Induction of multiple cytokine gene expression and IRF-1 mRNA by flavone acetic acid in a murine macrophage cell line.

Flavone-8-acetic (FAA) acid is a potential chemotherapeutic agent that has demonstrated strong immunomodulatory activity in murine model systems. The immunomodulatory activity of this drug in murine systems has been linked to its ability to rapidly induce cytokine gene expression in vivo and in mouse splenocytes ex vivo. We have now developed a tissue culture model for studying the molecular basis of induction of cytokine expression by FAA.

Cytokine induction and therapeutic synergy with interleukin-2 against murine renal and colon cancers by xanthenone-4-acetic acid derivatives.

Derivatives of xanthenone-4-acetic acid (XAA) have been found to have similar activity to flavone-8-acetic acid against transplantable solid tumors. Some of these compounds were compared to flavone acetic acid (FAA) in their ability to induce cytokines as well as to mediate antitumor effects against murine renal cancer (Renca) and a mouse colon cancer (MCA-38). 5-Methyl-XAA and 5-chloro-XAA proved to be more potent than FAA on a mg/kg basis for induction of the genes for IFN alpha, IFN gamma, and TNF alpha, and for IFN and TNF activities in the sera of treated mice.

Flavone acetic acid directly induces expression of cytokine genes in mouse splenic leukocytes but not in human peripheral blood leukocytes.

Flavone-8-acetic acid (FAA) is a flavonoid drug that augments mouse natural killer activity, induces cytokine gene expression, and synergizes with recombinant interleukin 2 for the treatment of murine renal cancer. However, FAA has been largely inactive in human clinical trials. In the present study we investigated the ability of FAA treatment to directly induce cytokine mRNA expression in total mouse splenic leukocytes and selected leukocyte subsets, as well as in total human peripheral blood leukocytes.

Characterization of human transforming genes from chemically transformed, teratocarcinoma, and pancreatic carcinoma cell lines.

Dominant transforming genes that were transferred to mouse NIH3T3 cells by cellular DNAs prepared from a chemically transformed human cell line (MNNG-HOS), a human teratocarcinoma cell line (PA1), and a human pancreatic carcinoma cell line (A1165) were characterized (a) analyzing the repetitive human DNA sequences that were associated with the transforming gene and (b) determining their relationship to the oncogenes of the Harvey (rasH) and Kirsten (rasK) sarcoma viruses and to the human neuroblastoma transforming gene (rasN). The results show that the transforming gene activated in the teratocarcinoma cell line is identical to the neuroblastoma transforming gene and that the transforming gene of the pancreatic carcinoma cell line is a human homologue of rasK. In contrast, the transforming gene activated in the chemically transformed human cell line showed no detectable homology to rasK, rasH, and rasN.

Tumorigenesis by transected cells in nude mice: a new method for detecting cellular transforming genes.

We have demonstrated that NIH 3T3 cells freshly transfected with either a cloned retroviral provirus or cell DNA derived from virally-transformed cells are able to induce tumors when injected subcutaneously into nude mice. Furthermore, cells transfected with DNA derived from at least three transformed human cell lines are able to induce tumors. These latter tumors contain human DNA sequences and DNA isolated from at least some of them is able to induce both foci and tumors in subsequent DNA transfection.