Evidence that elastase is the TNF-R75 shedding enzyme in resting human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

We previously showed that a metalloprotease and a serine protease mediate shedding of the TNF-R75 (75-kDa tumor necrosis factor receptor) in neutrophils. Here we show that elastase is the TNF-R75 solubilizing serine protease. Release of the TNF-R75 by resting cells was almost totally inhibited by the serine protease inhibitor diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), by two synthetic, chemically unrelated, elastase-specific inhibitors and by alpha1-protease inhibitor. Release after TNF or FMLP (N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine) stimulation was blocked by DFP and a metalloprotease inhibitor used in combination. Supernatants from resting neutrophils contained a 28-kDa fragment of the receptor, compatible with that generated by elastase, whose appearance was inhibited by DFP. Upon FMLP stimulation, the release of 28-kDa and 40-kDa fragments was observed, which was inhibited by DFP and a metalloprotease inhibitor, respectively. We conclude that elastase is the TNF-R75 sheddase of resting neutrophils and that it contributes to shedding of this receptor in stimulated cells.     

Stimulation of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes by recombinant human interleukin-1 beta.

Leukocyte activation is a property of systemic infection. Animal experiments indicate interleukin-1 (IL-1) as a possible modulator, while contradictory results have been reported from in-vitro stimulation of isolated leukocytes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the activation of isolated polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes in vitro by preparations of recombinant human IL-1 beta and IL-1 receptor antagonist, which in earlier studies could elicit and abrogate, respectively, a sepsis-like syndrome in rabbits. They have also been shown to influence acute phase protein synthesis in mice and rats, and release of leukocyte cathepsin G in vivo. It was found that recombinant human IL-1 beta elicited a dose-dependent luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence response in isolated human PMN leukocytes in the dose range 8.8 x 10(-11)-8.8 x 10(-8) M. The effect could be blocked by prior treatment with the IL-1 receptor antagonist, indicating a direct effect on the specific IL-1 receptor. Preincubation by IL-1 beta enhanced the effect of a secondary challenge with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or formyl-Met-Leu-Phe by 30-40%. The priming effect of rhIL-1 beta could also be blocked by the specific receptor antagonist. In this study, incubation of PMN leukocytes with rhIL-1 beta failed to induce degranulation of both azurophil (neutrophil proteinase 4/proteinase 3) and specific (lactoferrin) granules. rhIL-1 beta has been shown to induce degranulation in vivo, which is thus indicated as an indirect effect. We conclude that IL-1 beta is a direct and specific, but probably weak stimulator of the PMN leukocyte.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Metabolism of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Intracellular metabolism of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), a major product and mediator of oxidative stress and inflammation, is analyzed in resting and fMLP-stimulated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL), where this compound is generated during activation of the respiratory burst. HNE consumption rate in PMNL is very low, if compared to other cell types (rat hepatocytes, rabbit fibroblasts), where HNE metabolism is always an important part of secondary antioxidative defense mechanisms. More than 98% of HNE metabolites are identified. The pattern of HNE intermediates is quite similar in stimulated and resting PMNL - except for higher water formation in resting PMNL - while the initial velocity of HNE degradation is somewhat higher in resting cells, 0.44 instead of 0.28 nmol/(min × 10⁶ cells). The main products of HNE metabolism are 4-hydroxynonenoic acid (HNA), 1,4-dihydroxynonene (DHN) and the glutathione adducts with HNE, HNA, and DHN. Protein-bound HNE and water account for about 3-4% of the total HNE derivatives in stimulated cells, while in resting cells protein-bound HNE and water are 4% and 20%, respectively. Cysteinyl-glycine-HNE adduct and mercapturic acids contribute to about 5%.     

Chemoattractants stimulate phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate kinase in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Chemoattractant receptor-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) by phospholipase C is instrumental for leukocyte activation. Previous studies have demonstrated that chemoattractant treatment of intact polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) causes a transient decrease in PIP2 due to phospholipase C activation, followed by an increase in cellular PIP2 levels. The present study determined whether chemoattractants altered the activities of the two enzymes responsible for the synthesis of PIP2, phosphatidylinositol kinase, and phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PIP) kinase. Incubation of intact PMN with the N-formylated peptide chemoattractant formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine at 37 degrees C caused a rapid (3 min), 2-fold stimulation of PIP kinase activity isolated from a particulate membrane fraction. The increase in PIP kinase was dose-dependent for a variety of N-formylated chemoattractants as well as leukotriene B4. Lineweaver-Burk analysis showed that the Vmax of PIP kinase was increased 2-fold by formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, without a significant change in the apparent Km of the enzyme for ATP. Phosphatidylinositol kinase was, however, not altered by any chemoattractants tested. Nonchemotactic activators of the oxidative burst in leukocytes such as phorbol myristate acetate and ionophore A23187 did not significantly alter PIP kinase, suggesting a specificity for chemotactic agents. These findings demonstrate direct, chemoattractant-induced stimulation of PMN PIP kinase which may serve to replenish the important phospholipid, PIP2, in the membrane following its hydrolysis by phospholipase C.     

Investigations of the biological activity of leukotriene A4 in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

An investigation was undertaken to compare the responses of human neutrophils to the epoxide leukotriene A4 with those elicited by its stable product leukotriene B4 under identical IN VITRO conditions. LTA4 evokes neutrophil responses similar in nature to those induced by LTB4 but at much higher concentrations. Evidence suggests that LTA4 is important primarily for its role as an intermediate rather than for inherent activity.     

Binding of the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal to human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

4-Hydroxynonenal (HNE) is produced during peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. It exerts a chemokinetic effect on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Investigations of this mechanism were performed. The results indicate that [³H]-HNE binding to PMN results both in non-specific bonds to the numerous SH groups of the cells and in binding to a saturable, reversible and specific HNE site. Scatchard analysis revealed that this is a single site with an apparent affinity constant of 319 nM and a density of 1·57 pmol (10⁶)^?1 cells. This specific binding site may be involved in the chemokinetic effect of HNE.     

Superoxide production of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes stimulated by leukotriene B4

Leukotriene B4 stimulated a transient production of superoxide anions (O2-) by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes which continued for only about 1 min. The production was dependent on Ca2+ in the suspending medium and no production was observed without the addition of calcium. The concentrations of leukotriene B4 and calcium for the half-maximal production were about 1 microM and 200 microM, respectively. 8-(N,N,-Diethylamino)-octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate (TMB-8), an intracellular calcium antagonist, did not inhibit the O2- production stimulated by leukotriene B4 in the presence of calcium, while N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7), a calmodulin inhibitor, did. When leukotriene B4 was added to the cells treated with cytochalasin B, the production of O2- was biphasic: an initial rapid phase, followed by a slow one. The slow phase was also dependent on Ca2+ concentrations but it could be induced even without the addition of Ca2+ to the medium. The cells treated with both cytochalasin B and TMB-8 in Ca2+-free medium showed a negligible production of superoxide on addition of leukotriene B4, but the production appeared upon addition of CaCl2. These findings suggest that the superoxide production stimulated by leukotriene B4 is associated with the influx of Ca2+.     

The mechanism of leukotriene B4 export from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Recently, we characterized the export of leukotriene (LT) C4 from human eosinophils as a carrier-mediated process (Lam, B. K., Owen, W. F., Jr., Austen, K. F., and Soberman, R. J. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 12885-12889). To determine whether a similar mechanism regulates the release of leukotriene B4 (LTB4), human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) were preloaded with LTB4 by incubation with 25 microM leukotriene A4 (LTA4) at 0 degrees C for 60 min. PMN converted LTA4 to LTB4 in a time-dependent manner as determined by resolution of products by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography and quantitation by integrated optical density. When PMN preloaded with LTB4 were resuspended in buffer at 37 degrees C for 0-90 s, there occurred a time-dependent release of LTB4 but little formation or release of 20-hydroxy-LTB4 and 20-carboxy-LTB4. When PMN were preloaded with increasing amounts of intracellular LTB4 by incubation with 3.1-50.0 microM LTA4 and were then resuspended in buffer at 37 degrees C for 20 s, there occurred a concentration-dependent and saturable release of LTB4 with a Km of 798 pmol/10(7) cells and a Vmax of 383 pmol/10(7) cells/20 s. The release of LTB4 was temperature-sensitive with a Q10 of 3.0 and an energy of activation of 19.9 kcal/mol. The rate of LTB4 release at 37 degrees C is about 50 times the rate of 20-carboxy-LTB4 release. PMN preloaded with LTB4 and resuspended at 0 degree C for 1-60 min in the presence of 30 microM LTA5 progressively converted LTA5 to LTB5. The rate of LTB4 release at 0 degree C was inhibited over the entire time period, peaking at about 50% at 30 min. These results indicate that the release of LTB4 from PMN is a carrier-mediated process that is distinct from its biosynthesis.     

Alkaline phosphatase activity in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Synopsis Alkaline phosphatase has been localized ultracytochemically in PMN of man with normal and elevated levels of this enzyme. Contrary to guinea-pig PMN, no activity appears to be present in the specific granules. Instead, the plasma membrane and the membrane of the endocytic vacuoles show a strong staining. However, the demonstration of this activity depends on the preparatory procedure employed for PMN isolation. the use of dextran and Ficoll-Hypaque in the isolation procedure induces a marked increase in alkaline phosphatase staining of the PMN plasma membrane. Strongly increased activity at this site has been found in PMN from cancer patients. In most of them, additional staining has been observed in atypical vesicles and sometimes in the Golgi apparatus. These findings are discussed in the light of some previously reported controversial biochemical and cytochemical data on the distribution of alkaline phosphatase in human PMN.     

IL-8 stimulates phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate kinase in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

IL-8 is a neutrophil-specific chemoattractant and cellular activator which exists in at least three forms, 69, 72, and 77 amino acids. The predominant monocyte product has 72 amino acids, whereas endothelial cells secrete the 77-amino acid form. The 72-amino acid form has been shown to increase intracellular calcium in neutrophils, but the exact biochemical pathways involved in stimulation of these cells is unknown. N-formyl peptide chemoattractants in neutrophils stimulate the formation of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), a reservoir for second messenger molecules and regulator of actin assembly through its association with the actin-binding proteins, profilin, and gelsolin. The present study examined whether IL-8 altered the enzyme which synthesizes PIP2, phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PIP) kinase. Incubation of intact neutrophils with 10 nM IL-8 caused approximately a twofold increase in the activity of the enzyme. All forms of IL-8 stimulated PIP kinase activity in concentrations ranging from 1 to 50 nM, and the dose-response curves exactly correlated with the order of potency of these cytokines for interacting with the IL-8R on the surface of neutrophils. Lineweaver-Burk analysis of the kinetics of PIP kinase assayed in the presence of 0.03 to 0.7 mM ATP showed that 10 nM IL-8 increased the Vmax of the enzyme 38 to 70.5%, with no significant change in the apparent Km for ATP or for PIP. The stimulation of PIP kinase activity could not be explained by decreased degradation of PIP2 by phospholipase C or phosphomonoesterase activity in the membranes isolated from cells treated with IL-8 or by a decrease in the degradation of ATP. The microfilament disrupter, cytochalasin b, inhibited IL-8 induced stimulation of PIP kinase. These findings demonstrate that all forms of IL-8 stimulate PIP kinase in human neutrophils. This event may provide molecular signals to these cells that are necessary to maintain or change the state of microfilament assembly during cellular activation.     

Separation of granule subpopulations in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Human polymorphonuclear leukocytes were isolated, disrupted by sonification and the nuclei and unbroken cells removed by centrifugation. The supernatant was applied on top of an optimised discontinuous Percoll gradient. After centrifugation we found nine gradient bands of distinct density. Both the nine bands and the whole fractionated gradient material were assayed for granule marker enzymes. Granule fractions of distinct density, enclosing different enzyme concentrations demonstrated the existence of granule subpopulations. There were three subpopulations of azurophil granules, about four subpopulations of specific granules, one granule fraction perhaps representing the C-particles, and a fraction of plasma membrane vesicles.     

Arachidonic acid-induced chemiluminescence of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

When human polymorphonuclear leukocytes were incubated with arachidonic acid, a rapid light emission was observed which reached a maximum within 2 min. The magnitude of chemiluminescence depended on the number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and the concentration of arachidonic acid. The light emission was inhibited by about 40% or 70% by 100 μM 3-amino-1-(m-(trifluromethyl)-phenyl)-2-pyrazoline (BW755C) or 100 μM nordihydroguaiaretic acid as lipoxygenase inhibitors. In contrast, 100 μM indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, had no effect. These results suggested a pivotal role of the lipoxygenase pathway rather than the cyclooxygenase pathway in the light emission.     

Functional activity of enucleated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Enucleated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) were prepared by centrifuging isolated, intact PMN over a discontinuous Ficoll gradient that contained 20 microM cytochalasin B. The enucleated cells (PMN cytoplasts) contained about one-third of the plasma membrane and about one-half of the cytoplasm present in intact PMN. The PMN cytoplasts contained no nucleus and hardly any granules. The volume of the PMN cytoplasts was about one-fourth of that of the original PMN. Greater than 90% of the PMN cytoplasts had an "outside-out" topography of the plasma membrane. Cytoplasts prepared from resting PMN did not generate superoxide radicals (O2-) or hydrogen peroxide. PMN cytoplasts incubated with opsonized zymosan particles or phorbol-myristate acetate induced a respiratory burst that was qualitatively (O2 consumption, O2- and H2O2 generation) and quantitatively (per unit area of plasma membrane) comparable with that of intact, stimulated PMN. Moreover, at low ratios of bacteria/cells, PMN cytoplasts ingested opsonized Staphylococcus aureus bacteria as well as did intact PMN. At higher ratios, the cytoplasts phagocytosed less well. The killing of these bacteria by PMN cytoplasts was slower than by intact cells. The chemotactic activity of PMN cytoplasts was very low. These results indicate that the PMN apparatus for phagocytosis, generation of bactericidal oxygen compounds, and killing of bacteria, as well as the mechanism for recognizing opsonins and activating PMN functions, are present in the plasma membrane and cytosol of these cells.     

Effects of microcystins on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Microcystins (MCs) are cyclic heptapeptides produced by cyanobacteria present in water contaminated reservoirs. Reported toxic effects for microcystins are liver injury and tumour promotion. In this study, we evaluated the effects of two MCs, MC-LR and [Asp(3)]-MC-LR, on human neutrophil (PMN). We observed that even at concentrations lower than that recommended by World Health Organization for chronic exposure (0.1 nM), MCs affect human PMN. Both MCs have chemotactic activity, induce the production of reactive oxygen species, and increase phagocytosis of Candida albicans. MC-LR also increased C. albicans killing. The effect of MCs on PMN provides support for a damage process mediated by PMN and oxidative stress, and may explain liver injury and tumour promotion associated to long-term MCs exposures.     

Specific binding of leukotriene B4 to receptors on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Leukotriene B4 (5(S),12(R)-di-hydroxy-eicosa-6,14-cis-8,10-trans-tetraenoic acid [LTB4]) is a product of the 5-lipoxygenation of arachidonic acid, which elicits human PMN leukocyte chemotactic responses in vitro that are 50% of the maximal level at concentrations of 3 X 10(-9) M to 10(-8) M and are maximal at 2 X 10(-8) M to 10(-7) M. The specific binding of highly purified [3H]LTB4 to human PMN leukocytes was assessed both by extracting the unbound and weakly bound [3H]LTB4 with acetone at -78 degrees C and by centrifuging the PMN leukocytes through cushions of phthalate oil to separate the unbound from bound [3H]LTB4. The levels of total binding of [3H]LTB4 and of nonspecific binding of [3H]LTB4, in the presence of a 1500-fold molar excess of nonradioactive LTB4, were approximately two times higher with the phthalate oil method. Scatchard plots of the concentration dependence of the specific binding (total - nonspecific binding) of [3H]LTB4 to PMN leukocytes were linear for the acetone extraction and phthalate oil methods and revealed dissociation constants of 10.8 X 10(-9) M and 13.9 X 10(-9) M, respectively, and mean of 2.6 X 10(4) and 4.0 X 10(4) receptors per PMN leukocyte. The 5(S),12(S)-all-trans-di-HETE analog of LTB4 and 5-HETE competitively inhibited by 50% the binding of [3H]LTB4 to PMN leukocytes at respective concentrations that evoked half-maximal chemotactic responses, whereas neither N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine nor chemotactic fragments of C5 inhibited the binding. Human erythrocytes exhibited no specific binding sites for [3H]LTB4. Human PMN leukocytes possess a subset of receptors for LTB4 that are distinct from those specific for peptide chemotactic factors.     

Assay method for myeloperoxidase in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

A simple assay method for measuring myeloperoxidase (MPO) has been developed. MPO is found in polymorphonuclear leukocytes and is important as a bactericidal agent in the presence of H2O2 and halide ions. This improved assay method is based on work of Andrews and Krinsky using tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) a noncarcinogenic substrate. By assaying MPO under optimal conditions of TMB at 1.6 mM, H2O2 concentration of 0.3 mM, pH 5.4, and incubation temperature of 37 degrees C, sensitivity of MPO measurements increased eightfold in comparison with the original TMB method. A method has been established to determine absorbance at 655 nm of the reaction mixture by incubation for 3 min and then stopping the reaction by the addition of pH 3.0 buffer. An attempt was also made to raise the sensitivity by using 3,3'-dimethyoxybenzidine (DMB), a carcinogenic substrate. The improved TMB method was 34 times more sensitive than the DMB method.