Effect of MALP-2, a lipopeptide from Mycoplasma fermentans, on bone resorption in vitro.

Mycoplasmas may be associated with rheumatoid arthritis in various animal hosts. In humans, mycoplasma arthritis has been recorded in association with hypogammaglobulinemia. Mycoplasma fermentans is one mycoplasma species considered to be involved in causing arthritis. To clarify which mycoplasmal compounds contribute to the inflammatory, bone-destructive processes in arthritis, we used a well-defined lipopeptide, 2-kDa macrophage-activating lipopeptide (MALP-2) from M. fermentans, as an example of a class of macrophage-activating compounds ubiquitous in mycoplasmas, to study its effects on bone resorption. MALP-2 stimulated osteoclast-mediated bone resorption in murine calvaria cultures, with a maximal effect at around 2 nM. Anti-inflammatory drugs inhibited MALP-2-mediated bone resorption by about 30%. This finding suggests that MALP-2 stimulates bone resorption partially by stimulating the formation of prostaglandins. Since interleukin-6 (IL-6) stimulates bone resorption, we investigated IL-6 production in cultured calvaria. MALP-2 stimulated the liberation of IL-6, while no tumor necrosis factor was detectable. Additionally, MALP-2 stimulated low levels of NO in calvaria cultures, an effect which was strongly increased in the presence of gamma interferon, causing an inhibition of bone resorption. MALP-2 stimulated the bone-resorbing activity of osteoclasts isolated from long bones of newborn rats and cultured on dentine slices without affecting their number. In bone marrow cultures, MALP-2 inhibited the formation of osteoclasts. It appears that MALP-2 has two opposing effects: it increases the bone resorption in bone tissue by stimulation of mature osteoclasts but inhibits the formation of new ones.

Vasopressin stimulation of vanadate-sensitive Na+ transport by liver plasma membrane vesicles. Evidence for regulation via phospholipase C and protein kinase C activities.

The rate of vanadate-sensitive 22Na+ uptake by isolated liver membrane vesicles, reflecting transport by Na+/K(+)-ATPase, was measured to study the role played by phospholipase C and protein kinase C in the regulation of this process by vasopressin. Na+ uptake was enhanced 2-3-fold by 100 nM [Arg8]vasopressin and the hormone effect was mimicked by 0.1 microM inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate as well as by 1.0 microM myo-inositol. The stimulation by vasopressin was potentiated by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C from Bacillus thuringiensis (5-10 mU/ml). No effect of the bacterial enzyme was observed in the absence of the hormone. Phorbol myristate acetate (0.5-1 microM) suppressed the stimulation by vasopressin but had no effect in the absence of the hormone. High concentrations of bacterial phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (50-100 mU/ml) also antagonized the hormone stimulation. Staurosporine (50-100 nM) prevented the antagonistic effect of bacterial phospholipase C (50 mU/ml) and EGTA (1 mM) partially protected the hormonal stimulation in the presence of phorbol myristate acetate. Our results suggest that the stimulatory effect of vasopressin on Na+ transport is mediated by phospholipase C and products derived from the inositol moiety of membrane phospholipids. Membrane-associated protein kinase C appears to be at least partially responsible for the desensitization to stimulation by vasopressin.

The soluble 'low-Km' 5'-nucleotidase of rat kidney represents solubilized ecto-5'-nucleotidase.

A soluble 'low-Km' 5'-nucleotidase has been described previously in several organs. It has been presumed to be of cytosolic origin and thus to play a role in the intracellular production of adenosine. Its catalytic properties are similar to those of the ecto-5'-nucleotidase of cell membranes. In the present study we compared molecular properties of the two enzymes in the kidney of the rat. The Mr of the main peak of soluble 'low-Km' 5'-nucleotidase in gel-filtration chromatography was similar to that of the ecto-5'-nucleotidase solubilized by a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C from renal brush-border membranes. In phase-partition experiments using Triton X-114, the soluble enzyme appeared to be hydrophobic. Its hydrophobicity was decreased on treatment with a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C, suggesting that the soluble 'low-Km' 5'-nucleotidase contains the phosphatidylinositol anchor which is characteristic for the ecto-enzyme. An anti-ecto-5'-nucleotidase antiserum provoked an almost complete inhibition of the soluble enzyme. Immunoblotting using anti-ecto-5'-nucleotidase antiserum revealed in the high-speed supernatants a polypeptide with a similar Mr to the subunit of the ecto-5'-nucleotidase. The soluble 'low-Km' 5'-nucleotidase, like the ecto-5'-nucleotidase, bound specifically to concanavalin A. We conclude that the soluble 'low-Km' 5'-nucleotidase is not a cytosolic enzyme, but that it most probably originates from the solubilization of the ecto-5'-nucleotidase, and that it therefore cannot participate in the intracellular production of adenosine.

The purine nucleotide cycle activity in renal cortex and medulla.

Formation of adenine nucleotides, IMP, malate + fumarate, ammonia, adenosine, and inosine + hypoxanthine + uric acid were measured in cytosolic extracts from renal cortex and medulla. The order of substrate addition was IMP, then 2-deoxyglucose, then P-creatine. Compared with cortex, medulla showed greater rates of formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from P-creatine, of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) from 2-deoxyglucose, and of total adenine nucleotides from IMP. These results suggest that the purine nucleotide cycle is more active in medulla than in cortex. This cycle may provide a mechanism in medulla for storing purine nucleotides which can be used to restore ATP pools in the relatively hypoxic conditions of this part of the kidney.