Dioxin receptor and C/EBP regulate the function of the glutathione S-transferase Ya gene xenobiotic response element.

The rat glutathione S-transferase Ya gene xenobiotic response element (XRE) has both constitutive and xenobiotic-inducible activity. We present evidence that the XRE is regulated by both the constitutive C/EBP transcription factor and the xenobiotic-activated dioxin receptor. A ligand-activated XRE-binding protein was shown to be dioxin receptor by specific antibody immunodepletion and binding of highly purified receptor. Identification of C/EBP alpha as the constitutive binding protein was demonstrated by competition with a C/EBP binding site, protein-DNA cross-linking to determine the molecular weight of the constitutive protein(s), specific antibody immunodepletion, and binding of purified bacterially expressed C/EBP alpha. Mutational analysis of the XRE revealed that the constitutive factor (C/EBP alpha) shares a nearly identical overlapping binding site with the dioxin receptor. In functional testing of the putative C/EBP-XRE interaction, cotransfected C/EBP alpha activated an XRE test promoter in the non-xenobiotic-responsive HeLa cell line. Unexpectedly, cotransfected C/EBP alpha had no effect on basal activity but significantly increased the xenobiotic response of the XRE test promoter in the xenobiotic-responsive, C/EBP-positive HepG2 cell line. Furthermore, inhibition of C/EBP-binding protein(s) in HepG2 cells by transfection of C/EBP oligonucleotides suppressed the xenobiotic response. These results suggest that C/EBP alpha and dioxin receptor recognize the same DNA sequence element and that transcriptional regulation can occur by cooperative interactions between these two transcription factors.

Esophageal penetration by an anterior cervical fixation device. A case report.

Esophageal complications following anterior cervical fusion procedures have been reported in the literature as rare complications of such surgery. The complications associated with esophageal penetration have ranged from minor complications to mediastinitis and death. The following case report is of a rare complication of penetration of the esophagus by an anterior cervical fixation device that resulted in a benign post-operative course.

The role of suppressor factors in the regulation of immune responses by ultraviolet radiation-induced suppressor T lymphocytes. I. Activity of suppressor cell culture supernatants.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether soluble suppressor factors are involved in the regulation of immune responses by ultraviolet radiation-induced suppressor T lymphocytes (UV Ts). The UV Ts were induced by applying contact allergens to the ventral, unirradiated skin of mice that had been exposed 5 days earlier to UVB radiation. Supernatants from cultures that contained a mixture of UV Ts, normal responder lymphocytes, and hapten-modified stimulator cells were injected iv into normal recipients at the time of sensitization; they inhibited the induction of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) in vivo in an hapten-specific manner. The supernatants similarly suppressed the generation of specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in vitro. Moreover, supernatants from cultures that contained either UV Ts alone or UV Ts in combination with either the responder or the stimulator cells failed to suppress the CHS and CTL responses. These results suggest that hapten-specific inhibitory factors may participate in the regulation of immune responses by suppressor cells generated by epicutaneous sensitization of UV-irradiated mice.

The role of suppressor factors in the regulation of immune responses by ultraviolet radiation-induced suppressor T lymphocytes. II. Activity of suppressor cell culture sonicates.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether multiple types of suppressor factors play a role in the regulation of immune responses by ultraviolet radiation-induced suppressor T lymphocytes (UV Ts). The UV Ts were induced by applying contact allergens to the ventral, unirradiated skin of mice exposed 5 days earlier to UVB radiation. Previous studies indicated that supernatants from cultures containing UV Ts, normal lymphocytes, and hapten-modified cells suppressed contact hypersensitivity (CHS) in vivo and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) generation in vitro in a hapten-specific manner. In this report, cell-free lysates from sonically disrupted UV Ts were examined for their ability to suppress these responses. When lysates were injected into normal animals at the time of sensitization, they inhibited CHS in a hapten-nonspecific manner. In addition, the lysates suppressed not only the induction but also the elicitation of CHS, and they suppressed the generation of CTL. Lysates prepared from spleen cells obtained from non-UV-irradiated mice or UV-irradiated, unsensitized mice failed to inhibit either response. Moreover, in contrast to the lysates, the hapten-specific UV Ts culture supernatants inhibited the induction but not the elicitation of CHS. These results suggest that both hapten-specific and nonspecific inhibitory factors may participate in the regulation of immune responses by UV Ts.

Suppressor lymphocytes induced by epicutaneous sensitization of UV-irradiated mice control multiple immunological pathways.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the formation of hapten-specific suppressor T lymphocytes induced by the epicutaneous sensitization of UV-irradiated mice could suppress other hapten-specific immune responses in addition to contact hypersensitivity (CHS). Suppressor cells were induced by applying trinitrochlorobenzene (TNCB) to the unexposed skin of mice irradiated several days earlier with 40 kJ/m2 UVB (280-320 nm) radiation. Previous work demonstrated that the spleens of such animals contain Lyt-1+, 2-T lymphocytes which prevent the induction of CHS to TNCB when transferred to normal mice, and inhibit proliferation of normal lymphocytes in vitro to TNP-modified syngeneic cells. These studies show that addition of T lymphocytes from UV-irradiated, TNCB-sensitized mice to cultures of normal lymphocytes and TNP-modified syngeneic cells inhibited the generation of TNP-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). The inhibition was dose-dependent and occurred only when the suppressor cells were present during the first 24 hr of culture. The suppressor cells had no effect on the activity of preformed CTL. In addition, injection of the suppressor lymphocytes into mice at the time of i.v. injection of TNP-modified sheep red blood cells (TNP-SRBC) reduced the number of direct plaque-forming cells against TNP, but had no effect on the production of antibody against SRBC. Cells that inhibited anti-TNP antibody formation were Thy-1+, Lyt-1+, 2-. These results indicate that hapten-specific suppressor cells from UV-irradiated mice prevent the activation of several different hapten-specific immunological pathways.

The role of suppressor factors in the regulation of immune responses by ultraviolet radiation-induced suppressor T lymphocytes. III. Isolation of a suppressor factor with the B16G monoclonal antibody.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced systemic suppression of the immune response results from the release of soluble suppressor factors (TsF) by UV-induced suppressor T cells (UV Ts). Injecting a TsF-specific monoclonal antibody (B16G) significantly reduced the UV radiation-induced suppression of contact hypersensitivity (CHS). The transfer of spleen cells from the UV-irradiated, B16G-treated mice into normal recipients suppressed CHS in the recipients, indicating that while the suppression of CHS was reversed in the UV-irradiated, B16G-treated mice, suppressor cells were still present. Supernatants from cultures containing UV Ts were incubated on B16G-immunoadsorbent columns. The antibody-bound fraction (45- to 60-kDa, non-disulfide-linked proteins) suppressed CHS when injected into normal recipients. These results demonstrate that the B16G antibody reacts with TsF from UV Ts and suggest that B16G acts in vivo by inhibiting the activity of TsF. Thus, suppressor factors appear to play an essential role in the regulation of immune responses by UV Ts.