Oil uptake via marine snow: Effects on blue mussels (Mytilus sp.).

Accidental oil spills into the ocean can lead to downward transport and settling of oil onto the seafloor as part of marine snow, as seen during the Deepwater Horizon incident in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. The arctic and subarctic regions may favor conditions leading to this benthic oil deposition, prompting questions about the potential impacts on benthic communities. This study investigated the effects of oil-contaminated marine snow uptake on the blue mussel (Mytilus sp.). We exposed mussels for four days to 1) oil-contaminated marine snow (MOS treatment), or to 2) chemically-enhanced water-accommodated fraction (CEWAF) of oil plus unaggregated food particles (CEWAF treatment). Both oil treatments received the same nominal concentration of oil and food. Two controls were included: 1) Clean seawater plus unaggregated food (agg-free control) and 2) clean seawater plus marine snow (marine snow control). After the exposure, mussels were allowed to recover for ten days under clean, running seawater. Samples were taken right before and after the exposure period, and after the recovery phase for the following endpoints: distribution (partitioning) of oil compounds between seawater and MOS, and between seawater and mussel tissue; DNA damage (assessed via the comet assay); clearance rate; and condition index [tissue dry weight (g) divided by shell length (mm)]. Some discernable patterns were found in the partitioning of oil compounds between seawater and MOS. However, these patterns did not translate to any significant differences in the partitioning of oil compounds into mussel tissue between the two oil treatments. DNA damage did not exceed background levels (10% tail DNA or less; to be expected in healthy, viable cells) at any sampling time point, but significantly higher DNA damage was observed in CEWAF-T compared to MOS-T mussels after the recovery phase. After the exposure, a significant difference emerged in the clearance rate between the CEWAF treatment and the agg-free control, but not between the MOS treatment and the marine snow control. All mussels except those from the CEWAF treatment exhibited an increased condition index after the exposure time. Together, these results suggest that aggregates could moderate the effects of oil exposure on blue mussels, possibly by providing better, more concentrated nutrition than unaggregated food particles.

Depletion of CLL-associated patrolling monocytes and macrophages controls disease development and repairs immune dysfunction in vivo.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by apoptosis resistance and a dysfunctional immune system. Previous reports suggested a potential role of myeloid cells in mediating these defects. However, the composition and function of CLL-associated myeloid cells have not been thoroughly investigated in vivo. Using the Eµ-TCL1 mouse model, we observed severe skewing of myeloid cell populations with CLL development. Monocytes and M2-like macrophages infiltrated the peritoneal cavity of leukemic mice. Monocytes also accumulated in the spleen in a CCR2-dependent manner, and were severely skewed toward Ly6C(low) patrolling or nonclassical phenotype. In addition, the percentage of MHC-II(hi) dendritic cells and macrophages significantly dropped in the spleen. Gene expression profiling of CLL-associated monocytes revealed aberrantly high PD-L1 expression and secretion of multiple inflammatory and immunosuppressive cytokines like interleukin-10, tumor necrosis factor-α and CXCL9. In vivo myeloid cell depletion using liposomal Clodronate resulted in a significant control of CLL development accompanied by a pronounced repair of innate immune cell phenotypes and a partial resolution of systemic inflammation. In addition, CLL-associated skewing of T cells toward antigen-experienced phenotypes was repaired. The presented data suggest that targeting nonmalignant myeloid cells might serve as a novel immunotherapeutical strategy for CLL.

Early-passage rat lung fibroblasts do not migrate in vitro to transforming growth factor-beta.

Lung fibrosis has been postulated to be mediated by the production of macrophage-derived growth factors that are both mitogenic and chemotactic for fibroblasts. In vitro studies from our laboratory demonstrated that alveolar and interstitial macrophages treated with iron and asbestos release platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) into the media. This conditioned media was capable of inducing proliferation and chemotaxis of primary rat lung fibroblasts (RLF). TGF-beta is known to be present in the media, and RLF have high-affinity receptors for TGF-beta. However, we found that > 95% of the chemotaxis was blocked by a polyclonal anti-PDGF antibody, whereas anti-TGF-beta did not change cell migration. TGF-beta has been described previously as a potent chemoattractant for fibroblasts. Thus, we tested the potential of purified TGF-beta to induce RLF chemotaxis in an attempt to address this apparent contradiction in results. Four separate preparations of RLFs from four different rats, Swiss 3T3 cells, human and rat fetal skin fibroblasts, and human foreskin fibroblasts were tested for chemotaxis using purified porcine TGF-beta 1 as well as human TGF-beta. None of these cells responded chemotactically to TGF-beta over a broad range of concentrations used (0.004 pg/ml to 50 ng/ml). RLF plated at different densities also did not respond to TGF-beta. On the other hand, all the fibroblast types migrated vigorously to PDGF (4 ng/ml).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Interstitial pulmonary macrophages produce platelet-derived growth factor that stimulates rat lung fibroblast proliferation in vitro.

Alveolar macrophages from humans and several animal species produce factors in vitro that modulate fibroblast growth and have been proposed as mediators of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary interstitial macrophages (IMs) have not been studied previously in this regard. Pulmonary IMs were isolated from prelavaged rat lungs by enzymatic digestion of tissue and subsequent differential adherence of cells to culture dishes. The ability of IMs to release modulators of fibroblast growth into the culture medium was assessed by measuring [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA and/or nuclear labeling of early-passage rat lung fibroblasts exposed to medium conditioned by IMs. The percentages of nuclei labeled in fibroblast cultures exposed to interstitial macrophage-conditioned medium (IMCM) alone did not significantly differ from that observed in controls, but fibroblasts exposed to IMCM supplemented with 2% platelet-poor plasma showed a 2.6-fold increase in labeling, indicating that IMCM contains predominantly "competence" growth factor activity. Similar results were obtained using purified human platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). The level of growth factor activity released by IMs increased in cells that had phagocytized iron spheres during the culture period. In addition, fractionation of IMCM by high-performance liquid chromatography demonstrated most of the growth factor activity at a relative molecular mass of about 35 kd. Subsequent quantitative analysis of the fractions by an enzyme immunoassay for PDGF demonstrated that IMCM contains a homologue of human PDGF. These results show that IMs are capable of producing a PDGF-like growth factor for autologous fibroblasts and that release of this factor is enhanced by exposure to an insoluble inorganic particle. Because PDGF is a potent growth factor for fibroblasts and is released by IMs, it is essential to ask in future studies whether this or similar macrophage products play a significant role in mediating fibroblast proliferation in vivo.

Receptors for transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) on rat lung fibroblasts have higher affinity for TGF-beta 1 than for TGF-beta 2.

Most cell types have receptors for transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and respond similarly to TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2. We have demonstrated the presence of a single class of high-affinity receptors (approximately 10,000 sites/cell) for TGF-beta 1 (Kd = 23 pM) and TGF-beta 2 (Kd = 41 pM) on early-passage rat lung fibroblasts (RLF). Incubation with unlabeled TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 resulted in concentration-dependent inhibition of binding of 15 pM [125I]TGF-beta 1 (ED50, 20 and 28 pM, respectively) and [125I]TGF-beta 2 (ED50, 36 and 56 pM, respectively). TGF-beta receptors affinity-cross-linked with 100 pM [125I]TGF-beta 1 or [125I]TGF-beta 2 were subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and exhibited labeled protein bands of 68, 88, and 286 kD. Densitometric analysis of the resulting autoradiograms showed that the different molecular weight TGF-beta binding proteins exhibited separate affinities for the two forms of TGF-beta. Both TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 altered the morphology and cytoskeleton of RLF in a similar manner, but TGF-beta 1 was more potent than TGF-beta 2 in the inhibition of RLF growth and colony formation, with 50% inhibition by 0.12 pM TGF-beta 1 and 4.4 pM TGF-beta 2. Different affinities for the TGF-beta s may indicate selectivity among the receptor subtypes with regard to the biologic responsiveness of RLF to TGF-beta s. We believe this to be the first demonstration of biologically responsive TGF-beta receptors with different affinities for TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 on cells derived from normal, nonimmortal RLF. In establishing the basic mechanisms of pulmonary fibrosis, it will be essential to understand the biology and biochemistry of the receptors that may control cell division and production of extracellular matrix components by fibroblasts.

A glial high-affinity binding site with specificity for angiotensin II not angiotensin III: a possible N-terminal-specific converting enzyme.

Anomalous binding properties of angiotensin II to fetal rat brain primary cultures suggested a possible contribution from contaminating glia. To investigate this possibility, cultures of C6 glioma, a clonal rat cell line, were examined for the presence of angiotensin II receptors. A specific high-affinity site for [125I]angiotensin II was measured both by traditional methodology using whole cells and by autoradiography. This site shared properties similar to that found with the brain cells, namely low ligand internalization and markedly decreased affinity for N-terminal sarcosine or arginine-angiotensin analogs. The competition rank order was angiotensin II much greater than (Sar1,Ile8)angiotensin II greater than or equal to des(Asp1,Arg2)angiotensin II. Angiotensin III did not compete for binding to the site. High-pressure liquid chromatography analysis indicated that the ligand either in the incubation or bound to the site was stable at 15 degrees C, but there was very rapid and extensive degradation by the C6 glioma cells at 37 degrees C. It is concluded that the site exhibits unusual N-terminal specificity for angiotensin with nanomolar affinity for angiotensin II. If angiotensin III is an active ligand in the brain, the site may have a converting enzyme function. Alternatively, it may form the des-Asp derivatives of angiotensin for subsequent degradation by other enzymatic pathways. Either way, it is proposed that the site may modulate the brain-angiotensin system.

Cycloheximide causes accumulation of insulin receptors at the cell surface of cultured fibroblasts.

Incubation of confluent cultures of mouse fibroblasts with cycloheximide caused a time-dependent increase in the binding of 125I-insulin. The increase was concentration-dependent between 0.05 and 3.5 microM cycloheximide and showed a high correlation (r = 0.97) between the increase in 125I-insulin binding and the inhibition of protein synthesis. In the presence of 3.5 microM cycloheximide, insulin binding increased to 236% of control and incorporation of [3H]valine into proteins fell to 10-20% of control. Scatchard analysis of the binding data indicated that cycloheximide-treated cultures had a total of 6.6 X 10(4) binding sites/cell compared to 3.9 X 10(4) sites/cell in untreated cultures. No significant changes in affinity were observed. Other protein synthesis inhibitors also caused an increase in 125I-insulin binding. With 25 mM ethionine and 2 mM sodium fluoride, binding was 155 and 245% of control and incorporation of [3H]leucine into proteins was decreased to 41 and 47% of control, respectively. These results suggest that the accumulation of insulin receptors at the cell surface following treatment with cycloheximide results from inhibition of synthesis of proteins involved in insulin receptor turnover.