Functional role of the 503F variant of the organic cation transporter OCTN1 in Crohn's disease.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to N Jung.
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BALB/c mice that express IL-10 as a transgene in their pancreatic beta cells (Ins-IL-10 mice) do not develop diabetes, even after crossing to nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice ((Ins-IL-10 x NOD)F(1) mice). However, backcross of F(1) mice to NOD mice (NOD.Ins-IL-10 mice) results in N2 and N3 generations that develop accelerated diabetes. In this study, we found that NOD.Ins-IL-10 mice that expressed BALB/c-derived MHC molecules (NOD.Ins-IL-10(H-2(g7/d)) mice) were protected from diabetes. This protection associated with peri-islet infiltration and preserved beta cell function. Moreover, expression of I-A(d) and I-E(d) MHC class II molecules of BALB/c origin was not responsible for protection, but NOD.Ins-IL-10 mice that expressed BALB/c MHC class I D(d) molecules (NOD.Ins-IL-10(H-2(g7/d)) mice) did not develop diabetes. To directly test the possibility of a protective role of H-2D(d) in the development of accelerated diabetes, we generated transgenic mice expressing D(d) under the control of the MHC class I promoter. We found that double transgenic NOD.Ins-IL-10-D(d) mice developed accelerated diabetes in a fashion similar to NOD.Ins-IL-10 mice that were D(d) negative. Microsatellite analysis of H-2D(d)-linked loci confirmed association between BALB/c-derived alleles and protection of NOD.Ins-IL-10(H-2(g7/d)) mice. These results suggest a control of H-2D(d)-linked gene(s) on IL-10-mediated acceleration of autoimmune diabetes and dominant protection of the D(d) region in NOD.Ins-IL-10 mice.
The nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse develops spontaneous T-cell-dependent autoimmune diabetes. We tested here whether vaccination of NOD mice with a plasmid DNA encoding glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), an initial target islet antigen of autoimmune T cell repertoire, would modulate their diabetes. Our results showed that vaccination of young or old female NOD mice with the GAD-plasmid DNA, but not control-plasmid DNA, effectively prevented their diabetes, demonstrating that GAD-plasmid DNA vaccination is quite effective in abrogating diabetes even after the development of insulitis. The prevention of diabetes did not follow the induction of immunoregulatory Th2 cells but was dependent upon CD28/B7 costimulation. Our results suggest a potential for treating spontaneous autoimmune diabetes via DNA vaccination with plasmids encoding self-Ag.
Mannose analogues (2-deoxy-D-glucose, 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose and 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-mannose) have been used to study glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPtdIns) biosynthesis and GPtdIns protein anchoring in protozoal and mammalian systems. The effects of these analogues on GPtdIns biosynthesis and GPtdIns-protein anchoring of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum were evaluated in this study. At lower concentrations of 2-deoxy-D-glucose and 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D glucose (0.2 and 0.1 mm, respectively), GPtdIns biosynthesis is inhibited without significant effects on total protein biosynthesis. At higher concentrations of 2-deoxy-D-glucose and 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose (1.5 and 0.8 mm, respectively), the incorporation of [3H]glucosamine into glycolipids was inhibited by 90%, and the attachment of GPtdIns anchor to merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1) was prevented. However, at these concentrations, both sugar analogues inhibit MSP-1 synthesis and total protein biosynthesis. In contrast to 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose and 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-mannose (mannosamine), the formation of new glycolipids was observed only in the presence of tritiated or nonradiolabelled 2-deoxy-D-glucose. Mannosamine inhibits GPtdIns biosynthesis at a concentration of 5 mm, but neither an accumulation of aberrant intermediates nor significant inhibition of total protein biosynthesis was observed in the presence of this analogue. Furthermore, the [3H]mannosamine-labelled glycolipid spectrum resembled the one described for [3H]glucosamine labelling. Total hydrolysis of mannosamine labelled glycolipids showed that half of the tritiated mannosamine incorporated into glycolipids was converted to glucosamine. This high rate of conversion led us to suggest that no actual inhibition from GPtdIns biosynthesis is achieved with the treatment with mannosamine, which is different to what has been observed for mammalian cells and other parasitic protozoa.
The elimination of fibrinogen from plasma improves plasma viscosity and whole-blood viscosity. For extracorporeal adsorption of fibrinogen, the pentapeptide gly-pro-arg-pro-lys was coupled to sepharose CL-4B3. Adsorbers containing 135 ml of coupled sepharose CL-4B were used to eliminate fibrinogen from the plasma of 7 men and 3 women (48-75 years old). Nine patients suffered from diabetes mellitus, 1 patient from peripheral arterial occlusive disease, and 5 patients were on regular hemodialysis. Treatments were scheduled on Days 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, and 28. One hundred forty-four treatments with fibrinogen adsorption were performed. No clinical side effects due to the fibrinogen adsorption procedure were observed. In these 10 patients, fibrinogen concentration before the first treatment was 473.7 +/- 183.7 mg/dl. In the first treatment session, fibrinogen concentration was lowered to 241.4 +/- 125.8 mg/dl by treating 4,270 +/- 1,180 ml of plasma. In the following 134 treatments, the pretreatment concentration of fibrinogen was 262.6 +/- 83.4 mg/dl, and the posttreatment concentration was 120.6 +/- 37.2 mg/dl. The mean amount of plasma treated was 3,737 +/- 1,643 ml, and the mean duration of a treatment session (except first treatment) was 143.7 +/- 63.1 min. In 7 patients, a mean posttreatment fibrinogen concentration of < or = 123 mg/dl was obtained; in the other patients, concentrations of 133, 177, and 184 mg/dl were obtained. Yet, the decrease of fibrinogen concentration was also pronounced in these 3 patients: -82%, -67%, and -73%, respectively. During the treatment period of 28 days, wound healing was observed in 9 of the 10 patients. In conclusion, affinity chromatography using the pentapeptide gly-pro-arg-pro-lys is an effective, selective, and safe procedure to lower fibrinogen concentration in plasma. It could be a therapeutic option in severe blood vessel disease in which drug therapy is not sufficient and invasive procedures such as bypass or angioplasty cannot be applied. Yet, more information is needed, for example, about the fibrinogen concentration that has to be reached to get the maximal improvement of micro- and/or macrocirculation.
Wolman disease results from an inherited deficiency of lysosomal acid lipase (LAL; EC 3.1.1.13). This enzyme is essential for the hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters and triacylglycerols derived from endocytosed lipoproteins. Because of a complete absence of LAL activity, Wolman patients accumulate progressive amounts of cholesteryl esters and triacylglycerols in affected tissues. To investigate the nature of the genetic defects causing this disease, mutations in the LAL gene from three subjects of Moslem-Arab and Russian descent living in Israel were determined. Two homozygotes for a novel 1-bp deletion introducing a premature in-frame termination codon at amino acid position 106 (S106X) were identified. A third subject was a homozygote for a G-5R signal peptide substitution and a G60V missense mutation. The functional significance of these mutations was tested by in vitro expression of single and double mutants in Spodoptera frugiperda cells. Single mutants G60V and S106X and double mutant G-5R/G60V displayed a virtual absence of lipase activity in cell extracts and culture medium. Signal peptide mutant G-5R retained lipase activity in cell extracts and showed a drastically reduced enzyme activity in culture supernatant, indicating that the mutation may affect secretion of active enzyme from cells. These results support the notion that Wolman disease is a genetically heterogeneous disorder of lipid metabolism.
Several death-signaling or death-inducing molecules have been implicated in beta cell destruction, including Fas, perforin, and TNFR-1. In this study, we examined the role of each death-signaling molecule in the IL-10-accelerated diabetes of nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. Groups of IL-10-NOD mice, each deficient in either Fas, perforin, or TNFR-1 molecules, readily developed insulitis, and subsequently succumbed to diabetes with an accelerated kinetics and incidence similar to that observed in their wild-type or heterozygous IL-10-NOD littermates. Similarly, a TNFR-2 deficiency did not block accelerated diabetes in IL-10-NOD mice and spontaneous diabetes in NOD mice. These results demonstrate that pancreatic IL-10 promotes diabetes independent of Fas, perforin, TNFR-1, and TNFR-2 molecules. Subsequently, when cyclophosphamide, a diabetes-inducing agent, was injected into insulitis-free NOD. lpr/lpr mice, none of these mice developed insulitis or diabetes. Our data suggest that cyclophosphamide- but not IL-10-induced diabetes is Fas dependent. Overall, these findings provide evidence that pancreatic expression of IL-10 promotes diabetes independent of the major death pathways and provide impetus for identification of novel death pathways precipitating autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells.
IL-10 exterts profound immunostimulatory and immunoinhibitory effects. To explore the role of IL-10 in autoimmune diabetes of nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, we generated IL-10-deficient NOD mice. In contrast to our previous results with neutralizing antibodies to IL-10, IL-10-deficient NOD mice developed insulitis and their splenocytes readily responded to islet antigen glutamic acid decarboxylase 65. IL-10-deficient NOD mice did not develop accelerated spontaneous diabetes. On the other hand, IL-10-deficient NOD mice developed accelerated disease following cyclophosphamide (CYP) injection. These findings demonstrate that IL-10 is dispensable for autoimmune diabetes. IL-10's absence fails to accelerate endogenous diabetes but potentiates CYP-induced diabetes.
Gadd45 family genes encode nuclear acidic proteins composed of Gadd45, MyD118, and CR6. Sequence analysis showed that Gadd45 family proteins (Gadd45, MyD118, and CR6) contain LXXLL signature motifs considered necessary and sufficient for the binding of several coactivators to nuclear receptors. Interaction between Gadd45 or CR6 and RXR alpha was confirmed by a two-hybrid test in yeast. Results from a series of GST pulldown assays showed that these Gadd45 family proteins interact with several nuclear hormone receptors including RXR alpha, RAR alpha, ER alpha, PPAR alpha, PPAR beta, and PPAR gamma2 in vitro. Interaction between Gadd45 family proteins and nuclear hormone receptors resulted in modest activation of transactivating function of nuclear hormone receptors in reporter systems. When fused to DNA binding domain of GAL4, Gadd45 and CR6 activated the UAS-mediated transcription in mammalian cells. These results suggest that Gadd45 family proteins bind to nuclear hormone receptors and act as nuclear coactivators.
The Gadd45gamma (growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible) gene is activated transcriptionally by at least two kinds of agents: DNA damaging agent such as methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and UV radiation, or cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-2 and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). To investigate the sequences and transcription factors involved in induction of Gadd45gamma after treatment with IL-6, the human gene was cloned and sequenced. We found C/EBP (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein) family proteins, major transcription factors in the IL-6 signal transduction pathway, could regulate the transcriptional activity of the Gadd45gamma promoter. In addition, a noncanonical C/EBP-binding site within the Gadd45gamma promoter where C/EBPbeta and C/EBPdelta could bind, was identified by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and reporter gene analysis. Furthermore, we found a coordinated expression profile between Gadd45gamma mRNA and C/EBPs (beta and delta) protein during the differentiation of M1 cells: the amount of Gadd45gamma transcripts became maximal when both C/EBPbeta and C/EBPdelta levels were high, on day 1 of differentiation of M1 cells after treatment with IL-6. These findings suggest that mitotic growth arrest coupled to M1 cell differentiation is mediated by C/EBPs stimulation of growth arrest-associated genes such as Gadd45gamma.
Besides roles in nucleus mediating the condensation of DNA into chromatin, the involvement of histones in autoimmune diseases, hormone regulation, and killing leukemia cells has been reported. In order to investigate the functions of histones on an autoimmune disease, histone H1 was injected into collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice. A dramatic suppression of CIA by histone H1 was observed at a dose of 1 mg/kg bodyweight of mouse. In addition, the increased level of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was detected in cultured splenocytes from the mouse treated with histone H1. These findings suggest that histone H1 suppresses the collagen-induced arthritis, possibly by increasing the level of IL-10 production.
The structures of glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs) in Plasmodium have been described [Gerold, Schuppert and Schwarz (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 2597-2606]. A detailed understanding of GPI synthesis in Plasmodium is a prerequisite for identifying differences present in biosynthetic pathways of parasites and host cells. A comparison of the biosynthetic pathway of GPIs has revealed differences between mammalian cells and parasitic protozoans. A cell-free incubation system prepared from asexual erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria in humans, is capable of synthesizing the same spectrum of GPIs as that found in metabolically labelled parasites. The formation of mannosylated GPIs in the cell-free system is shown to be inhibited by GTP and, unexpectedly, micromolar concentrations of GDP-Man. Lower concentrations of GDP-Man affect the spectrum of GPIs synthesized. The inositol ring of GPIs of P. falciparum is modified by an acyl group. The preferred donor of this fatty acid at the inositol ring is myristoyl-CoA. Inositol acylation has to precede the mannosylation of GPIs because, in the absence of acyl-CoA or CoA, mannosylated GPIs were not detected. Inositol myristoylation is a unique feature of plasmodial GPIs and thus might provide a potential target for drug therapy.
The present study examined the regulatory mechanisms of GnRH gene expression by N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) in immortalized hypothalamic GnRH neurons (GT1-1 cells). NMDA (100 microM) stimulated GnRH mRNA levels transiently at 2 h after treatment. Dose-response experiment showed that there was a biphasic action of NMDA on GnRH mRNA levels: GnRH mRNA levels were increased by NMDA at lower concentrations (10 and 100 microM), but not at higher concentrations (1 and 10 mM). NMDA (100 microM)-induced GnRH mRNA levels were efficiently blocked by pre-treatment with NMDA receptor antagonists, MK-801 and AP-5. We next examined the signal transduction pathways involved in NMDA-induced GnRH gene expression based on previous findings that NMDA signal propagates into the cell through Ca2+ and nitric oxide (NO) pathways in many neurons. While ionomycin, a Ca2+ ionopore, application failed to alter GnRH gene expression, treatment of GT1-1 cells with sodium nitroprusside (SNP), an NO donor, increased GnRH gene expression with a similar time course to NMDA treatment. Moreover, application of GT1-1 cells with nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors (l-NAME, d-NAME, and NA) prior to NMDA treatment, inhibited NMDA-induced GnRH gene expression. These results indicate that the effect of NMDA is mediated by the NO signalling cascade. The mouse GnRH promoter activity was also increased by NMDA at low concentration (100 microM), but not at high concentration (1 microM), confirming the biphasic action of NMDA on GnRH mRNA levels. Since NMDA (100 microM) and SNP (1 microM) markedly induced c-jun expression, but not c-fos expression, we hypothesized that Jun activation is responsible for the transcriptional activation of GnRH gene expression. To examine this, we performed two different experiments. Treatment of NMDA greatly increased the activity of heterologous promoter of Fos/Jun responsive sequence (-187/-69) from the mouse GnRH promoter fused to hsv-tk minimal promoter. Moreover, overexpression of c-jun induced GnRH promoter activity, while c-fos overexpression decreased GnRH promoter activity. Taken together, this study indicates that NMDA regulates GnRH gene expression in GT1-1 cells through the NO-Jun signal transduction pathway.
Cholesteryl ester storage disease (CESD) and Wolman disease (WD) are both autosomal recessive disorders associated with reduced activity of lysosomal acid lipase (LAL), that leads to the tissue accumulation of cholesteryl esters in endosomes and lysosomes. WD is caused by genetic defects of LAL that leave no residual enzymatic activity, while in CESD patients a residual LAL activity can be identified. We have analyzed the LAL cDNA in three CESD patients from two nonrelated families and identified the mutations responsible for the disease. The associated genetic defects characterized revealed compound heterozygosity for a splice defect leading to skipping of exon 8, due to a G-->A transition at position -1 of the exon 8 splice donor site, and a point mutation leading to a Hisl08Pro change (CAT-->CCT) in two patients (siblings) with mild CESD phenotype. A further CESD patient was hemizygous for a His108-->Arg missense mutation (CAT-->CGT) in combination with a partial deletion of the LAL gene and was affected more severely. Expression of the LAL enzymes with the His108-->Pro and His108-->Arg mutation in insect cells revealed residual enzymatic activities of 4.6% versus 2.7%, respectively, compared with controls. Therefore, His108 seems to play a crucial role in folding or catalytic activity of the lysosomal acid lipase. This is the first description of two different, naturally occurring mutations involving the same amino acid residue in the lysosomal acid lipase in unrelated CESD patients. Moreover, our results demonstrate that the variable manifestation of CESD can be explained by mutation-dependent, variable inactivation of the LAL enzyme.
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From 1968 to 1981 6 patients with severe leptospiroses were treated: one with leptospirosis icterohaemorrhagiae (Weil's disease), two with leptospirosis copenhageni and three with leptospirosis grippotyphosa. The diagnosis must at first clinically be made from exposition anamnesis and symptoms. In three patients the agglutination lysis reaction had a negative result still between the 10th and 19th day after the beginning of the disease. In all 6 cases a hypercatabolic acute renal failure with azothaemia of high degree was present. The polyuric phase developed 10 to 18 days after the beginning of the disease, the serum creatinine values normalized 20 to 35 days after the beginning of the disease. The parenteral nutrition and the dialysis therapy were particular points in the complex therapy of the patients. 4 patients were haemodialysed - 3 of them after primary peritoneal dialysis - 2 patients were only peritoneally dialysed. On account of the hypercatabolism and the intestinal paralysis the haemodialysis is to be preferred, as a rule, to the peritoneal dialysis. Also in the haemodialysis of patients with leptospirosis modern developments should be taken into consideration: bicarbonate-containing dialytic solution and in haemorrhagic diathesis the heparin-free dialysis. All 6 own patients survived. When connecting these data with other reports from Central and South Europe the lethality of dialysed cases with leptospirosis is about 42% (25 of the 59 patients died). In 4 of 5 of our patients with leptospirosis a clear hyperamylasaemia was present, apparently the expression of the involvement of the pancreas.
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