Slot- and Western blot immunoassays of poly-ADP-ribosylation of mouse blood lymphocyte proteins and initiation of carcinogenesis: A possible screening tool for early detection of cancer
Radiation and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Biochemistry, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793 022, Meghalaya, India
AIM: Cancer detection at an early stage remains a serious challenge to researchers. If detected in time the spread of cancer can be halted or reversed by appropriate medical interventions. Existing predictive assays are not only cumbersome and expensive but also difficult to apply for mass screening. Consequently cancer related mortality is reported to be high. In this long study efforts have been made to find a correlation between poly-ADP-ribosylation of cellular proteins of mice during initiation of carcinogenesis induced by a variety of chemical carcinogens administered in low dose chronic exposure protocols. METHODS: Convenient, simple, inexpensive and sensitive slot- and Western blot immunoassay has been employed to measure total cellular poly-ADP-ribosylation of proteins and that of individual lymphocyte proteins, respectively. RESULTS: Results show significant lowering of total PAR of lymphocyte proteins within weeks of treatment as revealed by slot blot immunoassay. By Western blot analysis it has been found that two lymphocyte proteins seemed to be the main causes for this observation. Blood lymphocyte proteins from mouse exposed to carcinogen also show a high degree negative correlation between poly-ADP-ribosylation and period of carcinogen exposure. CONCLUSION: The report shall discuss the possibility of using immunoassay of poly-ADP-ribosylation of blood lymphocytes as a possible predictive assay of initiation of carcinogenesis.
Paper presented at the International Symposium on Predictive Oncology and Intervention Strategies; Nice, France; February 7 - 10, 2004; in poster session 893 (Molecular pathology).