Effects of verocytotoxin-1 on nonadherent human monocytes: Binding characteristics, protein synthesis, and induction of cytokine release

The epidemic form of the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) has been associated with a verocytotoxin producing Escherichia coli infection. Endothelial cell damage of glomeruli and arterioles of the kidney plays a central role in the pathogenesis of HUS. A number of observations in vivo and in vitro indicate that inflammatory mediators contribute to...

Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in pancreatic lesions induced in the rat by azaserine

In the present study, the expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was investigated in putative preneoplastic and neoplastic acinar cell lesions induced in the rat pancreas by azaserine, using Northern blotting, in situ hybridisation (ISH) and immunohistochemistry. EGFR protein levels were decreased in putative preneoplastic...

Immunomodulator OM 163-induced reversal of tumor-mediated immunosuppression and downregulation of TGF-β1 in vivo

Although PROb colonic tumor cells are immunosuppressive, the immunomodulator OM 163 induced the disappearance of macroscopic peritoneal nodules in 50% of rats bearing a peritoneal carcinomatosis (p.c.) induced by PROb cells. When the p.o. developed, the number of T lymphocytes was low and the expression of interferon (IFN)-γ mRNA in tumor...

Suppression of sterol 27-hydroxylase mRNA and transcriptional activity by bile acids in cultured rat hepatocytes

In previous work we have demonstrated suppression of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase by bile acids at the level of mRNA and transcription, resulting in a similar decline in bile acid synthesis in cultured rat hepatocytes. In view of the substantial contribution of the 'alternative' or '27-hydroxylase' route to total bile acid synthesis, as...

Heterogeneous expression of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase and sterol 27- hydroxylase genes in the rat liver lobulus

We investigated the lobular localization and molecular level of expression of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase and sterol 27-hydroxylase, two key enzymes in bile acid synthesis, in isolated periportal and pericentral hepatocytes and by in situ hybridization of rat liver. Enzyme activity, mRNA, and gene transcription of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase were...

Regulation of plasminogen activation, matrix metalloproteinases and urokinase-type plasminogen activator-mediated extracellular matrix degradation in human osteosarcoma cell line MG63 by interleukin-1 alpha

Plasmin-mediated extracellular proteolysis has been implicated in the degradation of bone in normal and pathological conditions. Normal and malignant osteoblasts can produce both tissue-type plasminogen activator (t- PA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA). We have used the osteosarcoma cell line MG63 to address the question of...

Detection of human cytokines in situ using antibody and probe based methods

Differential feedback regulation of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase mRNA and transcriptional activity by rat bile acids in primary monolayer cultures of rat hepatocytes

We have used primary monolayer cultures of rat hepatocytes to study the effects of physiological concentrations of various bile acids, commonly found in bile of normal rats, on the mechanism of regulation of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase and bile acid synthesis. Addition of taurocholic acid, the most predominant bile acid in rat bile, to the...

Butyrate stimulates the secretion of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I and apo B100 by the human hepatoma cell line Hep G2. Induction of apo A-I mRNA with no change of apo B100 mRNA

Addition of sodium butyrate to the culture medium of the human hepatoma cell line Hep G2 resulted in a time- and dose-dependent increase in the secretion of apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) and apolipoprotein B100 (apo B100). After a 24 h preincubation period, a 2.4- and 2.2-fold increase in the secretion of apo A-I and apo B100 respectively was...

Regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase mRNA contents in human hepatoma cell line Hep G2 by distinct classes of mevalonate-derived metabolites

Hep G2 cells were incubated under conditions known to influence the HMG-CoA (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA) reductase activity, e.g. in the presence of compactin (a competitive inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase itself) and U18666A (a squalene-2,3-epoxide cyclase inhibitor). We studied the effects of these conditions both on the HMG-CoA reductase...