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Biomedical subjects

B B Warner

Publications and source records attributed to B B Warner.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Multiple births and outcome.

The rate of multiple-gestation pregnancies has grown exponentially over the last few decades and is responsible for the steady increase in the birth rate of low-birth weight infants. As a group, infants of multiple-gestation pregnancies have higher mortality and morbidity than singleton pregnancies. The increase in adverse outcomes is related directly to the increased risk for preterm delivery and low-birth weight, and not to the multiple gestation itself. Outcomes for multiple-gestation infants appear to be similar whether conceived spontaneously or through artificial reproductive technology. Efforts to reduce the birth rate of low-birth weight infants should target multiple-gestation pregnancies.

Birth Rate↗

Functional and pathological effects of prolonged hyperoxia in neonatal mice.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) commonly develops in premature infants. An improved understanding of the pathophysiology of BPD requires better models. In this study, neonatal FVB/N mice were exposed to room air or 85% oxygen for 28 days. Neonatal hyperoxia resulted in decreased alveolar septation, increased terminal air space size, and increased lung fibrosis. These changes were evident after 7 days and more pronounced by 28 days. Decreased alveolarization was preceded by decreased proliferation of lung cells. After 3 days of hyperoxia, cell proliferation was decreased compared with room air littermates. Cell proliferation continued to be decreased in the first 2 wk but normalized by 4 wk. Hyperoxia caused an increased number of inflammatory cells in lung tissue and in lung lavage fluid. Analysis of lung tissue RNA by RT-PCR showed that hyperoxia increased expression of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1alpha and macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha. Prolonged neonatal hyperoxia caused functional changes, decreasing lung volume and pulmonary compliance. We conclude that prolonged exposure of neonatal mice to hyperoxia creates a lesion that is very similar to human BPD and suggests that altered cell proliferation may be important in the pathogenesis of chronic neonatal lung disease.

Animals↗

Redox regulation of manganese superoxide dismutase.

The importance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or changes in cellular redox state in signal transduction and gene regulation is becoming increasingly evident. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that ROS are directly involved in the induction of the mitochondrial antioxidant manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and mediate the induction of MnSOD by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Pretreatment of human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cells H441 with the antioxidants N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) blocked MnSOD induction by TNF-alpha, implicating ROS as a signaling agent in this pathway. Treatment of H441 cells with the exogenous oxidants hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and diamide increased MnSOD mRNA, supporting the hypothesis that ROS directly affect expression of MnSOD. The temporal pattern of MnSOD induction differed for TNF-alpha and H2O2, suggesting distinct signaling pathways. DNA binding of two redox-sensitive transcription factors, NF-kappa B and activator protein (AP)-1, was evaluated. TNF-alpha increased nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B-DNA binding, an effect blocked by pretreatment with NAC. H2O2 did not alter NF-kappa B-DNA binding. There was no evidence of AP-1 binding in cells treated with either TNF-alpha or H2O2. We conclude that ROS directly alter MnSOD expression and are involved in the induction of MnSOD by TNF-alpha.

Antioxidants↗

Human Mn-superoxide dismutase in pulmonary epithelial cells of transgenic mice confers protection from oxygen injury.

To test directly whether mitochondrial Mn-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) protects the lung epithelium from oxygen-induced injury, transgenic mice were produced in which the expression of human Mn-SOD mRNA was directly by transcriptional elements from the human pulmonary surfactant protein C gene. Human Mn-SOD mRNA was expressed in a lung-specific manner, and increased Mn-SOD protein was detected within mitochondria of alveolar Type II and nonciliated bronchiolar cells of the distal respiratory epithelium of the transgenic mice. The activity of Mn-SOD, but not catalase, CuZn-SOD, or glutathione peroxidase, was increased in lungs of transgenic mice. Transgenic mice were highly protected from lung injury during exposure to 95% oxygen, surviving significantly longer than nontransgenic littermates. Pulmonary pathology demonstrated decreased hemorrhage, hyaline membrane formation, and alveolar and interstitial edema in transgenic animals. The finding that increased Mn-SOD in distal respiratory epithelial cells confers protection from oxygen injury provides a basis for novel therapies to protect lung from injury during oxygen therapy of acute and chronic lung diseases.

Animals↗

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha increases Mn-SOD expression: protection against oxidant injury.

Antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, are important for protecting the lung against O2 injury. Manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) is a superoxide anion (O2-.) scavenger located in the mitochondria, a primary site of O2-. production during hyperoxia. We studied the effects of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), a macrophage-derived cytokine, on Mn-SOD expression in human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cells. TNF-alpha significantly increased Mn-SOD activity and mRNA in a dose-and time-dependent manner. Mn-SOD activity was increased 3-fold and mRNA 20-fold after a 48-h incubation with TNF-alpha (25 ng/ml). To examine the mechanism of this increase, cells were incubated for 48 h with TNF-alpha (25 ng/ml) with or without cycloheximide (10 microns) or actinomycin D (10 micrograms/ml). Actinomycin D blocked the induction of Mn-SOD mRNA by TNF-alpha, but cycloheximide did not. These findings suggest that the effect of TNF-alpha requires gene transcription but not synthesis of new protein intermediates. To test the hypothesis that increased Mn-SOD protects against oxidative injury, pulmonary adenocarcinoma cells were incubated in TNF-alpha (25 ng/ml) for 48 h and then exposed to paraquat (PQ+), an intracellular O2-. generator. Cells pretreated with TNF-alpha had significantly improved survival in PQ+ compared with controls. At the LD50 (6 microns) for control cells, 95% of TNF-alpha-treated cells survived, 85% at the LD75 (10 microns), and 77% at the LD90 (14 microns). Our results suggest that the induction of Mn-SOD by TNF-alpha in pulmonary adenocarcinoma cells is pretranslationally mediated and that increasing Mn-SOD activity with TNF-alpha confers protection against O2 radicals.

Actins↗

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibits expression of pulmonary surfactant protein.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) decreased the expression of pulmonary surfactant proteins SP-A and SP-B in human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell lines. The effect of TNF alpha on SP-A content and mRNA in the pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell line, H441-4, was concentration and time dependent. TNF alpha decreased the cellular content of SP-A to less than 10% of control 48 h after addition. TNF alpha decreased de novo synthesis of SP-A and decreased the accumulation of SP-A in media. SP-A mRNA was decreased within 12 h of addition of TNF alpha, with nearly complete loss of SP-A mRNA observed after 24 h. Inhibitory effects of TNF alpha on SP-A mRNA were dose-related with nearly complete inhibition of SP-A mRNA caused by 25 ng/ml TNF alpha. The effects of TNF alpha on SP-A were distinct from the effects of interferon gamma which increased SP-A content approximately twofold in H441-4 cells. TNF alpha also decreased the content of SP-B mRNA. In contrast to the inhibitory effect of TNF alpha on SP-A and SP-B mRNA, TNF alpha increased mRNA encoding human manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD). TNF alpha did not inhibit growth, alter cell viability or beta-actin mRNA in either cell line. These in vitro studies demonstrate the marked pretranslational inhibitory effects of the cytokine, TNF alpha, on the expression of pulmonary surfactant proteins, SP-A and SP-B. The results support the concept that macrophage-derived cytokines may control surfactant protein expression.

Blotting, Northern↗