Threshold effects of glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) deficiency on cardiac glucose uptake and development of hypertrophy

The aim of this study was to investigate the metabolic and structural consequences of a decrease in glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) levels on the heart. The CreLoxP system was utilised to delete GLUT4 in muscle tIssue including heart. The presence of the PGK-neoR cassette in the GLUT4-Lox mice resulted in reduced expression in all tIssues to levels 15-30% of wild-type control mice. In mice expressing Cre recombinase, there was a further reduction of GLUT4 in cardiac tIssue to almost undetectable levels. Cardiac glucose uptake was measured basally and during a euglycaemic/hyperinsulinaemic clamp using 2-deoxy-[1-(14)C]glucose. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was normal in hearts expressing 15% of normal GLUT4 levels but markedly reduced in mice with more profound reduction in GLUT4. Cardiac enlargement occurred only when GLUT4 levels were less than 5% of normal values. In heart there is a threshold level of GLUT4 above which insulin-stimulated glucose uptake is maintained. As little as 5% of normal GLUT4 levels expressed in heart is sufficient to prevent the development of cardiac hypertrophy.     

Antioxidant gene expression in the blood-feeding fly Glossina morsitans morsitans

We report the characterization of 11 antioxidant genes from the tsetse fly Glossina m. morsitans. Through similarity searches which detected homology we suggest that these genes consist of two superoxide dismutases (one with a putative signal peptide), three thioredoxin peroxidases (one with a putative signal peptide), three peroxiredoxins, one further signal peptide-containing peroxidase with its closest similarity to a glutathione peroxidase, one catalase and one thioredoxin reductase. We describe the changes occurring in the expression levels of these genes during fly development, in different adult tissues, in the adult midgut through the digestive cycle and following trypanosome infection. Overall, nine of the 11 genes studied showed responses to changes in physiological circumstance, with the peroxiredoxin group showing the smallest variations throughout.     

Opposing roles of gp130-mediated STAT-3 and ERK-1/ 2 signaling in liver progenitor cell migration and proliferation

Gp130-mediated IL-6 signaling may play a role in oval cell proliferation in vivo. Levels of IL-6 are elevated in livers of mice treated with a choline-deficient ethionine-supplemented (CDE) diet that induces oval cells, and there is a reduction of oval cells in IL-6 knockout mice. The CDE diet recapitulates characteristics of chronic liver injury in humans. In this study, we determined the impact of IL-6 signaling on oval cell-mediated liver regeneration in vivo. Signaling pathways downstream of gp130 activation were also dissected. Numbers of A6(+ve) liver progenitor oval cells (LPCs) in CDE-treated murine liver were detected by immunohistochemistry and quantified. Levels of oval cell migration and proliferation were compared in CDE-treated mouse strains that depict models of gp130-mediated hyperactive ERK-1/2 signaling (gp130(deltaSTAT)), hyperactive STAT-3 signaling (gp130(Y757F) and Socs-3(-/deltaAlb)) or active ERK-1/2 as well as active STAT-3 signaling (wild-type). The A6(+ve) LPC numbers were increased with IL-6 treatment in vivo. The gp130(Y757F) mice displayed increased A6(+ve) LPCs numbers compared with wild-type and gp130(deltaSTAT) mice. Numbers of A6(+ve) LPCs were also increased in the livers of CDE treated Socs-3(-/deltaAlb) mice compared with their control counterparts. Lastly, inhibition of ERK-1/2 activation in cultured oval cells increased hyper IL-6-induced cell growth. For the first time, we have dissected the gp130-mediated signaling pathways, which influence liver progenitor oval cell proliferation. Conclusion: Hyperactive STAT-3 signaling results in enhanced oval cell numbers, whereas ERK-1/2 activation suppresses oval cell proliferation.     

STAT3 and STAT1 mediate IL-11-dependent and inflammation-associated gastric tumorigenesis in gp130 receptor mutant mice

Deregulated activation of STAT3 is frequently associated with many human hematological and epithelial malignancies, including gastric cancer. While exaggerated STAT3 signaling facilitates an antiapoptotic, proangiogenic, and proproliferative environment for neoplastic cells, the molecular mechanisms leading to STAT3 hyperactivation remain poorly understood. Using the gp130(Y757F/Y757F) mouse model of gastric cancer, which carries a mutated gp130 cytokine receptor signaling subunit that cannot bind the negative regulator of cytokine signaling SOCS3 and is characterized by hyperactivation of the signaling molecules STAT1 and STAT3, we have provided genetic evidence that IL-11 promotes chronic gastric inflammation and associated tumorigenesis. Expression of IL-11 was increased in gastric tumors in gp130(Y757F/Y757F) mice, when compared with unaffected gastric tissue in wild-type mice, while gp130(Y757F/Y757F) mice lacking the IL-11 ligand-binding receptor subunit (IL-11Ralpha) showed normal gastric STAT3 activation and IL-11 expression and failed to develop gastric tumors. Furthermore, reducing STAT3 activity in gp130(Y757F/Y757F) mice, either genetically or by therapeutic administration of STAT3 antisense oligonucleotides, normalized gastric IL-11 expression and alleviated gastric tumor burden. Surprisingly, the genetic reduction of STAT1 expression also reduced gastric tumorigenesis in gp130(Y757F/Y757F) mice and coincided with reduced gastric inflammation and IL-11 expression. Collectively, our data have identified IL-11 as a crucial cytokine promoting chronic gastric inflammation and associated tumorigenesis mediated by excessive activation of STAT3 and STAT1.     

Differential regulation of gastric tumor growth by cytokines that signal exclusively through the coreceptor gp130

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We have shown that mice with a mutation in gp130 (gp130(757F/F)), the signal transducing receptor for interleukin (IL)-6 family cytokines, have chronic gastric inflammation and develop distal stomach tumors associated with deregulated phosphorylated STAT3 expression. This model recapitulates many characteristics of intestinal-type gastric cancer in humans. METHODS: To evaluate the role of IL-6 and IL-11 as ligands regulating tumor growth and submucosal invasion, we compared tumor characteristics of gp130(757F/F) mice with gp130(757F/F) mice lacking IL-6 or mature T and B cells. RESULTS: As a result of the gp130(757F/F) mutation, expression of IL-6 and IL-11 was greatly up-regulated concomitant with activation of STAT3 and development of tumors. However, the lack of IL-6 or T and B cells did not impact on tumor growth. While IL-6 did not regulate tumor growth or tumor vascularization, gp130(757F/F)/IL-6(-/-) mice showed approximately 10-20-fold more submucosal tumor invasion, reduced mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltrate, and greater IL-11 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 and MMP-9 synthesis than gp130(757F/F) mice. Expression of MMP-13 was largely restricted to tumor-associated stroma, but MMP-9 was also expressed in polymorphonuclear cells and a subset of epithelial cells. In addition, treatment with recombinant IL-11 stimulated expression of MMP-13 and MMP-9 in stomachs of wild-type mice. CONCLUSIONS: Increased submucosal invasion in gp130(757F/F)/IL-6(-/-) mice could not be explained by increased vascularization or reduced immunosurveillance but was most likely facilitated by augmented metalloproteinase activity driven by elevated IL-11 levels.     

Leucocyte migration inhibition and leucocyte adherence inhibition studies, using ferritin as 'antigen', in patients with malignant lymphoma

Isoelectric focusing of ferritin prepared from three spleens involved by Hodgkin's disease demonstrated only minor differences from normal spleen ferritin. The leucocyte migration inhibition (LMI) and leucocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) assays were used to assess sensitization to Hodgkin's disease spleen ferritin and its component acidic and basic isoferritins in patients with malignant lymphoma compared to patients with other malignancies and control subjects. A difference in response to ferritin was demonstrated in both tests with patients with malignant lymphoma compared to controls, and in LMI test compared to patients with other malignancies. There were also significant differences in responses in, patients with malignant lymphoma compared to controls, against acidic and basic isoferritins in both tests, in lymphoma patients versus patients with other malignancies against acidic isoferritins in both tests, lymphoma versus other malignancy against basic isoferritins in the LMI test only. However, no significant differences, within each group, between responses with acidic and with basic isoferritins were demonstrated, and there was no correlation between individual patients' responses in the two tests.     

Significance of smoking and detection of serum antibodies to cytomegalovirus in cervical dysplasia

Cervical biopsy specimens from 422 women attending a colposcopy clinic showed various grades of dysplasia in 387 and no evidence of dysplasia in 35. Of the women with dysplasia (CIN I, II or III) 67% were smokers and 33% were non-smokers compared with 43% smokers and 57% non-smokers in those without evidence of dysplasia. Of the women with CIN I 56% were smokers and 44% were non-smokers; 66% of those with CIN II were smokers and 34% were non-smokers (P less than 0.02), and 71% of those with CIN III were smokers (P less than 0.01). There were no significant differences between the smokers and non-smokers in the proportion of women who had had either a miscarriage or an abortion, in the prevalence of condylomata acuminata, and the use of oral contraception or barrier methods. Neither were there any significant differences in numbers of patients seropositive for cytomegalovirus or in CMV antibody titres among the groups. The detection of koilocytic cells in cervical biopsies showed a significant difference between smoking and non-smoking groups which reflected a significant increase in koilocytosis in smokers with CIN III.     

Gain- and loss-of-function Lyn mutant mice define a critical inhibitory role for Lyn in the myeloid lineage.

To investigate the role of the Lyn kinase in establishing signaling thresholds in hematopoietic cells, a gain-of-function mutation analogous to the Src Y527F-activating mutation was introduced into the Lyn gene. Intriguingly, although Lyn is widely expressed within the hematopoietic system, these mice displayed no propensity toward hematological malignancy. By contrast, analysis of aging cohorts of both loss- and gain-of-function Lyn mutant mice revealed that Lyn(-/-) mice develop splenomegaly, increased numbers of myeloid progenitors, and monocyte/macrophage (M phi) tumors. Biochemical analysis of cells from these mutants revealed that Lyn is essential in establishing ITIM-dependent inhibitory signaling and for activation of specific protein tyrosine phosphatases within myeloid cells. Loss of such inhibitory signaling may predispose mice lacking this putative protooncogene to tumorigenesis.     

Interleukin 18 inhibits osteoclast formation via T cell production of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

IL-18 inhibits osteoclast (OCL) formation in vitro independent of IFN-gamma production, and this was abolished by the addition of neutralizing antibodies to GM-CSF. We now establish that IL-18 was unable to inhibit OCL formation in cocultures using GM-CSF-deficient mice (GM-CSF -/-). Reciprocal cocultures using either wild-type osteoblasts with GM-CSF -/- spleen cells or GM-CSF -/- osteoblasts with wild-type spleen cells were examined. Wild-type spleen cells were required to elicit a response to IL-18 indicating that cells of splenic origin were the IL-18 target. As T cells comprise a large proportion of the spleen cell population, the role of T cells in osteoclastogenesis was examined. Total T cells were removed and repleted in various combinations. Addition of wild-type T cells to a GM-CSF -/- coculture restored IL-18 inhibition of osteoclastogenesis. Major subsets of T cells, CD4+ and CD8+, were also individually depleted. Addition of either CD4+ or CD8+ wild-type T cells restored IL-18 action in a GM-CSF -/- background, while IL-18 was ineffective when either CD4+ or CD8+ GM-CSF -/- T cells were added to a wild-type coculture. These results highlight the involvement of T cells in IL-18-induced OCL inhibition and provide evidence for a new OCL inhibitory pathway whereby IL-18 inhibits OCL formation due to action upon T cells promoting the release of GM-CSF, which in turn acts upon OCL precursors.     

Restriction endonuclease mapping of the genome of feline herpesvirus type 1

Summary Restriction endonuclease mapping was used to determine the molecular structure of feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) strain B 927. FHV-1 DNA purified from infected cells by pulsed field gel electrophoresis was partially restricted with Sau 3A to generate a series of overlapping fragments of 10–20 kb. EMBL 4 DNA was digested with Bam HI and Sal I and viral DNA was inserted into the stuffer region. Recombinant phage were selected onE. coli strain Q 359. Single and double digestions with the enzymes Eco RI, Bam HI, Sal I, Sst I and Xho I enabled construction of physical maps of the genome. The FHV-1 genome is approximately 126 kbp in length and is composed of a long unique region of 99 kbp and a short region of 27 kbp comprising an unique sequence of 8–9 kbp flanked by inverted repeats of 7–8.5 kbp.