Recentemente, a expressão gênica dos receptores TLR foi encontrada em diversos tipos de células tumorais. A sua participação na biologia do câncer é controversa já que foram descritas ações pró e anti-tumorais após a ativação de sua sinalização. Na Leucemia Mielóide Crônica (LMC) nada se tem demonstrado. BCR-ABL é uma oncoproteína quimérica cujo sítio tirosina quinasa constitutivamente ativado promove inúmeras vias de sinalizações que desencadeia a transformação celular. Este trabalho se inicia com a hipótese de existir uma relação entre o oncogene BCR-ABL e a expressão dos receptores TLRs. Nós verificamos em células murinas TonB210.1 com expressão de BCR-ABL induzível por doxiciclina que Tlr1 e Tlr2 tem sua expressão gênica relativa aumentada na presença da oncoproteína. A regulação positiva de Tlr1 é dependente da ação tirosina quinasa de BCR-ABL. Também mostramos que as vias p38 e JNK estão reprimindo a expressão de Tlr1 induzida por BCR-ABL enquanto que a via ERK é utilizada pelo BCR-ABL para promovê-la. Por outro lado, observamos que a ligação de TLR1/TLR2 com seu agonista sintético Pam3CSK4 em células TonB210.1 BCR-ABL positivas induz um aumento da produção de IL-6 e leva ao aumento da resistência a morte quando induzida pelas drogas Ara-C e VP16. Em conclusão, estes resultados indicam que BCR-ABL esta regulando a expressão gênica de alguns TLRs. Por tanto esses dados contribuem para a compreensão sobre o comportamento de células tumorais BCR-ABL positivas em um contexto de infecção e por conseqüência, dão margem ao estudo de novos alvos de fator de risco para a LMC. / Recently, the gene expression of TLR receptors have been described in several kinds of tumour cells. Its participation in cancer biology is controversial because roles were already been described in pro and anti-tumoral activities after their signaling activation. In Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) there are no published data. BCR-ABL is a quimeric protein and its tyrosine-kinase site is activated constitutively. Thus, many signaling pathways are activated and several cell processes are altered thereby resulting in cellular transformation. This work has started with the hypothesis that a putative relationship between the oncogene BCR-ABL and the expression of TLR receptors could exists. We verified in murine cells TonB210.1 BCR-ABL expression inducible by doxycicline that Tlr1 and Tlr2 have their relative gene expression up-regulated in the presence of the oncoprotein. Therefore the Tlr1 regulation is dependent of BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase action. Using MAPK inhibitors we showed that p38 and JNK pathways are suppressing the TLR1 induction by BCR-ABL while ERK pathway is used by the oncoprotein for promote it. On the other hand, we observed in TonB210.1 BCR-ABL positive cells that the binding of TLR1/TLR2 heterodimer to their synthetic agonist Pam3CSK4 induced an increased production of IL-6 and when these cells were induced by Ara-C and VP-16 drugs the apoptosis resistance increased. In conclusion, these results indicate that the oncoprotein regulates the gene expression of some TLRs. Therefore, this fact gives us data about the behavior of BCR-ABL positive tumor cells in the context of infection and in consequence the study of new risk factor targets for CML.

Suburothelial myofibroblasts (sMF) are located underneath the urothelium in close proximity to afferent nerves and show spontaneous calcium activity in vivo and in vitro. They express purinergic receptors and calcium transients can be evoked by ATP. Therefore they are supposed to be involved in afferent signaling of the bladder fullness. Myofibroblast cultures, established from cystectomies, were challenged by exogenous ATP in presence or absence of purinergic antagonist. Fura-2 calcium imaging was used to monitor ATP (10-16 to 10-4 mol/l) induced alterations of calcium activity. Purinergic receptors (P2X1, P2X2, P2X3) were analysed by confocal immunofluorescence. We found spontaneous calcium activity in 55.18% ± 1.65 (mean ± SEM) of the sMF (N=48 experiments). ATP significantly increased calcium activity even at 10-16 mol/l. The calcium transients were partially attenuated by subtype selective antagonist (TNP-ATP, 1μM; A-317491, 1μM), and were mimicked by the P2X1, P2X3 selective agonist α,β-methylene ATP. The expression of purinergic receptor subtypes in sMF was confirmed by immunofluorescence. Our experiments demonstrate for the first time that ATP can modulate spontaneous activity and induce intracellular Ca2+ response in cultured sMF at very low concentrations, most likely involving ionotropic P2X receptors. These findings support the notion that sMF are able to register bladder fullness very sensitively, which predestines them for the modulation of the afferent bladder signaling in normal and pathological conditions.

Suburothelial myofibroblasts (sMF) are located underneath the urothelium in close proximity to afferent nerves and show spontaneous calcium activity in vivo and in vitro. They express purinergic receptors and calcium transients can be evoked by ATP. Therefore they are supposed to be involved in afferent signaling of the bladder fullness. Myofibroblast cultures, established from cystectomies, were challenged by exogenous ATP in presence or absence of purinergic antagonist. Fura-2 calcium imaging was used to monitor ATP (10-16 to 10-4 mol/l) induced alterations of calcium activity. Purinergic receptors (P2X1, P2X2, P2X3) were analysed by confocal immunofluorescence. We found spontaneous calcium activity in 55.18% ± 1.65 (mean ± SEM) of the sMF (N=48 experiments). ATP significantly increased calcium activity even at 10-16 mol/l. The calcium transients were partially attenuated by subtype selective antagonist (TNP-ATP, 1μM; A-317491, 1μM), and were mimicked by the P2X1, P2X3 selective agonist α,β-methylene ATP. The expression of purinergic receptor subtypes in sMF was confirmed by immunofluorescence. Our experiments demonstrate for the first time that ATP can modulate spontaneous activity and induce intracellular Ca2+ response in cultured sMF at very low concentrations, most likely involving ionotropic P2X receptors. These findings support the notion that sMF are able to register bladder fullness very sensitively, which predestines them for the modulation of the afferent bladder signaling in normal and pathological conditions.:1. Introduction............................................................................ 1 1.1. Anatomy and histology of the human urinary bladder..................... 1 1.1.1. Anatomy of the human urinary bladder..................................... 1 1.1.2. Structure of the human urinary bladder wall............................... 2 1.2. Normal bladder function and bladder dysfunction.......................... 3 1.2.1 Normal bladder function......................................................... 3 1.2.2 Sensory aspect.................................................................... 4 1.2.3 Overactivity or hypersensitivity of bladder.................................. 5 1.3 The role of functional cell types and interaction in urinary bladder... 6 1.3.1 The role of urothelium.......................................................... 7 1.3.2Theroleofsuburotheliamyofibroblast...................................... 7 1.3.3Theroleofdetrusorsmoothmusclecells.................................. 9 1.3.4 Possible interactions in urinary bladder cell types........................ 10 1.4 ATP function and Purinergic signalling in bladder........................... 11 1.5 Spontaneous activity of bladder................................................... 13 2. Objective.................................................................................. 15 3. Material and methods............................................................... 16 3.1. Ethics Statement........................................................................ 16 3.2. Cell preparation.......................................................................... 16 3.3. Solutions and chemicals............................................................. 19 3.4. Intracellular calcium measurements............................................. 20 2.4.1. Preparing cells for Calcium Imaging.......................................... 20 2.4.2. Preparing workspace of calcium imaging................................... 20 2.4.3. Calcium imaging recording...................................................... 22 3.5 Data analysis with automated Fluorescence analysis..................... 22 3.6 Confocal Immunofluorescence.................................................... 25 3.7 Statistics................................................................................. 26 4. Results.................................................................................. 27 4.1 Spontaneous calcium activity of sMF........................................... 27 4.2 ATP effects on calcium response in sMF...................................... 27 4.3 Analysis of purinergic receptors involved.................................... 30 3.3.1 Agonist stimulation.............................................................. 30 3.3.2 Signal inhibition by specific antagonists................................... 31 4.4 Confocal immunofluorescence of purinergic receptors.................. 32 5. Discussion............................................................................. 34 5.1 Myofibroblast identification....................................................... 34 5.2 Spontaneous activity in the bladder............................................ 36 5.3 ATP modulated calcium activity in sMF....................................... 37 5.4 purinergic signalling in sMF........................................................ 39 6. Summary................................................................................ 42 7. References.............................................................................. 45 Declaration............................................................................. 50 Acknowledgements................................................................. 51