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Biomedical subjects

D Fradelizi

Publications and source records attributed to D Fradelizi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Peripheral macrophage abnormalities in mutant mice with spinocerebellar degeneration.

We recently reported hyperproduction of interleukin-1 (IL1) and hyperexpression of IL1 beta mRNA, after in vitro activation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in peripheral macrophages of several neurological mutant mice, i.e. staggerer, lurcher, pcd and reeler, that exhibit patterns of neuronal degeneration in the cerebellum; in the present study, we investigated the expression of several cytokine mRNA in peripheral macrophages of other mutants with neuronal degeneration in the cerebellum or in the spinal cord to determine whether this genetic dysregulation is specific for IL1 beta or whether it reflects a generalized hyperexcitability of these macrophages. Hyperexpression of IL1 beta mRNA was present in the cerebellar mutants nodding and nervous, but not in weaver. A similar phenomenon was found, but to a lesser extent, in the spinal mutants dystonia musculorum, wobbler and motor neuron degeneration. On the contrary, no hyperexpression of IL1 beta mRNA was found in non-genetic models of neuronal degeneration (Wistar rats treated with X irradiation or with 3-acetyl-pyridine). In the heterozygote staggerer +/sg, which exhibits a late onset of cerebellar neuronal loss, hyperexpression was found not only in 12-month old animals but also in 2-month old ones, i.e. when the number of cerebellar neurons is still normal. Synthetic molecules (muramyl dipeptides) like MDP or murabutide (Mu), known as macrophage activators, were also efficient in inducing IL1 hyperexpression in sg/sg macrophages. Hyperexpression of two other cytokine mRNA, i.e. IL1 alpha and tumour necrosis factor alpha mRNA, was also detected in LPS-stimulated macrophages of staggerer and lurcher mutant mice. These data led us to conclude that the macrophages of spinal and cerebellar mutants are in a state of general hyperexcitability. Work is in progress to establish whether the cytokine abnormalities result from a defect intrinsic to the macrophages of the mutant mice or are secondary to the degenerative process ultimately leading to neuronal loss.

Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine

Inhibition of tumor growth by histoincompatible cells expressing interleukin-2.

Murine tumor cells engineered to express IL-2 have been shown to be rejected by the syngeneic host, which is then protected against a subsequent tumorigenic challenge. To assess whether IL-2 has to be produced by the tumor cells themselves, or whether its local delivery would be sufficient to promote such beneficial effects, the syngeneic tumor cells were co-inoculated with allogeneic or xenogeneic cells secreting IL-2, selected after gene transfection. In several murine systems, it was observed that this is an efficient approach for controlling the growth of the syngeneic tumor. However, animals which rejected the tumor were not protected against a subsequent challenge. Several lines of evidence indicate that NK cells play a major role in tumor rejection induced by the IL-2 expressing histoincompatible vector cells. Thus, while local delivery of IL-2 in the vicinity of a tumor might not be sufficient to promote a systemic long-term specific antitumor immune response, it can control the growth of the primary syngeneic tumor. These experiments demonstrate the feasibility of using genetically engineered histoincompatible cells (which are rejected by the host's immune system) as a transient delivery system in vivo.

Animals

Evidence for a hyperexcitability state of staggerer mutant mice macrophages.

We recently reported an abnormal production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in peripheral macrophages of several neurological mutant mice that exhibit patterns of neuronal degeneration, especially in the cerebellum. After in vitro activation by lipopolysaccharide acid (LPS), these macrophages hyperexpress IL-1 beta mRNA and hyperproduce IL-1 protein in comparison with +/+ controls. In the present study, focused on the staggerer mutant mice, we investigate if this genetic dysregulation is specific for IL-1 beta or if it reflects a generalized hyperexcitability of these macrophages. The hyperexpression of IL-1 beta mRNA in sg/sg macrophages is present whatever the duration of LPS stimulation, even for periods as short as 15 min, although it reaches a maximum after 4 h of stimulation. The hyperinducibility of sg/sg macrophages is observed even when very low doses of LPS are used (0.01 microgram/ml) and reaches its maximum for 5 micrograms/ml LPS. Synthetic molecules (muramyl dipeptides), such as N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine or murabutide, known as macrophage activators, are also efficient in revealing the cytokine hyperexpression in sg/sg macrophages. In addition, hyperexpression of two other cytokines, i.e., tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IL-1 alpha mRNAs, is also detected in LPS-stimulated macrophages of mutant mice. Finally, the effect of an inhibitor of protein synthesis, cycloheximide, is similar in +/+ and sg/sg macrophages. As a whole, these data lead us to conclude that the sg/sg macrophages are in a state of general hyperexcitability when compared with +/+ ones.

Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine

[Potentiation of the antitumoral effect of electrochemotherapy by immunotherapy with allogeneic cells producing interleukin 2].

Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a new antitumour treatment which consists of delivering electric pulses to the tumour a few minutes after an intravenous injection of bleomycin. The antitumour efficacy of ECT is increased by local injections of interleukin 2 (IL2) in the oedema which appears at the site of the treated tumours. We have shown that tumour cells inoculated in syngeneic mice are rejected if IL2 secreting allo- or xenogeneic cells are co-injected with tumour cells. We report here the large increase of ECT therapeutical efficacy when allogeneic cells secreting IL2 are injected into the peri-tumoural oedema.

Animals

Target lysis by human LAK cells is critically dependent upon target binding properties, but LFA-1, LFA-3 and ICAM-1 are not the major adhesion ligands on targets.

The cytotoxicity mediated by the CD2+ CD3- lymphocyte subset, either NK or LAK, is puzzling since no specific antigen recognition structures, equivalent to the CD3-associated heterodimer T-cell receptor, have been recognized on these cells so far. The possibility exists that the CD3- cytotoxic effectors recognize their targets through non-specific adhesion mechanisms. The goal of this study was: (a) to examine the correlation between binding properties and susceptibility to lysis of 6 informative target cell lines; (b) to evaluate the role, as ligands on these targets, of adhesion molecules such as LFA-1, LFA-3 and ICAM-1. The effectors used in this study were IL-2-activated LGL, predominantly CD3-, or highly purified CD3- lymphocytes from normal human donors. The 6 target lines studied included 2 pairs of EBV-transformed B-cell lines (721 LCL vs. 721.134, and MM vs. MM-10F2) in which the parental lines were resistant to lysis while HLA variants were susceptible. A third pair was the Daudi Burkitt cell line, susceptible to LAK lysis, and an HLA-positive transfected Daudi line which was more resistant to lysis. The binding properties of these targets to LAK effectors (conjugate formation) were evaluated using a sensitive double fluorescence flow cytometry method. In each pair examined, the susceptible targets formed more conjugates and were surrounded by more cytotoxic LAK effectors than their resistant counterparts, indicating that the conjugation properties of targets are closely correlated with their susceptibility to LAK lysis. The expression of adhesion molecules on the informative targets was examined by indirect immunofluorescence and their role was evaluated by inhibition of lysis after pre-coating the targets with the relevant antibodies. The differences in the expression of the classical cell-cell adhesion molecules LFA-1, LFA-3 and ICAM-1 on the target surfaces were only marginal, insufficient to explain the striking differences in susceptibility to lysis and in binding properties. Coating the target cells with antibodies directed against these adhesion determinants had no effects on the lysis of susceptible target cells. The same antibodies reacting with the LAK effectors did inhibit lysis. Taken together, these results suggest that, on the targets, presently undefined membrane adhesion structures may have a major role in conjugate formation between target and CD3- effectors and determine the susceptibility of the targets to lysis.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

An improved double fluorescence flow cytometry method for the quantification of killer cell/target cell conjugate formation.

We have developed an improved method to analyse stable associations (conjugate formation) between effector and target cells. Hydroethidine (red) stained lymphoblastoid target cells were cocentrifuged with carboxyfluorescein diacetate acetoxymethylester (green) stained human IL-2 activated cytotoxic cells (LAK). In the present studies either enriched or purified CD3 negative large granular lymphocytes (LGL) were used as cytotoxic cells. These fluorescent vital dyes localize intracellularly and therefore do not modify the cell to cell contact which eventually leads to the lytic events. Both dyes can be excited at a common wavelength (488 nm) using a single argon laser. Effectors firmly bound to target(s) (stable conjugates) were detected as two color fluorescent events (red and green). This method has several features: (a) the number of conjugates is recorded with reference to a fixed number of target cells; (b) the composition of conjugates (number of effectors or targets per conjugate) can be studied by analysis of the fluorescence intensities (red or green); (c) conjugate formation can be studied at E:T ratios comparable to those used in the classical 51Cr release cytotoxic assay; (d) it gives reproducible results and permits the study of very weak differences in binding properties. This method was used to study conjugate formation between human IL-2-activated cytotoxic cells (or purified CD3 negative LGL) and various lymphoblastoid target cells. We were able to demonstrate that cell lines susceptible to lysis formed more conjugates and were surrounded by more LAK effectors than their resistant counterparts and that no conjugate contained more than one target.

Cell Adhesion

Recombinant gamma interferon provokes resistance of human breast cancer cells to spontaneous and IL-2 activated non-MHC restricted cytotoxicity.

Natural and lymphokine activated killer cells (NK and LAK) are believed to play an important role in the control of tumour progression and metastasis. Their specific receptors on tumours cells are still unknown. Several studies suggest that these cells recognise and eliminate abnormal cells with deleted or reduced expression of MHC class I molecules. Previous reports suggest that interferons (IFN), by increasing MHC class I expression on target cells, induce resistance to killing by NK cells. We investigated the role of MHC molecule expression by two human breast cancer cell lines T47D and ZR75-1 in their susceptibility to NK and LAK cells. These two cell lines spontaneously express low levels of HLA class I antigens but no HLA class II molecules. After IFN-gamma treatment they both overexpressed MHC class I and de novo expressed class II molecules as detected by flow cytometry, quantified by a radioimmunoassay and analysed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Opposed to untreated cells these IFN-gamma treated cells were resistant to NK and LAK lysis. Furthermore, preincubation of IFN-gamma treated breast cancer cells with F(ab')2 fragments of monoclonal antibodies to HLA class I and HLA class II molecules was unable to restore lysis. In contrast, several complete monoclonal antibodies including anti-HLA class I and HLA class II induced the lysis of target cells whether or not they had been treated by IFN-gamma. The therapeutic use of monoclonal antibodies directed against antigens expressed on tumour cells (ADCC) in conjunction with interferon therapy should be discussed in lymphokine-based strategies for treatment of cancer patients.

Adenocarcinoma

Interleukin-1 hyperproduction by in vitro activated peripheral macrophages from cerebellar mutant mice.

Several mutations in mice produce complex patterns of neuronal degeneration of the cerebellum and of its afferent pathways. In the staggerer (sg/sg) mutant, atrophy of the lymphoid organs and immunological abnormalities have been described. To search for a possible link between the neurological and the immune disorders in this mutant, we studied the production by its peripheral macrophages of interleukin-1 (IL-1), which roles in both immune and nervous systems are well established. Suspensions of peritoneal and/or spleen macrophages from mutants and their appropriate controls were stimulated in vitro by lipopolysaccharide. Northern and dot blots, performed with murine IL-1 cDNA probes, revealed a clear-cut hyperexpression of IL-1 mRNA in staggerer macrophages. An IL-1 bioassay using the IL-1-responsive D10.G4 cell line also revealed a sixfold increase of IL-1 activity in the macrophage supernatants of staggerer mutant mice. The hyperproduction was found in 3-week to 1-year-old staggerer and also in heterozygous (+/sg) mice. A similar phenomenon existed in cerebellar mutants lurcher, Purkinje cell degeneration (pcd), and to a lesser extent reeler and wobbler, but was absent in the neurological mutants weaver, jimpy, and motor end plate disease (medH). These observations establish that in several point mutations in mice, central nervous degeneration is associated with dysregulation of IL-1 production by peripheral macrophages.

Animals

Interleukin 2 stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation in T cell membrane fractions.

Interleukin 2 is a growth factor secreted by T lymphocytes upon antigenic stimulation and inducing the proliferation of T cells bearing at their surface the heterodimeric high-affinity form of its receptor. No enzymatic function has so far been demonstrated in the receptor subunits. In an attempt to elucidate the biochemical pathway of signal transduction, we investigated the capacity of interleukin 2 to modulate tyrosine phosphorylation in T cell membranes. Membrane-rich fractions from T cells were tested for their ability to phosphorylate tyrosine in the presence or absence of added recombinant interleukin 2. Using as substrate a synthetic polymer of glutamic acid and tyrosine, we demonstrated a 3-4-fold stimulation of tyrosine phosphorylation in the presence of interleukin 2; this stimulating effect appeared to be well correlated with interleukin 2 function since (a) it was not observed in insensitive cells, (b) it required the presence of the high-affinity form of the receptor and (c) it was dose-dependent. Confirmatory results were obtained by phosphorylating membrane-rich fractions with [gamma-32P]ATP and by analysing the resulting phosphoproteins: only in fractions from cells with the high-affinity form of the receptor were several membrane proteins specifically phosphorylated on tyrosine residues in response to interleukin 2. At least two proteins of 115 and 58 kDa were consistently hyperphosphorylated on tyrosine in an interleukin-2-dependent manner. This stimulation was strongly dependent on the presence of the protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, sodium orthovanadate. Thus, we propose that interleukin 2 enhances tyrosine phosphorylation by stimulating a tyrosine kinase activity. The nature of the enzyme involved remains to be determined.

Cell Fractionation

Functional interactions of IL2 and TNF in the differentiation of LGL into LAK effectors.

We have previously reported on the synergistic effect of IL2 and TNF on the differentiation of LGL into LAK effectors. In the present study, we have further investigated the molecular basis of this synergistic mechanism and examined the role of TNF in the induction of LAK activity. We show that the generation of optimal LAK activity by low doses of IL-2 in the presence of TNF involves the induction of high-affinity IL2 receptors on LGL and occurs without promoting significant proliferation, suggesting a functional activation rather than a proliferative expansion of LAK precursors. Using blocking studies with anti-Tac and with an anti-IL2 (IHII), which specifically inhibits the binding of IL2 to the p75 IL2 receptor component, we also show that both the p55 and the p75 are involved in the increase in TNF binding sites on LGL and the subsequent acquisition of LAK activity. We also demonstrate that the failure of low doses of IL2 to induce LAK activity is related to their incapacity to induce TNF production. Moreover, when specific antibodies against TNF were added to the culture, the differentiation of LGL into LAK effectors by optimal concentrations of IL2 in our system (2.5-5.0 ng/ml) was partially inhibited. This suggests that TNF may be a physiologic mediator in the sequential activation stages of LGL into LAK effectors.

Cell Differentiation

Expression and regulation of interleukin-1 mRNA and interleukin-1 receptors in human B-cell lines.

Long-term human lymphoid B-cell lines have been described to produce a number of growth factors, including interleukin-1 (IL-1) which may be of importance in the autocrine growth regulation of these cells and may participate in their antigen presenting function. In this report, we have analyzed the production of IL-1 by 12 established B-cell lines at the level of mRNA expression. Among the 5 cell lines containing an IL-1 message, three expressed exclusively IL-1 alpha, one contained traces of IL-1 beta, and only one line contained both. The steady-state level of IL-1 alpha mRNA in these cells could be drastically increased by a short culture of the cells with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide or with PMA. PMA, however, induced a transient increase in mRNA which could be stabilized by Ca2+ ionophore. Furthermore, only constitutively produced IL-1 mRNA are increased by these compounds which do not induce de novo transcription of silent IL-1 genes in these lines. These data provide the basis for further investigations on the regulation of IL-1 mRNA expression in human B cells. In addition, we studied expression of IL-1 receptors in these lines and observed that only cells which produce IL-1, displayed IL-1 receptors at their surface, as detected by radiolabeled IL-1 binding experiments. These data strongly suggest an autocrine role for IL-1 in these lines. IL-1 mRNA and IL-1 receptors were reciprocally regulated by PMA, which increased IL-1 mRNA and lowered the number of receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

B-Lymphocytes

Identification of interleukin 1 alpha produced by the 3B6 human EBV-B cell line.

We have previously described a novel protein, derived from the 3B6 EBV B-cell line which apparently displayed IL-1 bioactivity. We report here that the protein previously characterized is not a new species of IL-1. Indeed, we have now been able to clone and express a cDNA which identifies this protein as human thioredoxin, an intracellular dithiol oxydo-reductase enzyme. Thioredoxin however, is not a lymphokine and in particular does not possess IL-1 activity. Our earlier data can be explained in the light of recent findings, reported herein, indicating that IL-1 alpha is produced by the 3B6 line as assessed by antibody inhibition studies and IL-1 alpha mRNA expression. Thus our original protein preparation actually contained traces of IL-1 alpha, which was responsible for the biologic activities and thioredoxin.

Amino Acid Sequence

Allogeneic T cell activation triggering by MHC class I antigens.

The role of MHC-encoded class I molecules in allogeneic activation and proliferation of human T lymphocytes was investigated. The study was performed by using primary mixed culture of lymphocytes from MHC recombinant siblings identical for MHC class II Ag (DR, DP, DQ) and displaying MHC class I disparity. The results indicate that such allogeneic combination is sufficient to trigger early activation steps within responder T cells without promoting a significant proliferation. After MHC class I allosensitization, a significant proportion of cells entered the cell cycle (G0----G1). The stimulatory potential of MHC class I Ag was further stressed by the specific induction on responder cells of IL-2R (22% T cell activation Ag positive). Under the same experimental conditions, transferrin receptor expression and IL-2 activity were not detectable. This is consistent with the low T cell proliferation. Exogenous rIL-1 did not improve IL-2 production and the subsequent T cell proliferation indicating that these two events were not associated with a defective accessory cell function involving IL-1 release. MHC class I disparity can also prime precursor CTL to differentiate into IL-2-dependent functional MHC restricted cytotoxic T cells. Conversely IFN-gamma had no effect. Addition to the culture of W6/32, a mAb specifically directed against a monomorphic determinant on human class I HLA-A, -B, and -C Ag was able to block all these activation events. These data clearly indicate a role of HLA class I Ag involvement in the early events triggering allogeneic T cell activation.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Increased resistance to non-MHC-restricted cytotoxicity related to HLA A, B expression. Direct demonstration using beta 2-microglobulin-transfected Daudi cells.

Experiments in several laboratories have shown that target susceptibility to NK and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cytotoxicity is inversely correlated with the target expression of HLA Class I molecules. We present the first direct evidence, obtained by gene transfection, that target cell HLA, A, B expression increases the resistance to the "so-called" non-MHC-restricted cytotoxicity. We have co-transfected, by electroporation, the human beta 2-microglobulin gene and the gene carrying the resistance to geneticin into Daudi cell line. Geneticin selection in culture followed by FACS sorting on the basis of strong positivity with the mAb W6/32 (which is specific for the HLA class I H chain associated to beta 2-microglobulin) have led to the establishment of a HLA+ Daudi cell line permanently expressing HLA A10, A11, and B17 molecules. Studies were performed in vitro to evaluate the susceptibility of these cells to either NK and LAK cytotoxicity. The HLA class I+ Daudi cells exhibit an increased resistance to killing by non-MHC-restricted killer cells (both NK and LAK) as compared with their HLA-Daudi counterpart.

Cytotoxicity, Immunologic