Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of inhibitors of apoptosis protein delays apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons

The inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family of antiapoptotic genes, originally discovered in baculovirus, exists in animals ranging from insects to humans. Here, we investigated the ability of IAPs to suppress cell death in both a neuronal model of apoptosis and excitotoxicity. Cerebellar granule neurons undergo apoptosis when switched from 25 to 5 mM potassium, and excitotoxic cell death in response to glutamate. We examined the endogenous expression of four members of the IAP family, X chromosome-linked IAP (XIAP), rat IAP1 (RIAP1), RIAP2, and neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP), by semiquantitative reverse PCR and immunoblot analysis in cultured cerebellar granule neurons. Cerebellar granule neurons express significant levels of RIAP2 mRNA and protein, but expression of RIAP1, NAIP, and XIAP was not detected. RIAP2 mRNA content and protein levels did not change when cells were switched from 25 to 5 mM potassium. To determine whether ectopic expression of IAP influenced neuronal survival after potassium withdrawal or glutamate exposure, we used recombinant adenoviral vectors to target XIAP, human IAP1 (HIAP1), HIAP2, and NAIP into cerebellar granule neurons. We demonstrate that forced expression of IAPs efficiently blocked potassium withdrawal-induced N-acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-specific caspase activity and reduced DNA fragmentation. However, neurons were only protected from apoptosis up to 24 h after potassium withdrawal, but not at later time points, suggesting that IAPs delay but do not block apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons. In contrast, treatment with 100 microM or 1 mM glutamate did not induce caspase activity and adenoviral-mediated expression of IAPs had no influence on subsequent excitotoxic cell death.     

Molecular fine-specificity analysis of antibody responses to human cytomegalovirus and design of novel synthetic-peptide-based serodiagnostic assays

BACKGROUND: Glomerular monocyte infiltration is an early feature of lipid-mediated renal injury in animal models. Interactions between mesangial and infiltrating mononuclear cells may contribute to the development of glomerular scarring. METHODS: Adherence of U-937 monocytes to low-density lipoprotein (LDL)- or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha)-prestimulated human mesangial cells was assessed by colorimetry of nuclear staining with crystal violet. Blocking antibodies were added to examine the mechanisms of binding. Adhesion molecule expression and fibronectin synthesis were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Preincubation of mesangial cells for 24 hours with LDL (100 micrograms/ml) or mildly oxidized (minimally modified) LDL (MM-LDL) increased monocyte adhesion by 207% and 240%, respectively, compared with control nonstimulated cells (100%). TNFalpha (100 U/ml) enhanced binding by 335% and up-regulated intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) expression by 505% and 179%, respectively, as compared with MM-LDL (120% and 116%) and LDL, which had no effect. Blocking antibodies to these adhesion molecules inhibited monocyte binding to TNFalpha- and, to a lesser extent, MM-LDL-primed mesangial cells, but had no effect after LDL pretreatment. In contrast to TNFalpha, MM-LDL and LDL increased mesangial cell-associated fibronectin, whereas antibodies to fibronectin inhibited monocyte binding to lipoprotein-stimulated but not TNFalpha-stimulated cells. CONCLUSIONS: Although enhanced monocyte adhesion to TNFalpha- and, to a lesser extent, MM-LDL-stimulated mesangial cells is mediated by changes in ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression, both LDL and MM-LDL promote similar cellular interactions as a result of increased fibronectin production.     

Conversion of 3-chlorocatechol by various catechol 2,3-dioxygenases and sequence analysis of the chlorocatechol dioxygenase region of Pseudomonas putida GJ31

Pseudomonas putida GJ31 contains an unusual catechol 2,3-dioxygenase that converts 3-chlorocatechol and 3-methylcatechol, which enables the organism to use both chloroaromatics and methylaromatics for growth. A 3.1-kb region of genomic DNA of strain GJ31 containing the gene for this chlorocatechol 2,3-dioxygenase (cbzE) was cloned and sequenced. The cbzE gene appeared to be plasmid localized and was found in a region that also harbors genes encoding a transposase, a ferredoxin that was homologous to XylT, an open reading frame with similarity to a protein of a meta-cleavage pathway with unknown function, and a 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde dehydrogenase. CbzE was most similar to catechol 2,3-dioxygenases of the 2.C subfamily of type 1 extradiol dioxygenases (L. D. Eltis and J. T. Bolin, J. Bacteriol. 178:5930-5937, 1996). The substrate range and turnover capacity with 3-chlorocatechol were determined for CbzE and four related catechol 2,3-dioxygenases. The results showed that CbzE was the only enzyme that could productively convert 3-chlorocatechol. Besides, CbzE was less susceptible to inactivation by methylated catechols. Hybrid enzymes that were made of CzbE and the catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase of P. putida UCC2 (TdnC) showed that the resistance of CbzE to suicide inactivation and its substrate specificity were mainly determined by the C-terminal region of the protein.     

Monosodium glutamate (MSG)-obese rats develop glucose intolerance and insulin resistance to peripheral glucose uptake

Different levels of insulin sensitivity have been described in several animal models of obesity as well as in humans. Monosodium glutamate (MSG)-obese mice were considered not to be insulin resistant from data obtained in oral glucose tolerance tests. To reevaluate insulin resistance by the intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) and by the clamp technique, newborn male Wistar rats (N = 20) were injected 5 times, every other day, with 4 g/kg MSG (N = 10) or saline (control; N = 10) during the first 10 days of age. At 3 months, the IVGTT was performed by injecting glucose (0.75 g/kg) through the jugular vein into freely moving rats. During euglycemic clamping plasma insulin levels were increased by infusing 3 mU.kg-1.min-1 of regular insulin until a steady-state plateau was achieved. The basal blood glucose concentration did not differ between the two experimental groups. After the glucose load, increased values of glycemia (P < 0.001) in MSG-obese rats occurred at minute 4 and from minute 16 to minute 32. These results indicate impaired glucose tolerance. Basal plasma insulin levels were 39.9 +/- 4 microU/ml in control and 66.4 +/- 5.3 microU/ml in MSG-obese rats. The mean post-glucose area increase of insulin was 111% higher in MSG-obese than in control rats. When insulinemia was clamped at 102 or 133 microU/ml in control and MSG rats, respectively, the corresponding glucose infusion rate necessary to maintain euglycemia was 17.3 +/- 0.8 mg.kg-1.min-1 for control rats while 2.1 +/- 0.3 mg.kg-1.min-1 was sufficient for MSG-obese rats. The 2-h integrated area for total glucose metabolized, in mg.min.dl-1, was 13.7 +/- 2.3 vs 3.3 +/- 0.5 for control and MSG rats, respectively. These data demonstrate that MSG-obese rats develop insulin resistance to peripheral glucose uptake.     

Intratumoral microdistribution of [131I]MB-1 in patients with B-cell lymphoma following radioimmunotherapy

Leprechaunism is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by marked intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, severe insulin resistance, and altered glucose homeostasis. This syndrome is related to mutations in the insulin receptor (IR) gene that impair the transmission of the insulin signal by several mechanisms. There is no effective therapy and patients usually die within the first months of life. Here we report the prenatal diagnosis of leprechaunism in two unrelated families in which affected children were compound heterozygotes with two different deficient IR alleles. In family Par-1, the disease IR alleles carried a missense mutation located in exon 18 (Arg1092-->Trp) and exon 20 (Glu1179-->Lys). In family Als, a 3-basepair deletion causing the loss of Asn281 in exon 3 and a major deletion of exons 10-13 were present in the maternal and paternal mutant IR alleles, respectively. Prenatal diagnosis was made in each family by a specific approach combining denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and Southern blotting. This methodology allowed us to correctly predict the genotype of the two fetuses at the IR locus.     

Low plasma vitamin A concentrations in familial combined hyperlipidemia

As many as 20% of the survivors of acute myocardial infarction present with the heritable form of hyperlipidemia, termed familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL). Some of the genes reported to be involved in this disorder, such as those for lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and apolipoprotein (apo) C-III, are controlled by a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)/retinoic acid receptor X (RXR) regulatory system, which is retinoic acid dependent. If, as we hypothesized, the availability of retinoic acid or its precursor retinol (vitamin A) could be altered in FCHL, this could help explain some aspects of the phenotypic expression of the disease. We therefore measured plasma retinol concentrations in 30 FCHL subjects and 56 controls. Plasma retinol concentrations in FCHL subjects were significantly lower than that of control subjects (1.96 +/- 0.83 mumol/L vs 2.91 +/- 1.23 mumol/L, respectively; P < 0.0001). This novel finding of significantly decreased concentrations of plasma retinol in FCHL relative to control subjects gives support to the hypothesis that vitamin A might be involved in the expression of this disorder.     

Effect of combined heat, ozonation and ultraviolet irradiation (VasoCare) on heat shock protein expression by peripheral blood leukocyte populations

The re-administration of whole blood subjected to heat, ozonation and ultraviolet irradiation (VasoCare therapy) has been shown to elicit clinical benefits in individuals with vascular disease. Given that these stressors induce heat shock protein (Hsp) expression and that heat shock protein reactivity is implicated in the pathogenesis of vascular disease, this study assessed the effect of VasoCare on intracellular expression of Hsp60 and Hsp70 by treated peripheral blood leukocytes. Contrary to expectations, VasoCare induced a significant reduction (approximately 40%) in the proportion of peripheral blood mononuclear cells expressing intracellular Hsp60 and Hsp70, whereas it had no effect on heat shock protein expression by peripheral blood neutrophils. Cell surface heat shock protein expression was not detectable. The reduced expression of Hsp60 by mononuclear cells was concomitant with an increase in the levels of Hsp60 in treated plasma. Although the mechanism underlying the clinical effectiveness of VasoCare therapy has yet to be established, it may be that re-administration of treated blood or soluble factors derived therefrom modifies in vivo immune responsiveness to heat shock proteins or associated molecules.