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A M Jevnikar

Publications and source records attributed to A M Jevnikar.

53 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Cultured mesangial cells from autoimmune MRL-lpr mice have decreased secreted and surface M-CSF.

M-CSF has been implicated in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis in MRL-lpr mice. We recently reported persistently high levels of serum M-CSF in MRL-lpr mice as early as one week of age, not present in normal mice including C3H mice. In addition, M-CSF transcripts in MRL-lpr renal cortex increased with an increase in the severity of nephritis. Because glomerular mesangial cells (MC) secrete M-CSF, we investigated whether cultured MRL-lpr MC secrete more M-CSF than C3H MC. Paradoxically, unstimulated MRL-lpr MC secreted substantially less M-CSF than C3H MC [26 +/- 11 vs. 109 +/- 7 colony forming units (CFU)]. We then explored whether MC could express membrane bound M-CSF. We detected a 31 kDa form of membrane M-CSF on both MRL-lpr and C3H MC. Fewer MRL-lpr MC than C3H MC (24 +/- 5% vs. 78 +/- 5%) expressed membrane M-CSF. Furthermore, the increase in the mean channel log fluorescence intensity on MRL-lpr MC was considerably less than in C3H MC, indicating a lower density of M-CSF on MRL-lpr MC. Because our prior studies established that MRL-lpr kidneys have enhanced expression of TNF alpha, we stimulated cultured MC with TNF alpha. TNF alpha increased M-CSF secretion by stimulated MRL-lpr by twofold over unstimulated MRL-lpr MC, but did not increase M-CSF in C3H MC. In addition, M-CSF secretion was modestly greater in stimulated MRL-lpr MC compared to stimulated C3H MC. In conclusion, this is the first report of membrane M-CSF detectable on cultured MC. These studies note that despite higher circulating M-CSF and renal M-CSF transcripts in MRL-lpr mice, cultured MRL-lpr MC have lower basal secreted and membrane bound M-CSF than cultured C3H MC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Autoreactive kidney-infiltrating T-cell clones in murine lupus nephritis.

T-cells have been implicated in autoimmune renal injury. To examine the role of T-cells in lupus nephritis we propagated T-cell clones from the cortical interstitium of MRL/lpr mice. All isolated kidney-infiltrating (KI) T-cell clones [6] express surface markers identical to the T-cells regulated by the lpr gene (Thy 1.2+, TCR alpha/beta +, Lyt-2-, L3T4-, B220+). Although KI T-cell clones have the same surface markers as lymph node-infiltrating (LNI) T-cells, they differ functionally. KI T-cells, but not LNI T-cells, are autoreactive and kidney-specific, exclusively proliferating to renal tubular epithelial (TEC) and mesangial cells. In addition, unlike LNI T-cell supernatants (SN), KI T-cell clones SN induce class II and ICAM-1 on cultured TEC. When KI T-cell clones are injected under the renal capsule, class II is increased on TEC. All clones transcribe mRNA for cytokines capable of inducing class II and ICAM-1 (IL-4, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma). Anti-IFN-gamma mAb prevents the induction of class II and ICAM-1 on cultured TEC. Since class II and ICAM-1 expression on TEC precedes renal injury, the ability to propagate autoreactive, kidney-specific T-cell clones that induce these molecules provides evidence for their role in initiating renal injury in MRL/lpr mice.

Animals↗

Enhanced tumor necrosis factor in anti-CD3 antibody stimulated diabetic NOD mice: modulation by PGE1 and dietary lipid.

Administration of OKT3 anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) to patients for transplant rejection, is associated with a distinct and often severe clinical syndrome related to massive cytokine release. Previous reports have similarly demonstrated increased levels of serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) in normal mice following administration of 1452-C11 anti-CD3 mAb. In this study, we compared serum TNF alpha levels at baseline and after anti-CD3 stimulation among three groups of mice: normal BALB/c controls, pre-diabetic non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, and diabetic NOD mice. Baseline serum TNF alpha levels, as measured by L929 cell bioassay, were 2xhigher in diabetic NOD and 3xhigher in pre-diabetic NOD compared with BALB/c. Ninety minutes after anti-CD3 mAb stimulation, serum from BALB/c controls and pre-diabetic NOD contained 2- to 8-fold higher levels of TNF-alpha as compared to untreated control mice. In contrast, following anti-CD3 mAb, there was a dramatic 20-fold increase in serum TNF alpha in diabetic NOD mice (levels > 5000 pg/ml). Additionally, anti-CD3 mAb increased the steady-state TNF alpha mRNA transcripts. Spleens from diabetic mice given anti-CD3 mAb had higher steady-state TNF alpha mRNA than spleen from normal mice similarly treated. The enhanced release of circulating TNF alpha after anti-CD3 mAb in diabetic NOD mice was abrogated by pre-treatment of mice with prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) 30 min prior to anti-CD3 mAb stimulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alprostadil↗

Dexamethasone prevents autoimmune nephritis and reduces renal expression of Ia but not costimulatory signals.

Although glucocorticoids are a conventional treatment for lupus nephritis, the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for preventing renal injury are unknown. MRL-lpr mice develop an aggressive autoimmune nephritis. As these mice become nephritic, there is an increase in the renal expression of molecules that permit or facilitate immune interactions, including MHC class II (Ia) antigens, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Because dexamethasone (Dex) alters Ia antigen expression and suppresses cytokine generation, the authors prophylactically treated MRL-lpr mice and investigated the relative importance of these molecules in inducing renal injury. MRL-lpr mice given Dex (0.4 mg/kg/d) from age 6 weeks were killed 4, 8, and 16 weeks after the initiation of therapy, and tissue was removed for histology and extraction of total RNA. Dex prevented lymphadenopathy and renal injury. DEX eliminated the marked Thy 1.2+ lymphocytic infiltrates within the kidney and preserved normal renal histology and urinary protein levels. Northern blot analysis of steady-state mRNA transcripts indicated Dex suppressed a four-fold increase in kidney major histo-compatibility complex class II (Ia) molecule antigen mRNA seen by age 22 weeks (Ia/beta-actin ratios = 0.64 +/- 0.50 versus 2.32 +/- 0.48, P less than 0.01), but did not alter the costimulatory molecules ICAM-1 or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha). Although all of these molecules are important mediators of inflammation, autoimmune nephritis was ameliorated without alteration of TNF alpha gene transcription or ICAM-1 transcription and surface expression. This study suggests that the benefit of steroids in nephritis stems from preventing lymphocyte infiltration into the kidney and decreasing immune interactions by limiting Ia expression.

Animals↗

Stimulated kidney tubular epithelial cells express membrane associated and secreted TNF alpha.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) is a pleiotropic, pro-inflammatory peptide cytokine which promotes immune renal injury, and participates in T cell activation. It is produced by macrophages, T cells, and some non-hematopoietic cells, and is cytotoxic in picogram quantities. As renal tubular epithelial cells (TEC) bearing MHC class II (Ia) antigens and adhesion molecules (ICAM-1) can act as immune accessory cells, the ability of TEC to produce costimulatory cytokines could augment TEC accessory capacity in vivo. We report that transformed TEC express low levels of TNF alpha in response to LPS or IL-1 alpha as a secreted product and as a cytotoxic membrane associated molecule displayed on the cell surface. Surface labelling and immunoprecipitation studies of TEC detect a number of bands including a prominent 26 kD protein, which is the predicted size of TNF alpha precursor. TNF alpha mRNA transcripts were also detected by in situ hybridization in cortical tubules of C3H/FeJ mice injected with LPS, demonstrating the capacity of normal tubular epithelial cells to express TNF alpha in vivo. This report demonstrates for the first time the ability of kidney tubular cells to express TNF alpha protein and that membrane associated TNF alpha is not limited to hematopoietic cells. The function of small amounts of TNF displayed on the surface of tubular cells may be amplified by the abundance of these cells within the renal cortex, and may allow TEC to modulate immune responses within the kidney during inflammation.

Animals↗

Antigen presentation by renal tubular epithelial cells.

The interaction between immune effector cells such as T lymphocytes and parenchymal cells in organ-specific immune injury is dynamic. It is now appreciated that the specificity, intensity, and eventual destructive effects of such interactions can be greatly influenced by responses of the target issue. Renal tubular cells are particularly well suited to participate in such immune collaborations. (1) They are exposed to innumerable potentially immunogenic peptides from blood and glomerular filtrate and have pathways to further process these peptides; (2) they express surface molecules which facilitate their engagement to T cells; and (3) they can produce proinflammatory cytokines. In the models of immune-mediated tubulointerstitial injury that are currently studied, there has been a great interest in defining the T lymphocytes that initiate, accelerate, or suppress disease. Surprisingly, there has been relatively little attention on defining the tubular cell responses that regulate these immune-mediated processes. This review will therefore focus on this intriguing aspect of immune tubular injury and relate what is known about antigen presentation by tubular cells in autoimmune renal disease.

Animals↗

Differing regulation and function of ICAM-1 and class II antigens on renal tubular cells.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and MHC class II (Ia) antigens are increased on proximal tubular epithelial cells (TEC) in autoimmune nephritis and transplant rejection. ICAM-1 is a member of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily that increases the avidity of T cell interactions with antigen-presenting cells bearing Ia antigens. Using an existing mAb and cDNA probe for Ia antigen, and a newly described mAb (YN1/1.7.4) and cDNA probe for murine ICAM-1, we compared mRNA transcript levels, surface expression and function of these molecules in transformed TEC derived from normal (C3H/FeJ) and autoimmune (MRL-lpr) mice. No differences were found on TEC between these strains of mice. Stimulation of TEC with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) resulted in the expression of Ia antigens, and a marked increase of ICAM-1 from basal levels. Increases in ICAM-1 levels occurred with concentrations of IFN-gamma 10 to 100 times lower (0.5 to 1.0 U/ml) than those required for Ia expression, and preceded Ia antigen expression by more than 48 hours. Anti-ICAM-1 mAb lowered the binding and antigen-presenting ability of TEC to the A2A2 T cell hybridoma, suggesting a role for ICAM-1 in immune interactions between TEC and T cells. Dexamethasone treatment of MRL-lpr mice abrogated the increase of Ia antigens found in the kidneys of nephritic mice yet did not reduce the expression of ICAM-1 in either kidneys or cultured stimulated TEC. We conclude that elevated ICAM-1 expression on TEC increases the immune accessory cell capability of TEC bearing Ia antigens, and is resistant to down-regulation by some immunosuppressive agents.

Animals↗

Mesangial cell accessory functions: mediation by intercellular adhesion molecule-1.

Mesangial cell (MC) proliferation is an early pathologic alteration characteristic of many forms of immune mediated glomerulonephritis. The intracapillary position, contractile capacity, and production of cytokines and other inflammatory molecules place MC in a pivotal position to initiate, mediate, and direct glomerular damage. We as well as others have noted increased levels of cytokines including IFN gamma, TNF, and IL-1 and the cell surface MHC class II and ICAM-1 molecules in the kidneys of mice with lupus nephritis. MHC class II and ICAM-1 molecules are central to the interaction of T cells with antigen presenting cells (APC). Since cytokines can increase both MHC class II and ICAM-1 molecules, we investigated whether mesangial cells could function as APC or accessory cells after cytokine stimulation. For these studies we established a permanent MC line through transformation with origin-deficient SV40 DNA. Surface expression of ICAM-1 was similar in untransformed MC as well as SV40 transformed MC from normal mice and in untransformed cells from mice with lupus nephritis. Basal expression of ICAM-1 was upregulated rapidly by IFN gamma, TNF, and IL-1. MHC class II expression could not be induced with TNF or IL-1 alone but required prolonged stimulation with IFN gamma. MC adhered and presented antigen to an antigen specific IaK restricted T cell hybridoma. Anti-ICAM-1 mAb decreased adhesion and antigen presentation of cytokine stimulated MC. By comparison, MHC class II mAb abrogated antigen presentation by MC bearing MHC class II but did not block adhesion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

MHC class II, antigen presentation and tumor necrosis factor in renal tubular epithelial cells.

Proximal tubular (PT) epithelial cells express MHC class II (Ia) antigens in immunologically-mediated renal injury. To study the role of PT as accessory cells, we generated several murine PT-like epithelial cell lines by transformation with origin-defective SV40 DNA. These transformed cell lines display typical alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase enzyme activity, proliferation to epidermal growth factor (EGF) and sodium-dependent glucose uptake. Clonal lines of transformed tubular cells from both normal C3H/FeJ and autoimmune MRL-lpr mice do not constitutively express Ia antigens or mRNA for class II. However, stimulation with recombinant interferon-gamma(rIFN-gamma) induces Ia mRNA and surface product in the cell lines. These Ia-positive cells can process and present hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL) to antigen-specific Iak-restricted T cell hybrids. Unstimulated tubular cells do not express detectable IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, TNA-alpha, or IL-6 mRNA. However, stimulation with IL-1 alpha or LPS induces TNF-alpha transcripts. We conclude that these cell lines have characteristics most consistent with a proximal tubular origin. They also bear characteristics of accessory cells such as processing and presentation of antigen and TNF-alpha gene expression. We speculate that PT have the capacity to participate in the pathogenesis of immune renal injury.

Cell Line↗

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression is upregulated in autoimmune murine lupus nephritis.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is a cell-surface protein regulating interactions among immune cells. To determine whether altered expression of ICAM-1 occurs in autoimmune lupus nephritis, we studied ICAM-1 expression in kidneys of normal and autoimmune MRL-lpr and (NZBX NZW)F1 (NZB/W) mice. By immunoperoxidase staining, ICAM-1 is constitutively expressed at low levels in proximal tubules (PT), endothelium and interstitial cells in normal C3H/FeJ mice. In nephritic MRL-lpr and NZB/W kidneys, staining for ICAM-1 is increased in the PT, particularly in the brush border, and is prominent in the glomerular mesangium and the endothelium of large vessels. By Western blot analysis, ICAM-1 is not detected in the urine of normal BALB/c and C3H/FeJ or autoimmune MRL-lpr. By Northern blot analysis, nephritic MRL-lpr and NZB/W have a two- to fivefold increase in steady state levels of ICAM-1 transcripts in the kidney as compared with normal or prenephritic mice. This is paralleled by an increase in MHC class II transcripts. In cultured PT cells, ICAM-1 is expressed at basal levels in PT and is increased by the cytokines interferon-gamma, IL-1 alpha, and TNF-alpha. Thus cytokine-mediated upregulation of ICAM-1 in lupus nephritis may promote interaction of immune cells with renal tissue. The predominant apical expression of ICAM-1 opposite to the basolateral Ia expression suggests a novel role for this adhesion molecule in PT.

Animals↗

Effect of cyclosporine on plasma lipids and modification with dietary fish oil.

Hyperlipidemia is an identified risk factor for atherosclerosis in patients following renal transplantation that may be related to previous uremia and various drugs including steroids. Recent evidence has suggested that treatment with cyclosporine may be an independent risk factor for development of hyperlipidemia in some patients. Twenty-four Sprague Dawley rats were given CsA at 30 mg/kg by gavage for 28 days in 1 ml of olive oil or fish oil vehicle, and compared with controls receiving just vehicle. Increases of both triglyceride (233.6%) and cholesterol (50.9%) were observed in olive oil/CsA animals (P less than .01), with no significant change noted with either vehicle alone. An increase of triglyceride from baseline was observed with fish oil/CsA (119%) (P less than .01) but was significantly less than the increase with olive oil/CsA animals (P less than .05). No increase in cholesterol was found in CsA-treated rats using the fish oil vehicle. The mechanisms leading to hyperlipidemia with four weeks of CsA administration in these rats are unknown, but may be related to altered hepatic synthesis. CsA levels were lower in fish oil-treated animals, possibly explaining the difference noted in lipid levels--or, alternatively, reduction of plasma lipoproteins may have altered drug kinetics and CsA binding. This work emphasizes a need for further study of lipids in CsA-treated patients, and advises some caution in the use of lipoprotein-reducing agents in patients using CsA without consideration of the possible effect on free drug levels.

Animals↗

Nephrotoxicity of high- and low-osmolality contrast media.

Nephrotoxicity of radio-opaque contrast media (CM) is generally believed to involve toxic injury of proximal tubular cells. Measurement of urinary tubular enzyme excretion has been advocated as a sensitive marker of such toxic injury. It has been claimed that the new low-osmolality or nonionic CM reduce the incidence of nephrotoxicity but this remains uncertain. We studied 23 patients with normal renal function undergoing coronary angiography; patients were randomized into three groups receiving either diatrizoate (1,800 mmol/kg H2O), ioxaglate (600 mmol/kg H2O) or iohexol (850 mmol/kg H2O). Urinary excretion of a panel of enzymes increased significantly in all groups by 20 h (p less than 0.05 to less than 0.005). Alanine aminopeptidase excretion at 20 h was greater after the administration of high osmolality ionic CM than with the others but all three CM produced a similar pattern of enzyme excretion. No significant change in glomerular filtration rate was found in any group so the significance of the enzymuria remains uncertain.

Adult↗