The sequential migration of neutrophils through endothelium and epithelium: a new model system.

To better understand the mechanisms by which neutrophils migrate into the airways, we constructed a novel in vitro model system with human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVE) monolayers grown on top of permeable filters and human lung Type II-like alveolar epithelial cell (A549) monolayers grown on the undersurface of the filters. The sequential migration of human neutrophils through the endothelium (apical to basal movement) and subsequently through the epithelium (basal to apical movement) in response to a stimulus located basally to the epithelium was measured. We found that the neutrophil chemoattractants, formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (FMLP), leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and interleukin-8 (IL-8), induced dose-responsive migration through the double monolayer-filter complex. The pattern of migration was similar to that observed through either a naked filter or single monolayer-filter complex. Maximal chemotaxis through the double monolayer-filter complex was observed by 3 hours. Thus, we have established an in vitro model system to examine the sequential migration of neutrophils through endothelium and the respiratory epithelium in a manner analogous to that occurring with an in vivo airway stimulus causing neutrophil-rich airway inflammatory responses.

Cytokine-induced neutrophil transepithelial migration is dependent upon epithelial orientation.

The mechanisms by which mediators and cytokines stimulate neutrophils to migrate across the lung epithelium are still unclear. We hypothesized that neutrophil transepithelial migration depends upon polarity of the epithelium. We therefore compared neutrophil migration through human lung Type II-like alveolar epithelial cell line (A549) monolayers grown on the upper versus lower surface of permeable filters to simulate apical-to-basal and basal-to-apical movement of neutrophils, respectively. The classic chemoattractants formyl-methionylleucylphenylalanine (FMLP), leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) induced equivalent neutrophil transepithelial migration in the apical-to-basal and basal-to-apical directions. However, the degree of neutrophil transepithelial migration was significantly greater in the basal-to-apical direction in response to either IL-1beta or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Enhanced TNF-alpha-induced neutrophil migration through A549 monolayers in the basal-to-apical direction occurred regardless of whether the TNF-alpha was above or below the filter/monolayer complex. Actinomycin D pretreatment of A549 monolayers had no effect on FMLP-induced neutrophil transepithelial migration, but markedly (about 75%) inhibited both TNF-alpha- and IL-1beta-induced neutrophil transepithelial migration, regardless of monolayer orientation. Thus, in contrast to classic chemoattractants, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha induced greater neutrophil transepithelial migration in a basal-to-apical direction, and this occurred independently of the cytokine location, but depended upon intact metabolic capacity of the A549 cells. These data suggest that the mechanisms important for neutrophil transepithelial migration in response to classic chemoattractants differ from those important for migration in response to inflammatory cytokines.

Decreased membrane phospholipid packing and decreased cell size precede DNA cleavage in mature mouse B cell apoptosis.

Mature resting mouse spleen B cells progress stochastically into apoptosis at a uniform rate over the first 16 h in vitro in 3 stages. In stage 1, early apoptotic B cells decreased the normal phospholipid packing of their plasma membranes, detected as increased binding of the lipophilic dye merocyanine 540, and also decreased in volume, detected as decreased forward scatter. In stage 2 there was abrupt internucleosomal cleavage of DNA, quantitated as hypodiploid nuclei by flow cytometry. Some stage 2 cells entered stage 3, where the plasma membrane became permeable to propidium iodide. B cells in later stages of this sequence retained the characteristics of earlier stages, whereas nonapoptotic B cells remained in their original state. Cycloheximide increased the progression of B cells through these three stages, whereas dextran sulfate inhibited stage 1 more effectively than stages 2 or 3. Increased orthogonal scatter also occurred late in some of the cells that had passed through stage 1, but did not correlate well with propidium iodide permeability. Fresh small dense spleen B cells contained 5% to 7% stage 1 cells but only about 1% stage 2 cells. Macrophages have been reported to destroy preferentially apoptotic thymocytes by recognizing plasma membrane alterations deriving from loose packing of phospholipid head groups. The recognition of stage 1 rather than stage 2 B cells by macrophages may help to keep the proportion of apoptotic cells low in vivo.

Analysis of high and low responses to Staphylococcus aureus and interleukin 2 in human B lymphocytes.

Fixed protein A-bearing staphylococci (SAC) stimulate human B cells via surface Ig, whereas IL-2 has been reported to provide a sufficient second signal for proliferation and differentiation. Using an ELISPOT assay to count cells secreting IgM, IgA, and IgG and flow cytometry with acridine orange to assess cell cycle progress, we have found that the purified B lymphocytes of a substantial minority (5/13) of healthy volunteers with normal serum Ig levels failed to differentiate to Ig secreting cells (ISC) in response to SAC + IL-2 (IgM, IgA, or IgG secreting cells, < 5% of input B cells). High-responders generally formed 10-35% ISC. The proportions of B cells expressing IgG, IgA, IgM, or IgD were not different in the two groups. By average linkage cluster analysis, SAC/IL-2 high- and low-responders were shown to fall into two separate populations with respect to ISC. High- and low-responders tended to remain in the same group with repeated testing over several months, although some convergence was seen. The low-responders also showed significantly less advancement to late G1 and S phase than the high-responders, in the presence of SAC +/- IL-2. Induction of IL-2 receptors on B cells by SAC + IL-2 was much greater in high-responders than in low-responders, as shown by flow cytometry with phycoerythrin-conjugated IL-2. However, SAC + IL-2 induced transferrin receptors normally in low-responders, showing that some early activation steps occur in these cells. Low-responder B cells often improved their responses in the presence of macrophages and T cell supernatants. Finally, bypassing the surface Ig pathway using anti-CD3-activated T cells to stimulate B cells produced normal differentiation in low-responder B cells. Thus a subset of clinically normal individuals possesses B cells which fail to express IL-2 receptors, proliferate, and differentiate normally in vitro in response to SAC + IL-2 yet can respond well to alternative activation pathways via T cells, monocytes, and their products.

Apoptosis in splenic B lymphocytes. Regulation by protein kinase C and IL-4.

Small dense splenic B lymphocytes from adult specific pathogen-free mice were shown to undergo apoptosis in vitro as indicated by internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, hypodiploid DNA content of isolated nuclei, and morphologic features by electron microscopy. Unstimulated cultures showed spontaneous apoptosis increasing gradually and monotonically from < 2 to 32% of B cells by 16 h. The rate of accumulation of apoptotic cells was reduced by the addition of IL-4 or PMA, but not by the inactive phorbol ester, 4 alpha PDD. In contrast, inhibitors of protein kinase C (H7 and staurosporine) increased the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis to > 70% by 12 h; HA 1004, genistein, and herbimycin A all had no effect on apoptosis. Thus, protein kinase C activity regulates apoptosis, but there is no evidence that protein kinases A and G and tyrosine kinases are involved. Cycloheximide increased apoptosis, indicating that apoptosis may be restrained in B cells by the presence of one or more labile protective proteins. The percentage of apoptotic cells measured by flow cytometry and the percentage of fragmented DNA measured by the diphenylamine method were nearly equal, regardless of the method of apoptotic regulation. Together with the absence of nuclei with flow cytometric properties intermediate between normal and apoptotic, these results suggest that in individual B cells apoptosis progresses rapidly to completion. These data suggest a fundamental change in our concept of the life-style of the "resting" B cell: instead of a dormant cell remaining unchanged until it receives activation signals, the mature spleen B cell appears programmed to die by apoptosis unless rescued by specific agents, such protein kinase C activators or IL-4.

Comparison of calcium, freeze-thaw, and Triton X-100 tegumental disruption/recovery techniques applied to Schistosoma mansoni.

Three techniques for the disruption/recovery of tegumental free-surface plasmalemma were compared by (i) morphological examination of carcasses and centrifugally-derived isolates, (ii) specific enrichment of bound surface tags (lectin) and of "marker" enzymes for membrane, and (iii) assessment of total protein and lectin recovered by each procedure. Procedures compared included the use of Triton X-100, freezing and thawing, and high ionic strength calcium. Triton X-100 consistently provided the greatest amounts of recovered surface membrane on a per worm basis, whereas calcium retained the highest amounts of alkaline p-nitrophenyl phosphatase, adenosine triphosphatase, and adenosine monophosphatase activity. Ultrastructural examination of membrane isolates and worm carcasses prepared by freezing and thawing indicated that significant amounts of parenchymal material contaminated the membrane fractions. Thus results based on the freeze-thaw technique can be difficult to interpret.

Disruption and removal of the tegument from Schistosoma mansoni with triton X-100.

Tegumental membranes of Schistosoma mansoni were disrupted by 0.2% Triton X-100 in Tris-maleate buffered/Kreb-Ringer's solution. Subsequent differential centrifugation of the disruption solution at 2,500 g and 30,000 g produced two pellets which contained membrane components. Examination of the carcass by scanning electron microscopy revealed that most of the exposed tegument of both male and female worms was removed, while surface membrane protected by close apposition of another surface (i.e., in the gynecophoral canal) remained intact. The parenchymal tissue (e.g., subtegumental muscle and tegumental perikarya), excretory and gut epithelia, and the tegument's basement membrane also remained intact. The selectivity of the disruption suggests that membrane in both pellets originated almost exclusively from the tegument. Although larger morphological features (i.e., surface crypts) present in the intact tegument did not maintain their form in the 2,500 g pellet, the high specific activity of 3H-concanavalin A retained by this fraction, and the presence of numerous spines and large pieces of membrane, suggest that the 2,500 g pellet contained most of the worm's disrupted surface membrane. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated the presence of dense spinelike material and vesicles of various sizes and densities, as well as some mitochondria in the 30,000 g pellet. Low specific activity of 3H-concanavalin A in the post-30,000 g supernatant suggests that relatively few externally oriented, saccharide-containing molecules were solubilized from tegumental membranes by Triton X-100.