Endogenous brain cytokine mRNA and inflammatory responses to lipopolysaccharide are elevated in the Tg2576 transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Beta-amyloid (Abeta) plaques have been shown to induce inflammatory changes in Alzheimer's disease brains. Cortical, but not cerebellar tissue from 16-month-old Tg2576 (Tg+) mice showed significant increases in interleukin (IL)-1alpha (2.2-fold), IL-1beta (3.4-fold), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (3.9-fold), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (2.5-fold) mRNA levels compared to controls (Tg-). These changes were not apparent in 6-month-old Tg+ mice except for TNF-alpha. mRNA levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein and complement components, C1qA and C3 were also elevated in aged mice. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (25 microg/mouse, i.v.) induced a significantly greater production of IL-1beta protein in the cortices and hippocampi of Tg+ vs. Tg- mice at 1, 2, 4, and 6 h. Experiments in 6-month-old mice showed that not only was there less cytokine produced compared to 16-month-old mice, but the exacerbated cytokine response to LPS in Tg+ mice was not apparent. Higher levels of Abeta1-40 were measured in the cortices of 6- and 16-month-old Tg+ mice at 4-6 h after LPS, which returned to baseline after 18 h. We demonstrate that Abeta plaques elicit inflammatory responses in Tg2576 mice that are further exacerbated when challenged by an exogenous inflammatory insult, which may serve to amplify degenerative processes.

Preclinical evaluation of anti-inflammatory activities of the novel pyrrolopyrimidine PNU-142731A, a potential treatment for asthma.

The anti-inflammatory properties of a novel pyrrolopyrimidine, PNU-142731A, in a murine model of antigen-induced eosinophilic lung inflammation are described. PNU-142731A, when given orally, demonstrated a dose-related inhibition of eosinophil- and lymphocyte-rich accumulation in the airways of ovalbumin (OA)-sensitized and challenged (OA/OA) C57BL/6 mice. The magnitude of the suppression of lung inflammation was also dependent on length of treatment. Reductions in the levels of interleukin (IL)-5, IL-6, and IgA in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of treated OA/OA mice, when compared with vehicle-sensitized control mice (V/OA), were observed. Plasma concentrations of IL-5, total IgE, and OA-specific IgG1 were also lowered in OA/OA mice by treatment. Histological assessment of formalin-fixed lung tissue sections confirmed that the compound blocked the accumulation of eosinophils in the airway tissue. Furthermore, significantly less mucus glycoproteins were seen in the lungs of PNU-142731A-treated OA/OA mice. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of lung tissue from PNU-142731A-dosed OA/OA mice demonstrated that mRNA for Th2 cytokines was less than that in vehicle-treated OA/OA controls. OA-elicited production of IL-4 by disaggregated lung tissue cells from PNU-142371A-treated OA/OA mice was also less than that of controls. In contrast, the release of Th1 cytokines (IL-2 and interferon-gamma) were elevated. Similarly, the OA-stimulated release of Th2 cytokines (IL-5 and IL-10) by splenocytes from PNU-142731A-treated OA/OA mice were inhibited. Combined therapy of OA/OA mice with PNU-142731A and suboptimal doses of dexamethasone revealed that PNU-142731A had steroid-sparing effects. These characteristics of PNU-142731A in a murine model of allergic tissue inflammation support its clinical development as a potential treatment for asthma.

Involvement of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in the antigen-induced infiltration of eosinophils and lymphocytes into the airways in a murine model of pulmonary inflammation.

We investigated the effects of in vivo intraperitoneal treatment with the rat monoclonal antibody (mAb), YN1.7.4 (YN1) against intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) on the ovalbumin (OA)-inhalation-induced infiltration of leukocytes into the airways of OA-sensitized mice. YN1 (100 to 400 microg) given over a period of 72 h dose-dependently reduced the influx of lymphocytes and eosinophils into the bronchial lumen by > 60% and > or = 70%, respectively, when compared with saline or purified rat IgG-treated controls. Alveolar macrophages (AM) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were also decreased by > 50%. Lung tissue inflammation as determined by histopathologic examination was reduced. The number of neutrophils in the blood of OA-sensitized mice 3 days after challenge was significantly increased by treatment with YN1. However, at 24 h and 72 h after OA-challenge, the numbers of eosinophils and mononuclear cells in the bone marrow were reduced by YN1 treatment. Additionally, at 72 h after OA-challenge, the numbers of bone-marrow neutrophils were depressed. BALF levels of interleukin-5 (IL-5) and of IgA were lower for YN1-treated mice than for controls. With increasing doses of YN1, the levels of anti-ICAM-1 mAb in the plasma were proportionally increased. To correlate these results with YN1 treatment, blood and BALF T cells and BALF eosinophils were examined with flow cytometry. Blood T cells from YN1-treated mice were unable to bind phycoerythrin (PE)-labeled anti-ICAM- mAb ex vivo. These results implied that ICAM-1 on these cells was bound (occupied) by YN1 administered in vivo. Dose-related decreases were observed in the percentage and mean channel fluorescence (MCF) values of ICAM-1+ BALF T cells and eosinophils. The percentages of CD11a+ or CD49d+ eosinophils were also suppressed. Our data suggest that ICAM-1 is an important molecule involved in the recruitment of leukocytes into the airways of sensitized mice after pulmonary challenge.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1-deficient mice have antibody responses but impaired leukocyte recruitment.

The role of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in murine lung inflammation was examined in vivo. Ovalbumin (Ova)-sensitized and -challenged ICAM-1-deficient (KO) mice had decreased accumulation of leukocytes in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid compared with wild-type (WT) mice. Lung tissue inflammation was also attenuated. Ova immunization and challenge produced equivalent plasma levels of Ova-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 and higher concentrations of IgE in KO versus WT mice. Ova-dependent induction of cytokines in vitro, as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, was impaired in splenocytes from KO mice compared with the comparable release of interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-10 from anti-CD3-stimulated WT and KO splenocytes. Methacholine-induced increases in trapped gas in lungs of Ova-sensitized and -challenged WT mice were greater than those of KO mice. The activation of lung tissue nuclear factor-kappa B was diminished in KO mice after Ova provocation. This suggests that ICAM-1 was important for activation of the inflammatory cascade leading to the recruitment of leukocytes but was not critical for the generation of antibody responses in vivo.

Identification of cytokine and adhesion molecule mRNA in murine lung tissue and isolated T cells and eosinophils by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

We have used a semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay to detect the expression of mRNA for inflammatory cytokines, integrins and selectins in murine lung tissue, and T cells and eosinophils isolated from lung and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in an in vivo model of ovalbumin (OA)-induced airway inflammation. RNA was isolated from whole lung tissue at 1, 6, 24, 48, 72 h, and 7 days after OA inhalation. mRNA for the Th2 cytokines, IL-4, -5, -6, -10 and -13 in OA-sensitized mice were significantly elevated compared with non-sensitized mice. IL-2, TNF-beta, and eotaxin mRNA were also increased, but IFN-gamma mRNA was not. P- and E-selectin mRNA levels were also enhanced in lung tissue between 6 and 72 h after challenge. Lung T cells were isolated by cell sorting with a flow cytometer at 3, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after challenge. mRNA levels for IL-5 and -10 were greater in T cells from OA-sensitized and -challenged mice than controls at 24 h. BAL fluid from OA-sensitized and -challenged mice also had significantly higher IL-5 levels than controls. BAL fluid T cells and eosinophils were obtained at 48 and 72 h after aerosol challenge and were purified by cell sorting. Messenger RNA for IL-1 alpha, -2, -4, -5, -10, IFN-gamma, and beta 1 were detected in T cells at both time points. Transcripts for IL-1 alpha, -4, -5, -13, TNF-alpha and beta, and alpha 4, beta 1 and beta 7 were also identified in BAL eosinophils. These data show that in addition to murine lung T cells, airway eosinophils may also contribute to the inflammatory response by their ability to express mRNA for cytokines and integrins.

Airway recruitment of leukocytes in mice is dependent on alpha4-integrins and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1.

The involvement of the alpha4-integrin very late activation antigen 4 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in leukocyte trafficking into the airways of ovalbumin (OA)-sensitized and OA-challenged mice was investigated using in vivo administration of anti-alpha4 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) PS/2, R1-2, and M/K-2.7 (MK2), specific for VCAM-1. VCAM-1 was upregulated on endothelial cells in lung tissue after OA inhalation. PS/2, R1-2, or MK2 significantly inhibited the recruitment of eosinophils and lymphocytes into the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and decreased inflammation in the lung tissues. Escalating in vivo doses of PS/2 or MK2 increased circulating levels of rat immunoglobulin G in the plasma. The binding of phycoerytherin-labeled anti-alpha4 mAb to blood T cells from PS/2-treated mice was reduced, implying that alpha4 sites were already occupied. T cells and eosinophils in BAL fluid from mice treated with PS/2 or MK2 were phenotypically different from controls. Selective decreases of alpha4+ T cells in the BAL fluid after PS/2 or MK2 treatment were coupled with changes in CD8+, CD11a, and CD62L expression. The alpha4-integrin and VCAM-1 may have important roles in the antigen-induced recruitment of T cells and eosinophils during OA-induced airway inflammation. The data suggest that these adhesion molecules may be suitable targets for therapeutic intervention in certain conditions of pulmonary inflammation.

Role of very late activation antigen-4 in the antigen-induced accumulation of eosinophils and lymphocytes in the lungs and airway lumen of sensitized brown Norway rats.

We used flow cytometry and treatment in vivo with a monoclonal antibody (mAb), TA-2, to the alpha 4 integrin to investigate the role of alpha 4 beta 1, CD49d/CD29 (VLA-4) in antigen-induced lung inflammation in Brown Norway (BN) rats. Ovalbumin (OVA) inhalation induced an accumulation of eosinophils and lymphocytes in the lungs and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of sensitized BN rats at 24 h after challenge. Phenotypic analyses demonstrated that the percentages of T cells expressing detectable alpha 4 and CD25 in the bronchial lumen after antigen challenge were dramatically increased compared with blood and lymph node T cells. The mean channel fluorescence values of alpha 4 expression were also increased on BAL T cells compared with blood or lymph node T cells. Treatment of OVA-sensitized rats in vivo with total cumulative doses of 0.75 to 6 mg/kg TA-2 mAb intraperitoneally produced dose-related increases in circulating TA-2 and a peripheral blood lymphocytosis, basophilia, and eosinophilia. Flow cytometric analysis of the peripheral blood T cells after in vivo TA-2 mAb administration showed decreases in detectable alpha 4 when these cells were examined ex vivo. Treatment with TA-2, but not an isotype-matched control mouse immunoglobulin G1 mAb, markedly inhibited the OVA-induced recruitment of lymphocytes and eosinophils into the airway lumen. Very few CD3+CD49d+ cells migrated into BAL fluid following anti-alpha 4 mAb treatment in vivo. Treatment with TA-2 also significantly attenuated OVA-induced inflammatory histopathology. We conclude that VLA-4 is a critically important adhesion molecule involved in antigen-specific lung inflammation in sensitized BN rats.

Role of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in antigen-induced lung inflammation in brown Norway rats.

We investigated the involvement of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1; CD54) in ovalbumin (OA) antigen-induced lung inflammation in sensitized Brown Norway (BN) rats by using flow cytometry and in vivo treatment with a murine monoclonal antibody (MAb), 1A29, directed against rat ICAM-1. OA-challenge induced an eosinophil and lymphocyte-rich accumulation of leukocytes into the airway lumen. Between 75 and 90% of the T cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid after challenge expressed CD54 and CD11a and were of the memory phenotype. 1A29 treatment produced dose-related increases in circulating 1A29 and blood neutrophils. In the BAL fluid of 1A29-treated animals, significant (P < 0.05) reductions in the numbers of eosinophils and lymphocytes, but not neutrophils or alveolar macrophages, were observed in association with a reduced inflammatory pathology in lung tissue. 1A29 administration reduced the number of detectable ICAM-1 binding sites on T cells in peripheral blood and BAL fluid examined ex vivo by flow cytometry. We conclude that ICAM-1 is critically important for the antigen-specific recruitment of eosinophils and lymphocytes into the lungs.

Phenotypic analysis of airway eosinophils and lymphocytes in a Th-2-driven murine model of pulmonary inflammation.

In order to investigate whether the pulmonary response to helminth antigens mimics that seen in allergic inflammation of the airways, we have examined the phenotypic characteristics of lymphocytes and eosinophils recruited to the airways following Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (N.b.) infection. Specifically, the cellular response was divided into an early and a late phase. During the early response there was a small but significant increase in neutrophil numbers recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Phenotypic analysis of BAL leukocytes revealed an early rise in the percentage of BAL lymphocytes expressing the naive T cell markers CD45RB and L-selectin, and the activation marker IL-2R. In addition, during the early response, there was an increased percentage of lymphocytes expressing the gamma delta TCR, but not the alpha beta TCR. In contrast, the late response was marked by a much larger accumulation, in the lungs and BAL, of memory CD4+ T lymphocytes and an influx of small, hypodense eosinophils which produced LTB4 and LTC4 on stimulation with calcium ionophore. At this time there was a substantial increase in the number of T lymphocytes and eosinophils expressing ICAM-1 and the integrins VLA-4 and LFA-1, implicating these adhesion molecules in inflammatory cell recruitment to the airways. We conclude that the pattern and phenotypic characteristics of the cellular recruitment seen following N.b. infection resemble those seen in early- and late-phase allergic inflammation of the airways in asthma, and therefore N.b. may be used to model these aspects of the disease.

Evidence that granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor and interferon-gamma maintain the viability of human peripheral blood monocytes in part by their suppression of IL-10 production.

Prolonged culture of human peripheral blood monocytes hPBMs requires the addition of both granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interferon (IFN)-gamma. Cultured hPMBs challenged with lipopolysaccharide produced large amounts of several cytokines but very little interleukin (IL)-10. However, when GM-CSF and IFN-gamma were omitted from the cultures, IL-10 production was readily demonstrated. Addition of IL-10 to the cultures potently inhibited the production of several cytokines and, in the presence of GM-CSF and IFN-gamma, there was no loss in cell number. In contrast, when IL-10 was added to cultures in the absence of GM-CSF and IFN-gamma, there was an accelerated loss of viable cells. A monoclonal antibody to IL-10, which had no effect on cell survival in the presence of GM-CSF and IFN-gamma, partly prevented the loss of cells which occurred in the absence of IL-10 and these additives. Preliminary studies suggest that inclusion of anti-IL-10 can partly prevent the apoptosis which occurs when GM-CSF and IFN-gamma are omitted from the cultures. These observations suggest that there is a cause and effect relationship between the failure of hPBMs to produce IL-10 when they are cultured in the presence of GM-CSF and IFN-gamma and protection from apoptosis by these additives.

FMLP is a potent activator of guinea-pig eosinophils but its activity is dependent on the prior overnight in vitro culture of the cells (facilitation).

The activation of guinea-pig eosinophils was studied by measuring the production of superoxide anion (O2-) and the secretion of eosinophil peroxidase (EPO). Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), calcium ionophore, plasma-activated zymosan, concanavalin A and recombinant human anaphylatoxin C5a induced the release of varying amounts of EPO. Some of these same activators, as well as platelet-activating factor, and aggregated homologous IgG, either by themselves or after a brief priming of the cells with low concentrations of PMA, also caused the formation of O2-. Formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) failed to induce either of these reactions in freshly isolated cells. It was found serendipitously, however, that cells which had been maintained in culture overnight secreted EPO upon challenge with FMLP, and, if they were primed with PMA, they also produced O2-. The conversion from unresponsive to responsive cells ('facilitation') depended on the presence of mononuclear cells or mononuclear cell-conditioned medium in the overnight cultures. Although there also was a shift in the density of the majority of the eosinophils after overnight culture to a density lower than 1.085, this shift was not dependent on the inclusion of monocytes or of monocyte-conditioned medium (MCM) in the cultures and thus was not sufficient to impart responsiveness to FMLP. Responses of eosinophils to other activators were qualitatively unchanged after overnight facilitation. Binding studies using radiolabelled FMLP revealed that, during facilitation, binding of FMLP to guinea-pig eosinophils increased about sixfold overall and suggested the expression of a high affinity receptor. This change may explain the basis for the facilitation phenomenon.

Activation of human eosinophils by platelet-derived growth factor.

Activated eosinophils are believed to be major contributors to the chronic inflammatory sequelae of asthma, but the details of the mechanism of eosinophil activation in vivo are unknown. In our search for physiologically important modes of eosinophil activation, we studied the effects of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) on human peripheral blood eosinophils. We compared two activation end-points: secretion of granule contents, exemplified by the release of eosinophil peroxidase (EPO), and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), and the generation of active oxygen metabolites (O2- production). PDGFc-sis dose dependently stimulated the secretion of large amounts of EPO and EDN from eosinophils. Higher concentrations of PDGF induced a dose-dependent O2- production, especially if the cells were first primed with low concentrations of phorbol ester. These activities were not seen with the AA homodimer of PDGF, suggesting that the activation was receptor dependent. However, several attempts to directly demonstrate the existence of such receptors were unsuccessful. The magnitude of the secretory response to PDGF, and the realization that eosinophils could be easily exposed to this substance as they travel towards the lung, suggests the possibility that this growth factor may be a physiologically important activator of eosinophils in the pulmonary inflammation which is associated with asthma.

Superoxide production by human eosinophils can be inhibited in an agonist-selective manner.

This paper focuses on eosinophil activation and its selective inhibition. Superoxide anion (O2-) production by human eosinophils, an indicator of their activation, was induced by a variety of activators. Several compounds which are known to inhibit protein kinase C (staurosporine, K252a, sphingosine) inhibited O2- production induced by phorbol ester (PMA) but failed to inhibit O2- production induced by IgG coupled to Sepharose beads. Inhibition of O2- production by other agents (plasma-activated zymosan, fMLP, and leukotriene B4 (LTB4), was intermediate. By contrast, wortmannin, a compound which has been previously reported to inhibit O2- production in neutrophils via a protein kinase-independent pathway, potently inhibited O2- production in eosinophils which had been activated by IgG and by Platelet-Activating Factor but was virtually inactive against PMA-induced O2- production. Taken together, the results indicate that, as a minimum, there must be two pathways of induction of O2- production in eosinophils. Moreover, the intermediate levels of inhibition in cells which had been activated with serum-activated zymosan, FMLP, and LTB4 suggest that these agents may either be acting via both of these pathways or that yet other pathways may exist.

Pitfalls in the quantitative estimation of the secretion of granule proteins by eosinophils.

The secretion of preformed granule proteins by eosinophils is an important correlate of eosinophil activation. However, a review of the literature reveals large disparities in the amounts of these substances which were reportedly secreted when eosinophils were activated. In the present study we report that our attempts to quantitate the secretion of eosinophil peroxidase and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin from activated eosinophils by measuring these substances in the incubation supernatants were uniformly unsuccessful. We found that, once they were secreted, both eosinophil peroxidase and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin were promptly lost to assay and presumably destroyed. Thus the measurement of the difference in the concentration of these substances in eosinophils prior to and after activation, revealed that as much as 65% of the eosinophil-derived neurotoxin and 62% of the peroxidase in the eosinophils were lost to assay during activation of the cells whereas the largest amount of these substances which could be measured in the incubation supernatants never exceeded 2%. Evidence is presented that the destruction of eosinophil-derived neurotoxin must occur prior to the release of this substance into the medium. Attempts to inhibit the destruction of eosinophil peroxidase and of eosinophil-derived neurotoxin by incorporating various inhibitors into the incubations were unsuccessful. These results emphasize the need to monitor the overall recoveries of secreted products from activated eosinophils and suggest that meaningful estimates of the secretion of these granule proteins from activated eosinophils can only be obtained by measuring the residual content of these substances in eosinophils after they have been activated and comparing these values to the contents of eosinophils prior to activation.

Platelet-derived growth factor can activate purified primate, phorbol myristate acetate-primed eosinophils.

We are interested in the physiologic mechanisms of eosinophil activation because of the presumed participation of activated eosinophils in the inflammatory sequelae of asthma. Suspecting that other formed elements of the blood may contribute to such an activation, we examined the capacity of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), a product of activated platelets, to activate eosinophils. We found that highly purified monkey and human eosinophils, but not guinea pig eosinophils, were activated by PDGF (superoxide anion production) in a dose-dependent fashion. Moreover, this activation was further dependent on a prior 'priming' of the cells by a brief exposure to subthreshold concentrations of phorbol ester. The response was specific for the BB homodimer of PDGF suggesting it is receptor-dependent.

Preparation of large numbers of highly purified normodense human eosinophils from leukapheresis.

Methods have been developed for the preparation of large numbers of virtually pure, normodense eosinophils from the peripheral blood of normal human volunteers by means of leukapheresis. The purification depends on the sequential removal of mononuclear cells using a one-step discontinuous density gradient, lysis of erythrocytes, enrichment of eosinophils by centrifugation through discontinuous Percoll gradients and, finally, passive selection of the eosinophils by removal of the remaining polymorphonuclear neutrophils with a monoclonal antibody to CD16. The purity of the isolated eosinophils was consistently in excess of 95%. Recovery into the normodense eosinophil fraction ranged between 10 and 87% (average 31.6 +/- 4.2) and recovery during the monoclonal antibody step averaged 80.3 +/- 8.6%. These methods have made it possible, for the first time, to isolate 2-20 x 10(7) virtually pure normodense eosinophils from the peripheral blood of a single donor for further biochemical or pharmacological experimentation.

Generation of lipoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid by monolayer cultures of tracheal epithelial cells and intact tracheal segments from rabbits.

We compared the profile of lipoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid (AA) generated by cultured rabbit tracheal epithelial (TE) cells with that produced by intact rabbit tracheal segments at baseline and following addition of exogenous AA or calcium ionophore A23187. Lipoxygenase metabolites in effluent media were resolved by high-pressure liquid chromatography and quantitated by radioimmunoassay for monohydroxyeicosanoid (HETE) and leukotriene (LT) metabolites [5-, 12-, and 15-HETE; LTB4, LTC4, LTD4]. Following incubation with exogenous AA (10 micrograms/ml), cultured TE cells generated immunoreactive products that coeluted with authentic 5-, 12-, and 15-HETE standards. 12-HETE was the predominant metabolite. Whereas the generation of HETEs by TE monolayers was dependent on addition of exogenous AA, intact tracheal segments demonstrated a baseline production of 12-HETE and lesser amounts of 5- and 15-HETE as well as unidentified metabolites with UV absorbance at 280 nm. Incubation of tracheal segments with AA resulted in augmented metabolite production. In cultured TE cells, small quantities of HETEs were present intracellularly esterified to membrane phospholipids or free in the cytosol, and significant increases in free cytosolic 12- and 15-HETE were detected postincubation with AA. Calcium ionophore (5 microM) did not induce significant increases in HETE production in either cultured TE cells or tracheal segments. Minimal or no immunoreactive LTs B4, C4, and D4 were produced by TE monolayers or tracheal segments at baseline or following addition of AA or ionophore. Production of HETEs by cultured TE cells was not associated with decreased viability, release of intracellular lactic dehydrogenase, or loss of cells from the monolayers. Preincubation of monolayer cultures or tracheal segments with 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid prior to addition of exogenous AA inhibition metabolite production. Our observations provide further documentation for the generation of lipoxygenase metabolites by TE cells and suggest that the array of metabolites generated by cultured TE cells may not be representative of the entire spectrum of AA metabolites produced by intact native epithelium.

1,4-Dihydronaphthoquinones as water-soluble inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase.

The acetate derivatives of 1,4-dihydronaphthoquinones showed significant inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase. Among them, 1-acetyl-2-n-butyl-4-methoxy-naphthalene and 1-acetyl-2, 3-diethyl- 4- methoxy-naphthalene were found to be the best inhibitors. A series of HCl salts of the amino acid esters and other derivatives of the two parent molecules, 1-hydroxy-2-n-butyl-4-methoxy-naphthalene and 1-hydroxy-2, 3-diethyl-4-methoxynaphthalene, were synthesized as water-soluble potential inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase to improve the formulation characteristics of this class of compounds. The derivatives were evaluated for leukotriene (LT) C4/D4 and LTB4 inhibitory activity. The HCl salts of the L-valine esters from the two parent molecules exhibited the best potency for inhibition of LTC4/D4 (IC50 0.11-0.90 microM) in ionophore A23187-stimulated rat mononuclear cells and of LTB4 in A23187-stimulated rat blood (55.5-79.2% inhibition) following a single oral dose of 50 mg/kg.

1,4-Dihydronaphthoquinones, hydroindoloquinones, benzofurans, and benzothiophenes as inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase. Synthesis and structure-activity studies.

A series of substituted 1,4-dihydronaphthoquinones, hydroindoloquinones, benzofuran-4,7-dihydroquinones, and benzothiophene-4,7-dihydroquinones were synthesized and evaluated for inhibitory activity against 5-lipoxygenase. These compounds were found to be active in vitro for LTC4/D4 inhibition with the potencies (IC50's) ranging from 0.2 to 85 microM. Active 1,4-dihydronaphthoquinone acetates (IC50 less than 20 microM) were evaluated in an ex vivo LTB4 inhibition assay. The acetates of 1,4-dihydronaphthoquinones containing the alkyl substituent(s) (2-n-butyl, 11, and 2,3-diethyl, 15) exhibited the best activity in LTC4/D4 inhibition (IC50 = 0.2-0.4 microM, in vitro) as well as in LTB4 inhibition (60-75% inhibition).

How similar are in vitro differentiated, cord blood derived eosinophils to peripheral blood eosinophils? A comparison of their peroxidase and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin contents and of their responses to various activators.

In this study we attempted to compare cord blood derived, in vitro differentiated eosinophils to peripheral blood eosinophils with respect to their capacity to respond to various activators and, therefore, their potential ability to contribute to an inflammatory response. The cells were compared with respect to their density, content of eosinophil peroxidase, and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin, and with respect to their responses to various activators. The in vitro cultured, cord blood derived eosinophils were distinctly lighter than the freshly isolated peripheral blood cells. This difference in cell density was reflected in a slightly reduced content of both eosinophil peroxidase (1.17 +/- 0.29 compared to 2.03 +/- 0.22 arbitrary units/2,000 cells) and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (18.7 +/- 4.0 vs. 26.4 +/- 4.5 ng/10(4) cells). We compared the cells with respect to two different activation end points; the production of activated oxygen metabolites (superoxide anion) and the secretion of cationic proteins from their granules (eosinophil peroxidase and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin). In general, these responses were either the same in the two cell populations, or they were only slightly lower in the cord blood derived cells. There were, however, a few notable exceptions. Thus the secretory responses of the cultured cells to C5a and C3a anaphylatoxins and O2- production with the chemotactic peptide, formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, and with aggregated IgG were consistently greater than those of the normodense eosinophils. The possible implications of these differences on the state of maturation of the in vitro differentiated eosinophils are briefly discussed.