rodents, except for a 100% increase in microsomal epoxide hydrolase in guinea-pig liver, 2-acetylaminofluorene induces the three phase 2 enzymes only in rat. Treatment with 3-methylcholanthrene also produces the largest effects on these three enzyme activities in rat liver; exceptions are its failure to induce microsomal epoxide hydrolase in female rat and the large induction of cytosolic GSH transferase in hamster liver. Quantitatively, hepatic microsomal epoxide hydrolase, UDP-glucuronyl transferase and cytosolic GSH transferase activities, and their inducibility by 2-acetylaminofluorene or 3-methylcholanthrene, in male Sprague-Dawley rats are not representative for other rodent species or even, in all cases, for female rat.

Induction of cytochrome P-450 and related drug-metabolizing activities in the livers of different rodent species by 2-acetylaminofluorene or by 3-methylcholanthrene.

In general, large differences in the control levels of different cytochrome P-450-catalyzed activities (aminopyrine N-demethylase, benzo(a)pyrene monooxygenase, ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase, ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase and total 2-acetylaminofluorene metabolism and metabolite pattern) and in the inducibility of these activities in different rodent species (rat, hamster, guinea pig and mouse) and sexes were observed. For all the activities measured the lowest levels were observed in untreated rats. With a few minor exceptions, the only species tested in which cytochrome P-450-catalyzed activities were induced by treatment with 2-acetylaminofluorene was the rat. A larger number of the species tested were susceptible to induction by 3-methylcholanthrene. However, this xenobiotic proved also to induce most potently in the rat. There are relatively large differences between the male and female rat both in terms of control cytochrome P-450-catalyzed activities and in the inducibility of these activities by 2-acetylaminofluorene and 3-methylcholanthrene. In general, both of these xenobiotics proved to be more potent inducers in the female than in the male. Thus, it is quite clear that in quantitative terms the hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450-catalyzed activities and their inducibility by 2-acetylaminofluorene or 3-methylcholanthrene in the male Sprague-Dawley rat are not representative for other rodent species or even for the female of the same species.

Preparation and characterization of subcellular fractions from the head kidney of the Northern pike (Esox lucius), with particular emphasis on xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes.

The present study was designed to prepare and characterize subcellular fractions from the head kidney of the Northern pike (Esox lucius), with special emphasis on the preparation of a microsomal fraction suitable for studying xenobiotic metabolism. The purity of the different fractions obtained by differential centrifugation as well as the recovery of different cell components was determined using both enzyme markers and morphological criteria. Finally, the subcellular distributions of several drug-metabolizing enzymes (NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, NADH-ferricyanide reductase, glutathione transferase, epoxide hydrolase) were determined. With the exception of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, the subcellular distributions obtained here for drug-metabolizing and marker enzymes closely resembled those reported for rat liver. NADPH-cytochrome c reductase was apparently partially solubilized here from microsomal vesicles by an endogenous protease, which reduced its usefulness as a marker enzyme and raises questions concerning the measurement of activities catalyzed by the cytochrome P-450 system in these subfractions. In other respects the microsomal fraction prepared here from the pike head kidney seems well-suited for studies of drug metabolism.

Preparation and characterization of subcellular fractions suitable for studies of drug metabolism from the trunk kidney of the Northern pike (Esox lucius) and assay of certain enzymes of xenobiotic metabolism in these subfractions.

The present study was designed to prepare and characterize subcellular fractions from the trunk kidney of the Northern pike (Esox lucius), with special emphasis on the preparation of a microsomal fraction suitable for studying xenobiotic metabolism. The purity of the different fractions obtained by differential centrifugation, as well as the recovery of different organelles, was determined using both enzyme markers and morphological examination with the electron microscope. Finally, the subcellular distributions of several drug-metabolizing enzymes (NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, NADH-ferricyanide reductase, glutathione transferase, epoxide hydrolase) were determined. With the exception of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase, the subcellular distributions obtained here for drug metabolizing and marker enzymes closely resembled those reported for rat liver. NADPH-cytochrome c reductase was apparently partially solubilized here from microsomal vesicles by an endogenous protease, which reduced its usefulness as a marker enzyme and raises questions concerning the measurement of activities catalyzed by the cytochrome P-450 system in these subfractions. In other respects the microsomes and supernatant fraction prepared here from the trunk kidney of the pike seem to be as well suited for investigations of drug metabolism as are the corresponding fractions from rat and pike liver.