A. Sourla - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by A. Sourla

$Research paper thumbnail of Insulin-like Growth Factor I and Urokinase-type Plasminogen Activator Bioregulation System as a Survival Mechanism of Prostate Cancer Cells in Osteoblastic Metastases: Development of Anti-Survival Factor Therapy for Hormone-Refractory Prostate Cancer$

Molecular Medicine, 2000

The cellular constituents of the bone microenvironment (osteoblasts, osteocytes, stromal

Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.)

Insulinlike growth factor-1 (IGF-1) expression is implicated in myocardial pathophysiology, and t... more Insulinlike growth factor-1 (IGF-1) expression is implicated in myocardial pathophysiology, and two IGF-1 mRNA splice variants have been detected in rodents, IGF-1Ea and mechano-growth factor (MGF). We investigated the expression pattern of IGF-1 gene transcripts in rat myocardium from 1 h up to 8 wks after myocardial infarction induced by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. In addition, we characterized IGF-1 and MGF E peptide action and their respective signaling in H9C2 myocardial-like cells in vitro. IGF-1Ea and MGF expression were significantly increased, both at transcriptional and translational levels, during the late postinfarction period (4 and 8 wks) in infarcted rat myocardium. Measurements of serum IGF-1 levels in infarcted rats were initially decreased (24 h up to 1 wk) but remained unaltered throughout the late experimental phase (4 to 8 wks) compared with sham-operated rats. Furthermore, specific anti-IGF-1R neutralizing antibody failed to block the syn...

Experimental Physiology, 2007

Parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) is released under ischaemic conditions and it improve... more Parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) is released under ischaemic conditions and it improves contractile function of stunned myocardium. The actions of PTHrP are mediated primarily by the type 1 parathyroid hormone receptor (PTH.1R), while PTHrP and PTH.1R expression levels are increased in ventricular hypertrophy associated with experimental hyperthyroidism. Since chronic administration of thyroxine (T4) improves postischaemic recovery in isolated heart models subjected to ischaemia-reperfusion stress, we tested the hypothesis that experimentally induced hyperthyroidism is associated with elevated expression of PTHrP and PTH.1R in rat myocardium. Hyperthyroid and control male Wistar rats were subjected to ischaemia-reperfusion stress using the Langendorff technique, and the PTHrP and PTH.1R expression was assessed by relative quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. In the Langendorff model, the recovery of left ventricular developed pressure at the end of the stablization period and 45 min into the reperfusion period was used to assess the cardioprotective actions of T4 administration. Our data show that hyperthyroid animals had increased tolerance to the ischaemia-reperfusion stress and that this was associated with an increase of PTHrP and PTH.1R expression levels compared with those of control animals. In the control animals, the expression of PTHrP was increased 45 min into the reperfusion phase, while the PTH.1R expression pattern was significantly and gradually decreased throughout the ischaemia and reperfusion phases. In the hyperthyroid animals, the PTHrP and PTH.1R expression pattern was significantly higher throughout the ischaemia and reperfusion phases compared with that of control hearts. Our data suggest that increasing levels of PTHrP and PTH.1R expression can mediate, at least in part, the T4 administration-induced cardioprotection in rat ventricular myocardium.

In Vivo, 2008

The human insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) gene gives rise to multiple, heterogeneous mRNA tr... more The human insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) gene gives rise to multiple, heterogeneous mRNA transcripts by alternative splicing, thus producing different IGF-1 isoforms. The mechano growth factor (MGF) is an IGF-1 isoform that was found to be markedly up-regulated in exercised or damaged muscle. The specific E domain of the MGF splice variant may act as an independent growth factor. The aim of the present study was to characterize a rabbit antihuman MGF polyclonal antibody. New-Zealand rabbits were ...

Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.)

Anticancer research

Bone only metastasis in patients with estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer reported to h... more Bone only metastasis in patients with estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer reported to have favorable response to chemotherapy, favorable prognosis, and an "indolent" course. Therefore, we assessed the ability of MG-63 osteoblast-like human osteosarcoma cells (MG-63 cells) and MG-63 conditioned media (CM) to influence adriamycin-cytotoxicity of ER-positive MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Estradiol (E2; 100 nM) increased the distribution at S and G2/M phases in the cell cycle and stimulated the growth of MCF-7 cells. Adriamycin (100 nM) inhibited the growth and arrested the MCF-7 cells supplemented with or without 100 nM of estradiol [(-E2) and (+E2) MCF-7 cultures] at G2/M phase in the cell cycle. In addition, adriamycin (100 nM) increased the distribution at G1/G0 phase in the cell cycle of (+E2) MCF-7 cultures. Adriamycin (100 nM and 10 microM) did not induce apoptosis of MCF-7 cells as assessed by flow cytometry and analysis of DNA fragmentation on simple agarose gel. Exogenous insulin-like growth factor I (IGF I) stimulated while transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) and MG-63 CM inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, MG-63 CM and TGF beta 1 enhanced while exogenous IGF I reversed adriamycin (100 nM)-cytostasis of MCF-7 cells. These data suggested that osteoblastic CM contained growth factors, such as TGF beta 1 capable of enhancing adriamycin-cytostasis, in vitro. Conceivably, these osteoblast-derived "enhancers" of chemotherapy-cytostasis can explain the favorable prognosis and "indolent" course of ER-positive breast cancer patients with bone only metastasis.

Anticancer research

We characterized the human KW cell line to investigate whether it can serve as a model to study u... more We characterized the human KW cell line to investigate whether it can serve as a model to study uterine muscle physiology in vitro. KW cells stained (a) positive for vimentin, smooth-muscle-specific alpha actin, tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), urokinase-type PA (uPA), uPA receptor, PA inhibitor 1, latent transforming growth factor beta 1 (latent TGF-beta 1) and 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type I, and (b) negative for desmin, endoglin and cytokeratin 19. Insulin-like growth factor I, epidermal growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor stimulated the DNA synthesis in KW cells in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, KW cells express a phenotype compatible with human uterine muscle cells. Hence, they can serve as a model to study uterine muscle physiology in vitro.

Anticancer research

Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1995

We purified the major mitogen for human smooth musclelike cells in leiomyoma extracts by sequenti... more We purified the major mitogen for human smooth musclelike cells in leiomyoma extracts by sequential liquid chromatography on (a) carboxymethyl-Sepharose, (b) heparin-Sepharose columns, (c) cartridges of C18 silica, and (d) linear gradient reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The mitogenic activity of the leiomyoma extract throughout purification was tested by tritiated thymidine incorporation and DNA content in NIH/3T3 fibroblasts and KW human smooth muscle-like cells. Purification of the leiomyoma-derived growth factor (LDGF) for KW smooth muscle-like cells confirmed that its partial NH2terminal amino acid (aa) sequence (1-20 aa) was identical to 113-132 aa of the human cysteine-rich protein (hCRP). A synthetic peptide which was engineered based on the purified aa sequence, stimulated the proliferation and growth of KW cells. An oligonucleotide probe constructed by the cDNA of the hcrp gene that encodes this aa sequence depicted the expression of 1.9-kb LDGF mRNA in leiomyomas and myometrium. The expression of the LDGF mRNA was three to sixfold higher in leiomyomas compared with adjacent myometrium of women harboring leiomyomas by in situ hybridization analysis. These data suggest that LDGF may participate in the pathophysiology of uterine leiomyomas. (J. Clin. Invest. 1995.96:751-758.) and leiomyoma-derived growth factors (DGF)1 have been im-1. Abbreviations used in this paper: aa, amino acid; ACN, acetonitrile; CM-c, carboxymethyl-Sepharose chromatography; ELP, embryonal long terminal repeat-binding protein; hCRP, human cysteine-rich protein; HS-c, heparin-Sepharose chromatography; LDGF, leiomyoma-derived growth factor; rHPLC, reverse phase HPLC; SF-1, steroidogenic factor 1; TFA, trifluoroacetic acid.

REVIEW OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHARMACOKINETICS-INTERNATIONAL EDITION-, 1997

In Vivo, 2008

$Research paper thumbnail of Growth factors mediate glucocorticoid receptor function and dexamethasone-induced regression of osteoblastic lesions in hormone refractory prostate cancer$

Anticancer research, 1997

Résumé/Abstract We investigated the ability of important regulators of osteoblast function, such ... more Résumé/Abstract We investigated the ability of important regulators of osteoblast function, such as insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1), and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) to act as mediators in cell-cell interactions between osteoblast-like cells and metastatic prostate cancer cells, in vitro. In addition, we assessed whether these growth substances can (a) mediate glucocorticoid receptor (GR) function and (b) be implicated in dexamethasone-induced regression of osteoblastic ...

Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.)

Endocrinology

Treatment with the antiestrogen EM-800, at the daily oral dose of 3 microg, 10 microg, 30 microg,... more Treatment with the antiestrogen EM-800, at the daily oral dose of 3 microg, 10 microg, 30 microg, or 100 microg for 24 weeks, caused a marked inhibition of uterine and vaginal weight in both intact and ovariectomized mice. Maximal 64% and 41% inhibitions of uterine weight were achieved in intact and ovariectomized animals, respectively. Similar inhibitory effects of EM-800 were observed on vaginal weight with maximal inhibitions of 71% and 35%, in intact and ovariectomized animals, respectively. The pure antiestrogenic activity of EM-800 on the hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian axis is illustrated by the 76-91% increases in ovarian weight observed in intact animals treated with the 10-100 microg doses of the antiestrogen. Serum 17beta-estradiol was 93% increased at the 100 microg daily dose of EM-800, whereas serum androstenedione, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone were 141-713% increased over control at the same dose of the antiestrogen. Serum LH was increased by treatment with EM-800 in intact animals, whereas no effect was observed on the elevated gonadotropin levels in ovariectomized animals. At all doses used in intact animals, the antiestrogen caused a complete disappearance of the glandular elements of the mammary gland, the atrophy being comparable with that observed in ovariectomized mice. The mammary gland of EM-800-treated animals was exclusively composed of an atrophied ductal system lined by atrophied epithelial cells with an absence of lobulo-glandular elements. No effect of the compound was observed on the histology of the mammary gland in ovariectomized animals, thus showing the pure antiestrogenic effect of EM-800 on the mammary gland, as shown also for the uterus, vagina, and hypothalamo-pituitary axis. At histopathology, all doses of EM-800 in intact animals led to a moderate to severe uterine and vaginal atrophy. The uterine atrophy affected both the myometrium and the endometrium. Interestingly, the uterine atrophy achieved in intact animals treated with EM-800 was greater than that observed after ovariectomy alone, thus clearly demonstrating the pure antiestrogenic activity of EM-800. The present data show the highly potent and pure antiestrogenic activity of EM-800 on all parameters measured after 6 months of treatment in both intact and ovariectomized mice, a maximal effect being reached at the daily 10 microg dose of the antiestrogen in intact animals.

Endocrinology

The present study compares the effects of tamoxifen and EM-800, both administered at the oral dai... more The present study compares the effects of tamoxifen and EM-800, both administered at the oral daily dose of 100 microg for 6 months, on the uterus, vagina, and mammary gland in the mouse at histopathological examination. Treatment of intact animals with EM-800 resulted in uterine and vaginal atrophy even greater than that achieved after ovariectomy, while the developmental growth of the mammary gland was completely blocked and serum LH was increased. In ovariectomized animals, treatment with EM-800 decreased uterine and vaginal wt below the values observed in control ovariectomized mice while no significant change was observed on serum LH, thus indicating the lack of estrogenic activity of EM-800. Tamoxifen, on the other hand, showed a stimulatory estrogenic-like action on the mouse uterus in both intact and ovariectomized animals, thus resulting in moderate to severe endometrial hyperplasia. These morphological changes were accompanied by a marked stimulation of both the estrogenic and androgenic 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase as well as 5alpha-reductase uterine activities. The histological atrophic changes observed in the vagina after tamoxifen treatment were less pronounced than those seen after treatment with EM-800. The agonistic estrogen-like action of tamoxifen was also illustrated by the suppression of serum LH levels in ovariectomized animals. A marked stimulation of the ovarian stroma, accompanied by a significant reduction in folliculogenic activity, was observed after EM-800 or tamoxifen administration, although the interstitial ovarian hyperplasia was more pronounced after EM-800 treatment. While both antiestrogens blocked the developmental growth of the mammary gland, EM-800 showed more potent antiestrogenic activity than tamoxifen. The highly potent and specific antiestrogenic activity of EM-800 suggests that this compound could improve the therapy of breast cancer while avoiding the undesirable stimulation of the endometrium.

Cancer Research

We analyzed the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) in 16 leiomyomas and adja... more We analyzed the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) in 16 leiomyomas and adjacent myometrium of women who underwent a hysterectomy while in the proliferative (n = 8) and secretory phases (n = 8) of the menstrual cycle. We localized the PAI-1 and its in KN A expression in smooth muscle and vessel endothelial cells of uterine tissues using immunocytochemistry and in siiti hybridization. The expres sion of PAI-1 niRW was higher in 11 (68.75%) of 16 leiomyomas com pared with the adjacent myometrium (leiomyoma/myometrium ratio, 1.4-3.0; mean, 2.045). The leiomyoma:myometrium ratio of PAI-1 niUNV expression did not change during the proliferative (Phase I) and secretory (Phase II) phases of the menstrual cycle. In the remaining five samples, the leiomyoma:myometrium ratio of PAI-1 inKN.V expression was close to 1 (0.8-1.2; mean, 0.92). Because the locus of the PAI-1 gene is on chromo some 7q22, we screened for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in these samples using the PAI-1 marker and D7S471, an anonymous marker 12 cM telomeric to PAI-1. Four of five samples with low leiomyoma:myometrium ratio had LOH for the PAI-1 and/or D7S471 markers. The fifth sample demonstrated a noninformative analysis for these markers but had LOH for the D7S515, D7S666, and D7S5I8 markers, all centromeric to PAI-1. Because del(7)(q22), associated with a relatively low PAI-1 mRNA expres sion, can deregulate matrix proteinases and growth factors' activity in leiomyomas, it is conceivable that del(7)(q22) results in heterogeneous leiomyoma biology.

Journal of Endocrinology

In order to assess the relative roles of the androgenic and/or estrogenic components in the stimu... more In order to assess the relative roles of the androgenic and/or estrogenic components in the stimulatory effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD), ovariectomized (OVX) female rats received DHEA administered alone or in combination with the antiandrogen flutamide (FLU) or the antiestrogen EM-800 for 12 months. We also evaluated, for comparison, the effect of estradiol (E 2 ) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) constantly released by Silastic implants as well as medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) released from poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres. Femoral BMD was decreased by 11% 1 year after OVX, but treatment of OVX animals with DHEA increased BMD to a value 8% above that of intact animals. The administration of FLU reversed by 76% the stimulatory effect of DHEA on femoral BMD and completely prevented the stimulatory effect of DHEA on total body and lumbar spine BMD. Similar results were obtained for BMC. On the other hand, treatment with the antiestrogen EM-800 did not reduce the action of DHEA on BMD or BMC. At the doses used, MPA, E 2 and DHT increased femoral BMD, but to a lesser degree than observed with DHEA. Bone histomorphometry measurements were also performed. While DHEA treatment partially reversed the marked inhibitory effect of OVX on the tibial trabecular bone volume, the administration of FLU inhibited by 51% (P<0·01) the stimulatory effect of DHEA on this parameter. The addition of EM-800 to DHEA, on the other hand, increased trabecular bone volume to a value similar to that of intact controls. DHEA administration markedly increased trabecular number while causing a marked decrease in the intertrabecular area. The above stimulatory effect of DHEA on trabecular number was reversed by 54% (P<0·01) by the administration of FLU, which also reversed by 29% the decrease in intertrabecular area caused by DHEA administration. On the other hand, the addition of EM-800, while further decreasing the intertrabecular space achieved by DHEA treatment, also led to a further increase in trabecular number to a value not significantly different from that of intact control animals, suggesting an additional effect of EM-800 over that achieved by DHEA. Treatment with DHEA caused a 4-fold stimulation of serum alkaline phosphatase, a marker of bone formation, while the urinary excretion of hydroxyproline, a marker of bone resorption, was decreased by DHEA treatment. Treatment with DHEA and DHEA+EM-800 decreased serum cholesterol levels by 22 and 65% respectively, while the other treatments had no significant effect on this parameter. The present data indicate that the potent stimulatory effect of DHEA on bone in the rat is mainly due to the local formation of androgens in bone cells and their intracrine action in osteoblasts.

Molecular Medicine

One-third of women with breast cancer will develop bone metastases and eventually die from diseas... more One-third of women with breast cancer will develop bone metastases and eventually die from disease progression at these sites. Therefore, we analyzed the ability of human MG-63 osteoblast-like cells (MG-63 cells), MG-63 conditioned media (MG-63 CM), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-,B1) to alter the effects of adriamycin on cell cyde and apoptosis of estrogen receptor negative (ER-) MDA-MB-231 and positive (ER+) MCF-7 breast cancer cells, using cell count, trypan blue exclusion, flow cytometry, detection of DNA fragmentation by simple agarose gel, and the terminal deoxynudeotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated nick end-labeling method for apoptosis (TUNEL assay).

In vivo (Athens, Greece)

Different insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) isoforms, namely IGF-1Ea, IGF-1Eb and IGF-1Ec (MGF... more Different insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) isoforms, namely IGF-1Ea, IGF-1Eb and IGF-1Ec (MGF), have been proposed to have various functions in muscle repair and growth. To gain insight into the potentially differential actions of IGF-1 isoforms in the regulation of muscle regeneration, we assessed the time course of their expressions at both mRNA and protein levels after exercise-induced muscle damage in humans. In addition, we characterized mature IGF-1 and synthetic MGF E peptide signalling in C2C12 myoblast-like cells in vitro. Ten healthy male volunteers were subjected to exercise-induced muscle damage and biopsy samples were taken from the exercised muscles before and 6 h, 2, 5 and 16 days post exercise. Muscle damage was documented by specific functional and biochemical responses post exercise. PCR-based analyses of muscle biopsy samples revealed a rapid and transient up-regulation of MGF mRNA expression which was followed by a prolonged increase of IGF-1Ea and IGF-1Eb mR...

Molecular Medicine, 2000

The cellular constituents of the bone microenvironment (osteoblasts, osteocytes, stromal

Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.)

Experimental Physiology, 2007

In Vivo, 2008

Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.)

Anticancer research

Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1995

REVIEW OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHARMACOKINETICS-INTERNATIONAL EDITION-, 1997

In Vivo, 2008

$Research paper thumbnail of Growth factors mediate glucocorticoid receptor function and dexamethasone-induced regression of osteoblastic lesions in hormone refractory prostate cancer$

Anticancer research, 1997

Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.)

Endocrinology

Cancer Research

Journal of Endocrinology

Molecular Medicine

In vivo (Athens, Greece)