The dark side of glucose.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D M Stern.
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Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a monokine that contributes to vascular dysfunction accompanying the host response to gram-negative sepsis, has been shown to increase vascular permeability in vivo and to diminish the barrier function of cultured endothelial cell (EC) monolayers. The studies reported here indicate that a mechanism through which TNF alters EC barrier function involves a reduction in intracellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) content, due in part to increased cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (CNPDE) activities. TNF increased the diffusional transit of [3H]sorbitol, [3H]inulin, and 125I-labeled albumin across confluent bovine aortic EC monolayers. This effect of TNF was both time and dose dependent and occurred in parallel with a fall in EC cAMP. cAMP analogues, such as dibutyryl cAMP (DBcAMP), prevented TNF-induced perturbation of EC barrier function. TNF also mediated another important alteration in the EC phenotype, in that both mRNA and activity of the anticoagulant cofactor thrombomodulin were reduced after exposure of EC to TNF and were normalized by the addition of DBcAMP. EC monolayers exposed to TNF-alpha showed increased cAMP levels when exposed to 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, a nonspecific CNPDE inhibitor. Ion exchange chromatography of cytosol derived from TNF-treated EC consistently showed an approximately 245% increase in phosphodiesterase (PDE) IV (high-affinity, cAMP-specific PDE) activity as identified by rolipram inhibition. PDE II activity was increased by 150% after TNF-alpha treatment of early passage EC, which was identified by cGMP-activated hydrolysis of cAMP. Western and Northern analyses, as well as activity studies, revealed that TNF treatment did not change the amount of PDE IV protein or mRNA but rather increased the specific activity of the isozyme, suggesting that a posttranslational modification had occurred. These data indicate that activation of EC CNPDE activity and decreased intracellular cAMP may represent a mechanism by which TNF increases EC permeability and promotes a procoagulant EC phenotype.
Selective reduction of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) remains a therapeutic goal for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, but current therapeutic options remain limited. Although the gas nitric oxide (NO) selectively dilates the pulmonary vascular bed, it requires special equipment for administration, has a short biologic half-life, and is potentially toxic. We hypothesized that stimulation of the NO pathway at the level of its second messenger, guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP), by targeted pulmonary delivery of a membrane-permeable nonhydrolyzable cGMP analogue would cause selective pulmonary vasodilation. Pulmonary hypertension was induced in 21 pigs by the intravenous infusion of a thromboxane A2 analogue (9,11-dideoxy-9 alpha,11 alpha-epoxymethanoprostaglandin F2 alpha). Inhaled 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-BrcGMP) lowered PVR in a time- and dose-dependent manner, with maximal effect achieved after 20 min. Compared with physiological saline control, 8-BrcGMP inhalation (3.0 micrograms/kg) lowered PVR by 25 +/- 3% (P < 0.01), whereas there was no significant decline in systemic vascular resistance (4 +/- 6%); mean pulmonary arterial pressure declined 13 +/- 3% (P < 0.01), whereas there was little change in mean arterial pressure; cardiac output increased 10 +/- 4% (P < 0.05). PVR did not decrease after inhalation of noncyclic 8-bromoguanosine 5'-monophosphate, indicating that stimulation of the NO-cGMP pathway beyond the level of NO results in pulmonary vasodilation independent of stimulation of purinergic receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Reestablishment of vascular homeostasis following ex vivo preservation is a critical determinant of successful organ transplantation. Because the nitric oxide (NO) pathway modulates pulmonary vascular tone and leukocyte/endothelial interactions, we hypothesized that reactive oxygen intermediates would lead to decreased NO (and hence cGMP) levels following pulmonary reperfusion, leading to increased pulmonary vascular resistance and leukostasis. Using an orthotopic rat model of lung transplantation, a porphyrinic microsensor was used to make direct in vivo measurements of pulmonary NO. NO levels measured at the surface of the transplanted lung plummeted immediately upon reperfusion, with levels moderately increased by topical application of superoxide dismutase. Because cGMP levels declined in preserved lungs after reperfusion, this led us to buttress the NO pathway by adding a membrane-permeant cGMP analog to the preservation solution. Compared with grafts stored in its absence, grafts stored with supplemental 8-Br-cGMP and evaluated 30 min after reperfusion demonstrated lower pulmonary vascular resistances with increased graft blood flow, improved arterial oxygenation, decreased neutrophil infiltration, and improved recipient survival. These beneficial effects were dose dependent, mimicked by the type V phosphodiesterase inhibitor 2-o-propoxyphenyl-8-azapurin-6-one, and inhibited by a cGMP-dependent protein kinase antagonist, the R isomer of 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphorothioate. Augmenting the NO pathway at the level of cGMP improves graft function and recipient survival following lung transplantation.
To elucidate mechanisms underlying neuroprotective properties of astrocytes in brain ischemia, production of neurotrophic mediators was studied in astrocytes exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). Rat astrocytes subjected to H/R released increased amounts of interleukin (IL) 6 in a time-dependent manner, whereas levels of tumor necrosis factor and IL-1 remained undetectable. IL-6 transcripts were induced in hypoxia and the early phase of reoxygenation, whereas synthesis and release of IL-6 antigen/activity occurred during reoxygenation. Elevated levels of IL-6 mRNA were due, at least in part, to increased transcription, as shown by nuclear runoff analysis. The mechanism stimulating synthesis and release of IL-6 antigen by astrocytes was probably production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs), which occurred within 15-20 minutes after placing hypoxia cultures back into normoxia, as the inhibitor diphenyl iodonium inhibited the burst of ROIs and subsequent IL-6 generation (blockade of nitric oxide formation had no effect on ROI generation or IL-6 production). Enhanced IL-6 generation was also observed in human astrocytoma cultures exposed to H/R. Survival of differentiated PC12 cells exposed to H/R was potentiated by conditioned medium from H/R astrocytes, an effect blocked by neutralizing anti-IL-6 antibody. In a gerbil model of brain ischemia, IL-6 activity was lower in the hippocampus, an area sensitive to ischemia, compared with IL-6 activity in the cortex, an area more resistant to ischemia. IL-6 antigen, demonstrated immunohistochemically, was increased in astrocytes from ischemic regions of gerbil brain. These data suggest that H/R enhances transcription of IL-6, resulting in increased translation and release of IL-6 antigen after the burst of ROI generated early during reoxygenation. Release of IL-6 from astrocytes could exert a paracrine neurotrophic effect in brain ischemia.
To investigate the astrocyte response to hypoxia/reoxygenation, as a model relevant to the pathogenesis of ischemic injury, cultured rat astrocytes were exposed to hypoxia. On restoration of astrocytes to normoxia, there was a dramatic increase in protein synthesis within 3 h, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of metabolically labeled astrocyte lysates showed multiple induced bands on fluorograms. Levels of cellular ATP declined during the first 3 h of reoxygenation and the concentration of AMP increased to approximately 3.6 nmol/mg of protein within 1 h of reoxygenation. Reoxygenated astrocytes generated oxygen free radicals early after replacement into ambient air, and addition of diphenyliodonium, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, diminished the generation of free radicals as well as the induction of several bands on fluorogram. Although addition of cycloheximide on reoxygenation resulted in inhibition of both astrocyte protein synthesis and accumulation of cellular AMP, it caused cell death within 6 h, suggesting the importance of protein synthesis in adaptation of hypoxic astrocytes to reoxygenation. Potential physiologic significance of biosynthetic products of astrocytes in hypoxia/reoxygenation was suggested by the recovery of glutamate uptake. These results indicate that the astrocyte response to hypoxia/reoxygenation includes generation of oxygen free radicals and de novo synthesis of products that influence cell viability and function in ischemia.
Meth-A sarcoma cells were stable transfected to overexpress (sense construct) or underexpress (antisense construct) tissue factor. In vitro, there was no difference in plating efficiency or growth between these cell lines. In vivo, tumor cells transfected to overexpress tissue factor grew more rapidly, and established larger and more vascularized tumors than control transfectants. Antisense transfectants grew the slowest and were the least vascularized. Anticoagulation of mice with warfarin did not alter the difference between these tumor lines. Tumor cells over-expressing tissue factor released more (compared with control transfectants) mitogenic activity for endothelial cells in parallel with enhanced transcription of vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF/VPF), and diminished transcription of thrombospondin (TSP2), a molecule with anti-angiogenic properties. Antisense tissue factor transfectants, while releasing the lowest amount of mitogenic activity, had increased thrombospondin and decreased VEGF/VPF transcription compared with control transfectants or wild-type cells. Experiments with these sense, antisense, truncated sense, or vector tumor lines gave comparable results in complete medium, serum free medium or in the presence of hirudin, indicating that the activation of the coagulation mechanism was not likely to be responsible for changes in tumor cell properties. These results suggest that tissue factor regulates angiogenic properties of tumor cells by altering the production of growth regulatory molecules of endothelium by a mechanism distinct from tissue factor activation of the coagulation mechanism.
Factor VIII is an important cofactor in the intrinsic activation of factor X. To function effectively as a cofactor, factor VIII must be activated. In plasma, factor VIII circulates in a complex with von Willebrand factor, and although thrombin can activate complexed factor VIII, the activation by activated factor X is inhibited by von Willebrand factor. In this study, the effect of von Willebrand factor on the generation of factor Xa by the factor IXa-VIII complex was investigated. Purified human factors VIII, IXa, and X were incubated on human umbilical vein endothelial cells or phospholipid vesicles in the presence of calcium ions, and the generation of factor Xa was followed. In the presence of von Willebrand factor, a prolonged lag-phase and a dose-dependent inhibition of factor X activation was observed. These effects were not observed when von Willebrand factor was preincubated with a monoclonal antibody directed against von Willebrand factor that blocks factor VIII binding. When factor VIII was activated with thrombin before the incubation, neither the monoclonal antibody nor von Willebrand factor had an effect on the rate of factor X activation. Preincubation of endothelial cells with the monoclonal antibody resulted in a somewhat higher rate of factor X activation. When endothelial cells from a patient with von Willebrand's disease type I were used, preincubation of the monoclonal antibody had no effect on the rate of factor X activation. We conclude that von Willebrand factor on the surface of endothelial cells can modulate the intrinsic factor X activation. This effect is greatly enhanced, however, by the addition of exogenous von Willebrand factor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Infusion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) into tumor-bearing mice led to intravascular clot formation with fibrin deposition in microvessels in the tumor bed in close association with the vessel wall, which could be prevented by active site-blocked factor IXa (IXai). This observation prompted us to examine the role of the intrinsic system in activation of the coagulation mechanism on TNF-stimulated human endothelial cell monolayers and endothelial-derived matrix during exposure to purified coagulation factors or flowing blood. Treatment of endothelial cells in intact monolayers with TNF induced expression of the procoagulant cofactor tissue factor (TF) in a dose-dependent manner, and after removal of the cells, TF was present in the matrix. TNF-treated endothelial cell monolayers exposed to blood anticoagulated with low molecular weight heparin induced activation of coagulation. Addition of IXai blocked the procoagulant response on TNF-treated endothelial cells, and consistent with this, the presence of factor IX/VIIIa enhanced endothelial TF/factor VII(a) factor X activation over a wide range of cytokine concentrations (0-600 pM). When TF-dependent factor X activation on endothelial cells was compared with preparations of subendothelium, the extracellular matrix was 10-20 times more effective. IXai blocked TF/factor VII(a) mediated activated coagulation on matrix, but only at lower concentration of TNF (less than 50 pM). Similarly, enhancement of factor Xa formation on matrix by factors IX/VIIIa was most evident at lower TNF concentrations. When anticoagulated whole blood flowing with a shear of 300 s-1 was exposed to matrices from TNF-treated endothelial cells, but not matrices from control cells, fibrinopeptide A (FPA) generation, fibrin deposition, and platelet aggregate formation were observed. FPA generation could be prevented by a blocking antibody to TF and by active site-blocked factor Xa (Xai) over a wide range of TNF concentrations (0-600 pM), whereas IXai only blocked FPA generation at lower TNF concentrations (less than 50 pM). Activation of coagulation on matrix from TNF-stimulated endothelial cells was dependent on the presence of platelets, indicating the important role of platelets in propagating the reactions leading to fibrin formation. These observations demonstrate the potential of cytokine-stimulated endothelium and their matrix to activate coagulation and suggest the importance of the intrinsic system in factor Xa formation on cellular surfaces.
Treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells with flavone acetic acid (FAA) at 800 micrograms/ml for 4 h resulted in a 3-11-fold increase in procoagulant activity. This increase was due to enhanced tissue factor expression on the endothelial cell surface, as evidenced by the blocking of the enhanced clotting with antibody to tissue factor, by substitution of normal with factor VII deficient plasma, or by simultaneous treatment of the endothelial cells with cycloheximide or actinomycin D. FAA was not toxic to endothelial cell at concentrations up to 1.6 mg/ml over 4 h. Combined treatment with FAA and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) (100 pg/ml) produced a 675-fold (range 160-1980) increase in tissue factor activity, compared to 5-fold and 50-fold increases for the individual agents respectively. Northern blotting of total RNA from cells treated with the combination of agents or either agent alone, followed by probing with a cDNA to human tissue factor demonstrated a synergistic increase in tissue factor mRNA after combination treatment. In vivo, the combination of FAA and TNF-alpha could be shown to induce greater growth delay in two murine tumours than would be predicted on the basis of the activity of either agent alone.
Thrombin stimulates phosphoinositide hydrolysis and increases cytosolic calcium in several types of cells. To determine whether thrombin exerts similar stimulatory actions in the heart and whether this mechanism is linked to changes in cardiac electrical activity, the effects of thrombin on several biochemical and electrophysiological parameters were examined. In neonatal rat ventricular myocyte cultures freed of fibroblast contamination by irradiation, thrombin rapidly induced the breakdown of phosphoinositides. Formation of inositol trisphosphate was detectable within 5 seconds and was followed by the sequential accumulation of inositol bisphosphate and inositol monophosphate. The effect of thrombin to stimulate phosphoinositide hydrolysis was inhibited by hirudin, but not by propranolol, prazosin, or pretreatment with pertussis toxin. The inositol phospholipid response was unassociated with changes in intracellular cAMP levels. To determine the electrophysiological effects of thrombin, we used microelectrode techniques to study canine Purkinje fibers. Thrombin increased the beating rate of fibers depolarized using barium, but not those at normal maximal diastolic potential. In addition, thrombin prolonged the action potential duration in fibers driven at a constant cycle length. This response was inhibited by hirudin and nisoldipine, but not by propranolol, prazosin, or pretreatment with pertussis toxin. Thrombin also augmented cesium-induced early afterdepolarizations. Using the fluorescent calcium indicator fura-2, we demonstrated that thrombin increased the beating rate, diastolic calcium, and peak systolic calcium of spontaneously contracting cultured ventricular myocytes. Cytosolic calcium also increased in both rat ventricular myocytes and canine Purkinje myocytes that were electrically driven at a constant basic cycle length, indicating that thrombin modulates cellular calcium metabolism independent of its actions to enhance automaticity. Taken together, these findings demonstrate several novel biological actions of thrombin in the mammalian heart that may be functionally related. The actions of thrombin to enhance automaticity and prolong repolarization may contribute to the electrical abnormalities observed in the setting of myocardial ischemia and infarction.
Endothelial cells form the luminal vascular surface and thus have a central role in the regulation of coagulation. One important way in which endothelial cells control the clotting system is by regulating the expression of binding sites for anticoagulant and procoagulant factors on the cell surface. In the quiescent state, endothelial cells maintain blood fluidity by promoting the activity of numerous anticoagulant pathways, including the protein C/protein S pathway. After activation, as can be brought about by cytokines, the balance of endothelial properties can be tipped to favor clot formation through coordinated induction of procoagulant and suppression of anticoagulant mechanisms. Tumor necrosis factor suppresses the endothelial anticoagulant cofactor thrombomodulin and induces expression of the procoagulant cofactor tissue factor. Working in concert, these changes can allow fibrin formation to proceed in an inflamed focus but maintain blood fluidity in the surrounding area of normal vasculature. Recent studies suggest that similar changes in endothelial coagulant properties can be induced by advanced glycosylation end products, proteins modified by glucose that accumulate in the vasculature at a rapid rate in diabetic subjects, indicating the potential relevance of these mechanisms in diabetic vascular disease.
Exposure of the vessel wall to hypoxemia is a central feature of ischemic cardiovascular disease. This led us to examine the perturbation of endothelial cell properties under hypoxia. An atmosphere of pO2 of 12 mmHg is not lethal to the endothelial cells for up to five days, but barrier function was impaired. Increased passage of macromolecule tracers were observed in time- and dose-dependent manner and electron microscopy demonstrated small gaps (0.5-1.0 micron) between cells. Expression of the anticoagulant cofactor thrombomodulin was also perturbed: thrombomodulin activity and antigen decreased in parallel. Northern blots showed almost complete suppression of thrombomodulin in hypoxic culture. Furthermore, synthesis of other proteins, such as fibronectin, was slightly enhanced under hypoxia. In addition to the suppression of these anticoagulant cofactor, hypoxic endothelial cell displayed a noval procoagulant activity distinct from tissue factor. Further study revealed that hypoxic endothelial cultures directly activated Factor X, as assessed by functional assays and SDS-PAGE. In addition to this no activation of Factor IX or prothrombin was observed. The hypoxia-induced Factor X activator was membrane-associated, required calcium to form Factor Xa, was inhibited by HgCl2 but not by PMSF, and had Km approximately 25 micrograms/ml. Co-incubation of hypoxic cultures with cycloheximide prevented the expression of this activity, suggesting that protein synthesis is required for its expression. These functional perturbations of endothelial cells were reversible following reoxygenation. These data indicate that hypoxia imposes a selective perturbation on endothelial cell function, suggesting the possible contribution of hypoxemia to vascular dysfunction in ischemia.
Proliferation of endothelial cells is regulated through the autocrine production of growth factors and the expression of cognate surface receptors. In this study, we demonstrate that interleukin 1 (IL-1) is an inhibitor of endothelial growth in vitro and in vivo. IL-1 arrested growing, cultured endothelial cells in G1 phase; inhibition of proliferation was dose dependent and occurred in parallel with occupancy of endothelial surface IL-1 receptors. In an angiogenesis model, IL-1 could inhibit fibroblast growth factor-induced vessel formation. The autocrine nature of the IL-1 effect on endothelial proliferation was demonstrated by the observation that occupancy of cell-surface receptors by endogenous IL-1 depressed cell growth. The potential significance of this finding was emphasized by the detection of IL-1 in the native endothelium of human umbilical veins. A mechanism by which IL-1 may exert its inhibitory effect on endothelial cell growth was suggested by studies showing that IL-1 decreased the expression of high-affinity fibroblast growth factor binding sites on endothelium. These results point to a potentially important role of IL-1 in regulating blood vessel growth and suggest that autocrine production of inhibitory factors may be a mechanism controlling proliferation of normal cells.
As the cells forming the luminal vascular surface, endothelium is exposed to alterations in the vascular microenvironment, such as hypoxaemia. In this report we demonstrate that hypoxia, with pO2 as low as 12-14 mmHg, was not toxic to endothelium, but reversibly modulated central cellular functions essential for maintenance of homeostasis: permeability of monolayers to solutes increased in a dose-dependent manner, and cell surface coagulant properties were shifted to promote activation of coagulation. The anticoagulant cofactor thrombomodulin was suppressed and an apparently novel activator of factor X, distinct from the classical extrinsic and intrinsic systems, was induced. The hypoxia-induced factor X activator was cell surface-associated, had properties of a cysteine protease, had Mr corresponding to approximately 100 kDa, based on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and isoelectric point (pI) approximately 5.0. These findings indicate that hypoxia dynamically modulates endothelial function providing insights into the contribution of microvascular endothelial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of vascular lesions.
As the cells forming the luminal vascular surface, endothelium regulates both barrier function, and pro- and anticoagulant reactions. Endothelial cells can do this by controlling the expression of cell surface molecules, such as receptors that regulate the hemostatic balance and those that affect permeability across the endothelial monolayer. This regulation occurs in response to environmental stimuli, such as cytokines, which have a central role in inflammation, or glucose-modified proteins, which accumulate in the vasculature in aging and diabetes and are associated with vascular complications. The endothelial cell emerges as a dynamic regulator maintaining homeostasis in the quiescent state and contributing to the pathogenesis of vascular lesions in the stimulated state.
The membrane-binding characteristics of a number of modified vitamin K-dependent proteins and peptides showed a general pattern of structural requirements. The amino-terminal peptides from human prothrombin (residues 1-41 and 1-44, 60:40) bovine factor X (residues 1-44), and bovine factor IX (residues 1-42), showed a general requirement for a free amino-terminal group, an intact disulfide, and the tyrosine homologous to Tyr44 of factor X for membrane binding. Consequently, the peptide from factor IX did not bind to membranes. Any of several modifications of the amino terminus, except reaction with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid, abolished membrane binding by the factor X and prothrombin peptides. Calcium, but not magnesium, protected the amino terminus from chemical modification. The requirement for a free amino terminus was also shown to be true for intact prothrombin fragment 1, factor X, and factor IX. Although aggregation of the peptide-vesicle complexes greatly complicated accurate estimation of equilibrium binding constants, results with the factor X peptide indicated an affinity that was not greatly different from that of the parent protein. The most striking difference shown by the peptides was a requirement for about 10 times as much calcium as the parent proteins. In a manner similar to the parent proteins, the prothrombin and factor X peptides showed a large calcium-dependent quenching of tryptophan fluorescence. This fluorescence quenching in the peptides also required about 10 times the calcium needed by the parent proteins. Thus, the 1-45 region of the vitamin K-dependent proteins contained most of the membrane-binding structure but lacked component(s) needed for high affinity calcium binding. Protein S that was modified by thrombin cleavage at Arg52 and Arg70 showed approximately the same behavior as the amino-terminal 45-residue peptides. That is, it bound to membranes with overall affinity that was similar to native protein S but required high calcium concentrations. These results suggested that the second disulfide loop of protein S (Cys47-Cys72) and prothrombin (Cys48-Cys61) were involved in high affinity calcium binding. Since factor X lacks a homologous disulfide loop, an alternative structure must serve a similar function. A striking property of protein S was dissociation from membranes by high calcium. While this property was shared by all the vitamin K-dependent proteins, protein S showed this most dramatically and supported protein-membrane binding by calcium bridging.
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