Oral or parenteral administration of curcumin does not prevent the growth of high-risk t(4;11) acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells engrafted into a NOD/SCID mouse model
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY
Authors: Zunino, Susan J.; Storms, David H.; Newman, John W.; Pedersen, Theresa L.; Keen, Carl L.; Ducore, Jonathan M.
Abstract
In this study, the efficacy of orally and parenterally administered curcumin was evaluated in non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice (NOD.CB17-Prkdc(scid)/J mice) engrafted with the human t(4;11) acute lymphoblastic leukemia line, SEM. SEM cells were injected into the tail vein and engraftment was monitored by flow cytometry. Once engraftment was observed, the chemotherapeutic potential was examined by injecting mice intraperitoneally with curcumin (5 mg/kg body weight) dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or DMSO alone (control) every other day, or vincristine (0.5 mg/kg body weight) 3 times per week for 4 weeks (n=16 per group). The intraperitoneal administration of curcumin did not inhibit the growth of the leukemia cells. To determine the efficacy of oral curcumin, mice were fed a control diet or a diet containing 0.5% w/w curcumin 3 weeks prior to the injection of the leukemia cells and throughout the experimental period (n=16 per group). To determine whether dietary curcumin can enhance the efficacy of a conventional chemotherapeutic agent, vincristine was injected intraperitoneally into leukemic mice fed the different diets. Dietary curcumin did not delay the engraftment or growth of leukemia cells, or sensitize the cells to vincristine. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analyses of mouse sera showed that curcumin rapidly metabolized to glucuronidated and sulfated forms within 1 h post-injection and these were the major curcumin metabolites found in the sera of the mice fed the curcumin diet. In contrast to the findings in previous in vitro models, the current data indicate that orally or parenterally administered curcumin is not a potent preventive agent against high-risk t(4;11) acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
HIV-1-Associated Left Ventricular Cardiac Dysfunction in Humanized Mice
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
Authors: Dash, Prasanta K.; Alomar, Fadhel A.; Hackfort, Bryan T.; Su, Hang; Conaway, Amy; Poluektova, Larisa Y.; Gendelman, Howard E.; Gorantla, Santhi; Bidasee, Keshore R.
Abstract
The molecular cause(s) for early onset heart failure in people living with HIV-1 infection (PLWH) remains poorly defined. Herein, longitudinal echocardiography was used to assess whether NOD.Cg-Prkdc(scid) Il2rgt(m1Wjl)/SzJ mice reconstituted with human hematopoietic stem cells (Hu-NSG mice) and infected with HIV-1(ADA) can recapitulate the salient features of this progressive human disease. Four weeks post infection, Hu-NSG mice of both sexes developed left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction (DD), with 25% exhibiting grade III/IV restrictive DD with mitral regurgitation. Increases in global longitudinal and circumferential strains and declines in LV ejection fraction and fractional shortening were observed eight weeks post infection. After twelve weeks of infection, 33% of Hu-NSG mice exhibited LV dyskinesia and dyssynchrony. Histopathological analyses of hearts seventeen weeks post infection revealed coronary microvascular leakage, fibrosis and immune cell infiltration into the myocardium. These data show for the first time that HIV-1(ADA)-infected Hu-NSG mice can recapitulate key left ventricular cardiac deficits and pathophysiological changes reported in humans with progressive HIV-1 infection. The results also suggest that HIV-1 infected Hu-NSG mice may be a useful model to screen for pharmacological agents to blunt LV dysfunction and associated pathophysiologic causes reported in PLWH.