phosphoramidon and Neuroblastoma

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) stimulates the neuroblastoma cell line (NMB) to proliferate. Neuropeptide activity can be inhibited by neutral endopeptidases that function intracellularly and in the extracellular milieu. NMB cells express neutral endopeptidase (NEP) activity that can be specifically inhibited by phosphoramidon (PA). Our data now show that phosphoramidon treatment increases the efficacy of VIP-stimulated neuroblastoma proliferation. These results suggest that membrane endopeptidases modulate VIP-associated cell proliferation and enhancement of endopeptidase activity may serve as a target for cancer therapy.

Topics: Cell Division; Enzyme Inhibitors; Glycopeptides; Humans; Neprilysin; Neuroblastoma; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Endothelin-converting enzyme is a phosphoramidon-sensitive metalloprotease that cleaves big endothelin to the potent vasoconstrictor peptide, endothelin. The converting enzyme is expressed in endothelial cells in a variety of tissues and in some secretory cells. In the present study, phosphoramidon-sensitive endothelin-converting enzyme activity has been demonstrated by radioimmunoassay in the neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y, and in Bu17 and C6 glioma lines. The identity of the activity was confirmed by immunoblotting, revealing a polypeptide of approximately 120 kDa in each of these lines, in D384 glioma cells, and in primary astrocytes. Immunofluorescence revealed the cell-surface location of endothelin-converting enzyme in the neuronal and glial cell lines and in primary astrocytes. Pretreatment of SH-SY5Y and Bu17 cells with phosphoramidon resulted in an apparent concentration of the enzyme protein in an intracellular compartment. Immunoperoxidase-staining of rat brain sections located this metalloprotease to the pyramidal cells of the hippocampus. Endothelin-converting enzyme-1 was revealed by in situ hybridisation in the neuronal and glial cell lines.

Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; Astrocytes; CD13 Antigens; Cell Membrane; Cells, Cultured; Cloning, Molecular; DNA, Complementary; Endothelin-Converting Enzymes; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; Glioma; Glycopeptides; Golgi Apparatus; Hippocampus; Immunoenzyme Techniques; In Situ Hybridization; Metalloendopeptidases; Neprilysin; Neuroblastoma; Neuroglia; Protease Inhibitors; Rats; RNA, Messenger; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) undergoes abnormal metabolism in Alzheimer's disease, resulting in the accumulation of beta A4 amyloid in the brain. Normal APP metabolism includes the release of a truncated form (sAPP) which has been cleaved at the alpha-secretase site within the beta A4 amyloidogenic domain. However, intact forms of beta A4 protein may also be generated by the beta- and gamma-secretases. Soluble forms of beta A4 have been detected in various cell lines and in cerebrospinal fluid. Previous studies of protein kinase C activation have suggested a reciprocal relationship between sAPP secretion and beta A4 production and release. We find that phorbol ester activation of protein kinase C in untransfected SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells increases the release of sAPP without affecting beta A4 secretion. We provide further evidence for intracellular beta A4 production. Treatment of SY5Y cells with the protease inhibitor phosphoramidon results in a 2-fold increase in beta A4 secretion and an increase in the amount of beta A4 recovered from cell lysates, yet it does not affect sAPP secretion. The protease inhibitors thiorphan and N-[(RS)-2-carboxy-3-phenylpropanoyl]-L-leucine had no effect on beta A4 or sAPP secretion. The lysosomotropic agents chloroquine and NH4Cl decreased beta A4 secretion, providing additional evidence for the involvement of intracellular acidic compartments in the production of beta A4. Our results therefore demonstrate a double dissociation between the secretion of sAPP and beta A4 in the SH-SY5Y cell line. The effect of phosphoramidon supports previous studies which show that metalloproteases are involved in the biogenesis of beta A4.

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Ammonium Chloride; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; Chloroquine; Endopeptidases; Enzyme Activation; Glycopeptides; Humans; Immunosorbent Techniques; Kinetics; Neuroblastoma; Phorbol 12,13-Dibutyrate; Protease Inhibitors; Protein Kinase C; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Topics: Astrocytoma; Cell Line; Cell Membrane; Cholecystokinin; Glycopeptides; Humans; Hydrolysis; Kinetics; Neprilysin; Neuroblastoma; Sincalide; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Cells of the N-18 line of mouse neuroblastoma and their membrane degrade substance P added exogenously. The degradation by the cells and their membrane, examined by high-performance liquid chromatography, is strongly inhibited by EDTA but scarcely inhibited by captopril and phosphoramidon. Gly-Leu-Met-NH2 is the major cleavage product among C-terminal fragments of substance P in both cases. Thus, the degradation of substance P by the neuroblastoma cells and their membrane seems to take place mainly through the hydrolysis between Phe8-Gly9 by EDTA-sensitive protease(s).

Topics: Amino Acids; Animals; Captopril; Cell Line; Cell Membrane; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Edetic Acid; Glycopeptides; Mice; Neuroblastoma; Neurons; Peptide Fragments; Substance P; Synaptic Membranes