OBJECTIVE: Vaginal and amniotic infection with gram-negative bacteria is associated with preterm birth. We previously reported that human cervical smooth-muscle cells (CSMC) respond to pro-inflammatory cytokines by expressing enzymes that degrade the extracellular matrix. Our objective was to characterize the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli (E coli), Bacteroides fragilis, (B frag)and Fusobacterium nucleatum (F nuc)on the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the elastin-degrading enzyme, cathepsin S, in human CSMC. METHODS: Human CSMC were exposed to LPS and the expression of mRNAs encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines and cathepsin S, and selected matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) was analyzed by Northern blotting. The effect of cytokine-neutralizing antibodies on LPS-induced cathepsin S mRNA expression also was determined. RESULTS: E coli LPS increased expression of cathepsin S 12.5-fold after 12 hours; MMP-1 and MMP-3 mRNAs also were increased 2.9- and 3.5-fold, respectively. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL-1)alpha, and IL-1beta mRNAs were markedly up-regulated after 3 hours of LPS treatment. B frag and F nuc LPS also induced TNF-alpha and cathepsin S mRNAs. E coli LPS caused a sevenfold increase in TNF-alpha secretion after 5 to 8 hours. Antihuman TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody, but not a monoclonal antibody to the low-density lipoprotein receptor, reduced the LPS-induced increase in cathepsin S mRNA by 27%, whereas neutralizing antibodies against IL-1alpha and IL-1beta did not suppress the response. Human CSMC were shown to express the toll-like receptor (TLR-2) and TLR-4 genes, which mediate the action of LPS. TLR-2 mRNA was up-regulated by TNF-alpha. CONCLUSION: CSMC respond to LPS with increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cathepsin S. Increases in cathepsin S mRNA result only in part from the rapid induction of TNF-alpha gene expression. TNF-alpha may also augment the CSMC response to LPS by increasing expression of the LPS signaling receptor, TLR-2, which probably directly mediates LPS action. These observations provide a mechanism by which gram-negative bacteria can precipitate cervical changes associated with preterm birth.

Cathepsins↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Reconstruction of GABAergic transmission and behavior by striatal cell grafts in rats with ischemic infarcts in the middle cerebral artery.

Fetal striatal cell suspensions were grafted stereotaxically into the infarcted striatum of rats, and reconstruction of striatopallidal GABA transmission and behavior were investigated. Occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) for one hour induced ischemic infarcts mainly in the lateral striatum, as detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histology. Ischemic rats had deficits in the performance of a passive avoidance task, both acquisition and retention, but no changes in general circadian actograms. In these animals pallidal GABA, detected by microdialysis, decreased to about half of control levels. There were suggestions of an improvement in passive avoidance performance in the grafted animals. Pallidal GABA concentrations recovered almost to control levels, and were increased by infusions of the GABA uptake blocker nipecotic acid. These data indicate that neural transplantation is a promising approach to improve the deficits in chemical transmission and behavior following ischemic infarcts in rat striatum.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) acts on the outside of mitochondria to stimulate steroidogenesis.

Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) facilitates delivery of cholesterol to the inner mitochondrial membranes. StAR is imported into mitochondria and processed to a mature form by cleavage of the N-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence. We produced His-tagged (His-tag StAR) constructs lacking the N-terminal 62 amino acids that encode the mitochondrial targeting sequence and examined their steroidogenic activity in intact cells and on isolated mitochondria. His-tag StAR proteins stimulated pregnenolone synthesis to the same extent as wild-type StAR when expressed in COS-1 cells transfected with the cholesterol side-chain cleavage system. His-tag StAR was diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm of transfected COS-1 cells, whereas wild-type StAR was localized to mitochondria. There was no evidence at the light or electron microscope levels for selective localization of His-tag StAR protein to mitochondrial membranes. We established an assay system using mitochondria isolated from bovine corpora lutea and purified recombinant His-tag StAR proteins expressed in E. coli. Recombinant His-tag StAR stimulated pregnenolone production in a dose- and time-dependent manner, functioning at nanomolar concentrations. A point mutant of StAR (A218V) that causes lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia was incorporated into the His-tag protein. This mutant was steroidogenically inactive in COS-1 cells and on isolated mitochondria. Our observations conclusively document that StAR acts on the outside of mitochondria, independent of mitochondrial import.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Active and inactive renin-like enzymes in the arterial wall of the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Renin-like enzyme(s) in the arterial wall of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) were activated markedly by either acidic pH or treatment of proteolytic enzymes (trypsin and glandular kallikrein). The highest concentration of renin-like enzyme (active form) was localized in the renal artery (2.51 +/- 0.59 ng angiotensin I generated/mg of protein per h, mean +/- S.D.), followed by the mesenteric (1.58 +/- 0.31), the carotid (1.44 +/- 0.27) and the major aortic trunk (0.20 +/- 0.10), while the highest concentration of the inactive renin-like enzyme was localized in the major aortic trunk (0.97 +/- 0.18), followed by the carotid (0.72 +/- 0.41), the renal (0.71 +/- 0.31) and the mesenteric (0.60 +/- 0.29) arteries. In addition, the active renin-like activity from the mesenteric and the carotid arteries of SHR rats was higher significantly than that of age-matched normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, despite a similar concentration of total renin-like enzyme of the corresponding arteries of both groups. These results suggest that increased interconversion of the inactive to the active renin-like enzymes in the arterial wall of SHR rats may result in local vasospasm through generation of angiotensin II, which may contribute in part at least to systemic hypertension of SHR rats.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Proceedings: 33. Studies on transport mechanism across the epithelial membrane.

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Animals↗