O INKKI é um peptídeo catiônico anfipático derivado da ?-caseina bovina, análogo ao Mastoparan, isolado do veneno da vespa Vespula lewisi. Diferentes estudos mostraram sua atividade antiproliferativa e antitumoral in vitro com citotoxidade seletiva em linhagens de células de melanoma B16F10 em relação às células normais. Em estudos In vivo, INKKI demonstrou potente ação estimuladora da atividade fagocitária de macrófagos peritoneais. Quando aplicado diretamente em tumores, reduziu a massa tumoral, diminuindo o tempo de progressão do tumor e a formação de metástases, aumentando a probabilidade de sobrevida. Neste trabalho foram investigados os efeitos in vitro do peptídeo INKKI em linhagens de células de adenocarcinoma de mama e em células normais. As linhagens de células tumorais de mama utilizadas foram MDA-231, MCF-7 e T47D humanas, mama murina de Ehrlich e, como células normais, os fibroblastos e as células endoteliais. Foram avaliadas a atividade citotóxica, a viabilidade celular, a alteração do potencial elétrico mitocondrial, os efeitos na progressão e parada do ciclo celular e a investigação da morte por apoptose. Os resultados revelaram que o peptídeo INKKI apresenta citotoxidade seletiva dose-dependente nas células tumorais, modulando negativamente o potencial elétrico mitocondrial. O índice de proliferação celular das células tratadas diminuiu, com a parada do ciclo celular na fase G0/G1. O peptídeo induziu a morte celular por apoptose, a qual demonstrou ocorrer dependente da via mitocondrial e de forma caspaseindependente. O peptídeo INKKI é um potente modulador das atividades antiproliferativa e antitumoral da linhagem de células de adenocarcinoma de mama humana MCF-7 / The INKKI is derived from the bovine hidrolisis of ?-casein, a cationic and amphipathic peptide, analogous to mastoparan peptide isolated from the venom of the wasp Vespula lewisi. In in vitro studies, INKKI showed selective cytotoxicity in melanoma tumor cell B16F10 in relation to normal cells. In the in vivo tests, INKKI peptide has been shown to be a potent stimulator of the phagocytic activity of treated macrophages and, when applied directly into tumors, reduced tumor mass, decreasing the time progression and metastasis formation, increasing the probability of survival. This work investigated the in vitro effects of tumor peptide INKKI in cell line of human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7. The tumor cells used were lineages of human breast tumor cells MCF7, MDA-231 and T47D and murine tumor cells (Ehrlich). The normal cells used were fibroblasts and endothelial cells. The study evaluated the cytotoxic activity, cell viability, change of mitochondrial electrical potential, effects on the progression and arrest of the cell cycle and investigation of induced death by apoptosis. The results revealed that peptide presents selective dose-dependent cytotoxicity in tumor cells by modulating negatively the mitochondrial electric potential. The index of cell proliferation of cells treated declined, with the induction of cell cycle arrest at phase G0/G1. The peptide-induced cell death by apoptosis was demonstrated to occur via mitochondrial pathway and in a caspase-independent manner. The INKKI peptide is a potent modulator of antiproliferative and antitumor activities of the breast adenocarcinoma cell line

"Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that leads to dementia in adults. The mechanism of neurodegeneration is thought to involve the extracellular production of a highly toxic A-beta peptide that engages cell surface receptors to induce cellular oxidative stress and apoptosis, but the signal transduction pathways that lead to A-beta induced cell death are unknown. We previously showed that a human ependymin neurotrophic peptide mimetic (hEPN-1) can promote cell survival in an in vitro AD model system. This initial observation was extended in this thesis by investigating the mechanism of A-beta induced apoptosis and hEPN-1 induced survival. Immunoblots were used to assay the total cellular levels of specific caspase proteins. The results show that A-beta induced apoptosis uses an extrinsic caspase pathway involving caspases-2 and -3, and that hEPN-1 treatment can reduce those caspase levels. A caspase activity assay showed that A-beta increased caspase-3/7 activity, while hEPN-1 treatment lowered it. Moreover, in vivo studies with AD transgenic mice showed that hEPN-1 treatment increased antioxidative superoxide dismutase levels in brain. Thus, hEPN-1 holds potential as a therapeutic to treat the underlying neurodegenerative cause of AD, not merely its symptoms as with other currently approved AD drugs."

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-06T23:44:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006 / Objetivos: estudar os aspectos morfológicos e funcionais do rim de ratos relacionados com a isquemia e reperfusão de musculatura esquelética e o uso da pentoxifilina. Métodos: Ratos Wistar EPM-I (n=60) foram submetidos à isquemia do membro posterior pelo clampeamento da artéria ilíaca comum esquerda por um período de seis horas e observados por quatro (OA) ou vinte e quatro horas (OB) após a reperfusão. Outro grupo, GS(n=6), foi submetido a anestesia e procedimentos operatórios sem a obstrução arterial. A pentoxifilina (PTX ¬4Omg.Kg-1) não foi aplicada (OAI e OB1) ou foi aplicada no início da reperfusão (0A2 e GB2) ou no início da isquemia e início da reperfusão (OA3 e OB3). A eutanásia ocorreu ao término do período de reperfusão correspondente em cada grupo de animais, quando foram coletadas amostras de sangue para análise bioquímica da creatinofosfoquinase, uréia, creatinina, sódio e potássio séricos. Na seqüência foi realizada a nefrectomia esquerda para estudo histológico das alterações morfológicas dos nefrons e túbulos renais, assim como a imuno-histoquímica para apoptose pela expressão da caspase-3. Foram aplicados os testes de Mann-Whitney e Kruskal-Wallis (p≤ 0,05). Resultados: Ocorreu aumento significativo da uréia (90,5±30,96 mg.dL-1), creatinina (2,28≤0,54 mg.dL-1) e potássio (16± 3,66 mmohiL-¬1) no grupo B3 onde o mesângio também mostrou-se significativamente espessado (0,97± 0,42). Houve diminuição do número de túbulos renais comprometidos (0,70±0,14) no grupo B2. A expressão de caspase-3 foi maior nos grupos B2 (16,35±1,65 por cento) e B3 (15,57±2,54 por cento) que em GS (9,8±1,98 por cento). Conclusão: A isquemia e reperfusão de músculo esquelético de ratos produzem lesões à distância em tecido renal e a pentoxifilina tem algum efeito protetor sobre estas lesões na fase precoce de observação (até quatro horas). Na fase tardia (até vinte e quatro horas) esta proteção não se faz evidente e até exerce papel antagônico, agravando as lesões quando aplicada nos períodos de isquemia e reperfusão e dependente da dose usada. / Objectives: to study morphologic and functional aspects of the kidney of rats related with the ischemia and reperfusion of skeletal musculature and pentoxifylline. Methods: Wistar EPM-1 rats (n=60) were submitted to the ischemia of the posterior limb by clamping the left common iliac artery for a period of six hours and observed by four (GA) or twenty-four hours (GB) after the reperfusion. Another group, GS(n=6), was submitted to the anesthesia and surgical procedures without the arterial obstruction. The pentoxifylline (PTX - 40mg.Kg-1) it was not applied (GA1 and GB1) or it was applied in the beginning of the reperfusion (GA2 and GB2) or in the beginning of the ischemia and in the beginning of the reperfusion (GA3 and GB3). The euthanasia was done at the end of the period of corresponding reperfusion in each group of animals, when samples of blood were collected for biochemistry analysis of the creatinofosfoquinase, urea, creatinine, sodium and potassium. In the sequence the left nefrectomy was accomplished for histological study of the morphologic alterations of the nefrons and renal tubules, as well as the imuno-histochemistry test for apoptose by the expression of the caspase-3. They were applied the tests of Mann-Whitney and KruskalWallis (p≤ 0,05). Results: it were significant increase of the urea (90,5 ± 30,96 mg.dL-1), creatinine (2,28 ± 0,54 mg.dL-1) and potassium (16 ± 3,66 mmol.dL-1) in the group B3 where the mesangium was also shown significantly thickened (0,97 ± 0,42). There was decrease of the number of renal tubules injured (0,70 ± 0,14) in the group B2. The caspase-3 expression was larger in the groups B2 (16,35 ± 1,65%) and B3 (15,57 ± 2,54%) that in GS (9,8 ± 1,98%). Conclusions: the ischemia and reperfusion of skeletal muscle of rats produce long distance lesions in renal tissue and the pentoxifylline has some protecting effect on these lesions in the precocious phase of observation (up to four hours). In the late phase (up to twenty-four hours) this protection is not made evident and until it exercises antagonistic dosedependent effects, worsening the lesions when applied in the ischemia and reperfusion periods. / BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertações

O INKKI é um peptídeo catiônico anfipático derivado da ?-caseina bovina, análogo ao Mastoparan, isolado do veneno da vespa Vespula lewisi. Diferentes estudos mostraram sua atividade antiproliferativa e antitumoral in vitro com citotoxidade seletiva em linhagens de células de melanoma B16F10 em relação às células normais. Em estudos In vivo, INKKI demonstrou potente ação estimuladora da atividade fagocitária de macrófagos peritoneais. Quando aplicado diretamente em tumores, reduziu a massa tumoral, diminuindo o tempo de progressão do tumor e a formação de metástases, aumentando a probabilidade de sobrevida. Neste trabalho foram investigados os efeitos in vitro do peptídeo INKKI em linhagens de células de adenocarcinoma de mama e em células normais. As linhagens de células tumorais de mama utilizadas foram MDA-231, MCF-7 e T47D humanas, mama murina de Ehrlich e, como células normais, os fibroblastos e as células endoteliais. Foram avaliadas a atividade citotóxica, a viabilidade celular, a alteração do potencial elétrico mitocondrial, os efeitos na progressão e parada do ciclo celular e a investigação da morte por apoptose. Os resultados revelaram que o peptídeo INKKI apresenta citotoxidade seletiva dose-dependente nas células tumorais, modulando negativamente o potencial elétrico mitocondrial. O índice de proliferação celular das células tratadas diminuiu, com a parada do ciclo celular na fase G0/G1. O peptídeo induziu a morte celular por apoptose, a qual demonstrou ocorrer dependente da via mitocondrial e de forma caspaseindependente. O peptídeo INKKI é um potente modulador das atividades antiproliferativa e antitumoral da linhagem de células de adenocarcinoma de mama humana MCF-7 / The INKKI is derived from the bovine hidrolisis of ?-casein, a cationic and amphipathic peptide, analogous to mastoparan peptide isolated from the venom of the wasp Vespula lewisi. In in vitro studies, INKKI showed selective cytotoxicity in melanoma tumor cell B16F10 in relation to normal cells. In the in vivo tests, INKKI peptide has been shown to be a potent stimulator of the phagocytic activity of treated macrophages and, when applied directly into tumors, reduced tumor mass, decreasing the time progression and metastasis formation, increasing the probability of survival. This work investigated the in vitro effects of tumor peptide INKKI in cell line of human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7. The tumor cells used were lineages of human breast tumor cells MCF7, MDA-231 and T47D and murine tumor cells (Ehrlich). The normal cells used were fibroblasts and endothelial cells. The study evaluated the cytotoxic activity, cell viability, change of mitochondrial electrical potential, effects on the progression and arrest of the cell cycle and investigation of induced death by apoptosis. The results revealed that peptide presents selective dose-dependent cytotoxicity in tumor cells by modulating negatively the mitochondrial electric potential. The index of cell proliferation of cells treated declined, with the induction of cell cycle arrest at phase G0/G1. The peptide-induced cell death by apoptosis was demonstrated to occur via mitochondrial pathway and in a caspase-independent manner. The INKKI peptide is a potent modulator of antiproliferative and antitumor activities of the breast adenocarcinoma cell line

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

During an immune response, T cell activation is mirrored by a dramatic metabolic shift from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis. The upregulation of glycolysis allows the cell to generate the molecules needed to rapidly proliferate and to synthesize effector molecules. The resolution of the T cell response is characterized by equally fast death of most effector T cells. The remaining T cells shift back to oxidative phosphorylation, allowing the cell to survive as a memory T cell. The upregulation of glycolysis and proliferation during the effector phase is paralleled by an increased sensitivity to T cell receptor restimulation-induced cell death (RICD). Whereas cellular metabolism and cell death are important in the proper function and response of T cells, it is not clear how metabolism regulates susceptibility to cell death, nor whether T cell proliferation and contraction are directly connected. The work presented in this dissertation provides a mechanistic link between T cell proliferation and contraction by demonstrating the regulation of caspase-3 activity by the metabolic state of T cells. In effector T cells, the cytokine interleukin (IL)-2 mediates the upregulation of glycolysis, while IL-15 induces oxidative phosphorylation and a memory-like state. IL-2 is known to sensitize T cells to RICD, while IL-15 reduces RICD and increases survival. This results from the ability of IL-2 and glycolysis to increase caspase-3 activity, whereas IL-15 induces the opposite phenotype. Activation of caspase-3 during glycolysis is mediated through clustering in lipid rafts in the plasma membrane. IL-15 is shown to inactivate caspase-3 through the posttranslational modification of protein glutathionylation, which is mediated by ROS generation in the mitochondria as a by-product of oxidative phosphorylation. We further observe that glycolysis parallels the reduced activity of the electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation, further increasing caspase-3 activity. This is mediated by the decreased expression of electron transport chain complexes and an increase in expression of the negative regulator of complex I, methylation-controlled J protein (MCJ). IL-15 promotes reduced expression of MCJ by its methylation. Similar to IL-15-cultured T cells, MCJ-deficient T cells manifest reduced glycolysis, caspase-3 activity, and RICD. Collectively, these findings demonstrate an adaptation that links metabolism to both cell proliferation and cell death to safeguard that proliferating cells do not escape regulation that could result in autoimmune disease or lymphomas.

Le but de cette thèse est de développer une stratégie pro-apoptotique à partir des paramètres pouvant moduler l'apoptose photoinduite par le Foscan® dans des modèles précliniques d'adénocarcinome humain. La PDT avec le Foscan® a été appliquée in vitro sur lignées cellulaires où une apoptose modérée a été obtenue via l'implication indirecte de la voie mitochondriale. La modulation de l'apoptose photoinduite par l'oxygénation a été démontrée sur sphéroïde, modèle de micro-tumeur non vascularisée. Une irradiance faible, garantissant le maintien de l'oxygénation du sphéroïde, favorise l'activation de la caspase-3 photoinduite par le Foscan®. Le deuxième paramètre favorisant l'apoptose photoinduite est l'accroissement du temps d'incubation du photosensibilisateur avec les cellules MCF-7, ce qui modifie sa localisation subcellulaire. Après 3h d'incubation, le Foscan® est essentiellement localisé dans le réticulum endoplasmique (RE) et l'appareil de Golgi. Après irradiation, le stress oxydant du RE évalué par l'induction de la protéine chaperone GRP78 suivie de la réponse apoptotique mitochondriale et de l'activation des caspases a été observée. Après 24h d'incubation avec le Foscan®, la localisation dans le RE est renforcée ainsi que l'expression photoinduite de GRP78 corrélée avec une augmentation de l'activation de la caspase-7 indépendamment de la réponse mitochondriale. Après PDT in vivo, l'estimation par immunohistochimie sur coupe tissulaire de l'activation de la caspase-7 et de la caspase-3 montre une activation prédominante de la caspase-3 ce qui suggère une apoptose majoritairement dépendante de la caspase-3 dans les tumeurs d'adénocarcinome colique HT29 traitées par Foscan®-PDT.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Feb. 19, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the presence of amyloid plaques, made up primarily of Aϐ peptides, and neurofibrillary tangles, containing hyperphosphorylated tau. Aϐ is generated by sequential proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by beta and gamma secretases. The leading hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis is the amyloid cascade hypothesis, which suggests that amyloid is central to the disease process. However, tau pathology correlates more closely with cognitive dysfunction and follows a predictable anatomical course through the brain. We hypothesize that if Aϐ is upstream of tau pathology and tau pathology follows this predictable course through the brain, Aϐ production may also propagate through the brain in an anatomical fashion. In order to investigate this possibility, we examined two broad cellular processes induced in cells when exposed to Aϐ, p53-dependent apoptosis and cell cycle activation. We report that p53-dependent apoptosis is associated with a decrease in the Aϐ and sAPP-alpha and an increase in an alternative, caspase-cleaved fragment of APP, resulting from an apparent cleavage in the near extracellular domain of APP. Mitosis is associated with the phosphorylation of both tau and APP, and increased production of Aϐ. Our results indicate that while p53-dependent apoptosis is not associated with increased amyloidogenesis, cell cycle activation increases Aϐ production and may play a role in disease propagation. Together, these findings suggest various treatment approaches, including cell cycle inhibition and disruption of APP endocytosis, which may decrease amyloidogenic processing. Continued research into these potential approaches, coupled with earlier detection of the disease process, could lead to promising treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among elderly. The disease is characterized by amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, loss of synapses and neurons and chronic neuroinflammation. The significance of neuroinflammatory processes in disease on-set and progression has been debated since activated microglia and reactive astrocytes have been attributed both protective and damaging properties. However, patients systematically treated with anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to develop AD to a lesser extent than average. This indicates an important role of neuroinflammation in AD. This thesis focuses on two inflammatory related transcription factors, nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP). Both NF-κB and C/EBP are known regulators of many pro-inflammatory genes and may during certain circumstances dimerize with each other. In paper I we use a new strategy to inhibit NF-κB DNA binding activity in primary astro-microglial cell cultures treated with Aβ and IL-1β. By coupling the NF-κB decoy to a transport peptide both concentration and incubation time can be shortened in comparison to previous studies. Moreover, using the same in vitro model in paper II and III, we show members of the C/EBP family to be dysregulated during AD mimicking conditions. Additional focus was directed towards C/EBPδ, which was shown to respond differently to oligomeric and fibrillar forms of Aβ. Results were also confirmed in vivo using an AD mouse model characterized by high levels of fibrillar Aβ deposits. Finally, in order to get further insight in neurodegenerative processes, induced by Aβ or microglial activation, we present in paper IV a new set of anchored sensors for detection of locally activated caspases in neuronal cells. By anchoring the sensors to tau they become less dynamic and caspase activation can be detected early on in the apoptotic process, in a spatio-temporal and reproducible manner.