Heparin-binding serum protein(s) is required for the protection of sialyltransferase released during the incubation of rat jejunal slices

Heparin induces differentiation of CD1a+ dendritic cells from monocytes: phenotypic and functional characterization

Dendritic cells (DCs) play important roles in initiation and regulation of immune responses. DCs derived from human monocytes can be classified according to presence of CD1a molecules. Although CD1a+ DCs can be prepared from monocytes in media containing GM-CSF, IL-4, and FCS, it has been reported that CD1a+ DCs could not be easily obtained from monocytes using media containing human serum or plasma. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that heparin can reliably induce differentiation of CD1a+ DCs from monocytes with or without autologous serum or plasma. The development of CD1a+ DCs is heparin concentration dependent (0-50 U/ml). Comparing with CD1a- DCs developed without heparin, CD1a+ DCs express higher CD40 and CD80 and lower CD86. Both CD1a+ and CD1a- DCs express similar levels of HLA-DR. CD80, CD86, HLA-DR, and CD40 are proportionally up-regulated when both types of DCs are stimulated with LPS or LPS plus IFN-gamma. The effect of heparin is neutralized by heparin-binding proteins, such as protamine sulfate, platelet factor-4, and beta-thromboglobulin. Functionally, heparin-treated DCs respond to LPS or LPS plus IFN-gamma with higher IL-10 and less IL-12 production than heparin-untreated DCs. Heparin-treated DCs are more potent in priming allogeneic and autologous CD4+ T cells to proliferate and to produce both type 1 and type 2 cytokines. The results of our study show that CD1a+ DCs can be prepared from monocytes ex vivo without using xenogeneic serum and may be used for immunotherapy.

Relationship between plasmin-trypsin-inhibitory and sialyltransferase activities

Previously we have shown that the measurable soluble sialyltransferase (STase) activity released into the medium during the incubation of rat jejunal slices was dependent upon the presence of a heparin-binding fraction (HBF) from heat-inactivated serum or a trypsin-binding protein (TBP) isolated from HBF. Both HBF and TBP were able to inhibit trypsin and plasmin. The measurement of galactosyltransferase (GTase) activity which was also released in incubations was not dependent on HBF or TBP. The present study is directed towards further exploring the relationship between STase activity and protease inhibitory activity. Heat-inactivated serum from turpentine-treated rats (HTS), had higher plasmin-trypsin-inhibitory (HTS) activities compared to heat-inactivated serum from control rats (HCS). When HTS was used to supplement jejunal incubations, there was a 25-40% increase in the measurable STase activity in the incubation medium compared to similar incubations carried out in buffer alone. In contrast, with HCS the increase was 10-15%. During incubations with hepatocytes, STase activity detected in the incubation medium was increased with the incubation buffer was supplemented with HTS compared to incubations supplemented with HCS. Serum antiproteolytic activity was higher in turpentine rats compared to controls. Incubation of serum at 37 degrees C led to a progressive decrease in plasmin-trypsin-inhibitory and STase activities. TBP a plasmin and trypsin inhibitor was able to prevent the decrease in STase activity. Overall, serum STase activity was higher in the turpentine treated rats. In contrast, GTPase activity in serum as well as that detected in the medium during jejunal and hepatocyte incubations was not dependent on protease inhibitory activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alpha 2,6-sialyltransferase predominates in cultured jejunum of suckling rats: it is up-regulated by dexamethasone and secreted during cultivation

The alpha 2,6-sialyltransferase (alpha 2,6-ST) acting on N-acetyllactosamine is the major sialyltransferase of suckling rat jejunum. Jejunal explants of 7-day-old rats maintained in serum-free or serum-containing organ culture secreted alpha 2,6-ST into the cultivation medium. Dexamethasone (80 nM) stimulates primarily the secreted pool of alpha 2,6-ST. Fetal calf serum promotes the stimulatory effect of dexamethasone also on the bound form of alpha 2,6-ST.

Role of antiproteolytic heparin-binding serum protein(s) in modulating the levels of sialyl- and galactosyltransferase activity released during the incubation of rat jejunal slices

1. Sialyltransferase released into the medium during the incubation of rat jejunal slices in serum-free buffer, was susceptible to proteolytic degradation. Heat inactivated horse serum or its antiproteolytic heparin-binding fraction was found to be necessary in determining the activity of sialyltransferase released (Nadkarni et al., 1991). 2. In the present study, we have shown that heat inactivated rat serum (HRS) or its antiproteolytic heparin-binding fraction (HBF) had a role in determining the sialyltransferase activity released during jejunal slice incubations. 3. Galactosyltransferase was also released during incubations, but was not proteolytically degraded and the presence of HRS or HBF in incubations did not alter the levels of galactosyltransferase activity released. 4. Trypsin activity in serum-free incubation medium was higher compared to medium containing HRS. 5. Addition of serum-free medium obtained from 4 hr incubations of the jejunal slices, to medium obtained from parallel incubations done in the presence of HRS, caused inhibition of sialyl- but not galactosyltransferase activity. 6. In jejunal homogenates stored at -20 degrees C, sialyltransferase activity was decreased during 0-45 days of storage, whereas galactosyltransferase activity remained fairly stable for upto 56 days. 7. Inclusion of HRS or HBF in homogenates resulted in higher sialyl- but not galactosyltransferase activity compared to serum-free homogenate samples. 8. The results suggest that HRS or its antiproteolytic heparin-binding proteins have a role in determining the sialyltransferase activity released from the jejunal slices. In contrast galactosyltransferase released was not susceptible to proteolysis, and HRS or HBF was not required to express its activity.