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Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is involved in tumoral angiogenesis, hypoxia and metastases. Actually the Gal-1 expression profile in multiple myeloma (MM) patients and its pathophysiological role in MM-induced angiogenesis and tumoral growth are unknown. In this study, we found that Gal-1 expression by MM cells was upregulated in hypoxic conditions and that stable knockdown of hypoxia inducible factor-1a significantly downregulated its expression. Therefore, we performed Gal-1 inhibition using lentivirus transfection of shRNA anti-Gal-1 in human myeloma cell lines (HMCLs), and showed that its suppression modified transcriptional profiles in both hypoxic and normoxic conditions. Interestingly, Gal-1 inhibition in MM cells downregulated proangiogenic genes, including MMP9and CCL2, and upregulated the antiangiogenic ones SEMA3Aand CXCL10. Consistently, Gal-1 suppression in MM cells significantly decreased their proangiogenic properties in vitro. This was confirmed in vivo, in two different mouse models injected with HMCLs transfected with anti-Gal-1 shRNA or the control vector. Gal-1 suppression in both models significantly reduced tumor burden and microvascular density as compared with the control mice. Moreover, Gal-1 suppression induced smaller lytic lesions on X-ray in the intratibial model. Overall, our data indicate that Gal-1 is a new potential therapeutic target in MM blocking angiogenesis.

Summary.: In 3T3 cells temperatures higher than physiological stimulated amino acid transport activity in a dose-dependent manner up to 44°C. However, the temperature increase did not induce widespread transport increase of all other nutrients tested. The activities of both amino acid transport systems A and ASC were enhanced within a few minutes following cell exposure to increased temperature. The maintenance of this effect required continuous exposure of the cells to hyperthermia. Kinetic analysis indicated that the stimulation of the activity of transport System A occurred through a mechanism affecting Vmax rather than Km. The continuous presence of cycloheximide did not prevent the transport changes induced by hyperthermia. These results suggest that the increased amino acid uptake reflects an activation or relocation of existing amino acid transport proteins. During the hyperthermic treatment, the content of ninhydrin-positive substances (NPS), mostly amino acids, increased within the cells and the accumulation of these compatible osmolytes was parallelled by an increase in cell volume. The withdrawal of amino acids from the culture medium immediately before and during the shock phase counteracted the increase and reduced the NPS content but did not prevent the increase in amino acid transport, the cell swelling and the induction of the heat shock response.

The osmotically inducible uptake of betaine (NNN-trimethylglycine) by SV-3T3 cells has been studied and compared with the similar process in MDCK cells. Betaine uptake by SV-3T3 cells could be described in terms of a saturable, Na(+)-dependent, component plus a small non-saturable, Na(+)-independent, component. Transport was active, producing considerable accumulation of betaine in the cells. After exposure of the cells to hypertonic conditions for 6 h, there was a marked increase in betaine uptake. Kinetic analysis indicated that this increase resulted from an increase in the Vmax. value of the saturable component, from about 88 to 185 nmol of betaine/5 min per mg of protein, the corresponding Km values of about 15 and 10 mM not being significantly different. This induction of transport activity was detectable only after about 2 h exposure of the cells to hypertonic medium, closely paralleling an induction of influx of N-methylaminoisobutyric acid, and was prevented by the presence of cycloheximide. Betaine influx was markedly inhibited by several neutral amino acids, particularly those transported by system A, such as N-methylaminoisobutyric acid and the imino acid proline. A high concentration (25 mM) of betaine also significantly inhibited the uptake of proline by SV-3T3 cells. Although very similar results were obtained with MDCK cells, prolonged exposure of cells to hypertonic conditions revealed distinct differences. When the hypertonic incubation was extended from 6 h to 24 h, betaine transport in SV-3T3 cells either remained the same or decreased, whereas it showed a further marked increase in MDCK cells, and also became sensitive to inhibition by gamma-aminobutyric acid. mRNA for the betaine transporter BGT-1 [Yamauchi, Uchida, Kwon, Preston, Brooks Robey, Garcia-Perez, Burg and Handler (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 649-652] was detectable in MDCK cells exposed to hypertonic medium for 24 h, but not in SV-3T3 cells under any conditions. It is concluded that SV-3T3 cells do not produce a specific inducible transporter analogous to BGT-1, but they can accumulate betaine via the amino acid transport system A.

Induced expression of the HSP70 gene in 3T3 and SV-3T3 cells was monitored by measurements of the synthesis of HSP70 and of the cellular contents of both HSP70 and its mRNA. The presence of betaine (N-trimethylglycine) at concentrations of 2.5-25 mM decreased the induction of HSP70 gene expression caused by incubation of 3T3 and SV-3T3 cells in hypertonic (0.5 osM) medium. This effect was accompanied by an enhancement of SV-3T3 cell adaptation, assayed by colony formation, to the hyperosmotic conditions. In contrast, the presence of betaine did not affect HSP70 gene expression induced in these cells by heat shock. After 6 h incubation with 25 mM betaine under hypertonic (0.5 osM) conditions the intracellular concentration of betaine in SV-3T3 cells was about 195 mM, compared with about 70 mM under isotonic (0.3 osM) conditions. Hence, with this concentration of extracellular betaine, the marked increase in the accumulation of betaine within the cells presumably counteracts the imposed osmotic pressure and eliminates the signal that otherwise initiates increased expression of the HSP70 gene.

Various solutes were tested to see if they could modify the responses of SV-3T3 cells to hyperosmotic (0.5 osM) conditions, which cause an inhibition of general cell protein synthesis and of the rate of cell proliferation, coupled with an induction of amino acid transport activity. The added solutes were glycerol, proline, taurine, betaine, dimethylglycine and sarcosine. Of these, betaine produced the most dramatic and consistent effects. Addition of 10-25 mM-betaine to the hyperosmotic medium largely prevented the 90% inhibition of cell proliferation that occurred in its absence. Whether it was added initially or after the cells were exposed to hyperosmotic medium, 25 mM-betaine also converted a 50% recovery of the rate of protein synthesis into 100%. Similarly, the same concentrations of betaine prevented a 30% decrease in cell volume and decreased the induction of amino acid transport via system A by 73%. Lower concentrations of betaine produced smaller but still significant changes in these functional responses. With chick-embryo fibroblasts, under identical hyperosmotic conditions, 25 mM-betaine completely counteracted a 75% inhibition of the rate of protein synthesis. At present it is not clear how betaine modulates these effects of hyperosmolarity on cell functions.

The alteration of cytosolic free calcium concentration is an important event during cellular ischaemia. Calcium channel blockers have been shown to be beneficial during experimental ischaemic organ protection. To investigate the mechanisms of this protection, the behaviour of type II pneumocyte cultures, subjected to warm and cold metabolic ischaemia (6 h), was studied. The cells were incubated in electrolytic solutions and treated with high doses of verapamil (10 mg/l) or diltiazem (100 mg/l). Alveolar type II epithelial cells were removed from adult rat lungs using the modified Dobbs' method. Cell viability was determined by analysis of the total protein content, and from the rate of protein synthesis as indicated by the [35S]methionine uptake assay. The results show that verapamil does not have a direct cytoprotective or cytotoxic effect on the incubated cells, but diltiazem seems to be toxic to the cells, especially during cold ischaemia when the toxicity is significant (P< 0.05). Thus, the protection from ischaemia previously attributed to calcium channel blockers is ascribed to action on the blood vessels resulting in vasodilatation, rather than to a direct influence on cytosolic free calcium homeostasis.