Fibrinogen-fibrin: preparation and use of monoclonal antibodies as diagnostics.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Bini.
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The Authors describe an unusual case of acute cardiac tamponade caused by fistulization in the pericardial cavity of an amebic abscess of the left lobe of the liver. The availability of echocardiography facilitated prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Fibrin is a major component of atherosclerotic plaques, and there may also be situations in which intravascular fibrin is formed in contact with the endothelium. The studies to be presented describe the distribution of fibrinogen/fibrin I, fibrin II, and fragments D and D-dimer in normal vessels and atherosclerotic plaques of increasing severity and also describe some functional effects of fibrin on normal endothelium. Immunohistochemical studies using three specific monoclonal antibodies with the avidin-biotin complex immunoperoxidase technique demonstrated that little fibrinogen/fibrin I or fibrin II and no D/D-dimer were detected in normal aortas. In early lesions and in fibrous plaques, fibrinogen/fibrin I and fibrin II were distributed in long threads and around vessel wall cells. D/D-dimer was not seen in early lesions. In advanced plaques all three molecular forms were detected in areas of loose connective tissue, in thrombi, and around cholesterol crystals. Thus increased fibrin formation and degradation may be associated with progression of atherosclerotic disease. Additionally, the presence of fibrin II around vessel wall cells suggests that these cells may be involved in the fbgn to fibrin transition within the vessel wall. The second aspect of the work to be presented concerns effects of fibrin on vascular endothelium. Fibrin formed on the surface of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells stimulated production of prostacyclin and tissue plasminogen activator by the cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Stimulation of prostacyclin was completely inhibited by indomethacin and partially inhibited by actinomycin D, cycloheximide, and trifluoperazine, while stimulation of t-PA synthesis was completely inhibited by actinomycin D and cycloheximide and partially inhibited by cytochalasin D, vinblastine, and trifluoperazine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
We describe a case of left ventricular intramyocardial lipoma in a patient with diffuse subcutaneous lipomatosis. The diagnosis was suspected on the basis of a two-dimensional echocardiographic examination that revealed a hyperechogenic mass within the left ventricular wall. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a homogeneous high signal mass thus indicating the presence of a benign lipoma. This report shows the ability of two-dimensional echocardiography and magnetic resonances imaging in detecting, localizing and characterizing left ventricular lipomas without the use of more invasive studies.
Two-dimensional echocardiography is the chosen method for the detection of mobile right atrial masses. In this report we describe a case of pulmonary and paradoxical embolism in which 2D echocardiography was useful for the detection of a thromboembolus entrapped in the patent foramen ovale. The right and left atrial thromboembolus was removed surgically with success.
Morphological researches have been carried out through histological studies with fine and semifine sections at the electronic scan microscope on the dental pulp of calves. The general aim was to identify the antioxidant properties of pulp and study cellular density and microfibrillar architecture. The dental pulps of calves of 5-6 months taken immediately after slaughtering were used with immersions into the fixing liquid. The scan microscope showed fibroblasts in the deepest regions of the pulp in a stroma of collagenic fibres, not organised but scattered among the cells of the connective tissue. The odontoblasts presented well ordered one beside the others with well visible details such as the swollen basal portion, the nucleus and a very tight villosity. No clear interodontoblastic connections were evident. The electron transmission microscope revealed typical cells with histiocyte appearance with microfilaments evident in the cytoplasma (myofibroblasts) presenting a wide variety of cytoplasmatic interconnections with interdigitations.
Paramagnetic nitroxide spin labels have been extensively used to probe various biophysical and biochemical properties of the cellular environment. Recently nitroxides have been proposed as contrast enhancing agents in proton magnetic resonance imaging and contrast enhancement has been demonstrated in animal studies. Nitroxides, possessing a stable unpaired electron, increases the relaxation rates of protons, providing an enhancement of contrast. Nitroxides are metabolized intracellularly principally via reversible reduction to hydroxylamines. Rates of reduction depend on the physical characteristics of the nitroxides, in general 5-membered pyrrolidine ring are reduced more slowly than those with a 6-membered piperidine ring. Oxidation back to the nitroxide is relevant for lipid soluble hydroxylamines, while is low for water soluble ones. It is known that nitroxides are metabolized by subcellular fractions (cytosol, mitochondria, microsomes), though the enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems involved are poorly characterized. In the present study, the first of the necessary steps toward a systematic study of the metabolism of nitroxides by subcellular organelles, we have chosen to study the metabolism of 4-hydroxy 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl in isolated rat liver microsomes. Microsomes were able to reduce Tempol slowly without any substrate addition; when NADPH was added, the reduction rate substantially increased. In phenobarbitone induced rats the reduction rate was significantly higher than in not-induced microsomes. NADPH-dependent reduction rate was inhibited by thallium chloride (an inhibitor of the flavin-centered cytochrome P-450 reductase), superoxide dismutase, and by N-ethylmaleimide; menadione increased it. The Tempol reduction rate was not significantly affected by various cytochrome P-450 inhibitors with the sole exception of metyrapone. A solution containing purified cytochrome P-450 reductase and NADPH readily reduced Tempol. Microsomes fortified with NADPH were able to reduce Tempol at an appreciable rate. In order to distinguish between reduction of nitroxides to hydroxylamine or destruction of nitroxides following nitroxide reduction, microsomal suspensions were treated with a mild oxidant (ferricyanide 0.5-10 mM). The recovery varied from 40 to 60%, indicating a process of probe destruction leading to as yet unknown metabolites. The present study clearly indicates that, in this model system, cytochrome c (P-450) reductase and not cytochrome P-450 is responsible for the observed Tempol metabolism; along with hydroxylamine formation, other Tempol derived metabolites are formed during the process.
This review addresses the question of the involvement of fibrin in the development of atherosclerotic plaques. Numerous studies in the older literature demonstrated the presence of fibrinogen and/or fibrin in plaques, but the techniques that were available (mainly immunochemistry and immunohistochemistry with polyclonal antifibrinogen antibodies) did not clearly distinguish fibrinogen from fibrin or fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products. Some of these studies suggested that the fibrinogen-related protein within lesions resulted from incorporation of thrombi into lesions, while other studies suggested that fibrinogen itself entered the vessel wall. Newer studies by the authors and collaborators used specific antibodies for various fibrinopeptides to quantitate fibrinogen, fibrin I, fibrin II, and fragment X in thrombi and different histologic types of plaques. These studies showed that normal aortas contained fibrinogen and that fatty and fibrous plaques contained fibrinogen, fibrin I, and fibrin II, while complicated plaques contained fibrin II and fragment X, indicating a progression from fibrinogen to fibrin and fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products in parallel with increasing severity of the lesions. Later studies by the authors and collaborators used a sensitive immunohistochemical technique with monoclonal antibodies to demonstrate the distribution of fibrinogen-related antigens. Patterns suggesting incorporation of thrombi were seen, as were patterns suggesting formation of fibrin in association with arterial wall monocyte/macrophages and smooth muscle cells. The data from these various studies suggest the possibility that fibrin formation occurs within the arterial wall and contributes to plaque formation.
A new approach to study the distribution of fibrin(ogen)-related antigens was investigated using three different monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and the avidin-biotin complex immunoperoxidase technique. MAb I8C6 recognizes B beta 1-42 peptide and can react with either fibrinogen or fibrin I; MAb T2G1 recognizes B beta 15-42 peptide and detects fibrin II but does not cross-react with fibrinogen; MAb GC4 reacts with Fragments D/DD derived from plasmin degradation of fibrinogen or fibrin but not with intact fibrinogen. The method can be applied to frozen or Bouin's fixed paraffin-embedded tissues obtained at biopsy, surgery, and autopsy. The distribution of the three antigens observed with the three MAbs was compared with that obtained with a polyclonal antiserum to fibrinogen and with the more conventional histochemical stains used in pathology to demonstrate fibrin deposits in tissues (Lendrum and PTAH). The staining observed with the three monoclonals clearly detected three different populations of fibrin(ogen)-related antigen in the tissues examined. The staining with MAb T2G1 specifically detected fibrin II with greater sensitivity than did conventional stains. The results of this study suggest that this method allows the molecular form of fibrin(ogen)-related deposits in tissues to be determined and this information may help to elucidate the role of fibrin in various disease states, such as atherosclerosis and renal disease, and in tumor growth and metastasis.
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Arterial thrombi and atherosclerotic lesions were analyzed immunochemically and examined histologically. The extent of in vivo proteolytic cleavage of the amino-terminal end of fibrinogen by thrombin and plasmin was determined and quantitated by specific radioimmunoassays. The samples were treated with cyanogen bromide (CNBr), and the total amount of fibrinogen and fibrin-derived protein was determined as NDSK, the NH2-terminal disulfide knot of fibrinogen. Thrombin-releasable fibrinopeptides A and B were used to quantitate fibrinogen and fibrin I. Previous plasmin cleavage of the B beta chain was inferred from the amount of B beta 1-42 and B beta 15-42 in undigested NDSK. The results obtained in both acute and organized thrombi indicate that approximately 60% of the total protein (as determined by amino acid analysis) was fibrinogen-derived and that 70% to 80% of the fibrinogen-derived material was fibrin II. These findings support the hypothesis that fibrin II as distinct from fibrin I is the predominant component in a thrombus. In samples from normal and atherosclerotic aortas, fibrinogen-derived protein comprised less than 10% of the total protein. Samples from grossly normal aortas contained only fibrinogen and fibrin I. Fibrinogen concentration decreased and fibrin II concentration increased with increasing severity of the lesions, suggesting that increased fibrin II formation is associated with progression of atheromas.
Diethylmaleate (DEM) potentiated the 1,2-dibromoethane (DBE)-induced hepatic morphological lesion in fasted male Wistar rats, as revealed by light and electron microscopy examination. The subcellular structures involved in such lesions were the mitochondria. The potentiating effect of DEM appeared to be due to enhancement of the depletion of hepatic mitochondrial glutathione (GSH) caused by DBE. DEM, however, failed to potentiate the DBE-induced release in the plasma of hepatic enzymes. The relationship between loss of mitochondrial GSH, mitochondrial injury, and the importance of the mitochondrial lesion in DBE-induced hepatotoxicity is discussed.
Authors report an experiment performed in a randomized group of newborns to evaluate the frequency of post-partum septal deviations. A number of 423 subjects out of 1142 have been examined in a 17-month period. Newborns have been examined with an otoscope and two different kinds of nasal lesions have been considered: (1) pyramid deformation with septum dislocation and columella deviation; (2) deviation and subluxation of the septum. A number of 315 newborns were naturally delivered and 108 by cesarean section. In the former group, 10 pyramid deformations and 12 septal deviations have been found; in the latter, only septal deviations have been revealed (5 infants). Pyramid deformations may be related to delivery(labor)trauma while for septal deviations a developmental defect may be postulated.
Treatment of isolated hepatocytes with 1,2-dibromoethane (DBE) caused a concentration dependent depletion of cellular glutathione (GSH) content and a parallel increase in the covalent binding of reactive intermediates to cell proteins, as a consequence of the haloalkane activation. The reduction of the hepatocyte GSH content, induced by DBE, stimulated the onset of lipid peroxidation, as measured by malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation. N-Acetylcysteine (1 mM) was found to partially prevent GSH loss and to inhibit MDA formation, whereas equal concentrations of cysteine and methionine were ineffective on these respects. The stimulation of the peroxidative reactions appeared to be also associated with an increase in the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from the cells, indicative of a severe hepatocyte injury. Antioxidants such as alpha-tocopherol, N,N'-phenyl-phenylenediamine (DPPD) and promethazine, as well as N-acetylcysteine reduced MDA formation to various extents and also protect against LDH release, yet without interfering with the covalent binding of DBE reactive intermediates to hepatocyte proteins. These results suggest the involvement of lipid peroxidation, consequent to GSH depletion, in the pathogenesis of liver cell necrosis due to DBE.
Many halogenated hydrocarbons are known to have carcinogenic potency, nevertheless, humans may be exposed to such xenobiotics for prolonged periods during industrial occupations. In this study, eight aliphatic haloalkanes, all suspected carcinogens, have been studied with respect to their metabolic activation to free radical intermediates, that may exert toxic effects when produced in vivo. The eight haloalkanes studied here are: carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, 1,2-dibromoethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane. Using isolated rat hepatocytes as a model system, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy coupled to the spin trapping technique as a detection technique, it has been possible to demonstrate the formation of free radical derivatives, both under normoxic as well as under hypoxic conditions from carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, 1,1,1-tetrachloroethane and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane. In contrast, free radical production was only detectable under hypoxic conditions when 1,2-dibromoethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane and 1,1,2-trichloroethane were added to the hepatocyte suspensions. It is known that some xenobiotics that usually undergo oxidative pathways of metabolism can be metabolized differently when the oxygen concentration is substantially diminished. Evidence have been obtained suggesting that such different types of metabolism may be of relevance in vivo. Possible relationships between free radical production, metabolic activation, covalent binding and carcinogenic potency are discussed.
In order to investigate the possible correlation between plasminogen activator (PA) activity and metastatic potential of tumour cells, we studied cultured cells from the murine fibrosarcoma mFS6 and from its two sublines M4 and M9 which differ markedly in their capacity to cause spontaneous metastases in the lung. PA activity was detected in all the sublines by an amidolytic method and was almost completely inhibited by treatment with antiurokinase antiserum. No significant differences were shown between mFS6, M4 and M9. Moreover, molecular analysis of PA by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and fibrin overlay revealed in all the cell types a single species having a mol. wt. of approximately 48,000 daltons. Thrombin treatment dramatically inhibited the amidolytic activity of all cells, suggesting a role for this enzyme in the modulation of fibrin formation and dissolution within the primary neoplasm.