2 μg/mL) or mock-treated for 3 hours, followed by a medium exchange. Transwells (0.4 μm pores; Corning, Corning, NY) carrying 1 × 105 NK cells were subsequently placed on top of the

cultured Mϕ for 24 hours, either with or without addition selleck chemicals of LPS (1 ng/mL). Mϕ/NK cocultures served as control. Migration assays were modified by 5 μm pore transwells (Corning) carrying 1 × 105 [51Cr]chromium (Cr)-labeled NK cells (see below). Transmigration was quantified by autoradiography within the destination compartment after 5 hours. NK cell migration in the presence of IL15 (10 ng/mL) (Peprotech) served as reference. K562, Raji (2 × 106 cells), and HepG2 (5 × 105 cells/well) were Cr-labeled for 1.5 hours with 250 μCi/mL or 50 μCi/mL, respectively. NK

cells were added for 5 hours at defined E:T ratios. Maximal and minimal lysis referred to Triton X-100-treated (0.1%) (Sigma-Aldrich) or nontreated targets, respectively. Culture supernatant (30 μL) was transferred to a γ-counter (TopCount; Packard, Meriden, CT) and specific cell lysis was calculated (lysis(%) = [(lysisx-lysismin)/(lysismax − lysismin)] × 100). Cells were lysated in buffer (Tris-HCL [10 mM], NaCl [100 mM], EDTA [5 mM], Triton X-100 [5%]) containing protease inhibitor (Roche), sodium-fluoride (50 mM), and sodium-o-vadanate (1 mM) (Sigma-Aldrich). Lysates see more were subjected to 10%-15% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) (Bio-Rad, München, Germany) and blotted on nitrocellulose membranes (Bio-Rad).

Stains were performed with p100/p52, phospho-RelA, cleaved caspase-3, and β-actin (all Cell Signaling, Beverly, MA) specific antibodies. Staining was visualized with horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated antibodies (Cell Signaling) on film (Thermo Scientific, Waltham, MA). Bars represent mean values with standard deviation and boxplots indicate median, quartiles, and range. P-values are based on Student’s t test at a local significance level of 95%. First, C57Bl/6wt mice were screened for immune activation click here following administration of sorafenib. Hepatic NK cells (CD3−/NK1.1+) from sorafenib-treated mice showed a higher CD69 expression compared to those from mock-treated mice (Fig. 1A). Splenic NK cells, in contrast, displayed a constitutively lower CD69 expression in comparison to hepatic NK cells (P < 0.0001) and did not respond to sorafenib. Serum transaminase activity was not significantly increased, excluding relevant sorafenib toxicity (Fig. 1A). Analysis of hepatic NK cells further showed increased cellular degranulation and IFN-γ secretion after sorafenib treatment (Fig. 1B,C). HBV-tg mice and one LTα/β-tg mouse with histologically confirmed HCC (Supporting Fig. S1A,B) were used to analyze activation of NK cells in a cancerogenic environment. Sorafenib triggered NK cell activation in HBV-tg mice (Fig. 1D), and in the HCC-bearing LTα/β-tg mouse, but not in younger LTα/β-tg mice without established HCC (Fig. S1C).