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G Senaldi

Publications and source records attributed to G Senaldi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Osteoprotegerin ligand is a cytokine that regulates osteoclast differentiation and activation.

The ligand for osteoprotegerin has been identified, and it is a TNF-related cytokine that replaces the requirement for stromal cells, vitamin D3, and glucocorticoids in the coculture model of in vitro osteoclastogenesis. OPG ligand (OPGL) binds to a unique hematopoeitic progenitor cell that is committed to the osteoclast lineage and stimulates the rapid induction of genes that typify osteoclast development. OPGL directly activates isolated mature osteoclasts in vitro, and short-term administration into normal adult mice results in osteoclast activation associated with systemic hypercalcemia. These data suggest that OPGL is an osteoclast differentiation and activation factor. The effects of OPGL are blocked in vitro and in vivo by OPG, suggesting that OPGL and OPG are key extracellular regulators of osteoclast development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Essential contribution of caspase 3/CPP32 to apoptosis and its associated nuclear changes.

Caspases are fundamental components of the mammalian apoptotic machinery, but the precise contribution of individual caspases is controversial. CPP32 (caspase 3) is a prototypical caspase that becomes activated during apoptosis. In this study, we took a comprehensive approach to examining the role of CPP32 in apoptosis using mice, embryonic stem (ES) cells, and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) deficient for CPP32. CPP32(ex3-/-) mice have reduced viability and, consistent with an earlier report, display defective neuronal apoptosis and neurological defects. Inactivation of CPP32 dramatically reduces apoptosis in diverse settings, including activation-induced cell death (AICD) of peripheral T cells, as well as chemotherapy-induced apoptosis of oncogenically transformed CPP32(-/-) MEFs. As well, the requirement for CPP32 can be remarkably stimulus-dependent: In ES cells, CPP32 is necessary for efficient apoptosis following UV- but not gamma-irradiation. Conversely, the same stimulus can show a tissue-specific dependence on CPP32: Hence, TNFalpha treatment induces normal levels of apoptosis in CPP32 deficient thymocytes, but defective apoptosis in oncogenically transformed MEFs. Finally, in some settings, CPP32 is required for certain apoptotic events but not others: Select CPP32(ex3-/-) cell types undergoing cell death are incapable of chromatin condensation and DNA degradation, but display other hallmarks of apoptosis. Together, these results indicate that CPP32 is an essential component in apoptotic events that is remarkably system- and stimulus-dependent. Consequently, drugs that inhibit CPP32 may preferentially disrupt specific forms of cell death.

Animals↗

Keratinocyte growth factor protects murine hepatocytes from tumor necrosis factor-induced apoptosis in vivo and in vitro.

Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) promotes epithelial growth and differentiation and has potent effects on the liver. The coinjection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and D-galactosamine (GalN) results in hepatic failure in mice. Mechanistically, LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) triggers hepatocyte apoptosis, which is enhanced by GalN-arrested transcription. Similarly, the combination of TNF and actinomycin D (ActD) causes hepatocyte apoptosis in vitro. We studied the effect of KGF on LPS and GalN-induced hepatic failure in vivo and on TNF- and ActD-induced hepatocyte apoptosis in vitro, where it was compared with those of hepatic growth factor (HGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF). Mice treated with human recombinant KGF (1 mg/kg subcutaneously) 24 hours before intraperitoneal coinjection of LPS and GalN sustained prolonged survival compared with control mice, although overall mortality was not changed. The counts of apoptotic hepatocytes, serum alanine and aspartate transaminases, and DNA fragments in the cytosolic fraction of liver homogenates were higher in control mice than in treated mice 6 hours after LPS and GalN coinjection, before any mortality occurred. In vitro, hepatocytes pretreated with KGF exhibited reduced TNF- and ActD-induced cell damage and DNA fragmentation, similar to hepatocytes pretreated with HGF and EGF. In conclusion, KGF prolongs survival during LPS- and GalN-induced hepatic failure by temporarily protecting hepatocytes against apoptosis. It also protects hepatocytes in vitro against TNF- and ActD-induced apoptosis.

Animals↗

Mortality and platelet depletion occur independently of fibrinogen consumption in murine models of tumour necrosis factor-mediated systemic inflammatory responses.

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is known to have procoagulant activity, and platelet depletion is a feature of TNF-mediated systemic inflammatory responses. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of fibrinogen consumption in the development of TNF-mediated systemic inflammatory responses and in the associated depletion of platelets. Three murine models of TNF-mediated systemic inflammatory responses were examined: the systemic toxicity reactions (STR) induced by TNF or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and severe malaria (SM), a prominently neurological complication of Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection in susceptible mice. There was an acceleration in the consumption of fibrinogen during TNF-STR but not during LPS-STR or SM. However, a concomitant reduction in platelet count was found in all conditions. Mice preliminarily depleted in fibrinogen by treatment with ancrod, an enzyme that specifically degrades fibrinogen, showed no protection against mortality during TNF- or LPS-STR or SM, although they were protected against tissue damage during a modification of the classical local Shwartzman reaction. During TNF- and LPS-STR platelets were even lower in ancrod-treated than control mice and during SM they were not significantly different. This study shows that fibrinogen consumption, although accelerated by the direct injection of TNF, is not necessary for the development of TNF-mediated systemic inflammatory responses in mice, at variance with local pathology, and does not contribute to the associated depletion of platelets.

Ancrod↗

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and antibiotics in the prophylaxis of a murine model of polymicrobial peritonitis and sepsis.

Infections that occur after intraabdominal surgery still cause considerable morbidity and mortality despite the administration of prophylactic antibiotics. Increasing the number of neutrophils may also be a prophylactic approach, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been found to be beneficial in different animal models of peritonitis and sepsis. It is the combination of G-CSF and antibiotics, however, that is clinically relevant. Treatment of mice with G-CSF that was started before cecal ligation and puncture and continued afterward with antibiotics improved survival, decreased splenic bacterial colony-forming units and serum tumor necrosis factor, and increased serum interleukin-10, compared with treatment with antibiotics alone or with saline. Compared with saline, antibiotics alone increased tumor necrosis factor and did not affect interleukin-10. Thus, G-CSF confers onto antibiotics beneficial antiinfectious and antiinflammatory properties. A prophylactic regimen combining G-CSF and antibiotics may help prevent severe infectious complications following intraabdominal surgery.

Animals↗

Leptin causes body weight loss in the absence of in vivo activities typical of cytokines of the IL-6 family.

To investigate if leptin shares in vivo activities with interleukin (IL)-6 family cytokines, it was tested in normal mice for the ability, after a single injection, to induce the acute-phase protein serum amyloid A, to potentiate the induction by IL-1 of serum corticosterone and IL-6, and to inhibit the induction by lipopolysaccharide of serum tumor necrosis factor and, after seven daily injections, to cause body weight loss and to change peripheral blood cell counts. At a 0.5 mg/kg dose, leptin caused body weight loss but did not show any of the other activities above. At a dose of 5 mg/kg, which also caused body weight loss, leptin potentiated the induction by IL-1 of serum corticosterone and IL-6 but did not show any other activity. In addition to causing body weight loss, leptin shows only some of the in vivo activities typical of IL-6 family cytokines and only if used at a dose that exceeds the one sufficient to affect body weight. In vivo, leptin seems to chiefly control body weight and not inflammatory or hematopoietic processes.

Animals↗

CD44 regulates hematopoietic progenitor distribution, granuloma formation, and tumorigenicity.

CD44 is expressed in various isoforms on numerous cell types and tissues during embryogenesis and in the mature organism. CD44 may also be involved in tumor growth. To study the multiple roles of CD44, we abolished expression of all known isoforms of CD44 in mice by targeting exons encoding the invariant N-terminus region of the molecule. Surprisingly, mice were born in Mendelian ratio without any obvious developmental or neurological deficits. Hematological impairment was evidenced by altered tissue distribution of myeloid progenitors with increased levels of colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) in bone marrow and reduced numbers of CFU-GM in spleen. Fetal liver colony-forming unit-spleen and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor mobilization assays, together with reduced CFU-GM in peripheral blood, suggested that progenitor egress from bone marrow was defective. In what was either a compensatory response to CD44 deficiency or an immunoregulatory defect, mice also developed exaggerated granuloma responses to Cryotosporidium parvum infection. Finally, tumor studies showed that SV40-transformed CD44-deficient fibroblasts were highly tumorigenic in nude mice, whereas reintroduction of CD44s expression into these fibroblasts resulted in a dramatic inhibition of tumor growth.

Alternative Splicing↗

Carbohydrate moiety of Plasmodium falciparum glycoproteins: the nature of the carbohydrate-peptide linkage in the MSP-2 glycoprotein.

Metabolic labelling of Plasmodium falciparum parasites with [3H]GlcN, [3H]Man, [3H]Gal and [3H]ethanolamine, and subsequent purification by SDS-PAGE of the labelled material provided effective labelling of the MSP-1, 195 kDa, and MSP-2, 42-53 kDa, glycoproteins. Reductive beta-elimination of the MSP-2 released from the gel consisted of glycopeptides containing labelled sugars. Processing of the eliminated components and identification of the sugar residues demonstrated the presence of N-acetylglucosaminitol and N-acetylgalactosaminitol amongst other labelled sugars. Reductive beta-elimination with sodium hydroxide-sodium borotritide-borohydride showed the presence of glucosaminitol and alanine in the hydrolysis products. The MSP-2 was retained on solid phase wheat-germ agglutinin and was released from the lectin by treatment with GlcNAc. Upon treatment with O-glycanase the MSP-2 glycoprotein released labelled amino sugar, and derived oligosaccharides on treatment with exoglycosidases released labelled components corresponding to the metabolically incorporated sugars. Labelled Gal was incorporated into the MSP-2 glycoprotein using [3H]UDP-Gal and galactosyltransferase. The galactosylated glycoprotein released labelled Gal upon treatment with beta-galactosidase. The results of the present study suggest that the carbohydrate chains of the MSP-2 glycoprotein are attached to the protein backbone via GlcNAc- and GalNAc-serine/threonine in O-glycosyl linkage and the glycoprotein has terminal GlcNAc and Gal residues. The carbohydrate moieties of MSP-2, glycoprotein consist mainly of short chains linked to the protein core.

Animals↗

Platelets play a role in the pathogenesis of the irritant reaction in mice.

The irritant reaction is a model of local inflammation that results from the epicutaneous application of a small molecule with irritating properties such as trinitrochlorobenzene (TNCB). The irritant reaction is mediated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and is characterized by skin edema and neutrophil (PMN) infiltration. The aim of this study was to explore the role of platelets in the pathogenesis of the irritant reaction. Mice depleted of platelets by an anti-platelet antibody showed a decrease in edema upon the application of a low dose of TNCB--chosen for causing an irritant reaction that is not complicated by intravascular fibrin deposition and hemorrhage--but no significant change in PMN infiltration. There was platelet trapping in TNCB-treated ears that was maximum between 2 and 6 h after TNCB application. Platelets lined the venular endothelium, which was intact in the absence of hemorrhage, and were not accompanied by fibrin. Mice treated with anti-TNF, anti-CD11a, anti-CD18, or anti-CD54 antibodies showed a decrease in platelet trapping, edema, and PMN infiltration. Platelets contribute to the pathogenesis of the irritant reaction and are necessary for edema to develop but not for PMN infiltration. The role of platelets implicates their early localization in the dermal venules, which depends, at least in part, on TNF and on the adhesion molecules involved in the interaction between CD11a/CD18 and CD54.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

Corynebacterium parvum- and Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin-induced granuloma formation is inhibited in TNF receptor I (TNF-RI) knockout mice and by treatment with soluble TNF-RI.

The aim of this study was to examine the role of TNF receptor I (TNF-RI) in the pathogenesis of heat-killed Corynebacterium parvum- and live bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)-induced granulomas. Granuloma formation was analyzed in TNF-RI knockout mice and after treatment with soluble TNF-RI (sTNF-RI). TNF-RI knockout mice injected with C. parvum or BCG developed fewer and smaller granulomas than wild-type control mice. Mice treated with sTNF-RI from days 7 to 13 after injection of C. parvum or BCG developed fewer and smaller granulomas than saline-treated control mice. Established granulomas regressed in rats treated with sTNF-RI from days 10 to 13 after injection of C. parvum. In conclusion, TNF signaling via TNF-RI contributes to the pathogenesis of C. parvum- and BCG-induced granulomas. sTNF-RI inhibits the development of granulomas and can cause the regression of established granulomas.

Animals↗

Systemic hematologic effects of PEG-rHuMGDF-induced megakaryocyte hyperplasia in mice.

PEG-rHuMGDF injected daily in normal mice causes a rapid dose-dependent increase in megakaryocytes and platelets. At the same time that platelet numbers are increased, the mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) can be either decreased, normal, or increased depending on the dose and time after administration. Thus, PEG-rHuMGDF at a low dose causes decreases in MPV and PDW, MGDF at an intermediate dose causes an initial increase followed by a decrease in MPV and PDW, and PEG-rHuMGDF at higher doses causes an increase in MPV and PDW followed by a gradual normalization of these platelet indices. In addition to the expected thrombocytosis after 7 to 10 days of daily injection of high doses of PEG-rHuMGDF, a transient decrease in peripheral red blood cell numbers and hemoglobin is noted accompanied in the bone marrow by megakaryocytic hyperplasia, myeloid hyperplasia, erythroid and lymphoid hypoplasia, and deposition of a fine network of reticulin fibers. Splenomegaly, an increase in splenic megakaryocytes, and extramedullary hematopoiesis accompany the hematologic changes in the peripheral blood and marrow to complete a spectrum of pathologic features similar to those reported in patients with myelofibrosis and megakaryocyte hyperplasia. However, all the PEG-rHuMGDF-initiated hematopathology including the increase in marrow reticulin is completely and rapidly reversible upon the cessation of administration of PEG-rHuMGDF. Thus, transient hyperplastic proliferation of megakaryocytes does not cause irreversible tissue injury. Furthermore, PEG-rHuMGDF completely ameliorates carboplatin-induced thrombocytopenia at a low-dose that does not cause the hematopathology associated with myelofibrosis.

Anemia↗

Serological diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis by a dot-enzyme immunoassay for the detection of a Leishmania donovani-related circulating antigen.

Field medicine in tropical areas needs laboratory assays which are inexpensive and easy to perform. To meet this need a semi-quantitative dot-enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed for the detection of an L. donovani-related circulating antigen and tested for clinical relevance in the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The dot-EIA probes serum spotted on nitrocellulose for the presence of the antigen using a monoclonal antibody raised against L. donovani promastigotes, a peroxidase-conjugated rabbit anti-mouse immunoglobulin antiserum and chloronaphthol as peroxidase substrate. The intensity of dot staining by chloronaphthol is read by eye and scored. The dot-EIA was used to test the following groups: 69 patients with VL from Brazil, Kenya, China and France, nine patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis, 38 patients with tropical diseases other than VL, five patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 40 health blood donors. The specificity of the assay was 96.7% (3/92 false positive) and the sensitivity 98.5% (1/69 false negative). A quantitative EIA for the detection of serum antibodies which makes use of a crude, soluble L. infantum promastigote extract as capture antigen and which was used as the reference method, proved to be more specific (98.9%) but similarly sensitive (98.5%). It should be possible to produce a kit, suitable for large scale application at low cost in order to facilitate routine use of the dot-EIA in the diagnosis of VL.

Animals↗

Abnormalities of CD45 isoform expression in HIV infection.

Using monoclonal antibodies against CD45, CD45RA, CD45RB, and CD45RO, the surface density of expression and proportions of different CD45 isoforms were analyzed on CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte subsets in HIV+ patients and controls. Analysis of the relative specific fluorescence (RSF) of CD45 isoforms showed a significant reduction in expression of total CD45 and its isoforms, CD45RA, CD45RO, and CD45RB, on CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte subsets in HIV+ patients compared with controls. However, expression of phosphotyrosine in the cytoplasm of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes did not differ significantly between HIV+ patients and controls. Percentages of "naive" CD45RA+RO- CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes were lower than control values in all HIV+ patients (P < 0.001). Compared with controls, HIV+ patients had similar percentages of "memory" CD45RA-RO+ CD4+ lymphocytes but significantly higher percentages of memory CD8+ lymphocytes (P < 0.001). Percentages of memory CD8+ lymphocytes were lowest in patients with AIDS (P < 0.001). The consistent reduction in surface expression of all CD45 isoforms observed in our study may be of relevance to the impaired T cell activation characteristic of HIV infection. Also, our results argue against the selective depletion of memory CD4+ lymphocytes in HIV-induced disease.

Adult↗

Megakaryocyte growth and development factor ameliorates carboplatin-induced thrombocytopenia in mice.

Megakaryocyte growth and development factor (MGDF) administered intraperitoneally (IP) to mice causes a dose-dependent thrombocytosis accompanied by a decrease in mean platelet volume. MGDF increases the number of megakaryocytes in the bone marrow and spleen. MGDF does not affect the circulating number of leukocytes. Carboplatin, a chemotherapeutic agent that causes thrombocytopenia in humans, administered to mice as a single IP injection at a nonlethal dose causes a significant, but reversible thrombocytopenia. The carboplatin-induced thrombocytopenia is accompanied by an increase in circulating endogenous MGDF that precedes the return of circulating platelets to a normal level. MGDF mRNA is constitutively present in the liver. After carboplatin treatment, hepatic MGDF mRNA does not increase in concordance with circulating MGDF. Circulating soluble MGDF receptor levels (c-mpl) do not change significantly during the course of carboplatin-induced thrombocytopenia. MGDF injected IP once daily beginning 1 day after injection of carboplatin reverses carboplatin-induced thrombocytopenia in a dose-dependent fashion. The normalization of circulating platelet numbers in carboplatin plus MGDF-treated mice is accompanied by a normalization of megakaryocyte numbers in the bone marrow. In conclusion, MGDF, by increasing the number of marrow megakaryocytes and circulating platelets is an effective therapy for carboplatin-induced thrombocytopenia in mice.

Animals↗

Circulating levels of mannose binding protein in human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Mannose binding protein (MBP) is a serum lectin which, upon binding to a carbohydrate extremity, acquires the ability to activate the classical complement pathway. MBP binds human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro via glycans on gp120 and thus, it may play a defensive role in HIV infection and contribute to virus clearance through the activation of complement associated with this condition. We measured serum MBP and activation indices of the classical complement pathway (plasma C4d and C3d) in HIV-seropositive patients at different stages of disease severity, and in normal subjects. MBP was higher in HIV patients as a whole and in each Centers for Disease Control (CDC) group than controls (P<0.01). MBP was not significantly different between CDC groups and and did not significantly correlate either with CD4-positive lymphocytes, neopterin or beta2-microglobulin or with C4d and C3d. The possibility that MBP plays a defensive role in HIV infection cannot be excluded, but, it it is, it does not appear to act by recruiting complement for vital elimination.

Adult↗

Relationship between the tumour-associated antigen 90K and cytokines in the circulation of persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

A tumour-associated antigen known as 90K has been found in high concentrations in the serum of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) even in the absence of neoplastic complications. In order to investigate the relationship between the production of 90K and soluble inflammatory mediators, we studied serum concentrations of the antigen, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-I-alpha (IL-I-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), IFN-alpha, neopterin and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-m) in patients with non-neoplastic HIV infection at various stages of disease and in control persons. The antigen was detected in all those studied but its concentration was higher in HIV-infected patients compared with controls (P < 0.001), increasing progressively with advancing stages of disease. There was a negative correlation between concentrations of 90K and IL-I-alpha in patients in U.S.A. Centers for Disease Control groups II and III (P < 0.02) and also between that of 90K and both TNF-alpha (P < 0.01) and IL-I-alpha (P < 0.05) in control persons. The results indicate that 90K is not merely a tumour-associated antigen and that its production may be part of immune and inflammatory responses in the absence of neoplasia. The correlation between the concentrations of 90K and of some cytokines in asymptomatic patients and healthy persons suggests that 90K may be part of a network of immune and inflammatory reactants.

Adult↗