Secondary stimulation from Bacillus Calmette-Guérin induced macrophages upregulatesNOS2 protein in bladder cancer cells

• Treatment with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) bladder instillations is an established treatment modality for superficial urinary bladder cancer and carcinoma in situ (CIS), but the anti-tumor mechanisms following BCG-instillations remain largely unknown. Previous data show increased nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in the urinary bladder from patients treated with BCG suggesting that NO-formation may be involved in the BCG-mediated effect. Using immunohistochemistry we have previously shown nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2/iNOS) protein expression in both immune cells and in urothelial cells in bladder cancer patient biopsies. In this study we analysed the influence of macrophage- (RAW 264.7) secreted factors on NO production by stimulating urothelial carcinoma cells (MBT2) with supernatant from BCG-treated macrophages as well as supernatant from untreated macrophages. Using real-time PCR, western blot and chemiluminescence, we found no effect of BCG when added straight to the culture medium of urothelial carcinoma cells. However, when 40% of the culture medium of the bladder cancer cells was substituted with supernatant from BCGstimulated macrophages, we found increased NOS2 mRNA and protein expression as well as increased levels of NO. In addition we found increased cell death only in bladder cancer cells stimulated with supernatant from BCG-treated macrophages, as visualized by cell cycle analysis and PARP cleavage. These results suggest that simultaneous targeting of the microenvironment and subsequent stimulation of adaptive responses can improve conventional BCG-therapy.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

nitric oxide synthase type II

BCG vaccine

urinary bladder neoplasms

nitric oxide

molekylärgenetik

Molecular Genetics

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)