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Biomedical subjects

C B Caputo

Publications and source records attributed to C B Caputo.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Protease inhibitors decrease rabbit cartilage degradation after meniscectomy.

In vitro proteoglycan (PG) synthesis and release were measured on cartilage removed from rabbit knees within 1 week of meniscectomy. Three days following partial lateral meniscectomy, 72% of the femurs and 82% of the tibias had visible ulcers. Cartilage from the weight-bearing areas incorporated 2.0-2.9 times more 35S-sulfate in vitro than cartilage from the opposite, unoperated knees. 3H-thymidine incorporation was 2.5-3.4 times higher for surgical than control groups. 35S-sulfate incorporation by the surgical group was inhibited by 22% in the presence of 10(-4) M U24522, an inhibitor of rabbit chondrocyte metalloprotease (CMP). 3H-thymidine incorporation by the surgical group was inhibited by 28% by 10(-4) M U24522. In vitro PG release from cartilage removed 2 days after surgery was 1.6-3.7 times higher for the surgical than the control group. PG release by the surgical group after 22 h of incubation was reduced to the control level by three CMP inhibitors, U24278, U24279, and U24522. PG release by cartilage from the nonsurgical group was also reduced by these compounds at 22 h. These results suggest that both the anabolic and catabolic processes that are stimulated by surgery can be isolated in vitro and that CMP may be involved in the catabolic process.

Animals↗

Degradation of rat chondrosarcoma proteoglycans by a neutral metalloprotease from rabbit chondrocytes.

Rat chondrosarcoma proteoglycan aggregate with radiolabeled core protein was digested with a chondrocyte metalloprotease (CMP) or clostripain (CP) at neutral pH. The rates of product formation and the sizes and antigenicities of the products were studied using column chromatography and monoclonal antibodies. Sixteen percent of [35S]methionine label and 17-18% of [3H]serine label in core protein were freed from glycosaminoglycan bound peptides by 50 U/ml (760 micrograms/ml) of CP or 10 micrograms/ml (estimated) of CMP in 180 min. The CP reaction was almost complete at 5 minutes while the CMP reaction proceeded slowly from 5 to 180 min. The chondroitin-sulfate rich fragments were smaller after CP than CMP treatment. The 180 min CMP digest contained protein that migrated in 2 peaks on Sepharose CL6B. These two peaks corresponded to the peaks where hyaluronic acid binding region produced by CP and link protein migrate. Metalloenzyme inhibitors inhibited CMP with IC50s of 5 x 10(-5)M, 1 x 10(-3)M, and 80 micrograms/ml for phenanthroline, EDTA, and alpha 2-macroglobulin, respectively.

Animals↗

Proteoglycan degradation by a chondrocyte metalloprotease. Effects of synthetic protease inhibitors.

Synthetic inhibitors of a chondrocyte metalloprotease (CMP) were assessed for potency. Proteoglycan core protein was used as substrate. The IC50 values were between 2 X 10(-6) and 7 X 10(-6) M for two types of inhibitors, thiol tripeptides and N-carboxyalkyl peptides. Hydroxamic acid peptides were more potent, with IC50 values of 3.2 X 10(-8) to 6.0 X 10(-8) M. These results confirm inhibitory concentrations reported using a proteoglycan-polyacrylamide bead assay. The slopes of the dose-response curves for the thiol compounds were steeper than the slopes for the other two types of compounds. All of the culture media tested inhibited CMP to some extent. Some media also interfered with inhibitor activity. In Ham's F10 nutrient medium, minimum CMP inhibition occurred, and all four hydroxamic acid peptides retained their activity for 1-2 days at 37 degrees. One thiol peptide compound assayed lost activity in 1 hr in thiocyanate-treated serum. All four hydroxamic acid peptides assayed retained activity in thiocyanate-treated serum after 3 days at 37 degrees. The hydroxamic acid peptides may provide a way to block endogenous CMP activity in vivo and to assess the role of CMP in normal and experimentally altered cartilage. They are more potent than other known CMP inhibitors. They retain activity in culture media and serum conditions used for in vivo and in vitro tests of CMP activity and toxicity.

Animals↗

Effect of synthetic metalloprotease inhibitors on cartilage autolysis in vitro.

The role of chondrocyte metalloprotease (CMP) in mediating cartilage autolysis was studied. Proteoglycan (PG) release and synthesis by rabbit articular cartilage explants were measured. After a 1-day preculture in control medium, 3.3 X 10(-6) M retinoic acid (RET) treatment for 1 day stimulated PG release several fold. RET also caused a large decrease in PG synthesis that returned to the control level after a 3-day recovery period. The effect on PG synthesis was observed at serum levels of 5 and 0.05%. The effect of RET on PG release required protein synthesis, inasmuch as it was lost in cultures maintained in media without amino acids or in a low volume of media. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment for 2 days also stimulated PG release. More PG was released after RET than after IL-1 or LPS, and only RET produced an effect that was evident by day 1. The amount of CMP that produced the same size effect on PG release as these stimulators was below the detection level of PG protease assays. Three potent CMP inhibitors reduced RET-, IL-1- and LPS-stimulated PG release to control levels. These inhibitors did not block another action of RET on chondrocytes, namely the inhibition of PG synthesis by RET immediately after treatment. The inhibitors did not act by reducing cell viability, because recovery of the rate of PG synthesis 3 days post-treatment occurred in inhibitor-treated cultures. These studies suggest that CMP is involved in cartilage autolysis that is stimulated by RET and IL-1.

Animals↗

Regrowth of the rabbit meniscus after lateral and medial meniscectomies.

The rate of regrowth of the meniscus was compared after medial and lateral meniscectomies. Articular cartilage ulcers were observed 21 days after lateral meniscectomies and femoral pitting was observed after either procedure. Histologically, lesions were observed only after the lateral procedure. Regrowth of the meniscus was evident within 1 week of surgery as increased 3H-thymidine uptake and increased collagen synthesis by meniscal tissue from both surgical groups. These parameters returned to normal sooner after the medial than the lateral procedure. The excised meniscus was completely replaced by new tissue within 3 weeks of either procedure. In conclusion, the meniscus heals quickly following surgery and the small differences in the rate of regrowth between the two procedures do not seem to be adequate to explain the significant differences in femoral and tibial lesions.

Animals↗

Lack of response of rat chondrosarcoma chondrocytes to interleukin-1 to produce proteoglycan- and collagen-degrading enzymes.

Chondrocytes obtained from rat articular cartilage and Swarm rat chondrosarcoma were maintained in culture. Human interleukin-1 (IL-1) was added at confluency, and three days later the spent media was evaluated for proteoglycan- and collagen-degrading enzymes. Unlike chondrocytes from articular cartilage from several species, chondrocytes from Swarm rat chondrosarcoma did not respond to IL-1 stimulation. This lack of sensitivity to IL-1 may be a useful biochemical marker to classify various types of chondrosarcomas. However, it appears that the use of chondrosarcoma chondrocyte cultures are not useful as a source for metalloproteinases.

Animals↗

Cartilage link proteins. Biochemical and immunochemical studies of isolation and heterogeneity.

Native and clostripain-derived link proteins from proteoglycan aggregates were separated by gel chromatography in 4 M guanidine HCl from low-buoyant-density proteoglycan and proteoglycan hyaluronic acid-binding region after extraction from adult bovine nasal cartilage and the Swarm rat chondrosarcoma. Separations were monitored with Laurell immunoelectrophoresis using precipitating antibodies to link protein, hyaluronic acid-binding region, and low-buoyant-density proteoglycan. These immunoanalyses, with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel analyses, revealed the usefulness of this combined approach when assessing the purities and identities of these molecules. Using these isolated link proteins we provide data suggesting the presence of two immunologically detectable forms of link proteins of the same molecular weight. On immunoelectrophoresis both rat and bovine link proteins of a single molecular weight each produced two precipitin reactions with antibody to link protein. They were of similar intensity for native molecules but of different intensity for clostripain-isolated link protein. Isoelectric focusing in 6 M urea revealed that the 48,000 and 44,000 molecular weight link proteins of bovine nasal cartilage together produce a complex pattern of many bands. Link proteins of a single molecular size produced a much simpler, predominantly five-banded focusing pattern. Immunoelectrophoresis of the electrofocused clostripain rat link protein (42,000) revealed that the three major central bands each produced double precipitin reactions. Mixing of native and clostripain-derived link protein in 4 M guanidine HCl followed by dialysis to 6 M urea prior to isoelectric focusing did not change the focusing position of the individual bands. This suggests that the heterogeneity of focusing forms was due to the existence of different isoforms. The double precipitin reactions may be due to the existence of two different conformations expressing different epitopes of the kind reported previously by Thonar et al. (Thonar, E. J.-M. A., Kimura, J. H., Hascall, V. C., and Poole, A. R. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 14173-14180).

Animals↗

Effect of puromycin on cartilage proteoglycan structure and capacity to bind hyaluronic acid.

Rat chondrosarcoma chondrocytes were cultured in the presence of puromycin to induce premature termination of core protein precursor. The structure and function of intracellular and extracellular proteoglycans were assessed by molecular sieve chromatography and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. [3H]Serine incorporation was maximally inhibited by 3 X 10(-4) M puromycin but unaffected by 10(-5) M puromycin. Proteoglycans synthesized in the presence of puromycin exhibited increased monomer size due to increased chondroitin sulfate chain size, typical of proteoglycans synthesized in the presence of protein synthesis inhibitors, but no loss in ability to bind to hyaluronic acid; and no loss in core protein size was observed after treatment with chondroitinase. These data suggest that chondrocytes select only completed or nearly completed core protein molecules to process into proteoglycans.

Animals↗

The effect of cycloheximide on synthesis of proteoglycans by cultured chondrocytes from the Swarm rat chondrosarcoma.

Proteoglycan synthesis by cultured chondrocytes from the Swarm rat chondrosarcoma was examined after treatment with 0.1 mg/ml of cycloheximide which inhibited [3H]serine incorporation into total protein by greater than 90%. Incorporation of [35S]sulfate into proteoglycans decreased with nearly first order kinetics (t 1/2 = 96 +/- 6 min) with an accompanying increase in the size of the proteoglycan molecules, primary due to an increase in chondroitin sulfate chain sizes. After 5 h of cycloheximide treatment, when [35S]sulfate incorporation was inhibited by about 90%, addition of 1 mM beta-D-xyloside restored 76% of the incorporation into chondroitin sulfate observed in cultures treated only with xyloside. This suggests that the biochemical pathways for the affected by cycloheximide treatment. Cultures were prelabeled for 15 min with either [3H]serine or [35S]-methionine, and then cycloheximide was added to block further protein synthesis. Both precursors appeared in completed proteoglycan molecules with nearly first order kinetics with t 1/2 values of 92 +/- 8 and 101 +/- 11 min for [3H]serine and [35S]methionine, respectively, values in close agreement with the t 1/2 from the [35S]sulfate data. These results suggest that after cycloheximide treatment, the rate of [35S]sulfate incorporation into proteoglycan, after a correction for increases in chondroitin sulfate chain size, was directly proportional to the size of the intracellular pool of core protein. From the steady state rate of proteoglycan synthesis (estimated to be about 80 ng/min/10(6) cells in separate experiments) and a corrected t 1/2 value of 60 min, the amount of precursor core protein can be calculated to be about 500 ng/10(6) cells in these experiments.

Animals↗

Oligosaccharides on proteoglycans from the swarm rat chondrosarcoma.

Two classes of oligosaccharides were identified in alkaline borohydride digests of monomer proteoglycans from the Swarm rat chondrosarcoma. The first class consists of three similar oligomers, each of which is linked to the proteoglycan core proteins by an O-glycosidic bond between N-acetylgalactosamine and hydroxyl groups on serine and threonine. The structures of the two smallest oligosaccharides are: (formula: see text). Proteoglycan monomers from the chondrosarcoma contain about 1.3 of these oligosaccharides for every chondroitin sulfate chain. Their structures and distribution on the core protein suggest that they are related to the linkage region between keratan sulfate chains and the core protein of cartilage proteoglycans. The second class of oligomers consists of oligosaccharide-peptides that contain mannose and are probably linked to the core protein by N-glycosylamine bonds to asparagine. There appear to be about 15 of these oligosaccharides/ proteoglycan molecule, and they are primarily located on the core protein nearer to the hyaluronic acid-binding site than both the oligosaccharides linked by O-glycoside bonds and the chondroitin sulfate chains. Chondrocytes isolated from the chondrosarcoma and grown in culture synthesize both classes of oligosaccharides.

Acetylgalactosamine↗

Degradation of fetal rat cartilage in organ culture: effect of Streptomyces hyaluronidase.

Degradation of cartilage matrix was studied by characterizing the size and amount of products released from cultures of fetal rat long bones into the medium. Na32SO4 was administered to pregnant rats and the fetal radii and ulnae were explanted 24 hours later and cultured in chemically defined medium. Under these conditions, 35S-activity is released from the cartilagenous ends of the explants into the culture medium gradually over 72 hours. The 35S-labeled molecules in the medium were smaller than proteoglycan monomers and larger than papain-released products when chromatographed on Sepharose 2B. The amount of 35S-activity released into the medium decreased when heat-inactivated rat serum or plasma or heparin was added to the medium. Adding proteases or hyaluronidases or freeze-thawing the tissue enhanced release of 35S-activity. Streptomyces hyaluronidase was chromatographed on CM-cellulose and Ultrogel to remove protease activity. The protease-free enzyme released 35S-labeled molecules, similar in size to proteoglycan monomers, from cartilage which was heated before culturing to inactivate endogenous enzymes. These results indicate that hyaluronidase can degrade matrix by releasing proteoglycan monomers. Other treatments released smaller 35S-labeled molecules. These findings indicate that endogenous enzymes degrade matrix proteoglycans into smaller units.

Animals↗

Failure of estrogens and androgens to inhibit bone resorption in tissue culture.

The effects of estrogens, androgens, and glucocorticoids on bone resorption were compared in organ culture. At a concentration of 10(-5) M, corticosterone, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, dehydroepiandosterone, estradiol, ethinyl estradiol and estrone did not inhibit the release of 45Ca from 19-day fetal rat long bone shafts in control or para-thyroid hormone (PTH)-treated cultures after 2 or 5 days. Cortisol inhibited both control and PTH-stimulated resorption at 10(-5) M and 10(-6) M. 17beta-Estradiol was inhibitory at 3 X 10(4) M. However, it was less effective than the estrogenically inactive epimer 17alpha-estradiol, in 8 day control cultures or in cultures containing low concentrations of PTH. At 10(-5) m, neither 17beta-estradiol nor 17alpha-estradiol inhibited resorption stimulated by prostaglandin E2 or by osteoclast activating factor.

Androgens↗

The amyloid proteins of Alzheimer's disease as potential targets for drug therapy.

Two amyloid proteins accumulate in Alzheimer's disease. These proteins, beta amyloid protein and paired helical filament protein, are present in the hallmark lesions of Alzheimer's disease, neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Although the amino acid sequences of these two proteins are likely to be different, they nevertheless share certain physical characteristics which define each as belonging to a common class of proteins, amyloid proteins. Since these proteins are probably important in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, drugs that prevent their accumulation should have therapeutic utility. Based on the amyloidoses associated with other diseases, three mechanisms for amyloid formation have emerged. These mechanisms form a framework for studying Alzheimer amyloids and designing interventions. One mechanism involves posttranslational events which render a normal protein amyloidogenic. Proteolysis, phosphorylation, glycosylation, and transglutamination may be relevant posttranslational events in Alzheimer's disease. If more conclusive evidence can be generated suggesting that these events are involved in the abnormal formation of amyloid in Alzheimer's disease, then these events will become viable targets for drug therapy. Another mechanism for amyloid formation results from expression of an abnormal gene which, in the case of familial Alzheimer's disease, may be an important etiological component. A third mechanism involves the accumulation of a normal protein to a threshold concentration that spontaneously forms amyloid. An effective therapeutic approach for these last two mechanisms could likely include pharmacological manipulation of gene expression.

Alzheimer Disease↗

What is the significance of the binding of proteoglycans to amyloid?

While proteoglycans seem to bind to amyloids, the consequence of this binding on amyloid formation or deposition is unknown. The hypothesized roles of this binding that were suggested by Drs. Snow and Wight are discussed and other potential roles are addressed.

Alzheimer Disease↗

Immunological characterization of the region of tau protein that is bound to Alzheimer paired helical filaments.

Tau protein is known to be present in the paired helical filaments (PHFs) of Alzheimer brains. This study investigated the fragments of tau protein that remain bound to pronase-treated PHFs and conditions that lead to the release of these tau fragments from the core structure of the PHF. Antibody 423 reacted with PHFs and with fetal rat tau but not with adult rat tau, pig tau, or recombinant human tau. Three other antibodies that react with the tubulin binding region of tau only reacted with PHFs after they were disrupted with formic acid or guanidine. Other antibodies that recognize tau sequences C terminal to the tubulin binding region also recognized pronase-treated PHFs. Antibodies SMI34 and T3P that recognize phosphorylated epitopes were reactive with pronase-treated PHFs. Tau fragments from the PHF were solubilized by acid or guanidine treatment. These findings suggest that the fragments of tau that are bound to PHFs and protected from pronase digestion include sequences from the tubulin binding region to the C terminus of tau. In addition, some of these sequences appear to be conformationally or post-translationally modified.

Alzheimer Disease↗