Molecular cloning and characterisation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma1 (PPARgamma1) cDNA gene from guinea pig (Cavia porcellus): tissue distribution.

The coding region of guinea pig peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma1 (gpPPARgamma1) cDNA was successfully cloned from adipose tissue by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using the designated primers based on the conserved regions of the other mammalian PPARgamma1 sequence. From RT-PCR, a combination of three cDNA fragments that comprised of the full length coding region PPARgamma1 cDNA gene were amplified, with the size of 498, 550 and 557 bp, respectively. All three fragments were then successfully assembled by utilising the internal restriction sites present at the overlapping regions to give rise to the full-length coding region of gpPPARgamma1 with the size of 1428 bp and consisting of 475 amino acids. Guinea pig PPARgamma1 is highly conserved with those of other species at protein and nucleotide levels. Gene expression studies showed that gpPPARgamma mRNA was predominantly expressed in adipose tissue followed by lung and spleen. However, at the protein level, PPARgamma was also found to be expressed in skeletal muscle.

Differential regulation of macrophage CCAAT-enhancer binding protein isoforms by lipopolysaccharide and cytokines.

The regulation of the C/EBP family in macrophages by LPS and cytokines is of potentially crucial importance in several pathophysiological conditions. The action of LPS and three cytokines on the expression of C/EBP mRNA, protein and functional DNA binding activity in the murine J774.2 cell line was therefore studied. Exposure of the cells to LPS, IL-1, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha produced a reduction of C/EBP alpha mRNA levels and a corresponding increase in the expression of C/EBP beta and C/EBP delta. EMSA showed time-dependent changes in the DNA binding activity of individual C/EBP isoforms and demonstrated the participation of heterodimers between the different members in DNA-protein interactions. Additionally, mediator-specific changes in the kinetics and magnitude of C/EBP mRNA expression pattern and profile of DNA-protein interactions were observed. These studies provide novel insights into the potential mechanisms that may be responsible for the mediator-specific regulation of macrophage gene expression through the C/EBP family.

Cytokine-mediated differential regulation of macrophage activator protein-1 genes.

The regulation of macrophage activator protein-1 (AP-1) gene expression by LPS and cytokines is of potentially crucial importance in the pathogenesis of several diseases. The action of LPS and four cytokines on AP-1 gene expression in the murine macrophage J774.2 cell line was, therefore, studied. Exposure of the cells to IL-6 produced no changes in the mRNA levels of all AP-1 members studied. In contrast, the expression of JunB, c-jun and c-fos, but not JunD, was increased by LPS, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and IL-1, albeit with different kinetics and magnitude of induction. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed a close correlation between the expression of the AP-1 genes and the functional AP-1 DNA binding activity and, additionally, demonstrated the participation of heterodimeric interactions between the different members. These studies provide insights into the potential mechanisms that may be involved in the mediator-specific modulation of AP-1 regulated macrophage gene expression.

Involvement of both the tyrosine kinase and the phosphatidylinositol-3' kinase signal transduction pathways in the regulation of lipoprotein lipase expression in J774.2 macrophages by cytokines and lipopolysaccharide.

The regulation of macrophage lipoprotein lipase (LPL) by cytokines and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is of potentially crucial importance in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and in the responses to endotoxin challenge. We show here that the reduction of LPL activity in J774.2 macrophages observed in the presence of interleukin (IL-1) and IL-11 was sensitive to herbimycin A, with the effect of LPS, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on LPL activity being sensitive to both herbimycin A and wortmannin. The action of the inhibitors on the IFN-gamma-dependent reduction of LPL activity was mediated at the level of LPL mRNA metabolism, with translational and/or post-translational levels of regulation being involved in the action of all the other mediators tested. These observations suggest that both the tyrosine kinase and the phosphatidylinositol-3'-kinase signalling pathways are involved in the suppression of macrophage LPL expression by LPS and cytokines.

Synergism between lipopolysaccharide and interferon gamma in the regulation of lipoprotein lipase in macrophages.

The regulation of macrophage lipoprotein lipase (LPL) by cytokines is potentially of crucial importance in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and in septic shock. The effect of combinations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and cytokines on the expression of LPL in macrophages was studied using the murine J774.2 cell line. The suppression of heparin-releasable LPL activity produced by combinations of LPS and interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-11 or tumour necrosis factor alpha(TNF-alpha) was substantially less than that expected from the simple additive action of the corresponding two effectors. By contrast, co-exposure of the cells to LPS and interferon gamma(IFN-gamma) resulted in a more than additive, synergistic, suppression of LPL activity which was, additionally, also observed when the rat alveolar macrophage NR8383 cell line was studied. This synergistic action was also observed when J774.2 macrophages were exposed initially to IFN-gamma (priming), washed and then treated with LPS. A comparison of the LPL activity and mRNA levels produced by the synergistic action of LPS and IFN-gamma and the priming action of IFN-gamma indicated that a combination of mRNA metabolism (transcription or RNA stability), translation and post-translational mechanisms were responsible for the observed changes in LPL activity. These data, therefore, suggest that combinations of LPS and cytokines may be more important than the presence or absence of any given single effector in the modulation of LPL function during infection.

Synergism between interferon gamma and tumour necrosis factor alpha in the regulation of lipoprotein lipase in the macrophage J774.2 cell line.

The regulation of macrophage lipoprotein lipase (LPL) by cytokines is of potentially crucial importance in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The effect of combinations of interleukin 1 (IL-1), 6 (IL-6), and 11 (IL-11), interferon gamma (INF-gamma), leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) on the expression of LPL in macrophages was studied using the murine J774.2 cell line. The suppression of heparin-releasable LPL activity produced by combinations of IL-1 and IL-11, IL-1 and TNF-alpha, IL-11 and TNF-alpha, and, IL-11 and INF-gamma was substantially lower than that expected from the additive action of the corresponding two cytokines. By contrast, co-exposure of cells to LIF and IFN-gamma, IL-6 and LIF, and INF-gamma and TNF-alpha resulted in a more than additive, synergistic, suppression of LPL activity with the maximum reduction and maximum degree of synergism produced by combinations of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. The synergism between IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha was observed over a range of complementary dose combinations and also occurred when the cells were exposed first to INF-gamma (priming), washed, and then stimulated subsequently with TNF-alpha. The reduction in LPL activity by combinations of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha and the priming action of IFN-gamma were accompanied by a comparable decrease in LPL mRNA concentrations, thereby indicating that the major control responsible for the changes in LPL activity was being exerted at the level of mRNA metabolism (decreased transcription or RNA stability). These results suggest that the modulation of macrophage LPL function in atherosclerosis by cytokine combinations may be more important than the presence or absence of any given cytokine.

Differential regulation of lipoprotein lipase in the macrophage J774.2 cell line by cytokines.

The regulation of macrophage lipoprotein lipase (LPL) by cytokines is of potentially crucial importance in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and in the responses to endotoxin challenge. However, the precise mechanisms by which different cytokines modulate the expression of macrophage LPL activity are poorly understood. The action of six cytokines and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on LPL function using the murine J774.2 cell line as a model system has, therefore, been studied. Although exposure to LPS, interleukin 11 (IL-11), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and IL-1, over the physiological range of concentrations, resulted in a decrease in the heparin-releasable LPL activity, LPL-mRNA levels and LPL-protein content of the cells, stimulation with IL-6 and leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) had no effect. The maximum suppression of LPL activity and mRNA levels in the cells by IFN-gamma (60%) was lower than that produced by LPS, IL-11, TNF-alpha and IL-1 (78-97%). Each cytokine displayed a characteristic dose-dependent pattern for the suppression of LPL activity and mRNA levels with IL-11/TNF-alpha being more potent than IFN-gamma/IL-1. More than 80% of the decrease in the LPL activity, at all doses of IL-11, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and IL-1, was due to a corresponding reduction in the mRNA levels. The time course of responses to LPS, IL-11, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and IL-1 were similar, with the time required to achieve half maximal suppression of LPL activity being between 7 and 9.5 h in each case. These results indicate that LPL in J774.2 macrophages is regulated differentially by various cytokines and that the major control responsible for the reduction of LPL activity by IL-11, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and IL-1 is exerted at the level of mRNA metabolism (decreased transcription or RNA stability). The responses identified also displayed several differences to those described previously for adipocytes (e.g. 3T3-L1 cell line), thereby suggesting the existence of potential cell-specific mechanisms for the regulation of LPL by cytokines.