Properties of heart fibroblasts of adult rats in culture

Summary In the heart of the adult rat, fibroblasts are mainly responsible for the synthesis and deposition of the collagenous matrix. Because these cells in vitro may serve as an important model system for studies of collagen metabolism in heart tissue, we have cultured and characterized rat-heart fibroblasts from young adult and old animals. Conditions included use of media of different compositions with and without addition of ascorbate. Cell used were either cultured directly from fresh tissues or thawed previously frozen cells. Cultured cells were studied with respect to growth properties, morphology and ultrastructure and patterns of collagen. Heart fibroblasts generally resembled fibroblasts cultured from other tissues, but were more like skeletal muscle fibroblasts in that they deposited, in addition to type I collagen, type IV collagen and laminin. The fibroblasts showed a typical appearance in phase-contrast microscopy and electron microscopy. In the case of cells grown with added ascorbate, aligned collagen fibrils in the extracellular matrix showed a periodicity typical of type I collagen. The deposition of type I collagen occurred only in medium supplemented with ascorbate, and in that circumstance increased as a function of time past confluence; this was independent of the age of the animal from which the cells were obtained or of other changes of medium composition studied. Immunofluorescence studies with specific antibodies revealed that the cells deposited types I and IV collagens, laminin and fibronectin. In contrast to the case of type I collagen, the deposition of type IV collagen occurred in cells grown either with or without ascorbate. Direct observation of type IV collagen is consistent with the previous finding of type IV mRNA in cardiac fibroblasts in situ and in freshly isolated populations of these cells.     

T3 reverses the changes in met-enkephalin and beta-endorphin contents in the anterior lobe, but not the neuro-intermediate lobe of the pituitary of rats rendered hypothyroid by PTU-treatment

The changes in met-enkephalin and beta-endorphin contents in the pituitary in PTU-induced hypothyroidism were studied in the rat. After 2 weeks of PTU-treatment, both IR-met-enkephalin and IR-beta-endorphin contents in the pituitary were significantly reduced. Gel filtration chromatography followed by radioimmunoassay showed that the immunoactivities in the peaks of precursors, met-enkephalin, beta-lipotropin and beta-endorphin were all lower in the pituitaries from the PTU-treated rats. In another experiment, some of the PTU-treated rats were injected daily with 500 micrograms T3/kg b.w. In the hypothyroid rats, IR-met-enkephalin and IR-beta-endorphin contents were decreased in both the anterior and neurointermediate lobes. Only the changes in the anterior lobe were reversed by T3 treatment. In conclusion, while the effects on the anterior lobe are probably due to a deficiency in thyroid hormones, the mechanism for the decrease of opioid peptide contents in the neurointermediate lobe is still unclear.     

The functional cell surface glycoprotein CD9 is distinguished by being the major fatty acid acylated and a major iodinated cell-surface component of the human platelet

We showed that a 22 kDa protein (which comigrated with the leukocyte differentiation antigen CD9 as determined by immunoblotting with the platelet-activating mAb 50H.19) is a major iodinated component of the platelet surface. The iodinated protein was identified as CD9 by limited proteolysis analysis. The major acylated protein in platelets incubated with [3H]palmitic acid also had a mobility of 22 kDa. The radiolabelled fatty acid in CD9 appears to be ester bonded, as it is removed by treatment with hydroxylamine. Non-enzymatic ligation of the fatty acid is not involved. Since platelets lack protein synthetic capacity, the palmitolation of a surface protein indicates the existence of a plasma-membrane located transacylase which functions independently of protein synthesis. Limited proteolysis analysis of the palmitylated protein obtained by immunoprecipitation with mAb 50H.19 confirmed its identity as CD9. An additional novel minor component of 27 kDa was detected in platelets by immunoprecipitation of 125I-surface-labelled, or [3H]palmitic acid-labelled protein, and by immunoblotting with mAb 50H.19. The analogous cleavage patterns obtained by the limited proteolysis analysis of the 22, 24 and 27 kDa glycoproteins suggest that they may be differently modified variants of a single polypeptide.     

Establishment and characterization of murine macrophage hybrids

Proteose peptone-induced peritoneal macrophages from CBA/J (H-2k) mice have been fused to a hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase-negative variant of the P388D1 (H-2d) murine macrophage cell line. Six hybrid clones were isolated following HAT selection and further characterized. Five of the six clones express class I antigens of both parental haplotypes by microelisa and by flow cytometric analysis. Class II antigen expression of both haplotypes was apparent following a 72-hr incubation of the hybrids with concanavalin A-stimulated rat spleen cell supernatant. However, I-Ad was expressed in all hybrids to a greater extent than I-Ak. Three clones with the highest level of I-Ak expression, E5, C2, and C4, were capable of antigen presentation to the I-Ak-restricted T-cell line, D10.G4.1. LPS induction of the hybrids resulted in a 2- to 15-fold increase in the amount of IL-1 produced relative to the P388D1 parent. Finally, in distinction to P388D1, all hybrids demonstrated increased Fc-mediated erythrophagocytosis of chromium-labeled antibody-coated erythrocytes. These murine macrophage hybrids appear stable and should serve as useful models in understanding the regulation of macrophage function.     

Sequencing Studies of Icr-170 Mutagenic Specificity in the am (Nadp-Specific Glutamate Dehydrogenase) Gene of NEUROSPORA CRASSA

The acridine half-mustard ICR-170-induced reversion of the mutant am15, which has a single base-pair deletion, at a frequency of between 9 and 28 X 10(-6). In each of three classes of revertants, the mutagen had induced the insertion of a -G- -C- base pair at a -G-G- -C-C- site. The mutant am6, which has a single base pair insertion, is known to be revertible, with UV light, by deletion of a -G- -C- base pair at a -G-G-G- -C-C-C- site. This mutant reverted with ICR-170 at a frequency of 0.1 X 10(-6). These results show that ICR-170 is able to induce addition frameshifts in Neurospora crassa within short, monotonous runs of G:C base pairs, but indicate a lack of deletion activity at such sequences.     

The effects of mechanical stability on the macromolecules of the connective tissue matrices produced during fracture healing. I. The collagens

Summary The distribution of types I, II, III, V and IX collagens in healing fractures of the rabbit tibia has been demonstrated by immunofluorescent techniques. It has also been shown that the mechanical stability of the healing fracture affects both the distribution and types of the collagens present.The initial fibrous matrix contains types III and V collagens; type I collagen was only located in this matrix if unfixed tissue was used. In mechanically stable fractures, cancellous bone forms over the entire periosteal surface by 5–7 days; type I collagen is laid down within the previous fibrous matrix. The trabeculae are heterogeneous in their collagen content. The cavities contain a matrix of types III and V collagens. Small nodules of cartilage may be present between 7 and 14 days; these contain types II and IX collagens.In mechanically unstable fractures, cancellous bone is initially formed away from the fracture gap. The fibrous tissue over the gap is replaced by cartilage; types II and IX collagens are laid down on the pre-existing fibrous matrix. The cartilage is replaced by endochondral ossification. At the ossification front, type I collagen is found around the chondrocyte lacunae of the spicules of cartilage. The new trabeculae contain a core of cartilage which is surrounded by a bone matrix of types I and V collagens.The fracture gaps are invaded by fibrous tissue, which contain types III and V collagens. This is later replaced by cancellous bone.     

Cementum annulation and age determination in Homo sapiens. II. Estimates and accuracy

The cementum annulation aging technique was evaluated in a sample of 80 clinically extracted premolars (age range 11–70 years). Demineralized thin sections (7μm) stained with hematoxylin were used. The correlation (r) between age and adjusted count (number of annulations added to age of tooth eruption) was 0.78 for the entire sample (N = 73) and 0.86 for a subsample in which teeth with periodontal disease were excluded (N = 55). Standard error of the estimates ranged from 4.7 to 9.7 years depending on sex and health status of the tooth. The technique provided significantly better estimates for females than for males. The overall inaccuracy (mean absolute error) of the technique was 6.0 years, with a bias (mean error) of 0.26 years. Reduced major axis regression of adjusted count on age produced a slope of 0.797 for the entire sample and 0.889 for the nonperiodontal disease subsample. These slopes are consistent with a hypothesis of annual deposition of cementum rings given a decrease in cementogenesis with increasing age.     

Modulation of reconstituted cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase by phosphatase and protein kinase

Cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity was completely inhibited by incubation with alkaline phosphatase in a reconstituted enzyme system containing a cytochrome P-450, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and phospholipid. On the other hand, cAMP-dependent protein kinase stimulated cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity by 2.5-fold. The modulation of cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity was dependent on the amount of phosphatase or kinase added. The phosphatase inhibited enzyme activity was partially reversed by the treatment with protein kinase. These experiments indicate that the reconstituted cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity is reversibly regulated by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation mechanism.     

The relative cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and (6-4) photoproducts in Escherichia coli cells

In order to calculate the relative cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of (5-6) cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and (6-4) photoproducts, we have measured survival and mutation induction in UV-irradiated excision-deficient E. coli uvrA cells, with or without complete photoreactivation of the (5-6) dimers. Radioimmunoassays with specificity for (5-6) dimers or (6-4) photoproducts have shown that maximum photoreactivation eliminates all of the (5-6) dimers produced up to 10 Jm-2 254-nm light, while it has no effect on (6-4) photoproducts. These results were confirmed by measuring the frequency of T4 endonuclease V-sensitive sites. Based on the best fit equations for survival and mutation induction, we have found that the calculated cytotoxicity of (6-4) photoproducts is similar to that of (5-6) dimers; however, the former is much more mutagenic than the latter.