Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:22:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5903.pdf: 2922633 bytes, checksum: dfd272eca77563615a9e3fe15f5907c9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-04-10 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / The Locus coeruleus (LC) has been suggested as a CO2 chemoreceptor site in mammals. Most of the studies involving the role of LC in hypercapnic ventilatory response have been performed in males. Since, ovarian steroids modulate the activity of LC neurons and females have a different respiratory response to CO2 of males, we evaluated the activity of LC noradrenergic neurons during normocapnia and hypercapnia in diestrus, ovariectomized (OVX; 0,2 mL/rat of corn oil, s.c., for 3 days) and estradiol-treated ovariectomized (OVX+E2; 10 μg/0,2 mL/rat, s.c., for 3 days) female rats and in intact, orchidectomized (ORX; 0,2 mL/rat of corn oil, s.c., for 7 days), testosterone-treated orchidectomized (ORX+T; 0,25 mg/0,2 mL/rat, s.c., for 7 days) and estradiol-treated orchidectomized (ORX+E2; 10 μg/0,2 mL/rat, s.c., for 3 days) male rats by using double-label immunohistochemistry to c-Fos/TH. Additionally, we assessed the role of noradrenergic LC neurons in OVX and OVX+E2 females on respiratory response to hypercapnia by using 6-hydroxydopamine. Hypercapnia (7% CO2) increased the double-staining (c-Fos/TH-ir) in LC neurons in all groups when compared to air exposure. In the OVX+E2 group there was attenuation in the c-Fos expression in normocapnia and hypercapnia. Hypercapnia increased ventilation in OVX and OVX+E2 groups, which resulted from increases of respiratory frequency (fR) and tidal volume (VT) in sham and 6-OHDA-lesioned groups. The hypercapnic ventilatory response was significantly decreased in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats compared with sham group (29.4% in OVX group and 28.7% in OVX+E2 group) due to a reduced VT in OVX+E2 group and in OVX group due to a decrease in VT and fR. A reduction in TH+ neurons (~61% in OVX and OVX+E2 group) was observed seven days after the microinjections of 6-OHDA in the LC. LC chemical lesion and estradiol did not affect body temperature (Tb). However, hypercapnia caused reduction in Tb of sham (OVX 10 and OVX+E2) and lesioned groups. Thus, we can conclude that noradrenergic neurons in the LC of female and male rats are activated by CO2. However, in OVX+E2 group, estradiol reduced the immunoreactivity compared to OVX group during normocapnia and hypercapnia. Additionally, LC noradrenergic neurons play role in hypercapnic ventilatory response in females but do not affect temperature regulation during normocapnic and hypercapnic conditions. / O Locus coeruleus (LC) é uma área quimiossensível ao CO2 em mamíferos. A maioria dos estudos envolvendo a participação do LC na resposta ventilatória a hipercapnia é realizada em machos. Visto que esteróides ovarianos modulam a atividade de neurônios do LC e fêmeas apresentam uma resposta respiratória ao CO2 diferente de machos, nós avaliamos a atividade dos neurônios noradrenérgicos do LC durante normocapnia e hipercapnia em ratas ciclando em diestro, ovariectomizadas (OVX; 0,2 mL/rata de óleo de milho, s.c., por 3 dias) e ovariectomizadas tratadas com estradiol (OVX+E2; 10 μg/0,2 mL/rata, s.c., por 3 dias) e em ratos intactos, orquidectomizados (ORX; 0,2 mL/rato de óleo de milho, s.c., por 7 dias), orquidectomizados tratados com testosterona (ORX+T; 0,25 mg/0,2 mL/rato, s.c., por 7 dias) e tratados com estradiol (ORX+E2; 10 μg/0,2 mL/rato, s.c., por 3 dias) usando dupla-marcação imunoistoquímica para c-Fos/TH. Adicionalmente, nós avaliamos a participação dos neurônios noradrenérgicos do LC em fêmeas OVX e OVX+E2 na resposta respiratória a hipercapnia usando a neurotoxina 6-hidroxidopamina. A hipercapnia (7% CO2) aumentou a dupla marcação (c-Fos/TH-ir) nos neurônios do LC em todos os grupos comparados a normocapnia. No grupo OVX+E2 houve uma atenuação da expressão de c-Fos no LC em normocapnia e hipercapnia. A hipercapnia causou aumento na ventilação nos grupos OVX e OVX+E2, o qual resultou do aumento da frequência respiratória (fR) e volume corrente (VT) nos grupos controle e lesados. A resposta ventilatória a hipercapnia foi significativamente atenuada no grupo lesado comparado ao grupo controle (29,4% no grupo OVX e 28,7% no grupo OVX+E2) devido à queda no VT no grupo OVX+E2 e no grupo OVX foi devido a queda no VT e na fR. Observamos uma redução de neurônios noradrenérgicos (~61% nos grupos OVX e OVX+E2) sete dias após microinjeções de 6-OHDA no LC. A lesão química do LC e o 8 estradiol não afetaram a Tc. Entretanto, a hipercapnia promoveu redução na temperatura dos grupos sham (OVX e OVX+E2) e lesado. Assim, nós podemos concluir que os neurônios noradrenérgicos do LC de fêmeas e machos são ativados por CO2. Entretanto, no grupo OVX+E2, o estradiol reduziu a imunorreatividade comparado ao grupo OVX durante normocapnia e hipercapnia. Adicionalmente, os neurônios noradrenérgicos do LC de fêmeas participam da resposta ventilatória a hipercapnia, mas não participam da regulação da temperatura durante condições normocápnicas e hipercápnicas.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:22:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2475.pdf: 1572607 bytes, checksum: 64043b30c1df210d393c4540c2d88933 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-05-29 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / The locus coeruleus (LC) has been suggested as a CO2 chemoreceptor site in mammals. Substance P (SP) has been used as a marker of respiratory neurons and it plays an important role in compensatory responses to hypercapnia in several sites of the central nervous system. Neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor immunoreactive (NK1Rir) neurons and processes are widely distributed within the LC. Thus, the present study assessed the role of NK-1 receptors in the LC in the cardiorespiratory and thermal responses to hypercapnia. To this end, substance P-saporin conjugate (SPSAP; 2μM) was injected in the LC to kill NK1R-ir neurons, or IgG-SAP as a control in male Wistar rats. The animals that the drug reached the fourth ventricle (4ºV) were considered as a 4ºV group. Pulmonary ventilation (VE, body plethysmograph), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and body core temperature were measured followed by 60 min of hypercapnic exposure (7% CO2). To verify the correct placement and effectiveness of the chemical lesions, immunohistochemistry for NK1R was performed. In addition, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity was performed to verify if noradrenergic neurons were eliminated. Fluoro-Jade technique was used to evaluate neuronal degeneration. A reduced NK1R (72% of reduction) and TH immunoreactivity (66% of reduction) was observed seven days after the injections of SP-SAP in the LC and an intense Fluoro-Jade staining, showing the effectiveness of the lesion. Focal lesions of NK1R-ir did not affect basal ventilation in the SP-SAP in LC and SP-SAP in 4ºV groups. Hypercapnia caused an increase in pulmonary ventilation in all groups, which was a result of increases in respiratory frequency (fR) and tidal volume (VT), SP-SAP treatment in the LC and in the fourth ventricle attenuated the hypercapnic ventilatory response (30% and 20%, respectivally), due to a reduction in the VT. SP-SAP in the LC and SP SAP in the 4ºV 11 lesion did not affect MAP, but caused an increase in HR in both groups. The results suggest that NK1R-ir neurons in the LC modulate hypercapnic ventilatory response but play no role in breathing control under resting conditions. Additionally, NK1R-ir neurons seem to play no role in body temperature and MAP regulation in resting conditions and during hypercapnia, but modulate HR during CO2 exposure. This modulation may be due to a change in the noradrenaline release. / O locus coeruleus (LC) é considerado uma região quimiorreceptora a CO2/pH em mamíferos. A substância P (SP) tem sido usada como marcador de neurônios respiratórios, pois possui importante função nas respostas compensatórias a hipercapnia em muitas áreas do sistema nervoso central. Neurônios e processos imunorreativos a receptores neurocinina 1 (NK-1) estão amplamente distribuídos dentro do LC. Portanto, o presente estudo teve por objetivo avaliar a participação de receptores NK-1 no LC nas respostas cardiorrespiratórias e termorreguladoras à hipercapnia. Para este fim, foi injetado o conjugado SP-Saporina (SP-SAP; 2μM) no LC de ratos Wistar para lesar neurônios que expressam esses receptores, ou IgGSAP como controle. Os animais em que as injeções atingiram o quarto ventrículo (4ºV) foram considerados como grupo 4ºV. A ventilação pulmonar (VE, pletismografia de corpo inteiro), pressão arterial média (PAM), freqüência cardíaca (FC) e temperatura corporal (Tc) foram medidas por 60 min de exposição à hipercapnia (7% CO2). Para verificar a correta localização e efetividade da lesão química realizou-se a imunohistoquímica para receptores NK-1. Além disso, imunohistoquímica para tirosina hidroxilase (TH) foi realizada para averigüar se neurônios noradrenérgicos foram lesados. A técnica de Fluoro-Jade foi também utilizada para avaliar a neurodegeneração. Observou-se a redução da imunorreatividade para receptores NK-1 (72% de lesão dos neurônios) e redução da imunorreatividade para neurônios noradrenérgicos (66% dos neurônios noradrenérgicos) sete dias após injeções de SP-SAP no LC e intensa marcação na técnica de Fluoro-Jade mostrando a efetividade da lesão. Lesões seletivas de neurônios que expressam receptores NK-1 no LC não afetaram a ventilação basal, o mesmo foi observado com os animais em que a injeção atingiu o 4ºV. A hipercapnia causou aumento da ventilação pulmonar 9 em todos os grupos decorrente do aumento da freqüência respiratória (fR) e volume corrente (VC). Entretanto, o tratamento com SP-SAP no LC e no 4ºV promoveu atenuação da resposta ventilatória (30% e 20%, respectivamente), devido à diminuição do VC. A lesão com SP-SAP no LC e no 4ºV não afetou a PAM, entretanto promoveu aumento na FC em ambos grupos. Os resultados sugerem que os neurônios que expressam receptores NK-1 no LC modulam a resposta ventilatória à hipercapnia, porém não possuem papel tônico na ventilação em condições basais. Além disso, esses neurônios não participam da regulação da temperatura e da PAM em normocapnia e hipercapnia, mas modulam FC durante exposição ao CO2. Essa modulação pode ser devida a alteração na liberação de noradrenalina.

The tumor microenvironment is composed of cellular and stromal components such as tumor cells, mesenchymal cells, immune cells, cancer associated fibroblasts and the supporting extracellular matrix. The tumor microenvironment provides crucial support for growth and progression of tumor cells and affects tumor response to therapeutic interventions. To better understand tumor biology and to develop effective cancer therapeutic agents it is important to develop preclinical platforms that can faithfully recapitulate the tumor microenvironment and the complex interaction between the tumor and its surrounding stromal elements. Drug studies performed in vitro with conventional two-dimensional cancer cell line models do not optimally represent clinical drug response as they lack true tumor heterogeneity and are often performed in static culture conditions lacking stromal tumor components that significantly influence the metabolic activity and proliferation of cells. Recent microfluidic approaches aim to overcome such obstacles with the use of cell lines derived in artificial three-dimensional supportive gels or micro-chambers. However, absence of a true tumor microenvironment and full interstitial flow, leads to less than optimal evaluation of tumor response to drug treatment. Here we report a continuous perfusion microfluidic device coupled with microscopy and image analysis for the assessment of drug effects on intact fresh tumor tissue. We have demonstrated that fine needle aspirate biopsies obtained from patient-derived xenograft models of adenocarcinoma of the lung can successfully be analyzed for their response to ex vivo drug treatment within this biopsy trapping microfluidic device, wherein a protein kinase C inhibitor, staurosporine, was used to assess tumor cell death as a proof of principle. Lastly, we tested the model for its ability to demonstrate similar results found in clinic when using a Wee1 inhibitor on osteosarcoma and an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, Erlotinib, and inhibitors of programmed death 1 receptor and programmed death ligand 1 on lung adenocarcinoma fine needle aspirate biopsies. This approach has the potential to study tumor tissue within its intact microenvironment to better understand tumor response to drug treatments and eventually to choose the most effective drug and drug combination for individual patients in a cost effective and timely manner.

No description available.

No description available.

Three novel, synthetic biarylheterocycles bearing imidazole terminal groups had previously been discovered with high cytotoxicity (IC50 16¿640 nM) against a number of human tumour cell lines. Notably, this biological activity was independent of duplex DNA binding affinity. The compounds were tested in the NCI 60-cell line panel and COMPARE analysis suggests they have a novel mechanism of action, targeting the product of a ¿gene-like sequence¿ of unidentified function. The identity of likely protein targets was explored using a chemical proteomic strategy. Bespoke affinity matrices for chromatography were prepared in which test compounds were attached to a solid support through a biotin tag. A synthetic route to hit compounds containing a biotin moiety in place of one of the imidazole sidechains was developed. Chemosensitivity studies confirmed that the biotinylated compounds retained their activity showing IC50 = 6.25 ¿M in a susceptible cell line, compared with > 100 ¿M for an insensitive cell line. The biotinylated ligands were complexed to a streptavidin-activated affinity column and exposed to cell lysates from the susceptible cell lines. Bound proteins were eluted from the column and separated using SDS-PAGE. Proteins were characterised by MALDI MS and MS/MS and identified using Mascot database searches. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear protein A2/B1 was found to selectively bind to the affinity probes. / Yorkshire Cancer Research, BMSS, School of Life Sciences and the Frank Hudson Memorial Fund

Whilst progress has been made in reducing mortality in some cancers, mortality rates remain high in many cancers and there is a need to develop novel therapeutic strategies. In this thesis, various pharmacological strategies designed to enhance the activity of existing therapeutic drugs were evaluated. Cancer cells are dependent upon aerobic glycolysis (the Warburg effect) and glutamine uptake. Using clinically approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors and Bortezomib, significant enhancement of chemosensitivity was observed when used in combination with inhibitors of lactate dehydrogenase (Gossypol) and pyruvate kinase dehydrogenase (Dichloroacetate). In contrast, depletion of glutamine from media had to be extensive in order to induce cell death and cell death only occurred after prolonged exposure to glutamine-deprived conditions. This suggests that glutamine depletion strategies alone are unlikely to be successful but may be useful in combination with other agents targeting glutamine addiction in cancer cells. Finally, Temozolomide (TMZ) is an important drug in the treatment of glioblastomas but its activity is reduced by resistance mechanisms including O6 methyl guanine methyltransferase (MGMT) and mismatch repair (MMR). This thesis has identified analogues of TMZ (EA02-45, EA02-59, EA02-64 and EA02-65) that are MGMT and MMR independent in terms of inducing cell kill in vitro. These compounds are promising leads for future development. In conclusion, this thesis has demonstrated that interfering with the metabolic phenotype of cancer can enhance the activity of existing drugs and identified novel analogues of TMZ that circumvent drug resistance mechanisms that hamper the efficacy of TMZ.

Despite therapeutic advances, colorectal cancer still has a 45% mortality rate, and one of the most crucial problems is the development of acquired resistance to treatment with anticancer drugs. Thus the aims of this project are to develop drug-resistant colon cancer cell lines in order to identify mechanisms of resistance for the most commonly drugs used in colorectal cancer: 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. Following evaluation of drug sensitivity to these agents in an initial panel of eight colorectal cancer cell lines, 3 lines (DLD-1, KM-12 and HT-29) were selected for the development of 5-FU (3 lines), oxaliplatin (2) and irinotecan (1) resistant sublines by continuous drug exposure, with resistance confirmed using the MTT assay. Consistently resistant sublines were subject to a „stable isotope labelling with amino acids in cell culture‟ (SILAC) approach and a MudPIT proteomics strategy, employing 2D LC and Orbitrap Fusion mass spectrometric analysis, to identify novel predictive biomarkers for resistance. An average of 3622 proteins was quantified for each resistant and parent cell line pair, with on average 60-70 proteins up-regulated and 60-70 down-regulated in the drug resistant sublines. The validity of this approach was further confirmed using immunodetection techniques. These studies have provided candidate proteins which can be assessed for their value as predictive biomarkers, or as therapeutic targets for the modulation of acquired drug resistance in colorectal cancer.

Three novel, synthetic biarylheterocycles bearing imidazole terminal groups had previously been discovered with high cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ 16-640 nM) against a number of human tumour cell lines. Notably, this biological activity was independent of duplex DNA binding affinity. The compounds were tested in the NCI 60-cell line panel and COMPARE analysis suggests they have a novel mechanism of action, targeting the product of a 'gene-like sequence' of unidentified function. The identity of likely protein targets was explored using a chemical proteomic strategy. Bespoke affinity matrices for chromatography were prepared in which test compounds were attached to a solid support through a biotin tag. A synthetic route to hit compounds containing a biotin moiety in place of one of the imidazole sidechains was developed. Chemosensitivity studies confirmed that the biotinylated compounds retained their activity showing IC₅₀ = 6.25 μM in a susceptible cell line, compared with > 100 μM for an insensitive cell line. The biotinylated ligands were complexed to a streptavidin-activated affinity column and exposed to cell lysates from the susceptible cell lines. Bound proteins were eluted from the column and separated using SDS-PAGE. Proteins were characterised by MALDI MS and MS/MS and identified using Mascot database searches. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear protein A2/B1 was found to selectively bind to the affinity probes.

O mastocitoma é o tumor cutâneo mais comum dos cães, representando 7% a 21% dos tumores da pele e tecidos moles, 11% a 27% dos tumores malignos cutâneos nessa espécie. Eles possuem uma grande variedade de aparência e comportamento, o qual o torna um desafio seu tratamento. Os retinóides são uma promessa na luta contra o câncer. Entretanto, há poucos estudos sobre os efeitos dos retinóides em neoplasias caninas. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar a cultura primária de mastocitomas caninos assim como investigar a quimiosensibilidade deste tumor ao ácido retinóico todo-trans (ATRA). A cultura primária de mastocitomas caninos foi realizada em co-cultivo com fibroblastos, que demonstrou uma interação favorável entre mastócitos e fibroblastos, com uma sobrevida média de 30 dias. A quimiosensibilidade dos mastocitomas caninos ao ATRA não mostrou diferenças entre os graus de mastocitomas, ou seja, tanto um mastocitoma grau II ou III respondem igualmente ao ATRA nas doses estudadas. Foi constatado também que o mastocitoma é mais sensível na concentração 10-4M de ATRA (p < 0,002). Existe também um efeito já nas primeiras 24h, mas esse não se altera em 48h, entretanto se intensifica após 72h. Podemos inferir, então, que a maior quimiosensibilidade de mastocitomas caninos ao ATRA se dá após 72h de exposição na dose de 10-4M. Podemos concluir que o ATRA apresenta efeitos sobre as células de mastocitomas caninos e pode ser usado como potencial adjuvante no tratamento desta neoplasia. / Mast cell tumor (MCT) is one of the most frequent neoplasms that affect the skin and soft tissue of the dog, representing about 7% a 21% of all skin tumors and 11% a 27% of malignant skin tumors in this specie. They present a great variety of appearance and behavior, which becomes a challenge to the treatment. The retinoids are well recognized as promising antitumor agents. However, there have only been a few reports about the effect of retinoids in canine cancers. The aim of this study was to characterize the primary mast cell tumor culture and to investigate the chemosensitivity of this tumor to all trans retinoic acid (ATRA). The primary cell culture of MCT was performed as co-cultive with fibroblasts, showing a positive interaction between mast cells and fibroblasts, with a lifetime of 30 days. The chemosensitivity of MCT to ATRA showed no difference between grade II or III, thus either a MCT grade II or grade III has the same response with ATRA at the doses studied. It has been shown that the MCT is more sensible at the dose 10-4M (p < 0,002). There is also an effect on first 24h untill 48h, changing after 72h. According to these results, it is possible to state that the great chemosensitivity of MCT to ATRA is after 72h of exposition at 10-4M. We can conclude that ATRA may be a potential adjunctive chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of canine mast cell tumor.