A suppressive role of p125FAK protein tyrosine kinase in hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis of T98G cells.

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation was examined on a human glioblastoma cell line, T98G, after exposure to oxidative stress in vitro. Hydrogen peroxide (1 mM) markedly induced tyrosine phosphorylation of a 125 kDa protein at 30 min after stimulation. The 125-kDa molecule phosphorylated was revealed to be a focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Tyrosine phosphorylation of p125FAK continued at least up to 5 h, and decreased after 8 h concomitant with apoptosis. Tyrosine phosphorylation of p125FAK was blocked by herbimycin A, a potent inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinases, while apoptosis was accelerated. When T98G cells were incubated with FAK antisense oligonucleotide, apoptosis was also accelerated. These results suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation of p125FAK plays a suppressive role in hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis.

Anthralin, a non-TPA type tumor promoter, synergistically enhances phorbol ester-caused prostaglandin E2 release from primary cultured mouse epidermal cells.

Primary cultures of mouse epidermal cells (i.e., target cells of skin tumor promotion) stimulated by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) release prostaglandin E2 within 30 min. Anthralin, a non-TPA type tumor promoter, also stimulated PGE2 release; however, no release was detectable at least up to 4 hr after the addition of anthralin. When the cells were incubated with TPA plus anthralin, both PGE2 and arachidonic acid release were synergistically enhanced. Other non-TPA type tumor promoters, i.e., chrysarobin, 7-bromomethylbenz[a]anthracene, benzoylperoxide, okadaic acid and palytoxin, did not potentiate the TPA-caused PGE2 release. In protein kinase C-down regulated cells, the synergistic stimulation of PGE2 and arachidonic acid release by TPA plus anthralin were not detected. Anthralin plus TPA did not alter the incorporation of arachidonic acid into cellular phospholipids. Cellular cyclooxygenase activity was increased 2 hr after TPA stimulation. Anthralin-caused increase in cyclooxygenase activity was detected at 6 hr after the addition of anthralin. Cyclooxygenase activity was synergistically increased by treating the cells with TPA plus anthralin. Cycloheximide and actinomycin D inhibited the increase in cyclooxygenase activity caused by anthralin or TPA plus anthralin. These results indicate that anthralin synergistically stimulates TPA-caused PGE2 release by synergistically increasing arachidonic acid release and cellular cyclooxygenase activity.

Synergistic stimulation of prostaglandin E2 release by epidermal growth factor and a tumor promoter anthralin from primary cultures of mouse epidermal cells.

The tumor promoter anthralin stimulated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and arachidonic acid release from primary cultures of mouse epidermal cells. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) hardly stimulated PGE2 release by itself; however, a combination of anthralin and EGF synergistically stimulated PGE2 release. Neither anthralin, EGF nor EGF plus anthralin affected the incorporation of arachidonic acid into cellular phospholipids at least up to 2 hr after the stimulation by these agents. In the presence of EGF, however, [3H]arachidonic acid in the medium decreased substantially 4-8 hr after the addition of this agent, indicating that EGF suppresses [3H]arachidonic acid release and stimulates the incorporation of [3H]arachidonic acid into the cells during this time period. Cellular cyclooxygenase activity was increased by treating the cells either with anthralin or EGF, and it was synergistically increased by EGF plus anthralin. Both cycloheximide and actinomycin D inhibited the increase in cyclooxygenase activity caused by EGF plus anthralin. These results indicate that the synergistic stimulation of PGE2 release caused by EGF plus anthralin is due to a synergistic stimulation of arachidonic acid release (in the early phase of stimulation) and a synergistic increase in cyclooxygenase activity, probably a synergistic induction of cyclooxygenase, by these agents.

Inhibitory regulation of serum factor(s)-caused ornithine decarboxylase induction by the protein kinase C system in A431 human epidermoid carcinoma cells.

Replacement of the culture medium with fresh medium containing 10% fetal calf serum caused ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction in A431 human epidermoid carcinoma cells. Two peaks of ODC activity were observed at 5 and 14 hr after the medium replacement. The peak activity observed at 5 hr was more prominent than that at 14 hr. The first peak of ODC induction was suppressed by a potent protein kinase C activator, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), in a concentration-dependent manner. The second peak, however, was not suppressed by TPA. Other potent protein kinase C activators, such as mezerein and 12-O-retinoylphorbol-13-acetate, also suppressed the first peak of ODC induction. Synthetic diacylglycerols, 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol and 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol, did not inhibit the serum factor(s)-caused ODC induction. Phorbol-13-acetate, an inactive phorbol ester, also failed to inhibit the ODC induction. The growth of A431 cells was slightly suppressed by TPA. In protein kinase C down-regulated cells, TPA failed to inhibit the serum factor(s)-caused ODC induction. These results suggest that the serum factor(s)-caused ODC induction in A431 cells is negatively regulated by the protein kinase C system, which may not be activated by exogenous diacylglycerols.

The potent anti-tumor-promoting agent isoliquiritigenin.

A topical application of a chalcone derivative, 4,2',4'-trihydroxychalcone (isoliquiritigenin) inhibited epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction and ear edema formation, i.e. inflammation, caused by a topical application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in CD-1 mice. In addition, isoliquiritigenin potently inhibited 7,12-dimethylbenz[alpha]anthracene (DMBA)-initiated and TPA-promoted skin papilloma formation. This inhibitory effect of isoliquiritigenin was not due to any damage inflicted on the initiated cells but due to its anti-tumor-promoting action. Isoliquiritigenin also inhibited epidermal ODC induction and skin tumor promotion caused by 7-bromomethylbenz[alpha]anthracene (BrMBA), a non-TPA type of tumor-promoting agent, in DMBA-initiated mice. Isoliquiritigenin inhibits neither 12-lipoxygenase nor cyclooxygenase in epidermal subcellular fractions. This compound, however, inhibited TPA-stimulated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in intact epidermal cells. ODC induction caused by TPA was inhibited by a topical application of cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin. Inhibition of ODC induction by indomethacin was counteracted by a topical application of PGE2, while inhibition caused by isoliquiritigenin was not overcome by PGE2. The results suggest that a mechanism other than the inhibition of PGE2 production is involved in the anti-tumor-promoting action of isoliquiritigenin. Isoliquiritigenin failed to inhibit phospholipase A2 activity of platelet sonicates, but inhibited platelet 12-lipoxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase in polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Therefore, it might be possible that isoliquiritigenin exerts its anti-tumor-promoting action through the lipoxygenase inhibition by acting on cells other than the target epidermal cells. Our present results, in combination with our previous data, demonstrate that some chalcone derivatives and flavonoids which show a potent lipoxygenase inhibitory action act on a common step in the skin tumor promotion caused by two different types of tumor-promoting agents, i.e. TPA and BrMBA, and suggest that these compounds show promise as drugs to prevent tumor promotion.

Differential effects of various skin tumor-promoting agents on prostaglandin E2 release from primary cultures of mouse epidermal cells.

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release from primary cultures of mouse epidermal cells was markedly stimulated by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), mezerein and 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-glycerol but not by 4 alpha-phorbol-12,13-di-decanoate in low Ca2+ (50 microM) medium. TPA-evoked PGE2 release was inhibited by mepacrine, indomethacin and H-7 but not by HA1004. These findings suggest that TPA stimulates PGE2 release through activation of protein kinase C, phospholipase A2 and the cyclooxygenase pathway. Of the non-TPA type of tumor promoting agents, i.e. anthralin, chrysarobin, 7-bromomethylbenz[a]anthracene, benzoylperoxide, okadaic acid and palytoxin, only anthralin stimulated PGE2 release. Anthralin-evoked PGE2 release was not inhibited by H-7. In normal Ca2+ (1.8 mM) medium, PGE2 release increased markedly compared to the release in low Ca2+ medium. In normal Ca2+ medium, PGE2 release was stimulated by TPA, anthralin and okadaic acid but not by other tumor promoting agents. In mouse peritoneal macrophages, TPA, palytoxin and okadaic acid stimulated PGE2 release, but other tumor-promoting agents failed to stimulate it. These results suggest that skin tumor promoting agents are not necessarily effective stimulators of prostaglandin production either in macrophages or in epidermal cells, the target cells of skin tumor promotion.

Anti-tumor promoting action of phthalic acid mono-n-butyl ester cupric salt, a biomimetic superoxide dismutase.

Skin tumor promotion induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was inhibited by a concurrent and topical application of phthalic acid mono-n-butyl ester cupric salt (PAMBCu) in CD-1 mice initiated with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. PAMBCu inhibited TPA-caused epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction and ear edema formation, i.e. skin inflammation. However, neither PAMBCu nor superoxide dismutase (SOD) inhibited TPA-caused ODC induction in primary cultured mouse epidermal cells. 7-Bromomethylbenz[a]anthracene (BrMBA) is known to be a non-TPA type of tumor promoting agent. Epidermal ODC induction and inflammation caused by BrMBA were not inhibited by a concurrent application of PAMBCu. When mice were topically treated twice with PAMBCu, i.e. concurrently with and 7 h after BrMBA treatment, BrMBA-caused ODC induction was markedly suppressed. The same dose regimen of PAMBCu, however, failed to inhibit tumor promotion and inflammation caused by BrMBA. PAMBCu showed SOD-mimetic activity in superoxide generating systems, i.e. xanthine-xanthine oxidase reaction and TPA-stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Mono-n-butyl phthalate, which lacks SOD-mimetic activity, failed to inhibit TPA-caused ODC induction and skin inflammation. Therefore, inhibition by PAMBCu of TPA-caused tumor promotion, epidermal ODC induction and inflammation may be attributable to its SOD-mimetic activity. The results also support the contention that a superoxide anion of non-epidermal cell origin, such as PMN and macrophages, plays a role (probably some enhancing role) in in vivo ODC induction and tumor promotion caused by TPA. Failure of PAMBCu to inhibit BrMBA-caused tumor promotion suggests that superoxide anion generation is not involved in the tumor promoting action of this agent and that the anti-tumor promoting action of PAMBCu is dependent on the nature of the tumor promoting agents.

H-7, a protein kinase C inhibitor, inhibits phorbol ester-caused ornithine decarboxylase induction but fails to inhibit phorbol ester-caused suppression of epidermal growth factor binding in primary cultured mouse epidermal cells.

12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induced ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and suppressed 125I-epidermal growth factor (EGF) binding in primary cultured mouse epidermal cells. TPA (30 nM)-caused ODC induction was almost completely blocked by 30 microM H-7 [1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine], a well known protein kinase C inhibitor, but the same concentration of H-7 failed to restore the 125I-EGF binding suppressed by TPA (10 nM). On the other hand, sphingosine, another protein kinase C inhibitor, blocked not only TPA-caused ODC induction but also TPA-caused suppression of 125I-EGF binding. Concentration-response curves of sphingosine for these two TPA-caused cellular responses were almost identical. 1,2-Diacylglycerols such as 1,2-dioctanoylglycerol (30-300 microM) and 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol (OAG) (30-300 microM) mimicked TPA actions. Similar to the case of TPA, suppression of 125I-EGF binding by OAG was barely inhibited by H-7, whereas sphingosine was more effective in inhibiting the OAG-caused suppression of 125I-EGF binding than was H-7. In TPA (50 nM)-pretreated epidermal cells, TPA (10 nM) failed to suppress 125I-EGF binding. H-7 (30 microM) did not affect TPA (30 nM)-caused translocation of protein kinase C. These results clearly demonstrate the differential inhibition by H-7 of the TPA-caused cellular responses and indicate that TPA-caused suppression of 125I-EGF binding to epidermal cells is mediated through protein kinase C function, which is barely inhibited by H-7.

Inhibition by lipoxygenase inhibitors of 7-bromomethylbenz[a]anthracene-caused epidermal ornithine decarboxylase induction and skin tumor promotion in mice.

7-Bromomethylbenz[a]anthracene (BrMBA) has been shown to have a tumor-promoting action in mouse skin without an initial direct interaction with protein kinase C, which is believed to be a receptor for phorbol ester tumor promoters such as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). An application of BrMBA to mouse dorsal skin caused epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction in a dose-dependent manner with a peak of activity at 12 h after the application. A single topical application of BrMBA failed to induce mouse ear edema formation, i.e. inflammation. However, repeated applications of BrMBA, i.e. twice a week for 3-4 times, caused a significant edema. Unlike TPA, BrMBA failed to stimulate the superoxide anion generation of rabbit peritoneal polmorphonuclear leukocytes. Lipoxygenase inhibitors such as 3,4,2',4'-tetrahydroxychalcone, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, quercetin and 2,3,5-trimethyl-6-(12-hydroxy-5,10-dodecadiynyl)-1,4-benzoquinone (AA861) effectively inhibited BrMBA-caused epidermal ODC induction and ear edema formation. In addition, BrMBA-caused skin tumor promotion was also potently inhibited by 3,4,2'4'-tetrahydroxychalcone and quercetin. These results indicate that a mechanism susceptible to lipoxygenase inhibitors plays a role not only in the TPA-caused but also in the BrMBA-caused epidermal ODC induction, skin inflammation and tumor promotion. It seems unlikely that superoxide anion generation is involved in the mechanism of BrMBA-caused skin tumor promotion.

Differential inhibition by staurosporine, a potent protein kinase C inhibitor, of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-caused skin tumor promotion, epidermal ornithine decarboxylase induction, hyperplasia and inflammation.

The effect of staurosporine on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-initiated and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-promoted skin papilloma formation was examined in CD-1 mice. A topical application of staurosporine 15 min prior to each TPA treatment resulted in a dose-related inhibition of tumor formation. Staurosporine by itself had no tumor producing activity in DMBA-initiated mice. Staurosporine failed to prevent TPA-induced edema formation, whereas quercetin markedly suppressed it. Staurosporine by itself did not induce a significant edema. Histological studies revealed that staurosporine failed to inhibit TPA-induced inflammation but rather augmented TPA-induced polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) infiltration. Staurosporine by itself induced a slight PMN infiltration 1 h after the drug application, but the effect was only transient. Although staurosporine failed to inhibit the TPA-induced epidermal hyperplasia and DNA synthesis significantly, nuclear atypism of the superficial layer of the epidermis appeared to be less remarkable in staurosporine-pretreated mice. TPA-caused epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction was not inhibited by staurosporine but rather augmented by this agent. TPA enhanced the phosphorylation of 34 kd protein in intact epidermal cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Staurosporine and 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7) suppressed the TPA-stimulated phosphorylation of 34 kd protein, but palmitoylcarnitine failed to suppress it. In addition, TPA-stimulated superoxide generation of rabbit peritoneal PMN was potently inhibited by staurosporine. It is possible that TPA induces inflammation, ODC activity, epidermal hyperplasia and tumor promotion through the activation of different type(s) of protein kinase C and staurosporine inhibits only certain type(s) of protein kinase C. Another possible explanation is that the protein kinase C inhibition by staurosporine depends on the nature of the substrate proteins or the intracellular localization of the enzyme.

Differential effects of diacylglycerols and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate on protein phosphorylation and cell proliferation of tumor promoter-dependent leukemia cell line A65T.

The growth of A65T cells, a mouse thymic leukemia cell line, was strictly dependent on the presence of tumor promoters, such as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), teleocidin and mezerein. In the presence of the tumor promoters, A65T cells proliferated rapidly in a concentration-dependent manner. When the cells were cultured with a synthetic diacylglycerol, 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol (OAG) or 1,2-dicaprylin, cell proliferation was not stimulated. In addition, bihourly cumulative addition of OAG or 1,2-dicaprylin again failed to induce A65T cell proliferation. Phospholipase C (PLC) induced a concentration-dependent stimulation of A65T cell proliferation, though the effect was slight compared with that of the tumor promoters. Protein kinase C activity was detected both in cytosol and particulate fractions of A65T cells. When the cells were incubated in the TPA-free medium for 5 h, the protein kinase C activity in the cytosol fraction increased, whereas the activity in the particulate fraction decreased. Treatment of the cells with the tumor promoters mentioned above resulted in the increased phosphorylation of proteins with apparent mol. wts of 27,000 and 68,000. The effects were concentration-dependent and the half maximal phosphorylation was observed either with 3.6 nM TPA, 4.5 ng/ml teleocidin or 0.33 microM mezerein, respectively. On the other hand, a half maximal effect on cell proliferation was observed either with 0.14 nM TPA, 47 pg/ml teleocidin or 6.3 nM mezerein, respectively. At these concentrations, these tumor promoters never induced the detectable stimulations of the protein phosphorylation. A synthetic diacylglycerol 1,2-dicaprylin failed to stimulate the phosphorylation of 27- and 68-kd proteins, but stimulated the phosphorylation of proteins with apparent mol. wts of 100,000 and 54,000. The effect was concentration-dependent and a half maximal stimulation was observed with 35 micrograms/ml 1,2-dicaprylin. Neither TPA, teleocidin nor mezerein stimulated the phosphorylation of these 100- and 54-kd proteins. OAG and PLC failed to induce any detectable alterations in the protein phosphorylation in A65T cells. Both OAG and 1,2-dicaprylin, which we used, actually activated partially purified mouse brain protein kinase C in a concentration-dependent manner. These results clearly demonstrate that in A65T cells TPA and diacylglycerol mutually stimulate the phosphorylation of the completely different set of endogenous proteins, and also suggest that the cell-proliferating effects of the tumor promoters do not appear to be mediated through the phosphorylation of 27- and 68-kd proteins.

Comparison of some biochemical properties of epidermis in tumor promotion-susceptible and -resistant strains of mice.

It has been reported that CD-1 and SENCAR mice are susceptible and C57BL/6 mice are resistant to skin tumor promotion caused by phorbol esters. Specific binding of a phorbol ester to its epidermal receptor site, epidermal protein kinase C activity, and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction in epidermis were compared between tumor promotion-susceptible and -resistant strains of mice. Specific binding of [3H]12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) to the particulate fraction of the epidermis of C57BL/6 mice gave a similar dissociation constant (Kd) and a maximal number of binding sites (Bmax) to those of CD-1 mice. Protein kinase C activity of the epidermal 105,000 xg supernatant was not significantly different between C57BL/6 and CD-1 mice. Protein kinase C activity of the 105,000 xg pellet, however, was significantly higher in C57BL/6 mice than in CD-1 mice. A topical application of TPA to the skin caused epidermal ODC induction in all of these strains of mice. At any doses of TPA, TPA-induced epidermal ODC activity of C57BL/6 mice was always higher than those of SENCAR and CD-1 mice. Maximal induction of epidermal ODC by TPA was also highest in C57BL/6 mice among these three strains of mice. These results indicate that the mechanism of the difference in susceptibility of C57BL/6, CD-1 and SENCAR mice to the tumor-promoting action TPA resides in a step distal to or other than the protein kinase C activation and ODC induction.

Palmitoylcarnitine reverses 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced refractory state for the TPA-caused ornithine decarboxylase induction in mouse epidermis.

When a single topical application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was performed 12 h before the second application, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction by the second application of TPA was markedly suppressed (refractory state). However, at intervals of 96 h between the first and the second application, the ODC activity induced by the second application of TPA was higher (enhanced state) than the activity induced by the single application. When various anti-tumor promoting agents, i.e. p-bromophenacyl bromide, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, quercetin, 1-tosylamide-2-phenylethyl chloromethyl ketone, retinoic acid and palmitoylcarnitine, were applied concurrently with the first TPA application, the ODC induction in the refractory state was restored only by palmitoylcarnitine, but not by other antitumor promoting agents. None of these anti-tumor promoting agents affected the ODC induction in the enhanced state. Stearoylcarnitine also had the restorative effect but was less effective than palmitoylcarnitine. Acetylcarnitine and palmitic acid were not effective. Pretreatment of mice with TPA 12 h or 96 h before the second TPA application resulted in the reduction or the increase in the Vmax values of ODC both for ornithine and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, respectively. Palmitoylcarnitine restored these reduced Vmax values to the control values. Twelve hours after TPA treatment, the epidermal protein kinase C activity of both cytosol and particulate fractions decreased moderately. At 96 h after TPA application, protein kinase C activities of both cytosol and particulate fractions were fully or at least partially restored to the control levels. Protein kinase C activities both in the cytosol and the particulate fractions tended to be restored by palmitoylcarnitine, but the effect was not always reproducible. The TPA-induced refractory state and the enhanced state for ODC induction appear to result from the changes in the protein kinase C activities caused by TPA. However, it is not known whether such changes in the protein kinase C activities are the major causes for the TPA-induced refractory and/or enhanced state for ODC induction and whether or not the restorative effect of palmitoylcarnitine is due to its modulating action on protein kinase C activity.

Staurosporine, a potent protein kinase C inhibitor, fails to inhibit 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-caused ornithine decarboxylase induction in isolated mouse epidermal cells.

Staurosporine, a most potent protein kinase C inhibitor, actually inhibited protein kinase C activity obtained either from cytosol or particulate fraction of mouse epidermis. Staurosporine at the concentrations which exert protein kinase C inhibition, however, failed to inhibit, but markedly augmented 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-caused ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction in isolated mouse epidermal cells. Staurosporine by itself induced ODC activity as TPA does. Mechanism of ODC induction seems different between these two compounds. Another protein kinase C inhibitor, H-7, inhibited both staurosporine- and TPA-caused ODC induction.

Inhibition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-mediated epidermal ornithine decarboxylase induction and skin tumor promotion by new lipoxygenase inhibitors lacking protein kinase C inhibitory effects.

Both 2,3,5-trimethyl-6-(12-hydroxy-5,10-dodecadiynyl)-1,4-benzoquinone (AA861) and 3,4,2',4'-tetrahydroxychalcone inhibited 12-lipoxygenase of mouse epidermis. The IC50 of AA861 and 3,4,2',4'-tetrahydroxychalcone for epidermal 12-lipoxygenase were 1.9 and 0.2 microM, respectively. These agents showed very weak inhibitory actions on epidermal cyclooxygenase, with the potency of inhibition for cyclooxygenase less than 1/50 of that for lipoxygenase. Induction of epidermal ornithine decarboxylase by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA; 10 nmol/mouse) was potently inhibited by these agents in a dose-dependent manner (1-30 mumol/mouse). TPA (5 nmol/mouse)-induced skin tumor formation was also strongly suppressed by these agents (15 mumol/mouse). Both AA861 and 3,4,2',4'-tetrahydroxychalcone failed to inhibit partially purified epidermal protein kinase C activity. These results support the proposed involvement of lipoxygenase product(s) of arachidonic acid in TPA-induced skin tumor promotion.

Inhibition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced tumor promotion and epidermal ornithine decarboxylase activity in mouse skin by palmitoylcarnitine.

Palmitoylcarnitine, which has been reported to be an inhibitor of calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C), inhibited 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced epidermal ornithine decarboxylase in mouse skin in a dose-dependent manner. Neither acetylcarnitine nor palmitic acid inhibited TPA-caused ornithine decarboxylase induction. In addition, palmitoylcarnitine markedly inhibited skin tumor promotion induced by TPA. Palmitoylcarnitine inhibited epidermal protein kinase C activity which was stimulated by Ca2+ in the presence of phosphatidylserine but failed to inhibit the enzyme activity which was stimulated by TPA in the presence of either phosphatidylserine or Ca2+ plus phosphatidylserine. Therefore, it seems unlikely that the potent anti-tumor-promoting action of palmitoylcarnitine, which is shown in the present study, is explained solely by its effect on protein kinase C.

Some properties of lipoxygenase activities in cytosol and microsomal fractions of mouse epidermal homogenate.

Lipoxygenase activity in microsomal fraction of mouse epidermal homogenate was characterized in comparison with cytosol lipoxygenase activity. The major activity was identified as 12-lipoxygenase in microsomal fraction as well as in cytosol fraction by the analyses with high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Apparent Km values of cytosol and microsomal 12-lipoxygenase for arachidonic acid were 5.0 microM and 6.2 microM respectively. Apparent Vmax values were 14 pmol/min/mg protein for the cytosol enzyme and 32 pmol/min/mg protein for the microsomal enzyme. Net activities of cytosol and microsomal 12-lipoxygenase were 214 and 109 pmol/min/g wet tissue, respectively. Both cytosol and microsomal lipoxygenase activities were neither dependent on calcium nor ATP. Carbon monoxide failed to affect these enzyme activities. There were considerable differences either in the effect of glutathione or in the sensitivities toward several lipoxygenase inhibitors, indicating that the cytosol and the microsomal 12-lipoxygenase activities are derived from two different enzymes. Alternatively, the differences could be attributable to the different microenvironments of these enzymes.

Inhibition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced epidermal ornithine decarboxylase activity and tumor promotion by N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7) in mouse skin.

N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7) inhibited epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction caused either by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) or teleocidin in CD-1 mice. Inhibitory effect of W-7 on TPA-caused ODC induction was also observed in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-initiated skin and even after repetitive TPA treatment. TPA-induced skin tumor promotion was also suppressed by W-7. Meanwhile, W-7 showed only slight inhibitory effects on calcium-activated, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) activity of mouse epidermis stimulated either by Ca2+ or TPA in the presence of phosphatidylserine. Thus, it is unlikely that the anti-ODC-inducing and anti-tumor-promoting actions of W-7 are due to its inhibitory effect on protein kinase C. It may be possible that a calmodulin-mediating process is involved in the mechanism of epidermal ODC induction and tumor promotion caused by tumor promoters such as TPA and teleocidin.

Failure of 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol to mimic the cell-differentiating action of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate in HL-60 cells.

Treatment of human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60 cells) with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) results in terminal differentiation of the cells to macrophage-like cells. Treatment of the cells with TPA induced marked enhancement of the phosphorylation of 28- and 67-kDa proteins and a decrease in that of a 75-kDa protein. When the cells were treated with diacylglycerol, i.e. 50 micrograms/ml 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol (OAG), similar changes in the phosphorylation of 28-, 67-, and 75-kDa proteins were likewise observed, indicating that OAG actually stimulates protein kinase C in intact HL-60 cells. OAG (1-100 micrograms/ml), which we used, activated partially purified mouse brain protein kinase C in a concentration-dependent manner. Treatment of HL-60 cells with 10 nM TPA for 48 h caused an increase by about 8-fold in cellular acid phosphatase activity. Although a significant increase in acid phosphatase activity was induced by OAG, the effect was scant compared to that of TPA (less than 7% that of TPA). After 48-h exposure to 10 nM TPA, about 95% of the HL-60 cells adhered to culture dishes. On the contrary, treatment of the cells either with OAG (2-100 micrograms/ml) or phospholipase C failed to induce HL-60 cell adhesion. Ca2+ ionophore A23187 failed to act synergistically with OAG. In addition, hourly or bi-hourly cumulative addition of OAG for 24 h also proved ineffective to induce HL-60 cell adhesion. Our present results do not imply that protein kinase C activation is nonessential for TPA-induced HL-60 cell differentiation, but do demonstrate that protein kinase C activation is not the sole event sufficient to induce HL-60 cell differentiation by means of this agent.

Effects of chalcone derivatives on lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase activities of mouse epidermis.

The effects of chalcone derivatives on 12-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase of mouse epidermis were investigated. The chalcone derivatives which have 3,4-dihydroxycinnamoyl structure in the molecule, such as 3,4-dihydroxychalcone, 3,4,2'-trihydroxychalcone, 3,4,4'-trihydroxychalcone and 3,4,2'4'-tetrahydroxychalcone, potently inhibited epidermal 12-lipoxygenase activity. Although some of them also inhibited cyclooxygenase activity at relatively high concentrations, the inhibitory effects of these chalcone derivatives on 12-lipoxygenase were 10 times or more potent than their effects on cyclooxygenase. The chalcone derivatives which have cinnamoyl or 4-hydroxycinnamoyl structure, instead of 3,4-dihydroxycinnamoyl structure, in the molecule, showed little or no inhibitory effects on either 12-lipoxygenase or cyclooxygenase activities. The inhibitory effects of chalcone derivatives on 12-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase of mouse epidermis are dependent on the particular structure, i.e. 3,4-dihydroxycinnamoyl structure, of the chalcone derivatives.