Biomedical subjects

T C Laurent

Publications and source records attributed to T C Laurent.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Endocytosis of hyaluronan in rat Kupffer cells.

The binding, uptake and degradation of hyaluronan (HA) labelled with 3H in its acetyl group were studied in cultured rat Kupffer cells (KC). At 4 degrees C the binding increased with increasing concentrations of HA in the culture medium up to at least 1 microgram/ml, when saturation occurred. Binding could be prevented efficiently by the addition of an excess of unlabelled HA, and to a lesser extent by chondroitin sulphate and oligosaccharide fragments of HA, consisting of four sugars or more. The labelled HA bound to the cells could be removed by incubating the cells with Streptomyces hyaluronidase, or trypsin, indicating that the HA-binding sites are located on the cell surface. At 37 degrees C HA was internalized in a concentration-dependent manner, and degradation products appeared in the supernatant after 1-5 h, depending on the concentration applied. At 50 ng of free HA/ml, each KC accumulated 60 ag of the polysaccharide/min in the first 1 h, and degraded a total amount of 10 fg of HA during an 8 h period. Addition of the negatively charged polysaccharide dextran sulphate reduced binding, and to an even greater extent internalization, of HA in KC, while no effect was observed with dextran. Depletion of intracellular potassium caused a marked reduction in the rate of endocytosis of cell-membrane-associated HA into KC, without affecting binding. Addition of KCl to the culture medium returned endocytosis of [3H]HA to normal levels. There was no effect on binding and a partial effect on internalization by depletion of bivalent cations or in the presence of EDTA. The degradation of [3H]HA by KC cultures was abolished in the presence of weak bases, NH4Cl and chloroquine, supporting the idea that HA is endocytosed into lysosomes prior to degradation. The fluid-phase marker [14C]sucrose was internalized in the cells at much lower rate than was HA. Rates of binding, internalization and degradation of HA in KC point therefore to a specific endocytosis followed by an intracellular degradation to low-M(r) compounds. It was estimated that, under physiological conditions, KC only clear a minor proportion of circulating HA.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Characterization of the molecular mechanism involved in the activation of hyaluronan synthetase by platelet-derived growth factor in human mesothelial cells.

The molecular mechanism involved in the stimulation of hyaluronan synthetase in normal human mesothelial cells was investigated. Exposure of mesothelial cells to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB stimulated hyaluronan synthetase activity, measured in isolated membrane preparations, as well as hyaluronan secretion into the medium. The effect on hyaluronan synthetase was maximal after 6 h of treatment. In contrast, the stimulatory effect of transforming growth factor-beta 1 reached a maximum after 24 h. The stimulatory effect of PDGF-BB was inhibited by cycloheximide. The phosphotyrosine phosphatase inhibitor vanadate was found to stimulate hyaluronan synthetase activity, and to potentiate the effect of PDGF-BB. The protein kinase C (PKC) stimulator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) also stimulated hyaluronan synthetase; furthermore, depletion of PKC by preincubation of the cells with PMA led to an inhibition of the PDGF-BB-induced stimulation of hyaluronan synthetase activity. Thus the PDGF-BB-induced stimulation of hyaluronan synthetase activity is dependent on protein synthesis and involves tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of PKC.

Cell Membrane↗

PubMed1992

Correlation between increased hyaluronan localized in arthritic synovium and the presence of proliferating cells. A role for macrophage-derived factors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the increased levels of circulating hyaluronan seen in patients with arthritis also occur locally. METHODS: Biopsy specimens of normal synovium and synovium from patients with various arthropathies were studied using histochemical and immunohistochemical staining procedures, to determine the tissue distribution of hyaluronan and infiltrating cells. RESULTS: Hyaluronan was found in increased concentrations in inflamed tissues, and was co-localized in sites containing Ki-67+ cells. In vitro analyses showed that macrophage-released factors increased hyaluronan production by fibroblasts. Hydrocortisone inhibited this in vitro production of hyaluronan. CONCLUSION: Edema and swelling seen in inflamed joints may be due to the presence of large amounts of hyaluronan. One possible mechanism of action of corticosteroids in the alleviation of acute joint inflammation may occur via the inhibition of hyaluronan production.

Arthritis↗

PubMed1992

Concentration and turnover of intraperitoneal hyaluronan during inflammation.

Aseptic peritonitis was induced in rabbits by intraperitoneal injection of irritating agents, mainly starch suspensions. The inflammatory response was followed in the peritoneal lavage fluid by cell counts (average increase about 800-fold the first day) and hyaluronan concentration (average increase about 200-fold on the second and third days). The turnover rate of hyaluronan was studied by injecting tritium-labeled hyaluronan intraperitoneally and by following the appearance of tritiated water in serum. In control animals given trace amounts of hyaluronan, half-lives of 1-14 h were recorded. When the labeled polysaccharide had been mixed with 10 mg/ml of unlabeled hyaluronan, the half-life was approximately one day. Rabbits with ongoing peritonitis exhibited half-lives between 1 and 16 h. It was concluded that there was a large individual variation in uptake kinetics, that the removal process could be receptor mediated, and that the increase in intraperitoneal hyaluronan in peritonitis mainly was due to an increased production of the polysaccharide rather than a decreased rate of removal.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Localization and synthesis of hyaluronic acid in the cumulus cells and mural granulosa cells of the preovulatory follicle.

Mural and cumulus granulosa cells synthesize hyaluronic acid (HA) and expand in vitro in response to follicle-stimulating hormone and a soluble factor(s) produced by fully grown oocytes. In the present study we examined HA synthesis and extracellular matrix organization by the two cell populations in vivo during the preovulatory period. After injection of human chorionic gonadotropin into pregnant mares' serum gonadotropin-primed animals, a progressive increase in HA synthesis was observed by the cumulus cell-oocyte complex (COC), and by the mural granulosa cells adjacent to the antrum (antral granulosa cells). The outermost layers of mural granulosa cells (peripheral granulosa cells) did not synthesize HA. Net HA synthesis was approximately 4 pg/cell for COCs isolated after full expansion induced either in vivo or in vitro, whereas the total HA content and cell number in the ovulated COC (approximately 11 ng HA and approximately 3000 cells per COC) were about threefold higher than for COCs expanded in vitro (approximately 4 ng HA and approximately 1000 cells per COC). The increased cell content of ovulated COCs appears to be primarily the result of inclusion of proximal mural granulosa cells which synthesize HA in response to the oocyte factor(s) and become incorporated in the expanded COC extracellular matrix mass. Media conditioned by oocytes enclosed in the cumulus cell mass (intact COCs) contained only 10-20% of the HA-stimulatory activity of media conditioned by an equal number of isolated oocytes when tested on mural granulosa cell cultures. Further, HA-stimulatory activity of media conditioned by isolated oocytes was dramatically reduced (approximately 70%) by preincubation for 5 hr with cumulus cells compared to preincubation in the absence of cells. The results suggest that differences in HA synthesis between subregions of membrana granulosa depend on a diffusion gradient of the oocyte factor(s).

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Catabolism of hyaluronan in the knee joint of the rabbit.

Catabolism of hyaluronan was studied by injecting hyaluronan labelled with [125I]-tyramine cellobiose ([125I]-TC) into knee joints of rabbits. After endocytosis [125I]-TC remains intracellularly allowing localization of the site of catabolism. At 6 hours after injection 63% could be recovered in and around the joint, while at 48 hours 32% remained locally. Chromatography showed that 12% of the injected tracer was degraded in joint tissues at 6 hours, increasing to 33% at 24 hours. There was no apparent degradation within the joint fluid. No tracer was found in the regional lymph glands, but 16% of the injected tracer was detected in the liver at 24 hours. This investigation demonstrates that hyaluronan in the joint can be degraded both locally and in the liver.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Increased lymphatic flux of hyaluronan from cat intestine during fat absorption.

During fat absorption, chylomicrons with sizes up to 5,000-10,000 A must traverse an interstitium that has estimated pore sizes of 120-200 A to reach the lacteals. The present experiments were performed to study the behavior of the interstitial matrix component hyaluronan during fat absorption from the intestine. Ileal segments were isolated and autoperfused in pentobarbital-anesthetized cats. A postnodal lymphatic was cannulated, and lymph flow, protein, and hyaluronan concentration in lymph were determined. In group 1, a mixture of oleic acid and taurocholate was infused into the ileal lumen, while in group 2 the animals were fed cream overnight. In group 1, control lymph flow and hyaluronan concentration averaged 53.3 +/- 16.0 (SD) microliters.min-1.100 g intestine-1 and 21.4 +/- 16.0 micrograms/ml, respectively. Administration of taurocholate and oleic acid increased lymph flow and lymph hyaluronan concentration by 100 and 50%, respectively, resulting in a nearly three-fold increase in hyaluronan flux. Subsequent increases in venous pressure increased lymph flow and reduced hyaluronan concentration in lymph to less than 3 micrograms/ml. Hyaluronan flux remained approximately 2 micrograms.min-1.100 g intestine-1 independent of lymph flow. In group 2, no lymph sample was available before administration of fat. Hyaluronan concentration at control venous pressure was 19.3 +/- 6.7 micrograms/ml and fell to 10 micrograms/ml at the highest lymph flow. Hyaluronan flux was approximately 10 micrograms.min-1.100 g intestine-1 at the highest lymph flow and venous pressure (P less than 0.05 compared with the same lymph flow in group 1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Absorption↗

PubMed1992

Hyaluronan flux from cat intestine: changes with lymph flow.

Isolated and autoperfused ileal segments from pentobarbital-anesthetized cats were used to study turnover of hyaluronan in the intestine. A postnodal lymphatic was cannulated, and transcapillary and interstitial fluid fluxes were increased by raising venous pressure. Lymph hyaluronan concentration in control averaged 20.2 +/- 18.8 (SD) micrograms/ml (range 4.6-50) and increased with increasing lymph flow in all experiments to peak at concentrations two to three times above control values (at 15-20 mmHg increase in venous pressure). At higher lymph flows, hyaluronan concentration fell to below 5 micrograms/ml to an average of 21.3 +/- 19.5% of control value at the highest venous pressures used (30-40 mmHg). Tissue hyaluronan content fell from 349 +/- 191 micrograms/g dry wt in control to 148 +/- 78 micrograms/g dry wt (P less than 0.05) at the end of the experiment. In a second group, vasodilators were administered before elevation of venous pressure to prevent redistribution of blood flow between mucosal and muscular layers. The results were similar to those obtained above. In a third experimental group, venous pressure was elevated in one step to 30 mmHg and maintained at this level. Again, hyaluronan concentration initially increased and later fell well below control values. We conclude that a major part of the intestinal hyaluronan is easily mobilized by increased interstitial fluid flux.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Turnover of hyaluronan in the rabbit pleural space.

Hyaluronan influences lung fluid balance. The clearance of lung hyaluronan by way of the pulmonary lymphatics and the pleural space is increased when fluid flux into the interstitium is increased. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate at which hyaluronan is removed from the pleural space. We injected hyaluronan, labeled with tritium in the acetyl group, into the pleural space of six rabbits. The appearance of [3H]H2O in serum was measured over time to calculate the turnover rate of hyaluronan. We found that the half-lives ranged between 8 and 15 h and were positively related to the amount of hyaluronan injected. At the end of the experiment, the contralateral pleural space was irrigated to determine the amount of pleural space hyaluronan, which was 0.3 micrograms/kg body wt.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Serum hyaluronan and aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen: variation with age.

The serum levels of hyaluronan and the aminoterminal propeptide of Type III procollagen (PIIINP) were compared in 585 healthy individuals as a function of age. Newborn children displayed high hyaluronan (695 +/- 634 micrograms l-1, mean +/- SD) and PIIINP (295 +/- 152 micrograms l-1) values. The values were not correlated to the gestational week in which the children were born or to the birth weight but there was a significant correlation (p < 0.05) between the hyaluronan and PIIINP levels. During the first year the levels dropped and in childhood (1-16 years of age) both hyaluronan and PIIINP levels were fairly constant at 27 +/- 16 and 22 +/- 8.4 micrograms l-1, respectively. The PIIINP level showed a marked drop in adults compared to children. The drop continued to about 50 years of age (6.5 +/- 2.2 micrograms l-1) and then there was a slight increase in elderly people. The hyaluronan showed a continued increase with age from the level at 16 years of 29 +/- 17 micrograms l-1 to a mean value of 177 +/- 133 micrograms l-1 in people over 75 years. There was no increase in serum hyaluronan in women during pregnancy but the PIINP level increased in the later part of the gestational period. There was no correlation between the serum values of hyaluronan and PIIINP when compared throughout the life span which indicates that the blood levels of the two markers are regulated by independent factors.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Seven different assays of hyaluronan compared for clinical utility.

To compare six assays of hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid; HYA) in serum, developed in different laboratories, we analyzed 10 samples from each of three groups: healthy persons, patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, and patients with rheumatoid arthritis. All the assays are based on the use of affinity proteins specific for HYA, prepared from cartilage or brain tissue, and are analogous to RIA or enzyme immunoassay techniques. The assay results were of the same magnitude. Although statistical analysis indicated that the methods in some cases deviated significantly from one another, this variation was less than the physiological variation in the healthy population. Therefore, the results of clinical investigations in which the various methods have been used are comparable. The analyses have high specificity and sensitivity for primary biliary cirrhosis but are somewhat less suitable for detecting rheumatoid arthritis. A seventh laboratory, which obtained antibodies to HYA, used these in an RIA to analyze a separate series of serum specimens. Results were in agreement with those obtained by one of the other assays.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Increased plasma concentrations of hyaluronan after major thermal injury in the rat.

Hyaluronan (HYA) is an ubiquitous polysaccharide in connective tissue interstitium; its normal plasma concentration is in the nanogram/ml range. Following major burn injury in sheep, plasma HYA can increase to levels tenfold greater than normal. The present study aimed to determine the effects of major cutaneous burns on plasma HYA concentration in rat, since in this species, the HYA elimination kinetics may better resemble those in man. Thermal injury did not alter the weight-average molecular weight of HYA in skin. HYA concentration in plasma was 46 +/- 4 ng/ml (mean +/- SEM) in controls. Three hours after scald burns to 40% of the body surface area, plasma HYA was 61 +/- 10 ng/ml in unresuscitated animals (P less than 0.1 vs. controls). After fluid replacement by lactated Ringer's plasma HYA was 75 +/- 8 ng/ml (P less than 0.01 vs. control), whereas plasma infusion prevented the elevation of plasma HYA. HYA also increased significantly after lactated Ringer's infusion in noninjured animals. The increased plasma concentration of HYA after major burns is probably a consequence of increased lymph flow, increasing its transport from skin interstitium. Possibly, plasma concentrations of connective tissue components may be used as indicators of the severity and extent of burn injuries.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Hyaluronan: relationship to hemodynamics and survival in porcine injury and sepsis.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Hyaluronan is a polysaccharide normally present in low concentrations in the blood, and is rapidly cleared from the blood by the liver. Increased plasma hyaluronan concentrations have been found in patients with sepsis. We studied changes in serum hyaluronan concentrations and their relationship to hemodynamics and survival in a 48-hr porcine model of injury and sepsis. RESULTS: Circulating hyaluronan concentrations increased to high values after induction of experimental sepsis (from mean baseline values of 242 +/- 26 [SEM] to mean maximum concentrations of 964 +/- 255 micrograms/L [p less than .01]) compared with controls (199 +/- 38 to 303 +/- 32 micrograms/L). A weak negative correlation between mean arterial pressure (MAP) and serum hyaluronan values was found (r2 = .47; p less than .01). Nonsurvivors had higher mean serum hyaluronan concentrations than survivors (603 +/- 147 vs. 285 +/- 43 micrograms/L [p less than .05]). CONCLUSIONS: Experimental sepsis is associated with an increase in serum hyaluronan values. The relationship between decreased MAP and increased serum hyaluronan concentrations could point to reduced liver perfusion as a cause. An association between high hyaluronan values and nonsurvival in sepsis is possible.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1992

Hyaluronan.

Hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid) is a high-molecular-mass polysaccharide found in the extracellular matrix, especially of soft connective tissues. It is synthesized in the plasma membrane of fibroblasts and other cells by addition of sugars to the reducing end of the polymer, whereas the nonreducing end protrudes into the pericellular space. The polysaccharide is catabolized locally or carried by lymph to lymph nodes or the general circulation, from where it is cleared by the endothelial cells of the liver sinusoids. The overall turnover rate is surprisingly rapid for a connective tissue matrix component (t1/2 0.5 to a few days). Hyaluronan has been assigned various physiological functions in the intercellular matrix, e.g., in water and plasma protein homeostasis. Hyaluronan production increases in proliferating cells and the polymer may play a role in mitosis. Extensive hyaluronidase-sensitive coats have been identified around mesenchymal cells. They are either anchored firmly in the plasma membrane or bound via hyaluronan-specific binding proteins (receptors). Such receptors have now been identified on many different cells, e.g., the lymphocyte homing receptor CD 44. Interaction between a hyaluronan receptor and extracellular polysaccharide has been connected with locomotion and cell migration. Hyaluronan seems to play an important role during development and differentiation and has other cell regulatory activities. Hyaluronan has also been recognized in clinical medicine. A concentrated solution of hyaluronan (10 mg/ml) has, through its tissue protective and rheological properties, become a device in ophthalmic surgery. Analysis of serum hyaluronan is promising in the diagnosis of liver disease and various inflammatory conditions, e.g., rheumatoid arthritis. Interstitial edema caused by accumulation of hyaluronan may cause dysfunction in various organs.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Differential expression of platelet-derived growth factor alpha- and beta- receptors on fat-storing cells and endothelial cells of rat liver.

Fat-storing cells and endothelial cells of the liver sinusoids play important roles in the biosynthesis and degradation of hyaluronan (HYA). These cells were isolated from rat liver by a simple and rapid procedure involving: (1) cell separation by centrifugation on a Nycodenz gradient, after dispersion of the liver cells by collagenase perfusion; (2) further purification of the cells by centrifugation on a discontinuous Percoll gradient; and (3) culturing of the cells, taking advantage of the different time that seeded cells need for attachment to plastic surfaces. We have determined the effects of two isoforms of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), PDGF-BB and PDGF-AA, on HYA production by the original fat-storing cells, as well as by fat-storing cells which had changed in vitro to myofibroblast-like cells. PDGF-BB was found to stimulate HYA synthesis in both types of cells with a maximal response equal to that obtained with 10% fetal calf serum. PDGF-AA had no stimulatory effect on HYA production. Fat-storing cells and their modified myofibroblast-like phenotype bound specifically to 125I-PDGF-BB, but not to 125I-PDGF-AA, indicating that they had PDGF beta-receptors, but not alpha-receptors. In contrast, liver endothelial cells were found to have PDGF alpha-receptors, but not beta-receptors.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Uptake of hyaluronan in hepatic endothelial cells is not directly affected by endotoxin and associated cytokines.

The uptake of hyaluronan (HYA) labeled with 3H in its acetyl group was measured in cultured liver endothelial cells from normal rats and from rats previously treated with sublethal doses of Escherichia coli endotoxin (ET). Replicate cultures were also exposed to recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 (IL-1) or interferon-gamma for 1 to 3 h before the measurement of hyaluronan uptake. Under all conditions, HYA was absorbed by endothelial cells at rates consistent with receptor-mediated absorption. In cells exposed to HYA 20 h after isolation, rate of uptake was less than half the rate in cells exposed 6 or 7 h after isolation. Cellular uptake of HYA was neither reduced nor enhanced by any of the treatments with cytokines. Prior exposure of the cell donors to ET caused a three-fold increase in their plasma HYA but did not alter the subsequent rate of cellular HYA uptake in vitro, either with or without added treatment with TNF-alpha or IL-1. It was concluded that the elevation of plasma HYA caused by septicaemia or by the experimental administration of ET or TNF-alpha cannot be attributed to direct interference with HYA receptors on hepatic endothelial cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Increased hyaluronan flux from skin following burn injury.

Hyaluronan (formerly hyaluronic acid) is an important constituent of the interstitial matrix in skin. Following major burn injury in animal models, plasma hyaluronan can increase to levels 10-fold greater than normal. The present experiments were designed to determine whether this is a result of the increased lymph flow (QL) accompanying the injury or of an increased release of hyaluronan from the burned skin and subcutaneous tissue. The lateral saphenous vein and a prenodal lymphatic were cannulated in the hindpaw of five anesthetized canines. Hindpaw venous pressure was elevated until the total protein concentration in lymph declined to steady-state levels, and QL and hyaluronan flux (QL X [hyaluronan]) was measured. A minor burn was inflicted by immersion of the paw into 100 degrees C water for five sec, and measurements were repeated at regular intervals for a minimum of 4 hr. Burn injury resulted in significant and persistent increases in QL (154 +/- 61 microliters/min versus 562 +/- 105 microliters/min 4 hr postburn) and lymph total protein concentration (1.34 +/- 0.04 g/dl versus 4.08 +/- 0.18 g/dl 4 hr postburn), while lymph hyaluronan concentration fell (3.01 +/- 0.20 micrograms/ml versus 2.1 +/- 0.16 micrograms/ml 4 hr postburn). The resultant increase in hyaluronan flux (0.42 +/- 0.13 microgram/min versus 1.17 +/- 0.22 microgram/min 4 hr postburn) appears to be a function of lymph flow rather than burn-induced release of skin hyaluronan. Hence, the increased plasma concentration of hyaluronan following major burns is likely a consequence of increased lymph flow from the site of injury.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Marked increase of plasma hyaluronan after major thermal injury and infusion therapy.

Hyaluronan (HYA) is an important structural element in skin and is presumably participating in regulation of the interstitial fluid volume. HYA is transported via the lymphatics from the tissues to the blood, where its concentration is normally very low. Fluid flux through the interstitium is markedly increased after thermal injury. The present study was performed to determine whether major thermal injury would affect plasma levels of HYA. In halothane-anesthetized sheep subjected to 40% BSA full-thickness scald burns, plasma HYA concentration increased from 116 +/- 19 (mean +/- SEM) to 172 +/- 18 ng/ml within 1 hr after injury (P less than 0.05). After 3 hr of fluid therapy plasma HYA concentration was further elevated to 10 times baseline (1417 +/- 322 ng/ml) (P less than 0.01). To clarify whether this rise represented an increased "washout" of interstitial HYA, attributable either to the burn injury or the subsequent fluid therapy, awake sheep were subjected to overhydration. Following a 3-hr infusion of lactated Ringer's 2.5 liter/hr, plasma HYA concentration increased to 2-3 times baseline. Lung lymph flow and its concentration of HYA increased, leading to an increase in the lymphatic flux of HYA to 10-20 times baseline. In peripheral lymph HYA flux increased 2-3 times baseline. Infusion of lactated Ringer's markedly increased lymphatic removal of HYA. However, plasma concentrations of HYA were 3 times higher after thermal injury than following fluid challenge alone, suggesting that thermal injury per se may also increase input of HYA into the systemic circulation.

Animals↗