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Biomedical subjects

I N Rich

Publications and source records attributed to I N Rich.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Silent polymorphisms within the coding region of human sodium/hydrogen exchanger isoform-1 cDNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of leukemia patients: A comparison with healthy controls.

We have examined the sequence of the cDNA encoding the sodium/hydrogen exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1), from 23 bases upstream of the start codon to 28 bases downstream of the stop codon. Template was prepared from (1) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from 10 healthy unrelated Caucasian volunteers; (2) PBMCs isolated from 6 leukemic patients (acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL], n = 3; chronic lymphocytic leukemia [CLL], n = 1; chronic myelogenous leukemia [CML], n = 2); and (3) samples of 4 leukemic cell lines (ALL: CEM, MOLT4; AML: KG1a; CML: K562). NHE1 cDNA in normal PBMCs showed silent polymorphism of nucleotides 112 (N1: T, frequency 0.70; C, frequency 0.30; prevalence of heterozygosity 0.42); 2248 (N2: G, frequency 0.90; A, frequency 0. 10; heterozygosity 0.18); and 2493 (N3: G, frequency 0.90; A, frequency 0.10; heterozygosity 0.18). Deduced primary structure of NHE1 protein in all normal volunteers was identical to that previously published for NHE1 from renal and cardiac tissue. Similar to normal PBMCs, NHE1 cDNA from leukemic cells showed polymorphism of nucleotides N1, N2, and N3, but failed to demonstrate leukemia-specific sequence differences. We conclude that the coding region of NHE1 cDNA shows a greater level of polymorphism than is currently recognized, but that sequence mutation of NHE1 is not a key event in the pathogenesis of leukemia.

Adult↗

Apoptosis of leukemic cells accompanies reduction in intracellular pH after targeted inhibition of the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger.

The Na(+)/H(+) exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1) is primarily responsible for the regulation of intracellular pH (pH(i)). It is a ubiquitous, amiloride-sensitive, growth factor-activatable exchanger whose role has been implicated in cell-cycle regulation, apoptosis, and neoplasia. Here we demonstrate that leukemic cell lines and peripheral blood from primary patient leukemic samples exhibit a constitutively and statistically higher pH(i) than normal hematopoietic tissue. We then show that a direct correlation exists between pH(i) and cell-cycle status of normal hematopoietic and leukemic cells. Advantage was taken of this relationship by treating leukemic cells with the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger inhibitor, 5-(N, N-hexamethylene)-amiloride (HMA), which decreases the pH(i) and induces apoptosis. By incubating patient leukemic cells in vitro with pharmacologic doses of HMA for up to 5 hours, we show, using flow cytometry and fluorescent ratio imaging microscopy, that when the pH(i) decreases, apoptosis-measured by annexin-V and TUNEL methodologies-rapidly increases so that more than 90% of the leukemic cells are killed. The differential sensitivity exhibited between normal and leukemic cells allows consideration of NHE1 inhibitors as potential antileukemic agents. (Blood. 2000;95:1427-1434)

Adult↗

An ELISA specific for murine erythropoietin.

Murine recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) was purified from an EPO-producing cell line and used for the production of polyclonal monospecific anti-murine EPO antibodies in rabbits. The anti-mouse EPO antibodies were purified by two affinity chromatography procedures. In order to obtain the most sensitive ELISA, different antibody combinations were tested in the ELISA sandwich assay. The best combination was achieved with an anti-human EPO antibody as coating and the biotinylated anti-murine EPO antibody as detecting antibody. With this sandwich-ELISA a sensitive standard curve in the range of 0.6-30 mU/ml could be established. The assay provides a sensitive and reliable measure of murine EPO in serum and cell culture supernatants ranging from normal to highly elevated EPO levels.

Animals↗

Activation of the sodium/hydrogen exchanger via the fibronectin-integrin pathway results in hematopoietic stimulation.

The proliferative response of hematopoietic cells is regulated by many factors, including the presence and type of growth factors, the cellular microenvironment, and the physiochemical conditions prevailing in the tissue milieu. A process fundamental to all cells is the regulation of the intracellular acid-base conditions. One of the mechanisms by which intracellular pH (pHi) is regulated is through the sodium/hydrogen exchanger, a ubiquitous membrane protein which exploits the intra- and extracellular sodium ion gradient to drive hydrogen ions out of the cell. However, activation of the exchanger via mitogenic and nonmitogenic signals leads to an increase in pHi which, in turn, may directly or indirectly result in a proliferative response. It has been shown that interaction of fibronectin with its integrin receptor subunits alpha4 and alpha5 can result in activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger. In this report, we demonstrate that when mouse bone marrow cells are physically brought together in a preculture system we designate as high cell density culture (HCDC), in a small volume and at the same cellularity as that in the marrow, hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell populations are stimulated with no additional stimulation in the presence of growth factors. Neutralizing antibodies to the growth factors added to HCDC had little, if any, effect on the degree of stimulation. However, when antibodies to fibronectin or the alpha4 integrin subunit were added to HCDC, inhibition was observed, indicating that the observed hematopoietic stimulation occurred via the fibronectin-integrin pathway. Addition of 5 microM 5-(N,N-hexamethylene) amiloride (5-HMA), a specific inhibitor of the Na+/H+ exchanger, also resulted in inhibition of in vitro hematopoiesis. Since the exchanger was implicated, we then measured the pHi of normal and HCDC-treated bone marrow cells in the absence and presence of 5-HMA by flow cytometry using the fluorescent pH-sensitive indicator, carboxy SNARF-1 AM. It was found that cells subjected to HCDC exhibited a higher pH than normal fresh cells. In each case, the pH was lowered in the presence of 5-HMA. Furthermore, addition of antibodies to fibronectin or the alpha4 integrin subunit to HCDC also reduced the pH, to a similar level to that found for 5-HMA. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that a hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell proliferative response can be initiated by activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger, leading to an increase in pHi, via cell-cell interaction through the fibronectin-integrin pathway. This pathway could, therefore, be significant not only in normal hematopoietic regulation, but also under pathophysiological conditions.

Amiloride↗

Mammalian homeobox B6 expression can be correlated with erythropoietin production sites and erythropoiesis during development, but not with hematopoietic or nonhematopoietic stem cell populations.

There has been increasing interest in the involvement of mammalian homeobox (HOX) genes in hematopoietic regulation. The HOX genes are clustered in 4 chromosomes in mice and humans. In general, 5' end HOX gene expression is predominant in hematopoietic stem cell populations, whereas 3' end HOX gene expression are primarily found in committed progenitor cells. Furthermore, HOX genes of the A cluster are generally found in myelomonocytic cells, B cluster genes in erythropoietic cells, and C cluster genes in lymphoid cells. The results presented here concentrate on a single gene, namely HOX B6. Preliminary observations using whole mount in situ hybridization showed that both HOX B6 and erythropoietin (EPO) gene expression occurred in exactly the same areas of the 8.5-day mouse embryo. As a consequence, we studied the expression of HOX B6 and EPO gene expression from 6.5 to 19.5 days of gestation, in the neonate, and in the adult. It was found that the sequential transfer of erythropoiesis in different organs during development was followed by a similar transfer of HOX B6 and EPO gene expression. Between days 16.5 and 17.5, both HOX B6 and EPO gene expression decrease in the fetal liver, even though hepatic erythropoiesis continues to decline and is transferred to the fetal spleen. Precisely at this time point, HOX B6 and EPO gene expression are transferred to both the fetal spleen and fetal kidney. However, surprisingly, expression of both genes increases again in the fetal liver just before birth. HOX B6 is expressed in cells from in vitro erythropoietic colonies (colony-forming unit-erythroid and burst-forming unit-erythroid) and TER-119+ erythroid cells but not in hematopoietic or nonhematopoietic stem cell populations. When the latter two populations are allowed to differentiate into erythropoietic cells, HOX B6 and erythroid-relevant markers are expressed. The results indicate that HOX B6 is intimately involved in the regulation of the erythropoietic system and could be a marker for this lineage.

Animals↗

The sensitivity of in vitro erythropoietic progenitor cells to different erythropoietin reagents during development and the role of cell death in culture.

With the availability of several recombinant erythropoietin (Epo) reagents, it has been possible to undertake a systematic study of the relative Epo sensitivity of late erythroid colony-forming units (CFU-E) in 8.5-day embryos, 13.5-day fetal liver, and adult bone marrow of the mouse. All Epo preparations tested, including one from impure sheep and a highly purified human native Epo preparation, produced parallel, but displaced, dose-response curves when Epo concentration was plotted against percent CFU-E response calculated from the optimal Epo concentration. It was found that the CFU-E derived from 8.5-day embryos demonstrated the greatest Epo sensitivity which decreased in fetal liver and adult bone marrow CFU-E populations. Modifications to the culture system allowed CFU-E to be stimulated with as little as 0.003 mU/mL, equivalent to approximately 0.03 fg Epo. Under these culture conditions, no evidence for apoptosis was found, although a normal programmed cell death function cannot be ruled out.

Animals↗

Primordial germ cells are capable of producing cells of the hematopoietic system in vitro.

The identity of the cells giving rise to the hematopoietic system in the mouse embryo are unknown. The results presented here strongly suggest that hematopoietic cells are derived from a nonhematopoietic cell population that has been previously thought to give rise to the germ cells. These cells are called primordial germ cells (PGCs) and can be recognized as large cells showing blebbing and pseudopodial extrusions on their surface. They are alkaline phosphatase (AP) positive and possess a stage-specific embryonic antigen (SSEA-1) on their surface. They represent a small pool of cells in the extraembryonic mesoderm at the base of the allantois in late day-6 embryos. Primordial germ cells from 7.5- and 8.5-day visceral yolk sac and embryo proper form AP+ and SSEA-1+ colonies within 5 days when grown on an embryonic fibroblast feeder cell layer in the presence of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), stem cell factor (SCF), and interleukin-3 (IL-3). Individual colonies taken from day-5 cultures can be shown to differentiate into erythroid lineage cells in secondary methyl cellulose culture and produce secondary and tertiary PGCs in the presence of LIF, SCF, and IL-3. Cells taken from the region of the allantois and primitive streak can form colonies on hydrophilic Teflon (DuPont, Wilmington, DE) foils precoated with collagen and fibronectin. The cells from these colonies were then shown to form cobblestone areas on irradiated adult bone marrow stromal layers, indicating that the most primitive in vitro hematopoietic stem cell, the cobblestone-area forming cell (CAFC), was present. PGC colonies were grown in methyl cellulose in the presence of LIF, SCF, and IL-3 for 5 days, and the colonies were removed and passaged 3 times on pretreated extracellular matrix hydrophilic Teflon foils. After each passage, the cells were assayed for their differentiation capacity and PGC content. After the last passage, the number of CAFCs was also determined. It was found that, under these conditions, the PGC population expanded more than 400-fold and also contained CAFCs. It is postulated that the PGC represents a totipotent stem cell population capable of producing a variety of different cell types including cells of the hematopoietic system.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Hemopoietic-initiating cells.

Primordial germ cells are cells which can be detected first in the epiblast of the day 3 blastocyst and later as alkaline phosphate positive cells in the extraembryonic mesoderm at the base of the allantois prior to day 7 p.c. At this time there are probably less than ten such cells in the embryo cylinder. After migrating back into the embryo, primordial germ cells migrate along the wall of the hind gut, through the para-aortic splanchnopleura, and reach the genital ridges on day 10.5 p.c. Their growth factor requirements, together with their coincident presence not only at the time definitive hemopoiesis begins, but probably also when primitive hemopoiesis is initiated, lends support for the hypothesis that the cells called primordial germ cells could actually be hemopoietic-initiating cells.

Animals↗

Rat microglial interleukin-3.

Interleukin-3 (IL-3, multi-CSF) is a growth factor for a variety of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Recently, microglial cells, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS) have been shown to proliferate in the presence of IL-3 both in vivo and in culture. Data obtained from cultured astrocytes gave rise to the hypothesis that astrocytes synthesize the microglial growth factor. This is the first report identifying rat microglial cells themselves as a source of IL-3. Culture media conditioned by isolated microglia enhanced microglial proliferation above fresh media controls. IL-3 polypeptide was detected in both conditioned media (CM) and in microglial cells by Western blotting and immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, anti-IL-3 antibodies were able to inhibit microglial proliferation induced by conditioned media. mRNAIL-3 was present in single microglial cells as revealed by in situ hybridization. Total RNA prepared from purified microglia yielded a single PCR amplification product. Identity of the PCR product was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization using a cDNAIL-3 probe and by DNA sequencing. Expression of mRNAIL-3 was observed in both absence and presence of lipopolysaccharide, a bacterial endotoxin, that commonly induces expression of inflammatory cytokines and inhibits microglial proliferation. It is concluded that IL-3 expression in ensuring the recruitment of enhanced numbers of immunocompetent cells at sites of lesion. In the light of weak immune reactions in the brain, it is hypothesized that the expression of a characteristic T cell feature in monocyte-derived microglia may be a partial compensation of T cell functions in brain lesions.

Animals↗

Serum erythropoietin and serum transferrin receptor levels in aplastic anaemia.

Serum erythropoietin (EPO) and soluble transferrin receptor levels were serially measured in 74 patients with aplastic anaemia (AA). As control groups we investigated healthy controls (n = 24) and patients with iron-deficiency (n = 23) or haemolytic anaemia (n = 16). There was a significant negative correlation of log EPO on haematocrit both in AA patients and in the anaemic control group. However, for the same degree of anaemia, log EPO levels in AA were significantly higher than in iron-deficiency or haemolytic anaemia. EPO levels at diagnosis did not correlate with severity of aplastic anaemia, nor did they predict outcome after immunosuppression. During immunosuppressive treatment of AA with anti-thymocyte globulin and cyclosporine A, EPO levels were significantly lower compared with pre-treatment values without a corresponding change in haematocrit. This impaired EPO response to anaemia during immunosuppression might affect recovery of erythropoiesis. In AA patients, EPO levels declined with haemopoietic recovery. However, compared with normal controls, EPO levels in remission patients were still higher with respect to their haematocrit. Results of this study argue against the model of a simple feedback regulation of EPO via hypoxic anaemia. Our data support the hypothesis that cytokines and the erythropoietic progenitor pool are involved in the regulation of EPO production. The results illustrate that serial measurements of EPO along with therapeutic interventions are necessary to identify patients who might benefit from treatment with exogenous recombinant human EPO.

Adolescent↗