Rat mast cell protease I alters cell metabolism

Mast cell chymase and tryptase during tissue turnover: analysis on in vitro mitogenesis of fibroblasts and keratinocytes and alterations in cutaneous scars

In order to shed further light on the potential role of mast cells during tissue turnover, we have investigated the number of mast cells containing only tryptase and those storing both tryptase and chymase by enzyme histochemistry in normal versus healing skin. Furthermore, we have studied the in vitro effect of these enzymes on the mitogenesis of subconfluent quiescent fibroblast and HaCaT keratinocyte cultures, using flowcytometric DNA analysis. Chymase-containing mast cell numbers were markedly decreased in scars (P<0.001), whereas the overall number of tryptase-containing mast cells was not decreased, although these cells were smaller and stained more faintly in scars. Chymase (5 to 300 mU/ml) induced a marked, dose-dependent in vitro mitogenic response in 3T3 fibroblasts, whereas the effects of tryptase, at up to 60 nM, were only moderate, compared to the known fibroblast mitogens EGF, TGF-alpha, alpha-thrombin and trypsin at optimal concentrations. Coincubation of either protease with EGF or alpha-thrombin had additive effects. In contrast to fibroblasts, keratinocytes showed only minor mitogenic responses to tryptase and chymase, also in comparison to other known mitogenic stimuli, and responses to EGF and alpha-thrombin were inhibited on costimulation of cells with the proteases. These findings document for the first time a potential role of mast cell chymase in connective tissue repair, with tryptase being less active on fibroblasts, and with inhibitory effects of both mast cell proteases on keratinocytes.

Cloning of the gene and cDNA for hamster chymase 2, and expression of chymase 1, chymase 2 and angiotensin-converting enzyme in the terminal stage of cardiomyopathic hearts

Chymase is responsible for the formation of angiotensin II, which plays crucial roles in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. In the present study we determined the gene organization of a novel hamster chymase (hamster chymase 2) and analysed the expression of chymase 1, chymase 2 and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in hamster hearts at the terminal stage of cardiomyopathy. The gene encoding hamster chymase 2 is 3.2 kb in length and has five exons and four intervening sequences. The overall organization of this gene is similar to that of several other serine proteases. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed the existence of a preproenzyme composed of a signal peptide with 19 amino acids, a propeptide with two amino acids and a catalytic domain with 226 amino acids. The predicted full sequence of the catalytic domain was revealed to be very similar to the sequences of mouse mast-cell protease 5 (86%), rat mast-cell protease III (85%) and human chymase (70%) and less similar to hamster chymase 1 (56%). The expression of chymase 1 in heart was higher than that of chymase 2. The cardiac chymase-like activity, as well as the mRNA levels of chymase 1 and 2 of BIO 14.6 cardiomyopathic hamsters at the age of 60 weeks were increased 3.4-, 2.8- and 5.1-fold respectively compared with age-matched BIO F1B control hamsters. The cardiac ACE activity and the ACE mRNA level of cardiomyopathic hamsters were also increased 4.1- and 2.4-fold compared with those of age-matched controls. These results suggest that up-regulation of both ACE and chymases participates in the pathophysiology of the terminal stage of cardiomyopathy.

Malignant schwannoma arising in patients with von Recklinghausen's disease: report of two cases and the comparison of mast cells between benign and malignant portions

We described two cases of malignant schwannoma arising in patients with von Recklinghausen's disease and examined the mast cells infiltrated into histologic sections. One of the two cases histologically revealed apparent mast cell infiltration in some areas of malignant schwannoma as well as in the benign neurofibroma. The malignant lesion demonstrated significantly increased percentages of degranulated mast cells over the benign lesion using FITC-avidin staining. In an electron microscopic study, mast cells in the malignant lesion displayed empty granules, piecemeal degranulation, and canaliculi structures suggesting activation. These findings were not observed in the benign lesion. The other patient histologically showed no mast cells in the malignant lesion, although the benign neurofibroma in the patient disclosed numerous mast cells. The first patient had neither recurrence nor distant metastasis. On the other hand, the second patient without mast cells in the histology had multiple distant metastases.