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Biomedical subjects

R J Mason

Publications and source records attributed to R J Mason.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

The effect of cyclosporine on humoral and cellular alloreactivity to allogeneic pregnancy in rats.

We have evaluated the effect of a therapeutic dose (10 mg/kg/day) of the immunosuppressant cyclosporine (CsA) on humoral and cell-mediated immunity in rats during an allogeneic first pregnancy. Virgin female Lewis rats mated with DA males and treated with CsA vehicle produced a humoral response, as measured by both the erythrocyte rosette inhibition (EAI) and indirect hemagglutination assays. The capacity of Lewis splenocytes to mediate a graft-versus-host (GVH) reaction in six-week old F1 (Lewis X DA) hybrid rats was unaffected by either pregnancy or CsA. In mothers treated with CsA, however, no antibody production was detected, and a significant reduction in GVH reactivity was observed using their cells. This reduction was specific for the paternal strain. When compared with vehicle-treated primiparas, suppression of the immune response by CsA had no effect on either the number or viability of fetuses present in utero at day 20. These data suggest that antipaternal antibodies may not be essential to protect the fetus when there is concomitant suppression of the capacity of the mother's T cells to express a cell-mediated antipaternal response.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Differential expression of trophoblast lymphocyte cross-reactive (TLX) antigens on T and B lymphocytes.

Heterologous sera raised to human trophoblast (TLX antisera) have been shown to recognize peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL); in unrelated studies noncytotoxic Fc receptors blocking B lymphocyte antibodies have been found in the sera of women during normal pregnancies. This study aimed to determine whether (a) there was any relation between Fc receptor blocking and cytotoxic anti-TLX activity in ten TLX sera and (b) different reactivity patterns arose when ten TLX antisera were tested in the cytotoxicity assay against separated T and B lymphocytes. Independent factor analysis showed four antisera with T lymphocytotoxicity patterns giving a loading high on one mathematical factor and low on a second. Three sera shared the opposite pattern and three were intermediate. The groups were similar but more discrete than those obtained when PBL were used as targets. Patterns of B lymphocytoxicity were dissimilar from T and both differed from the erythrocyte antibody rosette inhibition activity. Activity did not correlate with the HLA-A, -B, or -DR types carried by the panel cells. These data indicate that TLX antisera contain antibodies directly cytotoxic to antigens differentially expressed on T and B lymphocytes and that noncytotoxic Fc receptor blocking antibodies are not associated with any TLX groupings.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Stimulation of net active ion transport across alveolar type II cell monolayers.

The active transcellular transport of electrolytes across the alveolar epithelium probably plays an important role in alveolar fluid homeostasis by helping to maintain the alveolus relatively free of fluid. To better understand the factors regulating active ion transport across alveolar epithelial cells, we examined the effect of a number of pharmacologically active agents on the bioelectric properties of alveolar type II cells in primary culture. Alveolar type II cells were isolated from adult male rats and cultured on collagen-coated Millipore filters for 6-14 days. The bioelectric properties of these monolayers were determined in Ussing-type chambers. The addition of 10(-3) M 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-BrcAMP) increased the short-circuit current (Isc) from 2.9 +/- 0.75 to 6.9 +/- 0.73 microA/cm2 (means +/- SE; n = 8) and decreased the transepithelial resistance. Cholera toxin, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, and terbutaline sulfate produced similar increases in Isc and decreases in resistance. The Isc stimulated by 8-BrcAMP was Na but not Cl dependent and could be blocked by amiloride but not by furosemide. Thus 8-BrcAMP and agents that increase intracellular cAMP can stimulate a Na-dependent net active ion transport across alveolar type II cell monolayers. Similar regulatory mechanisms may be involved in controlling solute and fluid movement across the alveolar epithelium in vivo.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed1986

Identification of HLA-linked antigens by pregnancy-associated non-cytotoxic alloantisera.

Non-cytotoxic sera obtained from post-partum primiparous and multiparous women were examined by a rosette inhibition technique for the presence of antibodies mediating blockade of human B lymphocyte Fc receptors. Selective activity was demonstrated against a panel of normal human B lymphocytes and lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). A pattern of specific activity was found in sera and in their IgG fractions, which was not accounted for by antibodies directed to known HLA-A, -B or -DR antigens. Several sera were identified with selective activity in this assay. As the results of testing sera in a direct binding assay correlated with those of the EA inhibition assay, and since EA inhibitory activity occurred in F(ab')2 fractions of sera, it is possible that these non-cytotoxic antibodies bind directly to B cell surface antigens. Sera may therefore have been identified which possess antibodies to hitherto undefined HLA antigens.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1986

Fibronectin mediates adherence of rat alveolar type II epithelial cells via the fibroblastic cell-attachment domain.

The lung alveolar surface is composed of types I and II epithelial cells. Extremely attenuated type I cells cover 90% of the surface and are prone to necrosis during acute lung injury. After denudation of type I cells, the alveolar epithelium is restored by proliferation of type II cells. During reepithelialization in vivo the type II cells have been observed to reorganize on an extracellular matrix that contains fibronectin. We thus sought to determine whether type II cells would adhere to purified fibronectin. Adherence assays of primary rat type II cells were performed in protein-coated bacteriologic microtiter wells for 24 h at 37 degrees C. Concentrations of fibronectin from 1 to 300 micrograms/ml mediated type II cell adherence, 10 micrograms/ml gave maximal adherence, and 4 micrograms/ml gave 50% maximal adherence. Adherence progressively increased from 1 to 72 h. Adherence on fibronectin was at least 50% greater than adherence on laminin, types I and III collagen, or IV collagen. Little or no adherence was observed on bacteriologic plastic or albumin. Spreading on these various substrata paralleled adherence. Adherence to fibronectin, laminin, and fibrinogen was specifically blocked by their respective polyclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) to the fibronectin cell-attachment domain blocked adherence to fibronectin, whereas MoAb to other domains did not. From the data reported here and the previously mentioned in vivo study we propose that fibronectin is an important functional component of the extracellular matrix that supports type II cells during alveolar reepithelialization.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Antioxidant enzyme activity in alveolar type II cells after exposure of rats to hyperoxia.

The activity of antioxidant enzymes were measured in alveolar type II cells isolated from control and 85% oxygen-exposed rats to determine if type II cells, an oxygen-resistant lung cell type had constitutively high enzyme activities and to measure the effect of hyperoxia on these antioxidant enzyme. Type II cells were isolated from lungs of control rats and rats exposed to 85% O2 for 7 days. In whole lungs of rats exposed to 85% oxygen there is an increase in activity (per lung or per mg lung DNA) in the antioxidant enzymes CuZn superoxide dismutase, Mn superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Oxygen exposure significantly increased (p less than 0.05) all type II cell antioxidant enzyme activities when expressed per mg DNA. The protein content of oxygen exposed type II cells increased 25% from (63.9 +/- 4.8 micrograms/10(6) cells to 79.6 +/- 4.2 micrograms/10(6) cells, p less than 0.05). When type II cell enzyme activities were expressed in U/mg cell protein, only CuZn superoxide dismutase and Mn superoxide dismutase increased in activity following oxygen exposure (by 43% and 28% relative to air exposed lung type II cells, respectively, p less than 0.05). This suggested that most lung cell antioxidant enzymes increased in activity following oxidant stress in proportion to increased cell mass. CuZn and Mn superoxide dismutase increased activity to an extent greater than the increase in type II cell protein content after oxygen exposure. Alveolar macrophages lavaged from control and oxygen-exposed rats were also evaluated, and they had no significant change in CuZn and Mn superoxide dismutase activities. Type II cells accounted for 10% and 17% of alveolar cells in control and oxygen treated rats. By knowing the antioxidant enzyme activities in type II cells, the total enzyme activity of whole lung and the number of type II cells in control and oxygen exposed rats from morphometric data, we calculated the percent of whole lung enzyme activity accounted for by type II cells. Type II cells accounted for a high percentage of lung glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (58% in control rats, 65% in oxygen exposed rats) but a low percentage of Mn superoxide dismutase (4% in control rats, 6% in oxygen exposed rats).

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Epithelial permeability produced by phagocytosing neutrophils in vitro.

Neutrophils are thought to increase alveolar permeability in many types of lung injury. To investigate the contribution of neutrophils to the development of permeability pulmonary edema, we have developed an in vitro cell culture system for studying alveolar epithelial permeability. Rat alveolar type II cells, cultured for 6 to 12 days on collagen-coated Millipore filters, form a morphologically and pharmacologically polarized epithelium. The filters are mounted between 2 lucite chambers, and electrical resistance (permeability to ions) and spontaneous potential difference across the monolayer are measured continually or at frequent intervals. When neutrophils and the phagocytosable particle, opsonized zymosan (but not neutrophils or opsonized zymosan alone), were added to the apical side, the potential difference and transepithelial resistance fell dramatically after 20 min, which indicates an increase in epithelial permeability. The increase in epithelial permeability was inhibited by serum alpha-1-protease inhibitor (250 micrograms/ml), methoxysuccinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Val-chloromethyl ketone (0.02 mM) (an elastase inhibitor), catalase (2,500 units/ml), and superoxide dismutase (330 units/ml). In experiments with a lower concentration of phagocytosing neutrophils, a slower rate of decrease in resistance occurred, and in 3 of 13 studies, there was a definite recovery of the resistance to initial values. This study demonstrated that phagocytosing but not resting neutrophils increase the permeability of the epithelial monolayers to ions and suggests that the increased permeability in this system is mediated in part by both neutral protease(s) and oxygen radicals.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Involvement of protein kinase C in pulmonary surfactant secretion from alveolar type II cells.

The purpose of this study is to clarify the involvement of protein kinase C in pulmonary surfactant secretion from adult rat alveolar type II cells in primary culture. Surfactant secretion in vitro is stimulated by at least two classes of compounds. One class, (e.g. terbutaline) increases intracellular cyclic AMP, whereas the other class (e.g. 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA] does not. TPA has been shown to activate protein kinase C in other cell systems. In our studies, 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG), which is a direct activator of protein kinase C, stimulated [3H] phosphatidylcholine secretion by alveolar type II cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Tetracaine, which is an inhibitor of protein kinase C, inhibited the TPA-induced secretion of [3H]phosphatidylcholine from alveolar type II cells in a dose-dependent manner. However, tetracaine had no effect on terbutaline-induced secretion. The effects of terbutaline and OAG upon surfactant secretion were significantly more than additive, but those of TPA and OAG were less than additive. The specific activity of protein kinase C was 6-fold higher than cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase found in type II cells when both kinases were assayed using lysine-rich histone as a common phosphate acceptor. Ninety-four per cent of protein kinase C activity was recovered in the cytosolic fraction of unstimulated type II cells, and 40% of activity in cytosolic fraction was translocated to particulate fraction upon treatment with TPA. As observed in other tissues, protein kinase C of alveolar type II cells was highly activated by 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol or TPA in the presence of Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine. These results suggest that pulmonary surfactant secretion in vitro is stimulated by both protein kinase C and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Multiple sclerosis: abnormalities in luminance, chromatic, and temporal function at multiple retinal sites.

Visual function was assessed in a group of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and in a group of matched normal controls. In these patients the disease was relatively mild. For each subject, measures of a range of psychophysical visual functions were carried out at multiple sites in each eye. Previous reports have only included some of these functions. Here, luminance threshold, two-flash resolution, perceptual latency, luminance critical flicker frequency (CFF), and chromatic CFF were all measured. Variabilities of these functions and correlation between chromatic and luminance CFFs were also evaluated. For both the MS group and the normal control group, the correlations between pairs of visual parameters were not overall significantly greater than chance level. The MS group did give a significantly reduced value relative to the normal group for luminance CFF and for the gradient of the plot of chromatic CFF against luminance CFF. This group was then subdivided according to history of visual involvement. The subgroup with previous visual symptoms had significant impairment for luminance threshold, variability of luminance threshold, luminance CFF, variability of two-flash resolution, and for the gradient of the plot of chromatic CFF against luminance CFF. The subgroup without previous visual symptoms showed no significant impairment for any individual parameter, although the gradient of the plot of chromatic CFF against luminance CFF was lower than normal.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Prolonged survival of rat renal allografts after multiple allogeneic pregnancies: strain specificity and role of erythrocyte antibody rosette inhibiting antibodies.

The influence of allogeneic pregnancies on the survival of subsequent rat renal allografts was investigated in three rat strain combinations. Multiple but not single pregnancies produced significantly more long-term surviving kidney grafts than were found in virgin animals; the effect was specific for paternal antigens, as multiple pregnancies by an unrelated strain did not prolong kidney graft survival. In the multiparous groups, those animals with long-surviving grafts had significantly higher levels of non-cytotoxic antibodies against paternal strain B-lymphocytes (detected by the erythrocyte antibody rosette inhibition assay) than did animals which rejected their grafts. The results show that multiple pregnancies may produce a state of specific unresponsiveness to paternal antigens, similar to enhancement, which is marked by the presence of non-cytotoxic antibodies against paternal B-lymphocytes. It is suggested, therefore, that enhancement may be one of the protective mechanisms which prevent rejection of the fetus during pregnancy.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Evidence that protective Fc-receptor-blocking antibodies in renal transplantation are alloantibodies not autoantibodies.

We have previously shown that the presence in pretransplant recipient sera of Fc receptor blocking antibodies detected by the EA inhibition assay is correlated with improved allograft survival. Twenty-four such sera were assessed for the presence of autoantibodies by the EA inhibition and lymphocytotoxicity assays. No autolymphocytotoxic antibodies were found, and autologous EA inhibition was noted in only one case. EA-inhibiting alloantibodies did occur, and their presence was correlated with improved allograft survival. Sera from 37 dialysis patients were also studied, and neither autologous EA inhibiting nor autologous lymphocytotoxic antibodies were present. Thus Fc receptor blocking alloantibodies that were correlated with improved renal transplant survival were not autoantibodies.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1985

Identification of rat alveolar type II epithelial cells with a tannic acid and polychrome stain.

Alveolar type II epithelial cells are identified by the presence of characteristic lamellar inclusions visualized by transmission electron microscopy. We developed a tannic acid and polychrome stain that can visualize these intracellular inclusions in rat alveolar type II cells by light microscopy and that can be used for autoradiography. This method of staining and fixation provides more cellular detail than other methods that use light microscopy.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Cigarette smoking and health.

Cigarette smoking is the major preventable cause of increased mortality and premature disability in the United States. Smoking is a proven cause of coronary heart disease, chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and lung and other cancers. Maternal smoking is associated with low infant birth weight, increased perinatal mortality, and several complications of pregnancy. Passive smoking is associated with increased incidence of lower respiratory tract infections in very young children and may increase the risk of lung cancer in the nonsmoker. Smoking cessation is difficult because of nicotine addiction and psychological and social factors. Physicians and other health professions must be active both in helping people quit smoking and in preventing nonsmokers from starting. We recommend a national effort focused on preventing young people from starting to smoke.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1985

Macrophages stimulate DNA synthesis in rat alveolar type II cells.

Proliferation of alveolar type II cells after lung injury is crucial for repair of the epithelium. Because an influx of macrophages occurs as part of the inflammatory response associated with acute lung injury and macrophages produce mitogenic factors for a variety of cell types, experiments were conducted to determine if macrophages stimulated DNA synthesis in type II cells. Dialyzed medium conditioned by macrophages consistently stimulated type II cell DNA synthesis, whereas medium conditioned by a variety of other cell types did not. A SV40-transformed macrophage cell line, produced in our laboratory, also secreted substance(s) that enhanced 3H-thymidine incorporation into type II cells. In addition, coculturing rat alveolar macrophages with type II cells stimulated DNA synthesis in the epithelial cells. As determined by autoradiography, the addition of macrophages to type II cells cultured on plastic or on an endothelial cell extracellular matrix increased the labeling index of the epithelial cells from 1 to 15% and from 19 to 51%, respectively. The culture conditions that promoted the greatest increase in DNA synthesis, as well as an increase in cell number, occurred with type II cells plated on an extracellular matrix in medium containing macrophage-conditioned medium, cholera toxin, insulin, and epidermal growth factor. The results suggest that substances secreted by macrophages play a role in regulating alveolar type II cell proliferation in vivo.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Stimulation of DNA synthesis in cultured rat alveolar type II cells.

Restoration of the alveolar epithelium after injury is thought to be dependent on the proliferation of alveolar type II cells. To understand the factors that may be involved in promoting type II cell proliferation in vivo, we determined the effect of potential mitogens and culture substrata on DNA synthesis in rat alveolar type II cells in primary culture. Type II cells cultured in basal medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) exhibited essentially no DNA synthesis. Factors that stimulated 3H-thymidine incorporation included cholera toxin, epidermal growth factor, and rat serum. The greatest degree of stimulation was achieved by plating type II cells on an extracellular matrix prepared from bovine corneal endothelial cells and then by culturing the pneumocytes in medium containing rat serum, cholera toxin, insulin, and epidermal growth factor. Under conditions of stimulation of 3H-thymidine incorporation there was an increased DNA content per culture dish but no increase in cell number. The ability of various culture conditions to promote DNA synthesis in type II cells was verified by autoradiography. Type II cells were identified by the presence of cytoplasmic inclusions, which were visualized by tannic acid staining before autoradiography. These results demonstrate the importance of soluble factors and culture substratum in stimulating DNA synthesis in rat alveolar type II cells in primary culture.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Changes in cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinases during the progression of urethan-induced mouse lung tumors.

The cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinases in lung adenomas are functionally different from those of normal lung. The relevance of this change to neoplastic conversion was examined by comparing tumor kinases with those obtained from the normal cell of origin and by studying the kinases at different stages of tumor growth. Lung tumors were collected from A strain mice at different times after a single injection of urethan. These tumors are predominantly of alveolar type two cell origin, and cAMP-binding proteins in extracts from isolated type two cells and from lung adenomas at various stages of tumor progression were compared. Both the incorporation of the cAMP photoaffinity analogue, cyclic 8-azidoadenosine 3':5'-[32P]monophosphate (8-N3-[32P]cAMP), into the regulatory subunits of the type I (RI) and type II (RII) cAMP-dependent protein kinases and the autophosphorylation of RII were similar in extracts from whole normal lung and from type two cells. Altered protein kinases are thus not characteristic of normal type two cells. Lung tumors showed a decrease in photodetectable RII which correlated in degree with tumor size and extent of anaplasticity. This decreased RII photolabeling during tumor growth was associated with increased RII autophosphorylation. In contrast, decreased RII photolabeling in extracts from neonatal lung is accompanied by a substantial decrease in RII autophosphorylation. The characteristics of RII during normal development thus clearly differ from those during neoplastic development. An increase in the amount of an Mr 37,000 proteolytic fragment derived from R-subunits was also noted as a function of tumor progression. DEAE-cellulose chromatography of tumor cytosol showed that the increase in the amount of Mr 37,000 protein was accompanied by increased subunit dissociation of the type I isozyme. The dissociated RI subunit has been shown to be more sensitive to cleavage by a Ca2+-dependent neutral protease than when RI was in the holoenzyme form. This protease is present in both normal lung and lung adenomas, and its activity increases during the later stages of tumor progression. A comparison of cAMP binding and the light-induced covalent incorporation of 8-N3-[32P]cAMP showed that, for both RI and RII, photoincorporation was about 75% as efficient as noncovalent binding. In contrast, although the Mr 37,000 fragment can be photolabeled with low concentrations of 8-N3-[32P]cAMP, noncovalent cAMP binding to the endogenous Mr 37,000 fragment could not be demonstrated with a standard filtration assay. Such altered cAMP binding characteristics following Ca2+-dependent proteolysis of R-subunits would all

Affinity Labels↗
PubMed1985

Cyclosporine-induced fetotoxicity in the rat.

Female Lewis rats mated with DA male rats were given 25 or 10 mg/kg/day cyclosporine (CsA) from the time of mating to 20 days postcoitus when autopsies were performed. At the higher dose, characteristic drug-induced pathological changes in the mother were accompanied by a striking fetotoxic effect, resulting in a high incidence of fetal mortality or in runting. In addition, fetal kidneys that could be examined showed evidence of CsA-induced proximal tubular cell damage. These abnormalities were not found at the lower dosage of CsA. The fetotoxicity observed at 25 mg/kg did not appear to be dependent on major histocompatibility differences between parental strains, since it was also observed, at the same dosage, in syngeneically mated female Lewis rats.

Animals↗