Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D Boraschi

Publications and source records attributed to D Boraschi.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Adjuvant activity of the 163-171 peptide of human IL-1 beta administered through different routes.

The synthetic peptide VQGEESNDK, corresponding to the fragment 163-171 of human IL-1 beta, could potently enhance the primary and secondary response of mice immunized with SRBC, measured as the number of specific antibody-secreting cells in the spleen. This adjuvant activity was dose-dependent, being maximal when the nonapeptide was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) or subcutaneously (s.c.) at 100 mg/kg or orally (p.os) at 33 mg/kg, reaching levels comparable to those attained by 20 ng/kg of hu rIL-1 beta given i.p. or s.c. A dose-dependent enhancement of the primary response to SRBC was also observed when IL-1 beta or its peptide fragment were injected intravenously (i.v.) together with the antigen, with a maximum activity at 10 micrograms/kg for the 163-171 peptide and 100 pg/kg for hu rIL-1 beta. Thus, the in vivo immunostimulatory activity of hu IL-1 beta depended on the administration route as follows: i.v. much greater than s.c. = i.p. much greater than p.os. Conversely, the adjuvant effect of the 163-171 peptide was: i.v. much greater than p.os greater than s.c. = i.p.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

A short synthetic peptide fragment of human interleukin 1 with immunostimulatory but not inflammatory activity.

Short peptide fragments of human and murine interleukin 1 (IL 1) were synthesized on the basis of their predicted exposure on the surface of the molecule in an attempt to identify the minimal structure responsible for the immunostimulatory activity of IL 1. One of these peptides, a fragment of nine residues of human IL 1 beta (VQGEESNDK, fragment 163-171), showed high T cell activation capacity, as judged by its ability to stimulate murine thymocyte proliferation and to potently induce interleukin 2 production in spleen cells. On the other hand, the 163-171 peptide was devoid of prostaglandin-inducing capacity in vitro and pyrogenic activity in vivo, two inflammatory features peculiar to the entire hu IL 1 beta molecule. Thus we propose that this peptide may represent one of the portions of hu IL 1 beta responsible for its immunostimulatory capacity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

IgA-driven T cell-mediated anti-bacterial immunity in man after live oral Ty 21a vaccine.

Cellular immunity against Salmonella typhi was observed by using a direct anti-bacterial in vitro assay in volunteers orally vaccinated with the live S. typhi mutant strain Ty 21a. With this experimental approach, it was demonstrated that Ty 21a vaccine also induces cellular immunity against S. paratyphi A and B. Interestingly, the mechanism involved in cellular immunity against bacteria seems to be of an antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) type, with IgA acting as the humoral arm and CD4+ T lymphocytes as the cellular one. In accordance with the increase in IgA-driven ADCC against S. typhi, a major rise in IgA against O and H antigens was observed in the serum of vaccinees in parallel to an increase in IgG of identical specificity. Furthermore, a Ty 21 vaccine induced cellular activity against flagellar antigens. These results indicate that IgA-ADCC by T lymphocytes against bacteria can originate from local stimulation of the gut mucosal immune system. This cellular defense mechanism might be at the origin of the protection induced by Ty 21a vaccine.

Administration, Oral↗

Anti-inflammatory activity of IFN-beta in carrageenan-induced pleurisy in the mouse.

The effect of IFN-beta on the development of the inflammatory reaction was studied in an experimental animal model, carrageenan-induced pleurisy in the mouse. Intrapleural inoculation of IFN-beta at the same time as carrageenan administration inhibited both migration of inflammatory cells and exudate formation in the pleural cavity in a dose-dependent fashion. Similarly, IFN-beta decreased the presence of the arachidonate metabolites PGI2, TXA2 and PGE2 (highly active molecules involved in the regulation of the inflammatory reaction) in inflammatory exudates. A marked inhibition of the inflammatory response to carrageenan was also evident when IFN-beta was administered several hours after the inflammatory challenge. In contrast, administration of IFN-gamma did not modify significantly any of the inflammatory parameters considered.

Animals↗

Natural antiviral activity of mouse macrophages against encephalomyocarditis virus.

Resident mouse peritoneal cells (PC) express a significant antiviral activity against encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) in vitro, as judged by decreased virus yield from infected mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF). This natural antiviral activity of PC was not due either to enhanced lysis of virus-infected cells, as these were protected from lysis rather than destructed by PC, or to interferon (IFN) production, as no direct correlation between IFN and anti-EMCV activity was found. Among PC, macrophages (M phi) appear to be responsible for the anti-EMCV activity, which was indeed attributable to a Thy 1.2-negative, adherent mononuclear cell. Moreover, M phi-defective C3H/HeJ mice showed a significant impairment of anti-EMCV activity, whereas M phi of mice defective for natural killer (NK) activity (bg/bg, SJL/J) or for mature T cells (nu/nu) possessed an intact antiviral capacity.

Animals↗

Modulation of in vitro natural cell-mediated activity against enteropathogenic bacteria by simple sugars.

Lymphoid cells from mouse Peyer's patches and spleens were tested in a 2-h in vitro assay for their natural activity against the enteropathogenic bacteria Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella tel aviv, and Shigella sp. X16. The antibacterial activity expressed by normal cells was detected against all the bacterial strains tested with the exception of Peyer's patch lymphocytes against S. tel aviv and splenocytes against Shigella sp. X16. To determine whether the different expression of natural antibacterial activity might be due to lectin-like proteins interacting with the saccharidic moieties of the bacterial wall, 11 simple sugars were preincubated with the effector cells before the in vitro assays. We found that some of them could block the natural antibacterial activity as well as induce antibacterial activity when this was not spontaneously expressed. Interestingly, a different panel of sugars among those employed was observed to affect the antibacterial activities for each of the above-mentioned bacterial targets and each effector cell. However, the same panel of sugars was able to block or stimulate the lymphocyte activity when bacteria with the same somatic antigens as two substrains of S. typhimurium and one strain of Salmonella schottmuelleri were employed. To further investigate the interaction between effector cells and bacteria, effector cells or Shigella sp. X16 targets were treated with proteolytic, glycolytic, and lipolytic enzymes before the in vitro assays. Furthermore, EDTA was used to analyze the role of divalent cations in this experimental system. The results obtained suggest that lectin-like proteins playing a role in this interaction are present not only on lymphocytes but also on bacteria and that divalent cations are essential for the expression of in vitro antibacterial activity.

Animals↗

Cellular immunity against Salmonella typhi after live oral vaccine.

Seventeen adult volunteers were vaccinated orally with the live attenuated Salmonella typhi mutant strain Ty21a. Their peripheral blood mononuclear cells were tested at different times after vaccination for direct cell-mediated activity against bacteria, employing a simple short-term in vitro assay. It was observed that 16/17 of the vaccinated subjects acquired the capacity to express specific cellular immunity against S. typhi which lasted from 15 days to at least 3 years. The effector cell of the in vitro antibacterial activity was preliminarily characterized as a non-adherent T3+, T8-, T4+ lymphocyte. In parallel, mice immunized orally with S. typhimurium and proving resistant to reinfection were tested employing the same in vitro assay. Also in this case peripheral and, most important, intestinal lymphocytes were able to express cellular immunity against the agent of murine typhoid. It is concluded that administration of live oral vaccine against S. typhi results in the induction of specific cellular immunity which is expressed at the peripheral and, probably, also at the intestinal level.

Adult↗

Regulation of arachidonic acid metabolism in macrophages by immune and nonimmune interferons.

Mouse resident peritoneal M phi release AAA and metabolize it into cyclooxygenase- and lipoxygenase-derived eicosanoids, when triggered in vitro with different stimuli. Pretreatment of M phi with nonimmune IFN-alpha and IFN-beta dramatically decreased AA liberation from M phi phospholipids and eicosanoid formation after stimulation of M phi with Zy, A23187, or PMA. M phi exposed to immune IFN-gamma also showed a substantial impairment of both AA liberation and eicosanoid production upon exposure to Zy. However, AA and eicosanoid release was increased by IFN-gamma, rather than depressed, in PMA-triggered M phi. In addition, IFN-gamma showed differential effects on M phi stimulated with A23187. In fact, it inhibited AA release as well as formation of lipoxygenase-derived LTC4, but it highly increased the release of the cyclooxygenase products PGE2 and 6-keto PGF1 alpha. The ability of IFN-gamma to differentially modulate AA metabolism of M phi, depending on the nature of the triggering agent, sets forth the high specificity of the regulatory capacity of this molecule. This is at variance with the down regulation of AA metabolism that is generally observed with nonimmune IFN.

Animals↗

In vitro generated mast cells express natural cytotoxicity against tumour cells.

Bone marrow cells from mice were cultured in vitro in the presence of interleukin-3 (IL-3). After 2 weeks, the majority of the cells differentiated towards mast cells as judged by morphological and biochemical criteria. When populations of 99% IL-3-dependent mast cells (IL-3 MC) were tested for their anti-tumour activity in vitro, it was found that they can express natural cytotoxicity (NC) but not other natural reactivities. Moreover, the effector cells were not positive for Thy 1, Lyt 1 and Lyt 2 markers. The capability of mast cells to express NC activity seems to be related to their in vitro differentiation, since mast cell deficient W/Wv mice had normal NC activity. Thus, IL-3 MC must be added to the variety of cells capable of expressing natural anti-tumour reactivities in vitro.

Animals↗

Natural anti-bacterial activity against Salmonella typhi by human T4+ lymphocytes armed with IgA antibodies.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from normal volunteers possess natural anti-bacterial (NA) activity against S. typhi that can be measured in a 2-hr in vitro assay. Employing fractionation on nylon wool columns, Percoll gradients, plastic adherence, and E rosetting, the effector cell of NA activity appeared to be a lymphocyte of the T lineage rather than a macrophage, a B lymphocyte, or a large granular cell. Moreover, complement-dependent killing with monoclonal antibodies such as OKM1, OKB7, OKT8, 5.9 and the anti-natural killer cells AB8.28 did not reduce NA activity. On the contrary, this was completely inhibited when OKT3, OKT11, or OKT4 antibodies and complement were used to pretreat the effector lymphocytes. Indeed, T4+ cells sorted with a FACS displayed an extremely high NA activity against S. typhi. By pretreatment of peripheral lymphocytes with F(ab')2 fragments against human IgA, the NA activity was blocked. It is therefore suggested that NA activity by human cells might be a mechanism of defense against infections, acting as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity expressed by T4+ lymphocytes coated with preexisting anti-Salmonella IgA antibodies.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

Macrophage antitumor activity: impaired responsiveness to interferon-gamma of macrophages from genetically defective mice.

Macrophages (M phi) from the genetically defective mouse strains C3H/HeJ, A/J and P/J were unable to develop high levels of antitumor activities when stimulated either with immune recombinant interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) or with nonimmune IFN-alpha and IFN-beta, as compared to M phi or normal C3H/HeN mice. IFN-gamma appeared to be an exceptionally good activator of C3H/HeN M phi, as it could induce tumoricidal capacities 3000 times more efficiently than nonimmune IFN. The high efficiency of IFN-gamma as M phi activator was indeed confirmed on defective M phi. In fact, at high doses IFN-gamma could also induce significant levels of both cytolytic and cytostatic activity in M phi of A/J and P/J mice, although it could not increase cytotoxic activities of C3H/HeJ M phi.

Animals↗

Macrophage antitumor activity in vitro. Comparative analysis of cytolytic, cytostatic, and cytotoxic activities of mouse macrophages and human monocytes.

Mouse peritoneal M phi and human blood monocytes were assayed for their antitumor activity in vitro with a cytolysis, a cytostasis and a cytotoxicity test performed in parallel. Both natural and stimulus-induced M phi antitumor capacities were assessed. Results indicate that natural cytolytic activity of unstimulated M phi is generally unable to restrict final tumor cell growth, since it is not coupled with cytostatic capacity. In contrast, exposure of M phi in vitro to either MAF or IFN-beta, besides augmenting M phi cytolytic capacity, induced a very significant cytostatic activity and thus efficiently restricted the survival of tumor cells.

Animals↗

Interferon inhibits prostaglandin biosynthesis in macrophages: effects on arachidonic acid metabolism.

Mouse resident peritoneal M phi produced considerable amounts of PGE when triggered in vitro with soluble or particulate stimuli. Preexposure of M phi to IFN-beta dramatically decreased PGE production. This effect depended on the dose of IFN-beta used and was abolished by anti-IFN-beta globulin. In addition to PGE, other AA metabolites of the cyclooxygenase pathway, namely TXB2 and 6-keto PGF1 alpha, were decreased in IFN-beta-treated M phi. However, IFN-beta did not have any effect on cyclooxygenase activity of M phi, indicating that an earlier step of PG biosynthesis was likely to be the target of its inhibitory action. Indeed, the release of radioactive compounds from M phi prelabeled with [14C]AA was strongly impaired by IFN-beta, suggesting that IFN-beta would decrease PG production in M phi by blocking phospholipase activation. The possibility that the IFN-beta effect on phospholipase could be mediated through the increase of the intracellular levels of cAMP is suggested.

Animals↗

Interferon-gamma reduces macrophage-suppressive activity by inhibiting prostaglandin E2 release and inducing interleukin 1 production.

Normal peritoneal M phi of C3H/HeN mice were able to suppress lymphocyte proliferation in a dose-dependent fashion when added to Con A-pulsed spleen cell cultures. However, M phi-suppressive activity could be partially or completely reduced by in vitro pre-exposure to nonimmune IFN-alpha or immune recombinant IFN-gamma. For both IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma, reduction of M phi suppression was marginal at 10(1) U/ml and became highly significant at 10(2) to 10(3)/ml. The ability of IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma to modulate M phi suppression appears to be related to distinct mechanisms. In fact, impairment of M phi suppression by IFN-alpha occurred in parallel to the decrease of M phi capacity to produce PGE2 and the oxygen intermediate O2-, two molecules responsible for M phi-suppressive activity. In contrast, M phi exposed to IFN-gamma showed only impairment of PGE2 production, whereas O2- release was not significantly affected. Furthermore, at variance with IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma directly stimulated M phi to synthesize and release IL 1, a monokine known to promote lymphocyte proliferation.

Animals↗

IgA-dependent cell-mediated activity against enteropathogenic bacteria: distribution, specificity, and characterization of the effector cells.

Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against murine enteropathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella tel aviv or Shigella X16 was assessed by using IgG, IgA, and secretory IgA (sIgA) in a 2-hr in vitro assay where peripheral and intestinal lymphocytes were used as effector cells. It was found that IgG could arm splenocytes (SpL) better than IgA. However, IgG did not arm lymphocytes from Peyer's patches (PPL) or from mesenteric lymph nodes (MnL), whereas IgA of plasmacytoma origin against S. tel aviv and purified intestinal sIgA against Shigella X16 induced specific antibacterial ADCC with both SpL and PPL. When sIgA were tested with intestinal lymphocytes from the epithelium and the lamina propria, i.e., cells from the gut mucosa which first interact with enteric bacteria, it was found that both these lymphoid populations were able to express sIgA-dependent ADCC against Shigella X16. In parallel tests, cells from thymus and popliteal lymph nodes failed to express ADCC. Blocking studies with purified IgG and IgA of goat, rabbit, and mouse origin demonstrated that the Fc-alpha and Fc-gamma receptors were specifically involved in IgA- or IgG-dependent antibacterial ADCC. At least two effector populations, a macrophage and a Thy-1.2- lymphocyte, were observed to exert IgA-ADCC at the splenic level, whereas only lymphoid cells expressed this activity at the GALT level. Together, these results describe a new activity of IgA against enteropathogenic bacteria.

Animals↗

Genetic control of in vitro natural cell-mediated activity against Salmonella typhimurium by intestinal and splenic lymphoid cells in mice.

In vitro natural anti-bacterial activity against Salmonella typhimurium by lymphocytes from Peyer's patches and spleens was assessed in several mouse strains. C3H/HeN and CBA/J mice, which are resistant to S. typhimurium infections, showed a natural anti-bacterial activity significantly higher than BALB/c, C57BL/10, C57BL/6 and C3H/HeJ mice, i.e. strains susceptible to the in vivo bacterial infection. In these susceptible strains and also in A/J mice, a significantly higher natural activity was observed in females compared to males. The sex control of natural anti-bacterial activity was further stressed by the fact that orchidectomy could induce a strong activity in low responder C57BL/10 male mice. With the exception of Beige mice, a low natural killer (NK) strain also with no natural activity against S. typhimurium in both sexes, the genetic distribution of natural anti-bacterial activity was extremely different from that of the NK activity. Thus, these results further stress the difference between natural anti-bacterial activity and NK cytotoxicity. Furthermore, our data establish a possible link, although with some exceptions, between in vivo susceptibility to S. typhimurium infections and in vitro natural activity against these bacteria.

Animals↗

Modulation of macrophage suppressive activity and prostaglandin release by lymphokines and interferon: comparison of alveolar, pleural and peritoneal macrophages.

In order to better characterize the mechanisms which regulate the immune response at the pulmonary level, the effects of beta-interferon (IFN-beta) and lymphokines (LK) on prostaglandin E (PGE) release and the suppressive capacity of mouse resident alveolar (AM phi) and pleural macrophages (PlM phi) were investigated in comparison with peritoneal macrophages (PM phi). After in vitro exposure to IFN-beta, PlM phi and PM phi showed a significant decrease of suppressive capacity and PGE release, whereas LK treatment did not affect such activities. In contrast, pre-treatment of AM phi with LK caused a strong impairment of their suppressive capacity. This effect was optimal after an incubation time of 20 h, was evident also at very low doses of LK and was not paralleled by any change of PGE release. Again in contrast with PlM phi and PM phi, suppressive capacity of AM phi was decreased only by very high doses of IFN-beta, whereas lower doses caused either an increase or no change of this activity. Furthermore, PGE release by AM phi was markedly increased after treatment with IFN-beta. Thus, suppressive capacity of AM phi appears to be controlled by different mechanisms from those of PlM phi and PM phi. In addition, a dissociation is evident between suppressive capacity and PGE release by AM phi.

Animals↗