Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S Moncada.
Eicosapentaenoic acid enriched diet may reduce the severity of acute inflammatory reactions by decreasing the synthesis of dienoic prostanoids and tetraenoic leukotrienes. The findings suggest that a nutritional approach to anti-inflammatory therapy is an interesting possibility deserving further studies.
Prostacyclin (1 ng to 2 micrograms per ml), which effectively inhibits platelet secretion and aggregation, does not affect adhesion of a proportion of platelets (10-38%) to collagen (50-100 micrograms/ml). Adhesion is not detectable by changes of light transmission (as measured in the optical aggregometer) and is not affected by inhibitors of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes such as indomethacin and compound BW 755C. This adhesion is independent of the collagen concentration (50-400 micrograms/ml) and the incubation time (5-20 min). This suggests that adhesion to collagen is related to a specific platelet population. Adhesion in the presence of prostacyclin, indomethacin and BW 755C occurs in parallel with the formation of a limited amount of phosphatidic acid. Under those conditions it is also possible to observe some phosphorylation of a 40,000 dalton protein which is a substrate for protein kinase C activity. Phosphorylation of the 20,000 dalton protein, or myosin light chain, is less evident. Chlorpromazine (25-100 micrograms/ml) inhibited the adhesion of platelets to collagen, but propanolol (0.5-4 microM) was inactive. The adhesion of platelets to collagen in these experiments parallels the formation of a fraction of phosphatidic acid and 40,000 dalton protein phosphorylation, which are independent of the increased levels of platelet cyclic-AMP induced by high concentrations of prostacyclin. It is also independent of the formation of cyclooxygenase or lipoxygenase products.
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The metabolism in vitro of exogenous and endogenous arachidonic acid was studied in circulating blood monocytes obtained from control (control group) and cholesterol (0.5%)-fed (cholesterol group) rabbits. The production of superoxide anion (O2-), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and adherence of monocytes were assessed in both groups of animals. The amounts of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase products derived from exogenously added [1-14C]AA were not significantly different in monocytes collected from both groups of animals. However, the amounts of PGD2, TXB2 and PGE2 formed from endogenous substrate were decreased significantly in monocytes obtained from the cholesterol group compared to those from the control group. The production of immunoreactive LTB4 was not suppressed significantly in monocytes collected from the cholesterol group. The production of O2- and t-PA was suppressed significantly in monocytes obtained from the cholesterol group and these cells adhered onto glass surfaces more efficiently than control cells. Since the formation of prostanoids from endogenous but not exogenous substrate is reduced, an effect of cholesterol on the liberation of AA from phospholipid pools is implicated.
A method for the preparation of a highly purified sample of rabbit blood monocytes is described. The metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA) in these cells was studied. Mononuclear cells were prepared by centrifugation on Ficoll-Paque gradients and the monocytes were obtained by further centrifugation and adherence onto plastic culture dishes. These procedures provided a preparation which contained 95% monocytes (non-specific esterase positive). Incubation of [1-14C]-AA with these cells produced four major metabolites which were separated by TLC; these corresponded to prostaglandin (PG) D2, thromboxane (TX) B2, 12-hydroxyheptadecatrienoic acid (HHT) and 12-/15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE). A minor product which co-migrated with PGE2 was also detected but neither 6-keto-PGF1 alpha nor PGF2 alpha were detected. Also, there was no evidence of the formation of 5-lipoxygenase products (5-HETE and LTB4) by rabbit monocytes with or without calcium-ionophore A23187-stimulation. The production of PGD2, TXB2 and PGE2 was further confirmed by analyzing [3H]-AA metabolites using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with tritiated standards as references. The biosynthesis of these compounds from endogenous substrate in A23187-stimulated monocytes was confirmed by specific radioimmunoassays with or without prior HPLC separation. The synthesis of immunoreactive LTB4 and LTC4 by A23187-stimulated cells was also monitored and found to be relatively low. The synthesis of PGD2, TXB2 and PGE2 from both exogenous and endogenous substrate was suppressed by treatment of the monocytes with indomethacin (10(-6) M).
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Platelet adhesion, aggregation, and subsequent plug formation play a major role in the control of cutaneous and vascular hemostasis. Little is known, however, about the hemostatic processes in gastric mucosal tissue. A method for evaluating bleeding from a standard incision in the gastric mucosa of the rat, rabbit, and dog has therefore been developed. By using pharmacological agents that interfere with platelet aggregation and blood coagulation, the mechanism of gastric hemostasis has been compared to that in the vasculature, using the rat mesenteric artery. Intravenous infusion of prostacyclin (0.5 micrograms X kg-1 X min-1), which inhibits platelet aggregation directly, or administration of the thromboxane synthase inhibitor 1-benzylimidazole (50 mg X kg-1) significantly prolonged bleeding in the mesenteric artery yet failed to alter gastric mucosal bleeding. In contrast, a low dose of heparin (100 units X kg-1), which interferes with the clotting process, had no effect on mesenteric bleeding but substantially prolonged bleeding from the gastric mucosa. These findings suggest that, unlike in the skin or vasculature, platelet aggregation plays a minimal role in the initial hemostatic events in the gastric mucosa and that the arrest of gastric hemorrhage is brought about largely by processes primarily involving the coagulation system.
The mechanism of the inhibitory action of phenidone, 3-amino-1-[m-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-pyrazoline (BW 755C), dithiothreitol, hydroquinone, and pyrogallol on the vascular relaxation induced by endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) was investigated. EDRF was released from porcine aortic endothelial cells in culture and bioassayed on a cascade of superfused rabbit aortic strips. These compounds inhibited EDRF-induced relaxation of vascular strips, without affecting the relaxation induced by glyceryl trinitrate, and their inhibitory potency was markedly attenuated (by more than 1 order of magnitude) by the addition of superoxide dismutase (5-15 units/ml) or oxidized cytochrome c (20-40 microM) but not by catalase (30 units/ml) or heat-inactivated superoxide dismutase. These data indicate that the above five inhibitors inactivate EDRF through the formation of superoxide ions, which have recently been shown to destroy EDRF. The inhibition of EDRF by these compounds is therefore attributable to their redox properties rather than to any specific biological action.
The release of platelet-activating factor (Paf-acether) and of its inactive precursor/metabolite lyso-platelet activating factor (lyso-Paf) from control and sensitized guinea-pig isolated lungs challenged with antigen was investigated. Control guinea-pig lungs perfused either through the pulmonary circulation or through the airways and challenged with antigen did not release Paf-acether. Sensitized guinea-pig isolated lungs perfused through the pulmonary circulation and challenged with antigen released lyso-Paf but not Paf-acether. Sensitized guinea-pig isolated lungs perfused through the airways and challenged with antigen released three times more lyso-Paf and also Paf-acether. These results support a possible role for Paf-acether in respiratory anaphylaxis in the guinea-pig.
A cascade superfusion technique has been developed for the differential bioassay of prostacyclin and endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) released from porcine aortic endothelial cells cultured on microcarriers, packed into a column and perfused. Bradykinin (Bk; 20-100 nM) released prostacyclin (9.6 +/- 1.5 nM per 10(6) cells; mean +/- s.e.mean, n = 9) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2; 2.1 +/- 0.6 nM per 10(6) cells) from the column measured by relaxation of strips of bovine coronary artery (BCA) and rabbit mesenteric or coeliac artery, respectively. The presence of these prostanoids in the effluent was confirmed by specific radioimmunoassays. A23187 (500-2000 nM) also released both prostacyclin and PGE2 from the cells. This release was long-lasting and not reproducible. Bk (20-100 nM) and A23187 (30-300 nM) released EDRF from the column. This was detected in a cascade of four rabbit aortic strips (RbA), denuded of endothelium and contracted with U46619 or phenylephrine. The relaxation of the RbA strips caused by EDRF was progressively attenuated down the cascade (half-life less than 7s) and was not affected by indomethacin. EDRF and prostacyclin could be differentially bioassayed in a cascade of alternating RbAs and BCAs as prostacyclin did not relax RbAs and the time delay to the BCAs destroys EDRF. EDRF could be bioassayed on its own when the endothelial cells were treated with indomethacin. 5-Hydroxytryptamine 0.2, noradrenaline 1.0, platelet-activating factor (Paf-acether) 1.0, formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine 1.0, acetylcholine 0.5, bethanecol 0.5, adenosine diphosphate 0.25 and angiotensin II 0.1 microM did not release either prostanoids or EDRF from the column.
Arachidonic acid (AA) is metabolized by the cyclo-oxygenase and the lipoxygenase pathways to give a number of products, some of which have potent and sometimes opposing biological activities. Different cell types produce different metabolites, so that the chief AA metabolite produced by the platelet is the pro-aggregatory thromboxane A2 (TXA2), whereas that produced by the vascular endothelium is the anti-aggregatory prostacyclin. White blood cells, on the other hand, are the chief source of the leukotrienes, which are implicated in the inflammatory process. Generation of these products may be modified in certain pathological conditions, such as atherosclerosis and diabetes, where prostacyclin synthesis is reduced and TXA2 synthesis increased, resulting in a pro-thrombotic state. Synthesis of AA metabolites may be inhibited, either totally or selectively, using drugs which inhibit different enzymes in the metabolic pathway. These drugs may be beneficial in the treatment of thrombotic disorders and inflammation. AA metabolism may also be modified by dietary substitution with eicosapentaenoic acid, a fatty acid present in fish oils.
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Eicosanoid synthesis was studied in a model of in situ glomerulonephritis (gn) in the rat. Unilateral gn was induced by perfusion of left kidneys with 200 micrograms cationized human IgG followed by intravenous (i.v.) autologous anti-human IgG antiserum. Rats developed proteinuria in the first 24 hours and hypercellular gn with leukocyte infiltration in the left kidney. Synthesis of thromboxane B2 (TXB2), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and 6-ketoprostaglandin F 1 alpha(6-keto-PGF 1 alpha) was measured at 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours in isolated glomeruli by radioimmunoassay. In nephritic glomeruli there was a nine-fold rise in TXB2 at six hours (5.35 ng/mg glomerular protein) when compared to control (0.6 ng/mg). TXB2 was still elevated at 24 hours (2.7 +/- 1 ng/mg; control 0.7 +/- 0.2 ng/mg). There were no consistent changes in PGE2 or 6-keto-PGF 1 alpha. No changes were found in right kidneys of nephritic or control rats. Treatment of nephritic rats with a selective thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, dazmegrel (20 mg/kg 8 hourly intraperitoneally), suppressed glomerular TXB2 at 24 hours. TXB2 was also inhibited in right (non-nephritic) kidneys and serum. Dazmegrel did not inhibit proteinuria or glomerular hypercellularity. We conclude there is a major increase in glomerular TXB2 in this model which does not play an essential role in the development of proteinuria or cellular infiltration.
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Lyso-PAF was detected after ionophore challenge in the effluent of lungs of guinea-pigs exposed to oxygen and perfused through the pulmonary circulation as well as of control lungs perfused through the airways. Lyso-PAF is probably the inactive metabolite of PAF-acether which could not, itself, be detected in the lung effluents.
When rat peritoneal leucocytes were incubated with carbon tetrachloride, a PLA2 was activated, eicosanoids were generated and lysosomal and cytoplasmic enzymes were released. The predominant eicosanoid generated was TXB2 with lesser amounts of PGE2, 6-keto PGF1 alpha and LTB4. Preincubation of the cells with two structurally unrelated thromboxane synthetase inhibitors reduced PLA2 activity and enzyme release and also reduced the total amounts of eicosanoids liberated. An anti-PGI2 antibody partially reversed the effects of thromboxane synthetase inhibitors indicating a role for endogenous PGI2 generation in the cytoprotective effects of these agents in this system. Exogenous PGI2 was also cytoprotective but the timing of its administration was critical. The cytoprotective effect of PGI2 was potentiated by a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, indicating a possible pivotal role of cAMP in cell protection.
The effect of several vitamin K (Vit K) analogues on the aggregation of human platelets was examined. The analogues were potent inhibitors of aggregation induced by ADP, thrombin, collagen and arachidonate but were less active against aggregation induced by the calcium ionophore A23187. Vit K3 also prevented platelet membrane phosphatide breakdown induced by collagen. These effects were not due to a direct inhibition of enzymes involved in the liberation of arachidonate or its subsequent transformation. The analogues exerted no effects on enzymes regulating intraplatelet cAMP. However, these effects could be overcome by increasing extracellular Ca++ levels, indicating a possible interaction with Ca++ regulation in platelets.
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