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IGF family proteins play a pivotal role in regulating cell growth and apoptosis in normal and tumour tissues. IGFBP-3 is the major binding protein of IGFs and modulates the bioactivity of IGFs. To examine the role of IGFBP-3 in gastric cancer, an IGFBP3 promoter polymorphism, and serum and gastric mucosal levels of IGFBP-3 were assessed in two independent groups of patients (396 and 117 patients, respectively) with gastroduodenal diseases. There was no significant association between IGFBP-3 polymorphism and different gastroduodenal diseases ( p = 0.6), but a significantly higher frequency of CC, a genotype related to lower levels of serum IGFBP-3 previously, were observed in patients with antral intestinal metaplasia when compared with those without this pre-malignancy ( p = 0.04). Similarly, data from another independent group of patients further showed that patients with antral or corpus intestinal metaplasia had significantly lower serum levels of IGFBP-3 than those without these changes ( p = 0.03 and 0.04, respectively). Furthermore, the percentage of positive IGFBP-3 staining in tumour tissue was significantly higher in patients with well or moderately differentiated tumours than those with poorly differentiated tumours ( p = 0.04), indicating that IGFBP-3 may be associated with a better prognosis. In conclusion, our study suggests that IGFBP-3 may be protective against the development of gastric adenocarcinoma by preventing the formation of intestinal metaplasia and improve the prognosis of gastric cancer.

Purpose: A common polymorphism of the tumor suppressor gene TP53 at codon 72 has been associated with human cancer susceptibility. The prognostic role of the polymorphism was assessed in 102 patients with advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. Experimental Design: We followed up 102 consecutive Caucasian patients with advanced gastric adenocarcinoma for >5 years and determined the status of the TP53 codon 72 polymorphism in DNA samples extracted from archived gastric tissues. Results: The frequency of the arginine homozygous allele was positively correlated to patient age at baseline (P = 0.002). However, the age-related increase in the percentage of codon 72 arginine p53 was not correlated to the prognosis for gastric cancer patients. Multivariable analysis in patients who had surgery showed that baseline age may be inversely associated with patient survival (odds ratio, 1.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–1.2; P = 0.02). Furthermore, alcohol consumption may be associated with reduced survival (P = 0.06). Conclusions: These findings indicate that codon 72 arginine p53 may not be associated with a prolonged survival in patients with advanced gastric adenocarcinoma, but further study is needed to assess whether this polymorphism is associated with a late onset or slow progress of early gastric adenocarcinoma.

Variability in response to chemotherapy is poorly understood. Paclitaxel-induced apoptosis was assessed in human Hs578T breast cancer cells, using the MTT assay, cell counting, morphological features and flow cytometry. Pre-dosing cells with non-glycosylated insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (ngIGFBP-3) had no effect on the cells per se but accentuated paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. The apoptotic pathway was further examined by measuring caspase-3 activity in cell lysates at time points over 48 hr after dosing with paclitaxel. Activity increased significantly, and Western immunoblots for caspase-3 in conditioned media showed that the inactive precursor decreased after incubation with paclitaxel. Endogenous production of IGFBP-3 by the cells after incubation with paclitaxel was evaluated using Western ligand blotting, specific IGFBP-3 immunoblotting and radioimmunoassay. Paclitaxel increased endogenous IGFBP-3, which was further increased if the cells had been pre-dosed with ngIGFBP-3. These findings suggest that IGFBP-3 may be an important modulator of paclitaxel-induced apoptosis.

We have demonstrated previously that insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-3 alone has little growth inhibitory effect on Hs578T human breast cancer cells, but that it can dramatically accentuate the apoptotic response to the physiological trigger, ceramide, in an IGF-independent manner. We have now studied the potential of other IGFBPs (1-6) to interact with apoptotic signalling pathways. Hs578T cells were preincubated with a binding protein (100 ng/ml) for 24 h, followed by co-incubation of the binding protein with an apoptotic dose of ceramide or RGD-containing peptide for a further 24 h. Apoptosis was assessed using flow cytometry, MTT (3-[4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; thiazolyl blue) assay and morphological assessment. Binding protein profiles were determined using ligand and immunoblotting techniques. Each of the IGFBPs (1-6) alone had no significant (P > 0. 05) growth inhibitory effects relative to control cells. In contrast to IGFBP-3, which significantly (P < 0.05) accentuated C2-induced apoptosis, IGFBP-1, -2, and -6 had no effect, whereas IGFBP-4 and -5 each caused marked (P < 0.01) inhibition of ceramide-induced programmed cell death. Apoptosis induced by RGD was also significantly (P < 0.05) reduced by IGFBP-5, whereas IGFBP-3 had no effect. These data provide evidence to suggest that individual IGFBPs have specific IGF-independent effects and act differentially on apoptotic signalling pathways.

Cell counting, cell cycle analysis and Western immunoblotting were used to examine the effects of non-apoptotic doses of a ceramide analogue, C2, and a synthetic arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD)-containing peptide, RGD, in MCF-7 and T47D cells to determine whether activation of these signalling pathways could alter the mitogenic potential of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). IGF-I alone increased total cell number in both cell lines, associated with a rise in the percentage of cells in the S-phase of the cell cycle and a co-incident increase in cyclin A production. Treatments alone had no effects on cell number or cyclin A production relative to controls. C2 inhibited IGF-I-induced mitogenesis in both lines, whereas RGD was only effective in the T47D line. Despite inhibition of cell proliferation, IGF-I stimulation of cells in S-phase and of cyclin A levels were unaffected; however, an IGF-I-induced increase in cyclin B1 levels was inhibited by 30%. Low-dose induction of integrin and ceramide signalling pathways causes cells to be blocked in S-phase, thereby inhibiting the normal cycle of events associated with the IGF-I-induced mitotic signal. Activating these pathways may not only restrict tumour growth by induction of apoptosis but they may also directly inhibit IGF-I-induced cell proliferation. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaign

AIMS--To investigate overexpression of the oncoprotein c-erbB-2 in the dysplasia/carcinoma sequence of Barrett's columnar-lined oesophagus (CLO). METHODS--Immunohistochemical staining was performed using the monoclonal antibody NCL-CB-11 on formalin fixed tissue from 31 cases of Barrett's carcinoma, 20 cases of cancer associated dysplastic CLO, seven cases of dysplastic CLO without cancer, and 20 cases of non-dysplastic CLO. Membranous staining was regarded as positive for c-erbB-2 overexpression; cytoplasmic staining was recorded separately as its significance is uncertain. RESULTS--Membranous c-erbB-2 overexpression was observed in eight of 31 (26%) carcinomas and in none of the cases of dysplastic CLO. Variable cytoplasmic staining was seen in four of 31 (13%) tumours and seven of 27 (26%) cases of dysplastic CLO. No staining was observed in non-dysplastic CLO. CONCLUSIONS--C-erbB-2 overexpression is a relatively late event in the development of some Barrett's carcinomas and is unlikely to be involved in the early stages of neoplastic transformation of CLO.

Adenocarcinoma arising in Barrett's oesophagus is often preceded by mucosal dysplasia, but little is currently known about the aetiology or natural history of this dysplasia/carcinoma sequence. To investigate the participation of the tumour suppressor gene p53 in this sequence, an immunohistochemical analysis of p53 protein overexpression, which is known to closely correlate with point mutation of the p53 gene, was conducted in 30 patients with Barrett's adenocarcinoma. Adjacent Barrett's mucosa was dysplastic in 21 (70%) patients. Sixteen (53%) tumours overexpressed p53, 10 of which had adjacent dysplastic Barrett's mucosa. In all 10 patients, this dysplastic mucosa also overexpressed p53, predominantly in areas of high grade compared with low grade dysplasia. In contrast, none of the dysplastic mucosa adjacent to 11 tumours lacking p53 overexpression showed detectable values of p53. These results suggest that p53 dysfunction may participate in the progression from dysplasia to carcinoma in some patients with Barrett's oesophagus.

BACKGROUND: The role of prolactin in the regulation of ovarian folliculogenesis and corpus luteal function and in particular its relationship to atresia in these structures is as yet unclear. We established a model of apoptosis in which to examine the actions of prolactin. METHOD: Granulosa cells collected from IVF-flush were cultured at 0.1‐0.3310 6 cells/well in growth media for 48 h, placed into serum-free media for 24 h prior to dosing for 24 h. Dose responses to C2-ceramide and prolactin were performed. Cells were then treated with an apoptotic dose of C2-ceramide alone, prolactin (100 ng/ml) alone or a combination of the two. Cell death was assessed by Trypan Blue cell counting and MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; Thiazolyl Blue] assay and apoptosis confirmed by morphological assessment and flow cytometry. RESULTS: C2-ceramide (0‐40 mmol/l) induced a dose-dependent increase in cell death (63.8% increase at 40 mmol/l) and, morphologically, cells exhibited classical features of apoptosis. Prolactin alone had no effect on metabolic activity or total cell number. On coincubation, prolactin alone had no effect on cell death, whereas C2-ceramide induced an ~62.6% increase in apoptosis, which was inhibited in the presence of prolactin. CONCLUSIONS: Prolactin may contribute significantly to early corpus luteum formation and survival by acting as a potent antiapoptotic factor for human granulosa cells.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor status is a useful prognostic indicator in women with breast cancer. Lack of standardization and correlation of methodology for the detection of EGF receptor has hampered its further evaluation. EGF receptor status was ascertained by immunohistochemistry and radioligand assay in 120 breast cancers. Of 52 tumours negative for EGF receptor on radioligand assay, 47 were negative on immunohistochemistry and, of 68 tumours positive for the receptor on assay, 52 were positive on immunohistochemistry. If the more widely evaluated radioligand assay is assumed to be the ‘gold standard’, immunohistochemistry has a sensitivity of 81 per cent and a specificity of 91 per cent.

Aims: This study investigated amplification of the cyclin D1 and MDM-2 genes, and overexpression of the cyclin D1 gene product, in oesophageal carcinoma. Methods: Paired tumour and normal DNA samples from 26 oesophageal adenocarcinomas and 19 squamous cell carcinomas were analysed by Southern blotting with specific DNA probes for cyclin D1 and MDM-2 , and for a control gene ( α-lactalbumin ). The cyclin D1 and MDM-2 gene copy numbers were calculated for each tumour. Expression of the cyclin D1 gene was assessed by immunohistochemical analysis of its protein product. Results: Cyclin D1 gene amplification (by a factor of between two and six) was identified in seven tumours (16%). MDM-2 gene amplification (by a factor of between two and 11) was identified in 10 tumours (22%). Overexpression of cyclin D1 protein was identified in eight tumours and was significantly associated with gene amplification ( P =0.04; Fisher's exact test), and with early T stage ( P =0.01; Fisher's exact test). Conclusions: Cyclin D1 and MDM-2 amplification and cyclin D1 overexpression occur, although infrequently, in the development of oesophageal carcinoma. Cyclin D1 overexpression may influence tumour behaviour, causing the disease to present at an earlier T stage. The mechanism for this effect is unclear, and warrants further investigation.

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are capable of blocking apoptosis in many cell linesin vitro. The IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) is believed to mediate protective effects of the IGFs against apoptosis. To determine whether ceramide-mediated induction of apoptosis involved a decreased survival effect of the IGF-IR, apoptosis was induced in IGF-I receptor positive (R+) and negative (R–) murine fibroblasts by incubation with increasing doses of the sphingolipid analogue, C2 ceramide. Lower ceramide doses were required to induce death in receptor negative compared with receptor positive fibroblasts (P< 0.05 at ceramide doses of 2 μM or greater), not only corroborating evidence that the IGF-I receptor functions as a survival receptor, but also suggesting that ceramide is not inducing apoptosis by suppressing a survival effect of the IGF-IR. Ceramide has been reported to induce death through suppression of MAP kinase, and activation of JUN kinase signalling1,2; since our initial data suggested that ceramide had not affected an anti-apoptotic signalling event of the IGF-IR, we monitored the activation of these enzymes. To our surprise, in the presence of ceramide, not only was JUN kinase activity increased, but so too was MAP kinase. Inhibition of MAP kinase, using the MEKK inhibitor, PD98059, significantly reduced ceramide-induced cell death (P< 0.001). Ceramide also enhanced IGF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the IGF-I receptor and activated PI-3 kinase. The cumulative effects of these events resulted in increased progression to the G2 phase of the cell cycle, arrest without subsequent mitosis, and apoptosis. These results indicate that ceramide is capable of eliciting apparently contradictory events within a single cell type, and suggest that in the presence of an IGF-IR, survival is enhanced because ceramide can activate PI-3 kinase, believed to be an anti-apoptotic enzyme.

Interaction of epithelial cells with the extracellular matrix is mediated through integrin receptors, which transmit signals regulating cell growth, differentiation and death. Occupation of these receptors, via Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) recognition sequences, leads to activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). We treated human breast cancer cell lines with RGD-containing peptides, which can disrupt integrin attachment, and investigated alterations in FAK phosphorylation, cell detachment and death. Cells grown in vitro were treated with insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) and a small, synthetic RGD-containing peptide (Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Thr-Pro) and its negative control peptide RGE (Arg-Gly-Glu-Ser) for either 30 min followed by immunoprecipitation of cell lysates with anti-phosphotyrosine and Western immunoblotting with anti-FAK or for 24 h followed by cell counting, immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. Both IGFBP-1 (0-800 ng/ml) and the synthetic RGD-containing peptide (1-100 microg/ml) caused significant dephosphorylation of FAK. Furthermore, after 24 h both peptides caused detachment from the matrix and the induction of apoptosis. We conclude from these data that IGFBP-1 can interact with integrin receptors to induce FAK dephosphorylation and subsequently influence attachment and cell death.

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) -independent growth inhibition of human breast cancer cells, Hs578T, by IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) has previously been demonstrated. Cell growth is a balance between proliferation and programmed cell death (apoptosis). We have investigated whether IGFBP-3 can affect apoptosis of Hs578T cells. As no induction of apoptosis was found, we also investigated its effect on the response to ceramide, an intracellular second messenger that mediates the signal for apoptosis. Using the cell permeable ceramide analogue, C2, induction of apoptosis was established by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, trypan blue uptake, morphological criteria, and flow cytometry. Incubation of cells with non-glycosylated IGFBP-3 (ngIGFBP-3; 0.5–100 ng/ml) resulted in no growth inhibition or increase in apoptosis; whereas, C2 (1–30 μm) resulted in a dose-dependent induction of apoptosis. Addition of IGFs to the cells, alone or with C2, elicited no response in terms of proliferation or survival, respectively. When the cells were preincubated with ngIGFBP-3 before addition of C2 (2–5 μm), apoptosis was accentuated in a dose-dependent manner (at 100 ng/ml IGFBP-3, apoptosis increased from 11 to 88%). In conclusion, we found that IGFBP-3 had no direct inhibitory effect on Hs578T cells but could accentuate apoptosis induced by the physiological trigger ceramide in an IGF-independent manner.