Characteristics of bradykinin and TPA increases in the PGE2 levels of human urothelial cells.

Prostaglandins play a potential key role in the pathogenesis of urinary bladder cancer. Bradykinin and TPA increases in prostaglandin (PG)E2 levels were compared in primary cultures of human urothelial cells. Increased PGE2 levels were dependent upon the dose of TPA and were not apparent until 30-60 min after addition of TPA, with larger increases occurring between 60 and 120 min. Stimulation was inhibited by cycloheximide. Addition of arachidonic acid to TPA-stimulated cells increased PGE2 to a level similar to that seen in arachidonic acid-stimulated controls, and this level was not altered by cycloheximide. In contrast to TPA, the bradykinin-increased PGE2 levels were maximal at 5 min (the earliest time-point assessed) and were not inhibited by cycloheximide. Increases in PGE2 levels by both TPA and bradykinin required calcium. Excessive stimulation by TPA resulted in a desensitization to subsequent stimulation by TPA, but not bradykinin. Combination of TPA with bradykinin produced at least an additive effect on PGE2 levels. Both agonists increased the release of [3H]arachidonic acid over a time-course similar to their PGE2 response. Bradykinin and TPA appear to increase PGE2 levels by enhancing arachidonic acid availability through separate phospholipase pathways. Thus, human urothelial cells exhibit similar, but yet distinct profiles for prostaglandin stimulation by TPA and bradykinin.

Cortical interstitial cell interactions induce sensitivity of hydronephrotic kidney to bradykinin.

The mechanism of the increased prostaglandin production and induction of sensitivity to bradykinin by the cortex of the hydronephrotic rabbit kidney was investigated using tissue culture techniques. Cortical interstitial cells from normal, unilaterally hydronephrotic and contralateral kidneys were grown in tissue culture. Cells derived from hydronephrotic kidneys, but not normal or contralateral, increased PGE2 production when incubated with bradykinin. Of the two cell types, fibroblasts and macrophages, grown from hydronephrotic explants, neither increased prostaglandin production when grown alone in tissue culture. Recombining the two cell types restored bradykinin responsiveness. Bradykinin responsiveness could be induced in either normal or contralateral cell cultures when macrophages from the hydronephrotic kidney were added to cultures of cells from normal or contralateral cortex. The data indicate unique characteristics of hydronephrotic macrophages are involved in the induction of bradykinin responsiveness in the cortex of the ureter-ligated kidney.

Eicosanoid synthesis by cultured human urothelial cells: potential role in bladder cancer.

Prostaglandin (PG) H synthase and eicosanoid products of arachidonic acid metabolism have been implicated in several steps in the carcinogenic process. This study assessed these parameters using primary cultures of human urothelial cells. To determine the possible presence of permeability barriers to agonist stimulation, incubations were performed with adherent cells in the presence or absence of thioglycolate pretreatment or with cell suspensions. No evidence for permeability barriers was observed. With adherent cells in the absence of thioglycolate, radioimmunoassayable PGE2 was stimulated by epinephrine less than 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate = thrombin less than bradykinin = A23187 much less than arachidonic acid. Tumor promoters but not non-tumor promoters stimulated PGE2 synthesis. 1-Oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol which like 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate activates protein kinase C also increased PGE2 synthesis. Cells prelabeled with [14C]arachidonic acid were exposed to agonists and the profile of eicosanoids synthesized was assessed by high performance liquid chromatography. With bradykinin, the pattern of eicosanoids synthesized was 6-keto-PGE1 alpha (12% of total 14C label), thromboxane B2 (0.4%), PGF2 alpha (1.7%), PGE2 (18%), PGD2 (1%), leukotrienes (0.4 to 1%), 12-hydroxy-5,8,10-heptadecatrienoic acid (3%), 15-hydroxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid (4%), 12-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (0%) and 5-hydroxy-5,8,12,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (2%). Thus, human urothelial cells contain both prostaglandin H synthase and lipoxygenase pathways with the former being more prominent. These pathways may participate in urinary bladder carcinogenesis.

Effect of verapamil on prostaglandin E2 synthesis by hydronephrotic rabbit cortical interstitial cells in primary culture.

The effect of the calcium channel blocker verapamil on prostaglandin (PG) E2 production by hydronephrotic cortical interstitial cells in primary culture was investigated. Verapamil displayed a dual action, maximally enhancing PGE2 production from 1.2 +/- 0.2 to 30.7 +/- 4.3 ng/ml at 30 microM, whereas at higher concentrations the effect tapered down to base line. Stimulation of PGE2 synthesis by verapamil required extracellular calcium, but was unaffected by the intracellular calcium inhibitor 8-(Diethylamino)octyl 3,4,5-trimethoxy-benzoate or the calmodulin inhibitor trifluoperazine. Other calcium channel blockers, nifedipine and diltiazem, failed to stimulate PGE2 synthesis, implying that this effect of verapamil was unrelated to its commonly recognized action to inhibit calcium channels. However, stimulation by verapamil was inhibited by quinacrine (mepacrine), suggesting a mechanism involving activation of a phospholipase. In addition, verapamil attenuated the bradykinin- or ionophore A23187-stimulated PGE2 production, but it did not alter arachidonic acid-induced PGE2 synthesis. These observations indicate that, in addition to phospholipase activation, verapamil may also act to inhibit phospholipase activity. Inhibition was concentration-dependent over the range 3 to 300 microM, and was reversible. It is concluded that verapamil, at different concentrations, exerts a dual action on cellular phospholipase activity, thereby stimulating, and in turn inhibiting, PGE2 synthesis by hydronephrotic interstitial cells.

Eicosanoid synthesis by rabbit hydronephrotic cortical interstitial cells in culture.

Rabbit hydronephrotic cortical interstitial cells in primary culture were labeled with [1-14C]arachidonic acid and the eicosanoids released after stimulation with bradykinin or A23187 were studied by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The major arachidonic acid metabolite formed was prostaglandin (PG)E2, comprising more than 30% of the total radioactivity released. 12-Hydroxyheptadecatrienoic acid, probably representing spontaneous breakdown of the cyclic endoperoxides PGG2 and/or PGH2, made up 10 to 15% of the radioactivity released. Other cyclooxygenase products that were released included PGF2 alpha, PGD2, 6-keto PGF1 alpha and only minute amounts of thromboxane B2. Small quantities of the lipoxygenase products 15-, 12- and 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs) as well as leukotrienes (LT)B4, LTC4 and LTD4 were also identified. Significantly larger quantities of 15- and 5-HETEs were recovered at 2 to 5 min than after longer incubations with A23187, suggesting esterification of these HETEs into cellular phospholipids. The data indicate that interstitial cells of the hydronephrotic kidney synthesize a variety of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase products of arachidonic acid, which may contribute to the pathophysiology of hydronephrosis. Moreover, it is suggested that PGG2 and/or PGH2 that are released from these cells may be metabolized further by adjacent kidney cells or circulating blood elements to other eicosanoid products, thus increasing the diversity of eicosanoids synthesized in the hydronephrotic kidney.

Effect of phosphodiesterase inhibitors on bradykinin-mediated prostaglandin E2 and cyclic AMP synthesis in renal papillary collecting tubule cells.

Isolated rabbit renal papillary collecting tubule cells were used to examine the effects of phosphodiesterase inhibitors on intracellular cyclic AMP and prostaglandin synthesis. Experiments performed on confluent primary tissue cultures demonstrated that bradykinin increases intracellular cyclic AMP by a prostaglandin-dependent mechanism. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors induced a dose-dependent decrease in bradykinin-stimulated prostaglandin synthesis. Fifty percent inhibition occurred with approximately 0.7 mM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX). Inhibition was found to be reversible. IBMX did not inhibit bradykinin-induced prostaglandin synthesis as a result of increased intracellular cyclic AMP. The nonmethylxanthine phosphodiesterase inhibitor RO 20-1724 also reduced bradykinin-stimulated prostaglandin synthesis. IBMX inhibited calcium-ionophore-A23187-induced prostaglandin synthesis but did not inhibit arachidonic acid stimulation of prostaglandin synthesis. The data demonstrate that bradykinin increased renal papillary collecting tubule cell cyclic AMP in a prostaglandin-dependent manner. Based on the data presented, phosphodiesterase inhibitors act to decrease arachidonic acid availability for prostaglandin synthesis, independent of changes in cellular cyclic AMP content.

Effects of Mycobacterium bovis (strain BCG) on the interstitial cells of hydronephrotic, contralateral, and normal rabbit kidneys.

Studies were undertaken to determine the effect of viable organisms of Mycobacterium bovis, strain Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG), on cell growth characteristics and phagocytic properties of cells from surgically-induced unilaterally hydronephrotic, contralateral, and normal rabbit kidneys. A single intravenous administration of 8 X 10(8) BCG organisms was given at the time of ureteral ligation. Four days after injection, explants were removed from the hydronephrotic, contralateral, and normal kidneys. Two cell types, fibroblasts and mononuclear phagocytes, grew from these explants. BCG caused a marked increase in the rate of growth of cells from the hydronephrotic and contralateral kidneys. There was no measurable effect of BCG on cells from the normal kidney.

T-cell hybridoma production of macrophage activation factor (MAF) I. Separation of MAF from interferon gamma.

A T cell hybridoma was developed that produced macrophage activation factor (MAF) but no gamma interferon (IFN gamma). Hybridoma MAF was produced after stimulation with either concanavalin A (Con A) or phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Dose-response experiments showed that 1.5 microgram/ml Con A provided maximum MAF production with equivalent levels of MAF produced at Con A concentrations up to 6 microgram/ml. Time-course studies showed that maximum MAF activity was observed 48 hours after mitogen stimulation, and titration of MAF-containing supernatants showed that maximal MAF activity was observed at 1:4 dilutions with significant activity present at dilutions as great as 1:64. No IFN gamma activity was detectable at any supernatant dilution.

The activation of cloned macrophages by concanavalin A for tumoricidal effect: assessment of tumor cell cytotoxicity by a clonogenic assay.

The activation of pure populations of cloned peritoneal macrophages for tumor cell cytotoxicity by Con A was demonstrated using a recently developed tumor cell clonogenic assay. Cloned macrophages were rendered cytotoxic by Con A at concentrations above 20 micrograms/ml. The tumor cell cytotoxicity was caused mainly by the tumoricidal activity of the Con A-activated cloned macrophages. Increasing The Con A-activation time from 24 hours to 48 hours and 72 hours heightened the cytotoxic activity of cloned macrophages. Cloned macrophages incubated with con A for only 2 hours possessed no cytotoxic effect. Culture fluid from cultures of activated macrophages exerted no tumor cell cytotoxicity. Alpha-methyl-D-mannoside, a specific receptor-binding inhibitor for Con A, was capable of blocking the activation of macrophages for cytotoxicity at 0.01 M concentration.

Stabilization of concanavalin A by metal ligands.

Metal-free concanavalin A is readily and irreversibly inactivated by temperatures above 60 degrees. Manganese ion completely prevents the thermal aggregation of the protein at 60 and 70 degrees, and partially protects at 80 degrees, but shows no protective properties at 90 degrees. Managanese protection against thrermal aggregation was found to be maximal at pH 4-8. The precipitation between glycogen and Mn2+-stabilized conanavian A is partially inhibited at temperatures greater than 30 degrees, but can be reversed by cooling to room temperature...