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Biomedical subjects

B Wallaert

Publications and source records attributed to B Wallaert.

296 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Oxidant radical release by alveolar macrophages after cadmium chloride exposure in vitro.

Chronic exposure to cadmium can cause lung emphysema, the mechanism of which is unknown. Current concepts on the pathogenesis of emphysema largely emphasize the role of a protease-antiprotease imbalance. The aim of this work was to study the effects of cadmium on the regulation of antiprotease activity and the release of oxidant radicals from alveolar macrophages. Guinea pig alveolar macrophages (AM) were exposed overnight to cadmium chloride (CdCl2) in vitro. To define the cytolytic threshold dose, cell lysis was evaluated by trypan blue exclusion and lactate dehydrogenase release. Non-cytolytic concentrations were then used (0.1, 0.4 and 0.8 ppm) to simulate chronic exposure conditions. Overnight exposure to 0.1, 0.4 and 0.8 ppm CdCl2 decreased intracellular ATP (mean +/- SD: 91 +/- 8%, 72 +/- 7%, 50 +/- 8% of control cells, respectively), suggesting that even at non-cytolytic doses, Cd2+ can cause cell injury. The assessment of oxygen radical release from AM after overnight exposure to CdCl2 showed a dose-dependent decrease to 54.3 +/- 8.2%, 32.2 +/- 4.3% and 25 +/- 3% of control after exposure to 0.1, 0.4 and 0.8 ppm Cd2+, respectively. At non-cytolytic concentrations (0.1, 0.4 and 0.8 ppm) CdCl2 did not decrease alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor activity either in the absence of AM or in the presence of AM and myeloperoxidase. In conclusion, our in vitro results do not suggest that a protease-antiprotease imbalance is involved in the pathogenesis of cadmium-induced emphysema.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between oxygen-induced alveolar macrophage injury and cell antioxidant defence.

Exposure to hyperoxia causes alveolar macrophage (AM) injury. The present study investigates the roles of intracellular antioxidant enzymes and of glutathione in the protection of AMs against hyperoxia in a biphasic cell culture system in aerobiosis. The effect of normoxia or hyperoxia on the integrity of AMs was related to indices of cell injury (ATP cell content and lactate dehydrogenase release into culture medium) and cell mass (protein content of AMs). Antioxidant activities were measured in guinea-pig AMs exposed to 95% O2 or to normoxia (control cells) for 3 days. A 3-day AM culture in normoxia showed a significant decrease in protein and catalase, whereas ATP cell content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) (both Cu,Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities significantly increased. The content of reduced glutathione (GSH) did not change. Using the ATP content in AMs expressed as a cell injury index (CII), AM injury increased with increasing O2 exposure time (1 day: 13 +/- 4.4%; 2 days: 34 +/- 3.8%; 3 days: 40 +/- 4.1%; 4 days: 55 +/- 7.3%; 6 days: 87.5 +/- 5.4%). Exposure to 95% O2 for 3 days was associated with a significant decrease in ATP cell content, protein, catalase and GSH to the total glutathione ratio, whereas SOD, GSH and total glutathione did not change significantly. The GPx activities increased significantly. There was no significant correlation between the AM CII and SOD or GPx content. In contrast, a significant correlation was observed between hyperoxia-induced AM CII and catalase content (r = 0.71) and glutathione content (r = 0.71).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

In vitro study of gas effects on alveolar macrophages.

To evaluate the biological effects of gas pollutants on alveolar macrophages several in vitro systems have been developed. We described here an original method of cell culture in aerobiosis, which permitted direct contact between the atmosphere and the target cells. We studied the long term (24 h) and short term (30 min) effects of NO2 on alveolar macrophages. Our results demonstrated that exposure of alveolar macrophages to gas pollutants may be responsible for either cell injury or cell activation associated with the release of various bioactive mediators (superoxide anion, neutrophil chemotactic activity). Cell culture in aerobiosis opens new ways for the research on the biological effects of gas pollutants.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Airway-like inflammation of minor salivary glands in bronchial asthma.

Bronchial asthma is characterized by a chronic inflammation with accumulation of eosinophils, mast cells and activated T lymphocytes that release a large panel of cytokines. As the mucosal immune system comprises a series of specialized lymphoid tissues with a well-identified lymphocyte traffic between different compartments, we initiated a study to evaluate the histological abnormalities of minor salivary glands (MSGs) in patients with bronchial asthma. 58 patients were studied (29 with allergic asthma, 29 with nonallergic asthma) and compared to 15 healthy controls and 15 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). MSGs were normal in all controls except one and in 14/15 COPD patients. 43/58 asthmatics (74%) exhibited MSG abnormalities with T lymphocyte infiltration (57%), mast cell infiltration (64%), basement membrane thickening (64%) and endothelial cell changes (26%). Histological abnormalities were predominantly observed in nonallergic asthmatics. We propose that activated T lymphocytes, present in the bronchial mucosal lymphoid tissue in chronic asthma might migrate, colonize other glandular and mucosal sites, and so trigger at a distance, an airway-like inflammation.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

In vitro effects of hyperoxia on alveolar type II pneumocytes: inhibition of glutathione synthesis increases hyperoxic cell injury.

An in vitro model of alveolar epithelial oxidant injury was developed based on exposure to hyperoxia of cultured guinea pig type II pneumocytes using a biphasic cell culture system in aerobiosis. The present study investigates the roles of intracellular antioxidant enzymes and of glutathione in providing protection against hyperoxia. A 2-day type II cell culture in normoxia was associated with a significant decrease in protein, catalase, and Cu-Zn SOD cell content, whereas ATP cell content, Mn-SOD, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities did not change and glutathione cell content significantly increased. Exposure of type II cells to hyperoxia did not induce significant changes in cell content in protein, SOD, catalase, GPx, or glutathione cell content when compared to control cells (exposed to normoxia). With ATP cell content expressed as a cell injury index (CII), type II cell injury was found to increase with increasing O2 concentrations. Indeed, a 2-day 50% O2 and 95% O2 exposure resulted in a CII of -7.5 +/- 6.2% and 17.9 +/- 5.9%, respectively, LDH release by type II cells was not significantly increased after hypoxic exposure. Cell injury effects of hyperoxia did not correlate with the endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, Mn-SOD, catalase). In marked contrast, there was a significant correlation between the CII and total glutathione content of type II cells (p < .01). This correlation was largely due to the close relationship between CII and reduced glutathione. Hyperoxic induced cell injury (as demonstrated by CII > 0) was clearly associated with significantly lower intracellular glutathione level when compared to experiments without hyperoxia induced cell injury (CII < 0). In addition, in the presence of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), the ability of type II cells to synthetize new glutathione was severely impaired, whereas ATP cell content and cell antioxidant enzyme activities did not change. As a consequence, the reduction of intracellular glutathione significantly increased the susceptibility of cells to hyperoxia injury (p < .05). The results strongly support the hypothesis that the regulation of glutathione levels is an important mechanism in protecting hyperoxia-induced type II cell injury.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

In vitro acute effects of tobacco smoke on tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6 production by alveolar macrophages.

Tobacco smoke is a usual form of oxidant aggression present in the domestic environment. In the present study, the in vitro acute effects of a 2-cigarette smoke gas phase were evaluated on cell viability and cytokine secretion by alveolar macrophages (AM) from guinea pigs and human healthy subjects. Cell injury was estimated immediately after smoke exposure by evaluation of ATP cell content (measured by bioluminescence) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release in the culture medium. LDH release was also measured when the interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) activities were evaluated. No cytotoxic effect was found: The ATP cell content of both guinea pig AM and human AM did not significantly change after tobacco smoke exposure. Similarly, the LDH release in the culture medium was unchanged both immediately after tobacco smoke exposure and at the time of the cytokine evaluation (18-20 h later) compared to cells cultured in the air. The total protein synthesis by the guinea pig AM evaluated by 35S-L-methionine labeling was unaffected by tobacco smoke exposure. The production of IL-6 and TNF activities was evaluated 18-20 h after smoke exposure. The IL-6 activity was measured by the proliferation test of 7TD1 hybridoma cell line; the TNF activity was evaluated by the L929 mouse fibroblast cytotoxic test and by an immunoradiometric assay (for human AM). A 2-cigarette smoke exposure decreased both activities significantly. The exposure of the guinea pig AM reduced IL-6 activity by 24.3 +/- 6.7%, 42.4 +/- 7.8%, and 39.7 +/- 9.6% and TNF activity by 33.8 +/- 10.4%, 35.1 +/- 10.7%, and 38.8 +/- 9.9% (respectively unstimulated cells and AM activated by 0.1 and 10 micrograms LPS/mL). The decrease in monokine production by the human AM was, respectively, 57.8 +/- 8.8%, 59.7 +/- 11.4%, and 49.9 +/- 10.5% of IL-6 activity and 37.4 +/- 14.6%, 17.6 +/- 9.6%, and 37.2 +/- 6.3% of TNF activity. The possible release of cytokine inhibitors was also investigated. The inhibitory activity against recombinant TNF and IL-6 was evaluated in culture medium from unstimulated AM exposed to tobacco smoke and did not significantly differ from that of AM exposed to air, demonstrating that the decrease of monokine levels could not be explained by the release of inhibitory factors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevention of in vitro oxidant-mediated alveolar macrophage injury by cellular glutathione and precursors.

To evaluate the toxic effects of various oxidants on alveolar macrophages (O2, NO2, tobacco smoke and silica), we used an original method of cell culture in aerobiosis, which permitted direct contact between the atmosphere and the target cells. Our results demonstrated that the variations of cell sensitivity to the cytotoxic effects of oxidants were associated with various levels in cellular antioxidant equipment. A significant correlation was found between cytotoxicity and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and/or cellular glutathione. Addition of N-acetylcysteine, a polypeptide known to have an antioxidant activity and to be a precursor of glutathione, was responsible for a decrease of oxidant-mediated cytotoxicity. Whether this protective effect was due to an increase in glutathione cell content or to a scavenger effect of N-acetylcysteine still needs to be elucidated.

Animals↗