Lupane-type triterpenoidal saponins from Pulsatilla chinensis and their anticomplement activities through the classical pathway.

Four (1-4) previously unknown lupane-type triterpenoidal saponins were isolated from the roots of Pulsatilla chinensis, along with six triterpene saponins (5-10). The structures of saponins 1-4 were determined as 23-hydroxy-3ß-[(O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl)]lup-20(29)-en-28-oic-acid 28-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl ester (1), 23-hydroxy-3ß-[(O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-[ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-α-L-arabinopyranosyl)]lup-20(29)-en-28-oic-acid 28-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl ester (2), 3ß-[(O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl)]lup-20(29)-en-28-oic-acid 28-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl ester (3), and 3ß-[(O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl)]lup-20(29)-en-28-oic-acid 28-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranosyl ester (4), on the basis of hydrolysis and spectral evidence, including 1D- and 2D-NMR and HR-ESI-MS analyses. These pure isolates (1-10) were tested for their anticomplement activity, using an in vitro assay of the complement system of the classical pathway.

Differential effect of heparin coating and complement inhibition on artificial surface-induced eicosanoid production.

BACKGROUND: Contact between blood and artificial surfaces induces an inflammatory response including activation of leukocytes and platelets, as well as complement and other plasma cascade systems. In the present study we investigated the roles of complement and surface modification in polyvinyl chloride-induced synthesis of eicosanoids (arachidonic acid metabolites). METHODS: Human whole blood was incubated in rotating loops of polyvinyl chloride or heparin-coated polyvinyl chloride tubing for 4 hours. Plasma concentrations of the eicosanoids leukotriene B4, prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane B2 were quantified. RESULTS: Polyvinyl chloride induced a substantial increase in leukotriene B4, prostaglandin E2, and thromboxane B2. Inhibition of complement activation by the complement factor 3 binding peptide compstatin or blockade of the complement factor 5a receptor with a specific antagonist significantly and specifically inhibited the synthesis of leukotriene B4, whereas thromboxane B2 and prostaglandin E2 synthesis were apparently complement independent. The increase in all three mediators was significantly reduced by the heparin coating. Indomethacin abolished the increase of the cyclooxygenase products prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane B2, but had no effect on the increase of the lipoxygenase product leukotriene B4, consistent with the specificity of indomethacin for the cyclooxygenase and confirming the specificity of complement inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: Polyvinyl chloride-induced increase in all three eicosanoids was attenuated by heparin coating, whereas complement inhibition selectively reduced the synthesis of leukotriene B4.

Differentiation between the complement modulating effects of an arabinogalactan-protein from Echinacea purpurea and heparin.

Due to the important physiological role of the complement system, complement modulation, either inhibition or stimulation, is an interesting target for drug development. Several plant polysaccharides are known to exhibit complement modulating activities. Sometimes these effects are described as complement inhibition, although the basic mechanism is a stimulation of the complement activation. This misinterpretation is due to the observed reduced haemolysis in the widely used haemolytic complement assay, which does not allow to differentiate between complement activators and inhibitors, when it is performed in the classical manner. The aim of the presented study was to demonstrate that by simple modifications of the classical procedure this assay becomes an efficient tool to distinguish between real complement inhibitors and complement activating compounds without performing expensive, molecular mechanistic investigations. As practical examples heparin with proven complement inhibiting activity and AGP, a new arabinogalacatan-protein type II isolated from pressed juice of the aerial parts of Echinacea purpurea, as a potential complement activating compound were included in the study. By means of varying the preincubation time of the test compound with complement, AGP was clearly identified as a stimulator of both the classical and alternative pathway of complement activation. These findings correspond to the results of molecular mechanistic investigations. Selective removal of the arabinose side chains of AGP resulted in considerably reduced activity. Therefore, the three-dimensional structure of the polysaccharide, i. e., a backbone branched by side chains, is supposed to be important for the interactions with the complement system. The complement activating effects of AGP may contribute to the well-established immunostimulating effects of the pressed juice from Echinacea purpurea. Abbreviations. AGP:arabinogalactan-protein AGP-hydr.:hydrolysed arabinogalactan-protein AP-CA:haemolytic complement assay for the alternative pathway CP-CA:haemolytic complement assay for the classical pathway EGTA-VB:veronal buffered saline containing EGTA and Mg 2+HPS:human pooled serum RT:room temperature LPS:lipopolysaccharide RaE:rabbit erythrocytes RT:room temperature ShE(A):(sensitised) sheep erythrocytes VB:veronal buffered saline containing Ca 2+ and Mg 2+

Effect of colchicine and cytokines on MEFV expression and C5a inhibitor activity in human primary fibroblast cultures.

BACKGROUND: Familial Mediterranean fever is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by sporadic attacks of inflammation affecting the serosal spaces. The gene associated with FMF (MEFV), mainly expressed in neutrophils, was recently found to be expressed also in primary cultures of serosal origin (peritoneal and synovial fibroblasts). A C5a inhibitor, previously detected in normal serosal fluids, was recently identified in serosal cultures as well, and was found to be deficient in serosal fluids and cultures obtained from FMF patients. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of colchicine (the main therapeutic agent for FMF patients) and certain inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma) on MEFV expression and C5a inhibitor activity in neutrophils and primary peritoneal fibroblast cultures. METHODS: Human primary peritoneal fibroblast cultures and neutrophils were studied for MEFV expression and C5a inhibitor activity, using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and C5a-induced myeloperoxidase assay, respectively, in the presence and absence of colchicine and cytokines. RESULTS: MEFV expression in neutrophils was high and could not be induced further. Its expression in the peritoneal fibroblasts was lower than in neutrophils and could be induced using colchicine and cytokines parallel with induction of C5a inhibitor activity. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR assays enabled estimation of MEFV induction by the cytokines at 10-100-fold and could not be further increased by concomitant addition of colchicine. CONCLUSION: Serosal tissues, which are afflicted in FMF, express colchicine and cytokine-inducible MEFV and contain inducible C5a inhibitor activity. The relation between the ability of colchicine to induce MEFV and C5a inhibitor activity, and its efficacy in FMF treatment, require further investigation.

Immunoblot analysis of proteins associated with HEMA-MMA microcapsules: human serum proteins in vitro and rat proteins following implantation.

Human serum proteins and their fragments, associated with hydroxyethyl methacrylate-methyl methacrylate (HEMA-MMA) copolymer microcapsules, were characterized using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblot analysis. Capsules were incubated with serum for 1 week in vitro and then dissolved in ethanol to also precipitate the adsorbed protein. The precipitate was dissolved in 2% (w/v) SDS (the 'capsule eluate') to be assayed by electrophoresis. The majority of proteins probed for in the immunoblots were detected in the capsule eluates. These included fibronectin, plasminogen, IgG, vitronectin, Factor B, Factor H, Factor I, C3, but not beta-lipoprotein, fibrinogen, HMWK, or IgM. Complement activation fragments were detected in both the immunoblots of the capsule eluates and the medium containing serum without capsules. Thus, the adsorption of these fragments, formed independent of capsule presence, may be partially or completely responsible for the complement fragments associated with capsules. The prevention of complement activation by the addition of 5.8 mM EDTA, at the beginning of the week-long incubation, resulted in fewer low-molecular-weight C3 fragments associated with capsules. Rat proteins were also detected in immunoblots of the eluate of 'free-floating' capsules from the rat peritoneal cavity following implantation for 1 day using anti-human antibodies. Detected proteins included HMWK, fibrinogen, antithrombin III, transferrin, alpha1-antitrypsin, fibronectin, albumin, alpha2-macroglobulin, vitronectin, beta2-microglobulin, Factor B and Factor I. Rat fibrinogen, IgG, and complement C3 fragments were also detected in these immunoblots, but with monoclonal antibodies against the rat proteins.

Ligand-binding renders the 160 kDa Trypanosoma cruzi complement regulatory protein susceptible to proteolytic cleavage.

It has been previously shown that a surface complement regulatory protein (CRP) of Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes binds human complement components C3b and C4b, and inhibits C3 convertase formation, thus contributing to the resistance of the bloodstage parasites to complement-mediated lysis. The blood stage parasites rapidly and spontaneously release a limited set of membrane glycoproteins, including CRP, and the modulation of release of CRP following ligand binding was investigated. Incubation of the parasites with C3b results in the release of CRP at a reduced apparent molecular mass. To determine if proteolytic processing was responsible for the reduction in apparent molecular mass of the released CRP, the proteolytic activity present in trypomastigote membrane preparations was examined. In addition to a well described cysteine protease, a novel 75 kDa protease was identified in tissue culture-derived trypomastigotes and axenically-derived metacyclic trypomastigotes membrane preparations. This protease was inhibited by aprotinin and leupeptin, but not L-trans-epoxysuccinyl-leucylamide-(4-guanidinobutane), N-[N-L-3-transcarboxyirane-2-carbonyl-L-leucinyl]-agmatine (E64). Treatment of the parasites with protease inhibitors did not affect spontaneous shedding of proteins, however, protease inhibitors abrogated the effect of C3b-binding on CRP degradation. These results indicate that binding of C3b to the CRP renders the CRP susceptible to cleavage by a parasite protease, possibly as a means of removing the CRP-C3b from the parasite surface. This process may represent an additional immune evasion mechanism which allows the parasite to avoid both complement-mediated lysis and clearance.

Enhanced complement susceptibility of avidin-biotin-treated human erythrocytes is a consequence of neutralization of the complement regulators CD59 and decay accelerating factor.

Biotinylation of erythrocytes (E) followed by avidin cross-linking at specific sites has been suggested as a novel means of drug delivery. Upon avidin cross-linking, biotinylated E become complement-activating and highly susceptible to complement lysis, thus bringing about release of entrapped drug. We set out to examine the mechanisms of this biotin-avidin-induced lytic susceptibility, focusing on the effects of biotinylation and avidin cross-linking on the major E complement regulatory molecules, decay accelerating factor (DAF) and CD59. We demonstrate here that biotinylation of E, which does not render them complement activating, partially inhibits DAF but has little effect on CD59. Subsequent cross-linking with avidin causes complete inhibition of DAF and near complete loss of CD59 activity. Following cross-linking, DAF and CD59 become associated in high molecular mass avidin-containing complexes on the membrane. Incorporation of physiological amounts of CD59 into the membranes of biotinylated and avidin cross-linked E is sufficient to render these cells resistant to complement lysis whereas incorporation of DAF has relatively little effect. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying complement susceptibility of biotin-avidin treated E should allow a rational design of strategies for drug delivery using E or other large, potentially complement-activating carriers.

Inhibition of complement-mediated cytolysis by the terminal complement inhibitor of herpesvirus saimiri.

Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) is a lymphotropic herpesvirus that induces T-cell transformation in vitro and causes lymphomas and leukemias in New World primates other than its natural host, the squirrel monkey. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the HVS genome revealed two open reading frames with significant homology to genes for human complement regulatory molecules. One of these genes encodes a predicted protein (designated HVSCD59) with 48% amino acid sequence identity to the human terminal complement regulatory protein CD59 (HuCD59). The CD59 homolog from squirrel monkey (SMCD59) was cloned, and the corresponding amino acid sequence showed 69% identity with HVSCD59. BALB/3T3 cells stably expressing HVSCD59, SMCD59, or HuCD59 were equally protected from complement-mediated lysis by human serum. However, only HVSCD59-expressing cells were effectively protected from complement-mediated lysis when challenged with rat serum, suggesting that HVSCD59 was less species restrictive. The complement regulatory activity of HVSCD59 and SMCD59 occurred after C3b deposition, indicating terminal complement inhibition. Treatment of BALB/3T3 stable transfectants with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C prior to complement attack decreased the complement regulatory function of HVSCD59, suggesting cell surface attachment via a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol anchor. Cells expressing HVSCD59 effectively inhibited complement-mediated lysis by squirrel monkey serum in comparison with SMCD59-expressing cells. Finally HVSCD59-specific transcripts were detected in owl monkey cells permissive for lytic HVS replication but not in T cells transformed by HVS, which failed to produce virions. These data are the first to demonstrate a functional, virally encoded terminal complement inhibitor and suggest that HVSCD59 represents a humoral immune evasion mechanism supporting the lytic life cycle of HVS.

Inhibition of the alternative pathway of complement by glomerular chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan.

Cultured rat glomerular epithelial cells (GEC) synthesize and secrete a complement inhibitory chondroitin sulphate B proteoglycan (termed GCRF). As proteoglycans and their component glycosaminoglycans may affect several different steps of complement activation, the functional properties of GCRF were investigated in this study. GCRF inhibited preformed alternative pathway convertases (C3bBbP), but did not substantially accelerate their decay. In contrast to other polyanions, GCRF did not affect the activity of human or rat factor H, nor did it inhibit the terminal complement proteins. GCRF inhibited the effect of decay-accelerating factor (DAF) on C3bBbP when the two were incubated together and DAF was in excess, but it did not affect the decay of DAF of classical pathway convertases. However, when DAF was first incorporated into the erythrocyte membrane, the effect of GCRF on C3bBbP was additive to that of DAF. Thus, GCRF inhibits the activity of C3bBbP and blocks the action of DAF, but not that of factor H, perhaps by binding to factor B in the alternative pathway convertase.