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Advances in Brief |
Edwin L. Steele Laboratory, Departments of Radiation Oncology [D. F., L. X., Y. C., T. G., R. K. J.] and Molecular Biology [B. S.], Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
| ABSTRACT |
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| Introduction |
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| Materials and Methods |
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Northern Blot Analysis.
Messenger RNA was extracted using the FastTrack mRNA isolation kit (Invitrogen, San Diego, CA). Messenger RNA (2 µg/lane) was fractionated on a 1.0% denaturing formaldehyde/agarose gel, electrotransferred at 0.6 amp to GeneScreen nylon membrane (DuPont Col, Boston, MA), and UV cross-linked with a UV-Stratalinker 1800 (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA). VEGF and the ß-actin cDNA probe were synthesised by PCR using primers for VEGF: 5'-TCC GGA TCC ATG AAC TTT C-3', and 5'-TGG CTC ACC GCC TTG GCT-3'; and for ß-actin: 5'-TGT ATG CCT CTG GTC GTA CC-3', and 5'-CAA CGT CAC ACT TCA TGA TGG-3'. The GFP gene (600 bp) was obtained as a Hind III-Not I fragment from the VEGF-GFP construct described previously (13)
. The cDNA probes were radiolabeled with the use of the random-prime labeling technique with [
-32P]dCTP (15)
.
ELISA.
The VEGF protein level in cultured medium was analyzed using the Quantikine VEGF ELISA kit (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN) following the manufacturers protocol.
Introduction of GFP Vectors into Tumor Cells.
The generation of VEGF-GFP construct was described previously (13)
. A 25-µg linearized VEGF-GFP construct was introduced into U87 MG cells by electroporation. The DNA construct was mixed with 106 cells in PBS and incubated on ice for 10 min. Then, the cells were electroporated with 400 V, 25 µF pulse (Gene Pulser; Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, CA). After electroporation, the cells were incubated on ice for 10 minutes and thereafter plated at a density of 105 cells/100-mm dish in culture medium with 10% FBS. After 48 h, the medium was supplied with puromycin at a concentration of 1 µg/ml, and stable clones were isolated after a 10-day selection.
FACS Analysis.
U87-VC2 cells were prepared for cytometry by trypsinization, washing in PBS, and fixation with 2% formaldehyde. The fluorescence profile in the scatter gate corresponding to viable tumor cell was analyzed by Coulter Epics flow cytometer (EPICS XL-MCL; Miami, FL).
Luciferase Reporter Gene Assays.
The VEGF promoter (13)
was subcloned into the peak12 luciferase reporter gene vector. LS174T, MU89, and U87 MG cells (3 x 105) were plated in 10-cm-diameter culture dishes 24 h before transfection. The cells were cotransfected with 20 µg of the VEGF-firefly luciferase construct and 2 µg of pRL-TK/plate using the calcium phosphate method. pRL-TK, obtained from Promega (Madison, WI) contains the Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter region upstream of Renilla luciferase and was used as an internal control for transfection efficiency. Sixteen h later, the plates were washed three times with PBS and incubated for 6 h in MEM containing 10% FBS and then subdivided and plated into two 38-mm-diameter dishes, which were incubated until the cultures became confluent. Then the cells were exposed for 6 h to neutral or acidic pH conditions. Cell lysates were prepared using the Dual Luciferase Assay System (Promega). The light intensity was measured on 20 µl of cell lysates using a luminometer (Turner Designs, Sunnyvale, CA).
Cranial Window.
The cranial window was implanted in SCID mice 810 weeks of age bred and maintained in the defined flora animal facility in Edwin L. Steele Laboratory (Boston, MA), as described (16)
. Seven to 10 days later, a small piece (1 mm in diameter) of U87-VC2 tumor was implanted in the center of the window. For intravital microscopy, the animals were anesthetized and put on a polycarbonate plate with the head fixed.
Intravital Microscopy Work Station.
The workstation consisted of an upright microscope (Zeiss Axioplan; Oberkochen, Germany) equipped with transillumination and fluorescence epi-illumination, a flashlamp excitation device (EG&G, Salem, MA), two independent outlet ports, two separate eye-piece units, a motorized X-Y stage with a ±1.0-µm lateral resolution (Burleigh Instruments, Fishers, NY), a set of optical filters, a motor-controlled filter wheel, an intensified CCD camera (C2400-88; Hamamatsu, Bridgewater, NJ), a video monitor (Sony, Montvale, NJ), a photomultiplier tube (model 9203B; Products for Research, Inc., Danvers, MA), a dual-trace digital oscilloscope (model TDS-320; Tektronix, Beaverton, OR), a video recorder (SVO-9500MD; Sony), and a frame-grabber board (Data Translation, Marlboro, MA) for image digitization on a PC computer (Compaq, Houston, TX).
VEGF Promoter Activity via GFP Imaging.
GFP fluorescence intensities (509 nm) in U87-VC2 tumors were imaged through the intensified CCD camera port with excitation at 488 nm. An optimal configuration with a sampling depth of
25 µm, an adequate signal:noise ratio, and a lateral spatial resolution of 5 x 5 µm2 was obtained using a 400-µm pinhole in the light excitation pathway and a x40 water-immersion objective (3)
. Tumor locations was selected and stored for subsequent profile measurements using the computer-assisted X-Y stage controller. Tissue autofluorescence levels were determined by the imaging of U87 MG tumors. By imaging known concentrations of recombinant GFP protein (EGFP; Clontech, Palo Alto, CA) in capillary tubes, the GFP calibration curve was obtained and used for the calculation of instantaneous GFP concentrations from GFP fluorescence intensities.
High-resolution Interstitial pH Measurements.
Fluorescence ratio imaging microscopy of pH, its implementation, application to thick tissues, and calibration, were performed as described (3
, 17)
. The cell-impermeant form of the pH-sensitive fluorochrome BCECF (0.7 mg/kg i.v.; Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR) was used. Emission intensities (570 nm) were imaged through the CCD camera port with sequential excitations at 440 and 495 nm. The X-Y stage was cycled through the same locations used for GFP measurements (3)
.
Interstitial pO2 Measurements.
Tissue pO2 was measured based on the O2-dependent phosphorescence quenching of albumin-bound palladium meso-tetra (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (60 mg/kg; Harvard Apparatus, Holliston, MA), as described (3)
. The phosphorescence signal resulting from flashlamp excitation (540 nm) of the tissue was detected at
630 nm using the photomultiplier tube and averaged on the oscilloscope before computer storage. The phosphorescence decay data were converted to pO2 values according to a standard calibration method (3
, 18)
. The X-Y stage was cycled through the same tumor locations used for the VEGF-GFP and pH measurements.
Statistical Analysis.
The relationship between tissue pO2/pH and VEGF-promoter activity in U87-VC2 tumors was analyzed by linear regression using StatView (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC). P < 0.05 is considered to be statistically significant.
| Results and Discussion |
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Fig. 2E
shows representative measurements in one of the U87-VC2 tumors. We scanned across the tumor in 100-µm increments (Fig. 2E)
. First, we measured GFP fluorescence intensity and background fluorescence for pH measurement. Then, we injected the BCECF probe and measured fluorescence excited by pH-sensitive and -insensitive wavelengths. Finally, we injected the porphyrin probe and measured phosphorescence decay after strobe-light excitation for pO2 measurement. The accuracy of the stage controller is 0.1 µm. Thus, we can observe exactly the same location for three different measurements: GFP, pO2, and pH. Contrary to widely accepted hypotheses, the region with strongest GFP signal (arrowhead) in this tumor was not hypoxic (Fig. 2F)
. In fact, this tumor was relatively well oxygenated throughout the measurement track, ranging from 20 to 60 mmHg. On the other hand, the strong GFP region showed low tissue pH (Fig. 2G)
. The adjacent region (arrow) showed a relative decrease in GFP and an increase in pH with no change in pO2. These results suggest that acidic pH induces VEGF promoter activity in vivo. However, GFP, pO2, and pH profiles were heterogeneous within the tumor as well as between the tumors.
Under Hypoxic or Neutral pH Conditions, VEGF Promoter Activity Increased with a Decrease in pO2 and Independent of pH.
To determine the relationship between VEGF promoter activity and tissue oxygen and/or pH level, we analyzed all measurements (93 regions in eight tracks in five animals) using linear regression. There was relatively weak but statistically significant correlation between the tissue oxygen level and VEGF promoter activity (Fig. 3A)
. On the other hand, there was no correlation between tissue pH and VEGF promoter activity (Fig. 3B)
. Median tissue pO2 was 32.3 mmHg, and median pH was 6.79.
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No Additive Effect of Acidic pH and Hypoxia in VEGF Expression in Vitro.
We confirmed the lack of synergism by combining hypoxia and acidic pH using an in vitro system. Although both hypoxia (1% O2) and acidic culture media (pH 6.6) induced VEGF expression, there was no additional increase in VEGF mRNA when we combined hypoxia and acidic pH (Fig. 1E)
. Hypoxia increases HIF 1
protein stability and transcriptional activity (8)
. Under hypoxic conditions, HIF-1 heterodimer complex binds to the hypoxia response element in the VEGF promoter and induces its transcription. On the other hand, acidic pH does not increase HIF-1
or its binding activity to the hypoxia response element (15)
. Acidic pH induces IL-8 (15)
and inducible nitric oxide synthase (19)
via NF
B, and NF
B mediates murine VEGF up-regulation (20)
. Shi et al. reported that transient exposure of acidic pH increases NF
B binding activity to the VEGF gene in human pancreatic carcinoma cells (12)
. Thus, the mechanisms of VEGF upregulation by hypoxia and acidic pH are different.
Because tumor microenvironment is heterogeneous, capability of VEGF induction by both hypoxia and acidic pH may potentiate tumor growth by recruiting blood vessels more effectively. In other words, tumor can be more aggressive if either hypoxia or acidic pH induces genes such as VEGF. Tumors consist of not only neoplastic cells but also non-neoplastic host stromal cells. We have shown that host stromal cells express significant amounts of VEGF in the tumors grown in dorsal skin chambers (13 , 21) . However, stromal cell VEGF promoter activity was not apparent when we grew U87 MG tumors in the cranial window of the VEGF-GFP transgenic mice (data not shown). In fact, there are not many stromal cells in this tumor when grown in the cranium (22) .
It is not clear why there is no additive effect on VEGF promoter activity with the combination of hypoxia and acidic pH. Most tumor cells maintain intracellular pH at a neutral level despite low extracellular pH (23)
. However, tumor cells may not be able to maintain transmembrane proton gradient under hypoxic and acidic conditions because of severe nutrient/energy deficiency. Thus, intracellular pH decreases and, subsequently, the cells undergo apoptosis (24)
. Hypoxia also induces apoptosis via HIF-1
(14
, 25
, 26)
. The same microenvironmental stress can induce both pro- and antitumor events. A single stress may predominantly induce survival factors, whereas multiple stresses may lead to cell death. Additional studies are warranted because understanding of these mechanisms will provide tumor-specific treatment strategies.
| FOOTNOTES |
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1 This work was supported by Program Project Grant PO1-CA80124 from the National Cancer Institute. ![]()
2 To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 100 Blossom Street, COX-7, Boston, MA 02114. Phone: (617) 726-8143; Fax: (617) 724-5841; E-mail: dai{at}steele.mgh.harvard.edu ![]()
3 The abbreviations used are: pO2, oxygen partial pressure; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; HIF, hypoxia-inducible factor; GFP, green fluorescent protein; FBS, fetal bovine serum; CCD, charged coupled device; SCID, severe combined immunodeficient; BCECF, 2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5,6-carboxyfluorescein; NF
B, neuclear factor
B. ![]()
Received 6/ 4/01. Accepted 6/29/01.
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B signaling inhibits angiogenesis and tumorigenicity of human ovarian cancer cells by suppressing expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin 8. Cancer Res., 60: 5334-5339, 2000.
B activation. J. Biol. Chem., 273: 5086-5092, 1998.
Hypoxia response element
VEGF cascade differentially regulates vascular response and growth rate in tumors. Cancer Res., 60: 6248-6252, 2000.
in hypoxia-mediated apoptosis, cell proliferation and tumour angiogenesis. Nature, 394: 485-490, 1998.[Medline]
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