Jacky Woo

Stress protein-induced immunosuppression: inhibition of cellular immune effector functions following overexpression of haem oxygenase (HSP 32)

This is the first report on suppression of immune effector functions following upregulation of heat shock protein 32 (HSP 32), known as haem oxygenase (HO-1). Here we evaluated the effect of cobalt-protoporphyrin (CoPP)-induced HO-1 expression on cell-mediated immune responses. Administration of CoPP to CBA mice resulted in overexpression of HO-1 in the spleen, liver and kidneys. In vitro measurements of T cell-mediated and NK-cell-mediated cytotoxicity in spleens from CoPP-treated animals demonstrated a severe suppression of their effector functions while administration of Zn-PP or vitamin B12 had no effect. Furthermore, CoPP therapy decreased the lymphoproliferative alloresponse and differentiation of cytotoxic T cells. Inhibition of proliferation appeared to be due to cell growth arrest with an increased number of cells staying in G0/G1 phase. Despite the suppressed proliferative response, IL-2 production in the MLR was not inhibited. In contrast, CoPP decreased the production of IL-10, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. In vivo, CoPP prolonged the survival of heterotopic heart allografts in mice. The immunosuppressive effects following CoPP-mediated upregulation of HO-1 were similar to those observed after peptide-mediated upregulation of HO-1. The results indicate that overexpression of HO results in the inhibition of several immune effector functions and thus provides an explanation for stress-induced immunosuppression.

ISOLATION, PHENOTYPE, AND ALLOSTIMULATORY ACTIVITY OF MOUSE LIVER DENDRITIC CELLS

Donor liver-derived dendritic cells (DC) have recently been identified within various lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues of organ allograft recipients, including nonimmunosuppressed mice transplanted with and permanently accepting major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-disparate hepatic allografts. These findings have raised questions about the basis of the tolerogenicity of the liver--and, in particular, about the properties of liver-derived DC. To study further the structure, immunophenotype and allostimulatory activity of leukocytes resident in normal mouse (B10.BR;H-2k, I-Ek) liver, a procedure was developed to maximize the yield of viable, nonparenchymal cells (NPC) obtained following collagenase digestion of perfused liver fragments and density centrifugation (Percoll). These cells comprised populations expressing lymphoid and myeloid cell surface antigens. As compared with spleen cells, they proved good allostimulators of naive (B10; H-2b, I-E-) splenic T cells when tested in primary mixed leukocyte reactions (MLR). After overnight (18-hr) incubation of the NPC, enrichment for transiently adherent, low-density (LD) cells on metrizamide gradients permitted the recovery of low numbers of cells (approx. 2-5 x 10(5) per liver), many of which displayed distinct DC morphology. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that these cells were CD3-, CD4-, CD8-, and B220-, but strongly expressed CD45 (leukocyte-common antigen), and mild-to-moderate levels of CD11b, heat-stable antigen, and CD44. The cells also expressed moderate intensity of NLDC 145 but not 33D1, DC restricted markers which have been shown to be differentially expressed on mouse DC isolated from various organs. This DC-enriched population was more strongly MHC class II(I-Ek)+ than NPC, as determined by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry and exhibited much more potent allostimulatory activity for naive T cells. These findings demonstrate that freshly isolated murine liver NPC, and perhaps their counterparts in situ, exhibit allostimulatory activity that is enhanced in the non-adherent, low-density (DC-enriched) fraction after overnight culture. They further suggest that the maturation of liver DC may play a key role in determining the immunogenicity and or tolerogenicity of hepatic allografts.

Toxicity of rapamycin : a comparative and combination study with cyclosporine at immunotherapeutic dosage in the rat

Sprague-Dawley rats were treated for 14 days with rapamycin (RAP; 1.5 mg/kg/day i.p.), cyclosporine (15 mg/kg/day by gavage), both drugs in combination, or appropriate drug vehicles. Hematological parameters and biochemical indices of renal and hepatic function were determined throughout the experimental period, at the end of which the rats were killed and tissues examined histologically. There was a significant reduction in weight gain in RAP- but not CsA-treated animals, while rats given both drugs showed a reduction in body weight over the 14-day experimental period. There were no significant alterations in absolute or differential white blood cell counts or in T or B cell numbers, except in the drug combination group, in which an absolute lymphopenia was detected on day 14. Small but significant increases in urinary flow rate (UFR) were found with either drug alone, and there was a marked (4-fold) increase in UFR in response to drug combination. Both RAP and CsA caused a small elevation in serum creatinine concentrations, but only with CsA was there a significant elevation in urinary enzyme activity and reduction in 51Cr. EDTA clearance. The drug combination exacerbated renal impairment, the extent of which was greater than the additive effect of either drug alone. Hyperbilirubinemia of similar magnitude was observed in rats receiving either CsA alone or in combination with RAP. In contrast to its effect on renal function, however, the CsA+RAP combination was without additional effect on liver function compared with the minor changes seen with either drug alone. Plasma and urinary glucose levels were elevated in all drug treatment groups and especially in animals given both drugs. RAP administration did not significantly affect whole-blood CsA concentrations, although the possibility of a pharmacokinetic interaction cannot be totally excluded. Histological studies revealed striking thymic medullary atrophy in all drug-treated animals. In addition, all rats given RAP showed focal myocardial necrosis of overall mild-moderate severity. Kidneys of RAP-treated rats appeared normal, whereas mild, focal, acute tubular necrosis was evident in all CsA-treated animals. Pancreases of all drug-treated animals were normal.

Graft-versus-host disease after brown Norway-to-Lewis and Lewis-to-Brown Norway rat intestinal transplantation under FK506

In LEW rats treated daily with variable doses of FK506 for 14 days and weekly thereafter, successful intestinal transplantation from fully allogeneic BN donors never was complicated by fatal GVHD. In contrast, with LEW-to-BN transplantation, rejection was difficult to control and GVHD developed after the end of the daily treatment. However, FK506 in high daily doses continued after the initial 14-day course could prevent this GVHD or even reverse it after allowing its onset. Further experiments did not clarify why the BN rat was an “easy” donor and “difficult” recipient. In unaltered animals the lymphocyte population of normal LEW rats had a higher proportion of T cells, fewer B cells, and a lower CD4:CD8 ratio than normal BN rats. However, one-way MLR reactions of the BN and LEW combinations were generally similar in either direction and not affected differently by the addition of FK506 to the medium. The two-way lymphocyte traffic from graft to host lymphoid organs and vice versa also was similar with BN-to-LEW and LEW-to-BN models. The BN rat may be a useful tool to investigate inadequately explained mechanisms of GVHD.

Cytokine mRNA profiles in mouse orthotopic liver transplantation: Graft rejection is associated with augmented TH1 function

Although mouse liver allografts are spontaneously accepted without immunosuppression in many strain combinations, rejection can be induced by presensitization with a donor skin graft two weeks prior to transplantation. In this study, the semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) was used to assess the involvement of T helper (TH) cell subsets in liver allograft acceptance by determining cytokine mRNA in the graft and spleen of recipients with (A) spontaneously accepting allografts (B) rejecting liver allografts after previous skin sensitization, and (C) syngeneic controls. Spontaneously accepted liver allografts showed upregulation of TH1 (IL-2, IFN-gamma) and TH2 (IL-4, IL-10) intragraft cytokine mRNA, which peaked at day 6 and tapered off thereafter, when compared with levels in syngeneic grafts, but both IFN-gamma and IL-10 mRNA persisted up to day 30. This cytokine mRNA profile correlated with the transient intragraft inflammation associated with spontaneously resolving rejection. Presensitized recipients that rejected their grafts revealed marked upregulation of TH1 (IL-2 and IFN-gamma) and TH2 (IL-4, IL-6) intragraft cytokine mRNAs compared with spontaneously accepting recipients, although IL-10 mRNA levels showed no differences between the two groups. The most striking difference was seen in IFN-gamma levels, which correlated well with the preferential deposition of IgG2a antibody isotype in the rejecting compared with the spontaneously accepting liver allograft recipients. These results suggested an association between liver allograft rejection and enhanced TH1 cytokine immune response. The ability to reject liver allografts by the adoptive transfer of splenocytes, but not serum, from a sensitized mouse ruled out preformed antibodies alone as a cause of rejection. However, spleen cytokine mRNA profiles showed no differences or trends in TH1 or TH2 expression in spontaneously accepting versus rejecting recipients, which suggested that the spleen is not a major site of alloreactive immune expansion. These data suggest that spontaneous acceptance of mouse liver allografts is associated with an insufficient intragraft TH1 cytokine response, the cause of which is currently under investigation.

FK 506: a novel immunosuppressant for treatment of autoimmune disease: Rationale and preliminary clinical experience at the University of Pittsburgh

FK 506 (Prograf) is a novel macrolide antibiotic isolated from the soil fungus Streptomyces tsukubaensis [24]. Although it is totally distinct in molecular structure from cyclosporin (CsA) (Sandimmune), a cyclic endecapeptide extracted from the fungus Tolypocladium inflatum (Fig. 1), the two drugs share a remarkably similar, selective inhibitory action on the activation and proliferation of CD4+ T helper (TH) lymphocytes [25, 41, 50, 51, 56]. These cells play an essential, central role both in antigen recognition and as the sources of soluble, hormone-like mediators (cytokines) of the cascade of events leading to the expression of immune reactivity. By inhibiting the activation of CD4+ TH cells, FK 506, like CsA, exerts a wide-range of immunosuppressive activities. It is recognized that both drugs prolong solid-organ allograft survival in experimental animals and in man. FK 506, however, is considerably more powerful as an antilymphocytic agent than CsA, as evidenced by the superior potency of the former drug in inhibiting antigen-driven T cell activation, cytokine production and lymphocyte proliferation in vitro [50]. Moreover, the systemic levels of FK 506 required to induce and maintain immune suppression are approximately 100-fold lower than are the blood levels of CsA to achieve the same effect. The immunosuppressive efficacy of CsA in man (in renal transplant recipients and patients receiving bone marrow transplants) was first reported in 1978; in 1989, the first account of the ability of FK 506 to prevent or reverse organ allograft rejection was published [44]. Data obtained over the last 3 years provide good clinical evidence that FK 506 exhibits a narrower range of side effects than does CsA and that, as compared with CsA, FK 506 has greater steroid-sparing activity [45, 46]. Whilst the potential benefits of FK 506 for the prophylaxis and reversal of organ allograft rejection (in particular liver transplant rejection) are becoming recognized, the value of the drug in the treatment of autoimmune disorders is now also beginning to be assessed. In this article (1) a rationale for the use of FK 506 in autoimmune disease, (2) a description of its molecular action and immunosuppressive activities, (3) a consideration of the biological and pharmacological properties of FK 506, (4) a review of its capacity to inhibit a wide variety of experimental autoimmune disorders, and (5) a report on the early clinical experience with FK 506 in the clinical management of a panoply of autoimmune disease seen at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) will be presented. Moreover, a brief outline of laboratory investigations utilized to monitor the status of T lymphocytes in these patients and a discussion of the side effects of FK 506 will be presented. Throughout, we shall draw upon comparisons between FK 506 and CsA which have been documented in the literature. Fig. 1 The molecular structure of the immunosuppressive macrolide FK 506 (mol. wt. 822 daltons) and of the less powerful, but similarly acting cyclic endecapeptide cyclosporin A (mol. wt. 1203 daltons) Rationale for the use of FK 506 in autoimmune diseases The role of T cells in autoimmunity The therapeutic use of FK 506 in the treatment of autoimmune disease is based on the premise that all of these disorders are T cell driven [39]. It is, therefore, important to examine the evidence that activated CD4+ TH cells and their cytokine products are important both in the induction and maintenance of various diseases such as psoriasis, uveitis, insulin-dependent type-1 diabetes, chronic active hepatitis-autoimmune (CAH-A), rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis – diseases that are currently being treated with FK 506. In uveitis [11], type-1 diabetes [6], multiple sclerosis [16] and psoriasis [3] for example, T cells are believed to play an important pathogenic role. Much of the evidence to support this view comes from studies in experimental animal models and from in vitro investigations of the adverse or destructive interactions between T cells, antigen-stimulated cytokines and the target tissue affected by the disease process. In the autoimmune liver diseases [26], CAH-A and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), and in rheumatoid arthritis [9], there is abundant evidence for the involvement of T cells in the pathogenesis of each disease and, therefore, a rationale for the use of FK 506 in each exists. In recent years the therapeutic efficacy of CsA in uveitis, psoriasis, PBC, CAH-A, and rheumatoid arthritis has been demonstrated [52]. Moreover, CsA has been shown to alter the natural history of type-1 diabetes [4]. The drug has not, however, made a significant impact upon the clinical management of patients with most of these diseases. In autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or the nephrotic syndrome, the rationale for the use of CsA or FK 506 is less clear. Thus, in SLE, humoral immunity appears to be more important than cellular immunity in the pathogenesis of the disease, and in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome the pathogenic mechanisms responsible for the disease process are far from clear. Nevertheless, in nephrotic syndrome, T cell dysfunction, recruitment of B cells, immunoglobulin deposition within the kidney and a central role for lymphokines have been implicated by various authors [7, 8, 18, 54]. Moreover, CsA has been shown to be very effective in the steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome, although less so in steroid-resistant patients [52]. A spectrum of autoimmune disorders is shown in Table 1. The predicted efficacy of FK 506 in their treatment is based on the assumption that the role of T cells in these various disease processes is central, and also on experience in animal models of these diseases with either CsA or FK 506. Account is also taken of clinical experience with CsA in these autoimmune disorders. Table 1 Possible mechanisms of autoimmune diseases and predicted responses to FK 506a Evidence that autoimmune diseases are T cell driven There is a large body of additional experimental data which provides supportive evidence to the thesis that autoimmune diseases are driven by T cells and their cytokine products. In addition to the proven efficacy of CsA or FK 506 in many experimental autoimmune diseases, antibodies directed against CD4+ T cells or against the interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R; expressed on activated T cells) have been shown to be effective therapeutic agents in these animal models. When stimulated with appropriate antigen or monoclonal antibody, T cell clones derived from lesional tissue or peripheral blood secrete cytokines which effect the pathological changes observed in target tissue (e.g., fibroblasts in scleroderma, keratinocytes in psoriasis or islet cells in type-1 diabetes) that are relevant to the disease process observed in vivo. Such antigen-stimulated T cell clones can induce disease when transferred to healthy recipients (e.g., induction of type-1 diabetes, experimental arthritis or allergic encephalomyelitis). Furthermore, in many experimental models of autoimmunity, it can be shown that neonatal thymectomy has a pronounced beneficial effect in preventing development of the disease. For references and discussion see [40].

Alleviation of graft-versus-host disease after conditioning with cobalt-protoporphyrin, an inducer of heme oxygenase-1

BACKGROUND Recently, we demonstrated that elevated expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 or Hsp-32) resulted in the modulation of several immune effector functions. Here we evaluated whether induction of HO-1 after administration of cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP) can prevent the development of acute graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). METHODS Acute GVHD was initiated by injection of unfractionated spleen cells from C57BL/6 into B6D2/F1 mice. RESULTS Administration of CoPP resulted in increased survival: 85% of CoPP-treated animals survived for >100 days compared with only 29% of saline-treated control animals (P<0.05). In contrast, administration of ZnPP, a well-known inhibitor of HO, accelerated GVHD development. The protective effect of CoPP therapy seemed to be caused by immunomodulation of donor cells, because treatment of cell donors prevented development of acute GVHD in 80% of recipients compared with 0% in control animals. Spontaneous lymphocyte proliferation could be measured with splenocytes harvested from animals developing GVHD but not with splenocytes from recipients of CoPP-treated donor cells. CoPP-treatment had no effect on interleukin-2 or interleukin-4 synthesis but inhibited interferon-gamma production. Mice with active GVHD demonstrated a defective lympho-proliferative response to alloantigens or concanavalin A. However, spleen cells isolated from survivors (on day 100) responded normally. Flow cytometric analysis of splenic T cell populations revealed a severe reduction in recipient type (H-2b,d) cells in mice with active GVHD, whereas in protected mice the number of cells remained normal. CONCLUSION The results from this study confirmed our previous observation that up-regulation of HO-1 activity is associated with down-regulation of several immune effector functions. This resulted in protection from acute GVHD in a parent into F1 mouse model.

Immunosuppressive activity, lymphocyte subset analysis, and acute toxicity of FK-506 in the rat. A comparative and combination study with cyclosporine.

The immunosuppressive and toxic properties of the recently discovered macrolide antibiotic FK506 were examined in comparison and in conjunction with cyclosporine administration in the rat. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were immunized systemically with sheep erythrocytes and received, from the same time, either FK506 (1 mg/kg/day) intramuscularly or CsA (25 mg/kg/day) by gavage, or both drugs in combination. Seven days after immunization, the splenic plaque-forming cell response and circulating antibody titers were reduced greater than 90% in animals receiving either FK506 or CsA and in the drug combination group. These immunosuppressive effects of FK506 and CsA were accompanied by significant increases in the incidences of splenic OX-8+ cells and by corresponding reductions in the W3/25+:OX-8+ ratio. No further changes in T cell populations were observed in animals given both drugs. A progressive monocytosis was found in response to CsA, but not in FK506-treated rats. Increases in plasma urea were observed in FK-506 and drug-combination or CsA-treated rats on day 7, whereas creatinine levels were raised only in the FK-506 groups. Elevated bilirubin levels and alterations in liver enzyme activities were observed in CsA-treated rats by day 4, whereas FK-506 alone produced no similar effects. CsA-treated rats also exhibited elevated blood and urinary glucose levels from day 4. No biochemical evidence of additive drug toxicity was detected. The only histological abnormalities observed were thymic medullary atrophy in all drug-treated animals, together with very minor reductions in bone marrow cellularity in a proportion of those rats given FK-506. These findings show that, at the dosage selected, the powerful immunosuppressive activities of FK-506 were associated with little evidence of acute toxicity and with no indications of additive toxicity with CsA.

A synthetic dimeric HLA class I peptide inhibits T cell activity in vitro and prolongs allogeneic heart graft survival in a mouse model.

A peptide derived from the alpha 1 domain of the human HLA class I heavy chain (amino acids 75-84; B2702.75-84) has been shown to inhibit human cytotoxic T and NK cell activity in a non-allele-restricted manner. In vivo, this peptide prolonged skin allograft survival in a murine model. Here we demonstrate prolongation of heart allograft survival in mice and extend the characterization of the immunomodulatory activity of B2702.75-84. Similar to what has been observed with retrovirus-derived peptides, the inhibitory capability of this peptide was increased when bound to a carrier protein. An increased immunomodulatory activity was also observed with the dimeric peptide B2702.84-75-75-84 or the multimeric B2702.75-84.MAP. This peptide not only inhibited cytotoxic T and NK cells but also anti-CD3-induced T cell proliferation as well as a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). Flow cytometric analysis of T cells harvested from anti-CD3-stimulated spleen cell culture in the presence of B2702.84-75-75-84 showed decreased expression of activation markers (CD25, ICAM-1, Pgp-1, CD69) compared with untreated control cultures. The superior activity of B2702.84-75-75-84 could also be demonstrated in vivo. Administration of B2702.84-75-75-84 prolonged the survival of B6 (H2b) hearts in CBA (H2k) recipients to 15 +/- 2.7 (P = 0.0002 vs. control) days compared with 11.4 +/- 2.6 (P = 0.01) days in B2702.75-84 treated animals and 7.5 +/- 1.1 days in untreated controls. Administration of control peptides had no significant effect on allograft survival. In combination with a subtherapeutic dose of cyclosporine, B2702.75-84 induced long-term graft survival in 60% of recipients.

Effects of combined administration of FK 506 and the purine biosynthesis inhibitors mizoribine or mycophenolic acid on lymphocyte DNA synthesis and T cell activation molecule expression in human mixed lymphocyte cultures

Our objective was to obtain new information on the in vitro antilymphocytic action of the cytokine synthesis inhibitor FK 506 and the purine biosynthesis inhibitors mycophenolic acid (MPA; the active moiety of RS61443) and mizoribine (MZB) when used alone or in combination. When added at the initiation of six-day human mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC), FK 506, MPA or MZB exhibited dose-dependent inhibition of T-lymphocyte DNA synthesis. FK 506, however, was 100-fold more potent than MPA, and 10,000-fold more potent than MZB. Combination of FK 506 with either MPA or MZB, each at suboptional concentrations, produced no more than additive inhibitory effects on 3H thymidine incorporation. Two-colour flow cytometric analysis of lymphocytes revealed that none of the drugs affected cell surface activation molecule expression (CD25 = IL-2R 55 kD alpha-chain, HLA-DR or CD71 = transferrin receptor [TR]) on allostimulated CD4+ or CD8+ cells harvested at three days of culture. By day six, however, all three agents, at levels which markedly inhibited proliferation, suppressed the expression of activation markers on both CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Also at day six, inhibition of activation molecule expression on CD4+ cells was achieved with the combination of FK 506 and either MPA or MZB at concentrations which, on their own, were ineffective. These data provide new, additional information on the in vitro antilymphocytic action of FK 506, MPA and MZB when used alone and in combination.