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Biomedical subjects

Kenneth L Tyler

Publications and source records attributed to Kenneth L Tyler.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Novel nuclear herniations induced by nuclear localization of a viral protein.

A common consequence of viral infection is perturbation of host cell nuclear functions. For cytoplasmically replicating viruses, this process may require regulated transport of specific viral proteins into the nucleus. Here, we describe a novel form of virus-induced perturbation of host cell nuclear structures. Active signal-mediated nuclear import of the reovirus sigma1s protein results in redistribution of nuclear pore complexes and nuclear lamins and formation of nuclear herniations. These herniations represent a previously undescribed mechanism by which cytoplasmic viral infection can perturb nuclear architecture and induce cytopathic effects, which ultimately lead to disease pathogenesis in the infected host.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

Caspase inhibition protects against reovirus-induced myocardial injury in vitro and in vivo.

Viral myocarditis is a disease with a high morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of this disease remains poorly characterized, with components of both direct virus-mediated and secondary inflammatory and immune responses contributing to disease. Apoptosis has increasingly been viewed as an important mechanism of myocardial injury in noninfectious models of cardiac disease, including ischemia and failure. Using a reovirus murine model of viral myocarditis, we characterized and targeted apoptosis as a key mechanism of virus-associated myocardial injury in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated caspase-3 activation, in conjunction with terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling and annexin binding, in cardiac myocytes after myocarditic viral infection in vitro. We also demonstrated a tight temporal and geographical correlation between caspase-3 activation, histologic injury, and viral load in cardiac tissue after myocarditic viral infection in vivo. Two pharmacologic agents that broadly inhibit caspase activity, Q-VD-OPH and Z-VAD(OMe)-FMK, effectively inhibited virus-induced cellular death in vitro. The inhibition of caspase activity in vivo by the use of pharmacologic agents as well as genetic manipulation reduced virus-induced myocardial injury by 40 to 60% and dramatically improved survival in infected caspase-3-deficient animals. This study indicates that apoptosis plays a critical role in mediating cardiac injury in the setting of viral myocarditis and is the first demonstration that caspase inhibition may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy for this devastating disease.

Animals↗

JNK regulates the release of proapoptotic mitochondrial factors in reovirus-infected cells.

Reovirus-induced apoptosis is associated with activation of the proapoptotic mitogen-activated protein kinase c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and the JNK-associated transcription factor c-Jun. Here we show that reovirus-induced apoptosis and activation of caspase 3 are inhibited in cells deficient in MEK kinase 1, an upstream activator of JNK in reovirus-infected cells. Inhibition of JNK activity following reovirus infection delays the release of proapoptotic mitochondrial factors and the subsequent onset of apoptosis. In contrast, reovirus-induced apoptosis is not blocked by infection with adenovirus expressing dominant-negative c-Jun, and c-Jun activation does not correlate with apoptosis in reovirus-infected cells. This is the first report demonstrating that JNK is associated with regulation of mitochondrial pathways of apoptosis following viral infection.

Apoptosis↗

Herpes simplex virus infections of the central nervous system: encephalitis and meningitis, including Mollaret's.

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is a life-threatening consequence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection of the central nervous system (CNS). Although HSE is rare, mortality rates reach 70% in the absence of therapy and only a minority of individuals return to normal function. Antiviral therapy is most effective when started early, necessitating prompt diagnosis. The International Herpes Management Forum (IHMF) has issued guidelines to aid the diagnosis and treatment of HSE. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the diagnostic method of choice for HSE, but negative results need to be interpreted in the context of the patient's clinical presentation and the timing of the CSF sampling. CSF virus culture is of little value in all but patients under the age of 6 months. CSF (intrathecal) antibody measurements are not recommended for acute diagnostic purposes. However, demonstration of an intrathecal HSV antibody response may be helpful in retrospective diagnosis or in cases in which CSF is sampled only late after onset of infection and PCR is negative. Serum HSV antibody measurements are not of utility in the diagnosis of HSV encephalitis in adults. In children and young adults, HSV serology may help define whether HSE is part of a primary or a reactivated HSV infection, although the clinical features, therapy, and prognosis of these two forms of HSV encephalitis are similar. The IHMF recommends that all patients with HSE receive intravenous aciclovir 10 mg/kg every 8 h for 14-21 days. Owing to the life-threatening nature of the disease, if there is a delay in diagnostic test results therapy should not be withheld until they become available. After completion of therapy, PCR of the CSF can confirm the elimination of replicating virus, aiding further management of the patient. Clinical trials of other antiviral agents (i.e. adjunctive oral valaciclovir after intravenous aciclovir) for the treatment of HSE are underway. Herpes infection of the CNS, especially with HSV-2, can also cause both monophasic and recurrent aseptic meningitis, as well as myelitis or radiculitis. Limited evidence suggests that aciclovir may be effective in its treatment. Recurrent aseptic meningitis is predominantly caused by HSV-2 infection, and is characterized by self-limited episodes of fever, meningismus and severe headache. Many cases are indistinguishable from cases previously classified as "Mollaret's meningitis", a term that should now be reserved for idiopathic cases of recurrent aseptic meningitis.

Acyclovir↗

Update on herpes simplex encephalitis.

Herpes simplex encephalitis is the most common identified cause of sporadic viral encephalitis in the United States. Early diagnosis is critical because treatment with the antiviral drug acyclovir dramatically decreases morbidity and mortality. The use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques to amplify the genome of herpes simplex virus (HSV) from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has become the diagnostic procedure of choice. False-positive CSF HSV PCR results are rare when testing is performed in experienced laboratories. Negative CSF HSV PCR results should always be interpreted in the context of the timing of specimen collection and the likelihood of disease. Negative CSF HSV PCR tests can occur within the first 72 hours of illness, with subsequent tests becoming positive. Patients with HSV encephalitis will typically have a negative CSF HSV PCR after 14 days of acyclovir treatment, and a persisting positive PCR should prompt consideration of additional or revised antiviral therapy. Quantitative PCR testing provides information about HSV viral load in CSF, but the potential correlation of viral load with prognosis or other clinical features of disease remains uncertain. Although the neuroimaging abnormalities seen in HSV encephalitis are not unique, more than 90% of patients with proven HSV encephalitis will have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities involving the temporal lobes. Special MRI techniques, including fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and diffusion-weighted imaging, might reveal abnormalities not seen with conventional imaging sequences. Neuroimaging patterns in infants and children differ significantly from those seen in adults and include a higher frequency of extratemporal lesions.

Acyclovir↗

MEKK1 regulates calpain-dependent proteolysis of focal adhesion proteins for rear-end detachment of migrating fibroblasts.

Herein, we define how MEKK1, a MAPK kinase kinase, regulates cell migration. MEKK1 is associated with actin fibers and focal adhesions, localizing MEKK1 to sites critical in the control of cell adhesion and migration. EGF-induced ERK1/2 activation and chemotaxis are inhibited in MEKK1-/- fibroblasts. MEKK1 deficiency causes loss of vinculin in focal adhesions of migrating cells, increased cell adhesion and impeded rear-end detachment. MEKK1 is required for activation of the cysteine protease calpain and cleavage of spectrin and talin, proteins linking focal adhesions to the cytoskeleton. Inhibition of ERK1/2 or calpain, but not of JNK, mimics MEKK1 deficiency. Therefore, MEKK1 regulates calpain-mediated substratum release of migrating fibroblasts.

Animals↗

Two distinct phases of virus-induced nuclear factor kappa B regulation enhance tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-mediated apoptosis in virus-infected cells.

Cellular transcription factors are often utilized by infecting viruses to promote viral growth and influence cell fate. We have previously shown that nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) is activated after reovirus infection and that this activation is required for virus-induced apoptosis. In this report we identify a second phase of reovirus-induced NF-kappaB regulation. We show that at later times post-infection NF-kappaB activation is blocked in reovirus-infected cells. This results in the termination of virus-induced NF-kappaB activity and the inhibition of tumor necrosis factor alpha and etoposide-induced NF-kappaB activation in infected cells. Reovirus-induced inhibition of NF-kappaB activation occurs by a mechanism that prevents IkappaBalpha degradation and that is blocked in the presence of the viral RNA synthesis inhibitor, ribavirin. Reovirus-induced apoptosis is mediated by tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) in a variety of epithelial cell lines. Herein we show that ribavirin inhibits reovirus-induced apoptosis in TRAIL-resistant HEK293 cells and prevents the ability of reovirus infection to sensitize TRAIL-resistant cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, TRAIL-induced apoptosis is enhanced in HEK293 cells expressing IkappaBDeltaN2, which blocks NF-kappaB activation. These results indicate that the ability of reovirus to inhibit NF-kappaB activation sensitizes HEK293 cells to TRAIL and facilitates virus-induced apoptosis in TRAIL-resistant cells. Our findings demonstrate that two distinct phases of virus-induced NF-kappaB regulation are required to efficiently activate host cell apoptotic responses to reovirus infection.

Apoptosis↗

Origins and early descriptions of "Duchenne muscular dystrophy".

One of the seminal events in the history of neurology was the identification of primary diseases of muscle and their separation from diseases in which muscle weakness was secondary to injury involving the anterior horns of the spinal cord ("progressive muscular atrophy"). Not surprisingly, one of the first groups of primary muscle diseases to be satisfactorily characterized belonged to what would today be classified as muscular dystrophies. Pride of place in this group belongs to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). DMD's primacy as the first well-characterized muscular dystrophy was due both to the fact that it is relatively common, as well as to the clinically striking feature, apparent in many cases, of apparent paradoxical enlargement of severely weakened muscles ("pseudo-hypertrophy"). This review traces the historical roots of DMD in the 19th century, from the early papers by Conte, Bell, Partridge, and Meryon through the classic monographs by Duchenne and Gowers. In addition, the first American contributions to DMD are reviewed, including those by Pepper, Hammond, and S. Weir Mitchell. Many of the original papers describing this disease are now unavailable outside of major medical libraries, and several important contributions, excepting those of Duchenne, which are recognized eponymously, are now virtually forgotten.

History, 19th Century↗

Reovirus-induced alteration in expression of apoptosis and DNA repair genes with potential roles in viral pathogenesis.

Reoviruses are a leading model for understanding cellular mechanisms of virus-induced apoptosis. Reoviruses induce apoptosis in multiple cell lines in vitro, and apoptosis plays a key role in virus-induced tissue injury of the heart and brain in vivo. The activation of transcription factors NF-kappaB and c-Jun are key events in reovirus-induced apoptosis, indicating that new gene expression is critical to this process. We used high-density oligonucleotide microarrays to analyze cellular transcriptional alterations in HEK293 cells after infection with reovirus strain T3A (i.e., apoptosis inducing) compared to infection with reovirus strain T1L (i.e., minimally apoptosis inducing) and uninfected cells. These strains also differ dramatically in their potential to induce apoptotic injury in hearts of infected mice in vivo-T3A is myocarditic, whereas T1L is not. Using high-throughput microarray analysis of over 12,000 genes, we identified differential expression of a defined subset of genes involved in apoptosis and DNA repair after reovirus infection. This provides the first comparative analysis of altered gene expression after infection with viruses of differing apoptotic phenotypes and provides insight into pathogenic mechanisms of virus-induced disease.

Animals↗

Type 3 reovirus neuroinvasion after intramuscular inoculation: viral genetic determinants of lethality and spinal cord infection.

To better understand the mechanisms by which neurotropic viruses invade peripheral nerve pathways and produce CNS disease, we defined the type 3 (T3) reovirus genes that are determinants of the capacity of reovirus T3 strain Dearing (T3D) and T3 clone 9 (C9) to infect the spinal cord and kill mice after hindlimb injection. T3D and C9 viruses are both highly virulent (LD(50) < 10(1) PFU) after intracranial injection of neonatal mice. However, C9 is significantly more lethal than T3D after either intramuscular injection (LD(50) < 10(1) vs LD(50) 10(4) PFU) or peroral injection (LD(50) 10(3.4) vs LD(50) > 10(8.3) PFU). Using reassortant viruses containing different combinations of genes derived from T3D and C9, we found that the S1 gene, encoding the cell attachment protein sigma 1 and the nonstructural protein sigma 1s, and the L3 gene, encoding the core shell protein lambda 1 were the primary determinants of lethality after intramuscular injection. The L3 gene and the L2 gene encoding spike protein, lambda 2, determined differences in spinal cord titer after intramuscular injection. A C9 x T3D mono-reassortant containing all T3D genes except for the C9-derived L3 was lethal after peroral injection. These studies indicate that the S1, L2, and L3 genes all play a potential role in neuroinvasiveness and provide the first identification of a role in pathogenesis for the L3 gene.

Administration, Oral↗

Central nervous system apoptosis in human herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus encephalitis.

Central nervous system (CNS) specimens from 10 immunocompetent patients with herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) and 3 infants with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) encephalitis were analyzed to determine whether apoptosis is a feature of CNS injury in these patients. Apoptotic neurons and glia were detected in significant numbers in acute HSE and CMV encephalitis. Occurring predominantly in areas of productive viral infection, apoptosis appeared to result from direct viral injury to neurons and was not dependent on inflammatory T cell responses. In contrast to patients with acute cases, patients with late sequelae of HSE or CMV had no detectable virus and minimal neuronal or glial apoptosis, regardless of the degree of inflammation. This is the first demonstration of apoptotic neuronal death in humans with HSE. These results suggest that neuronal apoptosis is an important contributing factor to acute CNS injury and may serve as a novel therapeutic target in these patients.

Adolescent↗

TRAIL and inhibitors of apoptosis are opposing determinants for NF-kappaB-dependent, genotoxin-induced apoptosis of cancer cells.

Opposing pro- and anti-apoptotic actions of TRAIL and the inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs) contribute to the cell's decision to survive or die. We demonstrate that in H157 human lung carcinoma cells, etoposide and doxorubicin induce the NF-kappaB-dependent expression of both pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins including TRAIL and its death receptor, DR5, and IAPs. Inhibition of NF-kappaB activation in H157 cells in response to genotoxin resulted in loss of cell surface expression of TRAIL and DR5, aggressive growth and chemotherapy resistance of tumors in nude mice. Similar to the paracrine TRAIL response in H157 cells, the sensitivity of normal lung and breast epithelium and carcinomas to undergo genotoxin-induced apoptosis correlates strongly with cell surface expression of TRAIL. Suppression of TRAIL signaling by expression of the TRAIL decoy receptor, DcR1, confers chemoresistance to cancer cells. These findings demonstrate that TRAIL signaling via its death receptors is a significant contributor to genotoxin-induced apoptosis in human epithelial carcinomas.

Apoptosis↗

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and apoptosis of infected oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system of patients with and without AIDS.

CONTEXT: Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by JC virus (JCV) that occurs in immunocompromised patients. Demyelination of the CNS is a consequence of virus-induced killing of oligodendrocytes, although the exact mechanism of cell death is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine archival autopsy and surgical pathologic specimens from 8 patients with PML, including 6 patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated PML and 2 patients with non-HIV-associated PML, for evidence of apoptosis. DESIGN: Apoptotic cells were identified by TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end in situ labeling) or immunohistochemical detection of activated caspase 3. The JCV-infected cells were identified by in situ hybridization for viral transcripts or immunohistochemical analysis for JCV T antigen. RESULTS: Apoptosis of JCV-infected oligodendrocyte apoptosis was a prominent feature in all cases of both HIV- and non-HIV-associated PML. There were no differences between number or distribution of apoptotic cells identified by TUNEL or immunohistochemical analysis for activated caspase 3. Bizarre astrocytes were occasionally positive for JCV but were not apoptotic. Neurons, astrocytes, macrophages, and oligodendrocytes remote from lesions were neither apoptotic nor JCV infected. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that apoptosis occurs in oligodendrocytes associated with demyelinated lesions of patients with both HIV-associated and non-HIV-associated PML. There were no differences in degree, location, or type of infected or apoptotic cells between patients with HIV-associated and non-HIV-associated PML. The extent of apoptosis did not correlate with the presence or intensity of host inflammatory response. Accumulation of viral particles in nuclei of infected cells made it difficult to identify morphologic changes in the nucleus typically associated with apoptosis.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗