PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Rossiter

Publications and source records attributed to H Rossiter.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Targeted expression of bcl-2 to murine basal epidermal keratinocytes results in paradoxical retardation of ultraviolet- and chemical-induced tumorigenesis.

The antiapoptotic protein bcl-2 is found up-regulated in a number of malignant and premalignant skin conditions of keratinocyte origin, but in normal skin, it is expressed at low levels only in interfollicular epidermis. To investigate whether unregulated bcl-2 expression could affect the incidence of epidermal tumors, we have generated a mouse line that over-expresses human bcl-2 in the basal layer of epidermis under the control of the human keratin 14 promoter. These mice were subjected to both UVB photocarcinogenesis and classical two-stage chemical carcinogenesis. Although transgenic bcl-2 in these mice reduces the formation of sunburn cells after short-term UVB irradiation, chronically UVB irradiated K14/bcl-2 mice were protected against tumor development, because transgenic mice developed tumors much later and at a significantly lower frequency than controls. Immunohistochemical analyses of the UVB-induced tumors revealed no significant differences in the degree of inflammatory cell infiltrates. When either K14/bcl-2 mice or F(1) progeny of matings with mice expressing an activated Ha-ras oncogene (K14/bcl-2/ras) were treated with 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene/phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, the latency of first papilloma appearance was the same in transgenic mice and controls, but further papillomas developed more slowly in the mutant mice. Moreover, the K14/bcl-2/ras mice developed far fewer albeit larger tumors/mouse than did the ras/+ controls. The rate of conversion to malignant carcinomas, the carcinoma grade, and the frequency of lymph node metastases were not significantly different between mutants and controls. We conclude that, despite its antiapoptotic function, bcl-2, overexpressed in basal epidermal keratinocytes, exerts a paradoxical retardation on the development of skin tumors induced by chemical carcinogens and particularly by UVB.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗

Overexpression of Bcl-2 protects from ultraviolet B-induced apoptosis but promotes hair follicle regression and chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

Hair follicle (HF) growth and regression is an exquisitely regulated process of cell proliferation followed by massive cell death and is accompanied by cyclical expression of the apoptosis regulatory gene pair, Bcl-2 and Bax. To further investigate the role of Bcl-2 expression in the control of hair growth and keratinocyte apoptosis, we have used transgenic mice that overexpress human Bcl-2 in basal epidermis and in the outer root sheath under the control of the human keratin-14 promoter (K14/Bcl-2). When irradiated with ultraviolet B (UVB) light, K14/Bcl-2 mice developed about 5-10-fold fewer sunburn cells (ie, apoptotic keratinocytes) in the basal layer of the epidermis, compared to wild-type mice, whereas cultures of primary keratinocytes from transgenic mice were completely resistant to UVB-induced histone formation, at doses that readily induced histone release from wild-type cells. K14/Bcl-2 mice show no alteration of neonatal hair follicle morphogenesis or of the onset of the first wave of HF regression (catagen). However, compared to wild-type controls, K14/Bcl-2 mice subsequently displayed a significant acceleration of spontaneous catagen progression. During chemotherapy-induced alopecia, follicular dystrophy was promoted in K14/Bcl-2 mice. Thus, although K14-driven overexpression of Bcl-2 protected murine epidermal keratinocytes from UVB-induced apoptosis, it surprisingly promoted catagen- and chemotherapy-associated keratinocyte apoptosis.

Alopecia↗

Hair follicle apoptosis and Bcl-2.

Hair follicle (HF) morphogenesis and cycling are characterized by a tightly controlled balance of proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. The members of the bcl-2 family of proto-oncogenes are important key players in the apoptosis control machinery of most cell types. Bcl-2, an apoptosis inhibitor, and Bax, an apoptosis promoter, show tightly regulated, hair cycle-dependent expression patterns: during catagen, the distal ORS of the HF remains strongly positive for Bcl-2 and Bax; in contrast, the proximal epithelial part of the HF loses most Bcl-2 expression while it remains strongly positive for Bax. In Bcl-2 null mice, skin becomes markedly hypopigmented during the first postnatal anagen probably due to increased melanocyte apoptosis. Reportedly, these mice also show a retardation of the first anagen development after birth. Transgenic mice overexpressing Bcl-2 under the control of the keratin-1 promoter display multifocal epidermal hyperplasia and aberrant expression of keratin-6, while alterations of HF cycling have not been investigated. Surprisingly, Bcl-2 overexpression under the control of the keratin-14 promoter leads to accelerated catagen progression and increased chemotherapy-induced apoptosis, HF dystrophy and alopecia. Transgenic mice overexpressing Bcl-X(L), another anti-apoptotic bcl-2 family member, under the control of the K14 promoter, reportedly also display accelerated catagen development. These and other Bcl-2 transgenic and null mice are now available to further dissect the as yet unclear, and likely complex, role of Bcl-2 in HF growth and pigmentation.

Animals↗

Selectins, T-cell rolling and inflammation.

The selectins, a family of Ca(2+)-dependent lectins, are expressed on inflamed vascular endothelium and some leukocyte subsets, and mediate adhesive contacts between blood cells and vessel walls. These interactions are loose and reversible, operate under conditions of shear flow, and result in leukocyte rolling along the vessel wall. The structure of the selectins and their ligands makes them uniquely suited for supporting the type of bond formation and dissociation that must prevail in order for a cell to be able to roll under conditions of flow. Because rolling precedes (and appears to be essential for) the integrin-mediated firm arrest before extravasation in response to inflammatory or infectious stimuli, inhibition of selectin function has potential for anti-inflammatory therapy, but also presents some significant challenges because of the complexity of the processes involved.

Animals↗

Skin disease-related T cells bind to endothelial selectins: expression of cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA) predicts E-selectin but not P-selectin binding.

Cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA), defined by the HECA-452 antibody, is a cell surface glycoprotein found on a subset of T cells in peripheral blood that binds specifically to E-selectin. This marker is present on the majority of T cells at sites of cutaneous inflammation and immune responses. Based upon such evidence, an association between T cell CLA expression and skin homing has been proposed. To understand better this relationship, we asked whether putative disease-related, antigen-specific T cells expressed CLA. In this study, we employed T helper type 2 (TH2) T cell clones specific for house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) antigens. These cells were derived from challenged skin of an individual known to react positively to epicutaneous challenge with this agent. In this study, we show that these cloned T cells showed very high homogeneous expression of CLA (nearly 500-fold higher than T cell clones derived from peripheral blood) and bound specifically to recombinant E-selectin. The CLA molecule on these cells was identified not only by HECA-452, but also by CSLEX-1, indicating that it contained sialyl-Le(x) (S-Le(x)) determinants. T cells cloned under similar conditions from peripheral blood were CLA negative or low and bound poorly to E-selectin. Surprisingly, both skin and blood clones bound comparably to P-selectin. This binding was independent of S-Le(x) or CLA expression. We conclude that in sensitized individuals, antigen-specific T cells expressing high levels of CLA localize in skin promptly after epicutaneous challenge. This localization is likely to involve the interaction of S-Le(x) determinants on the CLA molecule with E-selectin on the dermal microvasculature. We further conclude that T cells can interest with P-selectin on endothelium and that S-Le(x) does not appear to be necessary for this interaction.

Animals↗

Distinct cell surface ligands mediate T lymphocyte attachment and rolling on P and E selectin under physiological flow.

Memory T lymphocytes extravasate at sites of inflammation, but the mechanisms employed by these cells to initiate contact and tethering with endothelium are incompletely understood. An important part of leukocyte extravasation is the initiation of rolling adhesions on endothelial selectins; such events have been studied in monocytes and neutrophils but not lymphocytes. In this study, the potential of T lymphocytes to adhere and roll on endothelial selectins in vitro was investigated. We demonstrate that T cells can form tethers and rolling adhesions on P selectin and E selectin under physiologic flow conditions. Tethering and rolling on P selectin was independent of cell-surface cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA) expression, which correlated strictly with the capacity of T cells to form rolling adhesions under flow on E selectin. T cell tethering to P selectin was abolished by selective removal of cell surface sialomucins by a P. haemolytica O-glycoprotease, while cutaneous lymphocyte antigen expression was unaffected. A sialomucin molecule identical or closely related to P selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1), the major P selectin ligand on neutrophils and HL-60 cells, appears to be a major T cell ligand for P selectin. P selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 does not appear to support T cell rolling on E selectin. In turn, E selectin ligands do not appear to be associated with sialomucins. These data demonstrate the presence of structurally distinct ligands for P or E selectins on T cells, provide evidence that both ligands can be coexpressed on a single T cell, and mediate tethering and rolling on the respective selectins in a mutually exclusive fashion.

Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte↗

Differential induction of cytokine-specific mRNA in human PBL after in vitro culture with either IL2 or IL4.

The present study was designed to investigate whether human equivalents of murine T helper cell subsets can be demonstrated by propagation of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) with either recombinant human (rh) interleukin (IL) 2 or rhIL4 in the presence of neutralising antibodies. Cells of both cultures, termed T-IL2 or T-IL4, respectively, were challenged on day 8 using a combination of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) and the Ca2(+)-ionophore A23187 (Io). Total cellular RNA was isolated at different time points after PMA/Io-stimulation and the expression of 7 distinct cytokine genes was assessed by Northern analysis. Whereas maximal accumulation of mRNA species for IL2, GM-CSF, TNF alpha and TNF beta did not reveal major differences between cells of T-IL2 and T-IL4 cultures, substantial differences emerged for the induction of IFN gamma and IL3 messages. Accumulation of IFN gamma-mRNA consistently was 2- to 13-fold higher in T-IL2 than in T-IL4 cells, depending on the time point of RNA harvest. In contrast, IL3-specific mRNA levels induced in T-IL4 cells were 2-5 times greater than those in T-IL2. If PBL cultured with IL2 for 7-8 days were subsequently shifted to IL4 and further propagated until day 14, the mRNA induction pattern seen for IFN gamma and IL3 was similar to that obtained if cells had continuously been propagated with IL2. Collectively, these results indicate a selective outgrowth of distinct responder phenotypes by IL2 or IL4 rather than a direct modulation of cytokine expression by these factors.

Blotting, Northern↗

In vivo activation of murine natural killer cell functions by human recombinant DNA interleukin 2.

Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of purified human recombinant DNA (rDNA)-interleukin 2 (IL 2) resulted in in vivo activation of local natural killer (NK) cell activities in wild-type and congenitally athymic mice. NK cells were identified by short-term cytotoxicity assays against YAC tumor targets and by cell-surface phenotyping. The magnitude of the cytolytic responses was dependent on the IL 2 dose (greater than or equal to 0.1 microgram per injection) and the time period of treatment (the maximum response was on days 3 to 4 after daily treatment). In vivo application of antisera against the murine NK marker asialo GM1 (asGM1) and against interferon-alpha/beta and -gamma (IFN) significantly inhibited NK cell activation. Limiting dilution analysis revealed high frequencies (up to 1 in 1.8 X 10(3)) of in vitro IL 2 reactive mononuclear cells among the peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) of normal mice. rDNA-IL 2 activated non-adherent PEC to proliferate. The majority of these cultures also displayed cytotoxicity against YAC targets. No exogenous IFN was required for either response. Endogenous IFN production did not appear to play an important role for induction of cytotoxicity in this system either. Only a minority of cultures produced measurable levels of IFN without showing excessive cytotoxic activity. In vivo IL 2 treatment resulted in a rapid increase of the total numbers and frequencies of the IL 2 reactive PEC. Hence, IL 2 alone was apparently sufficient for in vitro activation of NK-like activities, whereas IFN-induction by IL 2 was required for in vivo elicitation of similar responses in perhaps the same cell populations.

Animals↗

Killer T cell responses to influenza A during a drift period: studies in mice.

After intravenous immunization of mice with any influenza A H3N2 drift strain attempts to restimulation of cytotoxic T cell (CTL) activities with the same virus or other drift period variants were unsuccessful for up to 6 weeks. Cross-stimulation 4-5 months after primary sensitization yielded, in most situations, positive but lower--as compared to primary--secondary cytotoxic T cell responses. Homotypic challenge was also effective after priming with some influenza A subtypes (A/E/72, A/PC/73, A/T/77) at this time.

Animals↗

Modulation by cyclosporin A of murine natural resistance against herpes simplex virus infection. I. Interference with the susceptibility to herpes simplex virus infection.

Adult BALB/c mice which are medium-high resistant against intraperitoneal (i.p.) infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) manifested a drastic increase in susceptibility to the virus when treated locally with cyclosporin A (CyA) during infection. Oral application of the drug had no effect on the natural resistance status. Mice appeared normal 2 weeks after CyA treatment with regard to their ability to resist i.p. infections. CyA did not interfere with established specific immune protection nor with the induction in immune responses to HSV-2.

Administration, Oral↗

Modulation by cyclosporin A of murine natural resistance against herpes simplex virus infection. II. Influence on the HSV-induced natural killer cell responses, macrophage activities and interferon levels.

Cyclosporin A (CyA) interfered locally at the site of injection with several resistance functions which are of potential importance in experimental herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections of mice. HSV-induced stimulation of macrophage phagocytosis was reduced by CyA when the mice were infected 5 days before the assay. The in vitro replication of the virus in macrophages, however, was enhanced. Natural killer (NK) cell response were severely impaired. To some extent this could be attribute to the induction of suppressive macrophages by the drug treatment. Interferon levels induced by HSV were not diminished but rather enhanced in some experiments. Inhibitory effects ceased after termination of CyA treatment and could be prevented by presensitization of the mice with attenuated HSV type 2.

Animals↗

Evaluation of live and inactivated influenza A virus vaccines in a mouse model.

Induction of cross-protective immunity against serologically distinct subtypes of influenza A virus in mice was examined in an attempt to correlate cross-protection with heterotypic lymphocyte responses. Live and inactivated virus vaccines protected against the homologous subtype, but only whole virus protected against heterologous subtypes. Live virus vaccines provided better cross-protection than inactivated virus vaccines. A weak defense against heterotypic challenge generated by live H0N1 virus could be boosted by cross-stimulation with whole H3N2 virus and by restimulation with pathogenic H0N1 virus. Heterotypic protection persisted for at least five months. Live viruses induced cross-reactive cytotoxic T cells in normal mice. However, cross-stimulation with heterologous virus was required to generate secondary cytotoxicity. Cross-reactive B lymphocytes were evident after inoculation with whole virus.

Animals↗

Function, target-cell preference and cell-surface characteristics of herpes-simplex virus type-2-induced non-antigen-specific killer cells.

Wild-type and congenitally athymic nude mice injected with herpes-simplex virus type 2 (HSV 2) responded with a local outburst of non-antigen-specific killer cells masking any virus-specific response. Cytolytic activity could be assayed on mouse-tumor cell lines and on syngeneic or allogeneic non-transformed cells from various sources. Some of the tumor cell lines and proteose-peptone-induced peritoneal exudate cells were lysed more efficiently after infection with either HSV 2, vaccinia or influenza A virus. Preference for virus-infected target cells was already expressed 24 hours after HSV-2 injection. Killing activity was not H-2-restricted, not complement- or immunoglobulin-dependent and did not involve Fc receptors. The cytotoxic cells were non-adherent and could be shown to express Thy1, Quat4, and Quat4 cell-surface antigens. They lacked immunoglobulin and Lyt1: Lyt2,3 determinants. The functional and serological characteristics identify the HSV-2-induced cytolytic cells as natural killer (NK) cells. The potential importance of this cell population for natural resistance will be discussed.

Animals↗

Induction of natural killer cells by herpes-simplex virus type 2 in resistant and sensitive inbred mouse strains.

Infection of mice with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV 2) stimulated natural killer (NK) cells in a variety of inbred mouse strains including athymic nude mice. Essentially all mouse strains tested exhibited high NK activity on day four after virus inoculation. Assayed 24 hours after infection, SWR/J, AKR/J, SJL/J and C57B1/10J mice were low or negative for these non-virus-specific cytotoxic responses. Whereas the first two mouse strains were most sensitive to the lethal effects of HSV 2, the latter two were highly resistant. Three lines with intermediate susceptibility and three highly resistant strains were all efficient with regard to early NK-cell.

Animals↗

In-vivo modulation of macrophage functions by herpes simplex virus type 2 in resistant and sensitive inbred mouse strains.

Intra-peritoneal (i.p.) infection of mice with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV 2) attracted macrophages into the peritoneum. Macrophages from moderately and highly HSV 2 resistant mouse strains expressed elevated phagocytosis activity 24 hours after injection. Stimulation of phagocytosis in low resistant strains was generally less effective or absent. This was, in some experiments, due to the fact that macrophages were already highly activated before the experimental infection. I.p. infection also caused HSV replication in the adherent peritoneal exudate cell (PEC) population. The capacity of macrophages supporting HSV 2 replication was low in three of four resistant mouse strains and high in all moderately and highly susceptible and in one of the resistant (SJL) strains when determined 24 hours after infection. Four different F1 hybrids between resistant and susceptible strains exhibited significantly lower yields of virus-producing macrophages than the HSV-sensitive parent. One hybrid between two HSV-susceptible lines restricted virus replication in the PEC populations better than both parental strains.

Animals↗

Induction of cytolytic T- and B-cell responses against influenza virus infections.

Inoculation of mice with live influenza virus results in the induction of cytotoxic thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes and of bone marrow-derived (B) cells producing antiviral antibodies. An assay system was developed to evaluate both types of immune responses on a cellular basis within the same lymphocyte pool with no need to separate out the different effector cell classes. The test system represented a modification of the 51Cr-release assay. T-cell activity was measured exclusively in the absence of active complement using targets that were compatible for determinants encoded by the mouse major histocompatibility gene complex, H-2. H-2-different and even xenogeneic target cells were lysed in the presence of either non-inactivated fetal calf serum or normal rabbit serum as a complement source. Cytotoxicity was mediated in the latter case by direct interaction of B-cell-produced immunoglobulin directed to viral antigens expressed by the target cell and complement. Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity mechanisms did not contribute to cytotoxicity in the test system described. It was demontrated that the cytolytic B-cell responses of one particular strain of mice (BALB/c) against different influenza A viruses were restricted to the immunizing virus on the effector cell level. In another strain of mice (C3H), B cells revealed a broad cross-reactive response resembling that of killer T cells.

Animals↗