Radio-immunoassay for formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine. I. Development and application to assessment of chemotactic peptide production by enteric bacteria.

Bacterial chemotactic peptides are low molecular weight peptides which stimulate a wide range of neutrophil functions following binding to specific leucocyte receptors. Formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine (FMLP) is the major chemotactic peptide in Escherichia coli culture supernatants. This paper reports the development and validation of a radio-immunoassay (RIA) for FMLP and its application to the analysis of formyl peptide production by enteric bacteria in vitro. The assay was moderately sensitive (10 nmol/L FMLP) and highly specific showing cross reactivity with F-met-leu-tyr, F-nle-leu-phe and F-met-met-met sequences (ID50 = 200, 100 and 250 nmol/L, respectively) but no significant cross reactivity with non-formylated or other formylated di- and tri-peptides (ID50 = 10(5) nmol/L. Culture supernatants from five species of enteric bacteria were filtered, concentrated and fractionated by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography before RIA. All five organisms produced immunoreactive F-met peptides. A major peak of immunoreactivity co-chromatographing with authentic FMLP was found in all supernatants, but additional peaks representing more hydrophobic peptides were found in Streptococcus faecalis and Bacteroides fragilis cultures. In E. coli culture supernatants, concentration of immunoreactive FMLP increased in a linear fashion during 3 h of log phase growth reaching 31.2 nmol/L(s.e.m. = 10) with final bacterial concentrations of 3 +/- 0.73 x 10(8)/mL (n = 6). These findings extend earlier work showing production of bioactive formyl oligopeptides by different species of enteric bacteria and suggest that a RIA for FMLP will be a useful tool for investigating the production and metabolic fate of such peptides in man.

Radio-immunoassay for formyl methionyl leucyl phenylalanine. II. Demonstration of an enterohepatic circulation of immunoreactive bacterial chemotactic peptides in man.

Bacterial chemotactic peptides (F-met-oligopeptides) are secreted by several species of commensal enteric bacteria and can be assayed by bioassay techniques in human colonic luminal fluid. We have previously demonstrated intestinal absorption and enterohepatic circulation of radiolabelled F-met peptides introduced into rat colon, and an eightfold increase in absorption and biliary excretion in rats with experimental colitis. This paper describes the application of a radio-immunoassay to measurements of formyl oligopeptides in human faecal dialysates, colonic and systemic venous blood and bile. All samples were fractionated by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) prior to assay. Immunoreactivity was found in faecal dialysates (5-700 nmol/L F-met-leu-phe equivalents) and bile samples (3-150 nmol/L) from normal subjects. After HPLC fractionation, up to five distinct peaks of immunoreactivity were identified. One of these co-chromatographed with authentic F-met-leu-phe; the others probably represented either closely related peptides or peptides of different chain lengths originating from the same F-met-leu-phe precursor protein. Colonic venous blood from two patients with ulcerative colitis contained immunoreactive peptide (10-30 nmol/L) and substantial immunoreactivity was found in ileostomy fluid and bile from two patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis. These results suggest the presence of an enterohepatic circulation of bacterial F-met oligopeptides in man and provide a basis for studies of the role of such pro-inflammatory peptides in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and associated hepatobiliary disorders.

Involvement of M1 cholinergic receptors and enteric nerves in the spasmogenic activity of bacterial N-formyl oligopeptides on guinea-pig ileum.

Bacterial N-formyl-methionyl oligopeptides are spasmogenic for guinea-pig ileum in vitro but the mechanism of this effect is not understood. To investigate this phenomenon further, we have determined pA2 values (the negative logarithm of the concentration of an antagonist reducing a double-dose agonist response to a single-dose response) for a number of potential antagonists of N-formyl-met-leu-phe (F-met-leu-phe) using histamine, acetylcholine, 5HT and substance P as control agonists. Atropine, pirenzepine and tetrodotoxin were potent inhibitors of F-met-leu-phe induced contraction (pA2's 8.4, 8.0 and 7.9, respectively) suggesting involvement of neural and cholinergic pathways in the response. Sulphasalazine, known to block the F-met-leu-phe receptor on neutrophil leucocytes, was also a potent inhibitor. Tachyphylaxis induced by either 5HT, or substance P, did not diminish the response to F-met-leu-phe, suggesting that these potential mediators were not involved. These studies indicate that bacterially synthesized formyl-methionyl oligopeptides bind to cells bearing receptors in guinea-pig ileum and produce muscle contraction via enteric cholinergic (M1) neural pathways.

Enterohepatic circulation of bacterial chemotactic peptide in rats with experimental colitis.

The association of hepatobiliary disorders with colonic inflammation is well recognized. Although the pathophysiology is obscure, increased permeation of toxic bacterial products across the inflamed gut to the portal circulation might be one mechanism. Potentially toxic metabolites include N-formylated chemotactic peptides that are produced by several species of intestinal bacteria and can be detected in colonic fluid in vivo. To investigate the metabolic fate of one of these low molecular weight proinflammatory peptides, N-formyl L-methionine L-leucine 125I-L-tyrosine was introduced into colon loops of healthy rats (n = 10) and rats with experimental colitis (n = 15) induced by rectal instillation of 15% (vol/vol) acetic acid. Gut, liver, and blood radioactivity were monitored by external gamma-counting and radioactivity in bile was measured by biliary catheter drainage into a well counter. Bile was processed by high-performance liquid chromatography to determine the amount of intact, bioactive peptide excreted over 3 h. After colonic instillation of 1 nmol of peptide, the mean (+/- SEM) biliary excretion of intact peptide was 6.4 +/- 2.0 pmol in normal rats and 49.0 +/- 20 pmol in rats with colitis (p less than 0.01). An enterohepatic circulation of synthetic N-formyl L-methionine L-leucine L-tyrosine has been demonstrated in the rat. Experimental colitis was associated with an eightfold increase in biliary excretion of this proinflammatory bacterial peptide. Proinflammatory bacterial peptides synthesized by colonic bacteria could be important in the pathophysiology of colon inflammation and its frequently associated hepatobiliary complications.

Production of peptides inducing chemotaxis and lysosomal enzyme release in human neutrophils by intestinal bacteria in vitro and in vivo.

Low molecular weight (Mr 200-1500) N-formylated peptides that stimulate many leucocyte functions, including chemotaxis and lysosomal enzyme release, have previously been isolated from Escherichia coli cultures. We have used high-performance liquid chromatography and bioassay techniques to study production of such peptides by intestinal bacteria in vitro and their activity in intestinal luminal contents, obtained by in vivo dialysis methods. Bioactivity was detected in culture supernatants of all 11 species of bacteria so far investigated, was resistant to digestion with aminopeptidase, but was destroyed by carboxypeptidase, confirming that bioactive moieties were amino-terminal-blocked peptides. By similar isolation procedures, pronase-sensitive bioactive factors have been demonstrated in human rectal dialysates from normal subjects and patients with Crohn's disease. In the patients, bioactivity in dialysates was not observed after treatment with broad-spectrum poorly absorbed antibiotics. The gut may be a reservoir or source of bacterial peptides that could promote an inflammatory response should they cross the 'mucosal barrier'.

Is extracellular calcium required for insulin action?

Isolated hepatocytes and isolated adipocytes incubated in the absence of added calcium ions respond to insulin with a decrease in tissue cyclic AMP levels, and an increase in low Km phosphodiesterase activity. Isolated hepatocytes also showed a diminution of glucagon stimulated glucose output in response to insulin, while adipocytes responded with increased rates of glucose oxidation, lipid synthesis and decreased glycerol output. These responses to insulin are the same as those seen when the cells are incubated in buffers containing physiological concentrations of calcium ions. When extracellular concentrations of calcium ions were made extremely low by using either gelatine or albumin which had been pretreated to remove calcium, and/or the incubation buffers contained EGTA, both the hepatocytes and adipocytes continued to respond to insulin. These results suggest that extracellular calcium ions are not required for insulin action.