125I-labeled human epidermal growth factor. Binding, internalization, and degradation in human fibroblasts

125I-labeled human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) binds in a specific and saturable manner to human fibroblasts. At 37 degrees C, the cell-bound 125I-hEGF initially may be recovered in a native form by acid extraction; upon subsequent incubation, the cell-bound 125I-hEGF is degraded very rapidly, with the appearance in the medium of 125I-monoiodotyrosine. At 0 degrees C, cell-bound 125I-hEGF is not degraded but slowly dissociates from the cell. The data are consistent with a mechanism in which 125I-hEGF initially is bound to the cell surface and subsequently is internlized before degradation. The degradation is blocked by inhibitors of metabolic energy production (azide, cyanide, dinitrophenol), some protease inhibitors (Tos-Lys-CH2Cl, benzyl guanidobenzoate), a lysosomotropic agent (chloroquine) various local anesthetics (cocaine, lidocaine, procaine), and ammonium chloride. After the binding and degradation of 125I-hEGF the fibroblasts are no longer able to rebind fresh hormone. The binding capacity of these cells is restored by incubation in a serum-containing medium; this restoration is inhibited by cycloheximide or actinomycin D.

Clearance of Alzheimer's amyloid-ss(1-40) peptide from brain by LDL receptor-related protein-1 at the blood-brain barrier

Elimination of amyloid-ss peptide (Ass) from the brain is poorly understood. After intracerebral microinjections in young mice, (125)I-Ass(1-40) was rapidly removed from the brain (t(1/2) Collapse

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MESH Headings

• Aging/physiology
• Alzheimer Disease/metabolism
• Amino Acid Sequence
• Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism
• Amyloid beta-Peptides/pharmacokinetics
• Animals
• Apolipoproteins E/genetics
• Apolipoproteins E/metabolism
• Biological Transport
• Blood-Brain Barrier
• Brain/metabolism
• Brain/pathology
• Catheterization
• Genotype
• Half-Life
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• Inulin/metabolism
• Iodine Radioisotopes
• Kinetics
• Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-1
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Mice, Knockout
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Peptide Fragments/metabolism
• Peptide Fragments/pharmacokinetics
• Receptors, Immunologic/metabolism
• alpha-Macroglobulins/metabolism

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Grants

• R01 HL050784 NHLBI NIH HHS
• P50 AG005142 NIA NIH HHS
• NS33466 NINDS NIH HHS
• R01 AG013956 NIA NIH HHS
• R37 AG013956 NIA NIH HHS
• AG05891 NIA NIH HHS
• R01 NS038777 NINDS NIH HHS
• AG16223 NIA NIH HHS
• R37 AG005891 NIA NIH HHS

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Synthesis of antihemophilic factor antigen by cultured human endothelial cells

Antihemophilic factor (AHF, Factor VIII) antigen has been demonstrated in cultured human endothelial cells by immunofluorescence studies using monospecific rabbit antibody to human AHF. Control studies with cultured human smooth muscle cells and human fibroblasts were negative. By radioimmunoassay it was demonstrated that cultured human endothelial cells contain AHF antigen which is released into the culture medium. Cultured smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts did not have this property. Cultured endothelial cells incorporated radioactive amino acids into high molecular weight, AHF antigen-rich protein fractions prepared from the culture media, 7% of the radioactive amino acid counts incorporated into this material were precipitated by globulin prepared from rabbit anti-AHF whereas normal rabbit globulin precipitated only 1.5% of the counts. Although cultured endothelial cells actively synthesize AHF antigen, AHF procoagulant activity was not detected in the culture medium. Studies seeking a basis for the lack of procoagulant activity have not clarified this deficiency, but they have established that exogenous AHF procoagulant activity is not inactivated by the tissue culture system.

Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy with [111In-DTPA-D-Phe1]- and [123I-Tyr3]-octreotide: the Rotterdam experience with more than 1000 patients

Various tumours, classically specified as either neuroendocrine or non-neuroendocrine, contain high numbers of somatostatin receptors, which enable in vivo localization of the primary tumour and its metastases by scintigraphy with the radiolabelled somatostatin analogue octreotide. In addition granulomas and autoimmune processes can be visualized because of local accumulation of somatostatin receptor-positive activated mononuclear leucocytes. In many instances a positive scintigram predicts a favourable response to treatment with octreotide. It is tempting to speculate that octreotide labelled with an appropriate radionuclide might be used in cancer therapy. The successful application of radiolabelled octreotide in scintigraphy indicates the possible usefulness of other radiolabelled peptides, either native peptides or derivatives of these, in, for example, nuclear oncology. The small size of these peptides, e.g. bombesin and substance P, is of the utmost importance for a relatively fast blood clearance, thus leading to low background radioactivity. In this way peptides are powerful alternatives to (fragments of) monoclonal antibodies, the application of which to scintigraphic localization of specific cell surface antigen-bearing tumours is plagued by slow blood clearance and, hence, high background levels.

Dendrimers: relationship between structure and biocompatibility in vitro, and preliminary studies on the biodistribution of 125I-labelled polyamidoamine dendrimers in vivo

Dendrimers are highly branched macromolecules of low polydispersity that provide many exciting opportunities for design of novel drug-carriers, gene delivery systems and imaging agents. They hold promise in tissue targeting applications, controlled drug release and moreover, their interesting nanoscopic architecture might allow easier passage across biological barriers by transcytosis. However, from the vast array of structures currently emerging from synthetic chemistry it is essential to design molecules that have real potential for in vivo biological use. Here, polyamidoamine (PAMAM, Starburst), poly(propyleneimine) with either diaminobutane or diaminoethane as core, and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) grafted carbosilane (CSi-PEO) dendrimers were used to study systematically the effect of dendrimer generation and surface functionality on biological properties in vitro. Generally, dendrimers bearing -NH(2) termini displayed concentration- and in the case of PAMAM dendrimers generation-dependent haemolysis, and changes in red cell morphology were observed after 1 h even at low concentrations (10 microg/ml). At concentrations below 1 mg/ml CSi-PEO dendrimers and those dendrimers with carboxylate (COONa) terminal groups were neither haemolytic nor cytotoxic towards a panel of cell lines in vitro. In general, cationic dendrimers were cytotoxic (72 h incubation), displaying IC(50) values=50-300 microg/ml dependent on dendrimer-type, cell-type and generation. Preliminary studies with polyether dendrimers prepared by the convergent route showed that dendrimers with carboxylate and malonate surfaces were not haemolytic at 1 h, but after 24 h, unlike anionic PAMAM dendrimers they were lytic. Cationic 125I-labelled PAMAM dendrimers (gen 3 and 4) administered intravenously (i.v.) to Wistar rats ( approximately 10 microg/ml) were cleared rapidly from the circulation (<2% recovered dose in blood at 1 h). Anionic PAMAM dendrimers (gen 2.5, 3.5 and 5.5) showed longer circulation times ( approximately 20-40% recovered dose in blood at 1 h) with generation-dependent clearance rates; lower generations circulated longer. For both anionic and cationic species blood levels at 1 h correlated with the extent of liver capture observed (30-90% recovered dose at 1 h). 125I-Labelled PAMAM dendrimers injected intraperitoneally were transferred to the bloodstream within an hour and their subsequent biodistribution mirrored that seen following i.v. injection. Inherent toxicity would suggest it unlikely that higher generation cationic dendrimers will be suitable for parenteral administration, especially if they are to be used at a high dose. In addition it is clear that dendrimer structure must also be carefully tailored to avoid rapid hepatic uptake if targeting elsewhere (e.g. tumour targeting) is a primary objective.

Purification and partial characterization of the major outer membrane protein of Chlamydia trachomatis

Elementary bodies (EB) of Chlamydia trachomatis serotypes C, E, and L2 were extrinsically radioiodinated, and whole-cell lysates of these serotypes were compared by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Autoradiography of the polypeptide profiles identified a major surface protein with an apparent subunit molecular weight of 39,500 that was common to each C. trachomatis serotype. The abilities of nonionic (Triton X-100), dipolar ionic (Zwittergent TM-314), mild (sodium deoxycholate and sodium N-lauroyl sarcosine), and strongly anionic (SDS) detergents to extract this protein from intact EB of the L2 serotype were investigated by SDS-PAGE analysis of the soluble and insoluble fractions obtained after each detergent treatment. Only SDS readily extracted this protein from intact EB. Sarkosyl treatment selectively solubilized the majority of other EB proteins, leaving the 39,500-dalton protein associated with the Sarkosyl-insoluble fraction. Ultrastructural studies of the Sarkosyl-insoluble EB pellet showed it to consist of empty EB particles possessing an apparently intact outer membrane. No structural evidence for a peptidoglycan-like cell wall was found. Morphologically these chlamydial outer membrane complexes (COMC) resembled intact chlamydial EB outer membranes. The 39,500-dalton outer membrane protein was quantitatively extracted from COMC by treating them with 2% SDS at 60 degrees C. This protein accounted for 61% of the total COMC-associated protein, and its extraction resulted in a concomitant loss of the COMC membrane structure and morphology. The soluble extract obtained from SDS-treated COMC was adsorbed to a hydroxylapatite column and eluted with a linear sodium phosphate gradient. The 39,500-dalton protein was eluted from the column as a single peak at a phosphate concentration of approximately 0.3 M. The eluted protein was nearly homogeneous by SDS-PAGE and appeared free of contaminating carbohydrate, glycolipid, and nucleic acid. Hyperimmune mouse antiserum prepared against the 39,500-dalton protein from serotype L2 reacted with C. trachomatis serotypes Ba, E, D, K, L1, L2, and L3 by indirect immunofluorescence with EB but failed to react with serotypes A, B, C, F, G, H, I, and J, with the C. trachomatis mouse pneumonitis strain, or with the C. psittaci feline pneumonitis, guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis, or 6BC strains. Thus, the 39,500-dalton major outer membrane protein is a serogroup antigen of C. trachomatis organisms.

The interaction of alpha 2-macroglobulin with proteinases. Characteristics and specificity of the reaction, and a hypothesis concerning its molecular mechanism

1. alpha(2)-Macroglobulin is known to bind and inhibit a number of serine proteinases. We show that it binds thiol and carboxyl proteinases, and there is now reason to believe that alpha(2)-macroglobulin can bind essentially all proteinases. 2. Radiochemically labelled trypsin, chymotrypsin, cathepsin B1 and papain are bound by alpha(2)-macroglobulin in an approximately equimolar ratio. Equimolar binding was confirmed for trypsin by activesite titration. 3. Pretreatment of alpha(2)-macroglobulin with a saturating amount of one proteinase prevented the subsequent binding of another. We conclude that each molecule of alpha(2)-macroglobulin is able to react with one molecule of proteinase only. 4. alpha(2)-Macroglobulin did not react with exopeptidases, non-proteolytic hydrolases or inactive forms of endopeptidases. 5. The literature on binding and inhibition of proteinases by alpha(2)-macroglobulin is reviewed, and from consideration of this and our own work several general characteristics of the interaction can be discerned. 6. A model is proposed for the molecular mechanism of the interaction of alpha(2)-macroglobulin with proteinases. It is suggested that the enzyme cleaves a peptide bond in a sensitive region of the macroglobulin, and that this results in a conformational change in the alpha(2)-macroglobulin molecule that traps the enzyme irreversibly. Access of substrates to the active site of the enzyme becomes sterically hindered, causing inhibition that is most pronounced with large substrate molecules. 7. The possible physiological importance of the unique binding characteristics of alpha(2)-macroglobulin is discussed.

Enzymatic iodination of polypeptides with 125I to high specific activity

1. Lactoperoxidase was extracted from cow milk by a simplified method starting with batch-wise adsorption onto GM-Sephadex-50. It was then purified by (NH4)2SO4 precipitation and isoelectric focusing. This product had an A412 nm/A280 nm ratio of 0.8-0.9. 2. Lactoperoxidase together with H2O2 could oxidize carrier-free Na125I to "active iodine" with efficiency to iodinate proteins to high specific activity. 3. Polypeptide hormones radioiodinated by this technique retained their immunological reactivity and were used in radioimmunoassays with good results.

Identification and isolation of a 140 kd cell surface glycoprotein with properties expected of a fibronectin receptor

Affinity chromatography was used to identify a putative cell surface receptor for fibronectin. A large cell-attachment-promoting fibronectin fragment was used as the affinity matrix, and specific elution was effected by using synthetic peptides containing the sequence Arg-Gly-Asp, which is derived from the cell recognition sequence in the fibronectin cell attachment site. A 140 kd protein was bound by the affinity matrix from octylglucoside extracts of MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells and specifically eluted with the synthetic peptide Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-Pro. The 140 kd protein was labeled by cell surface specific radioiodination and became incorporated into liposomes at a high efficiency. Liposomes containing this protein showed specific affinity toward fibronectin-coated surfaces, and this binding could be selectively inhibited by the synthetic cell-attachment peptide but not by inactive peptides. Affinity chromatography on wheat germ agglutinin-Sepharose showed that the 140 kd protein is a glycoprotein and, in combination with the fibronectin fragment chromatography, gave highly enriched preparations of the 140 kd protein. These properties suggest that the 140 kd glycoprotein is a membrane-embedded cell surface protein directly involved in the initial step of cell adhesion to fibronectin substrates.

Use of staphylococcal protein A as an immunological reagent

This brief review summarises the major uses of staphylococcal protein A in immunology. Protein A is covalently linked to the cell wall of most strains of Staphylococcus aureus, and binds immunoglobulin molecules with high affinity. The principal molecule bo-nd is IgG, although in many cases binding is restricted to certain IgG subclasses. Some IgM and IgA binds in certain species. This property allows rapid, simple and economical methods for the purification and analysis of immunoglobulins, and the fractionation of subclasses which are difficult to separate by other means. Fractionation on protein A affinity columns is a simple and efficient way of separating immunoglobulin F (ab) and F (ab')2 from Fc fragments. Intact staphylococci are useful as a solid phase adsorbent for isolating antigen-antibody complexes, membrane antigens and receptors, and to replace 'second antibody' in radioimmunoassay. Finally, protein A has proven useful for the study of antigens and receptors on the surface of intact cells, and for the detection of antibody-secreting cells. Thus, the use of protein A is now the method of choice for many preparative and analytical purposes in immunology.

Diurnal cortisol rhythm as a predictor of breast cancer survival

BACKGROUND

: Abnormal circadian rhythms have been observed in patients with cancer, but the prognostic value of such alterations has not been confirmed. We examined the association between diurnal variation of salivary cortisol in patients with metastatic breast cancer and subsequent survival. We explored relationships between cortisol rhythms, circulating natural killer (NK) cell counts and activity, prognostic indicators, medical treatment, and psychosocial variables.

METHODS

Salivary cortisol levels of 104 patients with metastatic breast cancer were assessed at study entry at 0800, 1200, 1700, and 2100 hours on each of 3 consecutive days, and the slope of diurnal cortisol variation was calculated using a regression of log-transformed cortisol concentrations on sample collection time. NK cell numbers were measured by flow cytometry, and NK cell activity was measured by the chromium release assay. The survival analysis was conducted by the Cox proportional hazards regression model with two-sided statistical testing.

RESULTS

Cortisol slope predicted subsequent survival up to 7 years later. Earlier mortality occurred among patients with relatively "flat" rhythms, indicating a lack of normal diurnal variation (Cox proportional hazards, P =. 0036). Patients with chest metastases, as opposed to those with visceral or bone metastases, had more rhythmic cortisol profiles. Flattened profiles were linked with low counts and suppressed activity of NK cells. After adjustment for each of these and other factors, the cortisol slope remained a statistically significant, independent predictor of survival time. NK cell count emerged as a secondary predictor of survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with metastatic breast cancer whose diurnal cortisol rhythms were flattened or abnormal had earlier mortality. Suppression of NK cell count and NK function may be a mediator or a marker of more rapid disease progression.

The biochemistry of affective disorders

The title of this review would be regarded by some psychiatrists as provocative; they would relegate the biochemical concomitants of depression and mania to a secondary position and deny that biochemical changes have any place in the aetiology of these conditions. However, in my view, the weight of evidence, although it is by no means conclusive, suggests that biochemical changes are most important in the aetiology of affective disorders. A biochemical aetiology implies that there are certain biochemical changes in the brain which need to be restored to normal before the patient's clinical condition will improve. This does not deny that psychological and environmental events may precipitate and maintain the biochemical events which in turn lead to the affective disorder. The study of these biochemical events is clearly at too early a stage for speculations about the interrelationship between environmental and endogenous elements to be fruitful; this study must wait until the biochemical aetiology is clearer than at present.

Surface-specific iodination of membrane proteins of viruses and eucaryotic cells using 1,3,4,6-tetrachloro-3alpha,6alpha-diphenylglycoluril

The use of the iodinating reagent 1,3,4,6-tetrachloro-3alpha,6alpha-diphenylglycouril (chloroglycoluril) to selectively label membrane surface proteins was investigated with the following systems: enveloped viruses (Sendai and Newcastle disease viruses), human erythrocytes, and nucleated cells propagated both in suspension (EL-4) and in monolayer culture (BHK-21). Conditions are described for specifically iodinating surface proteins while maintaining full virus integrity or cell viability. Comparison of the chloroglycoluril method with the lactoperoxidase and chloramine-T methods for labeling surface membrane proteins shows that the chloroglycoluril method has a number of advantages: It routinely produces a 3- to 17-fold greater specific radioactivity without sacrificing viral or cellular integrity, it is technically simpler to use, it does not require the addition of extraneous protein to initiate the reaction nor a strong reducing reagent to terminate it. Chloroglycoluril also proved to be an effective substitute for chloramine-T in the nonvectorial labeling of viral and cellular proteins. Membrane protein samples were solubilized with the detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate before iodination or labeled in the presence of high iodide concentrations without prior solubilization. The resulting specific radioactivities generated by the use of chloroglycoluril were equal to or greater than those generated by the chloramine-T method. The effectiveness, simplicity of use, and versatility of chloroglycoluril recommend it as an iodinating reagent for both surface-specific and nonvectorial labeling of membrane systems.

An endocytic pathway essential for renal uptake and activation of the steroid 25-(OH) vitamin D3

Steroid hormones may enter cells by diffusion through the plasma membrane. However, we demonstrate here that some steroid hormones are taken up by receptor-mediated endocytosis of steroid-carrier complexes. We show that 25-(OH) vitamin D3 in complex with its plasma carrier, the vitamin D-binding protein, is filtered through the glomerulus and reabsorbed in the proximal tubules by the endocytic receptor megalin. Endocytosis is required to preserve 25-(OH) vitamin D3 and to deliver to the cells the precursor for generation of 1,25-(OH)2 vitamin D3, a regulator of the calcium metabolism. Megalin-/- mice are unable to retrieve the steroid from the glomerular filtrate and develop vitamin D deficiency and bone disease.

Identification of angiotensin II receptor subtypes

We have demonstrated the existence of two distinct subtypes of the angiotensin II receptor in the rat adrenal gland using radioligand binding and tissue section autoradiography. The identification of the subtypes was made possible by the discovery of two structurally dissimilar, nonpeptide compounds, DuP 753 and EXP655, that show reciprocal selectivity for the two subtypes. In the rat adrenal cortex, DuP 753 inhibited 80% of the total AII binding with an IC50 value on the sensitive sites of 2 x 10(-8) M, while EXP655 displaced only 20%. In the rat adrenal medulla, EXP655 gave 90% inhibition of AII binding with an IC50 value of 3.0 x 10(-8) M, while DuP 753 was essentially inactive. The combination of the two compounds completely inhibited AII binding in both tissues.

Exposure of platelet fibrinogen receptors by ADP and epinephrine

The role of fibrinogen as a cofactor for platelet aggregation was examined by measuring the binding of 125I-labeled human fibrinogen to gel-filtered human platelets both before and after platelet stimulation by ADP and epinephrine. Platelet stimulation by ADP resulted in the rapid, reversible binding of fibrinogen to receptors on the platelet surface. Fibrinogen binding increased as the concentration of ADP was increased from 0.1 to 2 microM, reaching a plateau at higher ADP concentrations. Binding occurred only after platelet stimulation and in the presence of divalent cations. However, fibrinogen binding did not occur to ADP-stimulated platelets from three patients with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia. Analysis of fibrinogen binding as a function of increasing fibrinogen concentration demonstrated that maximal platelet stimulation exposed approximately or equal to 45,000 binding sites per platelet with a dissociation constant of 80--170 nM. These fibrinogen binding parameters were essentially the same whether ADP or epinephrine was the platelet-stimulating agent. Thus, these studies demonstrate that platelet stimulation by ADP and epinephrine exposes a limited number of fibrinogen receptors on the platelet surface. Furthermore, these data suggest that the fibrinogen molecules bound to the platelet as a consequence of platelet stimulation are directly involved in the platelet aggregation response.

Delivery of insulin-like growth factor-I to the rat brain and spinal cord along olfactory and trigeminal pathways following intranasal administration

We investigated the CNS delivery of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), a 7.65 kDa protein neurotrophic factor, following intranasal administration and the possible pathways and mechanisms underlying transport from the nasal passages to the CNS. Anesthetized adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were given [125I]-IGF-I intranasally or intravenously and then killed by perfusion-fixation within 30 min. Other animals were killed following cisternal puncture and withdrawal of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or intranasal administration of unlabeled IGF-I or vehicle. Both gamma counting of microdissected tissue and high resolution phosphor imaging of tissue sections showed that the tissue concentrations and distribution following intranasal administration were consistent with two routes of rapid entry into the CNS: one associated with the peripheral olfactory system connecting the nasal passages with the olfactory bulbs and rostral brain regions (e.g. anterior olfactory nucleus and frontal cortex) and the other associated with the peripheral trigeminal system connecting the nasal passages with brainstem and spinal cord regions. Intranasal administration of [125I]-IGF-I also targeted the deep cervical lymph nodes, consistent with their possible role in lymphatic drainage of both the nasal passages and the CNS. Cisternal CSF did not contain [125I]-IGF-I following intranasal administration. Intravenous [125I]-IGF-I resulted in blood and peripheral tissue exposure similar to that seen following intranasal administration but CNS concentrations were significantly lower. Finally, delivery of IGF-I into the CNS activated IGF-I signaling pathways, confirming some portion of the IGF-I that reached CNS target sites was functionally intact. The results suggest intranasally delivered IGF-I can bypass the blood-brain barrier via olfactory- and trigeminal-associated extracellular pathways to rapidly elicit biological effects at multiple sites within the brain and spinal cord.