Biomedical subjects

M E Costlow

Publications and source records attributed to M E Costlow.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1994

Attenuation of ultraviolet radiation-induced edema and erythema with topical calmodulin and protein kinase C inhibitors.

We treated Skh:HR1 hairless albino mice, NSA mice and hairless albino guinea pigs topically with N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W7) or trifluoperazine (TFP) before or after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. When applied before irradiation, W7 and TFP prevented edema in Skh-1 mice and W7 prevented UV-induced edema in NSA mice in a dose-dependent manner. Preirradiation treatment with 2% W7 reduced erythema in guinea pigs by 50%. Epidermal histology of UVR-treated Skh-1 mice pretreated with W7 before UVR was similar to unirradiated mice. W7 did not reverse or prevent these UV-induced effects when applied after irradiation. Neither TFP nor W7 absorbed UV based on forward scattering absorbance spectra; we conclude that neither are physical or chemical sunscreens. These results suggest that calmodulin and/or protein kinase C-dependent events are involved in manifesting some of the effects of UV irradiation on skin.

Absorption↗

PubMed1991

Diacylglycerol-induced melanogenesis in Skh-2 pigmented hairless mice.

We investigated the effect of topically applied diacylglycerols (DG) on melanogenesis in Skh-2 pigmented hairless mouse skin. Groups of mice were treated according to 4 different regimens of either 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (DOG) or 1-oleyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG) with or without ultraviolet irradiation (UVR). After the treatment regimens were completed, separated epidermal tissue was stained with L-dopa and thin sections of whole skin were stained by the Warthin-Starry method to detect melanin deposition. Quantification of the stained areas by digital image analysis disclosed that DOG treatment without UVR increased the dopa-positive area in skin in a dose-dependent manner but had no effect on melanin deposition. DG treatment acted synergistically with UVR to enhance melanogenesis, with synergism being more pronounced for melanin deposition than for dopa staining. DOG treatment prior to UVR also resulted in an enhanced melanogenic response to UVR, suggesting that DG increases the sensitivity of melanocytes to subsequent UVR by inducing dopa oxidase activity. OAG also enhanced UVR-induced melanogenesis in a dose-dependent manner and was at least as potent an inducer as was DOG. Because DG is known to activate protein kinase C, our results suggest that a protein kinase C-dependent process is involved in melanogenesis.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

PubMed1990

Binding of polymyxin B to rat alveolar macrophages.

The specific binding of radiolabeled polymyxin B (PmB) to rat alveolar macrophages was investigated. PmB retained its ability to inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor production by macrophages as long as one of five amino groups on PmB was unbound. Binding was saturable and temperature- and time-dependent, reaching steady state by 30 min at 37 degrees C and by 18 h at 4 degrees C. Macrophages had approximately 1.6 X 10(7) (Kd = 0.28 nM) PmB binding sites per cell. Lipid A had no appreciable effect on the number of sites. Binding did not occur to rat platelets, L929 fibroblast cells, a rat thymoma cell line, or precursor monocytic and myeloid cell lines. Precursor cells activated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate acquired binding similar to that seen in alveolar macrophages, but L929 fibroblasts did not. Binding sites were sensitive to trypsin but not to phospholipase C. PmB may interact with specific binding sites involved in lipopolysaccharide-induced activation, production, or release of tumor necrosis factor by macrophages, inhibiting the effects of lipopolysaccharide on macrophages.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Phosphatidylethanolamine turnover is an early event in the response of NB2 lymphoma cells to prolactin.

The effect of prolactin on phospholipid metabolism in the prolactin-dependent rat lymphoma cell line Nb2 was investigated in cells prelabeled with [3H]arachidonic acid or [3H]ethanolamine. Prolactin (20 ng/ml) caused (a) a 20-60% loss of radiolabeled phosphatidylethanolamine within 0.5 to 2 min, (b) a loss of [3H]ethanolamine-labeled phosphatidylethanolamine from crude membranes, (c) a rapid accumulation of [3H]phosphoethanolamine and [3H]ethanolamine, and (d) a transient increase (15 s to 2 min) in prostaglandin F2 alpha and E2. Arachidonic acid (1-2 micrograms/ml) induced Nb2 cell growth but prostaglandin F2 alpha, E2, ethanolamine, and phosphoethanolamine did not. Prostaglandin E2 inhibited while prostaglandin F2 alpha enhanced growth in the presence of prolactin or arachidonic acid. These results suggest that stimulation of Nb2 cell growth by prolactin is linked to activation of a phosphatidylethanolamine-specific phospholipase C. Arachidonic acid and prostaglandin F2 alpha may participate in regulating the mitogenic action of prolactin.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Prolactin binding and localization in rat mammary tumor mast cells.

We found that prolactin is taken up by mast cells residing in prolactin-dependent, 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene-induced rat mammary tumors. Light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry showed that mast cells concentrate prolactin in their cytoplasmic granules. No prolactin was found on mast cell surface membranes or in their nuclei. In primary cultures of tumor cells, mast cells were found mainly in the periphery of dome structures and these cells concentrated prolactin. When purified rat peritoneal mast cells were incubated with 125I-labeled prolactin, uptake was time, energy, and temperature dependent. Seventy % of accumulated prolactin was released intact from cytoplasmic granules by C48/80-induced degranulation. A mouse mastocytoma cell line also took up and released prolactin. These cells contained prolactin receptors (Kd = 4.5 nM) as determined in whole cells (approximately 3150 sites/cell) and in crude membranes (approximately 180 fmol/mg protein). We conclude that mast cells might significantly influence mammary tumor growth by accumulating and releasing prolactin within tumor tissue.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1988

A filtration assay for solubilized prolactin receptors using polyethyleneimine-treated membrane filters.

Free 125I-labeled ovine prolactin can be separated from detergent-solubilized prolactin-receptor complex by filtration on triacetate membrane filters pretreated with polyethyleneimine. Up to 98% of the total 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate solubilized prolactin-receptor complexes from rat liver bound to polyethyleneimine-treated membranes. This simple and rapid technique can be used to quantitate solubilized prolactin-receptor complexes.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Nuclear translocation of lymphoblast glucocorticoid receptors in childhood leukemia does not predict steroid responsiveness.

Nuclear translocation of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) was measured in lymphoblasts from 45 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The percent of total GR translocated to the nucleus ranged from 0 to 100% (mean, 59%) and was independent of the total GR level. Neither the extent of GR nuclear translocation nor the absolute amount of GR translocated at 4 or 25 degrees C correlated with glucocorticoid response in 13 patients with single-agent glucocorticoid trial. These results indicate that defects in nuclear translocation of GR are not a common cause for steroid resistance in childhood ALL.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1987

Prolactin regulation of estrogen and progesterone receptors in normal and neoplastic mouse mammary tissue.

The transplantable mouse mammary tumor, TPDMT-4, is pregnancy-dependent and requires prolactin (PRL), estradiol (E2) and progesterone (Pg) for growth. To examine the role of PRL in regulating tissue growth and the levels of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR), tumor-bearing mice were ovariectomized, hysterectomized and then injected with ergocornine hydrogenmaleate (ERG), ERG + PRL, or ERG + PRL + E2 + Pg. Total (nuclear + cytoplasmic) ER and PgR in normal and neoplastic mammary tissues were measured. In addition, tumor size and tritium-labeled thymidine [( 3H]dThd) incorporation into nuclei of the tumor and mammary gland were determined. PRL alone caused a 2- to 3-fold increase in ER and PgR levels in normal mammary gland but not in the tumor. PRL alone caused a modest increase in the number of 3H-thymidine-labeled nuclei in both tissues. PRL combined with E2 and Pg increased the percent of labeled nuclei 5- to 10-fold in both tissues, and increased the PgR levels in normal but not in tumor tissue. Thus, PRL alone can increase ER in normal mammary tissue but this increase is not required for growth since ER levels are unchanged when PRL + E2 + Pg are injected and mammary cell growth is stimulated. The ability of PRL to up-regulate ER has been lost in the tumor. Since basal levels of ER and PgR are not altered in the tumor when PRL + E2 + Pg are given, an increase in ER and PgR levels is not required for the three hormones to stimulate tumor growth.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Subcellular localization of cryptic prolactin receptors in mammary tumor cells.

Primary cultures of carcinogen-induced rat mammary tumors incubated at 37 degrees C with 125I-labeled ovine prolactin (5 ng/ml) accumulate intact prolactin. A steady state is reached at 24--48 h and loss of accumulated prolactin is slow t1/2 24 h). Accumulated prolactin is rapidly released when cryptic prolactin receptors are unmasked by energy depletion, suggesting that accumulated prolactin and cryptic receptors reside in the same cellular compartment. Under normal conditions, the accumulated prolactin is released slowly and is partially degraded. Subcellular fractionation on discontinuous sucrose gradients indicates that cryptic receptors reside in vesicle fractions (p less than or equal to 1.16). After energy depletion, the unmasked receptors are in cell surface membrane fractions (p = 1.18-1.20). Prolactin accumulation within receptor-containing vesicles in mammary tumor cells may account for their increased growth sensitivity (compared with normal mammary cells) to low physiologic levels of prolactin.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1986

Sequential studies of lymphoblast glucocorticoid receptor levels at diagnosis and relapse in childhood leukemia: an update.

For 80 children with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) levels were lower in blast cells from patients who developed relapse while receiving chemotherapy (p = 0.03) and in those who failed reinduction treatment (p = 0.07). Serial determinations of GR at diagnosis and at relapse in blast cells from 41 patients disclosed various changes in receptor content, which were not related to the initial GR levels, the immunophenotype of blast cells or number of relapses. Six of 9 patients for whom reinduction therapy failed and only 7 of 32 patients in whom subsequent remission was induced had decreased GR levels at relapse (p = 0.018). One patient failed reinduction despite a sharp increase in GR level. Although a decrease in GR levels between diagnosis and relapse is associated with steroid resistance, other mechanism(s) can also be responsible for the development of steroid resistance in childhood leukemia.

Child↗

PubMed1985

Clinical and biologic correlates of insulin binding by leukemia lymphoblasts.

The percentage of total 125I-labeled insulin specifically bound to lymphoblasts was measured in 46 children with leukemia. Among 35 children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), specific insulin binding ranged from 0.09 to 14.8% per 10(6) blasts. A lower level of insulin binding was correlated with T-cell surface markers (P less than 0.003), higher hemoglobin level (P less than 0.005), presence of a mediastinal mass (P less than 0.01), lower glucocorticoid receptor level (P less than 0.02), higher platelet count (P less than 0.04), age less than 2 or greater than 10 yr (P less than 0.05), white blood cell count greater than or equal to 100 X 10(3)/mm3 (P less than 0.06) and higher labeling index (P less than 0.07). It was not correlated with the presence of central-nervous-system disease, FAB classification, or sex. With a follow-up of 24 to 33 + months, insulin binding was not correlated with treatment outcome. Six patients with relapsed ALL and three with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia showed insulin binding levels similar to those in newly diagnosed ALL patients. Blasts from one patient with B-cell ALL and one with chronic myelogenous leukemia were characterized by lower insulin binding, while lymphoblasts from a patient with T-cell lymphoma bound insulin at marginally detectable levels. In vitro studies with IM-9, NALM-1 and NALM-16 cell lines showed that changes in insulin binding caused by dexamethasone treatment were not correlated with hormone-induced cell death. Although study of insulin binding by malignant lymphoid cells may be important in understanding the biology of leukemic cells, it does not appear to have any obvious clinical utility.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

Clinical relevance of lymphoblast biological features in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Improvements in therapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have led us to reevaluate the prognostic significance of lymphoblast characteristics at diagnosis. From application of univariate and multivariate statistical methods, we determined the relationship of five blast cell features to treatment outcome in 250 patients who were enrolled in two clinical trials at this center from May 1979 through April 1982. Karyotype ploidy, lymphoblast morphology, and immunophenotype were each significantly related to prognosis as measured by time to failure, while periodic acid-Schiff reactivity and glucocorticoid receptor number lacked prognostic implication for this patient population. In addition, clinical features of initial WBC count, age, and race were also significant independent variables in predicting treatment response. By multivariate analysis, both ploidy and morphology contributed prognostic information to a clinical model based on WBC count, age, and race. If the model was adjusted for impact of ploidy, however, French-American-British morphology no longer contributed additional prognostic information. Our findings suggest that many traditional biological features used to estimate prognosis in ALL can be discarded in favor of clinical features (leukocyte count, age, and race) and cytogenetics (ploidy) for planning of future clinical trials.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1984

Prolactin regulation of cryptic prolactin receptors in cultured rat mammary tumor cells.

Rat mammary tumors contain a unique class of cryptic cell-surface prolactin receptors that can be unmasked by depleting the cells of energy. These cryptic receptors, which are found in mammary tumors and nonlactating normal mammary cells but not in differentiated mammary tissue, are continuously inserted and rapidly removed from the cell surface. In this report we demonstrate that prolactin regulates the level of cryptic receptors. Treatment of primary cultures of rat mammary tumor cells with prolactin at concentrations between 0.1 and 0.5 ng/ml caused cryptic receptor levels to increase within 24 h, and this increase was maintained for up to 6 days. At prolactin concentrations of 10-50 ng/ml, receptor levels were the same as in cells incubated without hormone, while a decrease in the steady-state level of cryptic receptors was induced within 24 h by 100-500 ng prolactin/ml. Concentrations of 1,000-5,000 ng prolactin/ml caused a rapid, dose-dependent down regulation of cryptic receptor sites. Down regulation at 5,000 ng prolactin/ml was (1) complete (84 +/- 5% reduction) in 1 h; (2) specific for lactogenic hormones; (3) completely reversed within 10 h after prolactin removal; (4) energy dependent; and (5) not blocked by the cytoskeleton active agents cytochalasin B and colchicine or by NH4Cl, which inhibits hormone degradation. We conclude that rat mammary tumor cells have the capacity to auto-regulate cryptic prolactin receptors, a property that supports our notion that such receptors play a role in regulating prolactin responsiveness. The observed pattern of cryptic receptor autoregulation in response to prolactin concentration and time of exposure suggests that a pool of cryptic sites provides these cells with the capacity to respond to prolactin concentrations from pg to microgram/ml, a range well beyond the Kd for the receptor itself. Since prolactin receptors in mammary tumors are not down regulated unless prolactin concentrations are well beyond the saturation point, these cells may have a selective growth advantage over cells in normal mammary tissue.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Differentiation-inducing agents decrease cryptic prolactin receptors in cultured rat mammary tumor cells.

Normal proliferating and neoplastic mammary cells in culture have cryptic prolactin receptors. These cryptic sites represent 80-95% of the total receptors and can be unmasked by energy depletion. Since lactating mammary tissue and other prolactin targets do not contain cryptic receptors, we have suggested that these sites may be important in the growth response to prolactin. In this study, therefore, we determined the effects of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and sodium butyrate, two inducers of differentiation in other cell systems, on primary cultures of 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene-induced rat mammary tumors. These substances decreased cryptic receptor levels and inhibited growth. Sodium butyrate (5 mM) decreased receptor levels within 3 h; by 24 h, receptor levels averaged 11 +/- 3% of the controls (n = 13). Similarly, DMSO (1-5%) caused a dose-dependent decrease in receptor levels. With 4% DMSO, there was a progressive decrease in prolactin binding to a nadir of 22 +/- 6% of the controls (n = 8) at 12-24 h. Receptor levels returned to pretreatment values by 24 h after the removal of sodium butyrate or DMSO. In addition, sodium butyrate and DMSO increased the formation of the multicellular structures called 'domes' and the accumulation of lipid droplets. Since sodium butyrate and DMSO decreased cryptic sites, inhibited cell growth and evoked the expression of some morphologic features of differentiation, we conclude that the loss of cryptic prolactin receptors may be involved in the acquisition of a differentiated phenotype in mammary cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

The relationship of blast cell glucocorticoid receptor levels to response to single-agent steroid trial and remission response in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Of 263 children with glucocorticoid receptor (GR) levels measured at diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 27 received single-agent glucocorticoid before combination induction chemotherapy and were evaluable for in vivo clinical response to steroid. Twenty-one were glucocorticoid-responsive and 6 were resistant. There was no difference between the two groups in the distribution of age, sex, white blood cell count, immunophenotype of blasts, initial central nervous system disease or mediastinal mass. The median GR level, however, was appreciably lower in the group of patients with resistant disease (6250 vs 17,800 sites/cell, p = 0.06). Five of 12 patients with GR levels of less than 10,000 sites/cell compared to 1 of 15 with higher levels had glucocorticoid-resistant ALL (p = 0.03). All 21 patients with glucocorticoid-sensitive disease achieved a complete remission after combination induction chemotherapy, but only 3 of 5 evaluable patients in the other group did (p less than 0.04). Two patients were studied both at diagnosis and at relapse; both had decreased GR levels at relapse (below detection in one) and failed to respond to glucocorticoid. We conclude that a lower GR level is associated with glucocorticoid resistance and furthermore that a decrease in the level of GR is a mechanism of acquiring steroid resistance.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1984

Impact of treatment efficacy on the prognostic value of glucocorticoid receptor levels in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) levels were quantitated in leukemic blasts from bone marrow aspirates of 249 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who were entered on two St. Jude Total Therapy Studies. Of these, 235 were evaluable for analysis of the relation of GR levels to clinical outcome. For the 42 patients in the earlier Total Therapy Study IX, lower GR levels (less than 16,000 sites/cell) were associated with both induction failure and more frequent relapse (p less than 0.01) [Cancer Research, Vol. 42, p. 4801 (1982)]. When patients with 'high-risk' features (leukocyte count greater than 100 X 10(3)/mm3, positive erythrocyte rosette test, central nervous system involvement, and mediastinal mass) were excluded, lower receptor levels were still associated with early and more frequent relapse (p less than 0.02). The other 193 evaluable patients were consecutively admitted to Total Therapy Study X, in which patients with 'standard-risk' or 'high-risk' features were assigned to separate protocols--XS and XH, respectively. Induction chemotherapy in both protocols consisted of prednisone, vincristine and L-asparaginase; patients in the XH protocol received additional epipodophyllotoxin (VM-26) and cytosine arabinoside twice a week for 2 weeks preceding the conventional induction therapy. To compare the prognostic value of GR level in Study X with that of Study IX (which included both 'high-risk' and 'standard-risk' patients but did not separate them into different protocol groups), children in the XH and XS protocols were analysed together. The proportion of patients with 'standard-risk' features was the same in the two studies: 69% in Study IX and 73% in Study X. In Study X, which had a significantly better treatment result (p less than 0.001), lower receptor levels were not associated with induction failure, but were correlated with more frequent relapse (p less than 0.05). When patients in XH and XS protocols were analysed separately, however, receptor levels were no longer related to treatment outcome. Thus, GR level in childhood ALL has prognostic value, but it is not an independent factor and its importance is related to the efficacy of treatment.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

PubMed1983

Ligand-induced change in sedimentation behavior of human progestin receptors.

We determined the effect of ligand binding on the sedimentation behavior of cytosolic progestin receptors in human uterine leiomyomata, normal endometria and myometria. When cytosols were prelabeled with the tritiated progestin R5020, 4.4S and 7-8S receptors were demonstrated in all three uterine tissues; with postlabeling of fractionated gradients, 4.4S and 9-10S receptors were present. Sodium molybdate (20 mM) blocked the ligand-induced conversion of 9-10S to 7-8S receptors. The relative amount of 7-8S receptor increased with increasing amounts of ligand and time of incubation with ligand (up to 5 hrs); the amount of 9-10S receptor decreased with time. These data indicate that ligand binding to human uterine progestin receptors induces a change from a 9-10S to 7-8S form of receptor. Since molybdate blocks transformation of receptors and the ligand effect on receptor sedimentation, ligand binding to 9-10S receptor and the consequent conversion to 7-8S receptor may be a step preceding transformation of progestin receptors.

Centrifugation, Density Gradient↗

PubMed1983

Glucocorticoid receptors in childhood acute non-lymphocytic leukemia.

Using a whole-cell assay, we found glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in all 43 consecutive assessable children with newly diagnosed acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL). The receptor levels ranged from 2146 to 81,308 sites/cell (median = 18,105); these results were similar to those for acute lymphocytic leukemia. Receptor levels were not related to any of these clinical or biological features at diagnosis: age, sex, race, initial leukocyte count, liver or spleen size, presence of CNS disease or Auer rods, [3H] thymidine ( [3H]TdR) labelling index, French-American-British morphology or terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase activity. Receptor levels also were not related to the initial treatment response or remission duration after therapy that did not include a glucocorticoid. We conclude that GR level has no clinical utility as a marker protein in childhood ANLL.

Acute Disease↗