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Autocrine induction of macrophage synthesis of complement subcomponent C1q by endogenous interferon-alpha/beta.

Peritoneal macrophages (M phi) constitutively synthesize and secrete interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and IFN-beta, as well as complement subcomponent C1q. Because exogenous interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) stimulates Mø synthesis of C1q, our purpose was to determine if endogenous secretion of IFN-alpha/beta regulated the constitutive level of endogenous C1q mRNA synthesis in an autocrine fashion. Both exogenous IFN-alpha and IFN-beta effectively substituted for IFN-gamma in stimulating M phi C1q mRNA expression in a dose-dependent fashion by northern blot analysis. Neutralizing anti-INF-alpha/beta antibodies inhibited M phi constitutive C1q mRNA synthesis by approximately twofold and abrogated the feedback stimulatory effects of exogenous C1q on C1q mRNA expression. Paraffin oil-elicited inflammatory M phi displayed distinctively different constitutive levels of C1q mRNA expression from thioglycollate brothelicited M phi, which was correlated with their relative levels of secretory IFN-alpha/beta by ELISA. Exogenous IFN-alpha/beta also restored C1q mRNA synthesis of AKR mouse M phi with low constitutive C1q mRNA expression. The cumulative results support the concept that constitutive synthesis of C1q by M phi is regulated by the endogenous synthesis and secretion of IFN-alpha/beta, which appears to act in an autocrine fashion.

Animals↗

Stimulation of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) production and its role as an autocrine inducer of CD14 upregulation in human myeloid leukemia cells.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a pleiotropic cytokine that takes part in the growth and differentiation of normal and leukemic hematopoietic cells. Because of its potential significance in the etiopathogenesis of myeloid leukemia, we have studied the extracellular stimuli leading to GM-CSF secretion from a human myeloid leukemia cell line, K-562, and have demonstrated an important role for the cytokine in the differentiation process of this cell line. TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, phorbol ester (PMA), and calcium ionophore A23187 were found to stimulate GM-CSF production from K-562 cells. PMA caused the cells to differentiate into megakaryocytic lineage, whereas treatment with A23187 resulted in increased expression of monocyte/macrophage marker CD14. Neutralization of the GM-CSF activity in the culture medium, as well as blocking of its receptors, resulted in suppression of the increase in CD14 expression and partially restored the proliferative capacity in cells exposed to A23187. Autocrine GM-CSF secretion did not appear to play an important role in PMA-induced megakaryocytic differentiation. These results suggest that autocrine GM-CSF secretion may be associated with differentiation of myeloid leukemic cells without any significant growth stimulatory activity.

Calcimycin↗

Interleukin-8 inhibits non-small cell lung cancer proliferation: a possible role for regulation of tumor growth by autocrine and paracrine pathways.

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is an 8 kD chemokine and angiogenic factor produced by alveolar macrophages, endothelial cells, monocytes, fibroblasts, T lymphocytes, and epithelial cells in response to a variety of stimuli, including LPS, TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-7, and hypoxia. Pulmonary tumors produce a variety of growth factors and cytokines that may act in both autocrine and paracrine fashion. A549, a well-characterized human lung adenocarcinoma line, was cloned for different levels of IL-8 production by limiting dilution. Clone 3B4 produced 361 +/- 73 pg/ml, and clone 2B2 produced 7818 +/- 614 pg/ml of IL-8 (p = 0.003). Clone 3B4 proliferated at 1.7 times the rate of 2B2. Anti-IL-8 reversed the decrement in proliferation of clone 2B2 by 50%, but recombinant IL-8 decreased the proliferation of 3B4 by 40-55% compared with control. In addition to A549, three other non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) lines showed significantly decreased proliferation in response to exogenous recombinant IL-8 (5-30 ng/ml; p < 0.05). These findings suggest that in addition to its chemotactic and angiogenic activities, IL-8 may inhibit lung tumor proliferation by both autocrine and paracrine pathways.

Antigens, CD↗

Myocardial infarction and the myocyte IGF1 autocrine system.

To determine the effects of acute myocardial infarction on the extent and distribution of mural stress on surviving myocardial tissue, coronary artery occlusion was surgically produced in rats. Following haemodynamic measurements in vivo, the characteristics of cardiac anatomy were determined and found to consist of an increase in mid-chamber lumenal diameter and a decrease in wall thickness. The combination of these phenomena resulted in an eight-fold increase in diastolic wall stress on the remaining viable portion of the wall and severe impairment of left and right ventricular performance. Since insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) and its receptor (IGF1R) are required for cell growth in vitro, the possibility was raised that an autocrine IGF1-IGF1R system may be present in vivo and may become activated in viable ventricular myocytes shortly after infarction. Therefore, the unaffected myocytes of the left ventricle were enzymatically dissociated and the expression of IGF1R and IGF1 mRNAs were measured at 12 h and at 1, 2-3, and 7 days after surgery. The level of IGF1R mRNA increased at 12 h and remained elevated at 1 and 2-3 days following coronary artery ligation. In addition, an increased level of IGF1R protein was found on these cells. This phenomenon was coupled with the enhanced expression of IGF1 mRNA in the muscle cells at all points. Thus, the marked elevation in ventricular loading after coronary occlusion may activate the IGF1-IGF1R autocrine system of the unaffected cells, modulating the cellular growth processes implicated in short-term ventricular remodelling of the infarcted heart.

Animals↗

Int-2, an autocrine and/or ultra-short-range effector in transgenic mammary tissue transplants.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown associations between overexpression of int-2 messenger RNA (mRNA) and murine mammary tumors and between amplification of the int-2 genomic locus and human breast cancers. The Int-2 protein (fibroblast growth factor 3) is a member of the heparin-binding growth factor family of proteins. The export of these growth factors from cells may depend on the presence of amino terminal sequences containing hydrophobic signal peptides. Although Int-2 has a putative signal sequence, it is not known whether or how this protein is secreted from cells. PURPOSE: Assuming that the Int-2 protein is secreted from mammary epithelial cells in a basolateral direction so that it is available to affect adjacent cells, we investigated whether it acts in a paracrine manner, exerting its effect externally on adjacent cells, or in an autocrine manner, exerting its effect internally within the same cell. METHODS: Using in situ hybridization with 35S-labeled RNA antisense probes that specifically detect mRNA coding for the Int-2 protein, we determined the cell-specific localization of int-2 mRNA expression in the mammary gland of transgenic FVB/N mice overexpressing int-2 mRNA. Then we transplanted pieces of mammary epithelial tissue expressing int-2 mRNA into the mammary fat-pad of wild-type, syngeneic animals. The mammary glands of host animals were examined as whole-mounts and as histologic sections 2-6 months after transplantation. In situ hybridization was used to confirm which cells continued to express int-2 mRNA following transplantation. RESULTS: Int-2 mRNA expression in transgenic mice was localized to the mammary epithelial cells. Transplants expressing int-2 mRNA were similar to wild-type transplants in that they had no observable effect on either the growth or the morphology of host mammary epithelium. Abnormal growth occurred only in transplanted tissue expressing int-2 mRNA but not in adjacent host mammary epithelium. CONCLUSION: Given the limitations of our experimental system and the limited information available to date on the secretion of Int-2 protein, these results suggest that, although the Int-2 protein contains a putative signal peptide, it may act primarily as an autocrine or as an ultra-short-range paracrine growth factor in mammary epithelium.

Animals↗

Autocrine role of estrogens in the augmentation of luteinizing hormone receptor formation in cultured rat granulosa cells.

The effects of estrogens on gonadotropin-stimulated luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor formation were examined in primary cultures of rat granulosa cells. Granulosa cells were cultured for 3 days with increasing concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the presence or absence of native and synthetic estrogens. Follicle-stimulating hormone stimulated LH receptor formation in a dose-dependent fashion, and estrogens enhanced the FSH-stimulated LH receptor content by decreasing the apparent ED50 of FSH. At 6.25 ng/ml FSH, the enhancement in LH receptor was estrogen dose dependent, with an ED50 value of about 3 X 10(-9) M for 17 beta-estradiol. The increased LH receptor content seen in cells treated with FSH and estrogen was correlated with increased cAMP production by these cells in response to LH stimulation. Time course studies revealed enhancement of FSH-stimulated LH receptor induction at 48 and 72 h of culture. Granulosa cells were also cultured with FSH for 2 days to induce functional LH receptors, then further cultured for 3 days with LH in the presence or absence of estrogens. At 30 ng/ml LH, increasing concentrations of estrogens maintained LH receptor content in a dose-dependent fashion, with their relative estrogenic potencies in keeping with reported binding affinities to estrogen receptors. An autocrine role of estrogens on LH receptor formation was further tested in granulosa cells treated with FSH and an aromatase substrate (androstenedione) to increase estrogen biosynthesis. Cotreatment with semipurified estrogen antibodies partially blocked the FSH stimulation of LH receptors, whereas nonimmune serum was ineffective. Also, inclusion of diethylstilbestrol prevented the inhibitory effect of the estrogen antibodies. Thus, local estrogens in ovarian follicles may play an autocrine role in granulosa cells to enhance LH receptor formation and to increase granulosa cell responsiveness to the LH surge, with subsequent ovulation and adequate corpus luteum formation.

Animals↗

Evidence for the requirement of autocrine growth factors for development of mouse preimplantation embryos in vitro.

The mitotic stimuli in the early mammalian embryo have not been unequivocally identified. One hypothesis is that the embryo releases autocrine growth factors (GFs) that have a role in such growth. To determine whether such putative GFs were limited by dilution, and hence secreted, development was observed at various embryo concentrations in culture. Embryos were collected at the zygote or 2-cell stage. Zygotes were produced by fertilization in situ (ISF) or in vitro (IVF). Two-cell-stage embryos had a high rate of development to the blastocyst stage across an embryo concentration range of 1/microl-0.001/microl. By contrast, zygotes produced by either ISF or IVF were adversely affected by reducing the embryo concentration over this range (p < 0.001), with approximately 80% of ISF zygotes developing to blastocysts at the highest concentration but only 26% at the lowest. For IVF zygotes the corresponding results were 64% and 6%. For all three embryo types, the number of cells in each blastocyst was significantly lower with reduced embryo concentration. The major determinant of zygote development was the concentration of embryos in culture rather than the absolute volume of culture medium or the actual number of embryos present. A concentration of 1 embryo/microl (in the form of 10 embryos/10microl) gave the best development rates and highest cell numbers per blastocyst. Varying the albumin concentration influenced development rates; a 10-fold reduction in BSA concentration (to 0.3 mg/ml) resulted in significantly more IVF zygotes developing to the blastocyst stage. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is released by embryos, and albumin can act as a competitive inhibitor of PAF's action on cells. ISF embryos released more PAF (p < 0.05) into media than did similarly treated IVF embryos. There was no difference in the amount of PAF remaining associated with the resulting 2-cell embryos. The amount of PAF released by both these groups was markedly less (p < 0.001) than the amount released by 2-cell embryos collected fresh from the reproductive tract and cultured for 24 h. PAF supplementation of media caused a significant increase in the rate of blastocyst development of IVF zygotes at embryo concentrations of 0.1/microl (1 ng/ml) and 0.01/microl (100 ng/ml). Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I (30 ng/ml) and IGF-II (1 ng/ml) also stimulated development of IVF zygotes when cultured at an embryo concentration of 1/10 microl. Epidermal growth factor was without effect over the range 0.2-2000 ng/ml. Supplementation of media with both PAF and IGF-II gave no additional benefit over that caused by IGF-II alone, but this treatment was marginally better (p < 0.05) than PAF treatment alone. The results show that factors necessary for normal embryo development are diluted to suboptimal levels during culture at low embryo concentration. The ability of PAF, IGF-I, and IGF-II to partially compensate for the adverse effects of low embryo concentration during culture is consistent with their having roles as autocrine embryotrophic factors. The use of IVF and low embryo concentrations in culture may provide a functional multiple ablation model that will help to define the range of GFs required for normal embryo development.

Animals↗

A sarcoma-derived protein regulates hepatocyte metabolism via autocrine production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of conditioned media from the methylcholanthrene (MCA) fibrosarcoma on hepatocyte albumin production and amino acid transport were studied. The authors characterized a factor responsible for the observed effects and investigated the role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in these events. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Cancer cachexia is mediated in part by TNF-alpha. However, few tumors secrete TNF-alpha, implicating host production of this cytokine in response to as yet uncharacterized tumor-derived factors. Autocrine production of TNF-alpha recently has been described as a potent mechanism for orchestrating hepatic metabolism. METHODS: Conditioned media from the MCA fibrosarcoma was incubated with isolated primary rat hepatocytes. Albumin production and TNF-alpha production by hepatocytes was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and amino acid transport assayed by tritium (3H)-labeled amino acid uptake. Dialysis membranes ranging from 3 kD to 100 kD were used to determine the size of the factor/factors responsible for the observed effects. RESULTS: Conditioned media from the MCA fibrosarcoma contained no TNF-alpha, whereas treatment of primary rat hepatocytes with the conditioned media resulted in a 53-fold increase in TNF-alpha production by hepatocytes compared with control. Treatment of hepatocytes with MCA fibrosarcoma-conditioned media resulted in decreases in hepatic albumin production of 46%, 61%, and 42% over 3 days of treatment, and these effects were reversible by the addition of antibody to TNF-alpha. Treatment of hepatocytes with MCA fibrosarcoma conditioned media resulted in increases in hepatocyte amino acid transport via inductions of System N (1.87 fold) and System A (1.93 fold). These effects were partially abrogated by the addition of antibody to TNF-alpha. Dialysis experiments determined the molecular weight of the factor or factors responsible for the observed effects to be greater than 100 kD. The effects of the MCA fibrosarcoma conditioned media were abolished by both trypsin treatment and heat inactivation, indicating the protein nature of the factor being studied. CONCLUSIONS: A tumor-derived protein has been isolated from the MCA fibrosarcoma. The protein inhibits hepatocyte albumin production and increases amino acid transport in vitro via the autocrine production of TNF-alpha.

Albumins↗

Role of autocrine and endocrine gastrin-like peptides in colonic carcinogenesis.

Colon carcinogenesis is a multistep process that involves deletions, mutations, and changes in expression of genes that regulate growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. Hyperproliferation can initiate dysplastic growth, resulting in accumulation of genetic defects and progression of colon cancer. Although genetic instability, because of inheritance of specific genetic defects, plays a dominant role in familial cancers, in the majority of sporadic cancers hyperproliferation is likely to play a permissive role in initiation and progression of the disease. Thus factors that regulate growth, differentiation, and apoptosis are likely to play an important role in colon carcinogenesis. Autocrine gastrins, insulin-like growth factor-II, transforming growth factor-alpha, and endocrine gastrins have been implicated in the tumorigenic potential of colon cancer cells. In this article we focus on the role of endocrine and autocrine gastrins in colon cancer and review recent advances that suggest a role of processing intermediates of gastrin in colon carcinogenesis.

Journal Article↗

Autocrine role of endothelin in rat inner medullary collecting duct: inhibition of AVP-induced cAMP accumulation.

Exogenous endothelin-1 (ET-1) inhibits arginine vasopressin (AVP)-induced cAMP accumulation in the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD). Because ET-1 is produced by and binds to specific receptors on the IMCD, the possibility exists that ET-1 is an autocrine regulator of AVP action in this nephron segment. To test this hypothesis, rat IMCD cells were grown on semipermeable membranes in the presence of rabbit anti-ET-1 antiserum or nonimmune rabbit serum (NRS). AVP (10(-9) M) caused a 2.5-fold greater accumulation of cAMP in confluent IMCD monolayers preincubated in ET-1 antiserum in comparison with NRS. ET-1 (10(-8) M) inhibited the AVP-induced rise in cAMP by 65% in cells preincubated in ET-1 antiserum but had no effect in NRS-treated cells. Finally, [125I]-ET-1 (30 pM) binding was increased sixfold in IMCD preincubated in anti-ET-1 antiserum. These data indicate that ET-1 causes tonic autocrine inhibition of AVP responsiveness in the IMCD.

Animals↗

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor is an autocrine mediator of human prostate stromal cell growth in vitro.

PURPOSE: The physiological mechanisms by which soluble mediators of cell proliferation and survival alter expansion of the prostatic stroma in benign prostatic hyperplasia are poorly understood. We recently identified heparin-binding epidermal growth factor like growth factor (HB-EGF) as a product predominantly of the smooth muscle cell compartments of the adult human prostate. We assess the potential role of this growth factor as a stromal cell regulator. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Primary cultures of desmin and alpha-actin positive human prostate stromal cells were shown to express several cell associated HB-EGF isoforms as well as the primary cognate HB-EGF receptor, ErbB1/HER1, suggesting the existence of an autocrine or juxtacrine regulatory loop. The related receptor tyrosine kinase, ErbB2/HER2, was also expressed as assessed by reverse transcriptase (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HB-EGF messenger RNA levels in human prostate stromal cells increased modestly (70%) in response to a repetitive mechanical stimulus, a lower response than has been reported for neonatal rat bladder smooth muscle cells, in which HB-EGF was originally identified as a mechanically responsive gene. RESULTS: HB-EGF, epidermal growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor stimulated human prostate stromal cell growth, while a specific antagonist of HB-EGF, [Glu52]-diphtheria toxin/CRM197, inhibited human prostate stromal growth in serum-free medium by a mechanism that did not involve increased apoptosis. A function blocking antibody against CD9/DRAP27/MRP-1, a cell surface binding partner of the membrane form of HB-EGF, also stimulated human prostate stromal cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: HB-EGF is an endogenously produced human prostate stromal cell growth factor and, thus, may have a role as a physiologically relevant autocrine or juxtacrine mediator of stromal expansion in benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Adult↗

Lipopolysaccharide-induced enterocyte-derived nitric oxide induces intestinal monolayer permeability in an autocrine fashion.

Studies indicate that endotoxin (LPS) causes intestinal injury, increases inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity, leads to increased NO production, and promotes bacterial translocation (BT). To investigate the mechanism by which LPS causes gut injury and to test the hypothesis that NO produced by enterocytes promotes gut injury in an autocrine fashion, rat intestinal epithelial cell (IEC-6) monolayers were tested. IEC-6 monolayers grown in a bicameral system were incubated with media or with LPS (25 microg/mL) and tested for permeability to phenol red, BT, and nitrate/nitrite (NO2/NO3) production. To determine the direct effect of NO on permeability, monolayers were incubated with the NO donor S-nitroso-acetylpenicillinamide (SNAP; 1 mM) and tested for permeability. Next, the protective effects of two NOS inhibitors (L-NMMA and L-NIL) were tested. Finally, to determine if LPS-induced permeability occurs via a poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase- (PARS) dependent pathway, monolayers incubated with LPS alone or with the PARS inhibitor, INH2BP (100 microM) were tested. LPS significantly increased IEC-6 permeability to phenol red, as well as increased NO2/NO3 by 20-fold (P < 0.001) and increased BT 10-fold (P < 0.001). SNAP mimicked the effect of LPS and significantly increased both permeability to phenol red and BT. Inhibition of iNOS significantly decreased the LPS-induced increase in monolayer permeability and BT (P < 0.05). Monolayers incubated with INH2BP had significantly decreased permeability to phenol red and BT, suggesting that LPS-induced NO production increases monolayer permeability at least in part via a PARS-dependent mechanism. In summary, LPS-induced disruption of monolayer barrier function appears to be related, at least in part, to enterocyte produced NO. This supports the hypothesis that NO produced by LPS-stimulated enterocytes promotes injury in an autocrine fashion and highlights the fact that enterocytes can be a target as well as a producer of NO.

Animals↗

Autocrine-paracrine factors and vascular remodeling in hypertension.

Despite decades of intense research, the etiology of essential hypertension remains one of the major enigmas of clinical medicine. On the basis of recent advances in the vascular biology of hypertension two important paradigms have emerged that offer promise in solving this enigma: 1) the concept of vascular remodeling, and 2) the concept of vascular autocrine-paracrine factors as determinants of vascular resistance. These concepts are interrelated because vascular autocrine-paracrine factors appear to mediate the process of vascular remodeling. This review focuses on these two emerging paradigms and their potential importance in elucidating the pathogenic mechanisms of hypertension.

Animals↗

Autocrine secretion of interferon-alpha/beta and tumour necrosis factor-alpha synergistically activates mouse macrophages after infection with herpes simplex virus type 2.

Resistance of mice to infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is strongly dependent on the function of macrophages (M phi). Infection of mouse M phi with HSV-2 results in an early (4 to 10 h) activation of the cells with an enhanced respiratory burst generated after membrane triggering with a phorbol ester. The role of monokines produced during this infection was analysed. Both interferon-alpha/beta (IFN-alpha/beta) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were produced within the very first hours after infection of M phi with HSV-2. Exogenously added IFN-alpha/beta conferred to M phi a respiratory burst capacity comparable to that seen after virus infection, whereas TNF-alpha by itself was unable to prime M phi for a respiratory burst. In fact concentrations of TNF-alpha comparable to those found in HSV-2-infected M phi cultures generally suppressed the response. However, when TNF-alpha was added together with IFN-alpha/beta a dose-dependent synergistic enhancement of the IFN-induced M phi activation was seen. The kinetics of the synergistic activation by the two monokines was similar to that seen with IFN-alpha/beta alone. Neutralizing antibodies to IFN-alpha/beta and TNF-alpha were able to diminish the HSV-induced priming of M phi for a respiratory burst. When the two antibodies were used together in subneutralizing concentrations an additional diminution of the responsiveness was seen, indicating that both monokines are involved in the virus-induced priming of M phi. However, high concentrations of antibodies to IFN-alpha/beta alone were able to abolish the activation completely, whereas this was not the case with anti-TNF-alpha. Collectively these data demonstrate that autocrine secretion of IFN-alpha/beta by M phi infected with HSV-2 is a sine qua non for the activation of M phi during the infection, and that this effect of IFN is synergistically enhanced, also in an autocrine manner, by TNF-alpha. It is suggested that this reciprocal M phi-monokine interaction may be of importance in resistance to virus infections.

Animals↗

Autocrine down-regulation of basic fibroblast growth factor receptors causes mitotoxin resistance in a human melanoma cell line.

The ability of melanoma to develop resistance to mitotoxins, growth-factor-directed anti-neoplastic agents that offer potential for the treatment of this highly refractory disease, may limit therapeutic efficacy. To address this problem, we developed a subcloned human melanoma cell line that is resistant to the mitotoxin composed of basic fibroblast growth factor conjugated to the ribosome-inactivating protein saporin. Resistance was caused by autocrine FGF ligands, which down-regulate bFGF receptors and reduce bFGF-saporin binding. Inhibiting the autocrine loop with suramin or with neutralizing antibodies to FGF up-regulated receptors and decreased resistance in vitro. Furthermore, suramin restored sensitivity in resistant tumor xenografts. These results suggest the potential of therapeutic modalities combining agents that neutralize growth factors with receptor-directed mitotoxins for targeting malignant melanoma either to prevent emergence of resistance or to circumvent resistance once it occurs.

Down-Regulation↗

Interleukin-1 alpha as an autocrine growth factor for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia cells.

We describe a case of B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) with proliferation of leukaemic cells through an interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) autocrine mechanism. Flow cytometric analysis using the IL-1 receptor type II (IL-1Rt II) monoclonal antibody (mAb) demonstrated the expression of the IL-1Rt II on leukaemic cells: this is the first report in IL-1RtII-positive freshly isolated ALL cells from a patient. In accordance with the expression of IL-1RtII, the leukaemic cells proliferated in response to exogenous IL-1 alpha. In addition, anti-IL-1 alpha mAb markedly inhibited the spontaneous cell proliferation. Furthermore, Northern blot analysis detected IL-1 alpha mRNA without any stimulation. These observations suggest that IL-1 alpha may play an important role as an autocrine growth factor in some cases of ALL.

Adult↗

Defective expression of CD23 and autocrine growth-stimulation in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed B cells from patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS).

WAS is an X-linked, recessive, immune deficiency syndrome, characteristically associated with lymphocyte and platelet dysfunction. Peripheral B lymphocytes from WAS patients are nonresponsive to polysaccharide antigens and show reduced numbers of cells expressing the integral membrane glycoprotein, CD23. The release of CD23 proteolytic fragments, so-called soluble CD23 (sCD23), by B lymphoblasts and EBV-transformed B cell lines has previously been described, and these fragments have been shown to stimulate autocrine growth of these cells. We have found that the surface expression of CD23 is reduced on WAS compared with control EBV-B cells. Surface CD23 levels were reduced two-fold in four WAS cell lines (group I) and nine-fold in four other lines (group II). Group II WAS cell lines also showed reduced growth rates in serum-free medium when compared with group I cell lines and EBV-B cell lines from eight normal subjects. In contrast to the group II WAS lines, group I and EBV-B cells from normal individuals produced an autocrine-growth factor activity which could be absorbed by anti-CD23 antibodies. Immunoprecipitation of sCD23 from culture supernatants confirmed that group I WAS cell lines produced less sCD23, particularly the 37K fragment which was prevalent in control EBV-B cells. Northern analysis showed that CD23 mRNA levels were increased three-fold in group I and unchanged in group II WAS compared with normal EBV-B cell lines, suggesting that decreased surface expression in WAS EBV-B cells reflects post-transcriptional events. Together these results suggest that reduced cell surface expression and aberrant proteolysis of CD23 occurs in WAS patients' B lymphocytes and may contribute to impaired immune function in these patients.

Adolescent↗

In vitro development of bone-marrow-derived macrophages. Influence of mouse genotype on response to colony-stimulating factors and autocrine interferon induction.

Responsiveness to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and macrophage CSF (M-CSF) of bone marrow cells derived from different mouse strains was investigated. There were great variations in proliferation between different strains of inbred mice. Bone marrow cells from mouse strains with a high rate of proliferation in response to GM-CSF also had a high proliferating capacity to M-CSF. The response to either CSF did not correlate with a certain H-2 haplotype. GM-CSF induced consistently higher proliferation than M-CSF. Proliferation in response to M-CSF, but not to GM-CSF, could be enhanced by the addition of antibodies against interferon (IFN). IFN is the only known inducer of (2'-5') oligoadenylate (oligo (A] synthetase. This enzyme was induced in macrophages grown in the presence of M-CSF, but not in GM-CSF promoted cells. Enzyme induction was completely abrogated by simultaneous treatment with anti-IFN alpha/beta. Infection of macrophages with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) revealed that GM-CSF-promoted cells were highly susceptible to lytic infection by these viruses. In contrast, virus titres in M-CSF-cultured cells were 100-fold lower. We conclude that, contrary to M-CSF, GM-CSF does not induce autocrine IFN during haematopoiesis. As judged from data with BALB/c mice, the sensitivity to the anti-proliferative effect of the autocrine IFN may be a factor which influences M-CSF-promoted proliferation.

2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase↗