Activation of the Na+/K(+)-pump in rat peritoneal mast cells following histamine release: a possible role in cell recovery

Expression of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase alpha subunit isoforms in rat salivary glands: occurrence of sense and antisense RNAs of the alpha3 isoform in the sublingual gland

We examined the expression of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase alpha-subunit isoforms in rat salivary glands by RT-PCR. Isoform alpha1 was expressed strongly in all three major salivary glands. The alpha2 isoform was expressed in both submandibular gland (SMG) and sublingual gland (SLG) but faintly in the parotid gland (PG). The alpha3 was detected only in the SLG, and the alpha3 mRNA in the SLG was 1/8 of its level in the brain. Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase alpha3 isoform in the SLG, was localized predominantly on the basolateral plasma membranes in serous cells by immunohistochemical method. We also found the presence of natural antisense RNA of the alpha3 isoform in rat SLG: the 1st-strand cDNA prepared with gene-specific forward primers targeted to the CDS region and to the promoter region of the alpha3 gene in place of oligo(dT) or gene-specific reverse primers produced reasonable PCR products corresponding to the alpha3 cDNA sequence by the subsequent PCR reaction. Synthesis of the 1st-strand cDNA with the gene-specific forward primers was prevented by RNase digestion of the total RNA preparation, indicating that the PCR products in the RT-PCR system were not due to the contaminated genomic DNA, if any. The alpha3 protein level in rat SLG increased with aging, and levels of both alpha3 mRNA (sense RNA) and alpha3 antisense RNA were higher in SLGs of aged rats than in those of young rats, respectively.

The effect of Na+-K+ ATPase inhibition by ouabain on histamine release from human cutaneous mast cells

BACKGROUND

There are controversial reports on the effect of sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na+-K+ ATPase) inhibition on mast cell mediator release. Some of them have indicated that ouabain (strophanthin G), a specific Na+-K+ ATPase inhibitor, inhibited the release, whereas the others have shown that ouabain had no effect or even had a stimulatory effect on the mediator secretion. Most of these studies have utilized animal-derived mast cells. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Na+-K+ ATPase inhibition on human skin mast cells.

METHODS

Unpurified and purified mast cells were obtained from newborn foreskins and stimulated by calcium ionophore A23187 (1 microM) for 30 min following a 1 hr incubation with various concentrations (10(-4) to 10(-8) M) of ouabain. Histamine release was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

The results indicated that ouabain had no significant effect on the non-immunologic histamine release from human skin mast cells, in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

Na+-K+ ATPase inhibition by ouabain had no significant effect on the non-immunologic histamine release from human cutaneous mast cells and suggested differences between human and animal mast cells.

Calmodulin Signals Capacitation and Triggers the Agonist-Induced Acrosome Reaction in Mouse Spermatozoa

Capacitated acrosome-intact spermatozoa interact with specific sugar residues on neoglycoproteins (ngps) or solubilized zona pellucida (ZP), the egg's extracellular glycocalyx, prior to the initiation of a signal transduction cascade that results in the fenestration and fusion of the sperm plasma membrane and the outer acrosomal membrane at multiple sites and exocytosis of acrosomal contents (i.e., induction of the acrosome reaction (AR)). The AR releases acrosomal contents at the site of sperm-zona binding and is thought to be a prerequisite event that allows spermatozoa to penetrate the ZP and fertilize the egg. Since Ca(2+)/calmodulin (CaM) plays a significant role in several cell signaling pathways and membrane fusion events, we have used a pharmacological approach to examine the role of CaM, a calcium-binding protein, in sperm capacitation and agonist-induced AR. Inclusion of CaM antagonists (calmodulin binding domain, calmidazolium, compound 48/80, ophiobolin A, W5, W7, and W13), either in in vitro capacitation medium or after sperm capacitation blocked the npg-/ZP-induced AR. Purified CaM largely reversed the AR blocking effects of antagonists during capacitation. Our results demonstrate that CaM plays an important role in priming (i.e., capacitation) of mouse spermatozoa as well as in the agonist-induced AR. These data allow us to propose that CaM regulates these events by modulating sperm membrane component(s).

IV. Anticoagulant activity of compound 48/80: inhibition of factor VII activation in leukemia THP-1 monocytes

Our previous study described a novel biologic function of compound 48/80 (48/80) in the downregulation of monocytic tissue factor (TF)-initiated hypercoagulation in response to bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS). The inhibition was not due to the blockade of LPS cell signaling, as evidenced by the unaffected LPS-induced TF synthesis. We herein determined the mechanism by which 48/80 inhibits the extrinsic coagulation in agonist-challenged THP-1 monocytes. LPS as well as A23187 substantially induced TF activity. TF synthesis was enhanced by LPS but not by A23187. However, the elevated FVII binding to monocytes accompanying the upregulation of factor VII (FVII) activation was uniformly observed in both cases. A 5-min preincubation of the cells with a sheep anti-humanTF antibody (anti-hTF Ab) showed the downregulation of FVII activation, indicating a regulatory role of FVII binding in the modulation of the extrinsic coagulation. The 48/80 blocked FVII binding to monocytes, leading to the preferential inhibition of FVII activation. As the result of the diminished FVIIa formation, monocytic TF-initiated extrinsic coagulation was downregulated in agonist-challenged THP-1 monocytes.

I. Suppression by compound 48/80 of bacterial endotoxin-inducible monocytic tissue factor activity: direct blockade of factor VII binding to THP-1 monocytes

Hypercoagulation with upregulated monocytic tissue factor (TF) activity often occurs under a variety of inflammatory conditions including endotoxemia. The antagonism to bacterial endotoxin (LPS) signaling often results in the depression in TF upregulation. We herein report that compound 48/80 (48/80) significantly depressed LPS-induced TF activity in human and cebus monkey peripheral blood monocytes. Employing a model monocyte-like cell line (THP-1), we explored the regulatory mechanism to identify the inhibitory site(s) of 48/80. We determine whether the inhibition results from the blockade of LPS signaling. 48/80 dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced TF activity. Chase of LPS-challenged cells with 48/80 also significantly offset TF upregulation. In immunofluorescent approaches, FACScan analysis revealed that 48/80 had no effect on either LPS recognition or the expression of its receptors (CD14 and CD11b). Moreover, LPS-induced TF expression as well as synthesis remained unaffected in the presence of 48/80. Consistent with the independence of LPS action, 48/80 was also able to inhibit TF activity induced by A23187, ionomycin, or Quin-2 AM. Interestingly, 48/80 significantly decreased the FVII binding to either resting or LPS-challenged cells. In conclusion, our results elucidate that the inhibitory action of 48/80 was independent of LPS signaling including recognition, receptor expression, and the induced TF expression/ synthesis. However, 48/80 was able to directly block FVII binding to monocytic TF, thereby resulting in such antagonism to LPS-induced TF-initiated extrinsic coagulation.

Increased Na+/K(+)-pump activity and adenosine triphosphate utilization after compound 48/80-induced histamine secretion from rat mast cells

The Na+/K(+)-pump activity and the utilization of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were studied in rat peritoneal mast cells after histamine secretion induced by compound 48/80. We measured the ouabain-sensitive K(+)-uptake by a radioactive technique (86Rb+). The ATP content and the glycolytic ATP-production were measured by the bioluminescence technique (firefly lantern) and by measurement of the lactate production under anaerobic conditions (antimycin A, oligomycin), respectively. There was an increased requirement for ATP after the secretory response associated with an increased activity of the Na+/K(+)-pump. The anaerobic, but not the aerobic, pathway for ATP-synthesis was able to respond to the increased ATP-requirement. The ATP-requirement of the Na+/K(+)-pump was only partly satisfied when ATP was supplied from either the glycolytic or the oxidative pathway. This may indicate that the availability of ATP was the limiting factor for the activity of the Na+/K(+)-pump following histamine secretion under these conditions. It is concluded that the large increase in Na+/K(+)-pump activity after a secretory response is a likely explanation for the long lasting ATP-decrease in mast cells that follows histamine secretion.

IgE-receptor activated chloride uptake in relation to histamine secretion from rat mast cells

1. Antigen-stimulated histamine secretion from rat peritoneal mast cells was inhibited when extracellular chloride was replaced by either isethionate or gluconate anions, but the histamine release still remained quite substantial. 2. Rat peritoneal mast cells take up 36Cl and the uptake reaches a steady state after 60 min incubation with the isotope. At steady state, the intracellular chloride level in the cells was calculated to be 29 +/- 11.5 mM. 3. The chloride uptake in mast cells was exponential with a rate constant of 0.036 min-1 in resting cells. When the cells were stimulated with antigen, and rate constant for chloride uptake increased to 0.90 min-1: an increase of 25 fold. Under identical experimental conditions histamine release increased 3 fold. 4. The rate of chloride uptake in either resting cells or in antigen-stimulated cells was not changed when the extracellular medium was nominally calcium-free but histamine release was almost completely inhibited in the absence of extracellular calcium. 5. The putative chloride channel blocker DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid) 0.3 to 30 microM, produced a concentration-related inhibition of antigen-stimulated histamine secretion but DIDS (30 microM) did not inhibit the antigen-stimulated increase of chloride uptake. 6. The cyclic AMP analogue, dibutyryl cyclic AMP (1 mM) produced a delayed increase in chloride uptake in resting mast cells but neither dibutyryl cyclic AMP nor 8-bromo cyclic AMP per se induced any histamine secretion. 7. Ouabain (1 mM) which inhibits the Na+/K+ ATPase in rat peritoneal mast cells, failed to affect the uptake of chloride in resting mast cells. 8. The Na/K/2C1-cotransport inhibitor, furosemide (0.7 mM), slowed the unstimulated chloride uptake in resting mast cells and abolished the increased antigen-induced chloride uptake when added together with antigen. In contrast, spontaneous and antigen-induced histamine release were unaffected by the presence of furosemide. However, when furosemide was added to the cell suspension 5 min before stimulation, furosemide was without effect on the antigen-induced chloride uptake.9. In addition to the chloride uptake mediated by chloride channels which may be related to the mechanism of histamine secretion, crosslinking of the high affinity membrane receptors for IgE is followed by a fast chloride uptake that is likely to occur through a furosemide-sensitive Na/K/2C1-cotransporter.

Effect of ion composition on the changes in membrane potential induced with several stimuli in rat mast cells

We studied, in different ionic conditions, the effect of various agents on the membrane potential of rat peritoneal mast cells using the fluorescent probe bisoxonol. Ouabain and ionophore A23187 lead to a fast depolarization of the plasma membrane of mast cells, while compound 48/80 and thapsigargin induced membrane hyperpolarization, which was more pronounced in the case of compound 48/80. When using compound 48/80, the amount of gramicidin necessary to depolarize the cells was twice the amount required in resting cells, which indicates that compound 48/80 increases considerably the activity of the Na+/K+ pump. On the other hand, the ionophore A23187 elicited a clear depolarization which was oblated in the absence of intracellular calcium. The increase in the osmolarity of the medium causes a depolarization in the plasma membrane of mast cells. Hypertonicity-stimulated depolarization is inhibited by removing sodium and potassium.