Enhancement of macrophage adenylate cyclase by microtubule disrupting drugs

Compressive stress induces dephosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain via RhoA phosphorylation by the adenylyl cyclase/protein kinase A signaling pathway

Mechanical stress that arises due to deformation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) either stretches or compresses cells. The cellular response to stretching has been actively studied. For example, stretching induces phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain (MRLC) via the RhoA/RhoA-associated protein kinase (ROCK) pathway, resulting in increased cellular tension. In contrast, the effects of compressive stress on cellular functions are not fully resolved. The mechanisms for sensing and differentially responding to stretching and compressive stress are not known. To address these questions, we investigated whether phosphorylation levels of MRLC were affected by compressive stress. Contrary to the response in stretching cells, MRLC was dephosphorylated 5 min after cells were subjected to compressive stress. Compressive loading induced activation of myosin phosphatase mediated via the dephosphorylation of myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 (Thr853). Because myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 (Thr853) is phosphorylated only by ROCK, compressive loading may have induced inactivation of ROCK. However, GTP-bound RhoA (active form) increased in response to compressive stress. The compression-induced activation of RhoA and inactivation of its effector ROCK are contradictory. This inconsistency was due to phosphorylation of RhoA (Ser188) that reduced affinity of RhoA to ROCK. Treatment with the inhibitor of protein kinase A that phosphorylates RhoA (Ser188) induced suppression of compression-stimulated MRLC dephosphorylation. Incidentally, stretching induced phosphorylation of MRLC, but did not affect phosphorylation levels of RhoA (Ser188). Together, our results suggest that RhoA phosphorylation is an important process for MRLC dephosphorylation by compressive loading, and for distinguishing between stretching and compressing cells.

Roles of atypical protein kinase C in lysophosphatidic acid-induced type II adenylyl cyclase activation in RAW 264.7 macrophages

1 Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) has been widely studied as a naturally occurring and multifunctional phospholipid messenger in diverse tissue and cell types and shown to inhibit adenylyl cyclase (AC) by a G protein-mediated mechanism. 2 In type II AC-expressing mouse RAW 264.7 macrophages, we showed that LPA at 3-50 microM increased cyclic AMP formation in a concentration-dependent manner, the effect being additive with that of forskolin or cholera toxin, and synergistic with that of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) or isoproterenol. 3 The potentiation effect of LPA was unaffected by the removal of serum or pertussis toxin treatment. 4 Both colchicine and cytochalasin B potentiated the cyclic AMP response to PGE1, the effect being additive to that of LPA. 5 On studying the regulation of type II AC by protein kinase C (PKC), phorbol 12-myristate-13 acetate (PMA) potentiated the PGE1-elicited cyclic AMP response, this effect being non-additive to that of LPA, suggesting that PKC activation was the common mechanism involved in AC potentiation by LPA and PMA. 6 PKC inhibitor Ro 31-8220, but not Go 6976, significantly inhibited the LPA-induced cyclic AMP potentiation. 7 The potentiation effect of LPA was unaffected by long-term treatment with PMA, which resulted in the down-regulation of PKCalpha, betaI, betaII and PKCdelta, but not PKCepsilon, mu, lambda and zeta. 8 By in situ kinase assay, we found a marked increase in atypical PKC activity after LPA treatment. 9 Taken together, we conclude that LPA can elicit a unique signalling cascade in RAW 264.7 macrophages and increase type II AC activity via the activation of atypical PKC.

Colchicine versus prednisone as treatment of usual interstitial pneumonia

OBJECTIVE

To assess the results with colchicine and prednisone as initial single-drug therapy in patients with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We reviewed the serial pulmonary function test results in 22 patients with typical clinical and high-resolution computed tomographic features of UIP who were treated with colchicine as initial single-agent therapy and compared them with a group of 22 historical patients with UIP of similar severity diagnosed by open-lung biopsy who were given prednisone as initial single-drug therapy.

RESULTS

No significant difference was detected in the rate of decline of pulmonary function or in the time to "failure" between the two study groups. A trend was suggested for more rapid decline of pulmonary function in the prednisone-treated than in the colchicine-treated group. The design of this study does not allow distinction between a possible beneficial effect of colchicine and a possible adverse effect related to weaning from high-dose prednisone. Colchicine was well tolerated; few side effects other than mild diarrhea were noted in those patients able to take the drug long enough to return for pulmonary function testing at 3 months. In comparison, the side effects of prednisone were more serious and were not always reversible with cessation of therapy.

CONCLUSION

This study lends further support to the assumption that colchicine may be a satisfactory and less hazardous substitute for prednisone in the treatment of patients with UIP.

Ca2+ ionophore-induced cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate elevation in human neutrophils. A calmodulin-dependent potentiation of adenylate cyclase response to endogenously produced adenosine: comparison to chemotactic agents

The cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) elevation caused by exposure of human neutrophils to the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 was prevented when endogenously produced adenosine was either removed by preincubation with adenosine deaminase or blocked from binding to the adenosine receptor by antagonists [theophylline or (E)-4-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-1,3-dimethyl-2,6-dioxo-9H-purin-8-yl)cinnamic acid]. In the absence of endogenous adenosine, A23187 potentiated the neutrophil cAMP response to 2-chloroadenosine, prostaglandin E1, and isoproterenol. When neutrophil suspensions were preincubated with concentrations of Ro 20-1724, which appeared to maximally inhibit cAMP phosphodiesterase, A23187 was still able to substantially elevate cAMP levels, suggesting that A23187 increases cAMP by amplifying adenylate cyclase responsiveness to the agonist rather than by inhibiting cAMP phosphodiesterase. The ability of A23187 to augment the cAMP elevation caused by 2-chloroadenosine was persistent over a 10-min period. The neutrophil cAMP elevations caused by chemoattractants leukotriene B4, C5a, and N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (FMLP) were all prevented when endogenously produced adenosine was eliminated from the cell suspensions by the addition of adenosine deaminase. The A23187-induced cAMP elevation was inhibited completely by the calmodulin inhibitors chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine and N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide, whereas cAMP levels induced by FMLP, leukotriene B4 and C5a were less affected. It appears that A23187 raises cAMP in human neutrophils by a calmodulin-dependent potentiation of adenylate cyclase responsiveness to endogenously produced adenosine while the chemoattractant-induced cAMP elevations (FMLP), leukotriene B4, and C5a), although possibly Ca2+ dependent, are less sensitive to calmodulin inhibitors and may involve additional biochemical events.

Cyclic AMP-independent stimulation of steroidogenesis in Y-1 adrenal tumor cells by antimitotic agents

The stimulation of steroidogenesis by antimitotic drugs has been studied in wild-type (Y-1) and cAMP-dependent protein kinase-deficient (kin-8) mouse adrenal tumor cell lines. Unlike some other cells, Y-1 cells do not increase their cAMP output upon exposure to antimitotic drugs such as colchicine, vinblastine or podophyllotoxin, which readily increase steroidogenesis. Moreover, no increase in cAMP can be detected over an extended time span. Stabilization of tubulin polymers by taxol or high concentrations of vinblastine blocks ACTH-, cholera toxin- or colchicine-stimulated steroidogenesis without major effects on cAMP levels. Colchicine and podophyllotoxin stimulate steroidogenesis in the cAMP-dependent protein kinase-deficient mutant to the same degree as in the wild-type Y-1 cells, although absolute steroid yields are lower in the mutant cells. We suggest that the antimitotic agents stimulate adrenal steroidogenesis by a cAMP-independent pathway that may involve facilitation of cholesterol access to the mitochondrion.

Effects of colchicine, vinblastine and nocodazole on polarity, motility, chemotaxis and cAMP levels of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

We present evidence for intrinsic polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) polarity manifested in presence of microtubule-disrupting drugs. Polarization in response to colchicine correlated with the known dose-dependent effects of this drug on microtubule disassembly. The response to 10(-5) M colchicine, 10(-5) M vinblastine and 10(-6) M nocodazole was associated with stimulated motility and random locomotion. Responses elicited by microtubule-disrupting drugs differed from f-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP)-induced polarization by functional and morphological criteria. Polarization, motility and orthokinesis responses were much weaker. Furthermore, ruffling was almost absent in PMNs polarized in response to colchicine, vinblastine or nocodazole. The response was inhibited by cytochalasin B, indicating that it is microfilament-dependent. We suggest that microtubule-disrupting drugs induce motility via structural changes in the cytoskeleton which act as signals for the motor apparatus. The intrinsic polarity manifested in the presence of microtubule-disrupting drugs could be reversed by an extracellular chemotactic gradient. Stimulated locomotion and motility in response to microtubule-disrupting drugs was only observed with initially spherical PMNs but not with initially motile cells. The findings provide an explanation for the numerous conflicting statements on the chemokinetic activities of these drugs. The role of cAMP in stimulated polarization and motility has been studied. Colchicine, vinblastine and nocodazole elicited a transient elevation of cAMP levels within 1 min of stimulation. cAMP elevation and stimulated motility were not quantitatively correlated.

Regulation of guinea pig macrophage collagenase production by dexamethasone and colchicine

Previous studies have demonstrated that exposure of guinea pig macrophages to a primary signal, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), stimulates the synthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) which, in turn, elevates cAMP levels resulting in the production of the enzyme, collagenase. The potential of regulating the biochemical events in this activation sequence was examined with the anti-inflammatory agents dexamethasone and colchicine, which suppress the destructive sequelae in chronic inflammatory lesions associated with the degradation of connective tissue. The addition of dexamethasone with LPS to macrophage cultures resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of PGE2 and collagenase production, which was reversed by the exogenous addition of phospholipase A2. Collagenase production was also restored in dexamethasone-treated cultures by the addition of products normally produced as a result of phospholipase action, such as arachidonic acid, PGE2 or dibutyryl-cAMP. Since the effect of dexamethasone was thus linked to phospholipase A2 inhibition, mepacrine, a phospholipase inhibitor, was also tested. Mepacrine, like dexamethasone, caused a dose-dependent inhibition of PGE2 and collagenase. In addition to corticosteroid inhibition, colchicine was also found to block collagenase production. However, this anti-inflammatory agent had no effect on PGE2 synthesis. Colchicine was effective only when added at the onset of culture and not 24 h later, implicating a role for microtubules in the transmission of the activation signal rather than enzyme secretion. The failure of lumicolchicine to inhibit collagenase activity provided additional evidence that microtubules are involved in the activation of macrophages. These findings demonstrate that dexamethasone and colchicine act at specific steps in the activation sequence of guinea pig macrophages to regulate collagenase production.

Immunoregulation by macrophages. III. Prostaglandin E suppresses lymphocyte activation but not macrophage effector function during Salmonella enteritidis infection

Peritoneal macrophages obtained during primary or secondary infection with Salmonella enteritidis differ in the proportions of subpopulations with the capacity to secrete prostaglandin E (PGE) and interleukin 1 (IL1) and have bactericidal and tumoricidal activities in vitro. Using indomethacin in vivo and PGE in vitro we have studied the regulation of subpopulations of lymphocytes and macrophages by PGE during the inflammatory reaction. Indomethacin treatment promoted clearance of the Salmonella and a 50-90% increase in macrophages recovered from the peritoneal cavity in both primary and secondary infected animals. Whilst blocking the capacity of macrophages to secrete PGE in vitro the indomethacin treatment did not alter their bactericidal (or tumoricidal) activity nor their cyclic AMP response to PGE2. A major effect of indomethacin in vivo and of PGE2 in vitro however, was on the production and expression of IL1 and IL2. Secretion of IL1 by macrophages in vitro was greatly enhanced in indomethacin treated mice and was suppressed in vitro by PGE2. Prostaglandin E2 also inhibited IL1 dependent T-lymphocyte differentiation. IL2 secretion and IL2 dependent blast cell proliferation in vitro and sensitivity of the cells to PGE2 inhibition increased through this sequence of reactions. Lymphocyte populations harvested at intervals during primary or secondary infection differed in their cyclic AMP response to PGE2 and in IL2 secretion in vitro. This may be related to changes in the proportions of lymphocyte subsets having Lyt 1+ markers. We conclude that peritoneal macrophages from Salmonella infected mice differ in their capacity to secrete PGE and IL1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Control of cell volume in the J774 macrophage by microtubule disassembly and cyclic AMP

We have explored the possibilities that cell volume is regulated by the status of microtubule assembly and cyclic AMP metabolism and may be coordinated with shape change. Treatment of J774.2 mouse macrophages with colchicine caused rapid microtubule disassembly and was associated with a striking increase (from 15-20 to more than 90 percent) in the proportion of cells with a large protuberance at one pole. This provided a simple experimental system in which shape changes occurred in virtually an entire cell population in suspension. Parallel changes in cell volume could then be quantified by isotope dilution techniques. We found that the shape change caused by colchicine was accompanied by a decrease in cell volume of approximately 20 percent. Nocodozole, but not lumicolchicine, caused identical changes in both cell shape and cell volume. The volume loss was not due to cell lysis nor to inhibition of pinocytosis. The mechanism of volume loss was also examined. Colchicine induced a small but reproducible increase in activity of the ouabain-sensitive Na(+), K(+)-dependent ATPase. However, inhibition of this enzyme/transport system by ouabain did not change cell volume nor did it block the colchicines-induced decrease in volume. One the other hand, SITS (4'acetamido, 4-isothiocyano 2,2' disulfonic acid stilbene), an inhibitor of anion transport, inhibited the effects of colchicines, thus suggesting a role for an anion transport system in cell volume regulation. Because colchicine is known to activate adenylate cyclase in several systems and because cell shape changes are often induced by hormones that elevate cyclic AMP, we also examined the effects of cyclic AMP on cell volume. Agents that act to increase syclic AMP (cholera toxin, which activates adenylate cyclase; IBMX, and inhibitor of phosphodiesterase; and dibutyryl cyclic AMP) all caused a volume decrease comparable to that of colchicine. To define the effective metabolic pathway, we studied two mutants of J774.2, one deficient in adenylate cyclase and the other exhibiting markedly reduced activity of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Cholera toxin did not produce a volume change in either mutant. Cyclic AMP produced a decrease in the cyclase-deficient line comparable to that in wild type, but did not cause a volume change in the kinase- deficient line. This analysis established separate roles for cyclic AMP and colchicine. The volume decrease induced by cyclic AMP requires the action of a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Colchicine, on the other hand, induced a comparable volume change in both mutants and wild type, and thus does not require the kinase.

Cyclic nucleotides, possible intracellular mediators of macrophage activation and secretory processes

Macrophages from various sources can be stimulated by a variety of substances to secrete a range of inflammatory mediators and degradative enzymes. The mechanisms involved in the activation and secretory processes are unknown, However, recent evidence suggests that cyclic AMP may play a role in the regulation of neutral protease secretion. Thus, it has been shown that agents known to increase intracellular cyclic AMP levels (cyclic AMP analogues, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, prostaglandin E1 and E2, catecholamines, cholera toxin and, indirectly, glucocorticosteroids) inhibit the secretion of the neutral protease plasminogen activator. It is speculated that macrophage activation may also initiated by changes in the steady-state levels of cyclic nucleotides. A decrease in intracellular cyclic AMP and/or an increase in cyclic GMP levels would favour secretion. It is possible that these changes could be brought about by the action of various stimuli to modify the capacity of the macrophage to synthetize or degrade cyclic nucleotides.

Desensitization of enucleated cells to hormones and role of cytoskeleton in control of normal hormonal response

Prostaglandin E1 and the beta-adrenergic hormone l-isoproterenol stimulated cyclic AMP formation in both nucleated and enucleated myeloid leukemic cells that could be induced to differentiate normally to mature cells by the macrophage- and granulocyte-inducing protein MGI (MGI+D+ cells). Enucleated as well as nucleated MGI+D+ cells also desensitized to these hormones, indicating that this desensitization is an extranuclear process. Nucleated or enucleated mutant myeloid leukemic cells that are not induced to differentiate (MGI-D- cells) were not desensitized to these hormones. The antitubulin alkaloids colchicine and vinblastine, but not the antimicrofilament compound cytochalasin B, increased the maximal hormone-induced formation of cyclic AMP in nucleated MGI+D+ cells but not in the MGI-D- cells. These alkaloids also inhibited the development of desensitization to l-isoproterenol and prostaglandin E1 in enucleated MGI+D+ cells. The results indicate that in MGI+D+ cells the cytoskeletal system puts constraints on the cells' ability to respond to these hormones and that these constraints are absent in the mutant MGI-D- cells. Because MGI+D+ but not MGI-D- cells can be induced to differentiate by the macrophage- and granulocyte-inducing protein, cytoskeletal constraints, which are also found in normal myeloid cells, may be necessary for cell competence to differentiate. The results support the suggestion that membrane cytoskeletal constraints generate may control the normal response and desensitization to membrane-mediated cell inducers.

Effect of colchicine on rat liver plasma membrane

Colchicine effect has been tested on rat liver plasma membrane-bound enzymes after in vitro or in vivo treatment. It appears that the in vitro treatment does not affect 5'-nucleotidase, Mg2+-ATPase and (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, whereas adenylate cyclase is sensitive to both in vitro and in vivo treatment, the latter condition being also effective for 5'-nucleotidase.