Inadequate quality of a blood collection tube containing an anticoagulant/platelet inhibitor mixture.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C Barro.
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Transmigrating neutrophils secrete a 92 kDa gelatinase (MMP-9) in order to degrade type IV endothelial basement membrane collagen. A model system for neutrophil adhesion combining a short pre-adhesion time (30 min) in plastic or endothelium-coated wells, medium removal and addition of soluble stimuli (fMLP, TNF alpha), enabled us to induce the release of a basal level of gelatinase activity (> 12% total cell content) from tertiary granules, while the release of vitamin B12 binding protein from specific granules was limited to 4% total cell content. Neutrophil gelatinase activity in unfractionated supernatants from endothelium-coated wells was significantly reduced (P < 0.01) compared to levels obtained on plastic supports, even after TNF alpha treatment or when cell populations were physically separated by trans-well inserts. In contrast, gelatin zymograms of supernatants from plastic and endothelium-coated wells remained similar. These findings suggest that MMP-9 is equally secreted but differentially inhibited by the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 originating from the neutrophils. MMP-9 RT-PCR from neutrophils, assessed after up to one hour adhesion on plastic, yielded a single 270 bp fragment which was almost undetectable in the endothelial RT-PCR counterpart, whereas the TIMP-1 PCR product was apparent in both cell types. Furthermore, neutrophil adhesion on endothelial cells and TNF alpha activation for one hour induced the disappearance of MMP-9 cDNA without changes in TIMP-1 and beta-actin PCR products. These results suggest the existence of a dual down-regulation during neutrophil-endothelial interaction, both at the level of secreted MMP-9 activity and of MMP-9 gene transcription.
In response to bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) monocytes synthesize and express on their surface tissue factor (TF) which triggers the blood coagulation cascade. Since LPS stimulates active oxygen species production by these cells, we investigated the roles of superoxide anion and nitric oxide in the induction of TF in human blood monocytes. Scavengers of reactive oxygen intermediates such as N-acetyl cysteine or pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate were able to block TF induction. In addition, inhibition of NADPH oxidase and/or NO synthase which are major sources of active oxygen species in phagocytes also blocked TF induction. The restoration of TF expression, in monocytes treated with inhibitors of reactive oxygen production, by N,N'-dimethyl-gamma, gamma'-dipyridylium dichloride and/or sodium nitrosylpentacyanoferrate (III), which generate respectively O2- and NO, suggests that these two radicals participate in the induction of TF at the surface of blood monocytes stimulated by LPS.
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The zinc metalloproteinases (MMPs or matrixins) are capable of damaging most of the constituents of the extra-cellular matrix and the basement membrane. The matrix proteolysis is the result of an imbalance both in the turnover of these constituants and in the ratio of the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) versus metalloproteinases. After a brief description of the nature and structure of MMPs and TIMPs, this article reports on recent progress concerning the intra and extra-cellular activation mechanisms of proenzymes (proMMPs) which bring into play a series of proteolytic activations involving different proteinase families. Two points are stressed: 1) the main sites of focalized matrix proteolysis regulation, illustrated in the cellular interaction of inflammation, and 2) the wide phenotypic variety of MMPs and TIMPs.