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Biomedical subjects

M Reddington

Publications and source records attributed to M Reddington.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Increased incidence and analysis of emperipolesis in megakaryocytes of the mouse mutant gunmetal.

Mutant gunmetal (gm/gm) mice exhibit prolonged bleeding, platelet granule defects, abnormal megakaryocyte demarcation membranes, and thrombocytopenia. The number of megakaryocytes in gm/gm mice is increased substantially. Also, the percentage of gm/gm megakaryocytes exhibiting emperipolesis is increased. However, the number of emperipolesed cells per megakaryocyte is not. EC are of several hematopoietic lineages, with a slight skew to granulocytes, and include mature, primitive, and degenerating cells. No significant differences in the types of emperipolesed cells were observed between mutant mice and their normal gm/+ or +/+ counterparts. The increased incidence of emperipolesis in gm/gm megakaryocytes is controlled by the megakaryocyte genotype, not systemic factors. A significant practical finding of these studies was the demonstration that increased emperipolesis results in a significant "right shift" in megakaryocyte ploidy determined by flow cytometry.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Survival and lung pathology of mouse models of Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome and Chediak-Higashi syndrome.

Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS), a recessively inherited disease in humans, affects the biosynthesis/processing of the related intracellular organelles: lysosomes, melanosomes, and platelet dense granules. The disease is multigenic in both humans and mice where 14 separate genes have been demonstrated to be causative. Patients often die prematurely with severe lung abnormalities. Patients with the related Chediak-Higashi Syndrome (CHS) likewise have significantly reduced life spans. Long-term survival and lung histomorphology were analyzed in a pilot experiment involving several genetically defined singly and doubly mutant mouse HPS mutants and the beige CHS mutant to determine whether these parameters are altered in the mouse models. The mutants differed widely in both longevity and lung architecture. Mice doubly homozygous for the pale ear and ruby eye or for the muted and pearl genes had the shortest life spans with none surviving the two-year experimental duration. Life spans were similarly severely reduced in the beige and gunmetal mutants. Intermediate life spans were apparent in the pearl, pallid, and cocoa mutants whereas minimal effects were noted in ruby eye, muted, light ear, and cocoa mutants. Enlarged air spaces were noted in histologic sections of lungs of several of the mutants. For the most part, the severity of lung abnormalities was inversely proportional to the long-term survival of these various mutants, suggesting that lung pathology may contribute to mortality, as has been suggested for human HPS patients.

Albinism, Oculocutaneous↗
PubMed1998

Cultured astrocytes express functional receptors for galanin.

The neuropeptides galanin and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) are strongly up-regulated in motoneurons following axotomy. Earlier reports have suggested that peptides might be released from injured neurons to recruit surrounding glia. In this study, the effects of galanin and CGRP on cultured rat astrocytes were investigated using the expression of immediate early genes as a model for receptor-mediated transcriptional activation. Galanin was found to induce c-fos, junB, and Tis11 mRNA in cultured astrocytes, providing evidence for the presence of functional galanin receptors on neuroglial cells. In contrast, CGRP only led to the induction of c-fos and junB mRNA. Cholecystokinin (CCK-8) and substance P, which are also up-regulated in select motoneuron populations following axotomy, fail to induce immediate early genes in astrocytes, indicating specificity of neuropeptides in their ability to stimulate glial cells. The differential induction of immediate early gene expression by galanin and CGRP in astrocytes points to differences in intracellular signal transduction mechanisms. Whereas CGRP was found to stimulate the accumulation of cyclic AMP by 10- to 20-fold, galanin had no effect on basal cyclic AMP content. The effect of CGRP on cyclic AMP accumulation was completely reversed by the CGRP receptor antagonist, CGRP(8-37). These results suggest roles for galanin and CGRP in the transcriptional activation of astrocytes.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Stimulation of P2Y-purinoceptors on astrocytes results in immediate early gene expression and potentiation of neuropeptide action.

The action of adenosine-5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate), a non-hydrolysable purine analogue and potent P2Y1-purinoceptor agonist, was studied on immediate early gene expression in rat astrocyte cultures. A rapid and transient increase in c-fos, junB, c-jun and Tis11 messenger RNA was observed in cultured astrocytes after treatment with adenosine-5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate). Maximal induction of immediate early gene expression was obtained within 30 min of stimulation and c-fos was the most sensitive indicator of P2Y-purinoceptor activation. Calcitonin gene-related peptide has also been shown to be a potent inducer of c-fos messenger RNA in cultured astroglial cells. The combined stimulation of astrocytes with calcitonin gene-related peptide and adenosine-5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) resulted in the potentiated expression of c-fos messenger RNA. The superinduction of immediate early gene expression by calcitonin gene-related peptide and extracellular ATP in cultured astrocytes might result from intracellular signal transduction cross-talk, since adenosine-5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) was found to increase calcitonin gene-related peptide-induced cyclic AMP accumulation by 35%. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate also increased calcitonin gene-related peptide-evoked cyclic AMP accumulation and led to the induction of immediate early gene expression, suggesting that protein kinase C might be at least in part involved in purinergic cross-talk. Our results demonstrate synergistic roles for extracellular ATP and calcitonin gene-related peptide in the transcriptional activation of astroglial cells.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1998

Regulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 mRNA accumulation by basic fibroblast growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta1 in cultured rat astrocytes.

The effects of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were examined on the accumulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) mRNA in astrocytes in vitro. Both cytokines stimulated PAI-1 mRNA expression transiently with a maximal fivefold (bFGF) and 30-fold (TGF-beta1) at 4 h, decreasing to basal levels within 32 h. EC50 values were 1.4 nM for bFGF and 6.7 pM for TGF-beta1 on PAI-1 mRNA accumulation. A twofold increase in content of tPA mRNA was observed with bFGF but not with TGF-beta1. The action of TGF-beta1 on PAI-1 mRNA was inhibited by cycloheximide, indicating a requirement for de novo protein synthesis. In contrast, cycloheximide potentiated the action of bFGF. Nuclear run-on assays showed that bFGF, but not TGF-beta1, stimulated astrocytic PAI-1 gene transcription. Thus, TGF-beta1 predominantly uses posttranscriptional mechanisms to raise the level of PAI-1 mRNA in astrocytes, whereas bFGF acts at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. The data reveal differences in the mechanisms underlying the regulation of PAI-1 mRNA levels by TGF-beta1 in astrocytes compared with other cells. The action of TGF-beta1 and bFGF on the plasminogen activator system in astrocytes might be involved in the cellular events accompanying glial activation following injury of the CNS.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Molecular markers near the mouse brachymorphic (bm) gene, which affects connective tissues and bleeding time.

Several inherited skeletal/connective tissue defects are associated with hemorrhagic disorders in humans. Accordingly, three mouse mutants (brachymorphic [bm], hemimelic extra toes [Hx], and ulnaless [Ul]), with inherited skeletal abnormalities, were analyzed for hemorrhagic tendencies. All three had prolonged bleeding times. Platelet numbers, size, and function, as well as common soluble plasma clotting factors, were not measurably affected. To further define the bm mutation, its chromosomal location relative to 19 other molecular markers was determined to a high resolution in a large interspecific backcross. Several microsatellite markers were found to be very closely linked to bm and should provide useful entry points for the eventual identification of this gene by positional/candidate cloning techniques. These results suggest that inherited skeletal abnormalities and bleeding tendencies are associated more frequently in both humans and animal models than is commonly recognized. Identification of these genes may reveal novel relationships between osteogenesis and hemostasis.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Induction of urokinase-type plasminogen activator in rat facial nucleus by axotomy of the facial nerve.

The response of plasminogen activator activity in the CNS to peripheral nerve axotomy was examined in vivo. After transection of the rat facial nerve, a transient increase in plasminogen activator activity was observed in the facial nucleus on the operated side with maximal activity 3-5 days after lesion. This activity was inhibited by the urokinase-specific inhibitor amiloride but not by antibodies against tissue plasminogen activator. The molecular mass of the induced form of plasminogen activator was estimated to be approximately 48 kDa. An in vitro assay of plasminogen hydrolysis also demonstrated an increase in amiloride-sensitive plasminogen activator activity in facial nerve extracts following facial nerve axotomy. These data indicate that the plasminogen activator activity induced in the facial nucleus following axotomy of facial motoneurons is of the urokinase type. It is suggested that the urokinase-type plasminogen activator might play a role in the events accompanying injury and regeneration in the facial nucleus following motoneuron lesion.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Inherited prolonged bleeding time and platelet storage pool deficiency in the subtle gray (sut) mouse.

A high proportion of mouse mutants with diluted pigmentation have severely prolonged bleeding times due to platelet storage pool deficiency. The deficiency is associated with concomitant abnormalities in platelet dense granules and coat pigment granules. The coat color of the subtle gray (sut) mouse is diluted to a relatively minor degree. Analysis of platelet serotonin concentration established that this dense granule component similarly is reduced a relatively small amount in this mutant. The subtle gray mouse thus allowed a test of the hypothesis that relatively small changes in platelet dense granule contents may cause discernible increases in bleeding times. Bleeding times of mutant mice were significantly prolonged (3.4-fold) in comparison with those in normal sut/+ controls. These bleeding times were significantly reduced in comparison with other mouse pigment dilution mutants with more severe storage pool deficiency. These results establish the subtle gray mouse as an appropriate animal model for mild storage pool deficiency and human Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome. They indicate, together with related experiments, that bleeding times are highly sensitive to concentrations of platelet dense granule components such as serotonin.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1995

Inherited thrombocytopenia caused by reduced platelet production in mice with the gunmetal pigment gene mutation.

Hereditary macrothrombocytopenia and prolonged bleeding times are associated with the recessive mouse pigment dilution gene gunmetal (gm). Other platelet abnormalities include a mild storage pool deficiency and abnormal expression of two low-molecular-weight guanosine triphosphate binding proteins. These studies were designed to further elucidate the cause of the macrothrombocytopenia. The life span of gunmetal mouse platelets was not significantly different from normal. However, rates of platelet synthesis, measured by sulfate incorporation, were decreased to 25% of normal values. Bone marrow transplantation of normal marrow cells corrected the thrombocytopenia. Furthermore, direct morphologic analysis of mature mutant marrow megakaryocytes by transmission electron microscopy showed reductions in the normal cytoplasmic demarcation membrane system, areas of abnormal membrane complexes, and an increased incidence of emperipolesis. Mutant platelets were relatively more heterogeneous in size and contained unusual elongated and striated inclusions. Mutant megakaryocyte numbers were increased threefold to fivefold over normal numbers in marrow and spleen. Thus, the efficiency of platelet production from gunmetal megakaryocytes is reduced by an order of magnitude. Mutant marrow had a greater proportion of 32N and a smaller proportion of 8N megakaryocytes. Collectively, the results indicate that the gunmetal gene acts intrinsically in megakaryocytes and that an abnormality in this gene causes significant qualitative and quantitative effects on platelet production.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Calcitonin gene-related peptide and ATP induce immediate early gene expression in cultured rat microglial cells.

Factors affecting gene expression in microglial cells were investigated using the induction of immediate early genes in cultured microglia as a model. In particular, the actions of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and ATP, both of which have been proposed as signalling molecules in the activation of glial cells, were evaluated using Northern blotting and in situ hybridization methods. In the presence of CGRP, c-fos and junB mRNAs accumulated in microglial cultures, whereas no significant change in c-jun and TIS11 mRNAs occurred. A similar pattern of immediate early gene activation was obtained when adenylate cyclase was stimulated with forskolin. CGRP also stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation with a half-maximal effect in the range 2-5 nM, suggesting a possible role for cyclic AMP as a mediator of the effects of CGRP on gene expression. In contrast to the selective induction of c-fos and junB by CGRP and forskolin, ATP led to the accumulation of all four immediate early genes studied, i.e., c-fos, junB, c-jun, and TIS11. Similar results were obtained when protein kinase C was stimulated with phorbol ester indicating that the induction of immediate early gene expression by ATP and CGRP involves different intracellular mechanisms. The action of ATP was mimicked by ADP and the poorly hydrolyzable analogues, ADP beta S and 2-methylthio ATP, but not by beta, gamma-methylene ATP, AMP, or adenosine, indicating that the receptor mediating the actions of ATP on microglial gene expression is probably of the P2Y-purinoreceptor type. The results suggest roles for CGRP and ATP as transcriptional activators in microglial cells.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1995

Astrocytes and microglia as potential targets for calcitonin gene related peptide in the central nervous system.

Injury of peripheral motoneurons leads to the activation of astrocytes and microglia in the vicinity of the damaged neurons in the central nervous system. It has been proposed that neuropeptides such as the calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP), which show an increased expression in motoneurons following axotomy, play a role as signalling molecules mediating the interactions between the damaged neurons and surrounding glial cells. Evidence supporting this hypothesis is provided by in vitro investigations of the actions of neuropeptides on glial cells. CGRP induces activation of both astrocytes and microglia at the transcriptional level, as seen by the stimulation of mRNA for the immediate early gene, c-fos, in these cells in culture. In addition to its stimulation of immediate early gene expression, treatment of astrocyte cultures with CGRP stimulated release of the tissue plasminogen activator and led to the accumulation of mRNAs for tissue plasminogen activator and the plasminogen activator inhibitor 1. These components of the plasminogen activator system, which has been implicated in processes of tissue remodelling, are upregulated in astrocytes in the facial nucleus in vivo after facial nerve axotomy. The data suggest a role for CGRP as a mediator of glial cell activation following motoneuron injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

von Willebrand disease in the RIIIS/J mouse is caused by a defect outside of the von Willebrand factor gene.

An animal model for human type I von Willebrand disease (vWD) has been previously described in the inbred mouse strain RIIIS/J. Murine vWD is characterized by a prolonged bleeding time, normal von Willebrand factor (vWF) multimer distribution, autosomal dominant inheritance, and proportionately decreased plasma vWF antigen, ristocetin cofactor, and factor VIII (FVIII) activities. To study the molecular genetics of murine vWD, a portion of the vWF gene surrounding exon 28 was cloned, sequenced, and used to develop two informative DNA sequence polymorphisms for rapid genotyping by DNA polymerase chain reaction. RIIIS/J mice were crossed with PWK/Ph mice, an inbred line of Mus musculus musculus, and the F1 progeny backcrossed to the parental PWK/Ph strain. vWF antigen levels in F1 mice were not significantly different from the parental RIIIS/J strain but were markedly decreased compared with the parental PWK/Ph mice. Genetic linkage analysis of 104 backcross progeny showed no correlation between vWF antigen level and vWF genotype. These data indicate that murine vWD is caused by a defect at a novel genetic locus, distinct from the murine vWF gene. The distribution of vWF antigen levels among backcross progeny suggests the presence of one major dominant vWD gene in the RIIIS/J mouse with possible modifying contributions from one or more additional minor loci. These observations may provide new insights into the molecular basis and variable expressivity of human vWD.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Inherited abnormalities in platelet organelles and platelet formation and associated altered expression of low molecular weight guanosine triphosphate-binding proteins in the mouse pigment mutant gunmetal.

Gunmetal (gm/gm) is a recessively inherited mouse pigment dilution mutant that has high mortality and poor reproductive rates. In these studies, several hematologic defects were found associated with the mutation, including prolonged bleeding times, together with thrombocytopenia and increased platelet size. A unique feature is the presence of simultaneous abnormalities in two platelet organelles, dense granules and alpha-granules. The dense granule component serotonin is present at about half the normal concentration, as are visible dense granules. Three alpha-granule components (fibrinogen, platelet factor 4, and von Willebrand factor) are also significantly reduced. Thus, in several respects the gunmetal mutant resembles the human gray platelet syndrome. A novel abnormality in expression of low molecular weight guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins occurs in platelets of gunmetal. In Western blot assays, two additional GTP-binding proteins of 28.5 and 25 Kd were detected. The abnormal expression of GTP-binding proteins is, like the hematologic defects, genetically recessive and is tissue specific. Liver, kidney, brain, spleen, macrophages, and neutrophils have normal GTP-binding protein expression. The additional GTP-binding proteins are soluble. The data indicate that platelet formation and platelet organelle biogenesis are under common genetic control and that abnormal regulation of GTP-binding proteins may affect one or both processes.

Animals↗