[Rosiglitazone and all-trans retinoic acid inhibit human myeloma cell proliferation via apoptosis signaling pathway modulation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of artificial ligand of peroxisome proliferators activated receptors (PPARs), rosiglitazone (RGZ) and all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) on human myeloma cell line growth in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: U266 and RPMI 8226 cells were treated with different concentration of RGZ in the presence or absence of ATRA and the results were studied by 3H-TdR thymidine incorporation (for cells proliferation), Annexin V-PI staining and caspase-3 activity assay (for cells apoptosis), RT-PCR (for FLIP, XIAP and survivin mRNA expression), and tumor formation test in BALB/c nude mice. RESULTS: Exposure to RGZ induced proliferation inhibition in a dose-dependent manner in both U266 (r = 0.991, P < 0.01) and RPMI 8226 cells (r = 0.961, P < 0.01). A combination of RGZ with ATRA could enhance the inhibition effect (P < 0.001 in U266, P < 0.01 in RPMI8226). 10 micromol/L of RGZ induced apoptosis of (9.8 +/- 1.7)% in U266 cells and (10.7 +/- 3.3)% in RPMI8226 cells, in a time and dose dependent manner and combined with ATRA intensified the apoptosis induction effects (P < 0.01 in both cell lines). The FLIP, XIAP and survivin mRNAs were expressed in both cell lines and their levels decreased significantly after cultured with RGZ. The addition of RGZ + ATRA in the culture further decreased the levels. Caspase-3 activity increased substantially with the increase of RGZ concentration and the addition of RGZ + ATRA in the culture medium showed similar synergism effect on caspase-3 activation (P < 0.01). The xenograft of U266 cells in BALB/c nude mice were inhibited by RGZ and so did more by the combination of RGZ and ATRA (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The down-regulation of FLIP, XIAP and Survivin induced by RGZ can activate caspase-3, whereby induced apoptosis and proliferation inhibition in myeloma cells. ATRA can enhance these effects of RGZ.

Safety of vaccinating sibling donors with live-attenuated varicella zoster vaccine before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV), clinically manifested as herpes zoster (HZ) is a common complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The optimum prophylaxis for this disease has not been defined. In this study, we examined the effects of vaccinating donors with a live-attenuated vaccine with particular reference to their immune responses and the outcome of HSCT patients. Forty prospective HLA-matched sibling donors were vaccinated before HSCT. There were humoral immune responses in both sero-positive (P<0.01) and sero-negative (P=0.058) donors. Cellular immune response was assayed in 26 donors. Significant correlation was observed between cellular immune responses as enumerated by thymidine incorporation and interferon gamma secretion (P<0.001) and the latter was used in subsequent analyses. Significant response was observed in sero-negative (6/26) and a group of sero-positive (13/26) donors while 7/26 sero-positive donors showed no response. Thirty-four HSCT were performed. These patients have a lower, albeit insignificant, risk of HZ compared with historical controls and only 3/34 patients developed single dermatomal HZ at 6, 9 and 28 months after HSCT. No patients developed VZV-related mortality. Vaccinating donors with live-attenuated VZV vaccine was safe, but whether it confers a significant protection to the patients would require further study.