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Nigel Mackman

Publications and source records attributed to Nigel Mackman.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Validation of a novel tissue factor assay in experimental human endotoxemia.

BACKGROUND: Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) activation and tissue factor (TF) expression may contribute to lethality in sepsis. Inappropriate in vivo expression of TF is likely responsible for fibrin deposition in sepsis-associated disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Clinical assessment of TF expression has remained a major challenge. No point-of-care assays are currently available to measure the level of TF activity in whole blood. The current study examined the suitability of the TiFaCT assay as a point-of-care assay to detect TF expression. METHODS: 30 healthy male volunteers received 2 ng/kg of LPS. Tissue factor-dependent coagulation was quantified with a novel assay called tissue factor clotting time (TiFaCT), and by measurement of activation markers of downstream coagulation. RESULTS: Ex vivo addition of anti-TF antibodies to blood slightly increased clotting times at 0-24 h (p<0.01) indicating that some tissue factor activity was present in whole blood at any time. LPS bolus infusion decreased TiFaCT clotting time by -23% compared to baseline (p<0.01), when in vivo clotting increased, as demonstrated by a 10-fold increase in prothrombin fragment levels (F1+2). Ex vivo incubation with LPS considerably shortened TiFaCT (from 1000s to 400s as compared to control incubation; p<0.01). This effect was blunted at 2-4 h after LPS infusion (i.e. the time of monocytopenia), but twofold enhanced 24 h after LPS challenge (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the TiFaCT assay was validated in our in vivo model of LPS-induced coagulation. It detected minute quantities of circulating TF even at baseline. TiFaCT is shortened at times of in vivo thrombin generation.

Adult↗

Tissue factor and thrombin mediate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Reperfusion of the ischemic heart is necessary to prevent irreversible injury of the myocardium, which leads to permanent organ dysfunction. However, reperfusion in itself leads to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, which is characterized by an acute inflammatory response mediated by activated inflammatory cells, chemokines, cytokines, and adhesion molecules. The molecular mechanisms of myocardial I/R injury are not completely known. Tissue factor (TF) and thrombin, two potent procoagulant and proinflammatory mediators, are recognized to play significant roles in myocardial I/R injury. To investigate the role of TF and thrombin in myocardial I/R injury, we used rabbit and murine in situ coronary artery ligation models. Increased TF mRNA, antigen, and activity were found in ischemic cardiomyocytes. Administration of an inhibitory antirabbit TF monoclonal antibody before or during the onset of ischemia resulted in a significant reduction in infarct size. Functional inhibition of thrombin with hirudin also reduced the infarct size. However, defibrinogenating rabbits with ancrod had no effect on infarct size, suggesting a requirement of thrombin generation but not fibrin deposition in myocardial I/R injury.

Ancrod↗

The role of the tissue factor-thrombin pathway in cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury.

This article focuses on the role of the tissue factor (TF)-thrombin pathway in cardiac ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. We and others have used rabbit models of cardiac I/R injury to show that anti-TF therapy prevents the transient decrease in regional myocardial blood flow, reduces platelet and fibrin(ogen) accumulation, and reduces infarct size. At present, the mechanism by which TF-initiated coagulation contributes to myocardial injury is not established. Inhibition of TF may decrease intravascular fibrin deposition and thrombosis. However, immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that fibrin deposition was predominantly within the myocardium and depletion of fibrinogen did not reduce infarct size. In contrast, inhibition of thrombin reduced infarct size to a similar extent as anti-TF therapy. We propose that the TF-thrombin pathway may contribute to myocardial injury by an additional mechanism that is not dependent on fibrin deposition but involves activation of protease activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) on vascular endothelial cells and cardiac myocytes. Anti-TF therapy would inhibit both thrombin-dependent fibrin deposition and thrombin-dependent PAR-1 signaling.

Animals↗

PML/RARalpha plays a role for basal activity and retinoid-induced repression of the tissue factor promoter in acute promyelocytic leukemia cells.

Constitutive expression of tissue factor (TF) by acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells may contribute to thrombotic complications. In this study we examined the transcriptional mechanisms of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)-induced down-regulation of TF in the APL cell line NB4, by analysis of stable clones expressing the luciferase gene under the control of 5' flanking regions of the TF gene. We show that the TF promoter is constitutively active in NB4 cells, and that ATRA induces rapid suppression of the promoter. Basal activity and ATRA-induced suppression of TF promoter is determined by the proximal -383 to +121 bp of the promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrate the binding of Fos/Jun complexes to two TF promoter AP-1 sites in this region. Both complexes were suppressed by ATRA treatment. The ectopic expression of the APL-specific PML/RARalpha oncoprotein in U-937 cells results in induction of TF mRNA and promoter activity. Interestingly, this PML/RARalpha-mediated increase in TF promoter activity is sensitive to ATRA treatment. These data indicate that TF expression in APL cells is exacerbated by the presence of the PML/RARalpha fusion protein, and implicates the loss of Fos/Jun binding to the TF promoter in ATRA-induced suppression of TF.

Cell Line, Tumor↗

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt pathway limits lipopolysaccharide activation of signaling pathways and expression of inflammatory mediators in human monocytic cells.

Monocytes and macrophages express cytokines and procoagulant molecules in various inflammatory diseases. In sepsis, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria induces tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and tissue factor (TF) in monocytic cells via the activation of the transcription factors Egr-1, AP-1, and nuclear factor-kappa B. However, the signaling pathways that negatively regulate LPS-induced TNF-alpha and TF expression in monocytic cells are currently unknown. We report that inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway enhances LPS-induced activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways (ERK1/2, p38, and JNK) and the downstream targets AP-1 and Egr-1. In addition, inhibition of PI3K-Akt enhanced LPS-induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B and prevented Akt-dependent inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase-beta, which increased the transactivational activity of p65. We propose that the activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway in human monocytes limits the LPS induction of TNF-alpha and TF expression. Our study provides new insight into the inhibitory mechanism by which the PI3K-Akt pathway ensures transient expression of these potent inflammatory mediators.

Cell Line↗

Induction of tissue factor expression in human endothelial cells by CD40 ligand is mediated via activator protein 1, nuclear factor kappa B, and Egr-1.

Induction of tissue factor expression in endothelial cells via ligation of CD40 probably figures prominently in the pathogenesis of prevalent inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis. However, the molecular mechanisms of tissue factor gene expression triggered by CD40 ligand (CD40L) in this cell type remain unknown. We demonstrate here that the tissue factor promoter region -278 bp to +121 bp contains the CD40L-responsive elements, consisting of activator protein 1 (AP-1)+/-, nuclear factor (NF) kappaB-, and Egr-1-binding sites. Mutations of either the AP-1- or NF-kappaB-binding sites markedly reduced the CD40L-dependent promoter activation. The AP-1 and NF-kappaB sites displayed constitutive and CD40L-enhanceable DNA binding activity, respectively. Of note, mutation of the Egr-1-binding sites, previously not associated with CD40 signaling, impaired activation of the tissue factor promoter. Accordingly, CD40L strongly induced Egr-1 protein expression and DNA binding activity to all three bindings sites. In contrast to CD40L, other established inducers of tissue factor in endothelial cells, interleukin-1beta or tumor necrosis factor alpha, did not increase the expression of Egr-1. In conclusion, induction of tissue factor gene expression in human endothelial cells by CD40L involves AP-1 and NF-kappaB as well as Egr-1, a pathway previously not implicated in CD40 signaling and distinct from that employed by certain other proinflammatory cytokines.

Base Sequence↗