Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C Laudanna.
This paper presents a stochastic model of the lymphocyte recruitment in inflammed brain microvessels. The framework used is based on stochastic process algebras for mobile systems. The automatic tool used in the simulation is the BioSpi. We compare our approach with classical hydrodinamical specifications.
Macrophage inflammatory protein-3alpha (MIP-3alpha)/CCL20 and MIP-3beta/CCL19 are members of the CC chemokine subfamily which exert their effects through specific receptors, CCR6 and CCR7, respectively. Previously, we have reported that human neutrophils have the capacity to produce a number of chemokines, including IL-8/CXCL8, GROalpha/CXCL1, IP-10/CXCL10, and MIG/CXCL9. Herein, we show that neutrophils also have the ability to express and release MIP-3alpha/CCL20 and MIP-3beta/CCL19 when cultured with either LPS or TNF-alpha. We also report that MIP-3alpha/CCL20 and MIP-3beta/CCL19 production by LPS-stimulated neutrophils is negatively modulated by IL-10. Remarkably, we found that supernatants harvested from stimulated neutrophils not only induced chemotaxis of both immature and mature dendritic cells (DC), but also triggered rapid integrin-dependent adhesion of CCR6- and CCR7-expressing lymphocytes to purified VCAM-1 and ICAM-1, respectively. Importantly, both chemotaxis and rapid integrin-dependent adhesion were dramatically suppressed by anti-MIP-3alpha/CCL20 and anti-MIP-3beta/CCL19 neutralizing antibodies, indicating that MIP-3alpha/CCL20 and MIP-3beta/CCL19 present in the supernatants were both biologically active. As these chemokines are primarily chemotactic for DC and specific lymphocyte subsets, the ability of neutrophils to produce MIP-3alpha/CCL20 and MIP-3beta/CCL19 might be significant in orchestrating the recruitment of these cell types to the inflamed sites and therefore in contributing to the regulation of the immune response.
F(2)-Isoprostanes are generated from a cyclooxygenase-independent oxidative modification of arachidonic acid. They are present in atherosclerotic plaques and are platelet activators as well as potent vasoconstrictors. Polymorphonuclear neutrophils are major players in ischemia/reperfusion injury and in restenosis after PTCA. The effects of 8-isoprostaglandin (PG) F(2alpha) on very rapid beta(2)-integrin-dependent adhesion was evaluated in human neutrophils in vitro by use of purified integrin as ligand. 8-Iso-PGF(2alpha) (1 nmol/L to 20 micromol/L) triggers a dose-dependent, very rapid neutrophil adhesion to human fibrinogen but not to the endothelial ligand intercellular adhesion molecule-1. Pretreatment with anti-ss(2)-integrin subtypes showed activation of CD11b/CD18 and CD11c/CD18. Adhesion triggering was completely prevented by pertussis toxin. SQ29,548, a specific antagonist of thromboxane A2 receptor, also dose-dependently prevented 8-iso-PGF(2alpha)-triggered neutrophil adhesion. 8-Iso-PGF(2alpha) did not trigger adhesion in human monocytes and lymphocytes and did not induce neutrophil chemotaxis or activation of the oxygen free-radical-forming enzyme NADPH-oxidase. These data highlight the role of 8-iso-PGF(2alpha) as a specific activator of rapid neutrophil adhesion and suggest its involvement in the pathogenesis of ischemia/reperfusion injury and in restenosis after PTCA. The effect is transduced via activation of the receptor for thromboxane A2.
Helicobacter pylori infection induces the appearance of inflammatory infiltrates, consisting mainly of neutrophils and monocytes, in the human gastric mucosa. A bacterial protein with neutrophil activating activity (HP-NAP) has been previously identified, but its role in infection and immune response is still largely unknown. Here, we show that vaccination of mice with HP-NAP induces protection against H. pylori challenge, and that the majority of infected patients produce antibodies specific for HP-NAP, suggesting an important role of this factor in immunity. We also show that HP-NAP is chemotactic for human leukocytes and that it activates their NADPH oxidase to produce reactive oxygen intermediates, as demonstrated by the translocation of its cytosolic subunits to the plasma membrane, and by the lack of activity on chronic granulomatous disease leukocytes. This stimulating effect is strongly potentiated by tumor necrosis factor alpha and interferon gamma and is mediated by a rapid increase of the cytosolic calcium concentration. The activation of leukocytes induced by HP-NAP is completely inhibited by pertussis toxin, wortmannin, and PP1. On the basis of these results, we conclude that HP-NAP is a virulence factor important for the H. pylori pathogenic effects at the site of infection and a candidate antigen for vaccine development.
Chemokines trigger rapid integrin-dependent lymphocyte arrest to vascular endothelium. We show that the chemokines SLC, ELC, and SDF-1alpha rapidly induce lateral mobility and transient increase of affinity of the beta2 integrin LFA-1. Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase (PI(3)K) activity blocks mobility but not affinity changes and prevents lymphocyte adhesion to ICAM-1 immobilized at low but not high densities, suggesting that mobility enhances the frequency of encounters between high-affinity integrin and ligand but that at higher ligand density affinity changes are sufficient for arrest. Thus, chemokines trigger, through distinct signaling pathways, both a high-affinity state and lateral mobility of LFA-1 that can coordinately determine the vascular arrest of circulating lymphocytes under physiologic conditions.
Monokine induced by IFN-gamma (MIG), IFN-inducible T cell alpha chemoattractant (I-TAC), and IFN-gamma-inducible protein of 10 kDa (IP-10) are related members of the CXC chemokine subfamily that bind to a common receptor, CXCR3, and that are produced by different cell types in response to IFN-gamma. We have recently reported that human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) have the capacity to release IP-10. Herein, we show that PMN also have the ability to produce MIG and to express I-TAC mRNA in response to IFN-gamma in combination with either TNF-alpha or LPS. While IFN-gamma, alone or in association with agonists such as fMLP, IL-8, granulocyte (G)-CSF and granulocyte-macrophage (GM)-CSF, failed to influence MIG, IP-10, and I-TAC gene expression, IFN-alpha, in combination with TNF-alpha, LPS, or IL-1beta, resulted in a considerable induction of IP-10 release by neutrophils. Furthermore, IL-10 and IL-4 significantly suppressed the expression of MIG, IP-10, and I-TAC mRNA and the extracellular production of MIG and IP-10 in neutrophils stimulated with IFN-gamma plus either LPS or TNF-alpha. Finally, supernatants harvested from stimulated PMN induced migration and rapid integrin-dependent adhesion of CXCR3-expressing lymphocytes; these activities were significantly reduced by neutralizing anti-MIG and anti-IP-10 Abs, suggesting that they were mediated by MIG and IP-10 present in the supernatants. Since MIG, IP-10, and I-TAC are potent chemoattractants for NK cells and Th1 lymphocytes, the ability of neutrophils to produce these chemokines might contribute not only to the progression and evolution of the inflammatory response, but also to the regulation of the immune response.
Migration of lymphocytes from the blood into the brain is a critical event in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Lymphocyte adhesion to brain endothelium is the first step in lymphocyte entry into the central nervous system, leading subsequently to myelin damage and paralysis. In this paper we show that the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, tyrphostin AG490, prevents binding of freshly isolated mouse lymph node cells and of in vivo activated lymphocytes to endothelium of inflamed brain in Stamper-Woodruff adhesion assays. Moreover, AG490 inhibits adhesion of encephalitogenic T cell lines to purified ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, molecules implicated in T cell recruitment into the central nervous system. In contrast, 2-h treatment of T cell lines with high doses of tyrphostin AG490 have no effect on the viability, intracellular calcium elevation induced by Con A or TCR cross-linking, proliferation, or TNF production by Ag-stimulated T cell lines. Systemic administration of AG490 prevents the accumulation of leukocytes in the brain and the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced by proteolipid protein, peptide 139-151-specific T cell lines in SJL/J mice. Blood leukocytes isolated from mice treated with tyrphostin AG490 are less adhesive on purified very late Ag-4 ligands compared with adhesion of leukocytes from control animals. Our results suggest that inhibition of signaling pathways involved in lymphocyte adhesion may represent a novel therapeutic approach for demyelinating diseases.
Classical chemoattractants and chemokines trigger integrin-dependent adhesion of blood leukocytes to vascular endothelium and also direct subsequent extravasation and migration into tissues. In studies of human polymorphonuclear neutrophil responses to formyl peptides and to interleukin 8, we show evidence of involvement of the atypical zeta protein kinase C in the signaling pathway leading to chemoattractant-triggered actin assembly, integrin-dependent adhesion, and chemotaxis. Selective inhibitors of classical and novel protein kinase C isozymes do not prevent chemoattractant-induced neutrophil adhesion and chemotaxis. In contrast, chelerythrine chloride and synthetic myristoylated peptides with sequences based on the endogenous zeta protein kinase C pseudosubstrate region block agonist-induced adhesion to fibrinogen, chemotaxis and F-actin accumulation. Biochemical analysis shows that chemoattractants trigger rapid translocation of zeta protein kinase C to the plasma membrane accompanied by rapid but transient increase of the kinase activity. Moreover, pretreatment with C3 transferase, a specific inhibitor of Rho small GTPases, blocks zeta but not alpha protein kinase C plasma membrane translocation. Synthetic peptides from zeta protein kinase C also inhibit phorbol ester-induced integrin-dependent adhesion but not NADPH-oxidase activation, and C3 transferase pretreatment blocks phorbol ester-triggered translocation of zeta but not alpha protein kinase C. These data suggest the involvement of zeta protein kinase C in chemoattractant-induced leukocyte integrin-dependent adhesion and chemotaxis. Moreover, they highlight a potential link between atypical protein kinase C isozymes and Rho signaling pathways leading to integrin-activation.
Migration of lymphocytes from blood into the brain is a critical event in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Previous observations made in our laboratory showed that protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors were able to block lymphocyte adhesion to brain endothelium and prevent the entry of encephalitogenic T cell lines into the brain of SJL/J mice. Here we show that systemic administration of the protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor, tyrphostin AG490, blocks the development of actively induced EAE in a dose-dependent manner. Administration of 1 mg of drug daily significantly decreased the severity of the disease, while 3 mg of AG490 daily totally blocked the disease in 62% of treated animals, and in those that developed the disease, paralysis was delayed and clinical score was significantly reduced. Blood leukocytes isolated from mice treated with tyrphostin AG490 were less adhesive on VCAM-1 and fibronectin, when compared with control animals. AG490 treatment had no effect on the proliferation by antigen-stimulated peripheral lymph nodes cells. Interestingly, cells obtained from draining lymph nodes in AG490-treated animals and stimulated with antigen secreted two times more IFN-gamma and four times more IL-10, when compared with control animals, whereas no difference was observed in TNF-alpha production. Our results suggest that tyrphostin AG490 may have therapeutic potential by blocking tyrosine kinase activities involved in key mechanisms leading to demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system.
Chemoattractant receptors of the serpentine, heterotrimeric Galphai protein-linked family can activate leukocyte integrins and in this role regulate leukocyte traffic and cell-cell interactions in immune and inflammatory responses. Using a mouse lymphoid cell line transfected with human formyl peptide or interleukin-8 receptors and normal human neutrophils as models, we show that cAMP functions as a gating element on the chemoattractant-induced rho-dependent signaling pathway leading to leukocyte integrin activation and adhesion. cAMP, acting through protein kinase A, inhibits chemoattractant-triggered integrin-dependent leukocyte adhesion. cAMP also prevents guanine nucleotide exchange on RhoA, a small GTP-binding protein of the rho subfamily, which is activated in seconds by chemoattractants. In contrast, chemoattractant-triggered intracellular calcium elevation is unaffected by cAMP, and cAMP has no effect on rho-dependent adhesion and RhoA guanine nucleotide exchange triggered through the independent protein kinase C pathway. These data suggest that cAMP-induced inhibition of rho activation may be responsible for the anti-adhesive effect of cAMP and may contribute to the anti-inflammatory activity of cAMP elevating agonists and drugs. Moreover, the findings extend the concept of cyclic nucleotide gating as a broadly important mechanism in the regulation of intracellular signaling pathways and the cellular activities they control.
Repeated injections of adult mice with recombinant murine TNF prolong the survival of NZB/W F1 mice, and suppress type I insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. To determine whether repeated TNF injections suppress T cell function in adult mice, we studied the responses of influenza hemagglutinin-specific T cells derived from T cell receptor (HNT-TCR) transgenic mice. Treatment of adult mice with murine TNF for 3 wk suppressed a broad range of T cell responses, including proliferation and cytokine production. Furthermore, T cell responses of HNT-TCR transgenic mice also expressing the human TNF-globin transgene were markedly reduced compared to HNT-TCR single transgenic littermates, indicating that sustained p55 TNF-R signaling is sufficient to suppress T cell function in vivo. Using a model of chronic TNF exposure in vitro, we demonstrate that (a) chronic TNF effects are dose and time dependent, (b) TNF suppresses the responses of both Th1 and Th2 T helper subsets, (c) the suppressive effects of endogenous TNF produced in T cell cultures could be reversed with neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to TNF, and (d) prolonged TNF exposure attenuates T cell receptor signaling. The finding that anti-TNF treatment in vivo enhances T cell proliferative responses and cytokine production provides evidence for a novel regulatory effect of TNF on T cells in healthy laboratory mice. These effects are more pronounced in chronic inflammatory disease. In addition, our data provide a mechanism through which prolonged TNF exposure suppresses disease in animal models of autoimmunity.
We describe a new method based on radioactive metabolic labeling with [3H]glycerol to study the lymphocyte trafficking in mice. Lymphocyte labeling with [3H]glycerol is time- and dose-dependent. Radioactive leaking is less significant than in 51Cr-labeled cells. Lymphocytes, labeled with [3H]glycerol, with 51Cr, or with both labels together show the same pattern of homing to Peyer's patches (PP), peripheral and mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen and homing shows the expected dependence on pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive signaling, suggesting that the labeling procedure with [3H]glycerol does not affect lymphocyte trafficking properties. Tissue accumulation can be readily assessed by scintillation counting of sonicated samples obtained after perfusion of the vasculature with saline to remove blood. Moreover, we show that cell labeling with [3H]glycerol provides improved sensitivity in assessing the accumulation of small numbers of labeled cells in non-lymphoid organs, and permits identification of homed leukocytes in histologic sections.
Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein)-linked receptors of the chemoattractant subfamily can trigger adhesion through leukocyte integrins, and in this role they are thought to regulate immune cell-cell interactions and trafficking. In lymphoid cells transfected with formyl peptide or interleukin-8 receptors, agonist stimulation activated nucleotide exchange on the small guanosine triphosphate-binding protein RhoA in seconds. Inactivation of Rho by C3 transferase exoenzyme blocked agonist-induced lymphocyte alpha4beta1 adhesion to vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and neutrophil beta2 integrin adhesion to fibrinogen. These findings suggest that Rho participates in signaling from chemoattractant receptors to trigger rapid adhesion in leukocytes.
We investigated whether sulfatides are able to trigger transmembrane signals and activation of selective cell functions in human monocytes. Sulfatides stimulated an increase in cytosolic free-calcium in monocytes, and this depended on the release of calcium from intracellular stores. Non-sulfated galactocerebrosides had no effect on monocyte cytosolic free calcium. Sulfatides enhanced expression of tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-8, and interleukin-1 beta, but not interleukin-12/natural killer cell stimulating factor mRNAs. Sulfatides also triggered secretion of cytokines into the extracellular medium, although they were much less effective than lipopolysaccharide. Both enhanced expression of cytokine mRNAs and secretion by sulfatides required sulfation of the galactose ring of the glycolipid as non-sulfated galactocerebrosides had no effect. These findings suggest that sulfatides that are released at sites of inflammation can amplify the inflammatory reaction triggering cytokine expression in, and release by, monocytes.
Sulfatides have been established recently as ligands for L-selectin, and we investigated whether they trigger transmembrane signals through ligation of L-selectin. We found that sulfatides trigger the increase of cytosolic free calcium in neutrophils and that this effect was strictly dependent on sulfation of the galactose ring, as non-sulfated galactocerebrosides were not stimulatory. Chymotrypsin and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate treatment of neutrophils caused shedding of L-selectin, but not of class I major histocompatibility complex antigens or beta 2 integrins, and blunted the capability of neutrophils to respond to sulfatides with an increase of cytosolic free calcium. Four different anti-L-selectin antibodies (DREG-200, LAM1/3, LAM1/6, and LAM1/10), but not four control antibodies directed against different surface molecules of neutrophils, also triggered an increase of cytosolic free calcium. The anti-L-selectin antibodies were stimulatory both if used in a soluble form, after cross-linking with anti-mouse F(ab')2 fragments, and immobilized to protein A of Staphylococcus aureus through the Fc fragment. With immobilized antibodies, an increase of cytosolic free calcium was found also by plating neutrophils on antibodies bound to protein A-coated coverslips and monitoring the increase of cytosolic free calcium by fluorescence microscopy. Both sulfatides and anti-L-selectin antibody effects were not inhibited by pertussis toxin, thus indicating that a pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP-binding protein was not involved in signal transduction. Sulfatides also triggered an increase of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-8 mRNAs in neutrophils. Also to act as stimuli of cytokine mRNA expression, sulfatides required sulfation of the galactose ring, as non-sulfated galactocerebrosides were not stimulatory, and depended on expression of L-selectin, as shedding of this molecules induced by chymotrypsin blunted their effects. These findings suggest that L-selectin can transduce signals activating selective cell function.
Stimulation of adherent human neutrophils (PMN) with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) triggers protein tyrosine phosphorylation (Fuortes, M., W. W. Jin, and C. Nathan. 1993. J. Cell Biol. 120:777-784). We investigated the dependence of this response on beta 2 integrins by using PMN isolated from a leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) patient, which do not express beta 2 integrins, and by plating PMN on surface bound anti-beta 2 (CD18) antibodies. Protein tyrosine phosphorylation increased in PMN plated on fibrinogen and this phosphorylation was enhanced by TNF. Triggering of protein tyrosine phosphorylation did not occur in LAD PMN plated on fibrinogen either in the absence or the presence of TNF. Surface bound anti-CD18, but not isotype-matched anti-Class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens, antibodies triggered tyrosine phosphorylation in normal, but not in LAD PMN. As the major tyrosine phosphorylated proteins we found in our assay conditions migrated with an apparent molecular mass of 56-60 kD, we investigated whether beta 2 integrins are implicated in activation of members of the src family of intracellular protein-tyrosine kinases. We found that the fgr protein-tyrosine kinase (p58fgr) activity, and its extent of phosphorylation in tyrosine, in PMN adherent to fibrinogen, was enhanced by TNF. Activation of p58fgr in response to TNF was evident within 10 min of treatment and increased with times up to 30 min. Also other activators of beta 2 integrins such as phorbol-12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), and formyl methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP), induced activation of p58fgr kinase activity. Activation of p58fgr kinase activity, and phosphorylation in tyrosine, did not occur in PMN of a LAD patient in response to TNF. Soluble anti-CD18, but not anti-Class I MHC antigens, antibodies inhibited activation of p58fgr kinase activity in PMN adherent to fibrinogen in response to TNF, PMA, and FMLP. These findings demonstrate that, in PMN, beta 2 integrins are implicated in triggering of protein tyrosine phosphorylation, and establish a link between beta 2 integrin-dependent adhesion and the protein tyrosine kinase fgr in cell signaling.
In these studies we show that stimulation of O2- generation by Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), or antibodies against the common beta 2 chain of leukocyte integrins (CD18), or LFA-1 (CD11a) displays a common and unique pattern of sensitivity or insensitivity to inhibitors of different signalling pathways. Both ways of stimulating neutrophil O2- generation were blocked by wortmannin, an inhibitor of myosin light chain kinase (Nakanishi, S., et al., 1992., J. Biol. Chem. 267, 2157-2163), and three different inhibitors of protein tyrosine kinases. Neither staurosporine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, nor Pertussis toxin, at concentrations which inhibited O2- generation in response to PMA, and FMLP, respectively, had any effect.
Eosinophils interact with extracellular matrix proteins and endothelial cells through adhesion proteins belonging to the beta 1 and beta 2 subfamilies of integrins. Extending previous observations, we found that tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor stimulated generation of superoxide anion by eosinophils plated on fibronectin-coated surfaces. As studies with adherent neutrophils indicated that TNF might act as activating leucocyte integrins to deliver signals involved in activation of cell functions, we investigated the effects of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) directed against VLA-4 (CD49d/CD29), LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18), CR3 (CD11b/CD18) or the common beta 2 subunit (CD18) on generation of eosinophil toxic oxygen molecules and spreading. We show that cross-linking of members of both the beta 1 and the beta 2 integrin subfamilies triggers eosinophil respiratory burst and spreading. Evidence for the selectivity of anti-integrin mAb effects is derived from the findings that isotype-matched mAb of other specificities (anti-class I MHC Ag, anti-beta 2-microglobulin, anti-CD4) did not trigger eosinophil functions. The findings presented in this paper suggest that integrin-dependent, eosinophil adhesion in sites of allergic reaction may be accompanied by release of toxic oxygen molecules involved in tissue damage.