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K J Johnson

Publications and source records attributed to K J Johnson.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Tumor necrosis factor participates in the pathogenesis of acute immune complex alveolitis in the rat.

We have examined the role of intrapulmonary TNF in a rat model of acute immune complex-triggered alveolitis. Intratracheal instillation of IgG anti-bovine serum albumin (anti-BSA) followed by intravenous infusion of BSA results in acute alveolitis. Over the 4-h course of evolving lung injury, a 10-fold increase in TNF activity occurred in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Immunohistochemical analysis of lung sections and BAL cells revealed that alveolar macrophages are the chief source of TNF. Antibodies that specifically neutralize rat TNF activity were raised in rabbits immunized with recombinant mouse TNF alpha. When administered into the lungs with anti-BSA, anti-TNF resulted in a marked reduction (up to 61%) in lung injury. Intratracheal instillation of exogenous TNF alone, or in combination with anti-BSA, resulted in an increase in lung injury compared to controls. Morphometric analysis and measurements of myeloperoxidase activities in whole lung extracts from rats treated with anti-TNF revealed a marked reduction in neutrophils compared to positive controls. The anti-TNF antibody preparation did not inhibit in vitro complement activation or diminish neutrophil chemotactic activity present in activated rat serum. These data indicate that intrapulmonary TNF activity is required for the full development of acute immune complex-triggered alveolitis, that alveolar macrophages are the primary source of this cytokine, and that TNF participates in the pathogenesis of immune complex alveolitis through a mechanism involving neutrophil recruitment.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Acute alterations of tissue Ca++ and lethal tubular cell injury during HgCl2 nephrotoxicity in the rat.

The relationship between acute alterations of tissue Ca++ and the development of acute renal failure and lethal renal tubular cell injury in the kidney was studied. Nephrotoxicity was induced by HgCl2, and its course was modified by prior saline drinking. Both a semiquantitative scale measuring the extent of lethal tubule cell injury and a computerized assessment of numbers of nuclei in Feulgen stained sections of cortex were used for morphologic analysis. The 2 methods agreed very closely with each other, indicating the utility of an automated computerized approach as a rapid, quantitative adjunct for the assessment of lethal cell injury in the kidney. Increases of blood urea nitrogen during 12-24 hr after HgCl2 were associated with increasing extent of lethal cell injury in both saline and water drinking rats. Striking progressive increases of renal cortical Ca++ developed. In both water and saline drinking rats, the increases in tissue Ca++ were significantly associated with increasing blood urea nitrogen levels and extent of lethal cell injury as determined morphologically. However, similar degrees of increased blood urea nitrogen and extensive lethal cell injury were accompanied by substantially lower tissue Ca++ levels in saline drinking rats than in water drinking rats, indicating an independent effect of saline drinking to ameliorate the increases in tissue Ca++ occurring during lethal cell injury in this model. These data provide further insight into the relationship between structural and functional changes during HgCl2 nephrotoxicity and establish the utility of an automated computerized morphometric method for assessing the extent of lethal cell injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Ultrastructural cytochemical analysis of oxygen radical-mediated immunoglobulin A immune complex induced lung injury in the rat.

Recent studies suggest that IgA immune complex induced lung injury in the rat is oxygen radical mediated. A cerium chloride (CeCl3) method was used to ultrastructurally analyze the in situ elaboration of H2O2 in IgA immune complex injured lungs. After induction of IgA immune complex lung injury, the lungs were instilled with a reaction buffer containing CeCl3 which forms an electron-dense precipitate when exposed to H2O2. Ultrastructural examination and x-ray microanalysis revealed electron-dense cerium deposits on the surfaces and in cytoplasmic vacuoles of alveolar macrophages located along damaged alveolar septae. Similar deposits were prominent on the luminal surfaces of injured pneumocytes, especially alveolar type II cells. No cerium-containing deposits were found in undamaged negative control lungs (IgA alone without antigen) or in lungs of rats that received IgA immune complexes in the presence of catalase. To further define the source of cerium-reactive products, monolayers of rat pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells were incubated with IgA complexes. Alveolar epithelial cells exposed to complexes produced no detectable H2O2 as measured by two spectrophotometric assays, and in the presence of CeCl3, exhibited negligible amounts of electron-dense material regardless of the presence or absence of catalase. The data corroborate indirect in vivo and in vitro studies which suggest that IgA immune complex induced lung injury is mediated by oxygen-derived metabolites produced by lung macrophages. Use of the CeCl3 method in intact rat lungs allows direct ultrastructural cytochemical analysis of H2O2 production in inflamed tissue.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Regulation of superoxide responses of human neutrophils by adenine compounds. Independence of requirement for cytoplasmic granules.

Recent evidence suggests that the adenine compounds ATP, adenosine-5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (ATP gamma S), and adenosine have important regulatory effects on O2- responses of human neutrophils stimulated with the chemotactic peptide N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP). Because of evidence that receptors on neutrophils may be modified by granule fusion events, we assessed the extent to which these adenine compounds affect fMLP and CR3 (C3bi) receptors on neutrophils and whether cytoplasmic granules are required for the ability of the adenine compounds to modify O2- responses in neutrophils stimulated with fMLP. Incubation of neutrophils with ATP gamma S or adenosine led to a decrease in numbers of fMLP receptors (17 and 9.2%, respectively) but no change in receptor affinity (Kd). Paradoxically, ATP gamma S caused an increase in CR3 receptors (Mo1, CD-11b antigen), suggesting that fMLP and CR3 receptors may be under separate control. The ability of the adenine compounds to modify O2- responses in fMLP-stimulated cells was equivalent in both neutrophils and cytoplasts, suggesting that the regulatory effect of ATP, ATP gamma S, and adenosine do not require the presence of cytoplasmic granules. ATP gamma S caused enhancement of O2- responses of neutrophils to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, raising the possibility that ATP gamma S may be affecting late events in the signal transduction pathway.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1989

Endothelial cell killing by neutrophils. Synergistic interaction of oxygen products and proteases.

Killing of rat pulmonary artery endothelial cells by activated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), as measured at 4 hours, is catalase sensitive, iron dependent, and unaffected by addition of protease inhibitors. If the time course for exposure of endothelial cells to activated PMNs is extended to 18 hours, progressive injury occurs. Endothelial cell injury resulting at 18 hours is partially inhibited by catalase and partially inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor. Together, these two inhibitors function synergistically to protect the cells from injury. Exposure of endothelial cells to reagent H2O2 and purified proteolytic enzymes (trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, and cathepsin G) mimics the effects of activated PMNs: H2O2 alone is cytotoxic with maximal killing achieved by 4 hours; proteolytic enzymes produce cytotoxicity only at high concentrations and only after prolonged incubation (longer than 8 hours); and, in combination, H2O2 and proteolytic enzymes act synergistically. These data provide compelling evidence that PMN-mediated injury of endothelial cells involves interaction between oxygen products and proteases.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Acute acid aspiration lung injury in the rat: biphasic pathogenesis.

The purpose of this study was to develop a reproducible model of acute acid aspiration-induced lung injury in the rat to explore the pathophysiology of aspiration pneumonitis. A biphasic injury pattern was observed with injury peaks at 1 hr and 4 hr. Histologic studies at 4 hr revealed significant increases in neutrophils in the alveolar interstitial space. These studies suggest that acid aspiration results in a biphasic acute injury. We hypothesize that the first phase results from a direct physiochemical process or is mediated via afferent (capsaicin sensitive) nerves or both. The second phase, occurring 2-3 hr later, is mediated by neutrophils and is consistent with an acute inflammatory response.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Cytotoxicity of tumor necrosis factor-alpha for human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were examined for sensitivity to killing by human recombinant tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Treatment of the cells with concentrations of TNF-alpha up to 50 ng/ml for 18 hours did not produce evidence of cytotoxicity. However, a marked cytotoxic effect was found when TNF-alpha pretreated cells were incubated in Hanks' balanced salt solution for a further 4 hours. Exposure of the cells to heat-inactivated or antibody-neutralized TNF-alpha did not result in cytotoxicity. Human recombinant interleukin-1 also lysed endothelial cells under the same conditions, whereas human recombinant macrophage-colony stimulating factor did not. Inclusion of superoxide dismutase, catalase, or soybean trypsin inhibitor in the culture medium during the time of endothelial cell exposure to TNF-alpha had no protective effects. Likewise, allopurinol (a xanthine oxidase inhibitor) and nordihydro-guaiaretic acid (a lipoxygenase inhibitor) were not protective under the same conditions. In contrast, the ferric iron chelator deferoxamine mesylate and three different cyclooxygenase inhibitors provided significant protection against TNF-alpha induced cytotoxicity. When human dermal fibroblasts and human squamous epithelial cells were used in place of the umbilical vein endothelial cells, these cells were resistant to TNF-alpha mediated killing. These findings demonstrate that under the experimental conditions employed, TNF-alpha is cytotoxic for human umbilical vein endothelial cells. This may have implications in a number of in vivo situations in which TNF-alpha is thought to play a role.

Cell Survival↗
PubMed1988

Differing calcium requirements for regulatory effects of ATP, ATP gamma S and adenosine on O2.- responses of human neutrophils.

In formyl peptide stimulated human neutrophils the enhancement of O2.- responses by ATP and ATP S requires extracellular calcium. In contrast, the inhibitory effects of adenosine are independent of a calcium requirement. Rates of O2.- generation are not affected by these adenine compounds. Rather, ATP and ATP S cause a sustained period of generation whereas adenosine causes an abrupt early termination of the O2- response. The differing calcium requirements for regulatory effects of adenine compounds on O2.- responses of stimulated neutrophils suggests that ATP (or ATP gamma S) and adenosine may exert their effects at different points in the pathway of signal transduction events.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1988

The role of oxygen radicals in immune complex injury.

In this review we will summarize our current understanding of the mediation of immune complex induced tissue injury. Comparisons will be made between the mediation of IgG versus IgA immune complex injury with emphasis on the role that reactive oxygen products derived from leukocytic phagocytic cells play in the initiation of the tissue injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Oxygen radicals, inflammation, and tissue injury.

Inflammatory reactions often result in the activation and recruitment of phagocytic cells (e.g., neutrophils and/or tissue macrophages) whose products result in injury to the tissue. In killing of endothelial cells by activated neutrophils as well as in lung injury produced by either activated neutrophils or activated macrophages there is evidence that H2O2 and iron play a role. HO. may be a key oxygen product related to the process of injury. Endothelial cells in some vascular compartments may be susceptible to neutrophil mediated injury in a manner that is independent of oxygen radicals. On the basis of in vitro observations, a synergy exits between platelets and neutrophils, resulting in enhanced oxygen radical formation by the latter. Finally, the cytokines, interleukin 1 and tumor necrosis factor, released from macrophages have both direct stimulatory effects on oxygen radical formation in neutrophils and can "prime" macrophages for enhanced oxygen radical responses to other agonists. Cytokines may also alter endothelial cells rendering them more susceptible to oxygen radical mediated injury by neutrophils. This suggests a complex network of interactions between phagocytic cells and peptide mediators, the result of which is acute, oxygen radical mediated tissue injury.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMed1988

Pancreatitis-induced acute lung injury. An ARDS model.

Cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats is associated with acute lung injury characterized by increased pulmonary microvascular permeability, increased wet lung weights, and histologic features of alveolar capillary endothelial cell and pulmonary parenchymal injury. The alveolar capillary permeability index is increased 1.8-fold after a 3-hour injury (0.30 to 0.54, p less than 0.05). Gravimetric analysis shows a similar 1.5-fold increase in wet lung weights at 3 hours (0.35% vs. 0.51% of total body weight, p less than 0.05). Histologic features assessed by quantitative morphometric analysis include significant intra-alveolar hemorrhage (0.57 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.12 +/- 0.02 RBC/alveolus at 6 hours, p less than 0.001); endothelial cell disruption (28.11% vs. 4.3%, p less than 0.001); and marked, early neutrophil infiltration (7.45 +/- 0.53 vs. 0.83 +/- 0.18 PMN/hpf at 3 hours, p less than 0.001). The cerulein peptide itself, a cholecystokinin (CCK) analog, is naturally occurring and is not toxic and in several in vitro settings including exposure to pulmonary artery endothelial cells, Type II epithelial cells, and an ex vivo perfused lung preparation. The occurrence of this ARDS-like acute lung injury with acute pancreatitis provides an excellent experimental model to investigate mechanisms and mediators involved in the pathogenesis of ARDS.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Complement is not involved in monocrotaline pyrrole-induced pulmonary injury.

Monocrotaline pyrrole (MCTP) causes pulmonary vascular injury, pulmonary hypertension, and right ventricular hypertrophy in rats. The mechanisms by which MCTP causes lung injury are not known. After treatment with a moderate dose of MCTP, several days pass before major lung injury is detected, thus suggesting that the damage is caused indirectly. Since activation of the complement system can cause lung injury, it was of interest to test whether complement activation may be important in lung injury due to MCTP. Accordingly, rats were given a single dose of MCTP (3.5 mg/kg iv), and serum hemolytic complement activity was measured at several times after rats were treated. Neutrophil aggregometry also was used to determine whether complement activation products could be detected in serum after MCTP was given in vivo. The effect of complement depletion on MCTP-induced pulmonary injury was tested by cotreating rats with purified cobra venom factor and MCTP. MCTP treatment did not cause detectable complement activation in vivo, and complement depletion did not protect rats from lung injury. The direct effect of MCTP on serum complement also was tested by exposing fresh rat serum to MCTP in vitro and measuring serum complement activity. MCTP decreased serum hemolytic complement activity in vitro, but it did not interfere with subsequent zymosan-induced activation of complement. These results suggest that complement does not play a role in the development of major lung injury that occurs several days after treatment of rats with MCTP.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Linkage relationships of the protein kinase C gamma gene which exclude it as a candidate for myotonic dystrophy.

Using a cDNA probe for the gamma gene of protein kinase C (PKCG), an informative RFLP with a PIC value of 0.62 has been identified with the enzyme MspI. The polymorphic bands have been assigned to chromosome 19. Analysis of the segregation of alleles for this probe in myotonic dystrophy families show several recombinants between PKCG and myotonic dystrophy (DM) and exclude this gene as a candidate for DM. Linkage relationships between PKCG and other loci on chromosome 19 are presented which exclude PKCG from the proximal region of chromosome 19 and which are consistent with the localization being at 19q13.2----qter.

Alleles↗
PubMed1988

Platelet enhancement of O2-. responses in stimulated human neutrophils. Identification of platelet factor as adenine nucleotide.

Human neutrophils stimulated with immune complexes in the presence of platelets show enhanced superoxide anion (O2-.) responses that are proportional to the amount of agonist present and the number of platelets added. Platelet related enhancement of O2-. responses also occurs with the neutrophil agonists phorbol ester, formyl chemotactic peptide and zymosan particles. Pretreatment of platelets with cycloheximide does not alter their ability to enhance O2-. responses of neutrophils. In parallel with platelet-related enhancement of O2-. responses of immune complex-stimulated neutrophils, secretory release of myeloperoxidase is also increased. The platelet effects on O2-. responses can be reproduced with platelet lysates or with supernatant fluids which have been obtained from thrombin or immune complex-stimulated platelets and are rich in ATP and ADP content. Solutions containing ATP and ADP in amounts similar to those found in supernatant fluids of activated platelets reproduce the enhancement of O2-. responses in N-formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine (FMLP) or immune complex-activated neutrophils. The platelet factor responsible for the effects of neutrophils is heat-stable, elutes in gel sieving chromatography near the position of phenol red and does not, in the absence of a neutrophil agonist, trigger an O2-. response. With formyl peptide-stimulated neutrophils, ATP and ADP enhance O2-. responses while the responses are depressed by addition of AMP or adenosine. In immune complex-stimulated neutrophils, adenosine and all adenine nucleotides enhance the O2-. responses. Taking advantage of this information, treatment of ATP or of supernatant fluids from thrombin-stimulated platelets with alkaline phosphatase (resulting in formation of adenosine) converts the O2-. enhancing activity for formyl peptide-activated neutrophils into an inhibitory activity. In contrast, using immune complex-activated neutrophils, similar manipulations of ATP or supernatant fluids from stimulated platelets result only in enhanced O2-. responses. These data support the conclusion that the platelet-derived factor responsible for enhanced O2-. responses in neutrophils is ATP/ADP. In FMLP stimulated neutrophils, the presence of ATP or ADP leads to enhanced increases in intracellular levels of Ca++ as determined by the fura-2 probe, while the presence of AMP or adenosine results in inhibition of the increases in FMLP induced elevations in cytosolic Ca++. These data demonstrate a direct relationship between effects of adenine compounds on FMLP induced changes in cytosolic Ca++ and the associated O2-. responses.

Adenine Nucleotides↗
PubMed1988

Macrophage-derived cytokines amplify immune complex-triggered O2-. responses by rat alveolar macrophages.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) are monocyte macrophage-derived hormonelike regulatory proteins that participate in many physiologic and pathophysiologic processes. Several proinflammatory activities have been attributed to these cytokines, but their importance in anatomically compartmentalized inflammatory processes is unclear. The current in vitro studies have been designed to examine modulatory influences of these cytokines on O2-. responses of rat phagocytes implicated as effector cells in immune complex mediated lung injury. Purified human IL-1, recombinant human TNF (rTNF), and culture supernatant from zymosan-activated alveolar macrophages significantly amplified O2-. responses of immune complex-stimulated alveolar macrophages but did not enhance the responses of neutrophils. Equivalent concentrations of IL-1, rTNF, and alveolar macrophage culture supernatant had no direct stimulatory effect on alveolar macrophages as measured by O2-. production. Culture media from unstimulated alveolar macrophages exerted negligible effects on O2-. generation by immune complex-activated alveolar macrophages. These data indicate that O2- responses of immune complex alveolar macrophages can be enhanced by the presence of IL-1, TNF, or media from activated macrophages. It is possible that macrophage products may greatly amplify tissue injury through the enhancement of oxygen radical production.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Regulatory effects of adenosine and adenine nucleotides on oxygen radical responses of neutrophils.

Our recent studies have indicated that release of ATP/ADP from platelets causes enhanced O2-. responses in stimulated neutrophils. The current investigations were designed to provide further details of this phenomenon, to determine the structure-function correlates of the adenine compounds, and to assess if the results might be explained by the formation of a single metabolic product of ATP. ATP, ADP, AMP and adenosine enhanced O2-. responses of rat neutrophils stimulated with immune complexes or formyl chemotactic peptide (FMLP) but had no effect on responses of phorbol ester-stimulated neutrophils. Similar results were obtained in human neutrophils stimulated with immune complexes; when FMLP was the agonist, the results were divergent: ATP and ADP enhanced the responses, whereas AMP and adenosine were inhibitory. In structure-function studies, hydrolytically resistant forms of ATP (and other adenine nucleotides) containing blocked or cross-linked phosphate groups were active, suggesting that hydrolysis of these compounds to a common metabolic product is not required for their effects on O2-. responses. In contrast, other chemical modifications of the ribose ring or adenine base of ATP resulted in greatly diminished activity. To further pursue the question of whether metabolism of the adenine compounds via the adenosine pathway was related to the observed effects on O2-. responses, addition to rat neutrophils of inhibitors of adenosine deaminase, S-adenosyl homocysteine hydrolase, or xanthine oxidase failed to reproduce or augment the enhancement effects of the adenine compounds on O2-. responses, suggesting that metabolism of the adenine compounds to a common product may not be a requirement for the observed effects. Although the manner by which the adenine compounds affect O2-. responses is not known, the data suggest that adenosine and adenine nucleotides have important regulatory effects on oxygen radical responses of stimulated neutrophils.

Adenine Nucleotides↗
PubMed1988

Tumor necrosis factor: a plurifunctional mediator of acute inflammation.

In recent years intense research activity has been directed toward characterizing polypeptide mediators that regulate growth, differentiation, and function of cells involved in inflammation, immunity, and hematopoiesis. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), or cachectin, is one of these cytokines. This review will summarize important observations that have led to our current definition of TNF. The relationship of TNF to other cytokines and basic TNF biology are discussed. Particular attention is directed toward the evidence which implicates TNF as an important mediator of acute inflammation.

Humans↗