Regulation of hepatic glucocorticoid receptors in mice during dietary restriction.

The specific binding of [3H] dexamethasone to its receptor, activation of the hormone-receptor complexes and DNase I digestion of nuclear bound hormone-receptor complexes were studied in the liver of mice during dietary restriction (alternate days of feeding for 3 months) compared to animals fed ad libitum. Results indicate an increase of receptor level (fmol/mg protein) in the diet-restricted (DR) animals as compared to those fed ad libitum (AL). Scatchard analyses confirm the increase in the level of receptors in DR animals, while the affinity (Kd) remained same in both groups of mice. Protein slot-blot analysis also depicts the increase of the receptor level in DR fed compared to the AL fed animals. The extent of temperature- and salt-dependent activation of receptors showed no marked difference in AL- and DR-fed mice. DNase I extraction of bound hormone-receptor complexes from nuclei revealed similar pattern of digestion in both groups of animals.     

NOD样受体在炎症反应中的调控作用

天然免疫(innate immunity)是机体免疫系统直接抵御病原体入侵的最初阶段,通过机体自身的特异性模式识别受体(pattern-recognition receptors,PRRs)来识别病原体特有的保守结构病原相关分子模式(pathogen-associated molecular patterns,PAMPs)。细胞内NOD样受体(NLRs)是胞浆型PRRs中的一个重要家族,病原体侵袭细胞可上调其表达,启动机体的免疫应答和炎症反应,在机体天然免疫应答中发挥独特的功能。最近有研究证明,NLRs的突变与一些人类免疫性疾病相关,并且在细菌感染和炎症反应的控制中起重要作用。该文将讨论NLRs在炎症疾病中的调控作用。     

Different isoforms of the soluble leptin receptor in non-pregnant and pregnant mice

Leptin circulates in murine serum in a free and a bound form. As shown in humans, a soluble leptin receptor (sOB-R), which modulates the effects of its ligand, circulates in murine blood. The aim of our study was to determine abundance and biochemical nature of this protein. For the quantification of sOB-R we developed a ligand-immunofunctional assay (LIFA) which is based on both, leptin binding and immunological recognition. The use of this LIFA revealed that during late gestation sera of pregnant mice had a approximately 290-fold higher level of sOB-R than non-pregnant animals. As investigated by size exclusion chromatography these mice sera demonstrated a co-elution of their leptin binding activity with leptin immunoreactivity and levels of sOB-R measured by LIFA. Therefore, it has to be concluded that sOB-R represents the major leptin binding activity in murine circulation. The molecular analysis of sOB-R by Western blot and by cross-linking with 125I-leptin in sera of pregnant and non-pregnant mice demonstrated two different isoforms of sOB-R, which were capable of leptin binding. The sOB-R in serum migrated at a molecular weight of 150kDa in pregnant and only of 120kDa in non-pregnant animals. Deglycosylation of these isoforms led to sOB-R molecules which were found at the same molecular weight in SDS-PAGE. This finding indicates that both isoforms differ only in the degree of their glycosylation. In conclusion, the non-pregnant and the pregnant states are accompanied by differently glycosylated isoforms of sOB-R whose physiological relevance remains to be determined.     

Regulation of free and bound magnesium in rat hepatocytes and isolated mitochondria

Null point titration techniques have been developed for measurements of cytosolic free Mg2+ in isolated cells and matrix free Mg2+ in isolated mitochondria using antipyrylazo III as a spectrophotometric Mg2+ indicator. A cytosolic free Mg2+ of 0.37 +/- 0.02 mM was obtained with hepatocytes. This represented about 6% of the total cytosolic magnesium content (activity coefficient of 5.8 X 10(-2). Nondiffusable Mg2+-binding sites in the cytosol were equal to 11.1 nmol/mg cell dry weight with an apparent dissociation constant of 0.71 mM and accounted for binding of 32% of the cytosolic magnesium. The null point method gave a value of 0.35 +/- 0.01 mM for the mitochondrial matrix free Mg2+ concentration (activity coefficient of 8.8 X 10(-3). Nondiffusable Mg2+ binding sites in the mitochondria were estimated at 25.7 nmol/mg mitochondrial protein with an apparent dissociation constant of 0.22 mM, compared with an apparent dissociation constant of 1.66 microM for bound calcium. These data demonstrate the absence of a significant gradient of free Mg2+ between the cytosolic and mitochondrial compartments. They also demonstrate a high ligand binding capacity for magnesium in both compartments with relatively low affinity resulting in a constant value for free Mg2+ when total cell magnesium is constant. This maintains a ratio between free Mg2+ and free Ca2+ of about 2000 in the cytosol and 100 in the mitochondria. The high concentration and low affinity of Mg2+ binding sites results in rather large changes of free Mg2+ with small variations in total cell magnesium. This is apparent in hepatocytes isolated from streptozotocin diabetic rats which had a decreased total magnesium content and a cytosolic free Mg2+ of 0.16 +/- 0.02 mM.     

Interleukin-6 biology is coordinated by membrane bound and soluble receptors

Cytokine receptors exist in membrane bound and soluble form. Both forms bind their ligands with comparable affinity. While most soluble receptors are antagonists in that they compete for the ligands with their membrane counterparts, some soluble receptors are agonists. In this case, the complex of ligand and soluble receptor binds on target cells to a second receptor subunit and initiates signal transduction. Soluble receptors of the IL-6 family of cytokines are agonists. In vivo, the IL-6/soluble IL-6R complex stimulates several types of target cells not stimulated by IL-6 alone, since they do not express the membrane bound IL-6R. This process has been named transsignaling. We have shown that in several chronic inflammatory diseases like chronic inflammatory bowl disease, peritonitis and rheumatoid arthritis, transsignaling via the soluble IL-6R complexed to IL-6 is a crucial point in the transition from the acute to the chronic state of the disease. The mechanism by which the IL-6/ soluble IL-6R complex regulates the inflammatory state is discussed.     

Serum ghrelin levels in obese patients: the relationship to serum leptin levels and soluble leptin receptors levels

Ghrelin is a new endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. It activates the release of growth hormone from the pituitary and it also participates in the regulation of energy homeostasis. The aim of the study was to characterize changes in serum ghrelin levels in obese subjects and their relationship to the serum levels of leptin and soluble leptin receptor. Eight obese patients (6 women and 2 men) with body mass index (BMI) 40.3+/-13.4 kg.m(-2) and eight healthy controls (5 women and 3 men) with BMI 22.7+/-1.3 kg.m(-2) were examined. The ghrelin serum levels (165.0+/-58.1 vs. 343.37+/-81.96; p<0.001) and soluble leptin receptor serum levels (7.25+/-3.44 vs. 21.80+/-4.99; p<0.0001) were significantly lower in obese patients. The leptin serum levels (23.45+/-12.90 vs. 6.41+/-2.96; p<0.005) were significantly higher compared to the lean subject group. In both measured groups the levels of serum leptin significantly positively correlated with BMI. We proved a significantly lower serum ghrelin levels in the group of obese patients in comparison with the control group.     

Regulation of leptin secretion from white adipocytes by free fatty acids

Norepinephrine stimulates lipolysis and concurrently inhibits insulin-stimulated leptin secretion from white adipocytes. To assess whether there is a cause-effect relationship between these two metabolic events, the effects of fatty acids were investigated in isolated rat adipocytes incubated in buffer containing low (0.1%) and high (4%) albumin concentrations. Palmitic acid (1 mM) mimicked the inhibitory effects of norepinephrine (1 microM) on insulin (10 nM)-stimulated leptin secretion, but only at low albumin concentrations. Studies investigating the effects of the chain length of saturated fatty acids [from butyric (C4) to stearic (C18) acids] revealed that only fatty acids with a chain length superior or equal to eight carbons effectively inhibited insulin-stimulated leptin secretion. Long-chain mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids constitutively present in adipocyte triglyceride stores (oleic, linoleic, gamma-linolenic, palmitoleic, eicosapentanoic, and docosahexanoic acids) also completely suppressed leptin secretion. Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids inhibited insulin-stimulated leptin secretion with the same potency and without any significant effect on basal secretion. On the other hand, inhibitors of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (palmoxirate, 2-bromopalmitate, 2-bromocaproate) attenuated the stimulatory effects of insulin on leptin release without reversing the effects of fatty acids or norepinephrine, suggesting that fatty acids do not need to be oxidized by the mitochondria to inhibit leptin release. These results demonstrate that long-chain fatty acids mimic the effects of norepinephrine on leptin secretion and suggest that they may play a regulatory role as messengers between stimulation of lipolysis by norepinephrine and inhibition of leptin secretion.     

Secretion of soluble leptin receptors by exocrine and endocrine cells of the gastric mucosa

Leptin is a hormone secreted by the gastric mucosa into the lumen of the stomach. It is present in its intact form in the intestine where it regulates nutrient absorption and intestinal mucosa integrity. We have identified the binding protein that protects leptin from the harsh conditions of the gastric juice. Immunoprecipitations and Western blot analyses demonstrated that leptin is present in the gastric mucosa and the gastric juice, bound to a protein corresponding to the extracellular domain of the leptin receptor. In the absence of this soluble receptor, leptin is rapidly degraded. Immunocytochemistry on rat gastric mucosa identified the cells and intracellular compartments involved in secretion of this complex. Leptin receptor extracellular domain and leptin are present along the rough endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi-granules secretory pathways and form a complex in the secretory granules of Chief and specific endocrine cells. The long-form membrane leptin receptor OB-Rb, the protease activator furin, and proprotein convertase 7 were found in Chief cell granules but not in those of endocrine cells. The shedding of the receptor occurs in the immature granules. It is concluded that in the immature secretory granules of Chief cells, furin activates proprotein convertase 7 that, in turn, cleaves the extracellular portion of membrane-bound leptin receptors. Leptin bound to its soluble receptor forms a complex that is resistant to the gastric juice. Endocrine cells, on the other hand, generate a soluble leptin receptor by mechanisms different from those of the exocrine cells.     

Tissue distribution and clearance of soluble murine TNF receptors in mice

In this study, clearance of sTNFR was investigated. The data show that bilateral nephrectomy results in an increase of the levels of both sTNFR after which a new steady state situation develops, suggesting that other organs, apart from the kidneys, are involved in clearing of sTNFR. Bilateral nephrectomy also leads to an increase in circulating TNF. This TNF was detected by ELISA and appeared to be not biologically active. To investigate whether the endotoxin induced increase in sTNFR is dependent of renal function, endotoxin was injected in nephrectomized mice. The data show that nephrectomy followed by endotoxin injection resulted in a further increase of the levels of both sTNFR. However, the endotoxin induced increase in nephrectomized mice was similar to the situation in normal mice after LPS indicating that the endtoxin induced increase is kidney independent in these mice. To investigate the relative participation of various organs in sTNFR clearance, ¹²⁵I labelled sTNFR-P75 was injected. The data reveal that the majority of the sTNFR is removed from the circulation by the kidneys although indications for involvement of the liver and the lungs were also obtained. Calculation of the parametric clearance revealed that nephrectomy resulted in a 50% reduction of sTNFR-P75 clearance. Furthermore, the data presented strongly suggest that sTNFR release seems to be a continuous process, which is in balance with clearance of the sTNFR by the kidney, although other organs such as the liver and the lungs are involved.     

Regulation of drug transporters during infection and inflammation

Inflammation-induced changes in the pharmacokinetics and dynamics of numerous drugs have been reported. Altered drug disposition during inflammatory disease has traditionally been ascribed primarily to changes in drug metabolism and protein binding. Emerging evidence within the last decade, however, has demonstrated that the inflammatory response affects the expression of several important drug transporters and these changes significantly impact the disposition and activity of drug substrates.     

Modulation of allergic inflammation in mice deficient in TNF receptors

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) is implicated as an important proinflammatory cytokine in asthma. We evaluated mice deficient in TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) and TNFR2 [TNFR(-/-) mice] in a murine model of allergic inflammation and found that TNFR(-/-) mice had comparable or accentuated responses compared with wild-type [TNFR(+/+)] mice. The responses were consistent among multiple end points. Airway responsiveness after methacholine challenge and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid leukocyte and eosinophil numbers in TNFR(-/-) mice were equivalent or greater than those observed in TNFR(+/+) mice. Likewise, serum and BAL fluid IgE; lung interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, and IL-5 levels; and lung histological lesion scores were comparable or greater in TNFR(-/-) mice compared with those in TNFR(+/+) mice. TNFR(+/+) mice chronically treated with anti-murine TNF antibody had BAL fluid leukocyte numbers and lung lesion scores comparable to control antibody-treated mice. These results suggest that, by itself, TNF does not have a critical proinflammatory role in the development of allergic inflammation in this mouse model and that the production of other cytokines associated with allergic disease may compensate for the loss of TNF bioactivity in the TNFR(-/-) mouse.     

Regulation of muscle protein synthesis during sepsis and inflammation

Prolonged sepsis and exposure to an inflammatory milieu decreases muscle protein synthesis and reduces muscle mass. As a result of its ability to integrate diverse signals, including hormones and nutrients, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a dominant regulator in the translational control of protein synthesis. Under postabsorptive conditions, sepsis decreases mTOR kinase activity in muscle, as evidenced by reduced phosphorylation of both eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)4E-binding protein (BP)-1 and ribosomal S6 kinase (S6K)1. These sepsis-induced changes, along with the redistribution of eIF4E from the active eIF4E.eIF4G complex to the inactive eIF4E.4E-BP1 complex, are preventable by neutralization of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha but not by antagonizing glucocorticoid action. Although the ability of mTOR to respond to insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I is not disrupted by sepsis, the ability of leucine to increase 4E-BP1 and S6K1 phosphorylation is greatly attenuated. This "leucine resistance" results from a cooperative interaction between both TNF-alpha and glucocorticoids. Finally, although septic animals are not IGF-I resistant, the anabolic actions of IGF-I are nonetheless reduced because of the development of growth hormone resistance, which decreases both circulating and muscle IGF-I. Herein, we highlight recent advances in the mTOR signaling network and emphasize their connection to the atrophic response observed in skeletal muscle during sepsis. Although many unanswered questions remain, understanding the cellular basis of the sepsis-induced decrease in translational activity will contribute to the rational development of therapeutic interventions and thereby minimize the debilitating affects of the atrophic response that impairs patient recovery.     

Human mast cells express leptin and leptin receptors

Mast cells are immune cells that produce and secrete a variety of mediators and cytokines that influence various inflammatory and immune processes. Leptin is a cytokine regulating metabolic, endocrine as well as immune functions via the leptin receptor which is expressed by many immune cells. However, there are no data about leptin receptor expression in mast cells. Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent double stainings showed the expression of leptin and leptin receptors in mast cells in human skin and several parts of the respiratory, gastrointestinal and urogenital tract. Leptin was expressed in mast cells expressing the classification marker chymase, whereas a variable expression was observed in tryptase positive mast cells. For leptin receptors, the expression pattern was tissue dependent and not related to tryptase or chymase expression. Our results demonstrate the expression of leptin and leptin receptors on mast cells, suggesting paracrine and/or autocrine immunomodulatory effects of leptin on mast cells.     

A comparison of the effects of soluble stimuli on free cytoplasmic and membrane bound calcium in human neutrophils

Calcium dynamics in human neutrophils have been studied using Quin 2 fluorescence as a measure of free cytoplasmic calcium and chlortetracycline fluorescence as an indicator of membrane-bound calcium. The results show that 1) FMLP-induced increased cytoplasmic calcium likely comes from at least two different pools. Calcium is released from one only after a high affinity receptor interaction and from the second also after a lower affinity interaction. The initial increment in cytosolic calcium does not appear to originate in the pool(s) reflected by CTC fluorescence. 2) Cytochalasin B strikingly alters the FMLP effect on membrane associated calcium, inducing a marked “recovery” phase which could be a reflection of fusion of granule membranes with the plasma membrane. 3) PMA, at concentrations inducing extensive specific granule release (≤ 10 ng/ml) has no measurable direct effect on membrane-bound or cytosolic calcium. However, PMA inhibits a subsequent CTC fluorescence response to FMLP and following the ionophore, A23187, it induces a clear decrease in cytosolic calcium. These indirect effects may be explained in terms of PMA's activation of protein kinase C.