Glucose-stimulated increment in oxygen consumption rate as a standardized test of human islet quality.

Standardized assessment of islet quality is imperative for clinical islet transplantation. We have previously shown that the increment in oxygen consumption rate stimulated by glucose (DeltaOCR(glc)) can predict in vivo efficacy of islet transplantation in mice. To further evaluate the approach, we studied three factors: islet specificity, islet composition and agreement between results obtained by different groups. Equivalent perifusion systems were set up at the City of Hope and the University of Washington and the values of DeltaOCR(glc) obtained at both institutions were compared. Islet specificity was determined by comparing DeltaOCR(glc) in islet and nonislet tissue. The DeltaOCR(glc) ranged from 0.01 to 0.19 nmol/min/100 islets (n = 14), a wide range in islet quality, but the values obtained by the two centers were similar. The contribution from nonislet impurities was negligible (DeltaOCR(glc) was 0.12 nmol/min/100 islets vs. 0.007 nmol/min/100 nonislet clusters). The DeltaOCR(glc) was statistically independent of percent beta cells, demonstrating that DeltaOCR(glc) is governed more by islet quality than by islet composition. The DeltaOCR(glc), but not the absolute level of OCR, was predictive of reversal of hyperglycemia in diabetic mice. These demonstrations lay the foundation for testing DeltaOCR(glc) as a measurement of islet quality for human islet transplantation.

Testing combinations of protease inhibitor and preservation solution to improve islet quality and yield.

UNLABELLED: Pancreas preservation using an oxygenated two-layer method (TLM) has been reported to improve islet yields, as has supplementation of Liberase with Pefabloc. We hypothesized that using both TLM and Pefabloc could enhance islet yield as compared with preservation in University of Wisconsin (UW) or Histidine-Tryptophan Ketoglutarate (HTK) solution. METHODS: Ninety-eight pancreata with no significant differences of age, body mass index, or cold ischemia time preserved randomly with UW (n = 40), TLM (n = 48), or HTK (n = 10) were processed with (n = 36) or without (n = 66) Pefabloc. RESULTS: The total islet equivalent (IEQ) from TLM-preserved pancreata processed with Pefabloc (n = 12) showed lower yields versus those processed without Pefabloc (n = 36): 216,120 +/- 27,906 vs. 301,427 +/- 21,447 IEQ (P < .05). Islets from 1 of 12 (8.33%) pancreata processed with Pefabloc in TLM were transplanted, in contrast with 15/36 TLM (41.67%) pancreata processed without it. Islet yields were not significantly different among pancreata preserved in UW and processed with Pefabloc (n = 17) versus without Pefabloc (n = 23): 342,693 +/- 45,588 versus 266,609 +/- 29,006 IEQ (P = .149). The number of transplants from UW-preserved pancreata was 3/17 (17.65%) when processed with Pefabloc and 4/23 (17.39%) without. Among the HTK group, there was no significant difference in islet yields between pancreata processed with (n = 7) versus without Pefabloc (n = 3): 248,227 +/- 65,294 versus 483,555 +/- 144,070 IEQ (P = .118). CONCLUSIONS: Pefabloc showed no benefit to improve islet yields. Pancreata preserved in TLM provided better transplant quality islets when processed in the absence of Pefabloc.

Hormonal regulation of an islet-specific enhancer in the pancreatic homeobox gene STF-1.

The homeobox protein STF-1 appears to function as a master control switch for expression of the pancreatic program during development. Here we characterize a composite enhancer which directs STF-1 expression to pancreatic islet cells via two functional elements that recognize the nuclear factors HNF-3beta and BETA-2. In keeping with their inhibitory effects on islet cell maturation, glucocorticoids were found to repress STF-1 gene expression by interfering with HNF-3beta activity on the islet-specific enhancer. Overexpression of HNF-3beta suppressed glucocorticoid receptor-mediated inhibition of the STF-1 gene, and our results suggest that the expansion of pancreatic islet precursor cells during development may be restricted by hormonal cues which regulate STF-1 gene expression.

Phosphorylation of CREB at Ser-133 induces complex formation with CREB-binding protein via a direct mechanism.

We have characterized a phosphoserine binding domain in the coactivator CREB-binding protein (CBP) which interacts with the protein kinase A-phosphorylated, and hence activated, form of the cyclic AMP-responsive factor CREB. The CREB binding domain, referred to as KIX, is alpha helical and binds to an unstructured kinase-inducible domain in CREB following phosphorylation of CREB at Ser-133. Phospho-Ser-133 forms direct contacts with residues in KIX, and these contacts are further stabilized by hydrophobic residues in the kinase-inducible domain which flank phospho-Ser-133. Like the src homology 2 (SH2) domains which bind phosphotyrosine-containing peptides, phosphoserine 133 appears to coordinate with a single arginine residue (Arg-600) in KIX which is conserved in the CBP-related protein P300. Since mutagenesis of Arg-600 to Gln severely reduces CREB-CBP complex formation, our results demonstrate that, as in the case of tyrosine kinase pathways, signal transduction through serine/threonine kinase pathways may also require protein interaction motifs which are capable of recognizing phosphorylated amino acids.

Characterization of somatostatin transactivating factor-1, a novel homeobox factor that stimulates somatostatin expression in pancreatic islet cells.

The endocrine pancreas consists of several differentiated cell types that are distinguished by their selective expression of peptide hormones such as insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin. Although a number of homeobox-type factors have been proposed as key regulators of individual peptide genes in the pancreas, their cellular distribution and relative abundance remain uncharacterized. Also, their overlapping DNA binding specificities have further obscured the regulatory functions these factors perform during development. In this report we characterize a novel homeobox-type somatostatin transactivating factor termed STF-1, which is uniformly expressed in cells of the endocrine pancreas and small intestine. The 283-amino acid STF-1 protein binds to tissue-specific elements within the somatostatin promoter and stimulates somatostatin gene expression both in vivo and in vitro. Remarkably, STF-1 comprises the predominant tissue-specific element-binding activity in nuclear extracts from somatostatin-producing pancreatic islet cells, suggesting that this protein may have a primary role in regulating peptide hormone expression and specifying endocrine cell lineage in the developing gut.

Multipotent progenitor cells isolated from adult human pancreatic tissue.

The supply of islet cells is a limiting factor for the widespread application of islet transplantation of type-1 diabetes. Islets constitute 1% to 2% of pancreatic tissue, leaving approximately 98% as discard after islet isolation and purification. In this report we present our data on the isolation of multipotent progenitor cells from discarded adult human pancreatic tissue. The collected cells from discarded nonislet fractions, after enzymatic digestion and gradient purification of islets, were dissociated for suspension culture in a serum-free medium. The cell clusters grown to a size of 100 to 150 mum contained cells staining for stage-specific embryonic antigens, but not insulin or C-peptide. To direct cell differentiation toward islets, clusters were recultured in a pancreatic differentiation medium. Insulin and C-peptide-positive cells by immunocytochemistry appeared within a week, reaching over 10% of the cell population. Glucagon and somatostatin-positive cells were also detected. The cell clusters were found to secrete insulin in response to glucose stimulation. Cells from the same clusters also had the capacity for differentiation into neural cells, as documented by staining for neural and glial cell markers when cultured as monolayers in media containing neurotrophic factors. These data suggest that multipotent pancreatic progenitor cells exist within the human pancreatic tissue that is typically discarded during islet isolation procedures. These adult progenitor cells can be successfully differentiated into insulin-producing cells, and thus they have the potential for treatment of type-1 diabetes mellitus.

Inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase protects human islets from cryoinjury and improves the yield, viability, and quality of frozen-thawed islets.

The development of an optimal islet cryopreservation method will permit transplantation of islets from multiple donors in a single procedure and contribute to alleviation of the islet shortage. In this study, we have improved human islet cryopreservation methods under serum-free conditions using an intracellular-based islet cryopreservation solution (ICS), especially supplemented with a p38 pathway inhibitor (p38IH) to suppress p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation. Three different solutions were compared for freezing and thawing of human islets (1) conventional RPMI1640 medium, (2) ICS, and (3) ICS supplemented with a p38IH, SD-282 (ICS-p38IH). Islet cryopreservation with ICS-p38IH significantly improved islet recovery, viability, and quality after thawing of cryopreserved islets. This improvement may allow the use of cryopreserved islets in clinical islet transplantation.

Structural characterization of the C4a anaphylatoxin from rat.

The C4a anaphylatoxin was purified from rat sera activated by heat-aggregated IgG. The anaphylatoxin was isolated by a three-step purification procedure and was judged to be homogeneous based on visualization of a single stained band after electrophoresis on both cellulose acetate membrane strips and on 9% SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Results from Ouchterlony and radioimmunoassay analysis indicated that neither rat C5A nor C3a contaminated the C4a preparation. Rat C4a is a glycoprotein estimated to be 11,000-12,000 mol. wt and contains 76 amino acid residues representing a mol. wt of 8577 and one oligosaccharide unit of 2000-3000 mol. wt. Rat C4a is weakly active in contracting guinea pig ileum at 0.1-1 microM, which is comparable with the activity of human C4a. Both human and bovine C4a are polypeptides free of carbohydrate while rat and presumably mouse C4a are glycoproteins. The complete primary structure of rat C4a anaphylatoxin has been elucidated as follows: (formula; see text)

Detection of a 58-kilodalton high density lipoprotein-binding protein in the membrane fraction of luteinized rat ovaries.

The membrane fraction from the ovaries of pseudopregnant rats exhibits specific, high affinity binding of high density lipoproteins (HDL). Previous studies have indicated that HDL binding in this tissue is up-regulated by hCG and may be involved in supplying cholesterol as substrate for steroid hormone production. To characterize the HDL-binding activity, we solubilized the membrane proteins using 40 mM beta-octylglucoside and then separated them by electrophoresis on a 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel. The separated proteins were transferred to nitrocellulose sheets and subsequently incubated in the presence of [125I]apolipoprotein-E-free HDL. Autoradiography of the nitrocellulose revealed that the labeled HDL was bound to a single major band, with an apparent mol wt of 58,000 daltons. Neither reduction with beta-mercaptoethanol nor heat denaturation before separation on the gel affected the molecular size of the band, which indicates that it is probably a single polypeptide chain. The band was up-regulated in this tissue by in vivo treatment with 25 IU hCG in a time-dependent manner similar to the up-regulation of [125I]HDL-binding activity. In contrast to the binding of low density lipoprotein (LDL) to its receptor, the binding of HDL is independent of Ca+2. Incubation of the transferred proteins in the presence of [125I] Incubation of the transferred proteins in the presence of [125I]apolipoprotein-E-free HDL and either 5 mM CaCl2 or 15 mM EDTA had no effect on the appearance of the 58-kDa band. Furthermore, ligand blotting in the presence of a 100-fold excess of LDL did not affect the appearance of the band, whereas a 100-fold excess of apoliprotein-E-free HDL caused the disappearance of the band, indicating specificity for binding of HDL. Treatment of the sample with trypsin before electrophoresis also caused the band to disappear, revealing the protein nature of the band. These experiments indicate that the HDL receptor in luteinized rat ovaries is a 58,000-dalton protein.

Increased cellular cholesterol upregulates high density lipoprotein binding to rat luteal cells.

Rat luteal cells preferentially utilize cholesterol derived from high density lipoproteins (HDL) as a substrate for steroid hormone synthesis. The uptake of cholesterol from HDL by these cells is in contrast to nonsteroidogenic cells, which export cholesterol to HDL. A previous study demonstrated that HDL binding to luteal cell membranes was increased in conjunction with in vivo cholesterol depletion or cholesterol loading of the ovary induced by pharmacological agents. These results suggest a biphasic regulation of the HDL receptor in luteinized rat ovaries. In the present studies, the in vitro regulation of HDL binding in rat luteal cells by increased intracellular cholesterol was examined. Cultured luteal cells were incubated with increasing doses of low density lipoproteins (LDL) for 2 days after which the cellular sterol content and the effects on progesterone production and HDL binding were measured. As expected, the LDL treatment increased total cellular sterol content in a dose-dependent manner, resulting in a 2.1-fold increase over control at a dose of 1 mg LDL/ml. Increased cellular cholesterol was accompanied by a comparable increase in progesterone secretion. These results suggest that exogenous cholesterol was utilized by these cells. The LDL treatment also increased the binding of HDL to the cells in a dose-dependent manner to a maximum of 2.2-fold over control. The effect of increased cellular sterol on HDL binding was also examined using a more polar cholesterol derivative, 25-hydroxycholesterol. Cells were cultured for 2 days in media containing 0.3-40 micrograms/ml 25-hydroxycholesterol in the presence of 100 micrograms/ml aminoglutethimide, an inhibitor of cholesterol metabolism. The HDL binding to luteal cells exhibited dose-dependent up-regulation by 25-hydroxycholesterol with a 5.8-fold increase in binding at the maximum dose tested. Equilibrium binding studies using cells treated with 10 micrograms/ml 25-hydroxycholesterol revealed a 2.1-fold increase in the number of HDL binding sites on the luteal cells without affecting the binding affinity. From the results of this study, it is concluded that HDL binding in rat luteal cells is up-regulated by an increase in the intracellular cholesterol level.

Regulation of somatostatin gene transcription by cyclic adenosine monophosphate.

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) stimulates transcription of somatostatin and other target genes with burst-attenuation kinetics. The kinetics of protein kinase (PK-A)-dependent cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation closely parallel the changes in transcription of cAMP-responsive genes by run-on assay. Nuclear translocation of PK-A, visualized by microinjection of fluorescently labeled PK-A holoenzyme, appears to represent the rate-limiting step in CREB phosphorylation and transcriptional activation. We and others have recently characterized a CREB-binding protein (CBP), which specifically recognizes sequences within the Ser133 phosphorylated form of CREB. CBP does not regulate the DNA binding, dimerization, or nuclear targeting properties of CREB, but binds selectively to the kinase-inducible 60 amino acid trans-activation domain (KID) of CREB, critical for PK-A-inducible transcription. We developed an antiserum directed against amino acid 634-648 within the CREB-binding domain of CBP. We detected a 265-kd polypeptide by Western blot as predicted from the cDNA, which coincided with the predominant phospho-CREB-binding activity in Hela nuclear extracts by "Far Western" blot assay. An identical phospho-CREB-binding activity was also found in NIH-3T3 cells. This phospho-CREB-binding protein appeared to be specific for Ser133-phosphorylated CREB, because no such band was detected with CREB labeled to the same specific activity at a nonregulatory phosphoacceptor site (Ser156) by casein kinase II (CKII). Following microinjection into nuclei of NIH-3T3 cells, a cAMP response element (CRE)-lacZ reporter was markedly induced by treatment with 8-Br cAMP plus isobutyl methyl xanthine (IBMX). Coinjection of CBP antiserum with the CRE-lacZ plasmid inhibited cAMP-dependent activity in a dose-dependent manner, but control immunoglobulin G (lgG) had no effect on this response. We can now begin reconstituting PK-A-dependent transcription in vitro, using well-characterized proteins such as CREB, TAF 110, and CBP. The assembly of such factors on cAMP-regulated promoters like somatostain may enable responsiveness to a variety of hormonal stimuli that employ cAMP as their second messenger.

Improvement of human islet cryopreservation by a p38 MAPK inhibitor.

The activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) has been shown to cause ischemia/reperfusion injury of several organs used for transplantation and also to play a significant role in primary islet graft nonfunction. Activation of p38 MAPK may also occur during islet cryopreservation and thawing. In this study, a p38 MAPK inhibitor (p38IH) was applied to human islet cryopreservation to improve islet yield and quality after thawing. Under serum-free conditions, human islets were cryopreserved, thawed and cultured using our standard procedures. Three types of solutions were tested: conventional RPMI1640 medium (RPMI), a newly developed islet cryopreservation solution (ICS), and ICS supplemented with a p38IH, SD-282 (ICS-p38IH). Activation or inhibition of p38 MAPK was demonstrated by the diminished phosphorylation of HSP27 substrate. Islet recovery on day 2 after thawing was highest with ICS-p38IH and islet viability was not significantly different in the three groups. beta Cell numbers and function were the highest in islets cryopreserved with ICS-p38IH. Glucose-stimulated human C-peptide levels were 86% of that of the nonfrozen islets when measured 4 weeks after transplantation into NODscid mice. This improvement may provide an opportunity to establish islet banks and allow the use of cryopreserved islets for clinical transplantation.

The cAMP-regulated transcription factor CREB interacts with a component of the TFIID complex.

cAMP regulates the expression of a number of genes through the protein kinase A-mediated phosphorylation of CREB at Ser-133. The effects of Ser-133 phosphorylation appear to be primarily transmitted through a modulatory kinase-inducible domain in CREB that functions cooperatively with a 120-amino acid glutamine-rich region (Q2) to stimulate transcription. Indeed, the kinase-inducible domain activity alone is not sufficient to sustain a transcriptional response as illustrated by the CREM family of repressors, which contain the kinase-inducible domain but lack the Q2 region. Here we demonstrate that Q2 functions as a potent constitutive activator in vitro. The transcription factor TFIID fraction supports transcriptional activation by Q2, although the "TATA" binding protein alone does not, suggesting that other components of the TFIID complex mediate the response to CREB Q2. In fact, Q2 associates with the TATA binding protein-associated factor dTAFII110. As the transcriptionally inactive CREM alpha and beta proteins lack sequences in Q2 that are necessary for binding dTAFII110, our results suggest that these proteins may repress transcription because they are unable to interact with the basal transcription complex.

Characterization and isolation of a high-density-lipoprotein-binding protein from bovine corpus luteum plasma membrane.

The ovary uses the cholesterol from high-density lipoproteins (HDL) as a substrate source for steroid hormone production. It is not clear, however, how ovarian cells acquire the lipoprotein cholesterol. This study describes the characterization and isolation of a high-affinity-binding protein for apolipoprotein E-free HDL from the plasma-membrane fraction of bovine corpora lutea. Plasma membranes were prepared by differential centrifugation with 5-6-fold enrichment of 5'-nucleotidase activity. The binding of 125I-HDL to the plasma membranes was time-dependent, and there appeared to be a single high-affinity site with a Kd of 6.7 micrograms of HDL/ml of assay buffer. The binding was not affected by high concentrations of low-density lipoproteins or the Ca2+ chelator EDTA, nor by changes in pH in the range 6.5-9.0. The binding was affected by the salt concentration in the buffer, with a dose-dependent increase that reached a maximum at 150-250 mM-NaCl. Binding was increased in the presence of high concentrations of KCl and KBr, and most significantly increased by high concentrations of bivalent metal ions. Ligand-blot analysis under reducing conditions revealed that the binding protein was a single polypeptide of about 108 kDa that was associated with the plasma-membrane fraction. This HDL-binding protein was purified to homogeneity by solubilization with Triton X-100, poly(ethylene glycol) precipitation, DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, and preparative SDS/PAGE. The purified binding protein is a single polypeptide of 108 kDa that retains high affinity and specificity for HDL as assayed by ligand blotting.

An autoantibody is modified for use as a delivery system to target the cell nucleus: therapeutic implications.

A murine monoclonal anti-dsDNA antibody was found to penetrate living cells and localize in the nucleus without pathologic effects. A single mutation in VH markedly enhanced cellular penetration. The mutant antibody was produced as recombinant Fab and single chain antibody fragments to investigate its use as a delivery system to target the cell nucleus. Complexes were made containing Fab fragments and alkaline phosphatase conjugated goat antibodies to mouse |gk chains. Fab fragments transported 305 kDa goat antibody-enzyme complexes into the nucleus in COS-7 and CHO cells. A single chain antibody cDNA was constructed by splice overlap extension PCR and expressed in COS-7 cells. Binding of the single chain antibody to dsDNA was shown by ELISA, and cellular penetration and nuclear localization were demonstrated in COS-7 and CHO cells. The single chain antibody cDNA was ligated into the expression vector, pEGFP, to produce a fusion protein with green fluorescent protein. The fusion protein penetrated COS-7 cells and localized in the cell nucleus. The single chain antibody produced during sustained expression in CHO cells re-entered antibody-producing cells and localized in the nucleus without affecting cell viability. Our results demonstrate the potential use of a modified autoantibody as a delivery system to target the cell nucleus.

Regulation of somatostatin gene transcription by cAMP.

A number of hormones and growth factors stimulate target cells through receptors which are coupled to second messenger pathways. The second messenger cAMP, for example, mediates a wide variety of cellular responses to hormonal signals, including changes in intermediary metabolism, cellular proliferation and cellular motility. In mammalian cells, all of these biological responses are triggered by the activation of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, a heterotetramer consisting of paired catalytic and regulatory subunits. Upon hormonal stimulation, cAMP binds tightly to the regulatory subunits, thereby liberating catalytic subunits and promoting the phosphorylation of cellular substrates. In the liver, cAMP functions as a starvation state signal, mediating hormonal cues from the pancreas and adrenal gland to stimulate glucose production. cAMP stimulates glucose production, in part, by regulating transcription of the gene for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), a rate-limiting enzyme in gluconeogenesis. Following hormonal stimulation, cAMP induces PEPCK gene expression 10-fold within 20-30 min. This induction appears to be independent of new protein synthesis.