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R M Clancy

Publications and source records attributed to R M Clancy.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Novel synthesis of S-nitrosoglutathione and degradation by human neutrophils.

S-nitrosoglutathione (SNO-GSH), a stable derivative of nitric oxide, is an endothelium-derived relaxation factor, which provokes vasodilation, inhibits platelet aggregation, and inhibits neutrophil (PMN) superoxide anion (O2+) generation. We have established a novel method for synthesis of S-nitrosoglutathione using a column containing S-nitrosothiol covalently attached to agarose. S-nitrosoglutathione was a product as assessed after separation using C-18 reverse-phase HPLC and absorption spectroscopy. We examined the stability of SNO-GSH in the presence or absence of PMN. The half-life (mercuric acid diazotization) of SNO-GSH in Hepes was greater than 60 min. The addition of resting PMN did not affect the T1/2 of SNO-GSH. PMN exposed to N-fMet-Leu-Phe (FMLP, 10(-7) M) reduced measurable SNO-GSH (15 microM) at 5 min (48 +/- 5.0% control, P less than 0.05). Incubation (5 min, 37 degrees C) of PMN with 10 microM tenidap (an anti-inflammatory drug which inhibits PMN activation) before addition of FMLP blocked the PMN-dependent degradation of SNO-GSH (42 +/- 3 vs 78 +/- 1.3% control, P = 0.01). We confirmed the recovery of SNO-GSH through measurements by bioassay (platelet aggregation) and HPLC analysis. The degradation of S-nitrosothiols by activated neutrophils may reverse the inhibitory effect of S-nitrosothiols on PMN functions and contribute to tissue injury at sites of inflammation.

Cysteine↗
PubMed1992

Nitric oxide, an endothelial cell relaxation factor, inhibits neutrophil superoxide anion production via a direct action on the NADPH oxidase.

Nitric oxide provokes vasodilation and inhibits platelet aggregation. We examined the effect of nitric oxide on superoxide anion production by three sources: activated intact neutrophils, xanthine oxidase/hypoxanthine, and the NADPH oxidase. Nitric oxide significantly inhibited the generation of superoxide anion by neutrophils exposed to either FMLP (10(-7)M) or PMA (150 ng/ml) (IC50 = 30 microM). To determine whether the effect of nitric oxide on the respiratory burst was due to simple scavenging of O2+, kinetic studies that compared effects on neutrophils and the cell-free xanthine oxidase system were performed. Nitric oxide inhibited O2+ produced by xanthine oxidase only when added simultaneously with substrate, consistent with the short half-life of NO in oxygenated solution. In contrast, the addition of nitric oxide to neutrophils 20 min before FMLP resulted in the inhibition of O2+ production, which suggests formation of a stable intermediate. The effect of nitric oxide on the cell-free NADPH oxidase superoxide-generating system was also examined: The addition of NO before arachidonate activation (t = -6 min) significantly inhibited superoxide anion production. Nitric oxide did not inhibit O2+ when added at NADPH initiation (t = 0). Treatment of the membrane but not cytosolic component of the oxidase was sufficient to inhibit O2+ generation. The data suggest that nitric oxide inhibits neutrophil O2+ production via direct effects on membrane components of the NADPH oxidase. This action must occur before the assembly of the activated complex.

Calcium↗
PubMed1990

Use of thionitrobenzoic acid to characterize the stability of nitric oxide in aqueous solutions and in porcine aortic endothelial cell suspensions.

Nitric oxide is an important vasodilator which can be biologically produced from leukocytes and endothelial cells. However, it is highly unstable, which is an obstacle to detection and quantitation. We have exploited the reactivity of nitric oxide with thiols to establish an assay based on oxidation of thionitrobenzoic acid (TNB). The oxidation of thionitrobenzoic acid and the reaction with oxygen, which was measured by employing an oxygen electrode, were examined after the addition of nitric oxide solutions. The inhibition of aggregation of human platelets after challenge with 2.5 microM adenosine diphosphate was also investigated. These studies show the following properties of nitric oxide in aqueous solutions. (i) Nitric oxide is highly reactive to oxygen. (ii) Thiols react with a labile, highly reactive nitric oxide-oxygen product. (iii) Medium with very low oxygen content increases the life span of nitric oxide in aqueous solution. We also used the nitric oxide quantitation using TNB to study the metabolism of nitric oxide by porcine aortic endothelial cells and the results show that nitric oxide added to these cells in low oxygen content solution is stable. From these studies, we conclude that deoxygenated solutions stabilize nitric oxide. An important consequence of low oxygen content at localized tissue sites may be to augment biological effects mediated by nitric oxide.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Acute reoxygenation injury in the isolated rat heart: role of resident cardiac mast cells.

Leukocyte-mediated myocardial reperfusion injury is characterized by the progressive migration and accumulation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes within the myocardium. In this study, we hypothesized that leukocytes normally resident to the myocardium also contribute to myocardial injury in the absence of migration and accumulation of peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocytes. In isolated crystalloid-perfused rat hearts, we found numerous resident cardiac leukocytes that were identified primarily as macrophages and mast cells, the latter staining avidly for peroxidase. When hypoxic perfused hearts (60 minutes, n = 16) were reoxygenated there was a prompt release of this peroxidase activity, the extent of which correlated closely with the degree of myocardial injury (total creatine kinase release, r = 0.96). When reoxygenation associated mast cell degranulation was prevented in six additional hypoxic hearts using 10 microM Lodoxamide Tromethamine, peroxidase release was reduced 7.8-fold (p less than 0.001) and creatine kinase release (injury) was reduced 5.9-fold (p less than 0.001). These results demonstrate that the isolated crystalloid-perfused rat heart is not a leukocyte-free preparation and suggest that mast cells resident to the heart play an important role in acute reoxygenation injury.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1987

Effect of structural modification at carbon atom 1 of leukotriene B4 on the chemotactic and metabolic response of human neutrophils.

Human neutrophils biosynthesize the chemoattractant leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and metabolize LTB4 to omega oxidative products 20-hydroxy-LTB4 (20-OH-LTB4) and 20-carboxy-LTB4 (20-COOH-LTB4). In this study, we prepared the C-1 methyl ester and N-methyl amide of LTB4 and then examined neutrophil chemotaxis and metabolism of these derivatives of LTB4. The results show that chemical modification of LTB4 at carbon atom 1 dramatically affects metabolism of the lipid molecule. The free acid form of LTB4 was taken up and metabolized by human neutrophils, while the methyl ester and N-methyl amide derivatives were poor substrates for omega oxidation. Although human neutrophils were poorly attracted to the methyl ester of LTB4, the amide derivative was a complete agonist of the neutrophil chemotactic response and displayed an ED50 for chemotaxis identical to that of LTB4. Therefore, we concluded that omega oxidation is not a requirement for the neutrophil chemotactic response induced by LTB4. These results also indicate that the N-methyl amide of LTB4 may be a useful ligand for the elucidation of molecular mechanisms operative in neutrophil chemotaxis to LTB4, since the C-1 derivative is not further metabolized. Two separate responses of human neutrophils are elicited by LTB4, resulting in both cellular activation and generation of omega oxidation products. It appears that putative receptors on the neutrophils can distinguish between LTB4 and certain derivatives that are structurally identical except for modification at the C-1 position (i.e., the methyl ester). LTB4 derivatives modified at the C-1 position do not undergo conversion to omega oxidation products by the neutrophil.

Chemotaxis, Leukocyte↗
PubMed1985

Leukotriene C4 production by murine mast cells: evidence of a role for extracellular leukotriene A4.

The glutathione-containing leukotriene C4 (LTC4) is a major mediator of smooth muscle contraction and is released by mast cells when antigen interacts with cell-bound IgE. Antigen-stimulated mast cells undergo phospholipase activation. We report a pathway of LTC4 production by mast cells that does not require phospholipase activation but depends on the interaction of activated neutrophils with unstimulated mast cells, using as an intermediate extracellular leukotriene A4 (LTA4). The epoxide LTA4 is released by neutrophils and, together with leukotriene B4 and 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, constitutes the major lipoxygenase metabolites found in supernatants of stimulated neutrophils. Five minutes after activation of neutrophils by calcium ionophore A23187 we measured 136 pmol of extracellular LTA4 per 10(7) neutrophils (range 40-300, n = 7) by trapping the epoxide with alcohols. Therefore, we conclude that LTA4 is not just an intracellular leukotriene precursor but is released as a lipoxygenase metabolite. LTA4 is known to be stabilized by albumin and is efficiently converted by mast cells into LTC4 even at low LTA4 concentrations. The LTA4 complexed to albumin is converted into LTC4 rapidly and completely within 10-15 min. More than 50% of the LTA4 presented to mast cells is metabolized to LTC4 at concentrations of LTA4 between 0.2 and 2 nmol of LTA4 per 10(7) mast cells. This observation establishes a potential physiologic role for extracellular LTA4. Therefore, interactions between various cell types that release or utilize LTA4 may provide an important metabolic pathway for the production of leukotrienes.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Experimental pulmonary inflammatory injury in the monkey.

Inflammatory pulmonary injury was induced in Macaca mulatta rhesus monkeys by the intrabronchial instillation of the formylated peptide norleu-leu-phe (FNLP) or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Indicators of pulmonary injury included an increase in mean protein content of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from 0.51 mg/ml in untreated animals to 3.74 mg/ml and 6.64 mg/ml in FNLP- and PMA-treated animals, respectively, the appearance of a diffuse pulmonary infiltrate in chest roentgenograms, and histologic evidence of a predominantly neutrophilic leukocytic infiltration. Concomitant with the appearance of pulmonary injury was the generation of proteases and oxidants in the BAL fluids. Neutrophil elastase, bound to alpha 1-protease inhibitor (alpha 1-PI), was found to increase from 0.47 micrograms/ml in untreated monkeys to 0.99 micrograms/ml in FNLP-treated animals and 1.23 micrograms/ml in monkeys receiving PMA. Radioiodinated human prekallikrein, instilled for 2 min into the inflammatory site and retrieved by lavaging, was found to have undergone proteolytic cleavage; this cleavage was not consistently inhibitable with the inclusion of antibody to elastase. BAL fluids were shown to contain an amidolytic activity when tested on the synthetic substrate H-D-pro-phe-arg-pNA. This activity was partially inhibitable with known inhibitors of active Hageman factor and kallikrein. beta-Glucuronidase levels in the BAL fluids increased from 0.85 U/ml to 4.36 U/ml and 8.25 U/ml in FNLP- and PMA-treated animals, respectively. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels also increased from 1.37 OD U/ml X min to 16.59 and 30.47 OD U/ml X min in the same groups of animals. Oxidant generation was also assessed in several different ways. The specific activity of the oxidant-sensitive inhibitor alpha 1-PI recovered in the BAL fluid decreased from 0.80 in control samples to 0.57 and 0.65 in FNLP- and PMA-treated animals. That this inactivation was due to oxidant injury of the molecule was confirmed by the return to full activity of four out of five BAL samples after their incubation with the reducing agent dithiothreitol in the presence of methionine sulfoxide peptide reductase. The specific activity of catalase in the BAL fluids of animals given 3-amino, 1,2,4 triazole (AT) 1 h before lavaging showed drops from 0.97 in untreated monkeys to 0.04 in FNLP-treated and 0.49 in PMA-treated monkeys. MPO levels also fell in the AT-treated injured animals from 16.59 to 0.85 delta OD/min X ml in FNLP animals in the absence and presence of AT, and 30.47 to 0.60 delta OD/min X ml in PMA-treated animals. Inhibition of MPO by AT was shown in vitro to be H2O2 dependent. Total glutathione levels in the BAL fluids did not change appreciably after FNLP or PMA treatment. These studies present substantial evidence of the generation of both proteases and oxidants during the establishment of acute pulmonary inflammatory injury in an experimental primate model.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Complement-mediated arachidonate metabolism.

The leukotrienes are important mediators of numerous responses in lung tissue. Both direct injury and immune injury result in the production of these arachidonate products. Several cellular components participate in the immune surveillance system including monocytes, mast cells and PMNs. Each cell type produces different quantities and types of leukotrienes in response to ionophore (A23187) activation. A common feature shared by each of these cells is control of arachidonic acid metabolism at the level of the 5-lipoxygenase. One provocative interpretation of our results is that the 5-lipoxygenase is activated by C5a and that concomitant modulation of 5-lipoxygenase activity provides a means whereby arachidonic acid metabolism is directed in these cells to either the cyclooxygenase or lipoxygenase pathway. Another common feature that these cells share is that they utilize arachidonic acid mobilized from other cells such as stimulated platelets, certain monocytes, or even damaged tissue. For example, free nonesterified arachidonic acid has been measured at 100 microM in inflamed tissue. Therefore, fluctuations in exogenous arachidonate levels may provide a significant modulation of the inflammatory response by controlling the levels of lipoxygenase products formed by leukocytes. In this scenario the humoral factor C5a is the initiator of the host's response to provide a variety of functional arachidonate products. Another feature that the cellular components of the immune system share is that they may utilize other exogenous lipid substrates. In this case, a lipid product of one cell type may serve as a signal or substrate for a second cell's lipoxygenase pathway. This hypothesis may explain the apparent synergy observed in this and other studies when mixed cell populations were activated. Several hydroperoxy lipids are proposed to be regulatory for the lipoxygenase pathway. Another valid interpretation could be that 5-hyperoxy-eicosatetraenoic acid and LTA4 produced in one cell may diffuse to another cell and be utilized by the lipoxygenase pathway of that cell type. From the results of this study we conclude that the secondary mediator profile obtained when cells are activated by arachidonic acid and C5a depends on the cell composition. We can extend this interpretation of our results to explain two seemingly opposite results obtained when C5a is administered to experimental animals either intrabronchially or intravenously. Future evaluations of the biological effects of C5a should therefore take into consideration the composition of the cells at the target tissue site.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Arachidonic Acid↗