Search PubMedSearch

Biomedical subjects

W M Pardridge

Publications and source records attributed to W M Pardridge.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Differential expression of arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase transcripts in human brain tumors: evidence for the expression of a multitranscript family.

In addition to the important role of leukotrienes as mediators in allergy and inflammation, these compounds are also linked to pathophysiological events in the brain including cerebral ischemia, brain edema, and increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier in brain tumors. Although brain tumors have been shown to secrete leukotrienes, no studies to date have provided evidence for the tumor expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in leukotriene production. Therefore, the present study determined the abundance of the mRNA for arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO; arachidonate:oxygen 5-oxidoreductase, EC 1.13.11.34), which is the rate-limiting enzyme in leukotriene synthesis, in a series of human brain tumors. Macrophage/monocyte infiltration of the tumor was estimated by measuring the abundance of the transcript for the 91-kDa glycoprotein phagocyte-specific oxidase (gp91-phox), which is the phagocyte-specific cytochrome b heavy chain. The present study shows that (i) the 5-LO transcript is expressed in normal bovine brain and in human brain tumors; (ii) the 5-LO gene in human brain tumors and in the dimethyl sulfoxide-induced promyelocytic human leukemic HL-60 cells is expressed as a multitranscript family (2.7, 3.1, 4.8, 6.4, 8.6 kilobases); and (iii) the abundance of 5-LO transcripts, the expression of the larger transcripts, and the 5-LO/gp91-phox ratio correlate with the tumor malignancy. Overall, the present study supports the hypothesis that the 5-LO gene product may play a role in human tumor-induced brain edemas and provides evidence for tumor-associated expression of high molecular weight 5-LO transcripts in human brain tumors.

Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase

Melphalan penetration of the blood-brain barrier via the neutral amino acid transporter in tumor-bearing brain.

Melphalan, a nitrogen mustard derivative of the neutral amino acid L-phenylalanine, was transported across the rat blood-brain barrier by the large (L-system) neutral amino acid transporter in tumor-bearing brain, but no evidence for blood-brain barrier transport by the alanine-serine-cysteine system carrier was obtained in the present study. The ability of melphalan to inhibit phenylalanine uptake was compared in rats implanted with two experimental CNS tumors: the C-6 glioma (a model of primary brain tumors) and Walker carcinoma (a model of metastatic brain tumors). The melphalan concentration which caused 50% inhibition of blood-brain barrier (BBB) phenylalanine uptake (Ki) was 0.49 +/- 0.18 mM in the Walker tumor, compared with 0.46 +/- 0.19 mM in the contralateral control brain. In the ipsilateral hemisphere (Ki = 0.59 +/- 0.25 mM) and contralateral hemisphere (Ki = 0.45 +/- 0.19 mM), drug entry was also via the neutral amino acid transporter. In C-6 gliomas (Ki = 0.77 +/- 0.20 mM) and contralateral control brain (Ki = 0.84 +/- 0.29 mM), melphalan also inhibited BBB phenylalanine transport. A major finding was that, at melphalan concentrations greater than 1.0 mM, BBB permeability of radiolabeled indium (chelated to EDTA) increased in proportion to melphalan concentration. In the contralateral hemisphere of rats implanted with C-6 gliomas, brain extractions of indium-EDTA measured 3 to 4% in the absence of drug, 5 to 6% at 2.5 mM melphalan, and 9 to 10% at 5 mM melphalan. A similar phenomenon was observed in the nontumoral brain regions of rats implanted with Walker carcinoma cells. In normal (nonimplanted) rats, melphalan's inhibition (Ki = 0.29 mM) of phenylalanine and tryptophan (Ki = 0.20 mM) uptake was confirmed, and brain extraction of sucrose (a nonspecific marker which does not penetrate the intact BBB) was observed to increase in proportion to melphalan concentration. We conclude that melphalan not only enters the brain via the neutral amino acid transporter, but at higher concentrations (greater than 1 mM) may open the blood-brain barrier in a nonspecific manner.

Amino Acid Transport Systems

Enhanced GLUT1 glucose transporter and cytoskeleton gene expression in cultured bovine brain capillary endothelial cells after treatment with phorbol esters and serum.

The in vitro angiogenesis of endothelium obtained from peripheral tissues is stimulated by phorbol esters. The present studies examine the effects of phorbol esters or serum factors on GLUT1 glucose transporter, cytoplasmic actin, and beta-tubulin messenger RNA levels and gene transcription rates in bovine brain capillary endothelial cells grown in tissue culture. Messenger RNA levels were measured by Northern blot analysis and transcription rates were quantified by nuclear run-on assays. Although cytoplasmic actin mRNA levels in cultured brain endothelium were comparable to levels found in isolated capillaries isolated in vivo, there was a profound down-regulation of the GLUT1 glucose transporter mRNA in the cultured endothelium. The GLUT1 mRNA level was increased by exposure to 12-O-tetra-decanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate (TPA). Both serum and TPA enhanced cytoplasmic actin and beta-tubulin mRNA levels in cultured cells; the serum effect on cytoskeletal mRNA persisted through at least 24 h of exposure whereas the TPA stimulation was maximal by 2 h of exposure and lost following 8 h. Both serum and TPA increased cytoplasmic actin mRNA levels approximately 2- to 3-fold greater than the increase in beta-tubulin mRNA levels. GLUT1 and actin transcription rates were measured with the nuclear run-on assay, but no stimulation was observed following 3 h exposure to 200 nM TPA. In conclusion, these studies show that GLUT1 glucose transporter, cytoplasmic actin, and beta-tubulin mRNA levels in bovine brain capillary endothelial cells are regulated by both serum factors and phorbol ester, which activates the protein kinase C pathway, and that the mechanism of the phorbol ester effect is post-transcriptional.

Actins

Recent developments in peptide drug delivery to the brain.

Peptide-based therapeutics are highly water-soluble compounds that do not readily enter brain from blood owing to poor transport through the brain capillary endothelial wall, i.e., the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Strategies available for peptide drug delivery to brain include: (a) neurosurgical-based (intraventricular drug infusion, hyperosmotic opening of the BBB); (b) pharmacological-based (peptide lipidization, liposomes); and (c) physiological-based (biochemical opening of the BBB, chimeric peptides). Chimeric peptides are formed by the covalent coupling of a pharmaceutical peptide (that is normally not transported through the BBB) to a brain transport vector that undergoes absorptive-mediated or receptor-mediated transcytosis through the BBB. The most efficient brain transport vector known to date is a monoclonal antibody to the transferrin receptor, and this vector achieves a brain volume of distribution approximately 18-fold greater than the plasma space by 5 hr after a single intravenous injection of antibody. The chimeric peptides are formed generally with chemical-based linkers. However, avidin/biotin-based linkers allow for high yield coupling of drug to vector, and for the release of biologically-active peptide following cleavage of the chimeric peptide linker. These strategies may also be used for the delivery of antisense oligonucleotide-based therapeutics to brain. In conclusion, the development of efficacious neuropharmaceuticals in the future will require the development of both drug delivery and drug discovery strategies that operate in parallel.

Animals

GLUT-1 glucose transporter is present within apical and basolateral membranes of brain epithelial interfaces and in microvascular endothelia with and without tight junctions.

We investigated the diversity of cellular localization of the GLUT-1 glucose transporter protein at epithelial and endothelial barriers either possessing or lacking occluding junctions. The avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase and the immunogold-silver staining (IGSS) techniques were used. A rabbit polyclonal antiserum prepared against a synthetic peptide encoding the 13 amino acids at the carboxyl terminus of the GLUT-1 glucose transporter protein was used. Both techniques were found to have comparable sensitivity in detecting immunoreactive GLUT-1. The IGSS experiments employed a light-insensitive stabilizer, and no immunoreactive GLUT-1 was found in brain cells (neurons, glial cells), but abundant immunoreactive GLUT-1 was found in brain capillary endothelium, which is composed of cells with occluding junctions. However, immunoreactive GLUT-1 was also found in endothelium known not to contain occluding junctions, such as testicular microvascular endothelium and endothelium on the fetal side of the syncytiotrophoblast of the placenta. In epithelial barriers, GLUT-1 was also found in the basolateral membrane of renal collecting duct epithelium, choroid plexus, and the placental syncytiotrophoblast layer. However, immunoreactive GLUT-1 was found in the apical membrane of ependymal epithelium near the lower portion of the third ventricle. In conclusion, there is diversity underlying the expression of the GLUT-1 glucose transporter protein in different cell types, and the transporter protein can be found in endothelium with and without occluding junctions, and in both apical and basolateral membranes of epithelial barriers.

Brain

Colocalization of GLUT2 glucose transporter, sodium/glucose cotransporter, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in rat kidney with double-peroxidase immunocytochemistry.

Glucose is reabsorbed from the glomerular filtrate in the proximal segment of the renal tubule in two stages. The first stage is uphill transport across the brush border membrane by Na(+)-glucose cotransport and the second stage is downhill transport across the basolateral membrane by facilitated diffusion. Genes for both a renal Na(+)-glucose cotransporter (SGLT1) and a renal facilitated glucose transporter (GLUT2) have been cloned and sequenced. To examine whether SGLT1 and GLUT2 colocalize to the same tubular epithelial cells in rat kidney, double-immunoperoxidase studies with dual chromogens and paraformaldehyde perfusion-fixed frozen sections of rat kidney were performed. Antipeptide antisera were prepared against rat GLUT2 (amino acids 510-522) and rabbit SGLT1 (amino acids 402-420). Proximal tubules were identified immunocytochemically with an antiserum raised against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the 21 amino acids at the COOH-terminal of the heavy chain of rat gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, which is a proximal tubule-specific enzyme. The anti-GLUT2 antiserum strongly stained the basolateral membrane of 46% of cortical tubules, whereas the SGLT1 antiserum stained the brush border of 56% of the cortical tubules. The gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase antiserum also stained the brush border of 51% of the cortical tubules. GLUT2 and SGLT1 colocalized to 40% of cortical epithelium, but 16% of cortical epithelial cells were immunopositive for brush border SGLT1 and immunonegative for basolateral GLUT2. These gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase staining results suggest that at least 50% of the tubules in the cortex are proximal tubules and that SGLT1 and GLUT2 colocalize to most proximal tubules. The fact that SGLT1 antiserum immunoreacted with tubules unreactive to the GLUT2 antiserum suggests that either the SGLT1 epitope is conserved on a related brush border protein or that there is another GLUT transporter responsible for the exit of sugar from these proximal tubule cells.

Animals

Biotin delivery to brain with a covalent conjugate of avidin and a monoclonal antibody to the transferrin receptor.

The OX26 mouse monoclonal antibody to the rat transferrin receptor undergoes transcytosis through the brain capillary endothelial wall, which makes up the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vivo, owing to high concentrations of transferrin receptor on the BBB. This property allows the OX26 antibody to serve as a brain drug transport vector. To simplify coupling of therapeutics to the OX26 antibody, the present studies examine the use of the avidin/biotin system to promote coupling of biotin and biotinylated drugs to brain transport vectors. The OX26 antibody was affinity purified from ascites fluid and was covalently coupled via a thioether linkage to avidin, and the conjugate was purified to homogeneity by gel filtration fast protein liquid chromatography. The biotin binding capacity of the avidin-OX26 conjugate was measured, and 2.3 biotin binding sites per avidin-OX26 (1:1) conjugate were detected. Transcytosis through the BBB of [3H]biotin bound to either unconjugated avidin or to the avidin-OX26 conjugate was measured with an internal carotid artery perfusion/capillary depletion technique. [3H]Biotin bound to the avidin-OX26 conjugate was transported through the BBB at rates that equaled the rate of transcytosis of the unconjugated OX26 antibody. The clearance from plasma of [3H]biotin bound to the avidin-OX26 conjugate approximated the rate of clearance of the unconjugated OX26 antibody, and not the rate of clearance of [3H]biotin bound to avidin, which was cleared from plasma at much faster rates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals

Opioid peptide drug development: transport of opioid chimeric peptides through the blood-brain barrier.

The use of chimeric peptides and physiologic-based strategies for drug delivery through the BBB may be applied to opioid peptides (dynorphins, endorphin analogs, and enkephalin analogs), and these agents have considerable advantages in drug development with respect to drug addiction. Recent research has allowed for the development of efficacious BBB drug transport vectors, as well as the demonstration that these vectors allow for shuttling of opioid peptides through the BBB in vivo. The major challenge to future research is the development of coupling strategies that allow for the release of biologically active opioid peptide from the drug transport vector following its cleavage by disulfide reductase enzymes, which are abundant in brain. These coupling strategies must be developed in advance since the amino groups necessary for coupling are incorporated into the opioid peptide at the level of solid-state synthesis.

Animals

Blood-brain barrier and new approaches to brain drug delivery.

Morbidity caused by brain dysfunction affects more than 50 million persons in the United States. Although new neuropharmaceuticals have the potential for treating specific brain diseases, they may not effectively enter brain from blood. Safe strategies are needed for drug delivery through the brain capillary wall, which makes up the blood-brain barrier in vivo. Two of these strategies are reviewed, as are related new developments in the molecular and cell biology of the brain capillary endothelium. The production of chimeric peptides represents a physiologic-based strategy for drug delivery. It entails the covalent coupling of the neuropharmaceutical to a brain transport vector, allowing transportation through the blood-brain barrier. Another strategy is biochemical opening of the blood-brain barrier: intracarotid leukotriene infusion is a method for selectively increasing blood-brain barrier permeability in brain tumors without affecting barrier permeability in normal brain tissue.

Animals

Transport of recombinant CD4 through the rat blood-brain barrier in vivo.

One class of potential acquired immunodeficiency syndrome therapeutics are derivatives of recombinant CD4 (rCD4). Therefore, the present investigations use in vivo techniques to measure the rate at which [3H]rCD4 is transported through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In addition, the binding of labeled rCD4 to isolated human and bovine brain capillaries is measured. These studies show that [3H]CD4 is removed rapidly from the bloodstream with a half-time of 12.6 +/- 0.9 min. The volume of distribution (Vd) of the protein in brain increases with time and reaches a Vd that is 11.1 +/- 1.1-fold greater than the brain Vd of plasma marker, native rat serum albumin. In addition, [3H]rCD4 is extracted rapidly by the kidney and the ratio of rCD4 Vd to native rat serum albumin Vd in the rat kidney reaches 99 +/- 5 at 60 min after i.v. injection. rCD4 is shown to undergo transcytosis through the BBB using an internal carotid artery perfusion/capillary depletion method coupled with gel filtration fast protein liquid chromatography. In conclusion, these studies report the unexpected finding that rCD4 is transportable through the BBB. rCD4 is a cationic protein and the mechanism of rCD4 transport through the BBB may be analogous to the absorptive-mediated transcytosis of other polycationic proteins.

Animals

Enhanced cellular uptake of biotinylated antisense oligonucleotide or peptide mediated by avidin, a cationic protein.

The cellular uptake of a model antisense oligonucleotide complementary to 21 bases of the bovine GLUT-1 glucose transporter mRNA and a model vasopressin peptide that were biotinylated, was markedly stimulated by the presence of avidin, a cationic protein. Conversely, the bacteria homologue of avidin, streptavidin, which is a slightly acidic protein, did not facilitate cellular uptake. The avidin-mediated uptake of biotinylated derivatives was competitively inhibited by another cationic protein, protamine, with a Ki of 5 micrograms/ml; was saturable, temperature- and time-dependent; and was associated with endocytosis. The use of the avidin-biotin system provides a new approach to increasing the cellular uptake of antisense oligonucleotides or peptides.

Animals

Blood-brain barrier glucose transporter is asymmetrically distributed on brain capillary endothelial lumenal and ablumenal membranes: an electron microscopic immunogold study.

It is generally assumed that there is symmetric distribution of the glucose transporter on the lumenal and ablumenal membranes of the brain capillary endothelial cell that makes up the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vivo. However, the presence of brain endothelial tight junctions allows for asymmetric distribution of BBB plasma membrane proteins. Glucose transporter isoform 1 (GLUT-1), the principal glucose transporter at the BBB, was assessed in rat brain in the present studies using immunogold electron microscopy. The distribution of the immunoreactive GLUT-1 protein on the endothelial lumenal membrane, the ablumenal membrane, and the cytoplasmic compartment was 12%, 48%, and 40%, respectively, and no significant immunolabeling of the neuropil was measurable. These studies suggest (i) that GLUT-1 is asymmetrically distributed on the BBB plasma membrane with an approximately 4-fold greater abundance on the ablumenal membrane as compared to the lumenal membrane; (ii) that approximately 40% of the endothelial glucose transporter protein is contained within the cytoplasmic space, which provides a mechanism for rapid up-regulation of the transporter by altered distribution of transporter between cytoplasmic and plasma membrane compartments; and (iii) that no significant labeling of neuropil is found with antisera directed against the GLUT-1 protein. These studies also suggest mechanisms of regulation of glucose transport from blood to brain that involve differential distribution of the BBB glucose transporter in subcellular compartments of brain capillary endothelial cells.

Animals

Cationization of immunoglobulin G results in enhanced organ uptake of the protein after intravenous administration in rats and primate.

Cationization of proteins in general enhances the cellular uptake of these macromolecules, and cationized antibodies are known to retain antigen binding properties. Therefore, cationized antibodies may be therapeutic and allow for "intracellular immunization." The present studies test the hypothesis that the tissue uptake of cationized immunoglobulin G (IgG) after intravenous administration may be greatly increased relative to the uptake of native proteins. The pharmacokinetics of cationized immunoglobulin G clearance from blood, and the volume of distribution of the cationized or native protein (albumin, IgG) for 10 organs was measured both in anesthetized rats and in an anesthetized adult Macaca irus cynomologous monkey. Initial studies on brain showed that serum factors inhibited uptake of 125I-cationized IgG, but not 3H-cationized IgG. The blood-brain barrier permeability surface area product for 3H-cationized IgG was 0.57 +/- 0.04 microliters min-1 g-1. The ratio of the volume of distribution of the 3-H-cationized IgG compared to 3H-labeled native albumin ranged from 0.9 (testis) to 15.7 (spleen) in the rat at 3 hr after injection, and a similarly enhanced organ uptake was observed in the primate. In conclusion, these studies demonstrate that cationization of immunoglobulin greatly increases organ uptake of the plasma protein compared to native immunoglobulins, and suggest that cationization of monoclonal antibodies may represent a potential new strategy for enhancing the intracellular delivery of these proteins.

Animals

Ultrastructural localization of blood-brain barrier-specific antibodies using immunogold-silver enhancement techniques.

The blood-brain barrier in vivo is situated at the level of the endothelia in brain microvessels and functions to regulate the composition of the extracellular milieu of brain. In order to study the expression of barrier-specific proteins (BSPs) within the microvessels, an antiserum was prepared that reacted specifically with microvasculature in bovine brain tissue. Attempts at immunocytochemical localization of the BSP antigens on endothelia using pre-embedding and post-embedding methods with sections of bovine brain were hampered by either the poor penetration of immune reagents and/or the poor ultrastructure in preparations where fixation was light enough to preserve antigenicity. These problems were addressed by applying a method whereby the primary and secondary antisera were reacted with microvessels isolated by enzymatic digestion of bovine brain; the secondary antibody was labelled with 1 nm gold particles and, after fixation with glutaraldehyde and osmium, the size of the gold probe was amplified by a one-step silver enhancement. The microvessel pellets were then processed as for routine electron microscopy. The BSP antiserum localized to the luminal and the abluminal membranes of the endothelial cells, and there was also immunolabelling of the endothelial tight junctional area. Comparison of these preparations made with the 1 nm gold conjugates with those made with standard 5-10 nm immunogold probes demonstrates that this immunogold-silver enhancement of the 1 nm probe is a simple and more sensitive method of immunolocalization of brain capillary antigens.

Animals

Measurement of amyloid peptide precursor of Alzheimer disease in human blood by double antibody immunoradiometric assay.

The dementia of Alzheimer disease (AD) correlates with the deposition of extracellular amyloid, and this amyloid arises from the abnormal processing of a high molecular weight amyloid peptide precursor (APP), which is a normal cellular protein that is found in both brain and in peripheral tissues in humans. Overproduction of the APP in AD could cause increased concentrations of this protein in either human blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). However, thus far no direct demonstration of soluble APP in human blood has been possible, owing to poor assay sensitivity and interfering plasma proteins. These two problems were eliminated with the present development of an extracting two-site immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). Two rabbit polyclonal antisera were prepared reacting to two different sites (amino acids 161-180 and 597-624) of the APP molecule. The near N-terminal antiserum (anti-APP161-180) was covalently coupled to a solid phase support and the near C-terminal directed antiserum (anti-APP597-624) was indirectly labeled using 125I-labeled near C-terminal synthetic peptide corresponding to amino acids 597-624. The IRMA was validated by partial purification of the APP from human serum and demonstration of the protein's molecular weight (112 kDa) by Western immunoblot procedures. Results of the IRMA showed that the APP is present in human plasma (mean +/- SE concentration = 32 +/- 6 pM, n = 25), and there was no significant difference in the APP concentration in 25 controls, 19 patients with AD, and 10 individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Immunoreactive APP was generally not detectable in control or AD CSF volumes as large as 1 ml.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Advances in cell biology of blood-brain barrier transport.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is present in the brain of all vertebrates, and arises from epithelial-like high resistance tight junctions that join virtually all capillary endothelium in brain. Recent advances in understanding the cell biology of BBB transport are extending prior physiologic models. For example, glucose transport through the BBB is mediated by a protein that is expressed by the GLUT-1 glucose transporter gene and is asymmetrically localized on lumenal and ablumenal membranes of brain endothelium. Other examples of polarized function at the BBB include asymmetric distribution of endothelial surface charge and ectoenzymes. The tissue-specific gene expression within the brain capillary endothelium is believed to be orchestrated by neighboring cells such as astrocytes, the foot process of which cover more than 95% of the brain microvascular endothelium.

Animals