Natural cytotoxic cells against solid tumors in mice: blocking of cytotoxicity by D-mannose

Murine non-lymphoid tumors are lysed by a combination of NK and NC cells

Natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity (NCMC) against a variety of tumor targets is mediated by a heterogeneous group of effector cells with the natural killer (NK) and natural cytotoxic (NC) cells being the predominant prototypes in mice. This report shows that non-lymphoid tumor targets, mostly derived from chemically induced fibrosarcomas, are susceptible to either (1) NK-mediated lysis with all the activity being the function of a poly-IC augmentable Qa-5+ effector cell; (2) NC-mediated lysis with all activity being the function of a Qa-5- cell not augmented by poly-IC; and (3) a combination of NK-and NC-mediated lysis with activity being the function of both Qa-5+ and Qa-5- cells, the NK (Qa-5+) augmented by poly-IC. These studies further support the view that murine NC and NK cells are distinct and collectively make up the NCMC system, and also that the previous association of NK cells with lymphoid tumor lysis and NC cells with non-lymphoid tumor lysis is not a valid one.

Reversal of infectious mononucleosis-associated suppressor T cell activity by D-mannose

Epstein-Barr virus-induced infectious mononucleosis (IM) is associated with the activation of suppressor T lymphocytes that profoundly inhibit immunoglobulin (Ig) production in vitro. We have examined the nature of signals operating in the interaction between IM suppressor T cells and their targets, and explored the possibility that a lectin-like receptor molecule and its specific sugar might provide specificity to this interaction. When D-mannose or some of its derivatives, including alpha-methyl-D-mannoside, mannose-6-phosphate, and mannan, were added to suppressed cultures containing IM T lymphocytes and pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-stimulated normal mononuclear cells, a significant enhancement of Ig production was observed. These sugars had little or no effect on Ig production by the PWM-stimulated responder cells alone and thus the enhanced Ig production could be attributed to the reversal of suppression in the co-cultures by these sugars. This was further confirmed by the observation that the sugars were effective only if present during the first 24 h of culture, a time when IM suppressor T cells exert their principal effect. The effect of sugars on Ig production by suppressed cultures was similar to that achieved by decreasing by about fourfold the number of IM T cells in culture. The effect of the sugars is unlikely to represent a form of nonspecific toxicity, since inhibited cultures become responders in the presence of the sugar. Furthermore, toxicity restricted to the suppressor T cells is unlikely, since preincubation of the T cells with the sugars did not reduce their subsequent ability to suppress in secondary indicator cultures. In addition, there was no correlation between the effect of the sugars on T cell proliferation and their effect on T cell-mediated suppression. The reversal of suppression by sugars was dose dependent and demonstrated stereo-specificity in that L-mannose was without effect while D-mannose reversed suppression. These data indicate that D-mannose and some of its derivatives consistently reverse suppression of Ig production by IM T cells and strongly suggest a role for saccharides as critical components in the cellular receptors involved in certain physiologic immune cell interactions.

Target-effector-cell interactions in the human natural-killer(NK)-system: isolation of target structures

The existence of structures on NK-sensitive target cells selectively recognized by the effector cells have been postulated. To test this hypothesis, four selected human cell lines were investigated for target-cell proteins which could serve as specific ligands for the putative NK-cell receptor(s). NP-40 extracts from two highly NK-sensitive (K 562 and Molt-4) and two rather insensitive cell lines (HL-60 and Reh-6) were fractionated on SDS-polyacrylamide gels and tested for their ability to inhibit binding of effector to target cells as well as NK cytotoxicity. Three fractions with molecular weights (MW) of 200, 120 and 80 +/- 10 KD isolated from K 562 cells were able to inhibit binding of large granular lymphocytes (LGL) to K 562. Of the other cell lines, Molt-4 and HL-60, both which were able to inhibit lysis of K 562 in a cold target inhibition assay, showed also two inhibitory fractions with MW 120 and 80 KD, whereas Reh-6, which is not able to compete with 51Cr-labelled K 562 in a cytotoxicity assay, lacked these structures. The 200, 120 and 80 KD fractions isolated from K 562 and the 120 and 80 KD fractions from Molt-4 and HL-60 were able to inhibit lysis of K 562 cells when added to the cytotoxicity assay. By adsorption/elution of radiolabelled K 562 extracts to/from LGL it was possible to detect an 80 KD target-cell surface protein which became preferentially bound by LGL-enriched but not by LGL-depleted lymphocyte preparations. Our results indicate the existence of target-cell proteins in NK-sensitive cell lines which serve as specific ligands for binding of NK cells. These target-cell structures of human cell lines differed from NK target structures described for mouse-NK-sensitive cell lines.

Relationship between expression of herpes simplex virus glycoproteins and susceptibility of target cells to human natural killer activity

Cells normally insensitive to human natural killer (NK) activity were rendered susceptible by infection with HSV-1. The cytotoxic effector cell was a nonadherent, non-T, non-B lymphocyte. Antibody plus complement treatment, using a monoclonal antibody that recognizes an antigen present on NK cells, removed much of the cytotoxic activity, and a density gradient fraction enriched for NK cells yielded cells of increased virus-specific cytotoxicity. It was concluded that the effector cell active against infected targets possessed characteristics of an NK cell. Blockage of viral protein synthesis during infection inhibited development of increased susceptibility of infected targets to NK activity. When targets were infected with a mutant virus unable to produce viral glycoprotein C (gC), NK activity against these targets was reduced approximately 30% compared with activity against targets infected with wild-type virus. Similarly, activity against targets infected in the presence of 2-deoxyglucose (2dG), which prevents cell surface expression of viral glycoprotein B (gB), was also reduced approximately 30%. An approximately 60% reduction in activity was seen against targets infected with mutant virus in the presence of 2dG; these targets express gD, but neither gB nor gC. When cells expressing various combinations of HSV-1 glycoproteins were used as both labeled targets and cold target competitors, it was found that the susceptibility of a particular target to NK activity was paralleled by its ability to act as a cold target competitor. This indicates that targets with decreased sensitivity to NK cells were less able to bind NK effectors. Further, the amount of interferon produced in co-cultures of NK effectors and infected target cells did not directly correlate with the amount of NK activity generated, and interferon pretreatment of effectors did not decrease virus-specific cytotoxicity. The present results suggest that HSV-1 glycoproteins expressed at the surface of infected targets may act as recognition structures for NK cells.

Inhibition of human NK-induced cell lysis and soluble cell-lytic molecules with anti-human LT antisera and various saccharides

The present study examines and compares the cytolysis of K-562 and MOLT-4 cells mediated by human natural killer (NK) cells from fresh peripheral blood and lymphotoxins (LT) derived from human lymphoid cell populations after lectin stimulation in vitro. Lymphotoxins were obtained from 5-hr concanavalin A (Con A)-restimulated human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) which were precultured for 5 days in medium and fetal calf serum or with allogeneic human B-lymphoid cell lines. Two classes of probes were employed in both direct (cell) and indirect (supernatant) induced target-cell lysis: (a) various saccharides and (b) antibodies reactive with human LT forms. Two sugars, N-acetylglucosamine and alpha-methylmannoside, were able to inhibit direct cell lysis of both MOLT-4 and K-562 target cells. However, saccharide inhibition was distinct for each type of target even when effector cells were obtained from the same donor. These same saccharides were also able to inhibit 20-30% of the total LT activity in a supernatant for L-929 cells and 50-90% of the lytic activity on MOLT-4 cells. Anti-human F(ab')2 (IgG) and rabbit anti-alpha 2 LT sera blocked direct cell lysis of MOLT-4 and K-562 targets in 50% of the experiments. The anti-alpha 2 LT serum only recognizes a portion of the LT forms in these supernatants. These results reveal that, while both direct and indirect cell lysis are complex phenomena, they may both occur in some cases by a common mechanism(s).

Selective inhibition by monosaccharides of tumor cell cytotoxicity mediated by mouse macrophages, macrophage-like cell lines, and natural killer cells

A series of monosaccharides were tested for their ability to inhibit the effector phase of macrophage-mediated cytolysis against two susceptible murine tumor target cells, L5178Y and RL male I. Two monosaccharides, D-mannose and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, were found to decrease cytotoxicity consistently in a dose-dependent manner. However, D-mannose preferentially inhibited lysis of RL male I target cells with little effect on lysis of L5178Y target cells, while the reverse was found with N-acetyl-D-galactosamine. Neither monosaccharide interfered with the activation of macrophages by polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid. Natural killer cell activity was decreased by a 25 mM concentration of D-mannose but not by N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, although increasing concentrations of N-acetyl-D-galactosamine were inhibitory. Neither monosaccharide affected cytotoxicity by alloimmune T cells. Cytotoxicity of macrophage-like cell lines against tumor target cells was also decreased by monosaccharides but the pattern of inhibition was different from that seen with activated macrophage effector cells. Both D-mannose and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine inhibited glucose oxidation by activated macrophages but only D-mannose significantly decreased protein synthesis of activated macrophages. These results indicate that monosaccharides can inhibit macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity in a selective manner with the pattern dependent on the tumor target cell used in the assay.

The activity of natural cytotoxic cells is augmented by interleukin 2 and interleukin 3

Murine natural killer (NK) and natural cytotoxic (NC) cells showed different patterns of augmentation of lytic activity after preincubation for 24 h with either poly-IC, interleukin 2 (IL-2), or interleukin 3 (IL-3): (a) Poly-IC augmented only NK cells, with no effect on NC activity, as we have previously observed (4); (b) IL-2 augmented both NK and NC activity; and (c) IL-3 augmented only NC lysis, without affecting NK activity. In addition, both precursor and the augmented effector cells showed differences in expression of the Qa-5 surface marker: NK precursors and effectors are Qa 5+, whereas NC precursors and effector cells are Qa-5-.

Natural killer (NK) and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activities can be differentiated by their different sensitivities to interferon and prostaglandin E1

Though purported to be identical cells (or in identical populations of cells), the natural killer (NK) cell mediating spontaneous natural cytotoxicity and the killer (K) cell mediating antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) may not be totally identical, at least in susceptibility to regulation by the immunomodulators prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and interferon (IFN). We demonstrate here that NK cells are always enhanced by IFN, while K cells are inhibited from binding targets, resulting in fewer effectors at optimal concentrations of antibody. Only at 10- to 100-fold suboptimal concentrations of antibody is ADCC activity enhanced. As measured by magnitude of inhibition and dose-response titration, ADCC activity is less sensitive to the effects of PGE1 than is NK activity in the 51Cr release assay and single-cell assay. After overnight incubation with or without PGE1, whatever sensitivity ADCC activity had to PGE1 is lost. However, NK cells incubated in the presence of PGE1 overnight are still sensitive to inhibition. Indomethacin boosts NK activity without having any effect on ADCC activity. Finally, NK activity is substantially reduced by overnight incubation of cells at room temperature, which has no effect on K cells.

Natural killer cells: artifact to reality: an odyssey in biology

The biology of the natural killer cell system is being investigated by many different laboratories using multiple approaches. The rationale for these investigations is the experimental evidence that NK cells play some role in inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis, convey some protective immunity and may be operative in control of differentiation from fetal life to adulthood. Thus, a survey of the literature reveals a multiplicity of studies examining many of these potential roles for NK cells. This review will attempt to summarize some of the findings critical to an understanding of the role NK cells play in immunophysiology and in immune reactions to various diseases. Even after ten years of study, the whole system of 'natural' reactivity remains difficult to define. The evidence available would indicate that the NK system while incompletely understood, may be manipulated in favor of the host when threatened by infectious or neoplastic disorders.

In vitro effects of protease inhibitors on murine natural killer cell activity

To test whether proteolytic events are involved in natural killer (NK) cell mediated lysis of tumour cells, twenty-three different protease inhibitors were added to in vitro assays of natural killer cell reactivity. Of all of the materials tested, only tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK), tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) and benzamidine unequivocally inhibited killing at concentrations approaching those needed to affect appropriate purified proteases. All of the effective inhibitors, and none of the others tested, inhibited binding of effector to target cells. The action of TLCK was focused on both effector and target cells, in that cytolysis was completely inhibited by a 1 hr pretreatment of effectors with 10(-4) M TLCK, and 60% inhibited by a 1 hr treatment of targets only.

Natural cytotoxic cells against solid tumors in mice. IV. Natural cytotoxic (NC) cells are not activated natural killer (NK) cells

Natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity (NCMC), measured against a variety of tumors, is mediated by at least two sub-populations of effector cells: natural cytotoxic (NC) and natural killer (NK). The studies described in this report show that target lysis by NC cells requires a prolonged (18- to 24 h) assay period, whereas NC-susceptible targets can be lysed in short-term (4h) [3H]-proline assays using allo-sensitized CTL or mitogen-activated cytotoxic populations. NC cells are not "activated" during the long-term assay as indicated by: (1) demonstrating that lysis of NC-susceptible targets in long-term (20 h) 51Cr assays is still the function of a Qa-5- effector cell (NC) and (2) the fact that preincubation of the NC effector cell with susceptible targets for 18 h did not result in the activation of an NK-like population (kinetics of target lysis were comparable to those noted with fresh NC cell preparations). We show that NC cell activity is preserved in both the beige mutant and the PL/J mouse strains, both of which exhibit low NK cell activity, even in long-term assays. These combined studies support the view that NC and NK cell activities are the function of distinct cell types and not the property of a single cell class under different states of activation.

The biology of the human natural killer cell

Natural killer (NK) cells in the human are a population of large granular lymphocytes (LGL) with at least one unique surface antigen not expressed on cells of other lineages. NK-target-cell interaction appears to involve carbohydrate recognition and, following binding, the NK cells are induced to generate O2-, transmethylate membrane phospholipids, and activate phospholipase A2. Some or all of these activities trigger a cascade of events which ultimately leads to the secretion of a substance toxic to the target cell. A variety of genes controls various steps in this cytolytic pathway. There is a good deal of evidence in the mouse, and some in the human, that NK cells play a role in host surveillance against tumor development, resistance to viral infections, and, possibly, hematopoietic regulation.

Lymphotoxin enhances the susceptibility of neoplastic and preneoplastic cells to natural killer cell mediated destruction

Treatment of neoplastic guinea-pig cells for 1-14 days with 300 units of guinea-pig lymphotoxin/ml medium enhanced 2- to 5-fold their susceptibility to natural killer (NK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity as measured by 4 h 51Cr and 72 h [3H]-thymidine-release assays. The NK susceptibility of human neoplastic and guinea-pig non-neoplastic cells refractory to guinea-pig lymphotoxin growth-inhibitory activity was unchanged after lymphotoxin treatment. Lymphotoxin preparations were free of detectable interferon and the enhancing activity copurified with lymphotoxin during diafiltration and isoelectric focusing. Treatment of NK cells with lymphotoxin preparations also augmented NK-mediated lysis but that activity did not copurify with lymphotoxin. As with neoplastic cells, lymphotoxin-sensitive preneoplastic cells previously treated with ultraviolet light, a chemical carcinogen, or carcinogen and the tumor-promoting agent tetradecanoylphorbol-acetate also exhibited lymphotoxin enhancement to NK-cell destruction. Thus, the immunologic hormone lymphotoxin enhances the susceptibility of lymphotoxin-sensitive cells to NK-cell destruction, indicating that these two natural immune mediators, lymphotoxin and NK cells, have the potential in concert to regulate carcinogenesis and neoplastic growth.

NK cell-target interactions: approaches towards definition of recognition structures

NK cells lyse an uncommonly wide range of cell types, implying either that they (the NK cells) have clonally distributed receptors each of which is capable of interacting with a very limited number of cell types or, alternatively, that susceptible target cells share a common characteristic. A number of experimental approaches have suggested that the cytotoxic 'specificity' of NK cells is not clonally distributed. Thus, clones of NK cells, established from mouse spleen cell suspensions, showed no greater restriction in the spectrum of target cells which they could lyse, than did the parent spleen cell populations from which they were derived. It seems likely therefore that the wide range of target cell types that can be lysed by NK cells share common cell surface characteristics which render them susceptible. As lysis results from membrane-membrane interactions, it seemed logical that a search for 'hallmarks' of NK susceptibility should begin with a detailed examination of the plasma membrane of susceptible cells. Analysis of one pair of lymphoma cell variants, selected on account of their markedly different susceptibility to NK cells, suggests that cell surface glycoconjugates may be of significance in determining those effector cell-target cell interactions that lead to lysis. This review outlines attempts to characterize such glycoconjugates.

Relation of gp70 to spontaneous cytolytic activity of mouse spleen cells

In comparing spleen cells of inbred and congenic mice for spontaneous capacity to lyse cells of the BALB/c leukemia RLmale1 in vitro, we found that the activity of 129 spleen cells was more than double that of 129-Gix- spleen cells. The only known difference between these two strains is that 129-Gix- mice express no known demonstrable gp70 or p30, whereas 129 mice express both these MuLV-related components as mendelian traits not associated with the production of virions. We infer that MuLV-related components at the cell surface are concerned in effector-target interactions leading to cytolysis under the conditions described. Although the congenic strains B6 (Gix-) and B6-Gix+ differ likewise in expression of the type-variant Gix-gp70, both strains express a second type-variant of gp70. The lytic activity of spleen cells of these two strains for RLmale1 cells was equally high, suggesting that involvement in lytic effector-target interactions is common to gp70 molecules in general. When used as targets rather than as effectors 129 spleen cells were more sensitive to lysis than 129-Gix- spleen cells. Pre-exposure to gp70, purified from R-MuLV, rendered splenic effector cells less lytic. Pre-exposure to gp70 also rendered RLmale1 target cells less sensitive to lysis. One explanation of these findings is that both target cells and effector cells express gp70 and also receptors for gp70 and that this is the basis of mutual cellular recognition leading to lysis in the circumstances described.

Mannose 6-, fructose 1-, and fructose 6-phosphates inhibit human natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity

In vitro human natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity (NCMC) to K-562, Molt-4, and F-265 cells is inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by mannose 6-phosphate, fructose 1-phosphate and fructose 6-phosphate. This inhibition is not observed with mannose, glucose, fucose, glucose 6-phosphate, mannose 1-phosphate, galactose 1-phosphate, or galactose 6-phosphate. Preincubation of the effector cells, obtained from fresh whole blood, with mannose-6-phosphate, fructose-1-phosphate, or fructose-6-phosphate did not inhibit cytotoxicity, which indicated that these hexose phosphates are not nonspecifically toxic towards the effector lymphocytes. Mannose-6-phosphate and the stereochemically similar fructose-1-phosphate are more potent inhibitors than fructose-6-phosphate in terms of concentration required and time of onset of effect. Inhibition of cytotoxicity by mannose-6-phosphate varied with target cell type: F-265 is protected at much lower concentrations of mannose-6-phosphate (less than 1 mM) than is either Molt-4 or K-562. The inhibition of NCMC is also observed with the inhibitors of lysosomal function, NH4Cl, and chloroquine. The presence of a functional mannose-6-phosphate receptor on target cells was demonstrated: (i) Gelonin, a seed protein that inactivates the eukaryotic ribosome but is nontoxic to intact cells, was covalently linked to monophosphopentamannose, and this conjugate ws toxic to both K-562 and F-265 target cells, the latter being by far the more sensitive; and (ii) chloroquine, NH4Cl, and mannose-6-phosphate all inhibited the toxicity of gelonin-monophosphopentamannose. These results suggest either that a cytolytic lymphokine contains a hexose phosphate residue and may be taken up by target cells through the lysosomal/mannose 6-phosphate pathway or that such a residue is involved in target cell-effector cell recognition.

Normal levels of natural cytotoxic cells against solid tumours in NK-deficient beige mice

Natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity (NCMC) capable of in vitro lysis of various lymphoid and non-lymphoid tumours has been described in mice and other species, including man. NCMC has been proposed as a first level of defence against tumour growth in vivo, one which does not need the priming of the conventional immunological response. The effector cells of NCMC seem to belong to a special category of lymphoid cells, being neither classical T or B cells nor macrophages; natural killer (NK) cells have been proposed as the prototype effector cell, although some heterogeneity among effector cells seems to exist, depending on the target cells used for testing. Two main subgroups of NCMC effector cells have been defined: NK cells directed against lymphoma targets and natural cytotoxic (NC) cells directed against solid non-lymphoid tumours. We describe here another distinction between the two systems: while NK activity is low in mice homozygous for the beige (bg) gene NC activity in spleen cell preparations from these animals is comparable with that observed in the appropriate controls (bg/+ and +/+ littermates). The bg syndrome of mice affects lysosome, melanosome and enzymatic functions and is a homologue of the Chediak--Higashi syndrome of man. Defective NK activity in blood lymphocytes has also been reported in patients with Chediak--Higashi syndrome. We also show that several mouse strains which have low NK activity, have normal or high levels of NC functions, expanding our previous observation that NC and NK cells are under distinct genetic control.

Cell interactions in the bone marrow microenvironment: role of endogenous colony-stimulating activity

Adherent stromal cells from mouse bone marrow inhibited the formation of granulocyte/monocyte (G/M) colonies induced in vitro by colony-stimulating factor (CSF). This inhibition occurred both when crude conditioned media obtained from various sources were used to induce colony formation or when a pure CSF preparation from mouse lung origin was tested. The inhibition did not appear to be toxic in nature since despite the lack of colony formation, progenitor CFU-C proliferated in the presence of stromal cells. Medium conditioned by adherent stromal cells was devoid of inhibitory activity when incorporated into the culture medium used for G/M colony formation, indicating that the inhibitory activity may not be present in a soluble form. Inhibitors of prostaglandins did not affect G/M colony formation. In contrast, D-glucose and a number of other free monosaccharides but not pyruvate lactate or glycerol induced formation of myeloid colonies in the presence of stromal cells. This did not require addition of exogenous CSF. Released factors concentrated from serum-free medium conditioned by stromal cells exhibited colony-stimulating activity provided that the medium contained a high glucose concentration during incubation. It is proposed that stromal cells produce a resident CSF that, in contrast to exogenous CSF species, is capable of inducing myelopoiesis within the bone and marrow stroma.