Analysis of signal transduction in B chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

We report here experiments on the analysis of cellular signal transduction in a series of patients with chronic B cell disorders (B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia [B-CLL] and prolymphocytic leukemia). We compared the response of the leukemic cells with primary external signals (interleukin 2 [IL-2] or B cell differentiation factors [BCDF or IL-6]) with their response to secondary inducers (the phorbol ester (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate [TPA] or the calcium ionophore A23187) that circumvent the first part of the signal transduction pathway by directly activating the key enzyme protein kinase C. One BCDF was synthesized by mitogen-activated peripheral blood B lymphocytes; a second BCDF was constitutively produced by the human bladder carcinoma cell line T24. Changes in morphology, Tac (IL-2 receptor) expression, RNA synthesis measured by 3H-uridine uptake, and immunoglobulin production tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used as parameters of successful signal transduction. TPA alone and TPA plus A23187 (synergistically) effectively initiated differentiation in all the leukemia cases. Neither IL-2 nor BCDF (singly or in combinations) caused equivalent responses. On the other hand, IL-2 and BCDF produced a substantial differentiation effect on normal B lymphocytes. Our data suggest that (a) B-CLL cells are able to respond to direct stimulation of the second messenger pathway (through protein kinase C) but not to the physiological stimuli IL-2 or BCDF; (b) the defect in signal transduction appears to be located upstream of protein kinase C (a possible candidate is a G protein); (c) malignant B cells may spontaneously or after treatment with inducers express the IL- 2 receptor (Tac antigen) in the absence of a functional differentiating response to IL-2; and (d) signs of proliferation/differentiation in B- CLL samples after incubation with IL-2 or BCDF might be due to contamination of the cell populations with residual normal B cells.     

Human immunodeficiency virus infection of bone marrow endothelium reduces induction of stromal hematopoietic growth factors [see comments]

The majority of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive patients develop bone marrow abnormalities associated with hematopoietic malfunction during the progression of disease. One important manifestation of HIV-associated hematopoietic dysfunction is that after myelosuppression, bone marrow recovery, a process known to be mediated in part by the production of stromal cell-derived hematopoietic growth factors, is impaired. We sought to test the hypothesis that bone marrow stromal cells are infected by HIV-1 in vivo and that production of certain stromal cell-derived hematopoietic growth factors is deficient as a consequence. In this report, we demonstrate that bone marrow microvascular endothelial cells (MVEC), a key element of the stroma, are the predominant cells infected by HIV (5% to 20%) in bone marrow stromal cultures obtained from 11 consecutive HIV-seropositive patients. Although HIV-infected stromal cultures enriched for MVEC constitutively express normal levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, granulocyte (G)-colony-stimulating factor (CSF), granulocyte-macrophage (GM)-CSF, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- alpha, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, and Steel factor, IL-1 alpha-induced release of IL-6 and G-CSF is significantly reduced in these cultures. These observations suggest that HIV infection of bone marrow MVEC reduces the capacity of hematopoietic stroma to respond to regulatory signals that normally augment blood cell production during periods of increased demand.     

Binding of G-CSF, GM-CSF, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and gamma- interferon to cell surface receptors on human myeloid leukemia cells triggers rapid tyrosine and serine phosphorylation of a 75-Kd protein

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN), or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) triggered the rapid, stable phosphorylation of a 75-Kd protein (p75) when incubated with permeabilized HL60 human myeloid leukemia cells in the presence of [gamma-32P] ATP. Among several chemical inducers of HL60 cell differentiation, dimethyl sulfoxide also triggered p75 labeling, but retinoic acid or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate did not elicit this response. Pretreatment of cells with G-CSF or GM-CSF for more than 30 seconds before permeabilization rendered the p75 labeling undetectable, suggesting that ligand-stimulated labeling was rapidly completed within this time in intact cells. Phosphorylation of p75 occurred on serine and tyrosine residues. This conclusion was confirmed by direct phosphoamino acid analysis. Immunoblot analysis of lysates of intact HL60 cells that had been incubated with G-CSF, GM-CSF, IFN, or TNF confirmed that tyrosine phosphorylation of a p75 also occurred in response to these cytokines in intact cells. Pretreatment of intact HL60 cells with one biologic agent or dimethyl sulfoxide abolished p75 labeling in response to incubation of permeabilized cells with a second agent, strongly suggesting that the same protein was phosphorylated in response to these treatments. p75 labeling was strictly dependent on expression of the appropriate ligand receptor. Data suggest that activation of a tyrosine kinase system is an early response to the binding of G-CSF, GM-CSF, TNF, or IFN to their respective cell surface receptors, or to the addition of dimethyl sulfoxide, and that the resulting phosphorylation event(s) may play a role in securing common elements in the biologic responses to these agents.     

In vivo induction of gamma interferon and tumor necrosis factor by interleukin-2 infusion following intensive chemotherapy or autologous marrow transplantation

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy may improve immune reconstitution and reduce the risk of leukemic relapse in the setting of minimal residual disease by augmenting cytotoxic effector mechanisms directed at residual malignant cells. In addition, IL-2 in vitro promotes the release of cytokines including gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which also possess antileukemic activity and can enhance granulocyte function. To determine if IL-2 infusion induces release of gamma-IFN and TNF in vivo in sufficient quantity to mediate these effects, we have measured serum levels of these cytokines and secretion by lymphocytes obtained from patients receiving this cytokine in a phase 1 trial. Serum gamma-IFN was undetectable pre-IL-2 and increased to 1.5 to 17 U/mL during IL-2 infusion (P less than .05). Culture of patient lymphocytes for 48 hours produced 1.2 U gamma-IFN/2 x 10(6) cells/mL pre-IL-2 rising to 50 U/2 x 10(6) cells/mL when the lymphocytes were obtained during therapy (P less than .05). Lymphocyte subset analysis showed that both CD3+ and CD16+ cells secreted gamma- IFN in response to IL-2. TNF secretion by lymphocytes also rose during IL-2 infusion from a mean of 5 U/mL to 14.4 U/mL (P less than .01) although no rise was seen in serum levels. The material secreted by IL- 2-stimulated lymphocytes is bioactive as addition of supernatants from lymphocytes obtained during IL-2 therapy to cultures of myeloid blasts significantly inhibited clonogenic growth. IL-2-induced secretion of these cytokines mediated this inhibition as it could be partially blocked by either anti-gamma-IFN or anti-TNF antibodies. Preincubation of granulocytes with the same supernatants produced enhanced oxidative metabolism, measured by chemiluminescence in response to N-formyl- methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP). This effect also could be partially abrogated by anti-gamma-IFN and anti-TNF antibodies. Therefore, secondary cytokine secretion may boost granulocyte function and contribute to the antileukemic effects of IL-2 infusion in patients following bone marrow transplantation or chemotherapy.     

Synthesis of cobalamin coenzymes by human lymphocytes in vitro and the effect of folates and metabolic inhibitors

The uptake of 57Co-cyanocobalamin (CN-Cbl) and its conversion to 5- deoxyadenosylcobalamin (Ado-Cbl), methylcobalamin (Me-Cbl), and hydroxocobalamin (OH-Cbl) has been studied in phytohemagglutinin (PHA)- transformed lymphocytes from normal subjects and patients with patients with pernicious anemia. Uptake and conversion were much greater by PHA- stimulated lymphocytes than by mature non-transformed lymphocytes. In normal cells, uptake of 57Co-CN-Cbl and synthesis of the cobalamin coenzymes were approximately linear between 3 and 48 hr incubation. Ado- Cbl was the major cobalamin formed, and after 72 hr the cells contained about twice as much Ado-Cbl as Me-Cbl. Uptake by lymphocytes from patients with untreated pernicious anemia (PA) was greater than that by normal lymphocytes, but the proportions of Ado-Cbl and Me-Cbl synthesized by each were similar. Folic acid and methyltetrahydrofolate enhanced synthesis of Me-Cbl both in normal and in PA cells, while methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil depressed it. This depression was overcome by 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, suggesting that an uninterrupted folate cycle may play an important role in Me-Cbl synthesis.     

Development of pluripotent hematopoietic progenitor cells in the human fetus

Pluripotent hematopoietic progenitor cells (CFU-GEMM), myeloid progenitor cells (CFU-GM), and erythroid progenitors (BFU-E) were studied in midtrimester human fetuses using the mixed colony assay. All three progenitor cell populations were detected at high levels in the fetal liver from 12 to 23 wk of gestation. Stem cells were first observed in the bone marrow at 15-16 wk of gestation, although bone marrow cultures from earlier fetuses showed heavy growths of stromal cells. Spleen cultures first showed growth of stem cells at 18-19 wk, but fetal thymus showed no hematopoietic activity. Peripheral blood from four fetuses aged 13, 18, 20, and 21 wk showed very high levels of all 3 progenitor cells. The results demonstrate that hematopoietic development in the human fetus parallels that of the mouse. The observation that stromal cell development in the bone marrow precedes the appearance of hematopoietic progenitor cells suggests that they may be closely involved in stem cell growth.     

The ontogeny of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase positive cells in the human fetus

The ontogeny of cells containing the enzyme terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) in human fetal liver, bone marrow, and thymus has been studied using a highly specific antiserum to TdT together with monoclonal antiprecursor cell antibodies in double and triple marker immunofluorescence. TdT+ cells were first observed in fetal liver at 12 wk of gestation and accounted for 55% of the lymphoid-like cells isolated after Ficoll-Hypaque separation. TdT+ cells were first observed in the bone marrow 16 wk after gestation. Like TdT+ cells in normal infant bone marrow, the majority of TdT+ cells in fetal liver and bone marrow expressed both BA-1 and RFB-1 antigens. This suggests that fetal TdT+ cells include progenitors of the B lineage (BA-1+) and perhaps of thymocytes (RFB-1+). Nevertheless, TdT was not observed in fetal thymocytes until after 20 wk of gestation, although thymic blasts and the majority of thymocytes were strongly RFB-1+ from 12 wk of gestation. These results clearly show that fetal thymus is first populated by TdT, RFB-1+, BA-1 cells, but does not exclude the fact that a second "wave" of TdT+ prothymocytes, possibly bone marrow derived, also exists.     

The effect of long term combined yoga practice on the basal metabolic rate of healthy adults

Background  

Different procedures practiced in yoga have stimulatory or inhibitory effects on the basal metabolic rate when studied acutely. In daily life however, these procedures are usually practiced in combination. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the net change in the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of individuals actively engaging in a combination of yoga practices (asana or yogic postures, meditation and pranayama or breathing exercises) for a minimum period of six months, at a residential yoga education and research center at Bangalore.