PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

J U Balis

Publications and source records attributed to J U Balis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Acute ozone-induced lung injury in rats: structural-functional relationships of developing alveolar edema.

As part of a study on the effects of acute ozone stress on the lung surfactant system, we correlated morphometric, biochemical, and functional indices of lung injury using male rats exposed to 3 ppm ozone for 1, 2, 4, and 8 hr. Evaluation of lung mechanics, using the Pulmonary Evaluation and Diagnostic Laboratory System, revealed a significant decrease in dynamic lung compliance (ml/cmH2O/kg) from a control value of 0.84 +/- 0.02 (SEM) to 0.72 +/- 0.04 and 0.57 +/- 0.06 at 4 and 8 hr, respectively. At 2 hr there was a transient increase in PaO2 to 116 torr (control = 92 torr) followed by a decrease at 4 hr (65 torr) and 8 hr (55 torr). Morphometry of lung tissue, fixed by perfusion of fixative via the pulmonary artery at 12 cm H2O airway distending pressure, demonstrated an increase in the area of the intravascular compartment at 8 hr, in association with a 65 and 39% replacement of the alveolar area by fluid in ventral and dorsal lung regions, respectively. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.966) between alveolar edema and transudated proteins in lavage fluid. A stepwise multiple regression model, with edema as the dependent variable, suggested that pulmonary vasodilatation, hypoxemia, and depletion of surfactant tubular myelin in lavage fluid were indices for predicting alveolar edema. In a second model, with lavage protein concentration as the dependent variable, decreasing dynamic compliance and hypoxemia were predictors of progressive, intraalveolar transudation of plasma proteins. The above structural-functional relationships support the concept that ozone-induced high-protein alveolar edema is pathogenetically linked to pulmonary hyperemia, deficiency of surfactant tubular myelin, and associated lung dysfunctions.

Animals

Immunocytochemical localization of lysozyme and surfactant protein A in rat type II cells and extracellular surfactant forms.

Using immunogold labeling of fixed, cryosubstituted tissue sections, we compared the distribution of lysozyme, an oxidant-sensitive lamellar body protein, with that of surfactant protein A (SP-A) in rat Type II cells, extracellular surfactant forms, and alveolar macrophages. Morphometric analysis of gold particle distribution revealed that lysozyme and SP-A were present throughout the secretory and endosomal pathways of Type II cells, with prominent localization of lysozyme in the peripheral compartment of lamellar bodies. All extracellular surfactant forms were labeled for both proteins with preferential labeling of tubular myelin and unilamellar vesicles. Labeling of tubular myelin for SP-A was striking when compared with that of lamellar bodies and other extracellular surfactant forms. Lamellar body-like forms and multilamellar structures were uniformly labeled for lysozyme, suggesting that this protein is rapidly redistributed within these forms after secretion of lysozyme-laden lamellar bodies. By contrast, increased labeling for SP-A was observed over peripheral membranes of lamellar body-like forms and multilamellar structures, apparently reflecting progressive SP-A enrichment of these membranes during tubular myelin formation. The results indicate that lysozyme is an integral component of the lamellar body peripheral compartment and secreted surfactant membranes, and support the concept that lysozyme may participate in the structural organization of lung surfactant.

Animals

Lysozyme is an ozone-sensitive component of alveolar type II cell lamellar bodies.

Exposure of rats to 3 ppm ozone for up to 8 h results in significant changes in lamellar bodies, the surfactant storing organelles of type II cells. We have previously shown that a 14 kDa lamellar body protein is decreased as early as 4 h after the onset of ozone exposure. We have isolated this ozone-sensitive protein from rat lung lamellar bodies and identified it as lysozyme by immunochemical methods, as well as by its amino acid composition, N-terminal amino acid sequence and bacteriolytic activity. Reduced lysozyme activity in isolated lamellar bodies is detected as early as 4 h after the start of ozone exposure. Following an 8 h ozone exposure, the activity does not return to control levels for at least 48 h. Lamellar body lysozyme is expected to be secreted with surfactant phospholipids, thereby contributing to the antimicrobial defense of the alveolar lining layer. The acute lysozyme deficiency seen in ozone-induced oxidant injury may reduce the resistance of the lung to infection.

Amino Acid Sequence

Recovery of lung pyridine nucleotides following acute exposure of adult and aged rats to ozone.

Male, pathogen-free Fischer 344 rats aged 6 and 24 mo were exposed to 1.5 or 3.0 ppm for 8 h and recovery rates of diphosphonucleotides (NAD+ and NADH) and triphosphonucleotides (NADP+ and NADPH) were measured and compared to controls. Recovery after 0.5 ppm was not examined because no significant changes occurred in either age group after this lower exposure. At zero time (immediately after exposures) both concentrations are depressed in adults and aged animals except for NADH in aged animals at 3.0 ppm; NADP+ in adults at 1.5 and 3.0 ppm was decreased, but not significantly. For NAD+ and NADH, recovery of whole lung concentrations is complete by 24 h following an 8-h exposure to 1.5 or 3.0 ppm of ozone. Only after 3.0 ppm of ozone was the ratio of the reduced to oxidized form (NADH/NAD+) still elevated after 24 h; however, it also returned to control levels by 96 h. For the triphosphonucleotides, an 8-h exposure to 1.5 ppm of ozone resulted in a sustained depression of whole lung concentrations of NADPH throughout the 96-h recovery period. Also, only after the 1.5 ppm exposure was the reduced to oxidized ratio (NADPH/NADP+) significantly depressed throughout the 96-h recovery period. Unexpectedly, recovery of whole lung levels returned to normal within 24 h after the 8-h exposure to both the 1.5 and the 3.0 ppm concentrations. With the exception of the sustained effect on NADPH levels, these data indicate that di- and triphosphonucleotide concentrations rapidly return to normal in the lung after severe, acute oxidant injury. There were no differences in recovery rates between the adult and the aged groups.

Aging

Ozone stress initiates acute perturbations of secreted surfactant membranes.

To identify the early changes of surfactant secretion in response to acute oxidant stress, the authors evaluated morphometrically centriacinar type II cells and lavage fluid surfactant forms obtained immediately after exposure of adult rats to 3 ppm ozone for 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours. In this model, the rat lung develops progressive alveolar edema with significant elevation of lavage fluid proteins at 2 to 8 hours of exposure. Ultrastructural changes in type II cells at 1 and 2 hours included enhanced lamellar body (LB) fusion with significant increase in the compound and vacuolated LB compartments. Parallel changes of lavage fluid surfactant membranes included a sustained, twofold increase in the proportion of loosely coiled multilamellar structures at 1 to 8 hours, with reciprocal decrease in the proportion of tubular myelin from control value of 56% to 34%. The proportion of densely coiled LB-like forms in lavage fluid increased significantly at 4 and 8 hours, whereas the proportions of unilamellar structures remained unchanged. The results indicate that ozone-induced alveolar injury initiates time-dependent defects in the organization of stored and secreted surfactant membranes. The acute ozone stress inhibits unfolding of secreted lamellar body membranes as well as their organization into tubular myelin, thereby perturbing the proportions of extracellular surfactant membranes that are available for adsorption onto the surface film.

Animals

Surfactant-associated glycoproteins accumulate in alveolar cells and secretions during reparative stage of hyaline membrane disease.

Surfactant-associated (SA) glycoproteins are lung-specific proteins produced in the human lung by alveolar type II cells and Clara cells. The distribution of these proteins was studied immunohistochemically in lung tissue obtained postmortem from 12 stillborn fetuses and 49 infants with hyaline membrane disease (HMD). By 21 weeks of gestation, SA glycoproteins were detected in the fetal alveolar epithelium and within Clara cells. The staining increased in intensity and extent with advancing gestational age. Infants with HMD who survived less than 48 hours did not generally exhibit stainable material either within type II cells or secretions, but staining was often noted in Clara cells as well as focally beneath hyaline membranes. In infants surviving more than 48 hours, intense staining of hyaline membranes, alveolar secretions, proliferating alveolar type II cells, and Clara cells was evident. Immunoreactivity was intense in hypertrophic type II cells that formed a continuous alveolar epithelial lining in lungs with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Included in the population of infants with HMD were 15 infants with pulmonary hypoplasia. The lungs of these infants showed minimal staining for SA glycoproteins regardless of postnatal survival time. The results provide an immunomorphologic basis for defining normal and abnormal lung maturation. They also indicate that enhanced SA glycoprotein production is a sustained response of regenerating and hypertrophic type II cells in premature infants.

Humans

Age-related difference in bioenergetics of lung and heart mitochondrial from rats exposed to ozone.

Bioenergetics of isolated lung and heart mitochondria from adult and aged rats were examined in the presence of glutamate (NAD-linked substrate) or succinate + rotenone (FAD-linked substrate) following ozone exposure (3.0 ppm, 8 hr). In controls, several differences were observed between adults and aged in both organ preparations. Following exposure, all bioenergetic parameters were decreased significantly in lung preparations from both adult and aged rats. In heart mitochondria, the respiration rates in state 3 and in uncoupled state, and the ADP/O ratio were decreased significantly in both exposed age groups. The respiratory control ratio (RCR) was decreased significantly only in the aged exposed rats. These results suggest that acute exposure to high levels of ozone alters energy production in both lung and heart mitochondria of adult and aged rats.

Aging

Prenatal relationship of surfactant lipid and protein constituents in infants with respiratory distress syndrome: a preliminary communication.

The prenatal relationships between surfactant disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) and surfactant-associated proteins of preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) have not been well documented. In the present study we measured the concentration of DSPC, surfactant glycoproteins (GP), and surfactant proteolipids (PLP) in amniotic fluids obtained within 6 hours prior to delivery of 16 newborn infants with gestational ages between 27 and 32 weeks. In control infants of 27-32 weeks gestation without RDS, the values of DSPC, GP, and PLP per milliliter of amniotic fluid were 20 +/- 2.9 micrograms, 684 +/- 115.3 ng and 289 +/- 62.5 ng, respectively. These values were significantly higher, threefold for PLP, fourfold for DSPC, and fivefold for GP, than amniotic fluid levels in infants with RDS. The findings support the concept that immaturity of surfactant in RDS involves both phospholipids and surfactant-associated proteins. Measurements of surfactant lipid-protein complex appear to enhance the reliability for identifying prenatally, infants at risk of developing hyaline membrane disease. More extensive studies are warranted to assess the usefulness of these assays for clinical application.

Amniotic Fluid

Ozone-induced alterations of lamellar body lipid and protein during alveolar injury and repair.

Alveolar Type II cells in the rat respond to severe, acute ozone injury (3 ppm ozone for eight hours) by increasing their intracellular pool of surfactant; however, the newly stored surfactant is abnormal in composition. Lamellar bodies isolated between 24 and 96 hours after ozone exposure contained significantly more cholesterol in relation to phosphatidylcholine than did controls. By contrast, the cholesterol content of surfactant isolated from alveolar lavage remained unchanged throughout an 8-day post-ozone period. The total protein content of lamellar bodies in relation to phosphatidylcholine was significantly decreased at 24 and 48 hours post-ozone. Analysis of lamellar body proteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that the amount of a 14 kDa proteolipid was greatly reduced at the end of the eight-hour ozone exposure and remained low for at least 48 hours. This proteolipid appeared to be a specific lamellar body component since it was not detected in extracellular surfactant. The findings indicate that oxidative alveolar stress initiates characteristic alterations in both lipid and protein constituents of stored surfactant, without perturbation in the composition of extracellular surfactant.

Animals

Sequential changes of lamellar body hydrolases during ozone-induced alveolar injury and repair.

Lamellar body hydrolases in acutely damaged and regenerating type II cells were determined using an established rat model with well-defined stages of bronchiolo-alveolar injury and repair. Lamellar bodies were isolated from control and ozone-exposed (3.0 ppm for 8 hours) adult male rats by sucrose density gradient centrifugation and analyzed for their content of six different lysosomal hydrolases. Immediately after 3 ppm ozone exposure (zero-time) there was a significant decrease in specific enzyme activity (units/mg protein) of five lamellar body hydrolases and these activities remained depressed for at least 24 hours after exposure. In addition, total enzyme activity (units/lung) was reduced at zero-time for beta-hexosaminidase and at 24 hours postexposure for alpha-mannosidase and alpha-L-fucosidase. During the reparative and recovery stages (48 to 96 hours) the hydrolases demonstrated variable elevations in both specific activity and total activity (units/lung). Characteristically, beta-hexosaminidase and beta-galactosidase reached supranormal values at 96 hours, whereas alpha-mannosidase remained below normal levels through the recovery stage. Moreover, at 24 to 48 hours the lamellar body fraction demonstrated prominent enzyme depletion relative to the expanding pool of stored surfactant. It is concluded that acute ozone stress initiates the development of hydrolase deficiency within the lamellar bodies of injured and regenerating type II cells. This deficiency state is followed by asynchronous lamellar body hydrolase elevations that reflect distinct patterns of response rather than uniform return to normal condition. The lysosomal enzyme changes of lamellar bodies may be pathogenetically linked to the development of associated alterations in the storage and secretion of surfactant.

Animals

Ozone-induced lamellar body responses in a rat model for alveolar injury and repair.

Exposure of adult rats to 3 ppm ozone for 8 hours results in diffuse alveolar damage with well-defined sequential stages of bronchiolo-alveolar injury and repair. This model is characterized by acute pulmonary edema showing high concentration of lavage fluid protein that is maximally elevated at 24 hours with return to control level at recovery (96 hours). Using techniques that enable optimal preservation of lamellar body ultrastructure, it was demonstrated morphometrically that expansion of the vacuolated lamellar body (LB) compartment is an early, transient LB response of the type II cell to acute injury. This change appears to be initiated by increased LB secretion. The reparative stage, 24-48 hours postexposure, begins with hypertrophy rather than hyperplasia of many type II cells, resulting in a 3-fold increase of mean type II cell volume at 48 hours. During this stage there is also significant expansion of the total LB compartment with corresponding increased LB storage of surfactant disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) per type II cell. At recovery, 96 hours, the lungs contained twice the normal numbers of type II cells, but the total size of lamellar body compartment per type II cell as well as the DSPC content of the isolated lamellar body pool returned to normal levels. In contrast, accumulating surfactant DSPC in lavage fluid increased progressively throughout the reparative and recovery stages presumably due in part to parallel increase in type II cell numbers at 48 and 96 hours. Additional changes of surfactant included abnormal secretion of densely coiled lamellar bodies that accumulated in alveolar spaces at the expense of tubular myelin. These observations indicate that acute oxidant injury to alveoli initiates progressive hypertrophy followed by hyperplasia of type II cells, in association with sequential development of characteristic lamellar body changes leading to increased storage and secretion of surfactant with reduced ability to form tubular myelin.

Animals

Age-related difference in pulmonary response to ozone.

Acute exposure to 1.5 ppm O3 produced different responses in adult and aged rat lungs. Total triphosphonucleotides were only slightly decreased in adult animals, but were markedly decreased in aged animals. Also, adult animals maintained a greater proportion of their available triphosphonucleotides in the reduced form (NADPH) compared to aged animals. These results suggest that aged animals may not be able to maintain pulmonary reducing equivalents as efficiently as adult animals in the face of an oxidant insult.

Aging

Pregnancy-induced hypertension: development of a model in the pregnant primate (Papio anubis).

Experiments were performed on two groups of pregnant baboons. In the experimental group, the subrenal aortic blood flow was reduced by 58% of its original value at 100 days of gestational age. In the control group, the blood flow was measured but not restricted. In the experimental group fetal death occurred in three of 12 animals following the use of a single left-flank incision to approach both the renal artery and the abdominal aorta. In the control group, pregnancies in eight of nine animals went successfully to 165 days. In the experimental group the development of hypertension, a decrease in plasma renin activity, an increase in renal resistance, an increase in serum uric acid, and the development of glomerular changes consistent with those seen in human pregnancy-induced hypertension were noted. These studies demonstrate that pregnancy-induced hypertension can be produced experimentally in a pregnant baboon, and this model should prove useful in expediting studies on the pathophysiologic features and treatment of this condition.

Animals

Immunologically related multimeric forms of 30-40 kDa peptides associated with lung surfactant in various mammalian species.

A comparative study of lung surfactant associated proteins was undertaken to determine which mammalian species would best serve as models for investigating alterations of the human lung surfactant system. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified surfactants in the presence of dithiothreitol revealed that surfactant invariably contains at least one peptide with molecular weight of 30 000-40 000. In the absence of disulfide reducing agents, the above peptides were in the form of high-molecular-weight proteins (greater than 400 kDa) in primates and cat, whereas in dog, rat and rabbit, the protein was a 72 kDa dimer. The 30-40 kDa peptide subunits were isolated from human, rat and dog surfactants and found to contain four or five residues of hydroxyproline. Antisera to either the human 34 kDa peptide or high-molecular-weight proteins reacted with the high-molecular-weight bands, the 34 kDa subunit and at least six intermediate disulfide-linked forms separated from purified human surfactant by electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions. Following electrophoresis in the presence of dithiothreitol, both antisera detected the 34 kDa peptide as well as other peptides ranging in molecular weight from 23 000 to 160 000. The isolated 34 kDa peptide readily reaggregated into disulfide-linked forms including 68 and 100 kDa complexes which were not reduced by 40 mM dithiothreitol. We conclude that the 34 kDa surfactant-associated peptide forms a complex system of monomeric and multimeric proteins, which varies among the species and could conceivably vary in distribution during lung development or disease.

Animals

Efficacy of S-2441, a synthetic oligopeptide, in a rat model for gram-negative bacteremia.

In vitro effects of S-2441, H-D-Pro-Phe-Arg-NH-Heptyl, include potent anti-bradykinin activity and broad-spectrum inhibition of serine proteases involved in the coagulation cascade. In this study, rats infused with 7.8 X 10(8) viable Escherichia coli were treated either with saline (group A) or with intravenous (0.1 mg) and intraperitoneal (0.4 mg) doses of S-2441 (group B). Survival rates for groups A and B were 68% and 98%, at 12 hours (P less than 0.001), and 37% and 73% at 24 hours (P less than 0.001), respectively. Hematologic studies revealed that S-2441 significantly inhibited E. coli-induced prolongation of prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time as well as a rapid decrease in the values of factor X, anti-thrombin III, and fibrinogen. In addition, S-2441 attenuated E. coli-induced hypoglycemia and a marked reduction of serum complement level. Ultrastructural evaluation of the liver demonstrated that S-2441 prevented the development of extensive sinusosoidal microthrombosis and hepatocellular necrosis. The results indicate that S-2441 affords protection in lethal gram-negative bacteremia owing in part to attenuation of disseminated intravascular coagulation and complement-mediated reactions. The findings are consistent with the concept that S-2441 and related oligopeptides modulate serine protease-mediated responses involving inhibition of active enzymes with competitive antagonism of pharmcologically active products formed during the activation of coagulation, fibrinolytic, kallikrein, and complement systems.

Animals

Distribution and subcellular localization of surfactant-associated glycoproteins in human lung.

Human surfactant contains lung-specific, high molecular weight glycoproteins which are composed of disulfide-linked 34-kilodalton peptide subunits. We prepared antibodies to both isolated HMW glycoproteins and 34-kilodalton peptides and tested the antisera for specificity with immunochemical procedures. In the present study we have investigated the cellular distribution and subcellular localization of these glycoproteins in surgically excised human lung tissue with or without type II cell hyperplasia. An immunoperoxidase technique was used, and cytoplasmic staining reflecting labeling with antibodies to either high molecular weight glycoproteins or the 34-kilodalton peptide subunits was consistently observed in normal type II cells, Clara cells, and some alveolar macrophages and was more intense and diffuse in hyperplastic type II cells. The ultrastructural localization of surfactant-associated glycoproteins was investigated using the periodate-lysine-paraformaldehyde fixative and a peroxidase-labeled antibody technique. In both normal and proliferating type II cells the staining was localized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum, perinuclear cisternas, vesicles of the Golgi complex, vesicles and lamellar membranes of the multivesicular bodies, and some multivesicular body-lamellar body forms. In addition, staining was frequently found in peripheral portions of partially preserved lamellar bodies including those at the stage of secretion, as well as in association with of alveolar tubular myelin. Labeling was also observed in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of Clara cells. We conclude that antibodies against human surfactant-associated glycoproteins are markers for normal and regenerating type II cells, as well as for Clara cells which apparently retain limited ability to produce surfactant-associated glycoproteins independently of surfactant phospholipids. The results indicate that, in type II cells, synthesis and secretion of these glycoproteins involve the same cytoplasmic organelles that are responsible for synthesis, packaging, storage, and exocytosis of surfactant phospholipids. However, maturation of the lamellar bodies, known to be characterized by progressive accumulation of phospholipids, may not require parallel storage of surfactant-associated glycoproteins within the entire lamellar body compartment.

Aged

Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies of bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma.

A detailed ultrastructural study was made of seven cases of bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma, and the findings were correlated with histochemical and immunohistochemical data. By electron microscopic examination all seven tumors displayed glandular differentiation, manifested by the presence of microvilli and intercellular junctions, with or without mucin production. Variable proportions of tumor cells retained ultrastructural characteristics of alveolar type II cells and Clara cells. In addition, some tumor cells revealed desmosomes and tonofilaments consistent with squamous differentiation. Immunohistochemical evaluation was carried out using a peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique and specific antibodies against surfactant high molecular weight glycoproteins, keratin proteins, IgA + secretory piece, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Four tumors with type II cell-like differentiation stained with anti-surfactant glycoprotein sera. All seven tumors stained focally with anti-keratin and IgA + anti-secretory piece antibodies, and diffusely with CEA. These tumors failed to stain with antisera against HCG and AFP. It is concluded that bronciolo-alveolar carcinomas are primarily composed of cells with alveolar and bronchiolar cell differentiation. Adequate criteria were established for ultrastructural identification of tumor cells with differentiation to type II alveolar cell or Clara cell. Moreover, the findings of this study indicate that the surfactant glycoprotein marker, when present in a given tumor either diffusely or focally, is diagnostic of bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma