Genotyping of Toll-like receptor 4, myeloid differentiation factor 2 and CD-14 in the horse: An investigation into the influence of genetic polymorphisms on the LPS induced TNF-α response in equine whole blood

The inter- and intra-species differences in the response to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are well recognised in mammalian species. It has been hypothesized that these differences can be attributed to genetic polymorphisms in the components involved in LPS signal transduction. These components include the cluster of differentiation factor 14 (CD-14), a membrane bound protein on the surface of mononuclear cells that recognises LPS and a receptor complex consisting of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) and myeloid differentiation factor-2 (MD-2). Sequencing of these three proteins in humans and mice revealed that all three are susceptible to polymorphic alterations, influencing the response to LPS. Previous experiments in the horse showed large inter-individual variations in the response to LPS. With the aim to assess this inter-individual variation, we performed a whole blood assay in 10 healthy horses as a functional assay to study the responsiveness to LPS. In 3 out of the 10 horses, LPS-induced TNF-alpha production was significantly lower compared to the overall mean. Subsequently the entire cDNA sequence encoding for the TLR-4, MD-2 and CD-14 protein was documented for each horse. Although mutations were observed in the sequence of TLR-4, these could not be related to an altered response to LPS in the concentration used in this study, as determined in the whole blood assay. Despite the various mutations found in the TLR-4 receptor protein, no alterations could be found in either the MD-2 or CD-14 gene, which are obviously more conserved structures.

Analysis of expression of chorionic gonadotrophin transcripts in prostate cancer by quantitative Taqman and a modified molecular beacon RT-PCR

Expression of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is associated with trophoblastic, testicular and other malignancies such as bladder, pancreatic, cervical, breast and prostate cancer. In the prostate, however, hCG expression, associated with neuroendocrine cells, is also found in normal tissue. Of the six highly homologous genes that all encode the beta-subunit of hCG, the beta 7 gene is reportedly the only gene expressed in several non-transformed tissues. The beta 3, 5 and 8 genes would be variably expressed in malignant tissue and placenta, but not in normal tissue. To assess to what extent this expression difference can also be found in the prostate, we compared the levels of the different hCG beta transcripts in concurrent normal and cancerous prostate tissues obtained from 17 patients. To this end, we developed a Taqman real-time fluorescent RT-PCR assay for hCG beta, and a quantitative assay specific for the beta 3, 5 and 8 genes, modified from the molecular beacon principle. This latter assay proved highly specific and capable of reliably distinguishing between these hCG beta transcripts that differ in only one nucleotide. Surprisingly, median expression levels of hCG beta were lower in prostate cancer when compared with normal tissue from the same patient. In contrast, hCG beta 3, 5 and 8 transcripts were found in normal tissue and did not differ in prostate cancer, arguing against a specific role of these transcripts in the development of prostate cancer.

Rat pancreatic acinar cells express a cytosolic phospholipase D1b isoform that is not regulated by cholecystokinin

Evidence for the presence of a regulated phospholipase D (PLD) activity in pancreatic acinar cells is conflicting. Such knowledge is important because signal-activated PLD has been implicated in, amongst other things, regulated exocytosis. In this study, freshly isolated rat pancreatic acini were used to identify PLD transcripts by RT-PCR, to assess the presence and subcellular localization of PLD protein by Western blotting and to evaluate the presence of secretagogue-regulated PLD activity by means of the PLD-catalysed transphosphatidylation reaction. Transcripts of PLD1b and PLD2, but not PLD1a, were present in acinar cells. Moreover, a specific anti-human PLD1 antibody demonstrated the expression of substantial amounts of PLD1 protein. Intriguingly, however, the distribution pattern of acinar PLD1 seen following subcellular fractionation was clearly atypical in that immunoreactivity occurred predominantly in the acinar cytosol. Pretreatment of intact acini with a phorbol ester (4beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, PMA) to activate PLD1 protein kinase C (PKC) dependently did not change the subcellular distribution of PLD1. Similarly, pretreatment of a broken cell preparation of acini with guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTPgammaS) to activate PLD via small GTPases and PMA also did not influence this distribution. In the presence of ethanol, cholecystokinin-(26-33)-peptide amide (CCK8) did not increase the amount of radiolabelled phosphatidylethanol (PtdEth) in intact acini prelabelled with either o-[32P]phosphate or [3H]myristic acid. Similarly, an increased cytosolic Ca2+ concentration evoked by the specific inhibitor of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase, thapsigargin, did not stimulate acinar PLD activity whereas high-level PKC activation with PMA elicited slight stimulation. In contrast, all three stimuli are known to increase PLD activity readily in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing the rat pancreatic acinar cell CCKA receptor. Finally, the combination of PMA and GTPgammaS did not increase PLD activity following homologous reconstitution of acinar cytosol and membranes, whereas the same manoeuvre resulted in marked stimulation of PLD activity in CHO cells. Heterologous reconstitution experiments revealed that PLD activity in CHO membranes was stimulated readily in the presence of acinar cytosol, indicating that the acinar cytosol contains the necessary factors for PMA/GTPgammaS-induced stimulation of membrane PLD activity. In contrast, CHO cell cytosol did not confer PMA/GTPgammaS-stimulation of PLD activity on acinar membranes, in agreement with the predominantly cytosolic localization of acinar PLD. The present findings show that rat pancreatic acinar cells express a cytosolic PLD1 isoform that is not regulated by the physiologically important secretagogue CCK.

Hormonal regulation of phospholipase D activity in Ca(2+) transporting cells of rabbit connecting tubule and cortical collecting duct

Phospholipase D (PLD) is distributed widely in mammalian tissues where it is believed to play an important role in the regulation of cell functions and cell fate by a variety of extracellular signals. In this study, we used primary cultures of rabbit connecting tubule (CNT) and cortical collecting duct (CCD) cells, grown to confluence on a permeable support, to investigate the possible involvement of PLD in the mechanism of action of hormones that regulate Ca(2+) reabsorption. RT-PCR revealed the presence of transcripts of PLD1b and PLD2, but not PLD1a, in these cultures. Moreover, the expression of substantial amounts of PLD1 protein was demonstrated by Western blotting. To measure PLD activity, cells were labelled with [(3)H]myristic acid after which the PLD-catalysed formation of radiolabelled phosphatidylethanol ([(3)H]PtdEth) was measured in the presence of 1% (v/v) ethanol. Deamino-Cys,D-Arg(8)-vasopressin (dDAVP) and N(6)-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA), two potent stimulators of Ca(2+) transport across these monolayers, stimulated PLD activity as was indicated by a marked increase in [(3)H]PtdEth. Similarly, ATP, a potent inhibitor of dDAVP- and CPA-stimulated Ca(2+) transport, increased the formation of [(3)H]PtdEth. PLD activity was furthermore increased by 8Br-cAMP and following acute (30 min) stimulation of protein kinase C (PKC) with a phorbol ester (PMA). Chronic PMA treatment (120 h) to downregulate phorbol ester-sensitive PKC isoforms did not affect PLD activation by dDAVP, CPA and 8Br-cAMP, while markedly decreasing the effect of ATP and abolishing the effect of PMA. The PKC inhibitor chelerythrine significantly reduced PLD activation by dDAVP, CPA and 8Br-cAMP, without changing the effect of ATP. The inhibitor only partially reduced the effect of PMA. This study shows that Ca(2+) transporting cells of CNT and CCD contain a regulated PLD activity. The physiological relevance of this activity, which is not involved in Ca(2+) reabsorption, remains to be established.

Concerted action of cytosolic Ca2+ and protein kinase C in receptor-mediated phospholipase D activation in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing the cholecystokinin-A receptor

Receptor-mediated activation of phosphatidylcholine phosphatidohydrolase or phospholipase D (PLD) was studied in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing the cholecystokinin-A (CCK-A) receptor. Cells were labelled with [3H]myristic acid for 24 h and PLD-catalysed [3H]phosphatidylethanol formation was measured in the presence of 1% (v/v) ethanol. Cholecystokinin-(26-33)-peptide amide (CCK8) increased PLD activity both time- and dose-dependently. Maximal activation of protein kinase C (PKC) with 1 microM PMA or sustained elevation of the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) with 1 microM thapsigargin increased PLD activity to 50% and 70% of the maximal value obtained with CCK8 respectively. The stimulatory effects of CCK8, PMA and thapsigargin were abolished in cells in which PKC was downregulated or inhibited by chelerythrine. PMA/Ca2+-stimulated PLD activity was absent in a homogenate of PKC-downregulated cells but could be restored upon addition of purified rat brain PKC. CCK8-induced PLD activation was inhibited by 90% in the absence of external Ca2+, demonstrating that receptor-mediated activation of PKC in itself does not significantly add to PLD activation but requires a sustained increase in [Ca2+]i. Taken together, the results presented demonstrate that, in CHO-CCK-A cells, receptor-mediated PLD activation is completely dependent on PKC, but that the extent to which PLD becomes activated depends largely, if not entirely, on the magnitude and duration of the agonist-induced increase in [Ca2+]i.

U73122 and U73343 inhibit receptor-mediated phospholipase D activation downstream of phospholipase C in CHO cells

The aminosteroid 1-(6-¿[17beta-3-methoxyestra- 1,3,5(10)-trien- 17-yl]-amino¿hexyl)- 1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (U73122) and its inactive analogue 1-(6-¿[17beta-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien- 17-yl]-amino¿hexyl-2,5-pyrrolidine-dione (U73343) are widely used to study the involvement of G protein-coupled 1-phosphatidylinositol-phosphodiesterase, or phospholipase C, in receptor-mediated cell activation. The present work shows that both aminosteroids inhibit cholecystokinin-(26-33)-peptide amide (CCK-8)-induced phospholipase D activation equipotently in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing the cholecystokinin-A receptor (CHO-CCK(A) cells). In addition, the two aminosteroids virtually completely inhibited thapsigargin- and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced phospholipase D activation. Since the latter two drugs mimic inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-mediated Ca2+ mobilisation and 1,2-diacylglycerol-mediated protein kinase C activation. respectively, this suggests that both U73122 and U73343 act downstream of phospholipase C to inhibit receptor-mediated phospholipase D activation. U73122, but not U73343. effectively inhibited both TPA/Ca2+-stimulated phospholipase D activation and TPA/phosphatidylserine-stimulated protein kinase C activation in a homogenate of CHO-CCK(A) cells. The data presented suggest that U73122 may act at the level of protein kinase C to inhibit activation of phospholipase D. The exact site of action of U73343 is presently unknown.

Phosphorylation and desensitization of the pancreatic cholecystokinin-A receptor

The eukaryotic cell uses a variety of mechanisms to protect itself from overstimulation. Among these mechanisms are processes involving the receptor, including uncoupling from G proteins and movement into cellular compartments. Here, we focus on mechanisms by which the pancreatic acinar cell protects itself from overstimulation through the cholecystokinin receptor with special emphasis on the role of receptor phosphorylation.

Protein kinase C activation inhibits receptor-evoked inositol trisphosphate formation and induction of cytosolic calcium oscillations by decreasing the affinity-state of the cholecystokinin receptor in pancreatic acinar cells

Digital-imaging microscopy of Fura-2-loaded pancreatic acinar cells revealed that the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin (CCK8) dose-dependently recruited 94% of freshly isolated acinar cells in terms of receptor-evoked Ca2+ mobilization. Maximal and half-maximal cell-recruitment were reached with 0.1 nM and 16.8 pM CCK8, respectively. The upstroke of the dose-recruitment curve consisted of cells displaying oscillatory changes in free cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). After having reached its maximum, the percentage oscillating cells dose-dependently decreased upon further increasing of the CCK8 concentration. Pretreatment of the acinar cells with 0.1 microM TPA caused a rightward shift of the dose-recruitment curve but did not change the maximal effect of CCK8 on the recruitment of oscillating cells. Half-maximal recruitment was obtained with 287 pM CCK8. This observation demonstrates that high levels of protein kinase C activation do not inhibit Ca2+ oscillations at a level downstream to receptor activation. Moreover, this observation demonstrates that protein kinase C-mediated inhibition of Ca2+ oscillations evoked by submaximal CCK8 concentrations occurs at the receptor level, converting it from a high-affinity state into a low-affinity state. This conclusion is supported by the observation that TPA completely inhibited the recruitment of acinar cells in response to the high-affinity receptor agonist JMV-180. The inhibitory action of TPA on CCK8-evoked cell-recruitment was paralleled by an inhibitory effect of the phorbol ester on the CCK8-evoked peak increase in average inositol trisphosphate concentration in a population of acinar cells. This observation indicates that low concentrations of CCK8 interact with the high-affinity CCK receptor to increase [Ca2+]i through the intermediation of inositol trisphosphate.

Induction of Ca2+ oscillations by selective, U73122-mediated, depletion of inositol-trisphosphate-sensitive Ca2+ stores in rabbit pancreatic acinar cells

The effect of the putative inhibitor of phospholipase C activity, U73122, on the Ca2+ sequestering and releasing properties of internal Ca2+ stores was studied in both permeabilized and intact rabbit pancreatic acinar cells. U73122 dose dependently inhibited ATP-dependent Ca2+ uptake in the inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate-[Ins(1,4,5)P3]-sensitive, but not the Ins(1,4,5)P3-insensitive, Ca2+ store in acinar cells permeabilized by saponin treatment. In a suspension of intact acinar cells, loaded with the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator, Fura-2, U73122 alone evoked a transient increase in average free cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i,av), which was largely independent of external Ca2+. Addition of U73122 to cell suspensions prestimulated with either cholecystokinin octapeptide or JMV-180 revealed an inverse relationship in size between the U73122- and the agonist-evoked [Ca2+]i,av transient. Moreover, thapsigargin-induced inhibition of intracellular Ca(2+)-ATPase activity resulted in a [Ca2+]i,av transient, the size of which was not different following maximal prestimulation with either U73122 or agonist. These observations suggest that U73122 selectively affects the Ins(1,4,5)P3- casu quo agonist-sensitive internal Ca2+ store, whereas thapsigargin affects both the Ins(1,4,5)P3-sensitive and -insensitive Ca2+ store. Digital-imaging microscopy of Fura-2-loaded acinar cells demonstrated that U73122, in contrast to thapsigargin, evoked sustained oscillatory changes in [Ca2+]i. The U73122-evoked oscillations were abolished in the absence of external Ca2+. The ability of U73122 to generate external Ca(2+)-dependent Ca2+ oscillations suggests that depletion of the agonist-sensitive store leads to an increase in Ca2+ permeability of the plasma membrane and that the Ins(1,4,5)P3-insensitive Ca2+ pool is necessary for the Ca2+ oscillations.

Effects of batch variation on shade of dental porcelain

Three different batches of three commercially available porcelains were applied to 36 specimens of two noble alloys. The shades were visually compared by nine observers. Results indicated the following. No color differences were found among specimens of individual batches. Discerning color changes were observed among three batches of one brand of porcelain. The porcelain fired in the laboratory may not match the manufacturer's standard shade guide. Batch to batch variation of porcelain may necessitate the fabrication of customized shade tabs with fresh batches of porcelain.