Characterization of the interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme/ced-3-family protease, caspase-3/CPP32, in Hodgkin's disease: lack of caspase-3 expression in nodular lymphocyte predominance Hodgkin's disease.

Apoptosis (programmed cell death) serves an important role in the normal morphogenesis, immunoregulation, and homeostatic mechanisms in both normal and neoplastic cells. Caspase-3/CPP32, a member of the ICE/Ced-3-family of cysteine proteases, is an important downstream mediator of several complex proteolytic cascades that result in apoptosis in both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells. Previous studies have demonstrated that caspase-3 is commonly expressed in classical Hodgkin's disease (CHD); however, the biological significance of its expression in Hodgkin's disease is unknown. In this report, the expression of caspase-3 in nodular lymphocyte predominance Hodgkin's disease (NLPHD) was evaluated by immunohistochemistry; in addition, we investigated the role of caspase-3 in CD95 (Fas)-mediated apoptosis in three CHD cell lines. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 11 cases of NLPHD were immunostained for caspase-3 using a polyclonal rabbit antibody that detects both the 32-kd zymogen and the 20-kd active subunit of the caspase-3 protease. Only 1/11 cases of NLPHD demonstrated caspase-3 immunopositivity in lymphocytic/histiocytic cells. Caspase-3 expression was also evaluated in three CHD cell lines, HS445, L428, and KMH2. Whereas caspase-3 expression was detected in HS445 and L428 cell lines, no expression was found in KMH2 cells by immunohistochemical staining. Treatment of HS445 and L428 cell lines for 72 hours with agonistic CD95 monoclonal antibody induced marked apoptosis that was significantly inhibited by pretreatment with the caspase-3 inhibitor, DEVD-FMK, as determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay and flow cytometric analysis of 7-amino-actinomycin D staining. In addition, a significant increase in caspase-3 activity as determined by an enzyme colorimetric assay was detected in HS445 and L428 cells after 48 hours of CD95 stimulation. In marked contrast, treatment of caspase-3-deficient KMH2 cells with anti-CD95 mAb did not demonstrate an increase in caspase-3 activity or induce apoptosis. These data demonstrate caspase-3 is important for CD95-mediated apoptosis in CHD cell lines. In addition, the majority of NLPHD cases examined in this study failed to express detectable levels of caspase-3, suggesting these tumor cells may be resistant to apoptotic stimuli dependent on caspase-3 activity. Furthermore, these data suggest the differential expression of caspase-3 noted between NLPHD and CHD may provide additional evidence that each is a unique disease entity.     

Specific NF-kappaB blockade selectively inhibits tumour necrosis factor-alpha-induced COX-2 but not constitutive COX-1 gene expression in HT-29 cells.

Cyclo-oxygenase (COX) is the key regulatory enzyme of the prostaglandin/eicosanoid pathway. While COX-1 is mostly constitutively expressed, the COX-2 isoform is inducible by proinflammatory cytokines. We used an adenoviral vector containing an NF-kappaB super-repressor (Ad5IkappaB) to investigate the role of NF-kappaB in tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-mediated COX-2 gene expression in a colonic epithelial cell line. COX-1 mRNA and protein were constitutively expressed in uninfected, control Ad5LacZ- or Ad5IkappaB-infected HT-29 cells with no apparent change following TNF-alpha exposure. COX-2 mRNA and protein expression was undetectable in unstimulated cells but was strongly up-regulated after TNF-alpha stimulation in uninfected and Ad5LacZ-infected HT-29 cells. This induction was prevented in Ad5IkappaB cells. TNF-alpha increased prostaglandin E2 production by 20-fold in Ad5LacZ-infected HT-29 cells compared with uninfected cells and was significantly inhibited in Ad5IkappaB-infected cells in agreement with the COX-2 mRNA findings. We conclude that NF-kappaB activation is critical in mediating COX-2, but not COX-1 gene expression in HT-29 cells. Selective inhibition of COX-2 expression with the NF-kappaB super-repressor may be useful in distinguishing the role of inducible versus constitutive prostaglandins in intestinal function and provides greater specificity than pharmacological inhibitors.     

Molecular profiling of the role of the NF-kappaB family of transcription factors during alloimmunity

Allograft rejection involves a complex network of multiple immune regulators and effector mechanisms. In the current study, we focused on the role of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB/Rel. Previous studies had established that deficiency of the p50 NF-kappaB family member prolonged allograft survival only modestly. However, because of its crucial role in signal transduction in inflammatory and immune responses, we hypothesized that other NF-kappaB/Rel family members may produce more profound effects on alloimmunity. Therefore, in addition to p50, we analyzed the role of c-Rel, which is expressed predominantly in lymphocytes. Also, to investigate NF-kappaB activation in T cells, we examined transgenic mice that express a transdominant inhibitor of NF-kappaB [IkappaB(DeltaN)] regulated by a T cell-restricted promoter. Allograft survival was prolonged indefinitely in the c-Rel-deficient and IkappaB(DeltaN)-transgenic recipients. To determine the molecular basis of NF-kappaB modulation of rejection, we analyzed a panel of 58 parameters including effector molecules, chemokines, cytokines, receptors, and cellular markers using hierarchical clustering algorithms and self-organizing maps in p50(-/-), c-Rel(-/-), and IkappaB(DeltaN)-transgenic, experimental groups plus allogeneic-, syngeneic-, and lymphocyte-deficient (alymphoid) control groups. Surprisingly, profiles of gene expression in the c-Rel recipients (which have indefinite graft survival) were similar to the p50(-/-) and allogeneic recipients (which rapidly reject grafts). As expected, gene expression in the IkappaB(DeltaN) recipients (which also have indefinite graft survival) was similar to profiles of nonrejecting syngeneic and alymphoid recipients. Importantly, self-organizing maps identified a small subset of genes including several chemokine receptors and cytokines with expression profiles that correlate with graft survival. Thus, our results demonstrate a crucial role for NF-kappaB in acute allograft rejection, identify different molecular mechanisms of rejection by distinct NF-kappaB family members, and identify a small subset of inducible genes whose inhibition is linked to graft acceptance.     

Production of matrix metalloproteinase-9 by activated human monocytes involves a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt/IKKalpha/NF-kappaB pathway

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is considered to be an important component in the progression of inflammation. Monocytes/macrophages are prominent at inflammation sites, and activation of these cells by stimulants, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or tumor necrosis factor alpha and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor, leads to the production of significant amounts of MMP-9. Here, we show that LPS stimulation of monocytes results in MMP-9 production through a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3K)/Akt/inhibitor of kappaB (IkappaB) kinase-alpha (IKKalpha)/nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB pathway. This new role for Akt in signaling leading to MMP-9 production was demonstrated by inhibitor and immunoprecipitation studies. LY294002 or wortmannin, inhibitors of PI-3K, suppressed LPS-induced Akt activity and MMP-9 production. Evidence for the participation of Akt in monocyte MMP-9 synthesis was demonstrated by the inhibition of MMP-9 by SH-5, a specific inhibitor of Akt. The mechanism by which Akt regulates MMP-9 is through the activation of NF-kappaB, as shown by coimmunoprecipitation of the phosphorylated form of IKKalpha and Akt as well as the SH-5 suppression of the dissociation of IkappaB from NF-kappaB and the activation of NF-kappaB p65. The role of NF-kappaB in regulation of MMP-9 was demonstrated further by the inhibition of MMP-9 production by proteasome inhibitors, lactacystin and MG-132, which prevented the ubiquitination and dissociation of IkappaB from NF-kappaB. This is the first demonstration that Akt is involved in the signaling pathway leading to the production of monocyte MMP-9 and provides an additional approach in the regulation of this enzyme in human primary monocytes.     

Magnolol suppresses NF-kappaB activation and NF-kappaB regulated gene expression through inhibition of IkappaB kinase activation

The mis-regulation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) signal pathway is involved in a variety of inflammatory diseases that leds to the production of inflammatory mediators. Our studies using human U937 promonocytes cells suggested that magnolol, a low molecular weight lignan isolated from the medicinal plant Magnolia officinalis, differentially down-regulated the pharmacologically induced expression of NF-kappaB-regulated inflammatory gene products MMP-9, IL-8, MCP-1, MIP-1alpha, TNF-alpha. Pre-treatment of magnolol blocked TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB activation in different cell types as evidenced by EMSA. Magnolol did not directly affect the binding of p65/p50 heterodimer to DNA. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that magnolol inhibited the TNF-alpha-stimulated phosphorylation and degradation of the cytosolic NF-kappaB inhibitor IkappaBalpha and the effects were dose-dependent. Mechanistically, a non-radioactive IkappaB kinases (IKK) assay using immunoprecipitated IKKs protein demonstrated that magnolol inhibited both intrinsic and TNF-alpha-stimulated IKK activity, thus suggesting a critical role of magnolol in abrogating the phosphorylation and degradation of IkappaBalpha. The involvement of IKK was further verified in a HeLa cell NF-kappaB-dependent luciferase reporter system. In this system magnolol suppressed luciferase expression stimulated by TNF-alpha and by the transient transfection and expression of NIK (NF-kappaB-inducing kinase), wild type IKKbeta, constitutively active IKKalpha and IKKbeta, or the p65 subunit. Magnolol was also found to inhibit the nuclear translocation and phosphorylation of p65 subunit of NF-kappaB. In line with the observation that NF-kappaB activation may up-regulate anti-apoptotic genes, it was shown in U937 cells that magnolol enhanced TNF-alpha-induced apoptotic cell death. Our results suggest that magnolol or its derivatives may have potential anti-inflammatory actions through IKK inactivation.     

Paragranuloma is a variant of Hodgkin's disease with predominance of B-cells

Summary Fifteen cases of Hodgkin's disease of nodular and diffuse paragranuloma subtype (nodular and diffuse subtype of lymphocyte predominant type of Hodgkin's disease) were studied by light and electron microscopy, using monoclonal antibodies recognizing T and B-lymphocytes and dendritic reticulum cells. The results were compared with findings on 10 cases of Hodgkin's disease of mixed type with lymphocyte predominance. The present study provides evidence that paragranuloma represents a special variant of Hodgkin's disease different from other subtypes. Paragranuloma is characterized by predominance of B-cells which were demonstrated with a new B cell reagent KiB3 on routinely processed paraffin sections.This paper is dedicated to Professor Karl Lennert, Kiel, on the occasion of his 65th birthday