bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alteration of lung atrial natriuretic peptide receptors in genetic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Mukaddam-Daher S. , Tremblay J. , Fujio N. , Koch C. , Jankowski M. , Quillen E. W. , Gutkowska J.
Published: December 2017

These studies were designed to characterize the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANF) receptor subtypes [guanylyl cyclase natriuretic peptide receptors (NPR-A, NPR-B) and NPR-C] in lungs of normal hamsters and to evaluate alterations in receptor kinetics in genetic cardiomyopathy (CMO), a model of human congestive heart failure. Lung membranes were obtained from normal and CMO 200-to 230-day-old hamsters. Cross-linking and competitive binding receptor assays using 125I-labeled human ANF showed that lung membranes exhibit NPR, mainly guanylyl cyclase NPR-A and clearance NPR-C receptors. Stimulation of guanylyl cyclase by ANF and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) confirmed the presence of NPR-A and NPR-B. The maximum binding capacity of total ANF binding sites (442 +/- 68 vs. 271 +/- 57 fmol/mg protein, P < 0.05) was reduced, but dissociation constant (0.26 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.41 +/- 0.08 nM) was not altered in CMO animals. Similar reductions were observed in the binding sites for brain natriuretic peptide (BNP; 438 +/- 83 vs. 236 +/- 53 fmol/mg protein) and CNP (321 +/- 80 vs. 165 +/- 56 fmol/mg protein, P < 0.05) which may reflect a decline in NPR-A and NPR-B and/or NPR-C. Acid wash improved binding of 125I-labeled rat ANF to lung membranes of both normal and CMO hamsters, but the tendency towards reduced binding in CMO hamsters did not reach statistical significance, implying that downregulation may not have been due only to prior occupancy of the receptors. Transcripts of NPR-A, NPR-B, and NPR-C receptors in hamster lungs were detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Compared with normal controls, the CMO hamster lung NPR-A mRNA was reduced by 50%, but NPR-B mRNA and NPR-C mRNA were not altered. Moreover, CMO hamster lungs showed less activation of guanylyl cyclase by ANF. These studies demonstrate that lung NPR are downregulated in hamster CMO.
Tenascin synthesis, deposition, and isoforms in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertensive rat lungs
Authors: Lipke D. L. , Aziz S. M. , Fagerland J. A. , Majesky M. , Arcot S. S.
Published: December 2017

Monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary hypertension is characterized by alterations in vascular extracellular matrix and neomuscularization of small blood vessels. Tenascin (TN) is a matrix glycoprotein which modulates cellular attachment, proliferation, and migration. The present study used immunohistochemistry and Northern analyses to examine the hypothesis that treatment of rats with the potent pneumotoxin MCT induces temporal alterations in TN synthesis/deposition in the affected lungs. MCT produced progressive pathological alterations in the cardiopulmonary system, including increased dry lung weight, right ventricular hypertrophy, and pulmonary hypertension by days 7, 14, and 21, respectively. TN positive foci were first observed in the parenchyma surrounding small muscularized pulmonary arteries in MCT-treated rats at day 4; these foci became both more pronounced and frequent as the disease progressed. TN was also observed in the media of the intrapulmonary artery at day 21. Northern analysis demonstrated increases in TN transcripts in MCT-treated rats as early as day 1. Furthermore, a unique transcript, apparently lacking some fibronectin type III-like units, was observed in mRNA extracted from these rats. These data demonstrate alterations in TN synthetic capacity and focal increases in TN deposition in lungs from MCT-treated rats and suggest that TN may be associated with the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension.
Differential changes in SP-A and disaturated phospholipids in the isolated perfused rat lung and in vivo
Authors: Doyle I. R. , Barr H. A. , Davidson K. G. , Nicholas T. E.
Published: December 2017

Alveolar disaturated phospholipids (DSPA) increase in vivo in rats with hyperpnea and in isolated perfused lungs (IPL) in response to either salbutamol or increasing tidal volume (VT). Because surfactant protein-A (SP-A) may play a role in surfactant homeostasis, we have examined the relationship between SP-A and DSP in the alveolus lamellar bodies (LB-A), and in a vesicular (LB-B) lung subfraction. Whereas 2 h swimming increased total DSPA (approximately 48%), it had no effect on alveolar SP-A (SP-AA). In the IPL, salbutamol increased total DSPA (approximately 30%) and SP-AA (approximately 41%); increasing VT (2.5-fold) only increased DSPA (approximately 22%). SP-A and DSP also varied differentially in the tubular myelin-rich and -poor subfractions. In both the IPL and in vivo, we found inverse relationships between DSPA and SP-AA/DSPA, indicating that although SP-AA and DSPA are related, they vary independently. Whereas total SP-AA/DSPA varied between 0.046 and 0.074, it remained constant in LB-A (approximately 0.015) and LB-B (approximately 0.010), suggesting that DSP and SP-A are secreted differentially and that only a small portion of SP-AA is derived from lamellar bodies.
Characterization of two baboon surfactant protein A genes
Authors: Gao E. , Wang Y. , McCormick S. M. , Li J. , Seidner S. R. , Mendelson C. R.
Published: December 2017

The gene encoding surfactant protein A (SP-A) is expressed in type II pneumonocytes and is developmentally and hormonally regulated in fetal lung tissue. SP-A is encoded by a single-copy gene in rabbits, dogs, rats, and mice. By contrast, the human genome contains two similar genes, hSP-A1 and hSP-A2, which are differentially regulated during development and differentially regulated by adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and glucocorticoid treatment of human fetal lung in culture. In the present study, we have isolated and characterized baboon genomic clones containing two highly similar SP-A genes. Restriction mapping of these clones, together with Southern analysis of genomic DNA, indicates that these comprise two distinct baboon SP-A genes. Sequence comparison of DNA upstream of the transcription initiation sites and within the 3'-untranslated regions encoded by exon VI indicates that one of the baboon SP-A genes (bSP-A1) is more similar to hSP-A1, whereas the other (bSP-A2) is more similar to hSP-A2. Primer extension analysis of baboon lung mRNA indicates that both baboon SP-A genes utilize conserved transcription initiation sites. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis of RNA isolated from lung tissues of fetal baboons of 160 days gestational age indicates that both bSP-A1 and bSP-A2 are expressed in baboon fetal lung and that mRNA transcripts of bSP-A1 and bSP-A2 genes are primarily comprised of sequences encoded by exons I and III-VI. However, minor transcripts of the bSP-A1 gene containing exon II and exon II plus an extension also were detected. The presence of two SP-A genes in the baboon suggests that duplication of the SP-A gene occurred > 26.5 million years ago, before divergence of the baboon lineage from the man-gorilla-chimpanzee clade.
Human and rat airway smooth muscle responsiveness after ozone exposure in vitro
Authors: Roux E. , Guibert C. , Crevel H. , Savineau J. P. , Marthan R.
Published: December 2017

We previously reported that NO2 and acrolein administered ex vivo to the lung altered the subsequent responsiveness of airway smooth muscle. The aim of this study was to determine the dose-response relationship for O3 in both human isolated bronchi and rat tracheae and to investigate the mechanisms underlying O3-induced airway responsiveness. Exposure to 1 ppm O3 for 15 min significantly increased the maximal response to carbachol of rat tracheal rings to 149.6 +/- 5.4% of the reference response to acetylcholine (ACh) compared with that of unexposed rings (131.3 +/- 2.4%, n = 6, P < 0.05). The change in maximal airway responsiveness to carbachol, when plotted against the product of exposure concentration and exposure time to O3, a surrogate for the dose, formed a bell-shaped curve. The peak of this dose-response curve was shifted to the right for human bronchi (50 ppm x min, n = 5) compared with that of rat tracheae (15 ppm x min, n = 6). In the rat trachea, responses to KCl were not altered by O3, whereas those to 5-hydroxytryptamine hydrochloride (5-HT) were significantly increased. Finally, in the absence of external Ca2+, O3 exposure still potentiated the maximal response to carbachol from 73.6 +/- 13.9 to 137.0 +/- 6.0% and that to 5-HT from 21.5 +/- 5.5 to 38.7 +/- 2.2% of the reference ACh response. These results indicate that O3 alters the subsequent in vitro airway responsiveness depending on 1) the dose, 2) the nature of the agonist, and 3) the species investigated. Because in vitro exposure to O3 increases responses to agonists that release intracellular Ca2+ and since this effect is maintained in Ca(2+)-free solution, the mechanism of O3-induced increase in airway smooth muscle responsiveness is likely to involve an enhancement in intracellular Ca2+ release.
Fibronectin expression and organization in mesothelial and mesothelioma cells
Authors: Ferriola P. C. , Stewart W.
Published: December 2017

Mesothelial cells are believed to be the progenitor cells for malignant mesothelioma, a tumor associated with exposure to asbestos and other mineral fibers. Little is known regarding fibronectin (Fn) function in mesothelial and mesothelioma cells. Fn RNA, protein levels, and localization were assessed in secondary cultures and later passages of spontaneously immortalized rat pleural mesothelial (NRM) cells and in neoplastic cell lines derived from asbestos-induced mesotheliomas. NRM cells expressed similar levels of Fn RNA regardless of passage number or cell density, as determined by Northern blotting and ribonuclease protection assays. Western blotting showed that Fn protein was both secreted by NRM cells and associated with cell lysates. Immunofluorescent confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated that secondary cultures of NRM cells assembled Fn into abundant homogeneous fibrillar arrays organized primarily between cells, whereas later passages of NRM cells displayed abundant but less homogeneous Fn organization. Fn RNA and protein levels in neoplastic mesothelial cells were slightly less or similar to levels in NRM cells. Organization of Fn in neoplastic cells was heterogeneous compared with secondary cultures of NRM cells, but Fn fibril formation was still apparent. F-actin microfilaments were organized in both NRM and neoplastic cells; however, actin stress fibers were maintained in neoplastic cells, whereas NRM cells displayed dense actin peripheral bands at high density. The maintenance of organized Fn and actin in mesothelioma cells is surprising and may contribute to the localized growth and invasive properties of these tumors.
Pertussis toxin alters the concentration and turnover of manganese superoxide dismutase in rat lung
Authors: Berkovich A. , Massaro D. , Clerch L. B.
Published: December 2017

Treatment of rats with pertussis toxin (PTX) decreases the activity of manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) in the lung and results in oxygen toxicity in air (L. B. Clerch, G. Neithardt, U. Spencer, J. A. Melendez, G. D. Massaro, and D. Massaro. J. Clin. Invest. 93: 2482-2489, 1994). To examine aspects of the mechanism of the PTX-induced fall in Mn-SOD activity, we injected rats with PTX (50 micrograms/kg), killed the rats 72 h later, and measured the activity, concentration, specific activity, and turnover of Mn-SOD in the lung. Treatment with PTX caused an approximately 50% fall in Mn-SOD activity and Mn-SOD concentration but no change in Mn-SOD specific activity. PTX also caused an increase in Mn-SOD mRNA concentration, a fall in Mn-SOD synthesis, and an increase in the half-life of Mn-SOD and general proteins. We conclude the PTX-induced low concentration of Mn-SOD is due to a decrease of translational efficiency. We suggest that, under normoxic conditions, signal transduction via heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide binding proteins regulates the expression of Mn-SOD at the level of translation and Mn-SOD degradation.
Effects of U-37883A, a vascular selective KATP+ channel antagonist, in the pulmonary and hindlimb circulation
Authors: DeWitt B. J. , Cheng D. Y. , McMahon T. J. , Marrone J. R. , Champion H. C. , Kandowitz P. J.
Published: December 2017

The effects of the vascular selective nonsulfonylurea guanidine ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP+) channel-blocking agent U-37883A on vasodilator and vasoconstrictor responses were investigated in the pulmonary and hindlimb vascular beds of the cat. Under elevated tone conditions, both U-37883A and the sulfonylurea KATP+ antagonist, glibenclamide, attenuated pulmonary vasodilator responses to the KATP+ channel openers without altering responses to vasodilator agents that are reported to act by KATP(+)-independent mechanisms. However, under low resting-tone conditions, U-37883A enhanced pulmonary vasoconstrictor responses to the thromboxane mimic U-46619 and to prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha and PGD2, whereas glibenclamide antagonized responses to U-46619 and the vasoconstrictor PG. In the hindlimb vascular bed, U-37883A and glibenclamide had no effects on responses to U-46619 in doses that inhibited vasodilator responses to the KATP+ channel opener levcromakalim. U-37883A and glibenclamide had no significant effect on baseline tone in the pulmonary or hindlimb vascular beds, and neither U-37883A nor glibenclamide altered pulmonary vasodilator responses to PGE1. The results of the present investigation show that U-37883A and glibenclamide, agents that are used in the study of vascular smooth muscle KATP+ channel mechanisms and attenuate vasodilator responses to the KATP+ channel openers, have pronounced effects on thromboxane/PG receptor-mediated vasoconstrictor responses in the pulmonary vascular bed of the cat.
Hyporesponsiveness to inhaled nitric oxide in isolated, perfused lungs from endotoxin-challenged rats
Authors: Holzmann A. , Bloch K. D. , Sanchez L. S. , Filippov G. , Zapol W. M.
Published: December 2017

Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) causes selective pulmonary vasodilation and improves oxygenation in patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Approximately 30% of ARDS patients fail to respond to iNO. Because sepsis syndrome often accompanies a decreased response to iNO, we investigated NO responsiveness in isolated, perfused lungs from rats exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Eighteen hours after intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 mg/kg LPS, rat lungs were isolated, perfused, and preconstricted with U-46619. Ventilation with 0.4, 4, and 40 parts per million by volume NO vasodilated LPS-pretreated lungs 75, 47, and 42% less than control lungs (P < 0.01 value differs at each concentration). The diminished vasodilatory response to iNO was associated with decreased NO-stimulated guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) release into the perfusate. Soluble guanylate cyclase activity did not differ in lung extracts from LPS-pretreated and control rats. LPS increased pulmonary cGMP-phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity by 40%. The PDE-sensitive cGMP analogue 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate vasodilated lungs from LPS-pretreated rats less than lungs from control rats. In contrast, the PDE-insensitive 8-para-chlorophenylthioguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate vasodilated lungs equally from both groups. After LPS challenge, the rat pulmonary vasculature becomes hyporesponsive to iNO. Hyporesponsiveness to iNO appears partly attributable to increased pulmonary cGMP-PDE activity.
Decreased Cu,Zn-SOD activity in asthmatic airway epithelium: correction by inhaled corticosteroid in vivo
Authors: De Raeve H. R. , Thunnissen F. B. , Kaneko F. T. , Guo F. H. , Lewis M. , Kavuru M. S. , Secic M. , Thomassen M. J. , Erzurum S. C.
Published: December 2017

To investigate the antioxidant response of respiratory epithelium to the chronic airway inflammation in asthma, the major intracellular antioxidants [copper and zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) and manganese-containing SOD (Mn-SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase] were quantitated in bronchial epithelial cells of healthy control and asthmatic individuals. Although catalase and glutathione peroxidase in bronchial epithelium of asthmatics were similar to control SOD activity in asthmatics not on inhaled corticosteroid (-CS) was lower than asthmatics on inhaled corticosteroid (+CS) and controls. Investigation of Mn-SOD and Cu,Zn-SOD activities revealed that the lower SOD activity in asthmatics -CS was because of decreased Cu,Zn-SOD activity. However, Mn-SOD and Cu,Zn-SOD mRNA and protein levels were similar among asthmatics -CS, asthmatics +CS, and controls. Importantly, Cu,Zn-SOD specific activity in asthmatics -CS was decreased in comparison with control and asthmatics +CS. Furthermore, in paired comparisons of asthmatics -CS and +CS, inhaled corticosteroids resulted in normalization of bronchial epithelial Cu,Zn-SOD specific activity. These findings suggest loss of Cu,Zn-SOD activity in asthma is related to inflammation, perhaps through oxidant inactivation of Cu,Zn-SOD protein.
Adenylate cyclase-coupled ATP receptor and surfactant secretion in type II pneumocytes from newborn rats
Authors: Gobran L. I. , Rooney S. A.
Published: December 2017

ATP stimulation of surfactant secretion in type II cells is mediated by both a P2Y2 receptor coupled to phospholipase C and a receptor coupled to adenylate cyclase. UTP also activates the P2Y2 receptor but does not stimulate adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) formation. We have examined surfactant secretion and signaling parameters in response to ATP and UTP in type II cells from newborn rats. There was a developmental increase in the response to both agonists. However, whereas ATP increased secretion as early as day 1, the effect of UTP did not become significant until 4 days after birth. ATP increased cAMP formation as early as day 1 but did not promote diacylglycerol formation or phospholipase D activation until day 4. Thus the adenylate cyclase-coupled ATP signaling mechanism is functional early in development but the P2Y2 pathway is not. We therefore used type II cells from 1- to 2-day-old rats to investigate the adenylate cyclase-coupled mechanism in the absence of interactions with the P2Y2 system. Effects of ATP and 5'-(N-ethylcarboxamido)adenosine (NECA) on surfactant secretion and cAMP formation were not additive, and their effects on secretion were antagonized by the same adenosine receptor antagonists. Overnight culture of the cells with NECA almost completely abolished the subsequent increase in cAMP formation in response to NECA, adenosine, and ATP but not to terbutaline. These data suggest that ATP, NECA, and adenosine activate the same receptor. Effects of ATP were not decreased by adenosine deaminase, showing that they are not mediated by adenosine acting directly at adenosine receptors. We suggest that ATP directly activates an adenosine receptor on the type II cell.
Genetic variability in combustion particle-induced chronic lung injury
Authors: Kodavanti U. P. , Jaskot R. H. , Su W. Y. , Costa D. L. , Ghio A. J. , Dreher K. L.
Published: December 2017

Occupational exposure to anthropogenic particles is associated with lung injury in humans. We hypothesized that residual oil fly ash (ROFA), an emission source particulate, may induce acute lung injury and fibrosis in sensitive rat strains and that fibronectin (Fn) gene expression will correspond to the development of fibrosis. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD), Wistar (WIS), and Fischer 344 (F-344) rats (60 days old) were exposed to saline or ROFA (8.3 mg/kg) by intratracheal instillation and examined for up to 12 wk. Histology indicated focal areas of lung damage showing inflammatory cell infiltration as well as alveolar, airway, and interstitial thickening in all three rat strains during 1-7 days postexposure. Trichrome staining of the lung sections indicated a sporadic incidence of focal alveolar fibrosis at 1, 3, and 12 wk in SD rats, whereas WIS and F-344 rats showed only a modest increase in trichrome staining in the septal areas. Of all Fn mRNA isoforms examined by polymerase chain reaction, only EIIIA(+) was upregulated during 6 h-1 wk in ROFA-exposed SD and WIS rats but not in F-344 rats. In situ hybridization analysis in SD rats revealed Fn mRNA expression by macrophage and alveolar and airway epithelium and within fibrotic areas. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed increased presence of Fn EIIIA(+) protein in the areas of fibrotic injury and basally to the airway epithelium. In summary, Fn EIIIA(+) increases early in the course of particle-induced lung injury and remodeling, which may or may not result in discernible alveolar fibrosis. There is a rat strain variation in ROFA-induced fibrosis and associated Fn EIIIA(+) expression.
Ozone inactivates cyclooxygenase in human tracheal epithelial cells without altering PGHS-2 mRNA or protein
Authors: Alpert S. E. , Walenga R. W. , Jaspers I. , Qu Q. , Chen L. C.
Published: December 2017

Exposure of human tracheal epithelial (TE) cells to ozone (0.1-0.5 ppm) leads to a transient increase followed by decreased production of prostaglandin (PG) E2 concomitant with dose-dependent loss and delayed recovery of cyclooxygenase (CO) activity [S.E. Alpert and R.W. Walenga. Am. J. Physiol. 269 (Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 13): L734-L743, 1995]. Formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cultured tracheobronchial epithelial cells during ozone exposure was recently demonstrated (L.C. Chen and Q.Qu. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 143: 96-101, 1997). In the present study, we investigated if ROS generated by ozone-exposed human TE cells contribute to PGE2 production and/or CO inactivation and whether the delay in recovery of CO activity after ozone reflects impaired gene transcription and/or protein synthesis. Rapid, dose-dependent ROS generation, assessed by fluorescence of dihydrorhodamine 123, was detected in human TE monolayers exposed to 0.21-0.63 ppm ozone. In a different system, TE cells were exposed to air or 0.5 ppm ozone for 1 h by serial renewal/collection of an adherent film of media. Ozone-induced ROS formation, the transient increase and decline in PGE2, and CO inactivation were attenuated by an intracellular hydroxyl radical scavenger, 1,3-dimethyl-2-thiourea. Ibuprofen, a reversible CO inhibitor, prevented PGE2 release during ozone exposure (and hence autocatalytic CO inactivation) but not loss of CO activity. Although CO activity remained depressed for hours after ozone exposure, compared with air-exposed cultures, no differences were detected in mRNA and protein levels of prostaglandin endoperoxide G/H synthase 2 (PGHS-2), the only CO isoform present in human TE cells, or in the rate of de novo PGHS-2 synthesis. Our findings suggest that ozone-induced PGE2 production and CO inactivation are primarily the result of formation of intracellular oxidant molecules and that delayed recovery of CO activity in human TE cells after short-term ozone exposure is due to persistent inactivation of PGHS-2, rather than to interference with its synthesis.
Mucus glycoconjugate secretion in cool and hypertonic solutions
Authors: Dwyer T. M. , Farley J. M.
Published: December 2017

For sensitive individuals, exercise-induced asthma is triggered by cold and dry air and is often accompanied by a productive cough. In this study, we determined whether cold solutions and/or solutions of increased tonicity directly caused an increase in glycoconjugate (GC) secretion. To test this, we used isolated swine tracheal submucosal gland cells (TSGCs) and measured the rate of GC secretion at 37 and 32 degrees C in isotonic solutions and in solutions made hypertonic by 30 mosM. TSGCs were isolated under conditions that minimized the rate of GC secretion and were perfused with medium 199 equilibrated with 5% CO2 to a pH of 7.4. A lectin-based assay was used to specifically detect GC present in each 2-min fraction of the perfusate. Basal secretion was 3.1-fold greater at 32 degrees C (n = 3) than at 37 degrees C (n = 4; P < 0.05). At 37 degrees C, increasing perfusate osmolarity by 30 mosM increased the average rate of secretion by 41 +/- 11% (n = 4; P < 0.05); return to isotonic perfusate caused a 4.5 +/- 1.8-fold transient increase in secretion (n = 4; P < 0.05) that was complete within 10 min. At 32 degrees C, changing tonicity of the perfusate had no significant effect but returning to isotonic perfusate caused a 2.3 +/- 0.7-fold transient increase in secretion (n = 3; P < 0.05). Thus key stimuli that trigger obstruction of airflow (cold and increased osmolarity) can also directly stimulate GC secretion in the airway. Such increased secretions may contribute to the productive cough observed in some individuals in response to cold air.
KGF facilitates repair of radiation-induced DNA damage in alveolar epithelial cells
Authors: Takeoka M. , Ward W. F. , Pollack H. , Kamp D. W. , Panos R. J.
Published: December 2017

Administration of exogenous keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) prevents or attenuates several forms of oxidant-mediated lung injury. Because DNA damage in epithelial cells is a component of radiation pneumotoxicity, we determined whether KGF ameliorated DNA strand breaks in irradiated A549 cells. Cells were exposed to 137Cs gamma rays, and DNA damage was measured by alkaline unwinding and ethidium bromide fluorescence after a 30-min recovery period. Radiation induced a dose-dependent increase in DNA strand breaks. The percentage of double-stranded DNA after exposure to 30 Gy increased from 44.6 +/- 3.5% in untreated control cells to 61.6 +/- 5.0% in cells cultured with 100 ng/ml KGF for 24 h (P < 0.05). No reduction in DNA damage occurred when the cells were cultured with KGF but maintained at 0 degree C during and after irradiation. The sparing effect of KGF on radiation-induced DNA damage was blocked by aphidicolin, an inhibitor of DNA polymerases-alpha, -delta, and -epsilon and by butylphenyl dGTP, which blocks DNA polymerase-alpha strongly and polymerases-delta and -epsilon less effectively. However, dideoxythymidine triphosphate, a specific inhibitor of DNA polymerase-beta, did not abrogate the KGF effect. Thus KGF increases DNA repair capacity in irradiated pulmonary epithelial cells, an effect mediated at least in part by DNA polymerases-alpha, -delta, and -epsilon. Enhancement of DNA repair capability after cell damage may be one mechanism by which KGF is able to ameliorate oxidant-mediated alveolar epithelial injury.
The stress response and the lung
Authors: Wong H. R. , Wispe J. R.
Published: December 2017

The stress response is a highly conserved cellular defense mechanism defined by the rapid and specific expression of stress proteins, with concomitant transient inhibition of nonstress protein gene expression. The stress proteins mediate cellular and tissue protection against diverse cytotoxic stimuli. Among the many classes of stress proteins, heat shock protein 70 and heme oxygenase-1 are the best characterized with respect to lung biology. A potential role for stress proteins in human lung disease is inferred from studies demonstrating stress protein expression in the lungs of patients with cancer, asthma, and acute lung injury. Several examples of stress protein-mediated cytoprotection exist in cell and animal models of acute lung injury. Stress protein induction protects rats against acute lung injury caused by either systemic administration of endotoxin or intratracheal administration of phospholipase A1. In vitro, increased expression of stress proteins protects lung cells against endotoxin-mediated apoptosis and oxidant injury. The mechanisms of stress response-mediated cytoprotection may involve the enzymatic and molecular chaperone properties of stress proteins. Alternatively, the stress response may protect by modulating lung proinflammatory responses. Data from extrapulmonary systems suggest that stress response-associated factors (heat shock protein 70 and heat shock factor) are directly involved in modulation of proinflammatory gene expression. Recent evidence also demonstrates interactions between the stress response and the I-kappa B/nuclear factor-kappa B pathway in cultured lung cells. Increased understanding about the role of stress proteins in lung biology may support efforts to selectively increase expression of one or more stress proteins to provide protection against human acute lung injury.
Regulation of transferrin gene expression during lung development and injury
Authors: Yang F. , Friedrichs W. E. , Coalson J. J.
Published: December 2017

Transferrin (TF), the major iron-transporting protein in vertebrates, is mainly synthesized in the liver. Although its source in lung is unknown, TF is a major inhibitor for lipid peroxidation and microbial propagation in lung fluid, and iron-free TF has been shown in rabbits to decrease the severity of respiratory failure and to improve surfactant activity. This study shows that TF is produced and secreted by the lung. In baboons and humans. TF gene expression displays distinct temporal patterns in different lung cells as revealed by in situ hybridization. Although expression of TF mRNA in submucosal glands remains active during development and throughout adulthood, its level in airway epithelial increases with advancing gestational age, reaches its peak before birth, declines 6-12 mo after birth, and diminishes in the older adult. In premature baboons maintained on ventilatory support, expression of TF mRNA is suppressed in both airway epithelium and glands. TF production by airway epithelia before birth most likely prevents oxidative damage in the newborn period, and its loss during injury may allow further lung damage.
Muscarinic receptors inhibit ATP-sensitive K+ channels in swine tracheal smooth muscle
Authors: Nuttle L. C. , Farley J. M.
Published: December 2017

The patch-clamp technique was used to characterize a cromakalim-induced current and its regulation by muscarinic receptors in tracheal smooth muscle cells. Cromakalim (10 microM) activated a steady-state increase of 33-292 pA (91.2 +/- 8.8 pA, n = 43) in whole cell current, consistent with the activation of ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels. Acetylcholine (10 nM-1 microM), added cumulatively, inhibited the cromakalim-induced current by 23.6 +/- 14.9 to 73.9 +/- 4.6%. This inhibition was blocked by pretreatment with atropine (1 microM). The cromakalim-induced current was also inhibited 83.0 +/- 8.3% by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (100 nM, n = 6). The inhibition of the cromakalim-induced current by acetylcholine (1 microM) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (100 nM) was reduced to 27.3 +/- 3.1% (n = 10) and 32.8 +/- 7.8% (n = 3), respectively, in the presence of staurosporine (100 microM). We conclude that muscarinic receptor stimulation inhibits KATP channel activity through the activation of protein kinase C. These findings suggest that KATP channels may play a role in the regulation of membrane potential and contractility in airway smooth muscle.
Airway inflammation induced by recombinant guinea pig tumor necrosis factor-alpha
Authors: White A. M. , Yoshimura T. , Smith A. W. , Westwick J. , Watson M. L.
Published: December 2017

We have cloned and expressed recombinant guinea pig tumor necrosis factor-alpha (gpTNF-alpha) and examined its inflammatory activities after tracheal instillation in guinea pigs. A 1,071-bp cDNA, including the region encoding the full-length 234-amino acid gpTNF-alpha protein, was cloned from concanavalin A-stimulated guinea pig splenocytes. The 154-amino acid protein corresponding to secreted gpTNF-alpha was expressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli, purified by affinity chromatography, and cleaved to yield a 17-kDa protein. gpTNF-alpha had a cytotoxic effect on WEHI 164 cells and was detected by goat anti-murine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) antibody in Western blots. Intratracheal instillation of gpTNF-alpha (50-150 ng) caused pronounced and dose-dependent airway eosinophilia. Incubation of gpTNF-alpha with rabbit anti-murine TNF-alpha sera or heating the gpTNF-alpha before instillation reduced bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) eosinophils to near control levels. Maximum BAL eosinophilia was observed at 24 h, but eosinophil numbers remained significantly above vehicle-treated animals for 72 h. Hence, gpTNF-alpha elicits a pronounced and protracted eosinophil accumulation in the guinea pig lung.
Cell cycle in alveolar epithelial type II cells: integration of Matrigel and KGF
Authors: Buckley S. , Driscoll B. , Anderson K. D. , Warburton D.
Published: December 2017

The regulation of cell cycle control in alveolar epithelial type II cells (AEC2) in response to peptide growth factors and extracellular matrix signals is not well understood. Herein, we have determined that, in adult rat AEC2 in primary culture on Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm biomatrix (Matrigel) in the presence of keratinocyte growth factor, the expression of key cell cycle control elements, including cyclins A and D and cyclin-dependent kinases (cdk) 1 and 4, is increased and that retinoblastoma protein (pRb) phosphorylation is also increased, with a corresponding decrease in the expression of p53 and the cdk inhibitors (cdkis) p21WAF1/CIP1 and p27KIP-1 compared with cells cultured on plastic. The Matrigel biomatrix-KGF culture conditions were also associated with an enhanced proliferative response, as measured by fluorescent-activated cell sorter analysis, thymidine incorporation into DNA, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression. This enhanced proliferation occurred with neither a soluble extract of Matrigel biomatrix nor with other simple biological matrices. We conclude that coordinated induction of key cyclins and cdks, with the concomitant suppression of key negative cell cycle regulators, occurs in AEC2 on Matrigel biomatrix in the presence of KGF. We speculate that the balance between cyclin and cdk activation and cdki suppression in AEC2 serves to integrate the combined influences of biomatrix and KGF signaling on pRb phosphorylation, thereby controlling transit through S phase of the cell cycle. Conversely, AEC2 express high levels of cdkis and p53 at rest in G1 phase. The latter finding may explain the quiescent state of normal adult AEC2 in vivo.
Macrophages primed by overnight culture demonstrate a marked stimulation of surfactant protein A degradation
Authors: Bates Sandra R. , Xu Jin , Dodia Chandra , Fisher Aron B.
Published: December 2017

The current study examined whether long-term culture of macrophages affects their metabolism of surfactant components. Compared with freshly isolated resting macrophages in culture for 1 h, macrophages attached to plastic dishes for 24 h showed evidence of conversion to a “primed” state with 1) an altered morphology characterized by a larger size, ruffled membranes, lamellipodia, and a “foamy” appearance after attachment to glass and 2) a fivefold greater respiratory burst in response to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate stimulation. On incubation with iodinated surfactant protein A (SP-A), the 24-h alveolar or tissue macrophages showed a 5- or a 23-fold greater increase in SP-A degradation, respectively, than macrophages cultured for 1 h. Conditioned media experiments demonstrated that the elevated rate of SP-A degradation after prolonged culture was not a result of proteases secreted by the macrophages. Incubation of cells with NH4Cl reduced the degradation of SP-A to a similar extent (to 33% of control values) in resting and primed tissue macrophages. On the other hand, length of time of cell culture did not affect macrophage uptake and degradation of [3H]dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in mixed unilamellar liposomes. Thus freshly isolated resting tissue and alveolar macrophages can be primed to specifically increase their rate of SP-A degradation. Activation of macrophages associated with lung disease may be important for SP-A metabolism and surfactant function.
Ca2+-dependent p47phoxtranslocation in hydroperoxide modulation of the alveolar macrophage respiratory burst
Authors: Zhou Huanfang , Duncan Roger F. , Robison Timothy W. , Gao Lin , Forman Henry Jay
Published: December 2017

Oxidative stress produces dual effects on the respiratory burst of rat alveolar macrophages. Preincubation with hydroperoxide concentrations [H2O2or tert-butyl hydroperoxide ( t-BOOH); <50 μM] enhances stimulation of the respiratory burst, whereas higher concentrations inhibit stimulation. Both the enhancement and inhibition are markedly attenuated by buffering t-BOOH-induced changes in intracellular Ca2+concentration ([Ca2+]i). Phosphorylation of the NADPH oxidase component p47phoxand its translocation from cytoplasm to plasma membrane are essential in respiratory burst activation. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-stimulated p47phoxphosphorylation was negligibly affected by 25 or 100 μM t-BOOH. Nonetheless, 25 μM t-BOOH increased PMA-stimulated p47phoxtranslocation, whereas 100 μM t-BOOH decreased PMA-stimulated translocation. In unstimulated cells, however, neither phosphorylation nor translocation of p47phoxwas affected by t-BOOH. Buffering of the t-BOOH-mediated changes of [Ca2+]iabolished the effects of t-BOOH on PMA-stimulated translocation in parallel to effects upon the respiratory burst. The results suggest that the dual effects of hydroperoxides are mediated, in part, by Ca2+-dependent processes affecting the assembly of the respiratory burst oxidase at steps that are separate from p47phoxphosphorylation.
Surfactant convertase action is not essential for surfactant film formation
Authors: Gross N. J. , Veldhuizen R. , Possmayer F. , Dhand R.
Published: December 2017

A serine-active enzyme, “surfactant convertase,” is required for the conversion of surfactant from the tubular myelin (TM) form to the small vesicular (SV) form. This transformation involves at least two steps, the conversion of TM to a surface-active film at the air-fluid interface and the reorientation of the film into the surface-inactive SV form; we asked if convertase was required for the first of these steps. Rat and mouse TMs were pretreated with diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) to inactivate endogenous convertase activity or with vehicle and then were analyzed for their ability to lower surface tension in vitro as an index of the conversion of TM to a surface film. DFP pretreatment did not alter the ability of TM preparations to lower surface tension, as assessed by pulsating bubble, and it did not affect the behavior of TM in a surface balance. In an experiment designed to test the ability of TM to feed a surface film to exhaustion, TMs that had been pretreated with DFP or vehicle performed similarly. These experiments show that convertase activity is not required for the conversion of TM to a monolayer and suggest, instead, that convertase acts at a post surface film stage.
TGF-β1 modulates EGF-stimulated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity in human airway smooth muscle cells
Authors: Krymskaya Vera P. , Hoffman Rebecca , Eszterhas Andrew , Ciocca Vincenzo , Panettieri Reynold A.
Published: December 2017

Regulation of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase plays an important role in modulating cellular function. We have previously shown that transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 inhibited epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced human airway smooth muscle (hASM) cell proliferation and that PI 3-kinase activation is a necessary signaling event in mitogen-induced hASM cell growth. In this study, we postulated that TGF-β1 may modulate EGF-induced PI 3-kinase activation. To date, no study has examined the effects of TGF-β1 on PI 3-kinase activity. In cultured hASM cells, EGF induced a 5.7 ± 1.2-fold activation of PI 3-kinase compared with diluent-treated cells. Although TGF-β1 alone did not alter PI 3-kinase activation, TGF-β1 markedly enhanced EGF-induced PI 3-kinase activity, with a 16.6 ± 1.9-fold increase over control cells treated with diluent alone. EGF significantly increased the association of PI 3-kinase with tyrosine phosphorylated proteins, and TGF-β1 pretreatment before EGF stimulation apparently did not alter this association. Interestingly, TGF-β1 did not modulate EGF-induced p70 S6 kinase activity, which is important for the progression of cells from the G0to the G1phase of the cell cycle. Immunoprecipitation of type I and type II TGF-β receptors showed that PI 3-kinase was associated with both type I and type II TGF-β receptors. TGF-β1, however, enhanced PI 3-kinase activity associated with the type I TGF-β receptor. Although in some cell types inhibition of PI 3-kinase and treatment of cells with TGF-β1 mediate apoptosis, cell cycle analysis and DNA ladder studies show that PI 3-kinase inhibition or stimulation of hASM cells with TGF-β1 did not induce myocyte apoptosis. Although the inhibitory effects of TGF-β1 on hASM cell growth are not mediated at the level of PI 3-kinase and p70 S6 kinase, we now show that activation of the TGF-β1 receptor modulates PI 3-kinase activity stimulated by growth factors in hASM cells.
Plasmalogens effectively reduce the surface tension of surfactant-like phospholipid mixtures
Authors: Rüdiger M. , Kolleck I. , Putz G. , Wauer R. R. , Stevens P. , Rüstow B.
Published: December 2017

The alkenyl-acyl subclass of phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) and phosphatidylcholine (plasmalogens) are minor components of alveolar surfactant. Plasmalogens promote and stabilize hexagonal structures of phospholipids. In another study (W. R. Perkins, R. B. Dause, R. A. Parente, S. R. Michey, K. C. Neuman, S. M. Gruner, T. F. Taraschi, and A. S. Janoff. Science 273: 330–332, 1996), it was shown that polymorphic phase behavior may have an important role in the effective functioning of pulmonary surfactant. Therefore, we hypothesized that surface properties of phospholipid mixtures that contain plasmalogens are superior to plasmalogen-free mixtures. The effect of plasmalogens on surface tension of surfactant-like phospholipid mixtures (70 mol% dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine, 10 mol% phosphatidylglycerol, and 20 mol% PtdEtn) was measured. Using the pulsating bubble surfactometer, we show that an increasing amount of ethanolamine plasmalogens [plasmenylethanolamine (PlsEtn)] results in reduction of surface tension (0 mol% PlsEtn 44.7 ± 1.7, 2 mol% 33.5 ± 1.7, 4 mol% 36 ± 3.1, 6 mol% 26.2 ± 2.9, and 8 mol% 22.2 ± 0.3 mN/m). By means of the captive bubble surfactometer, minimal surface tension reached with 8 mol% PlsEtn was even lower (3.8 ± 0.7 mN/m). With regard to morphological studies (B. Fringes, K. Gorgas, and A. Reith. Eur. J. Cell Biol. 46: 136–143, 1988), clofibrate treatment of rats might increase the plasmalogen content of alveolar surfactant. However, in the present study, we could not show that synthesis and secretion of plasmalogens are affected by clofibrate treatment.
Human bronchial epithelial cells can contract type I collagen gels
Authors: Liu Xiangde , Umino Takeshi , Cano Marty , Ertl Ronald , Veys Tom , Spurzem John , Romberger Debra , Rennard Stephen I.
Published: December 2017

Fibroblasts can contract collagen gels, a process thought to be related to tissue remodeling. Because epithelial cells are also involved in repair responses, we postulated that human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) could cause contraction of collagen gels. To evaluate this, HBECs were plated on the top of native type I collagen gels and were incubated for 48 h. After this, the gels were released and floated in LHC-9-RPMI 1640 for varying times, and gel size was measured with an image analyzer. HBECs caused a marked contraction of the gels within 24 h; the area was reduced by 88 ± 4% ( P < 0.01). The degree of gel contraction was dependent on cell density; 12,500 cells/cm2 resulted in maximal contraction, and half-maximal contraction occurred at 7,500 cells/cm2. Contraction varied inversely with the collagen concentration (91 ± 1% with 0.5 mg/ml collagen vs. 43 ± 5% with 1.5 mg/ml collagen). In contrast to fibroblasts that contract gels most efficiently when cast into the gel, HBEC-mediated contraction was significantly ( P < 0.01) more efficient when cells were on top of the gels rather than when cast into the gels. Anti-β1-integrin antibody blocked HBEC-mediated contraction by >50%, whereas anti-α2-, anti-α3-, anti-αv-, anti-αvβ5-, anti-β2-, or anti-β4-integrin antibody was without effect. The combination of anti-β1-integrin antibody and an anti-α-subfamily antibody completely blocked gel contraction induced by HBECs. In contrast, anti-cellular fibronectin antibody did not block HBEC-induced gel contraction, whereas it did block fibroblast-mediated gel contraction. In summary, human airway epithelial cells can contract type I collagen gels, a process that appears to require integrins but may not require fibronectin. This process may contribute to airway remodeling.
Induction of PDGF receptor-α in rat myofibroblasts during pulmonary fibrogenesis in vivo
Authors: Bonner James C. , Lindroos Pamela M. , Rice Annette B. , Moomaw Cindy R. , Morgan Daniel L.
Published: December 2017

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a potent mitogen for mesenchymal cells. Induction of the PDGF receptor-α (PDGF-Rα) in vitro enhances PDGF-induced mitogenesis and chemotaxis. Thus we investigated whether the PDGF-Rα is induced in vivo during pulmonary fibrogenesis using a vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) model of lung injury. PDGF-Rα mRNA expression was induced 24 h postinstillation. PDGF-Rβ mRNA was constitutively expressed and did not increase. Western blotting showed upregulation of PDGF-Rα protein by 48 h, and immunohistochemical analysis localized PDGF-Rα primarily in mesenchymal cells residing within fibrotic lesions. Upregulation of PDGF-Rα in vivo preceded mesenchymal cell hyperplasia (3–7 days) and collagen deposition by day 15. Supernatants from alveolar macrophages treated with V2O5in vitro released upregulatory activity for PDGF-Rα on cultured lung myofibroblasts, and this activity was blocked by the interleukin-1-receptor antagonist. These data suggest that interleukin-1β-mediated induction of PDGF-Rα in vivo is important to lung myofibroblast hyperplasia during fibrogenesis.
Hypoxia induces type II NOS gene expression in pulmonary artery endothelial cells via HIF-1
Authors: Palmer Lisa A. , Semenza Gregg L. , Stoler Mark H. , Johns Roger A.
Published: December 2017

Type II nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is upregulated in the pulmonary vasculature in a chronic hypoxia model of pulmonary hypertension. In situ hybridization analysis demonstrates that type II NOS RNA is increased in the endothelium as well as in the vascular smooth muscle in the lung. The current studies examine the role of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 in regulating type II NOS gene expression in response to hypoxia in pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Northern blot analyses demonstrate a twofold increase in HIF-1α but not in HIF-1β RNA with hypoxia in vivo and in vitro. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays show the induction of specific DNA binding activity when endothelial cells were subjected to hypoxia. This DNA binding complex was identified as HIF-1 using antibodies directed against HIF-1α and HIF-1β. Transient transfection of endothelial cells resulted in a 2.7-fold increase in type II NOS promoter activity in response to hypoxia compared with nonhypoxic controls. Mutation or deletion of the HIF-1 site eliminated the response to hypoxia. These results demonstrate that HIF-1 is essential for the hypoxic regulation of type II NOS gene transcription in pulmonary endothelium.