Human scavenger receptor B1 is involved in recognition of apoptotic thymocytes by thymic nurse cells.

Recognition and uptake of apoptotic cells by neighboring phagocytes is essential for the clearance of dying cells without accompanying inflammation or tissue damage. In the thymus, many apoptotic cells are generated in the process of negative selection, and both thymic macrophages (professional phagocytes) and nursing thymic epithelial cells (nursing TEC; nonprofessional phagocytes) recognize and ingest them. However the receptors responsible for this recognition and uptake have not been identified. In the present study, we have established a human nursing TEC line and examined the expression of several genes of the scavenger receptor family considered to be potential receptors for apoptotic cells. Human scavenger receptor-B1 (hSR-B1)/CLA-1, previously shown to recognize apoptotic cells, was strongly expressed in nursing TEC, whereas there was little or no expression of the other scavenger receptors tested: scavenger receptor class A, CD36, or CD68. Suppression of hSR-B1/CLA-1 expression using antisense oligonucleotides decreased the binding of apoptotic thymocytes to nursing TEC by more than 40%. These results indicate that hSR-B1/CLA-1 may play a major role in the clearance of apoptotic cells in the thymus, mediating the recognition and ingestion of apoptotic thymocytes by nursing TEC.

Transforming growth factor beta induction of insulin gene expression is mediated by pancreatic and duodenal homeobox gene-1 in rat insulinoma cells.

Although transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) stimulates pancreatic islet cells to synthesize and secret insulin, the mechanism underlying this effect is not known. To investigate this question, we examined the insulin promoter activity focusing on a transcription factor, pancreatic and duodenal homeobox gene-1 (PDX-1) that binds to the A3 element of the rat insulin promoter. Studies performed using the rat insulinoma cell line, INS-1 showed that TGF-beta stimulation of endogenous insulin mRNA expression correlated with increased activity of a reporter construct containing the insulin promoter. A potential mechanism for this increase arose from, electrophoretic mobility shift assay showing that the nuclear extract from TGF-beta treated cells contained higher levels of A3 binding activity. Western blot analysis confirmed that PDX-1 was increased in the nuclear extract from INS-1 cells treated with TGF-beta. As expected, a mutant insulin promoter that lacked the PDX-1 binding site was not stimulated by TGF-beta. In summary, the results of these studies show that TGF-beta stimulates the transcription of insulin gene and this action is mediated by the transcription factor, PDX-1.

A product of growth arrest-specific gene 6 modulates scavenger receptor expression in human vascular smooth muscle cells.

Although Gas6 is identified as a growth factor for vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), its roles in these cells have not been clearly elucidated. To examine the role of Gas6 in atherosclerosis, we examined the effects of Gas6 on scavenger receptor family expression in VSMCs. Scavenger receptor class A, one of the scavenger receptor family members, was upregulated in VSMCs by Gas6. Furthermore, the atherogenic lipoprotein, oxidized LDL, induced Gas6 production in these cells. These results indicate that Gas6 plays an important role in foam cell formation in human VSMCs.

Thiazolidinedione inhibits production of RANTES in a cytokine-treated human lung epithelial cell line.

The chemokine RANTES is a potent chemoattractant for eosinophils. RANTES is produced by lung epithelial cells during eosinophil-rich inflammatory diseases such as asthma. In this study, we examined the effects of thiazolidinediones (TZD) on RANTES expression in a human lung epithelial cell line, A549. In A549 cells, interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha induced endogenous RANTES protein secretion, mRNA expression, and promoter activity. The TZD inhibited these effects. Our data indicate that the suppression of the expression of RANTES can be accomplished by TZD treatment, raising the possibility that TZD might be of therapeutic value in diseases such as asthma.

Thiazolidinedione inhibits the production of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in cytokine-treated human vascular endothelial cells.

The chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 is a potent chemoattractant for monocytes. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 is produced by vascular endothelial cells during inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis. In this study, we examined the effects of a thiazolidinedione on monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression in human vascular endothelial cells. In human vascular endothelial cells, interleukin-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha induced endogenous monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 protein secretion, mRNA expression and promoter activity. The thiazolidinedione inhibited these effects. In summary, our results indicated that the suppression of the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 can be accomplished by thiazolidinedione treatment, raising the possibility that thiazolidinedione may be of therapeutic value in the treatment of diseases such as atherosclerosis.

Evidence for a potential role for HDL as an important source of cholesterol in human adrenocortical tumors via the CLA-1 pathway.

CLA-1, a human homologue of rodent scavenger receptor class B1 (SR-B1), has been identified as a receptor for high density lipoprotein (HDL) and is highly expressed in the adrenal gland. Several studies have indicated that HDL might be a source of cholesterol for steroidogenesis in the adrenal gland. In this study, we show that ACTH and its second messenger cAMP stimulated CLA-1 protein expression in a human adrenocortical cell line. We also determined whether CLA-1 plays an important role in steroidogenesis by investigating CLA-1 expression levels in various adrenal tumors including the adenomas of Cushing's and Conn's syndrome. Western blot analysis showed that CLA-1 expression was much higher in the tumors of Cushing's syndrome than in non-tumor lesions of Conn's syndrome and pheochromocytoma. We were able to detect a strong CLA-1 signal in tumors of Conn's syndrome, too. On the other hand, much less CLA-1 expression was detected in Cushing's adenoma adjacent adrenal glands. The immunohistochemical analysis showed that CLA-1 was expressed in the outer region of the adrenal cortex mainly in plasma membranes of the cortical cells but not in the medulla. These findings demonstrated for the first time that ACTH increased CLA-1 protein in cultured human adrenocortical cells, and that cortisol- and aldosterone-secreting adenomas had high CLA-1 proteins in their cell surfaces.

Unbalanced translocation (1;7) and inversion 16 in a patient with acute myelocytic leukemia.

Pericentric inversion of chromosome 16 has been delineated as a characteristic chromosome abnormality of acute myelomonocytic leukemia with abnormal eosinophils and a favorable prognosis. By contrast, unbalanced translocation (1;7) has been reported as frequently associated with therapy-related leukemia, and patients with this karyotypic abnormality are susceptible to severe infections which lead to a poor prognosis. Here we report the first case of acute myelocytic leukemia in which the complexed chromosomal aberrations of der(7)t(1;7)(cen;cen) and inv(16) were found simultaneously in the patient's leukemia cells. Eosinocytosis has not been observed so far, but life-threatening pneumonia developed during the remission induction therapy.