Establishing SCID mouse models of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recently, the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is increasing, in which most are aggressive. It is limited for promoting the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy on NHL. In this study, mouse models of B-cell NHL were established for determining the efficacy and mechanisms of novel therapies. METHODS: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma SU-DHL-4 cells and Burkitt's lymphoma Daudi cells were injected into SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency) mice through the tail veins to observe the presentations and requirements for establishing mouse models. The Daudi-cell lymphoma mice were divided into control group and rituximab group, and the latter received treatment of rituximab. The tumor onset and survival time of mice were investigated. RESULTS: The median onset time of SU-DHL-4-cell lymphoma in SCID mice was 39.5 days, which presented cachexia, weight loss, erect hair, tardiness and enlarged tumors in the abdomen, rump or pelvic limb, but without tumor cell infiltration in the liver, spleen or bone marrow. The median onset time of Daudi-cell lymphoma in SCID mice was 30.5 days, which were characterized by paralyzed lower limbs and died about 9.5 days after paralysation. Most organs such as the liver, kidney, spleen and bone marrow were infiltrated by a number of Daudi cells. After treatment of rituximab, Daudi cells presented typical characteristics of apoptosis. The median paralysis time and survival time of mice with Daudi-cell lymphoma were significantly longer in rituximab group than in control group (52.5 days vs. 30.5 days, 76.5 days vs. 40 days, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: SCID mouse models of B-cell lymphoma can be successfully established with either SU-DHL-4 cells or Daudi cells.

[Identification of heplipin inducing apoptosis-related genes in KG-1 human leukemia cells by differential display RT-PCR].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether Heplipin can induce KG-1 cell apoptosis and explore apoptosis related differentially expressed genes in KG-1 leukemia cell before and after Heplipin induction. METHODS: DNA distribution and DNA electrophoresis were used to prove that Heplipin can induce KG-1 cell apoptosis. The differential display reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR) was adopted to screen differentially expressed genes before and after Heplipin induction of KG-1 cells for 16 hours and 20 hours. The differentially expressed genes were cloned and analyzed. RESULTS: Heplipin could induce KG-1 cell apoptosis. There were differentially expressed genes in KG-1 cells before and after induction. Wnt13 and ATPase 3 were apoptosis related differentially downregulated genes after Heplipin induction. Conclusion Heplipin can induce KG-1 cell apoptosis. Heplipin induced KG-1 cell apoptosis is related with Wntl3 and ATPase3 (PSMC3). It is the first report that Wnt13 was detected in leukemia cell line.

[In vitro cultivation of dendritic cells with serum-free medium].

This study was aimed to investigate the protocol in vitro to incubate the dendritic cell (DC) derived from peripheral blood monocytes using serum-free medium X-VIVO 20. Peripheral blood monocytes from healthy donors were treated with 100 ng/ml GM-CSF and 500 U/ml IL-4, respectively. After cultivation for 6 days, they were treated with 100 ng/ml calcium ionophore A23187. After cultivation for 24 hours the cellular morphology was observed under invert microscope, the surface markers were analyzed by flow cytometry, the proliferation of allogenetic T cells was detected by MTT colorimetry, the specific cytotoxicity of T cells primed with DC was examined by MTT assay. The results showed that in all three groups with serum-free, fetal calf serum (FCS) and human AB serum mediums, cells displayed characteristic morphological features of DC. Simultaneously CD14 expression was decreased, and CD83, HLA-DR and CDw123 expression were increased on these cells. In addition, DCs cultured with these methods could evidently stimulate the proliferation of allogenetic T cell. As compared with the two controls of serum containing groups, the cultured cells in the serum-free groups showed almost the same allo-stimulatory capability and cellular morphology and surface markers, and T lymphocytes primed with the culture-derived DC exhibited the similar killing activity to K562 (P > 0.05). It is concluded that there is no significance in DC numbers, morphology, epitope and ability to stimulate the proliferation of allogenetic T cells between DC induced by serum-free X-VIVO 20 medium and DC induced by serum-contained medium. DC cultured and induced by serum-free medium is worth using in practice widely.