A novel uPAg-KPI fusion protein inhibits the growth and invasion of human ovarian cancer cells in vitro.

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) acts by breaking down the basement membrane and is involved in cell proliferation, migration and invasion. These actions are mediated by binding to the uPA receptor (uPAR) via its growth factor domain (GFD). The present study evaluated the effects of uPAg-KPI, a fusion protein of uPA-GFD and a kunitz protease inhibitor (KPI) domain that is present in the amyloid ß-protein precursor. Using SKOV-3 cells, an ovarian cancer cell line, we examined cell viability, migration, invasion and also protein expression. Furthermore, we examined wound healing, and migration and invasion using a Transwell assay. Our data showed that uPAg-KPI treatment reduced the viability of ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells in both a concentration and time-dependent manner by arresting tumor cells at G1/G0 phase of the cell cycle. The IC50 of uPAg-KPI was 0.5 µg/µl after 48 h treatment. At this concentration, uPAg-KPI also inhibited tumor cell colony formation, wound closure, as well as cell migration and invasion capacity. At the protein level, western blot analysis demonstrated that uPAg-KPI exerted no significant effect on the expression of total extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/ERK2 and AKT, whereas it suppressed levels of phosphorylated ERK1/ERK2 and AKT. Thus, we suggest that this novel uPAg-KPI fusion protein reduced cell viability, colony formation, wound healing and the invasive ability of human ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells in vitro by regulating ERK and AKT signaling. Further studies using other cell lines will confirm these findings.

Morphine enhances purine nucleotide catabolism in vivo and in vitro.

AIM: To investigate the effect and mechanism of morphine on purine nucleotide catabolism. METHODS: The rat model of morphine dependence and withdrawal and rat C6 glioma cells in culture were used. Concentrations of uric acid in the plasma were measured by the uricase-rap method, adenosine deaminase (ADA) and xanthine oxidase (XO) in the plasma and tissues were measured by the ADA and XO test kit. RT-PCR and RT-PCR-Southern blotting were used to examine the relative amount of ADA and XO gene transcripts in tissues and C6 cells. RESULTS: (i) the concentration of plasma uric acid in the morphine-administered group was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the control group; (ii) during morphine administration and withdrawal periods, the ADA and XO concentrations in the plasma increased significantly (P<0.05); (iii) the amount of ADA and XO in the parietal lobe, liver, small intestine, and skeletal muscles of the morphine-administered groups increased, while the level of ADA and XO in those tissues of the withdrawal groups decreased; (iv) the transcripts of the ADA and XO genes in the parietal lobe, liver, small intestine, and skeletal muscles were higher in the morphine-administered group. The expression of the ADA and XO genes in those tissues returned to the control level during morphine withdrawal, with the exception of the skeletal muscles; and (v) the upregulation of the expression of the ADA and XO genes induced by morphine treatment could be reversed by naloxone. CONCLUSION: The effects of morphine on purine nucleotide metabolism might be an important, new biochemical pharmacological mechanism of morphine action.