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J Gauldie

Publications and source records attributed to J Gauldie.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Neurotransmitters modulate cytokine-stimulated interleukin 6 secretion in rat intestinal smooth muscle cells.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cytokine production by resident cells of the richly innervated muscularis externa may contribute to neuromuscular changes observed during intestinal inflammation. This study investigated neurotransmitter modulation of cytokine production by intestinal smooth muscle. METHODS: We measured interleukin (IL)-6 messenger RNA expression by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, IL-6 by bioassay, and cyclic adenosine monophosphate by enzyme immunoassay in rat cultured intestinal smooth muscle cells exposed to IL-1beta, in the presence or absence of neurotransmitters. RESULTS: IL-1beta significantly increased IL-6 messenger RNA and protein. This was dose-dependently enhanced by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and norepinephrine and inhibited by [LYS1,PRO2,5,ARG3,4,TYR6]VIP and propranolol, respectively. Forskolin mimicked the stimulatory effects of these neurotransmitters on IL-6 secretion, and the protein kinase inhibitor6-22 amide abolished the actions of VIP, CGRP, and norepinephrine, but not that of human recombinant IL-1beta, on IL-6 secretion. These agents each increased cyclic adenosine monophosphate activity in muscle substance P, and the neurokinin 1 agonist Ac-[Arg6,Sar9,Met(O2)11] substance P(6-11) inhibited the IL-1beta-induced IL-6 release. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows neuropeptide and sympathetic modulation of IL-1beta-induced IL-6 production by intestinal smooth muscle. These interactions may contribute to altered muscle function during intestinal inflammation.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1999

Spatial-specific TGF-beta1 adenoviral expression determines morphogenetic phenotypes in embryonic mouse lung.

The precise spatial-temporal role that expression and activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta plays in mammalian organ morphogenesis remains incompletely understood. Using replication deficient adenoviral vectors containing engineered TGF-beta1 cDNAs, we studied the spatial effects of locally over-expressing either latent or mutated, constitutively active TGF-beta1 protein during embryonic mouse lung branching morphogenesis in culture. Transfer of exogenous genes into lung epithelium was achieved by intra-tracheal micro-injection of recombinant adenovirus, while submerging lungs in virus resulted in gene transfer into the pleura and subjacent mesenchymal cells, as revealed by cytochemical staining for beta-galactosidase. Only lungs transfected with active, but not latent TGF-beta1 gene, showed elevated levels of active TGF-beta. Epithelial over-expression of active, but not latent TGF-beta1, via intra-tracheal micro-injection inhibited lung branching morphogenesis by 36 %. In contrast, lungs submerged with either active or latent TGF-beta1 recombinant virus did not demonstrate an inhibitory effect upon branching. Pulmonary gene regulation was assayed by competitive polymerase chain reaction coupled with reverse transcription. Direct respiratory tract micro-injection of adenovirus over-expressing active TGF-beta1 resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of epithelial surfactant protein (SP)-C and SP-B mRNA levels by up to 76 % and 70 %, respectively, while in contrast, fibronectin and matrix Gla protein (MGP) mRNA levels remained stable. However, lungs that had been submerged in adenovirus expressing active TGF-beta1 demonstrated a concentration-dependent induction of both fibronectin and MGP mRNA levels up to 4.3- and 4.7-fold respectively in the presence of 1 x 10(11) pfu/ml active TGF-beta1 virus. On the other hand, lungs treated with adenovirus expressing latent TGF-beta1 either by micro-injection or submerging failed to demonstrate any regulatory effect either upon epithelial or mesenchymal gene expression. We conclude that adenovector-mediated over-expression of activated TGF-beta1 in specific spatial compartments results respectively in either inhibition of branching morphogenesis and epithelium-specific gene expression, or in induction of matrix gene expression without affecting morphogenesis or epithelium-specific gene expression, depending on the route of administration. Also, the lack of effect of latent TGF-beta1 over-expression strongly suggests that TGF-beta activation per se provides an important locus of fine regulation of the spatial effects of TGF-beta signaling during embryonic lung branching morphogenesis.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1999

Secretory leukocyte proteinase inhibitor is preferentially increased in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Inappropriate release of proteases from inflammatory and stromal cells can lead to destruction of the lung parenchyma. Antiproteinases such as alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha1-Pi), secretory leukocyte proteinase inhibitor (SLPI) and elastase-specific inhibitor (elafin) control excess production of human neutrophil elastase. In the present study, the concentrations of alpha1-Pi, SLPI and elafin found in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from control subjects, patients at risk of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and patients with established ARDS were determined. Levels of all three inhibitors were raised in patients compared with normal subjects. SLPI was increased in the group of patients who were at risk of ARDS and went on to develop the condition, compared with the "at-risk" group who did not progress to ARDS (p=0.0083). Alpha1-Pi and elafin levels were similar in these two populations. In patients with established ARDS, both alpha1-Pi and SLPI levels were significantly increased, compared to patients at risk of ARDS who did (p=0.0089) or did not (p=0.0003) progress to ARDS. The finding of increased antiproteinases shortly before the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome provide further evidence for enhanced inflammation prior to clinical disease.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid↗
PubMed1999

Adenovector-mediated gene delivery of interleukin-2 in metastatic breast cancer and melanoma: results of a phase 1 clinical trial.

We conducted a phase 1 trial of direct injection of an E1, E3-deleted adenovirus encoding interleukin-2 (AdCAIL-2) into subcutaneous deposits of melanoma or breast cancer. Twenty-three patients were injected at seven dose levels (10(7)-10(10) p.f.u). Local inflammation was observed at the site of injection in 60% of patients, but side-effects were otherwise minor. Incomplete local tumor regression occurred at the site of injection in 24% of patients, but no conventional clinical responses were seen. Circulating CD4 and CD8 counts fell significantly 24 h after injection. Post-injection biopsies demonstrated tumor necrosis and lymphocytic infiltration with the predominant tumor-infiltrating cells both CD3- and CD8-positive. Vector-derived sequences were detected in 14 of 18 biopsies examined 7 days after injection and vector-derived hIL-2 mRNA was detected in 80% of 7-day biopsies processed after injection of 10(8) p.f.u. of AdCAIL-2 or higher. While IL-2 was detectable by ELISA in tumor biopsies at 48 h, no protein was detectable in injected tumors after 7 days and no circulating IL-2 was detectable at any time-point. No Ad5E1 sequences were detected either before or after injection indicating absence of replication-competent virus or endogenous E1-like sequence; furthermore, only rare vector shedding was detected. Anti-adenovirus and neutralizing antibody titers were elevated 1 month after injection in all patients. This trial therefore confirms the safety of use of adenoviral vectors for gene delivery in humans and demonstrates successful transgene expression even in the face of pre-existing immunity to adenovirus.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1999

Macrophage inflammatory protein-2 gene therapy attenuates adenovirus- and acetaminophen-mediated hepatic injury.

Profound hepatocellular injury is often a consequence of adenovirus-mediated gene therapy or acetaminophen ingestion. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of a CXC chemokine, macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), in the hepatotoxic response by mice infected with adenovirus and challenged with acetaminophen. CD1 mice that received a replication-defective human type 5 adenovirus vector (Ad70-3) intravenously exhibited hepatic injury that peaked at 24 h after infection. In contrast, mice that received a similar adenovirus vector containing a rodent MIP-2 cDNA insert had no hepatic injury at any time after infection. The combination of Ad70-3 infection and an intraperitoneal challenge with 400 mg/kg of acetaminophen was fatal in 50% of the mice, but only 10% of the AdMIP-2 group receiving acetaminophen were similarly affected. Furthermore, AdMIP-2 mice had significantly lower hepatic injury and serum aminotransaminases compared with the Ad70-3 group. However, AdMIP-2 infection in mice lacking the CXC chemokine receptor that binds MIP-2, CXCR2, did not attenuate any of the markers of liver injury after adenovirus and acetaminophen challenge. AdMIP-2 treatment of CD1 mice was also associated with significantly decreased leukocyte infiltration into the liver and an earlier increase in hepatic 3H-thymidine incorporation compared with the control group. Taken together, these data demonstrate that MIP-2 has a protective role in both adenovirus- and acetaminophen-mediated hepatotoxicity, and suggest that MIP-2 may promote rapid hepatic regeneration following acute hepatic injury.

Acetaminophen↗
PubMed1999

Endogenous interleukin-6 contributes to hypersensitivity to cutaneous stimuli and changes in neuropeptides associated with chronic nerve constriction in mice.

Partial nerve injury is a potential cause of distressing chronic pain for which conventional analgesic treatment with opiates or anti-inflammatory agents is not very effective. Constriction nerve injury, widely used to study neuropathic pain, was shown here to induce interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA in a subset of rat primary sensory neurons. When we inflicted chronic nerve constriction on mice with null mutation of the IL-6 gene, the hypersensitivity to cutaneous heat and pressure that is induced in wild-type mice was not evident, the loss of substance P in sensory neurons was excessive and the induction of galanin in central sensory projections was reduced. In additional experiments, intrathecal infusion of IL-6 in rats was shown to stimulate synthesis of galanin in approximately one-third of lumbar dorsal root ganglion neurons. The results of these experiments indicate that endogenous IL-6 mediates some of the hypersensitive responses that characterize peripheral neuropathic pain, and influences two neuropeptides that have been implicated in pain transmission.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Transient gene transfer of non-ELR chemokines to rodent lung induces mononuclear cell accumulation and activation.

The in vivo function of the CXC chemokines interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and monokine induced by gamma (MIG) was examined using replication-deficient adenoviral vectors expressing human IP-10 (AdIP-10) or murine MIG (AdMIG). Intratracheal and intranasal administration of AdIP-10 or AdMIG into rats and mice produced transient chemokine overexpression from the bronchial epithelium. IP-10 concentrations in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) of AdIP-10-treated animals showed peak expression (>2 ng/ml) 24-48 h after AdIP-10 administration. Dramatic transient increases in BAL cellularity (macrophages, monocytes, lymphocytes, and neutrophils) were observed in AdIP-10-treated and AdMIG-treated animals, and histologic examination of AdIP-10-treated lungs revealed transient infiltrations of mononuclear cells primarily localized around the bronchus and extending throughout the lung parenchyma. However, in immunocomprised SCID mice, only increases in natural killer cell populations were detected in BAL following AdIP-10 intranasal administration, indicating that monocyte/macrophage and neutrophil accumulation was likely the result of factors released from activated lymphocytes.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1999

Adenovirus vector expressing mouse oncostatin M induces acute-phase proteins and TIMP-1 expression in vivo in mice.

Mouse oncostatin M (MuOSM) regulates the production of acute-phase proteins by hepatocytes as well as tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) production by fibroblasts in vitro. We have generated an adenovirus (Ad) encoding MuOSM and tested the effects of administration of recombinant AdMuOSM to mice in vivo. On intramuscular injection, AdMuOSM (5 X 10(7) plaque-forming units, pfu) induced an increase in serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) as well as the acute-phase proteins serum amyloid A (SAP) and alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) at day 1. SAP and AGP concentrations were elevated to greater levels at day 3 and decreased to near control levels at day 7. Intratracheal treatment with AdMuOSM induced TIMP-1 mRNA levels (as assessed by Northern blots) that corresponded to the presence of transgene MuOSM mRNA levels. TIMP-1 was elevated at day 1 and day 3 and less consistently at day 7 after administration. Intraperitoneal treatment with AdMuOSM also resulted in elevation of TIMP-1 mRNA in lung tissue. These results show that AdMuOSM can induce both local and systemic effects and demonstrate in vivo effects of OSM that are consistent with in vitro studies on acute-phase protein and TIMP-1 expression.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMed1999

Adenovirus-mediated decorin gene transfer prevents TGF-beta-induced inhibition of lung morphogenesis.

Excessive transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta signaling has been implicated in pulmonary hypoplasia associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a chronic lung disease of human prematurity featuring pulmonary fibrosis. This implies that inhibitors of TGF-beta could be useful therapeutic agents. Because exogenous TGF-beta ligands are known to inhibit lung branching morphogenesis and cytodifferentiation in mouse embryonic lungs in ex vivo culture, we examined the capacity of a naturally occurring inhibitor of TGF-beta activity, the proteoglycan decorin, to overcome the inhibitory effects of exogenous TGF-beta. Intratracheal microinjection of a recombinant adenovirus containing decorin cDNA resulted in overexpression of the exogenous decorin gene in airway epithelium. Although exogenous TGF-beta efficiently decreased epithelial lung branching morphogenesis in control cultures, TGF-beta-induced inhibition of lung growth was abolished after epithelial transfer of the decorin gene. Additionally, exogenous TGF-beta-induced antiproliferative effects as well as the downregulation of surfactant protein C were abrogated by decorin in cultured embryonic lungs. Moreover, lung branching inhibition by TGF-beta could be restored by the addition of decorin antisense oligodeoxynucleotides in culture, indicating that decorin is both specifically and directly involved in suppressing TGF-beta-mediated negative regulation of lung morphogenesis. Our findings suggest that decorin can antagonize bioactive TGF-beta during lung growth and differentiation, establishing the rationale for decorin as a candidate therapeutic approach to ameliorate excessive levels of TGF-beta signaling in the developing lung.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1999

A randomized controlled trial on the effect of inhaled corticosteroids on airways inflammation in adult cigarette smokers.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine whether inhaled corticosteroid treatment can reduce airways inflammation in adult cigarette smokers. DESIGN: This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial. SETTING: The subjects were recruited from the community by advertising. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-one adults with a > or = 5 pack-year history who were current smokers, had a normal FEV1, and produced sputum daily. INTERVENTION: Sixty subjects were randomized to receive four puffs of placebo or beclomethasone dipropionate ([BDP]; total dosage, 1,000 microg/d) using a metered-dose aerosol inhaler with a valved holding chamber (AeroChamber; Trudell Medical; London, Ontario, Canada) for 28 days. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Eleven subjects were not randomized because of poor compliance. The primary outcome was fractional airway neutrophilia, as assessed by a differential cell count of sputum. Additional outcome measures were spirometry, measurement of airway responsiveness by methacholine challenge, and lung epithelial permeability measured by the clearance of radiolabeled diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid. There were no significant differences between the two groups in any outcome measurement after 4 weeks of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: With normal spirometry, we found no benefit of treatment with inhaled BDP, 1,000 microg/d, on noninvasive measures of airways inflammation in adult smokers. This indicates that cigarette smoke-induced inflammation in its early stages (before a demonstrable airflow obstruction) is not steroid sensitive. This may occur because the site of involvement is not accessible to inhaled medications or because the inflammatory process is resistant to moderate doses of inhaled corticosteroids.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1999

Cytokines and pulmonary inflammatory and immune diseases.

Cytokines are important soluble signalling molecules that dictate and coordinate inflammatory and immune responses. Further understanding the role of cytokines in the pathobiologic mechanisms of pulmonary inflammatory and immune diseases holds the key to the development of effective prophylactic and therapeutic strategies. In the last several years, the use of models of human pulmonary diseases established either in normal adult animals, mice deficient for a given immune cell type or cytokine, or mice engineered to overexpress a given cytokine, has remarkably facilitated our understanding of the mechanisms operating in human disease. Cytokines that are involved in pulmonary inflammatory and immune conditions may be generally divided into groups of pro-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory and growth-stimulatory cytokines. While pro-inflammatory cytokines can be detrimental under such severe conditions as endotoxemia and fibrosis, they are required in host resistance against infectious agents. Anti-inflammatory cytokines play an important role in controlling the extent of tissue inflammatory/immune responses. Overexpression of growth-stimulatory cytokines are often directly associated with tissue fibrotic responses. In this review, the findings attained from experimental models by us and others were discussed with emphasis on cellular and histopathologic alterations, cytokine-mediated molecular mechanisms and the prospects of cytokine-based therapeutic strategies. Due to the restrict space, we chose to focus only on models for endotoxic lung, endotoxemia, acute pulmonary infections by extracellular Gram-negative bacteria, chronic pulmonary infections by intracellular myco-bacteria, allergic airways inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Murine dendritic cells transduced with an adenoviral vector expressing a defined tumor antigen can overcome anti-adenovirus neutralizing immunity and induce effective tumor regression.

In this study transduced dendritic cells (DCs) were used to enhance immunogenecity of a specific tumor antigen. Using a polyoma middle T (PyMT) transgenic mammary carcinoma model we found that injections of DCs transduced with an adenoviral (Ad) vector expressing PyMT (DCAd-PymT) led to potent specific anti-tumor immunity. Efficacy was not affected by neutralizing Abs (high or low titers) and naive animals did not produce detectable anti-Ad Abs following two injections of transduced DCs. Repeated injections of transduced DCs significantly improved therapeutic efficacy in mice with established lung metastases. These data emphasize the ability of Ad-infected DCs to: i) minimize anti-Ad Ab production, ii) overcome pre-existing anti-Ad humoral immunity, and iii) improve vaccination efficacy when injected more than once.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1998

Phenotype, function, and in vivo migration and survival of allogeneic dendritic cell progenitors genetically engineered to express TGF-beta.

BACKGROUND: Administration of donor bone marrow (BM)-derived dendritic cell (DC) progenitors (DCp) that are major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II+ but costimulatory molecule (CD40, CD80, CD86)-deficient can prolong mouse heart allograft survival This is associated with microchimerism and inhibition of antidonor cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity. Genetic modification of these donor antigen-presenting cells to express an immunosuppressive molecule(s) may enhance their in vivo survival and potential tolerogenicity. METHODS: The surface phenotype of B10(H-2b) DCp before and after gene transfer using replication-deficient adenoviral (Ad) vectors was determined by monoclonal antibody (mAb) staining and flow cytometry. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) production was quantitated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Allostimulatory activity of the gene-transduced DCp was ascertained by mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR) and CTL induction. To assess their in vivo migratory activity and survival, the transduced cells were injected subcutaneously into one hind footpad of C3H (H-2k) mice. Tissues (draining popliteal lymph nodes [LN], spleens, and thymi) were removed 1, 2, 7, and 14 days later and stained for donor MHC class II using anti-LA(b) mAb in an immunohistochemical procedure. The mean number of IAb+ cells per unit area was determined. RESULTS: Transduction with a control Ad vector (Ad-LacZ) at 50 multiplicity of infection slightly increased CD40 and CD86 expression and up-regulated the poor allostimulatory activity of the DCp assessed by MLR and CTL responses. These effects on function were negated in Ad-TGF-beta1-transduced cells. After their injection into mouse footpads, the gene-transduced IAb+ cells were observed in maximal numbers in the popliteal LN at day 1 and in marginal zones and T-dependent areas of spleens (peak at day 7) but were rare in thymi. Transduction with Ad-LacZ reduced the numbers of IAb+ cells identified in both LN and spleens at all time points postinjection, suggesting that the vector alone affected DC life span in allogeneic recipients. TGF-beta1 transgene expression not only fully prevented the reduction in DC induced by Ad transduction alone, but also increased numbers and prolonged the survival of donor cells in the spleen, as shown by a two-to fivefold increase in IAb+ cells at days 2-14 compared with control (Ad-LacZ-transduced) DC. CONCLUSION: BM-derived DCp can be transduced efficiently to express TGF-beta1 using an Ad vector. They exhibit very poor allostimulatory activity and similar migration characteristics in vivo to unmodified DCp. Survival of TGF-beta gene-transduced DC, however, is enhanced significantly compared with unmodified and (especially) control Ad-LacZ gene-transduced DC. Genetic engineering of donor DC to express the immunosuppressive molecule TGF-beta promotes their survival in allogeneic hosts and may potentiate their previously reported tolerogenicity.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1998

Circulating, but not local lung, IL-5 is required for the development of antigen-induced airways eosinophilia.

IL-5 is induced locally in the lung and systemically in the circulation during allergic airways eosinophilic inflammation both in humans and experimental animals. However, the precise role of local and systemic IL-5 in the development of allergic airways eosinophilia remains to be elucidated. In our current study, we demonstrate that compared with their IL-5(+/+) counterparts, IL-5(-/-) mice lacked an IL-5 response both in the lung and peripheral blood, yet they released similar amounts of IL-4, eotaxin, and MIP-1alpha in the lung after ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and challenge. At cellular levels, these mice failed to develop peripheral blood and airways eosinophilia while the responses of lymphocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages remained similar to those in IL-5(+/+) mice. To dissect the relative role of local and systemic IL-5 in this model, we constructed a gene transfer vector expressing murine IL-5. Intramuscular IL-5 gene transfer to OVA-sensitized IL-5(-/-) mice led to raised levels of IL-5 compartmentalized to the circulation and completely reconstituted airways eosinophilia upon OVA challenge, which was associated with reconstitution of eosinophilia in the bone marrow and peripheral blood. Significant airways eosinophilia was observed for at least 7 d in these mice. In contrast, intranasal IL-5 gene transfer, when rendered to give rise to a significant but compartmentalized level of transgene protein IL-5 in the lung, was unable to reconstitute airways eosinophilia in OVA-sensitized IL-5(-/-) mice upon OVA-challenge, which was associated with a lack of eosinophilic responses in bone marrow and peripheral blood. Our findings thus provide unequivocal evidence that circulating but not local lung IL-5 is critically required for the development of allergic airways eosinophilia. These findings also provide the rationale for developing strategies to target circulating IL-5 and/or its receptors in bone marrow to effectively control asthmatic airways eosinophilia.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1998

Transient gene transfer of IL-12 regulates chemokine expression and disease severity in experimental arthritis.

Murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is characterized by pannus formation, cell infiltration, and cartilage erosion, and shares histologic and immunologic features with rheumatoid arthritis. Numerous cytokines are reportedly associated with RA and/or CIA; however, their mechanistic role is not clear. To determine the role of IL-12 in CIA, DBA/1 LacJ mice were administered 3 x 10(8) plaque-forming units of mIL-12 i.p. in a nonreplicating adenoviral vector (AdIL-12) on day 25 following primary type II collagen immunization. Our studies demonstrated that systemic transient overexpression of IL-12 accelerated disease progression and augmented the arthritis severity relative to mice expressing a replication-deficient, E1-deleted Ad5 construct. A likely mechanism for this increase in pathology was the increase in the expression of cytokines and chemokines known to play a proinflammatory role in disease. In particular, levels of murine IFN-gamma were significantly increased in mice overexpressing AdIL-12 relative to the replication-deficient, E1-deleted Ad5 construct. Interestingly, the C-X-C chemokine murine macrophage inflammatory protein-2, as well as the C-C chemokines murine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and murine macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha were up-regulated by AdIL-12 relative to controls. In an additional set of studies, neutralization of endogenous IL-12 in CIA mice was shown to delay disease onset and attenuate disease severity. IFN-gamma levels in the mice receiving anti-IL-12 were significantly decreased in joint homogenates. These studies demonstrate that IL-12 is an important cytokine involved in controlling the production of chemokines/cytokines leading to the evolution of experimental arthritis.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed1998

Adenovirus-mediated interleukin-10 gene transfer inhibits post-transplant fibrous airway obliteration in an animal model of bronchiolitis obliterans.

Bronchiolitis obliterans, a form of chronic allograft rejection characterized by progressive fibrous obliteration of the airways, is the major obstacle limiting prolonged survival of lung transplant recipients. To date, no effective therapy against this fatal complication exists. Interleukin-10 (IL-10), an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive cytokine, inhibits various T cell and antigen-presenting cell functions. We examined the effect of IL-10 in an animal model for bronchiolitis obliterans. A heterotopic tracheal transplant model was used. IL-10 was administered to the recipient either in its recombinant form by osmotic minipump or by adenoviral-mediated IL-10 gene transfer (Ad5E1mIL-10). Successful gene transfection and expression was confirmed by measuring circulating IL-10 protein. Tracheal allografts were assessed histologically based on a scoring system. IL-10 administration (in recombinant form or by gene transfer) inhibited the development of fibrous airway obliteration 3 weeks after transplantation in comparison to untreated controls (p < 0.05). This was demonstrated only if the delivery was initiated 5 days after transplantation and not if it was started at the time of transplantation. A single administration of the gene construct was sufficient to achieve the desired effect. We have shown that IL-10 can prevent the development of airway fibro-obliteration in this model. Gene transfection at a site distant from a graft can be used to produce a desired effect on the graft. IL-10 may be of major importance in the control of post-transplant bronchiolitis obliterans. The timing of its administration is critical and further studies are required to determine the mechanisms underlying the observed effects of IL-10.

Adenoviruses, Human↗
PubMed1998

A double recombinant adenovirus expressing the costimulatory molecule B7-1 (murine) and human IL-2 induces complete tumor regression in a murine breast adenocarcinoma model.

Tumors that express tumor-specific antigens can maintain growth in an immunocompetent organism. Current hypotheses tend toward T cell anergy as a key component for the inhibition of immunoreactivity against such tumors. Anergy is thought to occur from hyperactive stimulation of the TCR in the absence of costimulation (costimulation leads to proliferation via IL-2 production). Subcutaneous injection of transgenic polyoma middle T transformed breast adenocarcinoma tumor cells (PyMT) in the hind flank of FVB/n mice results in the formation of tumor nodules at this site. We determined the MHC class I and class II, B7-1, and B7-2 expression in the tumor cells by flow cytometry and showed positive staining for only MHC class I. We show that a single E1-deleted adenovirus constructed to express both the costimulatory molecule B7-1 (murine) and human IL-2 genes (Ad5E1 mB7-1/human IL-2) elicits a very potent antitumor response when administered intratumorally. Ad5E1 mB7-1/human IL-2 induced rapid and complete regression (100%) of all tumors compared with Ad5 E1 mB7-1 (38%), Ad CAIL-2 (42%), and Ad5E1 dl70-3 (control vector) (0%). All mice that exhibited complete tumor regression were fully protected in tumor cell challenge experiments. The systemic immunity generated by intratumoral administration of the Ad vectors was associated with a strong anti-PyMT CTL response. These observations indicate that augmenting the immunogenicity of the tumor with coincident expression of B7-1 in combination with IL-2 may prove beneficial in direct tumor immunotherapy.

Adenocarcinoma↗