Phorbol ester, but not endotoxin, desensitizes mannan-induced glycogenolysis in the perfused rat liver

Mannan, a ligand for the mannose/N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) receptor, induces suppression of oxygen consumption and increases glucose production in the perfused rat liver, and repeated infusion of mannan causes desensitization of the responses. In this study, we examined whether activation of Kupffer cells by endotoxin and phorbol ester alters the glycogenolytic responses to mannan. Infusion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 micrograms/ ml) in the perfusate failed to inhibit the responses to mannan. Intravenous administration of LPS (1 mg/kg) 6 and 24 h before perfusion did not desensitize the responses to mannan, suggesting that the responses through mannose/GlcNAc receptors in the liver are retained even after activation of Kupffer cells by LPS. In contrast, prior infusion of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 100 nM) in vitro abolished the glycogenolytic responses to subsequently infused mannan, but not that to norepinephrine (100 nM), while prior infusions of 4-alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (100 nM), A23187 (50 nM), or forskolin (1 microM) had no effect on the mannan-induced responses. H-7, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, reduced the glycogenolytic responses to mannan, while it failed to restore the desensitization. These results suggest that protein kinase C may be involved in the process of glycogenolysis by mannan, but is unlikely to be involved in the homologous desensitization of the responses.

[Sport-anemia: studies on hematological status in high school boy athletes]

High prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency state are found among athletes. To determine the influence of sports activities on the hematological state, we have performed hematological tests and examined the iron metabolism, in addition to some serum enzyme activities and some characters of red blood cells before and after exercise in high school boy athletes. The red blood cell count, hemoglobin level, and hematocrit value were significantly lower than those in the non-athletes boy students. The serum ferritin level in the athletes was significantly lower than that in the control group and healthy adults. Iron deficiency anemia was found in 12% of the athletes. The serum haptoglobin level in the athletes was significantly lower than that in the control group and the level before exercise, suggesting intravascular hemolysis, but the serum hemopexin level showed no difference before and after exercise, suggesting that the hemolysis was not so severe. The serum CPK and myoglobin levels showed a significant increase after exercise, but those levels were quite lower than that of muscle diseases. These findings suggest that daily exercise is closely associated with the increased risk of iron deficiency state, particularly in the high school boy athletes. The mechanism of hemolysis in athletes may partly depend on the increased fragility of iron deficiency red blood cells on mechanical strength.

Myosin light chain diphosphorylation is enhanced by growth promotion of cultured smooth muscle cells

The characteristics of actively growing smooth muscle cells (a variant, SM-3) were compared with those of growth-arrested cells with regard to response of myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation. Augmented MLC phosphorylation, in particular diphosphorylation, was observed in actively growing cells when stimulated with 30 microM prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha). The maximum level of diphosphorylation in growing cells was significantly higher than that in growth-arrested cells. The MLC diphosphorylation was sensitive to protein kinase C down-regulation by phorbol dibutylate and pretreatment by the protein kinase inhibitors, staurosporine (30 nM) and isoquinoline sulphonamide HA1077 (20 microM). The actively growing cells contained larger amounts of protein kinase C than growth-arrested cells. The phosphorylation sites of mono- and diphospho-MLC were determined to be MLC kinase-dependent sites (Thr18, Ser19). The PGF2alpha concentration/response curves of MLC diphosphorylation were shifted to the left and upwards in the presence of the protein phosphatase inhibitor calyculin A. These results suggest that PGF2alpha stimulation of actively growing SM-3 cells augments MLC kinase-dependent MLC diphosphorylation. Protein kinase C is involved indirectly in this reaction, possibly through MLC phosphatase-sensitive regulatory mechanisms.

Cytogenetic effects of advanced maternal age and delayed fertilization on first-cleavage mouse embryos

It has been shown that both advanced maternal age and delayed fertilization may induce chromosomal anomalies. We therefore examined the combined effects of these two factors on chromosomal anomalies in first-cleavage mouse embryos. We set up normal and (6-h) delayed subgroups in two different age groups (young, 3-4 mo; aged, 9-11 mo) and compared the incidence of chromosomal anomalies. In first-cleavage embryos, egg-derived chromosomes can be distinguished from sperm-derived chromosomes. The incidence of maternally derived aneuploidy was highest in the aged-delayed fertilization subgroup. We therefore conclude that advanced maternal age affects the production of aneuploidy more severely when combined with the effect of delayed fertilization.

Reversal effect of itraconazole on adriamycin and etoposide resistance in human leukemia cells

Itraconazole is a triazole antifungal agent that inhibits cell membrane serol biosynthesis. Currently, itraconazole is a potent candidate for in vivo use to revert multidrug resistance in acute leukemias, with the added benefit of its antifungal effect. As previously reported, itraconazole, as well as verapamil, reversed adriamycin-resistant K562 cells (K562/ADR) and HL60 cells (HL60/ADR) in dosages compatible to the plasma levels achieved by the therapeutic dosages used for the treatment of fungal infections. By RT-PCR analysis of mdr1, mdr3, and mrp mRNA, these adriamycin-resistant cells showed a higher expression of the transcript of these genes than those of the parent cells. By FACS analysis, both the adriamycin-resistant cells showed a higher expression of P-glycoprotein on their cell surfaces. These results suggested the involvement of itraconazole in the mdr gene and/or mrp gene product-associated resistance. Furthermore, itraconazole partially reversed etoposide resistance in both the K562 and K562/ADR cells. The present study suggests that itraconazole may reverse multidrug resistance, at least in part, via a classical MDR-associated mechanism.

Selectivity of action of staurosporine on Ca2+ movements and contractions in vascular smooth muscles

We examined the effects of staurosporine, a protein kinase inhibitor, on Ca2+ movements and contractions due to KCl and 12-deoxyphorbol 13-isobutyrate (DPB), which are thought to activate myosin light chain kinase and protein kinase C, respectively. In rabbit aortae, staurosporine inhibited contractions due to KCl (65.4 mM) and DPB (1 mu M) with IC50 values of 140.5 +/- 1.3 nM and 13.3 +/- 1.3 nM, respectively. Calphostin C, a putative inhibitor of protein kinase C, inhibited DPB-induced contraction with much less effect on the KCl-induced one. On the other hand, wortmannin, an inhibitor of myosin light chain kinase, was 4 times more potent on KCl-induced contraction than the DPB-induced one. Staurosporine at 100 nM decreased the rise in cytosolic Ca2+ due to KCl, whereas wortmannin did not affect it. In rabbit cerebral arteries permeabilized with beta-escin, staurosporine at 100 nM, but not 30 nM, inhibited Ca2+ -induced contraction in the presence of 1 mM ATP. The results indicate that staurosporine preferentially inhibits a contraction dependent on protein kinase C than that dependent on myosin light chain kinase in vascular smooth muscles. Its ability to inhibit KCl-induced contraction involves inhibition of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels.

Cytokine receptor gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells during graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Interleukin-1 receptor type 1 (IL-1R), IL-2 receptor alpha subunit (IL-2R) and IL-6 receptor alpha subunit (IL-6R) mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in 17 patients who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo BMT) and 2 patients who underwent autologous transplantation were analyzed using a semiquantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). There were several exceptions in some cases and IL-1R expression was found to vary in a rather wide range, however, the expression of IL-2R and IL-6R mRNA tended to increase during the development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In particular, IL-2R mRNA expression was increased in four patients with GVHD and graft failure. In contrast, IL-2R and IL-6R mRNA expression was not increased in autologous (auto) BMT and auto peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) patients. These findings suggest that IL-2R and maybe IL-6R mRNA expression in PBMC play an important role in the development of an allo response and GVHD. Therefore, the analysis of cytokine receptor mRNA expression in PBMC after allo BMT may provide important information concerning the immune response and the cytokine network system in marrow transplants.

Transplantation-related complications predicted by cytokine gene expression in the mixed lymphocyte culture in allogeneic bone marrow transplants

In this study, we have investigated cytokine (IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-5, IL-6, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha) and T cell surface molecule (IL-2 receptor, CD28, CTLA-4) gene expression in two way mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC) enhanced by concanavalin A (ConA) to assess whether this is a useful predictive method for severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and graft failure in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo BMT) patients. Our present study revealed increased mRNA expression of IL-2, IL-5 and IFN-gamma using this assay in patients with delayed engraftment followed by graft failure and patients who developed grade III acute GVHD. Elevated IL-2 and IFN-gamma levels in MLC medium were also observed in these patients. Concerning T cell surface molecule gene expression in our modified MLC, IL-2 receptor gene expression was not altered so much in allo BMT patients, however, CD28 and CTLA-4 gene expression were elevated in patients with graft failure and severe acute GVHD. The elevated expression of cytokines (IL-2, IL-5 and IFN-gamma) and T cell surface molecules (CD28 and CTLA-4) mRNA in our modified MLC, in patients who developed severe lethal transplantation-related complications may suggest an important role for these molecules in inducing a strong alloresponse. Therefore, the detection of increased gene expression of those molecules, in our modified MLC system, appeared to be useful for predicting transplantation-related complications in allo BMT patients. In addition, this modified MLC assay may also be useful for the selection of the most compatible related and unrelated donors.

Soluble c-kit levels in acute GVHD after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Serum soluble c-kit concentrations were measured in 11 patients with or without acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. The serum soluble c-kit levels in the patients with moderate to severe acute GVHD (grade II-IV) were significantly lower than those in the patients with no or mild acute GVHD (grade 0-I) following the onset. The data from this study indicate that measurement of serum soluble c-kit concentration is a useful indicator of severe acute GVHD.

Cytokine gene expression after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Cytokines produced by T lymphocytes, monocytes/macrophages, and fibroblasts play a central role in the immune response and in the development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Also, it has been reported that dysregulated production of cytokines maybe the primary mediator of clinical manifestation of acute GVHD. Regarding cytokine gene expression after human allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo BMT), we have demonstrated increased IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells during the development of acute and chronic GVHD and that the degree of the increase was dependent on the severity of the disease. Furthermore, overexpression of these cytokine mRNAs could be detected before the clinical manifestations of GVHD developed. In contrast, IL-2 mRNA expression was not detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in GVHD patients. On the other hand, we have reported that increased mRNA expression and protein product of IL-2 and IFN-gamma were evident in the mixed lymphocyte culture of the cases who developed severe lethal transplantation-related complications. Therefore, the detection of increased IL-2 and IFN-gamma gene expression in MLC appeared to be useful for predicting transplantation-related complications in BMT patients. Furthermore, we found increased IL-2 receptor alpha subunit mRNA expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells during GVHD. These findings may indicate the important role of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1 beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in the development of the clinical manifestation of GVHD and also may be indicative of the important role of IL-2 and the IL-2 receptor in allo response perhaps mainly as an autocrine effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of 15-deoxyspergualin on proliferative responses and cytokine gene expression in vitro

15-deoxyspergualin (DSG)-treated BALB/c spleen cells showed increased spontaneous proliferation and increased alloreactive mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLRs) when a 3-h treatment was carried out. However, when spleen cells were treated with DSG for 5 days without washing out DSG, decreased spontaneous proliferation was observed, although alloreactive MLRs against C3H/He and C57BL/6 alloantigens were increased. In contrast, cyclosporin A (CsA) induced markedly decreased alloreactive MLRs. Decreased concanavalin A (Con A)- and pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-induced responses were observed in spleen cells treated with DSG for 3 h; whereas increased phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced responses were observed. On the other hand, increased Con A- and PHA-induced responses were observed in spleen cells treated with DSG for 2 days, whereas PWM-induced responses were decreased. CsA-treatment induced markedly decreased mitogen-induced responses. These results suggest that the immunosuppressive mechanism of DSG differs from that of CsA. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method showed that interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) mRNA expression in DSG-treated spleen cells were increased by Con A stimulation, thus indicating that DSG modulates cytokine gene expression and inducing immunosuppressive mechanisms different from CsA.

Cryptic dysfunction of cellular immunity in asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) carriers and its actualization by an environmental immunosuppressive factor

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 4 asymptomatic HIV-1 carriers with normally retained EBV-specific cytotoxic T-cell activity were exposed to EBV and incubated with 0.2 ng/ml 4-deoxyphorbol ester, an immunosuppressive substance derived from an African plant Euphorbia tirucalli. The regression of EBV-induced B-cell transformation by EBV-specific cytotoxic T-cells was significantly impaired in the presence of a small amount of 4-deoxyphorbol ester, but not so in 5 HIV-1-seronegative healthy counterparts. When the EBV-specific cytotoxic T-cells from the asymptomatic carriers were exposed to 0.2ng/ml 4-deoxyphorbol ester and incubated with 51Cr-labeled autologous EBV-transformed B lymphocytes, the released radioactivity was significantly smaller than that of the healthy counterparts. The results suggest that the cellular immunity of the asymptomatic HIV-1 carriers is cryptically impaired, and the cryptic immunological dysfunction is actualized by exposure to a small amount of the immunosuppressive substance, a dose which does not affect the immunity of uninfected healthy individuals.

Cytokine gene expression by concanavalin A-stimulated peripheral mononuclear cells after bone marrow transplantation: an indicator of immunological abnormality due to chronic graft-versus-host disease

The response of IFN-gamma, IL-2 and IL-5 mRNA expression to the stimulation of concanavalin A (Con A) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) was analyzed using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to assess the recovery of T cell function. The subjects were 23 patients undergoing allogeneic BMT, 1 syngeneic BMT, 1 autologous BMT and 2 normal individuals. IFN-gamma mRNA expression increased after Con A stimulation in 6 patients who had limited chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD), 14 patients who did not have chronic GVHD, each one patient receiving syngeneic and autologous BMT and 2 normal individuals. On the other hand, IFN-gamma mRNA expression was not increased by Con A stimulation in 4 patients who had extensive chronic GVHD. Also, the concentration of IFN-gamma in cultured medium in a patient with extensive chronic GVHD was not detectable. A similar low response of IL-2 and IL-5 mRNA expression to Con A was observed in these patients with extensive chronic GVHD. These findings indicate that the cytokine productive capacity of T cell (IFN-gamma and IL-2 could be produced by type 1 T helper (Th1) cells and IL-5 could be produced by type 2 T helper (Th2) cells) was suppressed in patients who had extensive chronic GVHD, while that capacity was almost normal in patients without chronic GVHD and with limited chronic GVHD. Therefore, the analysis of cytokine gene response to Con A stimulation may provide useful information regarding immune reconstitution after BMT.

Phosphorylation of calponin by PKC is blocked by F-actin in vitro

Polyclonal antibody against phosphorylated calponin was raised in rabbits by application of the peptide corresponding to residues 183-195 of calponin phosphorylated by protein kinase C. When calponin was incubated with protein kinase C, only free calponin was recognized by this antibody and calponin of native thin filament or that binding to F-actin did not. In experiments done using [gamma-32P] ATP, no radioactivity was detected except for free calponin. Calponin phosphorylation was suppressed in an actin dose-dependent manner and the phosphorylation of calponin was completely blocked when the actin molar ratio to calponin exceeded 10. These data suggest that phosphorylation of calponin by protein kinase C was apparently blocked by F-actin.

Structure and chromosomal locus of the mouse gene encoding a cerebellar Purkinje cell-specific helix-loop-helix factor Hes-3

HES-3 is a cerebellar Purkinje cell-specific helix-loop-helix factor structurally related to the products of the Drosophila hairy and Enhancer of split genes. Here, we report the nucleotide sequence and chromosomal locus of the mouse Hes-3 gene. This gene consists of four exons and the exon-intron boundaries are well conserved when compared with those of the mouse Hes-1 and Drosophila hairy genes. Southern blot and interspecies backcross analyses show that the mouse Hes-3 gene is a single-copy gene and is located around position 80 on chromosome 4. Further analysis indicates that this locus is close to the Hes-5 locus, which is different from the Hes-1 locus (position 26 on chromosome 16). These results suggest that the Hes-3 and Hes-5 genes may be clustered on chromosome 4 while the Hes-1 gene is not.

Effects of interleukin-6 on hematopoiesis in allogeneic and syngeneic bone marrow chimeras

Effects of interleukin-6 (IL-6) on hematopoietic progenitor cells were analyzed in murine bone marrow chimeras. When IL-6 was injected into syngeneic [C3H/He-->C3H/He] bone marrow chimeras from day 1 to day 12, the numbers of highly proliferative potential colony-forming units (CFU-HPP) or colony-forming units mix (CFU-Mix) in spleen cells and bone marrow cells increased on day 14 although there was a marked increase in spleen cells but not in bone marrow cells on day 21. The numbers of CFU-HPP increased in spleen cells from allogeneic [BALB/c-->C3H/He] bone marrow chimeras injected with IL-6 on days 14 and 21. In syngeneic bone marrow chimeras, the numbers of colony-forming units granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) and burst colony-forming units (BFU-E) increased similarly to those of CFU-HPP and CFU-Mix on day 14. On day 21, these were mainly increased in spleen cells. In allogeneic bone marrow chimeras, IL-6 decreased the numbers of CFU-GM and BFU-Mix dose-dependently on day 14. Only 10 micrograms of IL-6 increased the numbers of CFU-GM and BFU-E on day 21. In our previous work, we showed that platelet counts increased on day 14 in syngeneic bone marrow chimeras injected with IL-6, whereas platelet and leukocyte counts increased on days 14 and 24 in allogeneic bone marrow chimeras injected with IL-6, correlating inversely with the numbers of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Overall, primitive hematopoietic progenitors (i.e., CFU-HPP and CFU-Mix) existed primarily in spleen cells of allogeneic bone marrow chimeras on day 14, whereas those in spleen cells of syngeneic bone marrow chimeras were found on day 21. These findings indicate that the effect of IL-6 on hematopoiesis in allogeneic bone marrow chimeras is completely different from that in syngeneic bone marrow chimeras, probably via graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR) but not GVH disease (GVHD).

Recipient-mediated effect of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, ren-shen-yang-rong-tang (Japanese name: ninjin-youei-to), on hematopoietic recovery following lethal irradiation and syngeneic bone marrow transplantation

Ren-shen-yang-rong-tang (Japanese name: Ninjin-youei-to, NYT), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, was evaluated for recipient-mediated effect on hematopoietic recovery in a murine model of syngeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). BALB/c recipient mice were preconditioned with a lethal total body irradiation (TBI) at a dose of 6.5 Gy and transplanted with syngeneic bone marrow (BM) cells. NYT treatments, given intraperitoneally (i.p.) once per day for 3 consecutive days in a dose of 0.625 mg, were performed either before or after TBI and BMT to assess any recipient-mediated effect of this compound. NYT pretreatment was as effective as NYT posttreatment in enhancing the total number of colony-forming unit erythroid (CFU-E) and colony-forming unit granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) per marrow and spleen after TBI and BMT. NYT pretreatment caused a significant increase in marrow and splenic CFU-E and CFU-GM numbers over a prolonged period following TBI and BMT, and affected late-stage erythropoiesis (CFU-E) more profoundly than early-stage erythropoiesis (burst-forming unit erythroid, BFU-E). NYT pretreatment significantly accelerate recovery of not only erythrocyte and leukocyte counts but also platelet counts after transplantation with a limited number (1 x 10(5)) of BM cells. The same treatment, however, was significantly less effective in hematopoietic recovery after transplantation with a minimal number (1 x 10(4)) of BM cells, indicating that NYT accelerates recovery of donor-derived rather than recipient-derived cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Multiple myeloma with numb chin syndrome as the initial manifestation]

The numb chin syndrome (NCS) is characterized by chin or lower lip numbness restricted to the distribution of the mental nerve (the distal trigeminal nerve). A case of multiple myeloma with polycythemia vera was diagnosed with NCS as the initial manifestation. A 73-year-old Japanese male was admitted to our hospital in April, 1993, because of paresthesia around the chin and lower lip. X-ray film showed multiple osteolytic lesions. According to serum and urine immunoelectrophoresis, lambda type Bence Jones protein was demonstrated. The bone marrow aspiration showed the normocellular marrow with 14.1% myeloma cells. He was diagnosed a suffering from multiple myeloma and was treated with melphalan and prednisolone. He is alive at present with resolution of NCS. We discussed pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of NCS.

Hyperacute graft-versus-host disease accompanied by increased serum interleukin-6 levels

Hyperacute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which progresses severely and rapidly, was observed in three patients with acute leukemia transplanted with bone marrow cells from human leukocyte antigens (HLA)-identical and mixed leukocyte reactions (MLR)-negative siblings. Hyperacute GVHD developed in these patients within 7 days after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and was rapidly aggravated inspite of cyclosporin A (CyA) and short-term methotrexate (MTX) prophylaxis and treatment with bolus methylprednisolone (mPSL). These patients showed markedly increased serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels after BMT, whereas other cytokines such as interferon gamma (IFN gamma), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), and IL-2 were not increased compared with pretreatment levels. These findings suggest that markedly increased IL-6 levels may be related to hyperacute GVHD.