Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0025202 (melanoma)
 69,561 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Tamoxifen (TAM) markedly increases the response rate of malignant melanoma to treatment with cisplatin (DDP), carmustine, and dacarbazine, and we have previously reported that there is a highly synergistic interaction between TAM and DDP with respect to the cytotoxic effect against the human melanoma cell line T-289 (E. F. Mc Clay et al., Cancer Res., 52: 6790-6796, 1992). The mechanism underlying synergy was investigated by examining the effect of selection for either DDP or TAM resistance on the magnitude of the synergy quantitated by median effect analysis. The combination index at 50% cell kill was 0.26 +/- 0.02 (SD) for parental T-289 cells (indicating marked synergy), 0.54 +/- 0.14 for cells selected for low-level DDP resistance (indicating moderate synergy), and 1.39 +/- 0.20 for cells selected for low-level TAM resistance (indicating antagonism). Thus, factors that regulate DDP sensitivity have a moderate effect on reducing the DDP/TAM synergy, but determinants of TAM sensitivity have a major effect. The known biochemical effects of TAM include antagonism of estrogen at the estrogen receptor (ER) and inhibition of calmodulin and protein kinase C activity. T-289 cells contained undetectable amounts of ER by the dextran-coated charcoal assay and expressed only trace amounts of ER mRNA, and another more avid ER antagonist, droloxifene, failed to interact synergistically with DDP. N-(6-Aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7), a potent calmodulin antagonist, failed to demonstrate synergy with DDP, and activation of protein kinase C, instead of interacting antagonistically with DDP, yielded synergy. TAM did not alter the cell cycle phase perturbation produced by exposure to DDP alone. We conclude that the synergy between TAM and DDP is not mediated by the effects of TAM on the ER, calmodulin, protein kinase C, or cell cycle regulation. However, the factors that determine cellular sensitivity to TAM also determine whether TAM interacts synergistically with DDP.
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PMID:Tamoxifen modulation of cisplatin sensitivity in human malignant melanoma cells. 845 25

The mechanism of cell shape changes and haematogenous translocations (metastases) in mouse malignant melanoma cells induced by phorbol esters and protein kinase C (PKC) is reported as adhesion "downregulation", exocytosis and motility. However, PKC activation also produces intracellular alkalinization, a causal factor in plasma membrane internalization, cell rounding and detachment that does not necessarily implicate specific cell adhesion downregulation. We show here that Cloudman mouse malignant melanoma cells can be induced to round up and detach with concomitant intracellular alkalinization by simple inorganic sulphate treatment, thereby suggesting an alternative explanation to the reported phenomena.
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PMID:Cell shape changes induced by sulphate in the Cloudman mouse melanoma cell line. 847 69

For serial cultivation of normal human melanocytes media supplemented with the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) are largely employed. By using a culture medium that permits cultivation of melanocytes without TPA, the effects of TPA on melanocyte proliferation, phenotype, and susceptibility to lymphokine-activated killer cells were studied. Addition of 50 ng/ml TPA to the medium induced rapid dendrite formation and increased the cell proliferation rate by 16-63% in mitogen-rich media (four of seven cultures, p < 0.01), and by 237% in mitogen-reduced media (p < 0.001). Furthermore, several phenotypic changes indicating early stages of melanocyte transformation were induced by 50 ng/ml TPA. These included increased expression of melanoma progression-associated antigens such as A.1.43 and A.10.33, upregulation of nerve-growth factor receptor as well as of the melanocyte-activation marker HMB-45 and of histocompatibility class I antigens. In contrast, the expression of the differentiation marker K.1.2 and of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 was decreased in TPA-treated cultures. Most of these changes persisted even after removal of TPA from the culture medium (> or = 2 weeks). Staurosporine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, modulated melanocyte-antigen expression similar to TPA, suggesting that protein kinase C downmodulation rather than activation by TPA is involved. In addition to the antigenic alterations, the susceptibility of TPA-treated melanocytes to lymphokine-activated killer cell cytotoxicity decreased by 40% (p < 0.01), possibly due to their altered surface antigen expression. The presented data reveal that the tumor promoter TPA hitherto used as a supplement of melanocyte culture media induces profound phenotypic and functional changes of the cultured cells, indicating incipient transformation of normal human melanocytes in vitro.
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PMID:12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate not only modulates proliferation rates, but also alters antigen expression and LAK-cell susceptibility of normal human melanocytes in vitro. 849 88

Bryostatin 1 is a naturally occurring macrocyclic lactone which when applied to cells in culture activates protein kinase C (PKC). In vivo bryostatin 1 functions as an anticancer agent with activity against murine lymphomas, leukemias, and melanoma. Because all organs and tissues contain PKC, normal cells would also be a likely target for this agent. Here we demonstrate that in vivo administration of bryostatin 1 activates platelets over a dose range of 0.4 to 40 micrograms/kg with half-maximal activation occurring at 3 micrograms/kg and stimulation of neutrophils over a similar dose range. This in vivo activation of neutrophils is associated with a rapid decrease in measurable cytosolic PKC, a finding consistent with translocation of the enzyme to the membrane. In contrast, no statistically significant change in PKC location was found in liver, spleen, brain, or L10A B-cell lymphoma. However, in culture the L10A lymphoma did respond to bryostatin 1 with translocation of PKC. To evaluate whether the lack of effect of bryostatin 1 on PKC in organs was secondary to rapid degradation, we developed a bioassay to measure the levels of bryostatin 1 in the blood. To measure the presence of bryostatin 1, human neutrophils were incubated with plasma from mice given injections of different concentrations of bryostatin 1. Using this assay, bryostatin 1 at levels as low as 60 nM could be measured in the plasma. A time course with this bioassay demonstrated that less than 10% of the bryostatin 1 injected was detectable after 2.5 min. These results demonstrate that bryostatin 1 is capable of activating platelets and neutrophils and modulating PKC in vivo. The lack of effect of bryostatin 1 on specific organs may be secondary to the rapid clearance/degradation of this compound from the blood.
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PMID:In vivo administration of the anticancer agent bryostatin 1 activates platelets and neutrophils and modulates protein kinase C activity. 850 23

The development of techniques to cultivate human primary melanocytes in vitro has provided the technical foundation for understanding the biology of this cell. Human melanocytes require various growth factors and agents for proliferation in vitro. These compounds activate two major signal transduction pathways: a calcium- and phospholipid-dependent (protein kinase C or PKC) pathway and a cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent (protein kinase A or PKA) pathway. Alterations in these signal transduction pathways coupled with changes in specific genes (protooncogenes, growth factors, and tumor suppressor genes) have been observed in human melanoma cells compared with normal melanocytes. Our own work indicates that loss in the expression of the PKC beta II isotype is a common, if not universal, alteration that occurs early in human melanocyte transformation. In this review, we concentrate on alterations in the signal transduction pathways in human melanocytes and melanoma cells and delineate how an understanding of these changes may allow us to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in human melanocyte transformation.
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PMID:Alterations in gene expression and signal transductions in human melanocytes and melanoma cells. 851 7

Bryostatin 1, a macrocyclic natural lactone isolated from a marine Bryozoan, has undergone phase I testing in humans. Side effects of treatment have included muscle pain and joint aches, a transient decrease in platelets, and the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and IL-6 into the blood stream. In animals, anticancer activity has been demonstrated against murine leukemias, lymphomas, melanomas, and sarcomas. The mechanism of action of this compound depends in part on its ability to activate protein kinase C. To determine the biologic activity and toxicity of other members of the family of bryostatin compounds, we studied the ability of bryostatins 5 and 8 to inhibit the growth of murine melanoma K1735-M2. Bryostatins 1, 5, and 8 induced equivalent inhibition of melanoma growth, but bryostatins 5 and 8 induced less weight loss than bryostatin 1 (P < 0.001). Neither the injection of an antimurine TNF alpha antibody nor an adenovirus, which produces a mutated TNF receptor inhibiting TNF alpha activity, into mice had any effect on either bryostatin-induced weight loss or melanoma tumor growth inhibition. Using a novel competition assay, the levels of bryostatin in the plasma were measured. The approximate half-life (t1/2) of bryostatin was 8.62 min, the clearance (Cl) 3.53 ml/min and the AUC 322.20 nmol/l min. A similar result was obtained with each bryostatin analog. These results suggest that human testing of additional bryostatin analogs may yield compounds with similar antitumor activity but decreased side effects. A novel assay to measure the level of all bryostatins in the plasma of patients undergoing treatment is described.
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PMID:Comparison of the antitumor activity of bryostatins 1, 5, and 8. 852 89

Contact between lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells and natural killer-resistant tumor targets SK-Mel-1 (human melanoma) or Raji (human lymphoma) stimulates phosphorylation of two M(r) 65,000 LAK proteins (pp65a and pp65b) with nearly identical isoelectric points. Phosphoamino acid analysis of pp65a and pp65b detected phosphorylation exclusively on serine residues. Phosphotyrosine could not be detected on either substrate after immunoblotting with an antiphosphotyrosine antibody, and herbimycin A treatment failed to inhibit p65 phosphorylation induced by target contact. However, phorbol myristate acetate treatment alone induced LAK pp65a and pp65b phosphorylation, suggesting phosphorylation may be mediated by protein kinase C or a protein kinase C-regulated kinase. The molecular weight and isoelectric points of pp65a and pp65b are similar to that reported for the human actin-bundling protein, L-plastin (L-fimbrin). On two-dimensional SDS-PAGE gel immunoblots, a peptide specific anti-L-plastin antiserum bound to pp65a and pp65b, suggesting that the phosphoproteins are similar or identical to L-plastin. In addition, two adjacent M(r) 65,000 LAK proteins were also detected by the antiserum and may correspond to unphosphorylated forms of L-plastin. On the basis of known properties of phosphorylated L-plastin, it is hypothesized that p65 phosphorylation in LAKs may regulate adhesion to tumor targets.
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PMID:Characterization of the M(r) 65,000 lymphokine-activated killer proteins phosphorylated after tumor target binding: evidence that pp65a and pp65b are phosphorylated forms of L-plastin. 854 53

The protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors bisindolylmaleimide, calphostin C, H-7 and staurosporine were examined for their effect on tumour necrosis factor (TNF) cytotoxic activity. PKC inhibitors potentiated the cytotoxic activity of TNF in TNF-sensitive cell lines (CL8-1 melanoma and WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma), but had no effect on TNF cytolytic activity in TNF-resistant cells (BL6-8 melanoma and MCA-102 fibrosarcoma). The mechanism(s) of PKC inhibitor-mediated potentiation of the cytotoxic activity of TNF was investigated by analysing the effect of PKC inhibitors on TNF-induced arachidonic acid release in TNF-sensitive and -resistant cells. TNF induced the release of arachidonic acid in TNF-sensitive cells but had no effect in TNF-resistant cells. The combination of PKC inhibitor and TNF potentiated the release of arachidonic acid from TNF-sensitive cells, but failed to induce arachidonic acid release in TNF-resistant cells. Kinetic analysis of TNF-induced arachidonic acid release in CL8-1 melanoma cells revealed that it was an early event which preceded TNF tumour lytic activity. TNF was further shown to induce manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) production in TNF-sensitive cells but failed to induce MnSOD activity in TNF-resistant BL6-8 and MCA 102 cells. MnSOD acts as a scaveneger of toxic superoxide radicals and its induction by TNF paralleled arachidonic acid release. Although the PKC-selective inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide potentiated TNF-induced release of arachidonic acid, it blocked TNF-mediated induction of MnSOD in CL8-1 melanoma and WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Augmentation of TNF cytotoxicity by protein kinase C inhibitors: role of arachidonic acid and manganese superoxide dismutase. 858 Mar 67

The nm23 gene has been described as a potential metastasis suppressor gene in certain rodent and human tumors. We previously demonstrated that tyrosine and phenylalanine restriction suppresses metastatic heterogeneity of B16-BL6 murine melanoma and selects for tumor variants with decreased metastatic potential. In this study, we investigated nm23 expression in the highly metastatic B16-BL6 (ND) melanoma, its nutritionally derived poorly metastatic (LT) variant, and the syngeneic non-tumorigenic Mel-ab melanocytes. No differences in nm23 expression were observed between ND and LT cells, and nm23 expression varied between different isolates. Previously, we showed that metastatic potential of 1-ND cells decreases and is not altered in 1-LT cells after prolonged in vitro cell passage; however, nm23 expression is equivalently increased by 2-fold. In 2-ND and 2-LT cells, expression of nm23 is not different at higher in vitro cell passage. Expression of nm23 decreased about 2-fold when phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) was removed from Mel-ab cells, which induces these cells to become quiescent. Although membrane-associated protein kinase C (PKC) activity decreased after prolonged PMA treatment in all cells, neither nm23 expression nor proliferation of ND and LT cells was affected by PMA. These data indicate that nm23 expression is related to proliferative activity rather than to the suppression of metastatic potential.
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PMID:Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate enhances nm23 gene expression in murine melanocytes but not in syngeneic B16-BL6 melanoma variants. 860 Jan 52

Saikosaponin (SS) b2 was found to inhibit the proliferation of B16 melanoma cells. To explore this mechanism, we employed flow cytometry to determine the distribution of DNA content. The cell cycle of B16 melanoma cells was accumulated in the G1 phase followed by induction of apoptosis. This suggests that SSb2-induced proliferation inhibition is caused by G1 phase accumulation and that apoptosis induction is G1-phase-accumulation dependent. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a protein kinase C (PKC) activator, did not interfere with the proliferation and did not induce apoptosis of B16 melanoma cells by itself. However, PMA significantly abolished these effects of SSb2 in including proliferation inhibition and apoptosis induction. Down-regulation of the PKC activity may be involved in the effect of SSb2.
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PMID:Saikosaponin b2-induced apoptosis of cultured B16 melanoma cell line through down-regulation of PKC activity. 860 13


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