• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2006

Human solid tumors exhibit a multicellular resistance (MCR) resulting from limited drug penetration and decreased sensitivity of tumor cells when interacting with their microenvironments. Multicellular cultures represent solid tumor condition in vivo and provide clinically relevant data. There is little data on antitumor effect of paclitaxel (PTX) in multicellular cultures although its MCR has been demonstrated. In the present study, we evaluated antiproliferative effects of PTX in multicellular layers (MCL) of DLD-1 human colorectal carcinoma cells. BrdU labeling index (LI), thickness of MCL, cell cycle distribution and cellular uptake of calcein were measured before and after exposure to PTX at 0.1 to 50 ${\mu}M$ for 24, 48 and 72 hrs. BrdU LI and thickness of MCL showed a concentration- and time-dependent decrease and the changes in both parameters were similar, i.e., 34.2% and 40.6% decrease in BrdU LI and thickness, respectively, when exposed to $50\;{\mu}M$ for 72 hr. The DLD-1 cells grown in MCL showed increase in $%G_{0}/G_{1}$ and resistance to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis compared to monolayers. Calcein uptake in MCL did not change upon PTX exposure, indicating technical problems in multicellular system. Overall, these data indicate that antitumor activity of PTX may be limited in human solid tumors (a multicellular system) and MCL may be an appropriate model to study further pharmacodynamics of PTX.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.36 no.5
• /
• pp.309-314
• /
• 2006

The multicellular layers(MCL) of human cancer cells is a three dimensional(3D) in vitro model for human solid tumors which has been used primarily for the assessment of avascular penetration of anti-cancer drugs. For anti-cancer drugs with penetration problem, MCL represents a good experimental model that can provide clinically relevant data. Calcein-AM is a fluorescent dye that demonstrates the cellular vitality in a graded manner in cancer cell culture system. In the present study, we evaluated the use of calcein-AM for determination of anti-proliferative activity of anti-cancer agents in MCL model of DLD-1 human colorectal cancer cells. Optical sectioning of confocal imaging was compromised with photonic attenuation and penetration barrier in the deep layers of MCL. By contrast, fluorescent measurement on the cryo-sections provided a feasible alternative. Cold pre-incubation did not enhance the calcein-AM distribution to a significant degree in MCL of DLD-1 cells. However, the simultaneous determination of drug penetration and cellular vitality appeared to be possible in drug treated MCL. In conclusion, these data suggest that calcein-AM can be used for the simultaneous determination of drug-induced anti-proliferative effect and drug penetration in MCL model.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
• /
• v.36 no.6
• /
• pp.385-392
• /
• 2006

Paclitaxel is an important chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of human solid tumors. Multicellular resistance(MCR) is considered to be a major mechanism of resistance of human solid tumors to chemotherapeutic agent such as paclitaxel, which includes barriers to drug penetration through tumor tissues. Multicellular layers(MCL) cultures resemble in vivo tumor condition in terms of MCR and has been used successfully to produce clinically relevant data. In the present study, we evaluated the penetration characteristics and post-penetration anti-proliferative activity of paclitaxel using MCL of human colorectal cancer cells(DLD-1 and HT-29) grown in Transwell inserts. The penetration of $[^{14}C]-paclitaxel$ was slower than that of mannitol which penetrates via paracellular pathway in DLD-1 MCL. The penetration of $[^{14}C]-paclitaxel$ was faster in HT-29 MCL compared to DLD-1 MCL, i.e., at 10 ${\mu}M$ 100% and 40% penetration were observed after 48 hr incubation for HT-29 and DLD-1 cells, respectively. When calculated using anti-proliferative activity in the conditioned media of bottom chamber, the penetration after 24 hr was very limited(less than 50%) and concentration-dependent at the concentrations tested in both MCL's. These results suggest that limited and differential penetration of paclitaxel in tumor tissues may contribute to lower and differential efficacy against human solid tumors.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.90-95
• /
• 2006

CKD-602 exerts its antitumor effect via inhibition of topoisomerase I in cancer cells. Multicellular spheroid (MCS) and Multicellular layers (MCLs) are known as in vitro 3-dimensional models which closely represent tumor conditions in vivo. In order to investigate the potential of CKD-602 against human colorectal tumors, we evaluated the anti-proliferative activity and penetration ability of CKD-602 in MCS and MCL cultures of DLD-l human colorectal cancer cells, respectively. The maximum effects($E_{max}$) induced by CKD-602 were significantly lower in MCS compared to monolayers (48% vs 92%). With prolonged drug exposure, the $IC_{50's}$ of CKD-602 decreased to $23.5{\pm}1.0nM$ in monolayers after 24 h exposure and $42.3{\pm}1.7nM$ in MCS after 6 days, respectively. However, no further increase in effect was observed for exposure time longer than growth doubling time (Td) in both cultures. Activity of CKD-602 was significantly reduced after penetration through MCL and also with cell-free insert membrane. In conclusion, CKD-602 showed significantly decreased anti-proliferative activity in 3D cultures (MCS) of human colorectal cancer cells. Tumor penetration of CKD-602 could not be determined due to loss of activity after penetration through cell free insert membrane, which warrants further evaluation using a modified model.

• Journal of Plant Biology
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.7-10
• /
• 1971

Haploid cell obta-ined from microspores of Solanum nigrum were cultured on two kinds of medium, "Callus-inducing medium" and "Differentiation medium", in order to conduct histological studies of callus and examine differentiation of plantlets. On the callus-inducing medium the calli grew rapidly. The bulk of callus mass was light brown colored "Wet callus" covered on the surface with thin layers of rough and gleaming "White callus". The wet callus was consisted of parenchyma and meristematic tissues, while the white callus had no meristematic tissues. Large parenchyma cells, by successive divisions, became multicellular or poly nucleate cells which developed later to be meristematic tissues. The calli embedded on the differentiation medium quickly turned to dark brown color. Plantlets, however, came out later from these blackened callus mass. In the callus sectioned about ten weeks after imbedding on the differentiation medium, radially elongated tissue, concentric tissue, epidermis, tracheid-like structure, and plant jprimordia were observed.ure, and plant jprimordia were observed.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.85-91
• /
• 2008

Structure and mucosubstance histochemistry in the epidermis of five teleostean species, i. e., spotty belly, Agrammus agrammus, devil stinger, Inimicus japonicus, stone fish, Erosa erosa, cubed snailfish, Liparis tessellatus, and Japanese bluefish, Scombrops boops were investigated. The epidermis of five species studied is composed of three layers: superficial, middle, and basal layer. The superficial layer is comprised of rather flattened cells. Mucous cells, the type commonly found in fishes are completely lacking in the epidermis of devil stinger, stone fish, and cubed snailfish. The epidermis of devil stinger and stone fish have multicellular glands which do not have mucosubstances. The skin surface of them is covered with mucous layer. The superficial cells in the epidermis of devil stinger, stone fish, and cubed snailfish are mucus-secreting cells. The composition and the amount of the mucosubstances vary in species and body regions. The mucous layer on the skin surface and superficial epidermal cells of devil stinger contain a mixture of neutral and acidic(sulfated and nonsulfated) mucosubstances. In stone fish, the mucous layer has acidic(sulfated and non-sulfated) mucin and the superficial epidermal cells contain neutral mucin. In cubed snailfish, the type of epidermal mucosubstances is identified as a mixture of neutral and acidic(non-sulfated) mucin. The mucous cells of the epidermis in spotty belly and Japanese bluefish contain neutral mucin.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.39 no.7
• /
• pp.524-529
• /
• 2016

Controlling the production of diverse cell/tissue types is essential for the development of multicellular organisms such as animals and plants. The Arabidopsis thaliana root, which contains distinct cells/tissues along longitudinal and radial axes, has served as an elegant model to investigate how genetic programs and environmental signals interact to produce different cell/tissue types. In the root, a series of asymmetric cell divisions (ACDs) give rise to three ground tissue layers at maturity (endodermis, middle cortex, and cortex). Because the middle cortex is formed by a periclinal (parallel to the axis) ACD of the endodermis around 7 to 14 days post-germination, middle cortex formation is used as a parameter to assess maturation of the root ground tissue. Molecular, genetic, and physiological studies have revealed that the control of the timing and extent of middle cortex formation during root maturation relies on the interaction of plant hormones and transcription factors. In particular, abscisic acid and gibberellin act synergistically to regulate the timing and extent of middle cortex formation, unlike their typical antagonism. The SHORT-ROOT, SCARECROW, SCARECROW-LIKE 3, and DELLA transcription factors, all of which belong to the plant-specific GRAS family, play key roles in the regulation of middle cortex formation. Recently, two additional transcription factors, SEUSS and GA- AND ABA-RESPONSIVE ZINC FINGER, have also been characterized during ground tissue maturation. In this review, we provide a detailed account of the regulatory networks that control the timing and extent of middle cortex formation during post-embryonic root development.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.149-156
• /
• 1989

Multicellular tumor spheroids of HeLa cells have been grown in a static culture system. Samples of spheroids were exposed for 2 h to graded concentration of cis-platinum and its analogue, carboplatin, and then response assayed by survival of clonogenic cells. The purpose of present experiment is to clarify the effectiveness of these platinum compounds and to evaluate intrinsic radiosensitivity of cells using spheroids of HeLa cells as an experimental in vitro model. Variations of the drug sensitivity of monolayers as well as spheroids were also evaluated in cell-survival curves. In cis-platinum concentration-survival curve, there was a large shoulder extending as far as $Cq=3.4{\mu}M$, after which there was exponential decrease in survival curve having a Co Value of $1.2{\mu}M$ in spheroids. While the Co for the spheroids was essentially no significant change, but Cq value was larger than that of monolayers. This suggest that the effect of cis-platinum is greater En the monolayer with actively proliferaing cells than hypoxic one. In the carboplatin concentration-survival curves, the Co value of spheroids was $15.0{\mu}M$ and the ratio with the Co from monolayer cell $(32.5{\mu}M)$ was 0.40, thus indicating that the spheroids had a greater sensitivity to carboplatin than monolayers. Therefore, the effect of carboplatin is mainly on the deeper layers of spheroids acting as hypoxic cell sensitizer. The enhanced effect was obtained for monolayer cells using combined X-ray and carboplatin treatment 2 hours before irradiation. The result shown in isobologram analysis for the level of surviving fraction at 0.01 indicated that the effect of two agents was trusty supra-additive. From this experimental data, carboplatin has excited much recent interest as one of the most promising, since it is almost without nephrotoxicity and causes less gastrointestinal toxicity than cis-platinum. Interaction between carboplatin and radiation might play an important role for more effective local tumor control.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.470-486
• /
• 1995

Mammary epithelial cells contain a subpopulation of cells with a large proliferativ potential which are responsible for the maintenance of glandular cellularity and are the progenitor cells of mammary cancer. These clonogens give rise to multicellular clonal alveolar or ductal units(AU or DU) on transplantation and hormonal stimulation. To isolate putative mammary clonogens, enzymatically monodispersed rat mammary epithelial cells from organoid cultures and from intact glands are sorted by flow cytometry according to their affinity for FITC labeled peanut lectin(PNA) and PE labeled anti-Thy-1.1 antibody(Thy-1.1) into four subpopulations : cells negative to both PNA and Thy-1.1(B-), PNA+cells, Thy-1.1+cells, and cells positive to both reagents(B+). The in vivo transplantation assays indicate that the clonogenic fractions of PNA+cells from out-growths of organoids in primary cultures for three days in complete hormone medium(CHM) are significantly higher than those of cells from other subpopulations derived from cultrues or from intact glands. Extracellular matrix(ECM) is a complex of several proteins that regulated cell function ; its role in cell growth and differentiation and tissue-specific gene expression. It can act as a positive as well as a negative regulator of cellular differentiation depending on the cell type and the genes studied. Regulation by ECM is closely interrelated with the action of other regulators of cellular function, such as growth factors and hormones. Matrigel supports the growth and development of several different multicellular colonies from mammary organoids and from monodispersed epithelial cells in culture. Several types of colonies are observed including stellate colonies, duct-like structures, two- and three-dimensional web structures, squamous organoids, and lobulo-duct colonies. Organoids have the greatest proliferative potential and formation of multi-cellular structures. Phase contrast micrographs demonstrate extensive intracellular lipid accumulation within the web structures and some of duct-like colonies. At the immunocytochemical and electron micrograph level, casein proteins are predominantly localized near the apical surface of the cells or in the lumen of duct-like or lobulo-duct colonies. Squamous colonies are comprised of several layers of squamous epithelium surrounding keratin pearls as is typical fo squamous metaplasia(SM). All-trans retinoic acid(RA) inhibits the growth of SM. The frequency of lobulo-ductal colony formation increased with the augmentation of RA concentration in these culture conditions. The current study models could provide powerful tools not only for understanding cell growth and differentiation of epithelial cells, but also for the isolation and characterization of mammary clonogenic stem cells.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
• /
• 1974.09a
• /
• pp.9-22
• /
• 1974

Unlike the tissue culture in animals and human being, in higher plants various parts of the plant are cultured for varied purposes, and they are named variously depending on which parts are used as explants or what purposes they are cultured for. Followings are some of the names of culture used frequently: organ culture, tissue culture, callus culture, single cell culture, meristem culture, mericlone culture, ovary culture, ovule culture, embryo culture, endosperm culture, anther culture, pollen culture, protoplast culture, etc.. As the names of the culture indicate, in some kinds of culture the explants used for culture are actually not tissues, but organs, single cells, or protoplasts. It seems, however, convenient to call all of the above-mentioned cultures grossly as tissue culture. Several kinds of tissue culture were attempted using Panax ginseng as material and some of the results were summarized below. 1. Callus culture After dormancy of the sed was broken, whole embryo or parts (hypocotyl, cotyledon and epicotyl) of partly grown embryo were cultured in the media supplemented with growth regulators. Rapid swelling occurred in a few weeks, but most of the swelling was observed only in the basal part of epicotyl, changes in the other parts of embryo appearing in much later stages. The swelling or increase in size, however, was resulted not from the divisions of cells, but from the mere expansion of cell. Real calli were formed about two months after inoculation of explants. Callus tissues developed from cortex, pith, and vascular bundle in the cases of hypo- and epicotyl, from mesophyl tissue in the case of cotyledon. Shoots developed more easily from cotyledons regardless of whether they are detached from or attached to the embryo proper. 2. Culture in the Knudson C medium When cotyledons, detached from or attached to the embryo proper, were cultured in the growth regulator-free Knudson C medium comprision only several kinds of mineral compounds and sucrose, shoot primordium or callus developed profusely and finally plantlets were produced directly from shoot primordium or indirectly through callus. In this medium epidermal cells as well as mesophyl cells of the cotyledon became meristematic and divided, changing into multinucleate cells or multicellular bodies, developing eventually into either shoot primordia or calli. 3. Anther culture Anthers were cultured in the media supplemented with various growth regulators applied singly or in combinations. Callus was formed mostly in the connective tissue of anther. Cells of anther wall layers changed in appearance, but no division occurred. Microspores of all stages in development were not changed, ruling out the possibility that microspore-originated callus might be formed. 4. Isolation of protoplast Protoplasts were isolated from young root, leaf, and epicotyl, using 0.7M D-mannitols as osmoticum and using macerozyme and cellulase respectively for maceration and digestion of the cell wall. Production in large number of naked intact protoplast was rather difficult as compared with other plant species. Fusion of protoplasts occurred infrequently mainly due to the fewer number of naked protoplasts in the solution.