Sphingosine mobilizes intracellular calcium in human neutrophils.

The effect of sphingosine on the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentrations, [Ca2+]i, of human neutrophils was re-examined using Fura-2 loaded cells. We found that sphingosine induced a dose-dependent elevation of [Ca2+]i. At sphingosine concentrations > or = 10 microM, the rise in [Ca2+]i was biphasic; an initial phase increasing basal [Ca2+]i by 100% was succeeded by a second phase which raised [Ca2+]i to several microM. The enhanced signal was sustained and slowly approached the Fmax of Fura-2 over 10 min. Although cytotoxicity assays indicate that Fura-2 leakage contributed to the rise in fluorescence, EGTA, surprisingly, had no effect on the time course of this response. The explanation was that EGTA blocked Fura-2 leakage from and trypan blue uptake by neutrophils. Thus, in the presence of EGTA, biphasic increases in the fluorescent signal can be attributed mainly to release of intracellular Ca2+. Mn2+ quenching studies confirmed that sphingosine mobilized Ca2+ in two distinct phases and promoted the influx of Mn2+. Mn2+ entry, however, was not matched by substantial Ca2+ influx. Sphingosine elevation of [Ca2+]i was insensitive to pertussis toxin treatment of neutrophils and was not correlated with (1,4,5)IP3 formation. Studies with semi-permeabilized cells show that sphingosine, up to 80 microM, neither mobilized Ca2+ significantly nor inhibited active Ca2+ sequestration. Sphingosylphosphorylcholine induced a small but dose-dependent release of Ca2+. We hypothesize that a metabolite of sphingosine may release Ca2+ directly in intact neutrophils.

Staurosporine clamps cytosolic free Ca2+ concentrations of human neutrophils.

The present studies indicate that 50 nM-10 microM-staurosporine increased cytosolic free Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) of fura-2-loaded neutrophils in a non-linear manner. The rise in [Ca2+]i was rapid, reaching a plateau (e.g. to 0.4 microM with 1 microM-staurosporine) within 30 s, and was maintained for more than 20 min. Pretreating cells with pertussis toxin had no effect on this reaction. The elevation of [Ca2+]i was insensitive to extracellular Ca2+ concentrations and was due entirely to mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores. Mn(2+)-quench studies confirmed the absence of Ca2+ influx. No Ca2+ efflux occurred in staurosporine-treated cells. In combination studies, staurosporine potentiated Ca2+ influx induced by N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) and did not block Ca2+ efflux associated with peptide stimulation of neutrophils. Studies with permeabilized cells showed that staurosporine did not directly release intracellular Ca2+ stores, nor did it affect the sequestration of Ca2+ by a Ca2+/ATPase pump. A radioligand-binding assay failed to detect changes in the level of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in neutrophils incubated with less than or equal to 1 microM-staurosporine, but in cells treated with 10 microM-staurosporine the assay recorded a transient increase in this second messenger similar to that induced by FMLP. Finally, lysozyme, but not beta-glucuronidase, was released from staurosporine-treated cells. The present results suggest that staurosporine increased [Ca2+]i by indirectly mobilizing internal Ca2+ stores. Staurosporine suppression of Ca2+ efflux and generation of a persistent signal may account for the maintained elevation of [Ca2+]i.

Differential effect of diltiazem and TA-3090 on calcium homeostasis of neutrophils.

The effects of diltiazem and TA-3090, an 8-chloro analog of diltiazem, on cellular responses and calcium homeostasis of human neutrophils were investigated. TA-3090, at 10 to 20 microM, enhanced lysozyme release and superoxide generation induced in neutrophils by n-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP). Higher concentrations of TA-3090 inhibited responses at IC50s between 70 and 85 microM. Diltiazem by comparison inhibited responses at an IC50 of about 200 microM. The two drugs had little or no effect on early signaling events: inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate formation triggered by FMLP was not affected. Moreover, 500 microM TA-3090 or diltiazem did not significantly affect FMLP-triggered Ca2+ transients. (Cytoplasmic free Ca2+ levels ([Ca2+]i) were monitored in fura-2-loaded neutrophils.) Diltiazem alone caused a limited influx of extracellular Ca2+ which increased basal [Ca2+]i by twofold. Internal Ca2+ stores were not released. TA-3090, in contrast, induced a biphasic rise in [Ca2+]i--an initial mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores was followed after 10-15 min by a persistent influx of extracellular Ca2+ which increased [Ca2+]i to 1.3 +/- 0.7 (SD) microM. Complementary studies with semipermeabilized neutrophils showed that TA-3090 but not diltiazem directly released Ca2+ from intracellular stores. In TA-3090-treated cells, lactate dehydrogenase release was correlated with delayed influx of extracellular Ca2+. The chelation of extracellular Ca2+ by EGTA prevented LDH release. Present results show that TA-3090 and diltiazem initially blocked cell signaling at steps subsequent to phospholipase C activity. With TA-3090-treated cells, elevated [Ca2+]i ensuing from prolonged incubations likely activated inappropriate reactions leading to cell lysis and death.

Clinical evaluation of various selected ELISA kits for the detection of anti-DNA antibodies.

Fifty four coded sera, 38 from eight patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), four from one patient with systemic vasculitis, one from one patient with polyarthritis and 11 normal controls were tested for anti-dsDNA antibodies using seven commercial enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and the radioimmunoassay method (RIA) routinely used in our unit. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were tested for both SLE diagnosis and disease activity. Using anti-dsDNA antibodies as a diagnostic test for SLE there were differences in sensitivity (from 66% to 95%), specificity (from 75% to 100%), predictive positive values (from 89% to 100%) and predictive negative values (from 50% to 87%) among ELISA kits. The RIA method was either more specific or equal to ELISA kits. Using 'equivocal' values as positive values an increase in sensitivity was observed but at the expense of specificity. Similar differences and trends were observed when the results were used as a measure for disease activity. This suggests that there are differences in sensitivity, specificity and predictive values among ELISA kits both in the diagnosis of SLE as well as in the determination of disease activity.