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Biomedical subjects

R M Strieter

Publications and source records attributed to R M Strieter.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Induction of apoptosis by particulate matter: role of TNF-alpha and MAPK.

Particulate matter (PM) is a major by-product from the combustion of fossil fuels. The biological target of inhaled PM is the pulmonary epithelium and resident macrophages. In this study, we demonstrate that cultured macrophages (RAW 264.7 cells) exposed continously to a well-defined model of PM [benzo[a]pyrene adsorbed on carbon black (CB+BaP)] exhibit a time-dependent expression and release of the cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). CB+BaP also evoked programmed cell death or apoptosis in cultured macrophages as assessed by genomic DNA-laddering assays. The CB+BaP-induced apoptosis was inhibited when macrophages were treated with CB+BaP in the presence of a neutralizing antibody to TNF-alpha, suggesting that TNF-alpha plays an important role in mediating CB+BaP-induced apoptosis in macrophages. Interestingly, neither untreated carbon black nor benzo[a]pyrene alone induced apoptosis or caused the release of TNF-alpha in RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, we observed that TNF-alpha activates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity, the extracellular signal-regulated kinases p42/p44, in a time-dependent manner. RAW 264.7 cells treated with PD-098059, a selective inhibitor of MAPK kinase activity, did not exhibit CB+BaP-induced apoptosis and TNF-alpha secretion. Furthermore, cells treated with the MAPK kinase inhibitor did not undergo TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis. Taken together, our data suggest that TNF-alpha mediates PM-induced apoptosis and that the MAPK pathway may play an important role in regulating this pathway.

Adsorption↗

Chemokine expression in endothelial cells and monocytes is differentially regulated.

Endothelial cells play a critical role in the recruitment of immune cells due to their position at the interface between circulating cells and the inflamed tissue. In this study, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human monocytes were used to investigate the role of various cytokines in the regulation of C-C and C-X-C chemokine production. We have demonstrated that IL-4 and IL-10 negatively affect certain monocyte-derived chemokines, while not suppressing HUVEC-derived chemokines. The differential induction of chemokines by selected cytokines may help delineate the type(s) of leukocytes that are recruited during certain phases of an inflammatory response.

Cells, Cultured↗

Neutrophil chemokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and leukocyte-conditioned medium from nonsmokers and smokers.

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of emphysema. The chemokines interleukin-8(IL-8), growth-related oncogene (GRO-alpha) and extractable nuclear antigen (ENA)-78 may be involved in the increased numbers of PMN in smokers' airspaces. The levels of these cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and bronchoalveolar lavage leukocyte conditioned medium (LCM), along with BALF PMN numbers in 12 smokers who abstained for 12 h (chronic smoking) or continued to smoke until I h before study (acute smoking) and seven nonsmokers were compared. Neutrophils in BALF increased in acute (1.96+/-0.53%, 0.99+/-0.32x10(6) cells) compared with chronic smokers (0.59+/-0.25%, 0.61+/-0.24x10(6) cells, p<0.05 nonsmokers) and nonsmokers (0.79+/-0.29%, 0.05+/-0.01x 10(6) cells, p<0.05). There were no differences in IL-8 or GRO-alpha in BALF between smokers and nonsmokers. ENA-78 levels were lower in smokers (p=0.006). There was no difference in IL-8, GRO-alpha or ENA-78 in LCM from unstimulated cells in smokers versus nonsmokers. After stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 10 ng mL(-1), IL-8 release in acute smokers (p=0.04) and GRO-alpha release in smokers (p=0.009) were significantly higher than in nonsmokers. Following stimulation with LPS 100 ng.mL(-1), GRO-alpha release was higher in smokers (p=0.03) and increased further in acute smokers (p=0.02 versus nonsmokers, p=0.04 versus chronic smokers) and ENA-78 release increased in smokers (p=0.02 versus non-smokers). In conclusion, influx of polymorphonuclear neutrophils into smokers' airspaces is an acute phenomenon and neutrophil chemokine release from mixed bronchoalveolar lavage leukocytes is influenced by cigarette smoking and endotoxins.

Adult↗

Cytokines in rheumatoid arthritis. Potential targets for pharmacological intervention.

The ingress of inflammatory leucocytes into the synovium is a crucial step in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Cytokines are mediators involved in the inflammatory events, adhesive mechanisms, angiogenesis and osteopenia associated with RA. Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, growth factors and chemokines all have an important role in these processes. Because the efficacy of currently used antirheumatic therapy is often limited, there is a need for more specific intervention strategies. Anticytokine therapy may include the use of monoclonal antibodies, antagonistic cytokines, soluble cytokine receptors, cytokine receptor antagonists, somatic gene transfer or other approaches. Hopefully, the study of cytokines and their interactions will lead to the development of new immunomodulatory strategies that will benefit patients with RA.

Animals↗

Synergy between glycated human serum albumin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha for interleukin-8 gene expression and protein secretion in human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Chemokine production by human retinal pigment epithelium (HRPE) cells is believed to play an important role in ocular inflammation and immune responses. In our previous studies, we demonstrated that glycated human serum albumin (GHSA) strongly stimulates HRPE cells and human corneal keratocytes to produce chemokines. In the present study, we further examined the effects of GHSA on TNF-alpha- and IL-1 beta-induced HRPE IL-8 and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 gene expression and protein secretion in HRPE. At maximally effective concentrations, GHSA (2000 micrograms/ml) potentiated TNF-alpha (20 ng/ml)-stimulated HRPE IL-8 secretion approximately 7-fold. Consistent with the above observations were the time- and dose-dependent increases in the steady-state IL-8 mRNA after coadministration with these two factors, although the half-life of IL-8 mRNA (30 minutes) was not altered by GHSA. In contrast to IL-8, the TNF-alpha-induced HRPE MCP-1 gene expression was only slightly enhanced by GHSA. Moreover, potentiation of HRPE IL-8 generation by GHSA appeared to be selective for TNF-alpha because, under similar conditions, GHSA was unable to enhance the IL-1 beta-stimulated IL-8 gene expression and protein secretion. The IL-1 beta-stimulated HRPE MCP-1 production was also unchanged by GHSA. Collectively, these results suggest specific potentiation of TNF-alpha-induced HRPE IL-8 by human serum albumin that has been glycated either during circulation or locally within tissue. This interaction may be relevant to a variety of ocular diseases involving breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier.

Cells, Cultured↗

Animal models of granulomatous inflammation.

The pathogenesis of granulomatous inflammation is often characterized as an intense inflammatory response with accompanying fibroproliferation and deposition of extracellular matrix. Many of these chronic disorders share a number of common characteristics, including an enigmatic cause, unknown mechanisms of initiation and maintenance, and often untreatable end-stage fibrosis. Granulomatous inflammation can occur in a variety of diseases, such as tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, berylliosis, and Wegner's granulomatosis. Unfortunately, these diseases are often associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, as therapeutic options may not be entirely efficacious. The lack of a clear treatment strategy may underscore the limited scientific understanding of these disorders. Thus, experimental models of granulomatous inflammation, which mimic some of the specific characteristics of these responses, will be useful in delineating the mechanisms of granuloma development. In addition, these models may aid in the design of useful therapies for the treatment of these inflammatory diseases.

Animals↗

TNF and IL-6 mediate MIP-1alpha expression in bleomycin-induced lung injury.

Previously, macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha), a member of the C-C chemokine family, has been implicated in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, a model of the human disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Neutralization of MIP-1alpha protein with anti-MIP-1alpha antibodies significantly attenuated both mononuclear phagocyte recruitment and pulmonary fibrosis in bleomycin-challenged CBA/J mice. However, the specific stimuli for MIP-1alpha expression in the bleomycin-induced lesion have not been characterized. In this report, two mediators of the inflammatory response to bleomycin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), were evaluated as putative stimuli for MIP-1alpha expression after bleomycin challenge in CBA/J mice. Elevated levels of bioactive TNF and IL-6 were detected in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and lung homogenates from bleomycin-treated CBA/J mice at time points post-bleomycin challenge, which precede MIP-1alpha protein expression. Treatment of bleomycin-challenged mice with soluble TNF receptor (sTNFr) or anti-IL-6 antibodies significantly decreased MIP-1alpha protein expression in the lungs. Furthermore, normal alveolar macrophages secreted elevated levels of MIP-1alpha protein in response to treatment with TNF plus IL-6 or bleomycin plus IL-6, but not TNF, bleomycin, or IL-6 alone. Finally, leukocytes recovered from the BAL fluid of bleomycin-challenged mice secreted higher levels of MIP-1alpha protein, compared to controls, when treated with TNF alone. Based on the data presented here, we propose that TNF and IL-6 are part of a cytokine network that modulates MIP-1alpha protein expression in the profibrotic inflammatory lesion during the response to intratracheal bleomycin challenge.

Animals↗

Alteration of the cytokine phenotype in an experimental lung granuloma model by inhibiting nitric oxide.

Pulmonary granulomatous inflammation modulated by IFN-gamma and IL-12 is also associated with augmented inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS II). To address the role of increased nitric oxide synthesis in this model, mice received daily i.p. injections of NG-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME; 8 mg/kg) during both the 2-wk immunization period with purified protein-derivative (PPD) and the subsequent lung challenge with PPD-coated Sepharose beads. Other groups of animals received saline, L-NAME or NG-nitro-D-arginine-methyl ester (D-NAME; 8 mg/kg) during the pulmonary embolization period and not the PPD sensitization period. On day 4 post-PPD bead challenge, PCR analysis of the whole lung revealed that NOS II expression appeared to be similar in both of the L-NAME treatment protocols. L-NAME-treated mice in both dosing protocols had lung lesions that were significantly larger than granuloma lesions measured in mice that received saline or D-NAME. The enlarged lesions from L-NAME-treated mice contained markedly greater numbers of neutrophils and eosinophils. Equivalent numbers of PPD-activated dispersed cells from whole lungs of L-NAME-treated mice produced significantly higher levels of IL-4 and IL-10 and smaller amounts of IL-12 and IFN-gamma compared with similar lung cultures derived from control or D-NAME-treated mice. Levels of C-C chemokines such as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), C10, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha) were also significantly elevated in lung cultures from L-NAME-treated mice compared with controls. Thus, nitric oxide regulates the size and cellular composition of the Th1-type lung granuloma, possibly through its effects on the cytokine and chemokine profile associated with this lesion.

Animals↗

IL-4 prevents insulitis and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in nonobese diabetic mice by potentiation of regulatory T helper-2 cell function.

Beginning at the time of insulitis, nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice demonstrate a thymocyte and peripheral T cell proliferative hyporesponsiveness induced by TCR cross-linking, which is associated with reduced IL-2 and IL-4 secretion. We previously reported that NOD CD4+ T cell hyporesponsiveness is reversed completely in vitro by exogenous IL-4, and that administration of IL-4 to NOD mice prevents the onset of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). This result suggested that T cell-mediated destruction of pancreatic islet beta cells may result from a hyporesponsiveness in regulatory Th2 cells favoring a Th1 cell-mediated environment in the pancreas. In the present study, we tested this possibility by analysis of the mechanisms of protection from IDDM afforded by IL-4 treatment in NOD mice. We show that IL-4 protects NOD mice from insulitis and IDDM when administered i.p. three times a week for 10 wk beginning at 2 wk of age. This occurs by the modulation of the homing of autoreactive cells to inflammatory sites and the stabilization of a protective Th2-mediated environment in the thymus, spleen, and pancreatic islets. Thus, IL-4 treatment favors the expansion of regulatory CD4+ Th2 cells in vivo and prevents the onset of insulitis and IDDM mediated by autoreactive Th1 cells.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Induction of IL-12 and chemokines by hyaluronan requires adhesion-dependent priming of resident but not elicited macrophages.

Components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) can regulate leukocyte activation and function at inflammatory sites. Low molecular weight fragments of the ECM glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (LMW-HA) that accumulate in inflammation, but not the ubiquitous high molecular weight form of HA (HMW-HA), have been shown to induce cytokine and/or chemokine production by alveolar and bone-marrow derived macrophages. To determine the cellular requirements for responsiveness to HA, we compared the effects of HMW-HA and LMW-HA on resident and thioglycollate-elicited murine peritoneal macrophages. We demonstrate that treatment of elicited macrophages with LMW-HA, but not with HMW-HA, stimulated production of the chemokines RANTES and macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha and -1beta. Further, we demonstrate that LMW-HA induced the production of biologically active IL-12, a proinflammatory cytokine not previously known to be regulated by cell-matrix interactions. The LMW-HA-induced production of IL-12 by elicited macrophages was inhibited by an anti-CD44 mAb that blocks HA binding. In contrast to elicited macrophages, freshly explanted resident peritoneal macrophages did not respond to LMW-HA. However, preculture in vitro before stimulation led to adhesion-dependent priming for LMW-HA-induced cytokine and chemokine production by resident macrophages. These results provide further evidence of the potential importance of CD44/LMW-HA interactions in regulating the immune response at sites of inflammation and demonstrate that the state of differentiation of macrophages may determine their sensitivities to matrix components.

Animals↗

The CXC chemokines, IL-8 and IP-10, regulate angiogenic activity in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and often fatal disorder. Fibroplasia and deposition of extracellular matrix are dependent, in part, on angiogenesis. We postulated that an imbalance exists in the expression of angiogenic (IL-8) vs angiostatic (IFN-gamma-inducible protein (IP-10)) CXC chemokines, which favors net angiogenesis in IPF. To test this hypothesis, we obtained open lung biopsies either from normal patients undergoing thoracic surgery for reasons other than interstitial lung disease (control) or from patients with IPF. We found that levels of IL-8 were greater from tissue specimens of IPF patients then from those of controls. In contrast, IP-10 levels were higher from tissue specimens obtained from control subjects than from those from IPF patients. When IL-8 or IP-10 was depleted from IPF tissue specimens, tissue-derived angiogenic activity was markedly reduced or enhanced, respectively. Immunolocalization of IL-8 demonstrated that the pulmonary fibroblast (PF) of IPF lung was the predominant cellular source of IL-8. Isolated PF from IPF patients constitutively produced more IL-8 and less IP-10 than control PF. Conditioned media from IPF-PFs demonstrated constitutive angiogenic activity that was attributable, in part, to IL-8. Depletion of IP-10 from IPF-PF CM resulted in an increase in corneal neovascularization. These findings support the notion that IL-8 and IP-10 are important factors that regulate angiogenic activity in IPF.

Aged↗

Macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha) is required for the efferent phase of pulmonary cell-mediated immunity to a Cryptococcus neoformans infection.

Our objective was to define the role of the chemokine macrophage-inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha) in the efferent phase of pulmonary cell-mediated immunity (CMI) against Cryptococcus neoformans. Following intratracheal inoculation of C. neoformans (24067) into CBA/J mice, the development of CMI was required for leukocyte recruitment into the lungs at 2 wk postinfection. MIP-1alpha mRNA was expressed by day 6 postinfection, and MIP-1alpha protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was detectable at day 6, but significantly elevated at days 19 and 33. Administration of neutralizing anti-MIP-1alpha Abs from days 7 to 13 blocked the increase in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid MIP-1alpha and resulted in a 37% decrease in total leukocytes in the lungs at day 16. There were 66% fewer macrophages/monocytes and 42% fewer neutrophils in the lungs of anti-MIP-1alpha-treated mice, and the pulmonary burden of C. neoformans was threefold higher. There was no significant difference in the number of eosinophils, CD4+, CD8+, or B220+ lymphocytes between the two groups of mice. Neutralization of MIP-1alpha did not significantly decrease the levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1); however, neutralization of MCP-1 significantly decreased MIP-1alpha levels, demonstrating that induction of MIP-1alpha was largely dependent on MCP-1 production. Neutralization of MIP-1alpha also blocked the cellular recruitment phase of a recall response to cryptococcal Ag in the lungs of immunized mice. Thus, in both the contexts of active cryptococcal infection or rechallenge with cryptococcal Ag, MIP-1alpha was required during the efferent phase of CMI for maximal leukocyte recruitment into the lungs, most notably the recruitment of phagocytic effector cells (neutrophils and macrophages).

Animals↗

MCP-1 protects mice in lethal endotoxemia.

The overzealous production of proinflammatory cytokines in sepsis can result in shock, multiorgan dysfunction, and even death. In this study, we assessed the role of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) as a mediator of sepsis in endotoxin-challenged mice. Intraperitoneal administration of LPS to CD-1 mice induced a substantial time-dependent increase in MCP-1 in plasma, lung, and liver. The passive immunization of mice with rabbit antimurine MCP-1 antiserum 2 h before endotoxin administration resulted in a striking increase in LPS-induced mortality from 10% in control animals to 65% in anti-MCP-1-treated animals. Importantly, the administration of anti-MCP-1 antibodies to endotoxin-challenged mice resulted in increases in peak TNF-alpha and IL-12 levels, and also in a trend toward decreased serum levels of IL-10. Conversely, the administration of recombinant murine MCP-1 intraperitoneally significantly protected mice from endotoxin-induced lethality, and resulted in an increase in IL-10 levels, a decrease in IL-12 levels, and a trend toward decreased levels of TNF. In conclusion, our findings indicate that MCP-1 is a protective cytokine expressed in murine endotoxemia, and does so by shifting the balance in favor of antiinflammatory cytokine expression in endotoxin-challenged animals.

Animals↗

Differential recruitment of leukocyte populations and alteration of airway hyperreactivity by C-C family chemokines in allergic airway inflammation.

Allergic airway inflammation is characterized by peribronchial leukocyte accumulation within the airway. Subsequent tissue damage leading to airway hyperreactivity is a result of activation of multiple leukocyte populations. Using an established model of allergic airway inflammation induced by intratracheal challenge with parasite (Schistosoma mansoni) egg Ag in presensitized mice, we have examined differential leukocyte recruitment. These studies have identified key chemokines involved in the accumulation of specific subsets of cells and the induction of airway hyperreactivity. In this study we have examined three C-C family chemokines, MCP-1, MIP-1alpha, and RANTES, which promote mononuclear cell- and eosinophil-specific recruitment to the airway. The in vivo neutralization of either MIP-1alpha or RANTES, but not MCP-1, significantly reduced the intensity of the eosinophil recruitment to the lung and airway during the allergic airway response by >50 and >60%, respectively. In contrast, neutralization of MCP-1 significantly reduced total leukocyte migration (>50% reduction), whereas neutralization of RANTES and MIP-1alpha had no significant affect on the overall leukocyte migration. Further examination of the effect of MCP-1 depletion indicated that both CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte subsets were decreased. Depletion of MCP-1 significantly reduced the airway hyperreactivity to near control levels, whereas depletion of MIP-1alpha or RANTES did not affect the intensity of airway hyperreactivity. These data indicate that multiple C-C chemokines are involved in the recruitment of particular leukocyte populations and that neutralization of MCP-1, but not RANTES or MIP-1alpha, significantly reduced airway hyperreactivity.

Airway Resistance↗

Transgene-induced production of IL-4 alters the development and collagen expression of T helper cell 1-type pulmonary granulomas.

A number of complex mechanisms regulate the size and cellularity of an Ag-dependent granulomatous reaction and their accompanying cytokine production profiles. In the present study, Th1 (purified protein derivative (PPD)) and Th2 (schistosome egg Ag)-type granulomas were established to examine the role of IL-4 in lesion development and procollagen type III expression. PPD-sensitized mice were transfected via the airway with an adenovirus construct containing an IL-4 cDNA cassette, and the lungs were embolized with sized Ag-coated Sepharose beads. Granuloma development in response to the PPD bead challenge in control mice primarily consisted of mononuclear cells. In contrast, the overexpression of IL-4 in the IL-4 adenovirus-transfected animals demonstrated a significant increase in cellularity, size, procollagen type III expression, and accumulation of eosinophils. Analysis of mRNA and protein within the lung demonstrated significant expression of IL-4 in only the IL-4 adenovirus-transfected animals. The granuloma lesion size was significantly increased in the IL-4 adenovirus-transfected animals on days 2 and 5, reaching an approximate 50% increase compared with the control groups. Furthermore, procollagen type III mRNA expression was increased in the IL-4 adenovirus-transfected, PPD bead-embolized lungs. In contrast, when IL-4 was neutralized during Th2-type schistosome egg Ag bead granulomas, a decrease in procollagen type III was observed. These data indicate that the progression of certain granulomas may be regulated by the production of IL-4, thus altering the cellularity, size, and matrix composition of the inflammatory response.

Animals↗

The role of CXC chemokines in the regulation of angiogenesis in non-small cell lung cancer.

Angiogenesis is a critical component of tumor biology. In recent years newer techniques of cell and molecular biology have led to important advances in our understanding of this process. The regulation of angiogenesis depends on a balance between the activity of local factors that promote (angiogenic factors) or inhibit (angiostatic factors) neovascularization. Nowhere is this paradigm of a balance more apparent than in the study of tumor-associated angiogenesis. Tumors promote angiogenesis through a combination of overexpression of angiogenic factors and local inhibition of angiostatic factors. This strategy leads to an angiogenic environment that promotes tumor growth and metastases. Our laboratory has focused studies on the role of the CXC chemokine family in the regulation of angiogenesis by non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this article, we review our findings that the CXC chemokine family is composed of members that are either angiogenic or angiostatic. We have found that in NSCLC an imbalance exists in the expression of these factors that favors tumor-derived angiogenesis, and therefore tumor growth and metastases. Furthermore, when this imbalance is corrected to reduce the presence of angiogenic factors or increase the presence of angiostatic factors, tumor growth and metastases are reduced.

Animals↗

Cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions mediate chemokine expression: an important component of the inflammatory lesion.

Although many studies have characterized soluble factors that stimulate or inhibit chemokine secretion, in this review we focus on the event of cellular adhesion as a novel mechanism for stimulating chemokine expression. Recent work has demonstrated chemokine expression following cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix adhesion. The specificity of this finding was demonstrated utilizing various techniques that illustrate that adhesion, and not a soluble stimulus, is in some cases responsible for initiating or augmenting chemokine expression. For example, co-cultures of peripheral blood monocytes and endothelial cells secreted elevated levels of IL-8 and MCP-1 compared with either cell type alone. When co-cultured in transwells, this effect was significantly attenuated. In other experiments, neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to various adhesion molecules inhibited chemokine expression. The effects of adhesion were not limited to leukocytes. Both immune and non-immune cell types were evaluated as potential sources of adhesion-mediated chemokine expression. Not suprisingly, expression of some chemokines was associated with adhesion, whereas others were not, supporting the notion that adhesion differentially signals chemokine secretion during the inflammatory response. We hypothesize that as a recruited leukocyte encounters different adhesion substrates such as endothelial cells, basement membrane, extracellular matrix, and fibroblasts, the expression of chemokines from both the leukocyte and the substrate may be initiated, inhibited, or augmented. Careful characterization of the contribution of adhesion to regulation of chemokine expression will provide insight into the pathogenesis of many human diseases where chemokines have a central role.

Animals↗