scholarly journals Demonstration of Acid Hydrolase Activity in Primary Cultures of Bovine Brain Microvessel Endothelium

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 280-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Baranczyk-Kuzma ◽  
Thomas J. Raub ◽  
Kenneth L. Audus

The existence of lysosomes and acid hydrolase activity was demonstrated in an in vitro blood–brain barrier (BBB) model comprising primary cultures of bovine brain microvessel endothelial cell (BMEC) monolayers. BMEC lysosomes were observed by the uptake of acridine orange and fluorophore-labeled acetylated low-density lipoprotein by fluorescence microscopy. Cytochemical localization of the acid hydrolase, sulfatase, and acid phosphatase (AcP) activities with light microscopy also revealed hydrolase-positive vacuoles or lysosomes that varied in number from cell to cell. BMEC monolayers were fractionated and biochemical assays of the sulfatase, AcP, and β-galactosidase were performed. Significant activities of the acid hydrolases were found to be associated with lysosome and microsome fractions (69–77%). The majority of β-galactosidase (≈48%) and total sulfatase (≈58%) activity was associated with the lysosome fraction of the BMECs. In contrast, ≈52% of AcP activity was associated with the microsome fraction of the cells. The results of this study are consistent with the demonstration in vivo of acid hydrolases as potential factors in the endocytic pathway for transport of proteins through the BBB and as contributors to the BBB's enzymatic barrier function.

1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 801-805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Baranczyk-Kuzma ◽  
Kenneth L. Audus

Blood–brain barrier (BBB) aminopeptidase activity was investigated using an in vitro model consisting of primary cultures of brain microvessel endothelium. Using two different substrates, both membrane-bound and soluble aminopeptidases were found to be associated with brain endothelium. That the enzyme activity was aminopeptidase activity was confirmed with the competitive inhibition of substrate degradation by typical aminopeptidase inhibitors puromycin and bestatin. The aminopeptidase activity was also competitively inhibited by enkephalin, met-enkephalin, and leu-enkephalin. Results from parallel experiments with cerebral gray matter and kidney confirm assay conditions. This report supports previous suggestions that aminopeptidases of the enzymatic BBB may play a role in regulating levels of circulating neuropeptides in the cerebrovasculature.


1990 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-138
Author(s):  
T.J. Raub ◽  
K.L. Audus

The dynamics of membrane recycling were examined in primary cultures of brain microvessel endothelial cells (BMECs). Because the BMEC surface was dominated by galactosylated glycoconjugates, ricin agglutinin (RCAI) was used as a tracer to follow the endocytosis and recycling of RCAI binding sites. These binding sites accounted for 75% of the iodinatable or most externally disposed plasma membrane proteins. Because greater than 90% of the RCAI that had bound to BMECs was removed by a brief, nontoxic treatment with galactose, the amounts and kinetics for internalization and efflux of [125I]RCAI were measured. Both endocytosis and efflux were energy dependent. By using pseudo-first-order kinetics, the t1/2 values for RCAI binding, internalization and efflux were 5, 18 and 13–14 min, respectively. By comparing efflux with and without galactose present, we found that 60% of the RCAI binding sites that had been internalized were returned to the cell surface and reinternalized. Quantifying the distribution of gold-RCAI following internalization showed kinetics consistent with that obtained using radiolabeled RCAI. Both horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and gold-conjugated RCAI that had bound BMEC at 4 degrees C became localized within more caveolae within 2.5 min of warming to 37 degrees C to permit endocytosis. With time, RCAI appeared within endosomes and tubules and vesicles of which some were located in the trans-Golgi network (TGN). The distribution of HRP-RCAI contrasted with that of free HRP, which was not routed to the TGN. The absence of RCAI conjugates in association with the basolateral membrane domain suggested the presence of functional tight junctions and maintenance of polarity throughout the duration of these experiments. These results showed that membrane recycling was more extensive and much slower than fluid-phase endocytosis in cultured BMECs. Moreover, we found that endocytosis of membrane by BMECs in culture was similar to that reported for brain endothelium in vivo in that a fraction of the cell surface membrane was routed to the TGN.


1997 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-160
Author(s):  
Francesca Mattioli ◽  
Marianna Angiola ◽  
Laura Fazzuoli ◽  
Francesco Razzetta ◽  
Antonietta Martelli

Although primary cultures of human thyroid cells are used for endocrinological and toxicological studies, until now no attention has been paid toward verifying whether the hormonal conditions to which the gland was exposed in vivo prior to surgery could influence in vitro responses. Our findings suggest that the hormonal situation in vivo cannot be used as a predictive indicator of triiodothyronine and thyroxine release and/or S-phase frequency in vitro, either with or without the addition of bovine thyrotropin.


1996 ◽  
Vol 313 (3) ◽  
pp. 745-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Françoise LEVAVASSEUR ◽  
Jocelyne LIÉTARD ◽  
Kohei OGAWA ◽  
Nathalie THÉRET ◽  
Peter D. BURBELO ◽  
...  

Laminin γ1 chain is present in all basement membranes and is expressed at high levels in various diseases, such as hepatic fibrosis. We have identified cis- and trans-acting elements involved in the regulation of this gene in normal rat liver, as well as in hepatocyte primary cultures and hepatoma cell lines. Northern-blot analyses showed that laminin γ1 mRNA was barely detectable in freshly isolated hepatocytes and expressed at high levels in hepatocyte primary cultures, as early as 4 h after liver dissociation. Actinomycin D and cycloheximide treatment in vivo and in vitro indicated that laminin γ1 overexpression in cultured hepatocytes was under the control of transcriptional mechanisms. Transfection of deletion mutants of the 5´ flanking region of murine LAMC1 gene in hepatoma cells that constitutively express laminin γ1 indicated that regulatory elements were located between -594 bp and -94 bp. This segment included GC- and CTC-containing motifs. Gel-shift analyses showed that two complexes were resolved with different affinity for the CTC sequence depending on the location of the GC box. The pattern of complex formation with nuclear factors from freshly isolated and cultured hepatocytes was different from that obtained with total liver and similar to that with hepatoma cells. Southwestern analysis indicated that several polypeptides bound the CTC-rich sequence. Affinity chromatography demonstrated that a Mr 60000 polypeptide was a major protein binding to the CTC motif. This polypeptide is probably involved in the transcriptional activation of various proto-oncogenes and extracellular matrix genes that are expressed at high levels in both hepatoma cells and early hepatocyte cultures.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e12574-e12574
Author(s):  
Daniela Shveid Gerson ◽  
Alejandro Zentella - Dehesa ◽  
Raquel Gerson Cwilich ◽  
Benigno Rodriguez ◽  
Omar Serrano Villamayor ◽  
...  

e12574 Background: Currently there are no primary cultures or cell lines derived from patients with breast cancer and obesity. It has been postulated that breast cancer in obese women behaves differently as it does in non-obese women, as is composed of distinct biological features, as was generated in a different metabolic environment, as well as pertains to a different prognosis and different response to chemotherapy, lower rates of overall survival and a greater probability of recurrence. By creating a primary breast cancer culture bank of breast cancer tumors from women with obesity (BMI > 30kg/m2), we will establish a cell line exclusive to obese women in Mexico, where targeted therapy may be tested and treatment may be individualized depending on the characteristics of the patient. Methods: This study recruited 32 women with breast cancer and a BMI > 30 kg/m2, matched by 6 controls with are non-obese women with breast cancer. Elegibility criteria was determined by women with breast cancer confirmed by pathology, who had not been subjected to prior treatment regarding the neoplasm. The breast cancer removing surgeries and the patients were selected from the ABC Medical Center in Mexico City and all procedures were approved by the research and ethics committee of the hospital in question. Results: Through extensive communication a cooperative protocol was established between the departments of surgery, oncology, pathology and nursing to coordinate efforts and be able to take a 2 – 5 mm sample of the breast tumor removed from the patient. To be able to distinguish cancer cells from non-cancer cells (epithelial cells, fibroblasts, adipocytes) the Hayflick limit was be utilized. Once a primary breast cancer culture was established, 12 million cells will be injected into the subscapular area of athymic, nu-nu mice to be able to monitor tumoral growth in vivo and conduct a subsequent cellular analysis, determining it still pertains to the same characteristics of the tumor from which it was obtained. Conclusions: A primary breast cancer culture repository from patients with a BMI > 30 kg/m2 was established. This is the first primary breast cancer culture for both Mexican and obese women with breast cancer, the first in vitro method of analysis of specific characteristics typical of the Mexican population. Translational research may now be conducted on these new tumoral cultures to create individualized therapy for women with the distinct, aforementioned characteristics.


2005 ◽  
Vol 289 (5) ◽  
pp. H2012-H2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa A. Fleegal ◽  
Sharon Hom ◽  
Lindsay K. Borg ◽  
Thomas P. Davis

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a metabolic and physiological barrier important for maintaining brain homeostasis. The aim of this study was to determine the role of PKC activation in BBB paracellular permeability changes induced by hypoxia and posthypoxic reoxygenation using in vitro and in vivo BBB models. In rat brain microvessel endothelial cells (RMECs) exposed to hypoxia (1% O2-99% N2; 24 h), a significant increase in total PKC activity was observed, and this was reduced by posthypoxic reoxygenation (95% room air-5% CO2) for 2 h. The expression of PKC-βII, PKC-γ, PKC-η, PKC-μ, and PKC-λ also increased following hypoxia (1% O2-99% N2; 24 h), and these protein levels remained elevated following posthypoxic reoxygenation (95% room air-5% CO2; 2 h). Increases in the expression of PKC-ε and PKC-ζ were also observed following posthypoxic reoxygenation (95% room air-5% CO2; 2 h). Moreover, inhibition of PKC with chelerythrine chloride (10 μM) attenuated the hypoxia-induced increases in [14C]sucrose permeability. Similar to what was observed in RMECs, total PKC activity was also stimulated in cerebral microvessels isolated from rats exposed to hypoxia (6% O2-94% N2; 1 h) and posthypoxic reoxygenation (room air; 10 min). In contrast, hypoxia (6% O2-94% N2; 1 h) and posthypoxic reoxygenation (room air; 10 min) significantly increased the expression levels of only PKC-γ and PKC-θ in the in vivo hypoxia model. These data demonstrate that hypoxia-induced BBB paracellular permeability changes occur via a PKC-dependent mechanism, possibly by differentially regulating the protein expression of the 11 PKC isozymes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i15-i16
Author(s):  
Sachin Kumar ◽  
Antony Michealraj ◽  
Leo Kim ◽  
Jeremy Rich ◽  
Michael Taylor

Abstract Ependymomas are malignant glial tumours that occur throughout the central nervous system. Of the nine distinct molecular subgroups of ependymoma, Posterior Fossa A (PFA), is the most prevalent, occurring in the hindbrain of infants and young children. Lacking highly recurrent somatic mutations, PFAs are thought to be a largely epigenetically driven entity, defined by hypomethylation at the histone 3 lysine 27 residue. Previous transcriptional analysis of PFAs revealed an enrichment of hypoxia signaling genes. Thus, we hypothesized that hypoxic signaling, in combination with a unique metabolic milieu, drive PFA oncogenesis through epigenetic regulation. In this study, we identified that PFA cells control the availability of specific metabolites under hypoxic conditions, resulting in diminished H3K27 trimethylation and increased H3K27 acetylation in vitro and in vivo. Unique to PFA cells, transient exposure to ambient oxygen results in irreversible cellular toxicity. Furthermore, perturbation of key metabolic pathways is sufficient to inhibit growth of PFA primary cultures in vitro. PFA cells sequester s-adenosylmethionine while upregulating EZHIP, a polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) inhibitor, resulting in decreased H3K27 trimethylation. Furthermore, hypoxia fine-tunes the abundance of alpha-ketoglutarate and acetyl-CoA to fuel demethylase and acetyltransferase activity. Paradoxically, a genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen identified the core components of PRC2 as uniquely essential in PFAs. Our findings suggest that PFAs thrive in a narrow “Goldilocks” zone, whereby they must maintain a unique epigenome and deviation to increased or decreased H3K27 trimethylation results in diminished cellular fitness. Previously, we showed that PFAs have a putative cell of origin arising in the first trimester of development. Using single-cell RNAseq and metabolomics, we demonstrate that PFAs resemble the natural metabolic-hypoxic milieu of normal development. Therefore, targeting metabolism and/or the epigenome presents a unique opportunity for rational therapy for infants with PFA ependymoma.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM García-Lobo ◽  
Y Ortiz ◽  
C González-Riancho ◽  
A Seoane ◽  
B Arellano-Reynoso ◽  
...  

AbstractSome Brucella isolates are known to require an increased concentration of CO2 for growth, especially in the case of primary cultures obtained directly from infected animals. Moreover, the different Brucella species and biovars show a characteristic pattern of CO2 requirement, and this trait has been included among the routine typing tests used for species and biovar differentiation. By comparing the differences in gene content among different CO2-dependent and CO2-independent Brucella strains we have confirmed that carbonic anhydrase II (CA II), is the enzyme responsible for this phenotype in all the Brucella strains tested. Brucella species contain two carbonic anhydrases of the β family, CA I and CA II; genetic polymorphisms exist for both of them in different isolates, but only those putatively affecting the activity of CA II correlate with the CO2 requirement of the corresponding isolate. Analysis of these polymorphisms does not allow the determination of CA I functionality, while the polymorphisms in CA II consist of small deletions that cause a frameshift that changes the C-terminus of the protein, probably affecting its dimerization status, essential for the activity.CO2-independent mutants arise easily in vitro, although with a low frequency ranging from 10−6 to 10−10 depending on the strain. These mutants carry compensatory mutations that produce a full length CA II. At the same time, no change was observed in the sequence coding for CA I. A competitive index assay designed to evaluate the fitness of a CO2-dependent strain compared to its corresponding CO2-independent strain revealed that while there is no significant difference when the bacteria are grown in culture plates, growth in vivo in a mouse model of infection provides a significant advantage to the CO2-dependent strain. This could explain why some Brucella isolates are CO2-dependent in primary isolation. The polymorphism described here also allows the in silico determination of the CO2 requirement status of any Brucella strain.


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