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T Polte

Publications and source records attributed to T Polte.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

Vaccinations with T-helper type 1 directing adjuvants have different suppressive effects on the development of allergen-induced T-helper type 2 responses.

BACKGROUND: Allergen-induced T-helper type 2 (Th2) responses can be inhibited with Th1 directing vaccines. However, studies comparing the efficacy of the different adjuvants have not been performed in detail. OBJECTIVE: For this reason we compare the effects of live Bacillus-Calmette-Guerin(BCG), heat-killed (hk)-BCG, CpG-ODN (oligodeoxynucleotide) or PPD on the development of allergen-induced Th2 responses in mice. METHODS: Ovalbumin (OVA)-specific allergic responses were induced in C57BL/6 mice by two intraperitoneally (i.p.) applications of OVA/alum followed by the intranasal challenge with OVA. The different Th1-inducing adjuvants were applied to the mice together with OVA/alum i.p. during the OVA-sensitization period and, subsequently, different parameters of allergic immune responses were evaluated. RESULTS: All the adjuvants were effective in inhibiting the development of allergen-induced airway eosinophilia, mucous production and, with the exception of PPD, also airway hyper-reactivity, when they were applied together with OVA/alum. However, allergen-specific IgG1 and IgE serum levels were only reduced in live BCG- and PPD-treated mice. Suppression of airway eosinophilia was not observed in IFN-gamma- or IL-12-deficient mice (hk-BCG, CpG-ODN and PPD). Interestingly, live BCG was still able to suppress allergen-induced Th2 responses in the absence of either IFN-gamma or IL-12. When mice vaccinated with the different adjuvants together with OVA/alum were subjected to a second period of OVA/alum immunization, only live and hk-BCG were able to efficiently suppress the development of airway inflammation. This effect could be adoptively transferred by splenic CD4(+) T cells. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together our data suggest that live BCG>hk-BCG>CpG-ODN >PPD are effective in suppressing allergen-induced Th2 responses. The degree of suppression and the component of the Th2 response affected (airway inflammation vs. the production of allergen-specific IgE and IgG1) were dependent upon the adjuvant used and how it was applied. Our results contribute to the design of novel vaccines protecting humans from developing allergic disorders.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Mechanical behavior in living cells consistent with the tensegrity model.

Alternative models of cell mechanics depict the living cell as a simple mechanical continuum, porous filament gel, tensed cortical membrane, or tensegrity network that maintains a stabilizing prestress through incorporation of discrete structural elements that bear compression. Real-time microscopic analysis of cells containing GFP-labeled microtubules and associated mitochondria revealed that living cells behave like discrete structures composed of an interconnected network of actin microfilaments and microtubules when mechanical stresses are applied to cell surface integrin receptors. Quantitation of cell tractional forces and cellular prestress by using traction force microscopy confirmed that microtubules bear compression and are responsible for a significant portion of the cytoskeletal prestress that determines cell shape stability under conditions in which myosin light chain phosphorylation and intracellular calcium remained unchanged. Quantitative measurements of both static and dynamic mechanical behaviors in cells also were consistent with specific a priori predictions of the tensegrity model. These findings suggest that tensegrity represents a unified model of cell mechanics that may help to explain how mechanical behaviors emerge through collective interactions among different cytoskeletal filaments and extracellular adhesions in living cells.

Animals↗

Heme oxygenase-1 is a cGMP-inducible endothelial protein and mediates the cytoprotective action of nitric oxide.

Inducible heme oxygenase (HO-1) has recently been recognized as an antioxidant and cytoprotective gene. By use of Western blotting, cell viability analysis, and antisense technique, the present study investigates the involvement of HO-1 in endothelial protection induced by the clinically used nitric oxide (NO) donor molsidomine (specifically, its active metabolite 3-morpholinosydnonimine [SIN-1]) and the second messenger cGMP. In bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells, SIN-1 and S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-penicillamine (SNAP) at 1 to 100 micromol/L induced the synthesis of HO-1 protein in a concentration-dependent fashion up to 3-fold over basal levels. HO-1 induction by SIN-1 was inhibited in the presence of the NO scavenger phenyl-4,4,5,5,-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide and the soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazole[4, 3-a]quinoxalin-1-one. 8-Bromo-cGMP (1 to 100 micromol/L) and dibutyryl cGMP (1 to 100 micromol/L) as well as the activator of particulate guanylyl cyclase atrial natriuretic peptide (1 to 100 nmol/L) produced increases in HO-1 protein similar to those produced by SIN-1. SIN-1 and 8-bromo-cGMP increased heme oxygenase activity (bilirubin formation). Cytoprotection by NO donors was abrogated in the presence of the heme oxygenase inhibitor tin protoporphyrin IX. Pretreatment of cells with a phosphorothioate-linked HO-1 antisense oligonucleotide prevented protection by SIN-1 or 8-bromo-cGMP against tumor necrosis factor-alpha cytotoxicity, whereas sense and scrambled HO-1 were without effect under these conditions. Our results show for the first time that HO-1 is a cGMP-sensitive endothelial gene and establish conclusively a causal relationship between HO-1 induction and endothelial protection by the NO/cGMP system. By targeting cytoprotective HO-1, NO donors may therefore be expected to induce antioxidant, antiatherogenic, and anti-inflammatory effects.

Animals↗

Cyclic AMP mediates endothelial protection by nitric oxide.

Incubation with TNF-alpha (50 ng/ml) for 72 hours markedly reduced viability of endothelial cells. A 6-hour preincubation with S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-penicillamine (SNAP, 3-100 microM) protected cells in a concentration-dependent manner and decreased TNF-alpha-mediated toxicity by up to 70%. Cytoprotection by SNAP was completely abolished by the adenylyl cyclase inhibitor 2', 5'-dideoxyadenosine and mimicked by 8-bromo cyclic AMP or forskolin. SNAP produced significant increases in cyclic GMP and cyclic AMP, both being abrogated in the presence of the NO scavenger 2-phenyl-4, 4,5,5,-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO). Moreover, no endothelial protection by SNAP was detected in the presence of the protein kinase A inhibitor KT5720, whereas the protein kinase G inhibitor KT5823 left cytoprotection virtually unaltered. Our results demonstrate a crucial role for cyclic AMP in mediating NO-induced endothelial protection against TNF-alpha, possibly through cyclic GMP-dependent inhibition of cyclic AMP breakdown. NO-dependent endothelial protection may ultimately result from cyclic AMP-induced up-regulation of antioxidant proteins or down-regulation of cytotoxic processes.

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Aspirin increases ferritin synthesis in endothelial cells: a novel antioxidant pathway.

Aspirin has recently been shown to increase endothelial resistance to oxidative damage. However, the mechanism underlying aspirin-induced cytoprotection is still unknown. Using cultured cells, the present study investigates the effect of aspirin on the expression of ferritin, a cytoprotective protein that sequesters free cytosolic iron, the main catalyst of oxygen radical formation. In bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells, aspirin at low antithrombotic concentrations (0.03 to 0.3 mmol/L) induced the synthesis of ferritin protein in a time- and concentration-dependent fashion up to 5-fold over basal levels, whereas ferritin H (heavy chain) mRNA remained unaltered. Aspirin-induced cytoprotection from hydrogen peroxide toxicity was mimicked by exogenous iron-free apoferritin but not iron-loaded ferritin, demonstrating the antioxidant function of newly synthesized ferritin under these conditions. Ferritin induction by aspirin was specific in that other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as salicylic acid, indomethacin, or diclofenac failed to alter ferritin protein levels. Aspirin-induced ferritin synthesis was abrogated in the presence of the iron chelator desferrioxamine, pointing to an interaction of aspirin with iron-responsive activation of ferritin translation. Together, our results suggest induction of ferritin as a novel mechanism by which aspirin may prevent endothelial injury in cardiovascular disease, eg, during atherogenesis.

Animals↗

Aspirin protects endothelial cells from oxidative stress--possible synergism with vitamin E.

A 24-h incubation with hydrogen peroxide (0.65 mM) markedly reduced viability of cultured endothelial cells. Preincubation with aspirin (3-30 microM) protected endothelial cells from hydrogen peroxide-induced toxicity and increased viability in a concentration-dependent fashion by up to 64% of control. A similar protection was observed with D-alpha-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E, 3-30 microM). The cytoprotective effects of aspirin and vitamin E against hydrogen peroxide were overadditive suggesting different mechanisms of antioxidant action. In agreement with this, cytotoxicity induced by iron, the main catalyst of oxygen radical formation, was substantially reduced by aspirin but not vitamin E. These results show that aspirin protects endothelial cells from oxidative stress possibly via binding or chelation of free cytosolic iron. Moreover, a combination of aspirin and vitamin E might be useful for the prevention of endothelial injury in cardiovascular disease, e.g. during atherogenesis.

Animals↗

Nitric oxide protects endothelial cells from tumor necrosis factor-alpha-mediated cytotoxicity: possible involvement of cyclic GMP.

In cultured endothelial cells, incubation with TNF-alpha (50 ng/ml) for 48 h markedly reduced viability of endothelial cells. A 6 h preincubation with Sper/NO (0.03--1 microM) protected endothelial cells in a concentration-dependent manner and increased viability by 63% of control. The NO scavenger PTIO (30 microM) completely abolished cytoprotection by Sper/NO. A cytoprotective effect comparable to Sper/NO was observed when preincubating the cells with 8-bromo cyclic GMP (1-10 microM). Moreover, no protection by Sper/NO occurred in the presence of ODQ (0.1 microM), a selective inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase. Our results demonstrate that NO produces a long-term endothelial protection against cellular injury by TNF-alpha, presumably via a cyclic GMP-dependent pathway.

Animals↗

The nitric oxide donor SIN-1 protects endothelial cells from tumor necrosis factor-alpha-mediated cytotoxicity: possible role for cyclic GMP and heme oxygenase.

In cultured endothelial cells, incubation with TNF-alpha (50 ng/ml) for 72 h markedly reduced viability of endothelial cells. A 6-h pre-incubation with the nitric oxide (NO) donor linsidomine (SIN-1, 10-150 microM) protected endothelial cells in a concentration-dependent manner and increased viability by up to 59% of control. The unmetabolized parent compound molsidomine and the NO-free metabolite of SIN-1 3-morpholinoiminoacetonitrile (SIN-1C) were without cytoprotective effect. Cytoprotection by SIN-1 was completely abolished by the NO scavenger 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5, -tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO, 30 microM). A cytoprotective effect comparable to SIN-1 was observed when preincubating the cells with dibutyryl cyclic GMP (10-100 microM). Moreover, no protection by SIN-1 occurred in the presence of cycloheximide (1 microM) or 1H--1,2,4-oxadiazole-4, 3-a-quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 0.1 microM), a selective inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase. Tin protoporphyrin-IX (SnPP, 25 microM), an inhibitor of heme oxygenase, was found to attenuate SIN-1-induced cytoprotection. Our results demonstrate that SIN-1 produces a long-term endothelial protection against cellular injury by TNF-alpha, presumably via a cyclic GMP-dependent pathway leading to up-regulation of protective proteins such as heme oxygenase.

Acetonitriles↗

Structural and functional studies of full-length vascular cell adhesion molecule-1: internal duplication and homology to several adhesion proteins.

Full-length vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) cDNA cloned by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of poly(A)+RNA from interleukin-1 (IL-1)-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) contained an insert of 276 nucleotides after position 1,034 of the previously published sequence. Synthetic oligomer probes, specific for each of the two possible species of VCAM-1 mRNA, detected only the longer form of VCAM-1 by Northern analysis of activated endothelial cell mRNA. This full-length VCAM-1 contains two internally repeated domains of approximately 273 amino acids with a high degree of homology. This new sequence information reveals homologies with additional members of the immunoglobulin superfamily and improves ALIGN scores for previously cited adhesion proteins. Removal of the transmembrane domain and the carboxy-terminal end of the full-length VCAM-1 molecule allows the molecule to be secreted into the culture medium from cells transfected with an expression vector containing the corresponding VCAM-1 cDNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

T cells bind to cytokine-activated endothelial cells via a novel, inducible sialoglycoprotein and endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1.

The action of human rIL-1 beta on confluent, quiescent monolayers of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) has been studied for the induction of new membrane proteins. Two approaches have been taken. The first is a quantitative two-dimensional gel analysis of [35S]cysteine-labeled membrane proteins of HUVEC with and without cytokine treatment. This analysis indicates that there are a restricted number of new membrane proteins synthesized in the first 6 h of IL-1 treatment, on the order of 19 out of a total of over 600 detectable proteins. Second, we have prepared two mAb (1E7 and 2G7) to different epitopes of a major inducible sialoglycoprotein with molecular mass of 114 kDa and an isoelectric point of 4.6 to 4.8. These antibodies were compared with two additional antibodies, 3B7 and 7A9, which were shown to react with the endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (ELAM-1) protein as expressed in COS cells. The 1E7/2G7 protein is distinct from ELAM-1, based upon biochemical comparisons as well as the inability of the 1E7 and 2G7 antibodies to react with ELAM-1-transfected COS cells. The protein defined as 1E7/2G7 is neither expressed constitutively nor in an inducible manner on PBMC, granulocytes, platelets, fibroblasts, or keratinocytes. The 7A9 and 3B7 antibodies are shown to block granulocyte binding to IL-1-activated HUVEC. The 2G7 antibody is effective at inhibiting the binding of T cells but not granulocytes to IL-1-activated endothelium, suggesting this new protein is an adhesion protein that may be active in vivo in T cell-endothelial cell adhesion-related events such as inflammation or lymphocyte recirculation. In addition, T cells were shown to utilize the ELAM-1 protein in binding to cytokine-activated HUVEC. Antibodies directed to both proteins had additive effects on inhibition of T cell adhesion.

Antigens↗

A photochemical method to map ethidium bromide binding sites on DNA: application to a bent DNA fragment.

It is shown that, when irradiated in the visible, ethidium bromide (EB) engages in direct photochemistry with its DNA binding site. At the photochemical end point, an average of one single-strand break is produced per bound EB molecule in a reaction which also bleaches the dye chromophore. Using high-resolution electrophoresis, we have mapped the distribution of EB photocleavage sites on DNA, at one-base resolution. It is argued that because the photocleavage is stoichiometric, the resulting pattern is similar to, if not identical with, the local distribution of EB binding affinity. When interpreted in the context of the extensive thermodynamic and structural data which are available for EB, a binding distribution of that kind can be used to infer details of DNA structure variation within the underlying helix. As a first application of the method, we have used EB to probe the structure of a 265 bp fragment of DNA, which had been described as being bent as the result of a periodic array of oligo(A) segments [Kitchin et al. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 11302]. The EB mapping data provide evidence that the oligo(A) elements in this fragment assume a local secondary structure which is different than that assumed by isolated ApA nearest neighbors and that the ends of the oligo(A) elements comprise a junctional domain with EB binding properties which differ from those of the oligo(A) element or of random-sequence DNA.

Adenine Nucleotides↗

A mouse hybrid cell line that supports gene expression from a variety of promoters in amplifiable vectors.

A hybrid cell line was constructed by fusion of mouse L-cells with an NIH3T3 cell line derivative containing a hybrid gene consisting of the mouse immunoglobulin kappa (IgK) variable gene promoter linked to the Escherichia coli gpt gene. Such hybrids grew to a much higher density compared to either of the parental cell lines. The utility of this cell line as a host to express foreign genes was tested by the expression of TGF-beta cDNA using the cytomegalovirus promoter. The vector also contained the human dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene driven by SV40 early promoter, to allow for the amplification of the transfected gene. Initial transformants, selected at 100 nM methotrexate (MTX), were subsequently selected for resistance to a higher concentration of MTX (2 microM). Such clones expressed an increased level of TGF-beta when compared to the initial transformants. Both the initial transformants and the clones with the amplified DHFR gene produced TGF-beta in an acid-activatable precursor form. This mouse hybrid host cell line also allowed the expression of foreign genes cloned in an eukaryotic expression vector with the mouse IgK variable region promoter and human growth hormone as the reporter gene, whereas such vectors did not function in CHO cells. The mouse hybrid cell line was also found to be capable of being used with a broad range of promoters.

Animals↗