Aluminium chloride promotes anchorage-independent growth in human mammary epithelial cells.

Aluminium salts used as antiperspirants have been incriminated as contributing to breast cancer incidence in Western societies. To date, very little or no epidemiological or experimental data confirm or infirm this hypothesis. We report here that in MCF-10A human mammary epithelial cells, a well-established normal human mammary epithelial cell model, long-term exposure to aluminium chloride (AlCl(3) ) concentrations of 10-300 µ m, i.e. up to 100 000-fold lower than those found in antiperspirants, and in the range of those recently measured in the human breast, results in loss of contact inhibition and anchorage-independent growth. These effects were preceded by an increase of DNA synthesis, DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), and senescence in proliferating cultures. AlCl(3) also induced DSBs and senescence in proliferating primary human mammary epithelial cells. In contrast, it had no similar effects on human keratinocytes or fibroblasts, and was not detectably mutagenic in bacteria. MCF-10A cells morphologically transformed by long-term exposure to AlCl(3) display strong upregulation of the p53/p21(Waf1) pathway, a key mediator of growth arrest and senescence. These results suggest that aluminium is not generically mutagenic, but similar to an activated oncogene, it induces proliferation stress, DSBs and senescence in normal mammary epithelial cells; and that long-term exposure to AlCl(3) generates and selects for cells able to bypass p53/p21(Waf1) -mediated cellular senescence. Our observations do not formally identify aluminium as a breast carcinogen, but challenge the safety ascribed to its widespread use in underarm cosmetics.

Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) inhibition transforms human mammary gland epithelial cells.

Carriers of mutations in the cell cycle checkpoint protein kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), which represent 1-2% of the general population, have an increased risk of breast cancer. However, experimental evidence that ATM deficiency contributes to human breast carcinogenesis is lacking. We report here that in MCF-10A and MCF-12A cells, which are well established normal human mammary gland epithelial cell models, partial or almost complete stable ATM silencing or pharmacological inhibition resulted in cellular transformation, genomic instability, and formation of dysplastic lesions in NOD/SCID mice. These effects did not require the activity of exogenous DNA-damaging agents and were preceded by an unsuspected and striking increase in cell proliferation also observed in primary human mammary gland epithelial cells. Increased proliferation correlated with a dramatic, transient, and proteasome-dependent reduction of p21(WAF1/CIP1) and p27(KIP1) protein levels, whereas little or no effect was observed on p21(WAF1/CIP1) or p27(KIP1) mRNAs. p21(WAF1/CIP1) silencing also increased MCF-10A cell proliferation, thus identifying p21(WAF1/CIP1) down-regulation as a mediator of the proliferative effect of ATM inhibition. Our findings provide the first experimental evidence that ATM is a human breast tumor suppressor. In addition, they mirror the sensitivity of ATM tumor suppressor function and unveil a new mechanism by which ATM might prevent human breast tumorigenesis, namely a direct inhibitory effect on the basal proliferation of normal mammary epithelial cells.

Lymphatic endothelial cells: establishment of primaries and characterization of established lines.

This chapter describes detailed methods for the isolation of primary human lymphatic endothelial cells from neonatal foreskin. We also provide protocols and information for their characterization and propagation. Isolation of primary human lymphatic endothelial cells requires a two-step process: mechanical and enzymatic digestion of human foreskins and cell sorting by fluorescence-activated cell sorting of CD31+/podoplanin+/CD45- cells. Characterization of these cells requires an assessment of the expression of several markers specific for lymphatic endothelium. This is determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, immunocytochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction. All procedures are based on simple laboratory techniques and, with the exception of a cell sorter and the skills to use it, do not require specialized equipment.

Bovine microvascular endothelial cells immortalized with human telomerase.

Primary cultures of bovine microvascular endothelial cells (BME) isolated from the adrenal cortex, are commonly used to study vascular endothelium, but have a limited life span. To circumvent these limitations, we have immortalized BME cells with either simian virus 40 (SV40) or with a retrovirus containing the coding region of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), and have investigated whether the clonal populations obtained, maintain differentiated properties characteristic of microvascular endothelium. Immortalized cells were characterized for maintenance of typical endothelial morphology, marker expression, and functional characteristics including uptake of Acetylated low-density lipoprotein (Ac-LDL), capillary-like tube formation in three-dimensional collagen gels, as well as metalloproteinase (MMP) and plasminogen activator (PA)-mediated extracellular proteolysis. Whilst immortalization of BME cells with SV40 was associated with loss of endothelial-specific properties, hTERT-BME exhibited an endothelial phenotype similar to that of wild-type endothelial cells. Specifically, they showed a typical cobblestone morphology, were contact-inhibited, expressed endothelial cell-specific markers (e.g., CD31, vWF) and both fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). In addition, they expressed receptors for LDL. Importantly, when grown on collagen gels, hTERT-BME cells underwent MMP-dependent tube-like structure formation in response to VEGFR-2 activation. In a collagen gel sandwich assay, hTERT-BME formed tubular structures in the absence of exogenously added angiogenic cytokines. Sustained tube formation was induced by VEGF-A alone or in combination with FGF-2. From 17 sub-clones that displayed a non-transformed phenotype, a high proliferative capacity and tubulogenic properties in three-dimensional collagen gels, we isolated two distinct subpopulations that display a highly specific response to VEGF-A or to FGF-2. We have generated hTERT-BME cells that maintain endothelial-specific properties and function and have isolated clones that respond differentially to VEGF-A or FGF-2. These immortalized cell lines will facilitate the study of endothelial cell biology.

Generation and characterization of telomerase-transfected human lymphatic endothelial cells with an extended life span.

The study of lymphatic endothelial cells and lymphangiogenesis has, in the past, been hampered by the lack of lymphatic endothelial-specific markers. The recent discovery of several such markers has permitted the isolation of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) from human skin. However, cell numbers are limited and purity is variable with the different isolation procedures. To overcome these problems, we have transfected human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMVECs) with a retrovirus containing the coding region of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), and have produced a cell line, hTERT-HDLEC, with an extended lifespan. hTERT-HDLEC exhibit a typical cobblestone morphology when grown in culture, are contact-inhibited, and express endothelial cell-specific markers. hTERT-HDLEC also express the recognized lymphatic markers, Prox-1, LYVE-1 and podoplanin, as well as integrin alpha9, but do not express CD34. They also form tube-like structures in three-dimensional collagen gels when stimulated with vascular endothelial growth factors -A and -C. Based on these currently recognized criteria, these cells are LEC. Surprisingly, we also found that the widely studied HMEC-1 cell line expresses recognized lymphatic markers; however, these cells are also CD34-positive. In summary, the ectopic expression of hTERT increases the life span of LECs and does not affect their capacity to form tube-like structures in a collagen matrix. The production and characterization of hTERT-HDLEC will facilitate the study of the properties of lymphatic endothelium in vitro.

Inhibition of airway inflammation by amino-terminally modified RANTES/CC chemokine ligand 5 analogues is not mediated through CCR3.

Chemokines play a key role in the recruitment of activated CD4(+) T cells and eosinophils into the lungs in animal models of airway inflammation. Inhibition of inflammation by N-terminally modified chemokines is well-documented in several models but is often reported with limited dose regimens. We have evaluated the effects of doses ranging from 10 ng to 100 micro g of two CC chemokine receptor antagonists, Met-RANTES/CC chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) and aminooxypentane-RANTES/CCL5, in preventing inflammation in the OVA-sensitized murine model of human asthma. In the human system, aminooxypentane-RANTES/CCL5 is a full agonist of CCR5, but in the murine system neither variant is able to induce cellular recruitment. Both antagonists showed an inverse bell-shaped inhibition of cellular infiltration into the airways and mucus production in the lungs following allergen provocation. The loss of inhibition at higher doses did not appear to be due to partial agonist activity because neither variant showed activity in recruiting cells into the peritoneal cavity at these doses. Surprisingly, neither was able to bind to the major CCR expressed on eosinophils, CCR3. However, significant inhibition of eosinophil recruitment was observed. Both analogues retained high affinity binding for murine CCR1 and murine CCR5. Their ability to antagonize CCR1 and CCR5 but not CCR3 was confirmed by their ability to prevent RANTES/CCL5 and macrophage inflammatory protein-1beta/CCL4 recruitment in vitro and in vivo, while they had no effect on that induced by eotaxin/CCL11. These results suggest that CCR1 and/or CCR5 may be potential targets for asthma therapy.