Human recombinant insulin-like growth factor I. I. Development of a serum-free medium for clonal density assay of growth factors using balb/c 3T3 mouse embryo fibroblasts

Summary A serum-free clonal density growth assay was developed for the quantification of the biological activity of human recombinant insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). The assay measures IGF-I stimulated growth of Balb/c 3T3 cells cultured over 4 d on poly-d-lysine-coated plastic surfaces in a serum-free medium formulation composed of a 1∶1 (vol/vol) mixture of Ham's F12 and Dulbecco's modified Eagle's media, supplemented with 3.0 ng/ml bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), 10 μg/ml human transferrin, 100 μg/ml ovalbumin, and 1.0 μM dexamethanose. Low-temperature trypsinization of serum-supplemented stock cultures combined with the use of poly-d-lysine-coated plates made it unnecessary to use serum or fibronectin to promote cell attachment and survival. Serum-free growth conditions were optimized with respect to the concentrations of the supplements. Addition of IGF-I resulted in 3.5-fold more cells than control cultures without IGF-I after 4 d. Deletion of bFGF resulted in no IGF-I stimulation of growth. The concentrations of various preparations of IGF-I required to achieve one-half maximal stimulation of cell number (ED₅₀), ranged between 1.25 and 4.7 ng/ml. In parallel assays, IGF-I was 6.6 times more potent than human recombinant insulin-like growth factor II and 32 times more potent than insulin. When cells were seeded into medium containing IGF-I, transferrin, ovalbumin, and dexamethasone but no bFGF, growth was minimal. Dose-response addition of bFGF showed an ED₅₀, of 0.9 ng/ml. The methods reported are useful to monitor the biological potency of recombinant and natural-source growth factors as well as providing a new means of studying the multiple growth factor requirements of Balb/c 3T3 cells in cultures. This work was supported by a contract from IMCERA Bioproducts, Inc.     

Human recombinant insulin-like growth factor I. II. Binding characterization and radioreceptor assay development using BALB/c 3T3 mouse embryo fibroblasts

Summary The binding of human recombinant insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) to BALB/c 3T3 mouse embryo fibroblasts has been characterized, resulting in the development of a radioreceptor assay. Binding of radioiodinated IGF-I (¹²⁵I-IGF-I) to washed monolayers of BALB/c 3T3 cells was specific, time dependent, and stable, being maximal after a 10-h incubation at 15°C with no loss of bound ligand or cells through 25 h. Scatchard analysis identified a class of high affinity binding sites with K _d =59.6 pM and an estimated 1.57×10⁵ receptors/cell. Half-maximal displacement of bound¹²⁵I-IGF-I occurred with 15 to 20 ng/ml unlabeled IGF-I competitor. Insulin-like growth factor II and insulin were far less effective competitors, providing halfmaximal displacement at concentrations of 130 to 170 ng/ml and 2 to 3 μg/ml, respectively. Epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor type α, and acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors did not compete for¹²⁵I-IGF-I binding at 1 μg/ml. Cells fixed with glutaraldehyde before ligand binding did remain attached to culture dishes more tightly; however such pretreatment destroyed approximately 70% of ligand binding. Crosslinking data indicated that¹²⁵I-IGF-I binds specifically to a 330-kDalton receptor as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nonreducing conditions. This receptor dissociated into 130-kDalton subunits when analyzed in the presence of dithiothreitol. This work was supported by a contract from IMCERA Bioproducts, Inc.     

Opposing effects of heparin with TGF-beta or aFGF during repair of a mechanical wound of human endothelium. Influence of cAMP on cell migration.

The effects on vascular wound repair in vitro of aFGF and TGF-beta, growth factors having opposite influences on endothelial cell growth and angiogenesis, were studied using as a model a mechanical lesion of confluent endothelium. Modulation by heparin of the activities of these growth factors during the repair process was also examined. Whereas heparin alone inhibited repair by lowering both cell proliferation and cell migration, TGF-beta alone mainly inhibited cell proliferation. When added together, TGF-beta and heparin exerted a combined inhibitory effect resulting in a residual lesion 50% larger than in controls. aFGF alone accelerated lesion coverage and this effect was enhanced by 40% over control values when heparin was added with aFGF. This acceleration was slightly (less than 10%) but consistently diminished by TGF-beta. Cell density in confluent unwounded areas was increased by 40% in the presence of aFGF, but TGF-beta diminished cell density by 20%. A small (30%) increase in intracellular cAMP was measured whenever aFGF was present during the repair process. In comparison, intracellular cAMP inducing agents (forskolin, dbcAMP) accelerated cell migration by 20% during lesion recovery without affecting cell proliferation or density. The present results show that the inhibitory effects of TGF-beta during vascular wound repair are opposed by aFGF. Furthermore, heparin (or heparan sulfates in vivo) modulates growth factors having activating or inhibiting functions and thus plays a regulatory role during the repair process. cAMP-inducing substances other than growth factors are able to accelerate cell migration.     

In situ hybridization of corticotropin-releasing factor-encoding messenger RNA in the hypothalamus of the white sucker,Catostomus commersoni

Summary In situ hybridization procedure with a ³²P-labelled synthetic oligonucleotide probe was used to detect corticotropin-releasing factor-encoding messenger RNA (CRF mRNA) in the hypothalamus of the white sucker, Catostomus commersoni. Adjacent sections were immunostained by a sucker CRF-specific antiserum. CRF mRNA-containing neurons were identified by autoradiography in the magnocellular and parvocellular subdivisions of the preoptic nucleus (PON). Many of these neurons were also immunostained by sucker antiserum, showing the same distribution patterns. These results confirm the presence of CRF mRNA and CRF peptide in the white sucker hypothalamus and support the view that the magnocellular and parvocellular neurons of the PON may be involved in the control of adrenocorticotropic hormone secretion from the pituitary in the white sucker.     

Enhancement of epidermal growth factor receptor expression on glioma cells by recombinant tumor necrosis factor α

Summary Recombinant tumor necrosis factor (rTNF; optimal dose 1000 U/ml) significantly increased the density of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in three of four glioma cell lines in culture as determined by binding analysis of anti-EGF-R monoclonal antibody (mAb) 425. Since enhancement of EGF-R expression by rTNF- was inhibited when cells were treated with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, the effects of rTNF may be protein-synthesis-dependent. The dose of rTNF that was optimal for up-regulation of EGF-R on glioma cells did not inhibit the growth of these cells.¹²⁵I-labeled mAb 425 lysed glioma cells in culture following its internalization into the cells. After glioma cells had been treated with rTNF, the growth-inhibitory effects of the mAb were significantly enhanced, probably a reflection of the increase in EGF-R density on the tumor cell surfaces. The rTNF effects were specific to the EGF-R and did not affect unrelated glioma-associated antigens. In our previous clinical trials,¹²⁵I-labeled mAb 425 showed immunotherapeutic effects in glioma patients. The present study provides the basis for considerations of combined immunotherapy of glioma patients with¹²⁵I-labeled mAb 425 and rTNF.     

血管内皮舒张因子在氧自由基所致慢性缺氧大鼠肺内动脉收缩中的作用

以黄嘌岭(X)-黄嘌呤氧化酶(XO)系统产生氧自由基,应用微量生物测定法观察慢性缺氧(5000m,10d)对大鼠氧自由基所致肺内动脉收缩的影响及内皮舒张因子(EDRF)在其中的作用。慢性缺氧大鼠有内皮的肺内动脉环对氧自由基的收缩反应较正常环境中的对照动物明显增强,加入EDRF灭活剂还原型血红蛋白(RHb)后更加显著;而加入超氧化物歧化酶(铜锌SOD)后则减弱,甚至消除。反之,不论加入RHb或SOD对氧自由基所致去内皮肺内动脉环的收缩反应均无明显影响。上述结果表明慢性缺氧引起肺内动脉收缩增强与EDRF有密切关系:慢性缺氧可能使EDRF的作用减弱,肺内动脉对氧自由基的反应性增强。表示EDRF及其与氧自由基的关系在慢性缺氧性肺动脉高压的形成中可能具有十分重要的意义。     

Effect of pyridoxine on tumor necrosis factor activitiesin vitro

Clinical trials with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) as an antitumor agent have so far given rather disappointing results. In this study we show that the naturally occuring vitamin B₆ compound, pyridoxine, enhances TNF-induced cytolysis of three subclones of a mouse fibrosarcoma cell line (WEHI 164). The degree of pyridoxine-induced enhancement of TNF cytotoxicity seems to be dependent on the cells sensitivity to TNF, as the enhancement was much more pronounced in the relatively TNF resistant subclone act-R(cl.12)-WEHI 164, than in the very TNF sensitive subclone WEHI 164 clone 13. Furthermore, our study shows that pyridoxine, in contrast to its enhancing effect on TNF-induced cytotoxicity, rather inhibits TNF-induced growth of human FS-4 fibroblasts. Pyridoxine also enhances lymphotoxin (LT)-induced tumor cell killing and inhibits LT-induced fibroblast growth. Pyridoxine is a relatively non-toxic agentin vivo. Our results suggest that a combination of TNF and pyridoxine may be more efficient than TNF alone, in the treatment of cancer patients.     

生态因子对中药甘草质量影响的初步研究

甘草是一种常用中药,由于具有“调和诸药”之功效而成为方剂中最常用的一味药。古有“十方九草”之说,可见对甘草的需求量之大;目前,对甘草的需求不仅仅限于医药界,在食品、轻工、畜牧等行业也有广泛的应用。然而,由于长期滥采、滥挖,只挖不种,使得甘草的蕴藏量急剧下降,有些地区的甘草资源濒临枯竭。例如,东北松嫩平原,原是我国“东草”商品的主产区之一,并大量出口国外,