Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.49 (reverse transcriptase)
31,746 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Members of the Toll receptor (Tlr) family have a crucial role in the innate immune response following bacterial infection. The effects of Gram-negative bacteria-derived endotoxins (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) are predominantly mediated by Tlr4, and we have recently shown that pituitary folliculostellate cells express functional Tlr4. In the present study, we investigated whether Tlr4 is also present in normal and transformed endocrine epithelial pituitary cell types. By reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Tlr4 mRNA expression was found in some pituitary epithelial tumour cell lines (AtT20, HP75), whereas others were negative (GH3, alphaT3-1). Tlr4 protein was detected by immunohistochemistry in a few epithelial cells in normal human anterior pituitaries and in 26 out of 67 human pituitary tumours analysed. LPS had no effect on adrenocorticotropic hormone secretion in Tlr4-positive AtT20 cells, but it suppressed the growth of these cells in a dose-dependent manner. As expected, neither hormone secretion, nor growth of Tlr4-negative GH3 cells was affected by LPS. In cell cultures of Tlr4-positive pituitary adenomas, LPS dose-dependently stimulated the production of interleukin (IL)-6, which is known to induce growth and hormone production in pituitary tumours. The LPS-induced IL-6 production was blocked by the specific p38alphaMAP kinase inhibitor, SB203580, and by the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone. The data suggest that, during Gram-negative bacteria-induced infections or inflammatory processes, LPS could affect pituitary tumour pathophysiology and progression in the subset of Tlr4-expressing pituitary adenomas.
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PMID:Bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) stimulates interleukin-6 production and inhibits growth of pituitary tumour cells expressing the toll-like receptor 4. 1579 67

In vivo studies have shown that chronic alcohol consumption sensitizes the liver to endotoxemic shock, leading to liver microcirculation disruption. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms involved, focusing on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity and regulation, which represents one of the major vasodilatory pathways. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed an alcohol liquid diet or a control isocaloric diet for 5 weeks. Priming effects of ethanol were studied in a model with or without a 24-h LPS treatment (1 mg/kg body weight). At the end of the diet, liver tissue was harvested for western blot, reverse transcriptase-PCR, histological analysis, and immunostaining and blood for serum alanine aminotransferase analysis. Chronic ethanol and LPS alone induced a mild hepatitis and infiltration, respectively. Combined, LPS and chronic ethanol feeding showed a synergistic effect on the liver, leading to extensive steatohepatitis with extensive focal necrosis associated with significantly higher levels of serum ALT. Chronic ethanol and LPS significantly inhibited eNOS activity, but exerted their effects through different mechanisms. Caveolin-1, an eNOS inhibitory protein, was upregulated after LPS and chronic alcohol consumption. Additionally, chronic alcohol consumption down-regulated endothelin B receptor, eNOS protein levels, and eNOS phosphorylation. In conclusion, chronic ethanol consumption and LPS share a similar pathophysiology and both lead to the impairment of eNOS activity, but through distinct molecular mechanisms. The presence of focal necrosis in a mild stress model could provide a good animal study to investigate the advanced stages of alcoholic liver diseases.
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PMID:Chronic ethanol sensitizes the liver to endotoxin via effects on endothelial nitric oxide synthase regulation. 1624 31

Objective. The objectives of this study were to document the expression of IL-19 and IL-20, localize their expression in human fetal membranes and to examine their influence on the production of other inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha) from placental membranes.Methods. Human fetal membranes collected at term from normal pregnancies were stimulated with either recombinant human IL-19, IL-20, bacterial endotoxin (LPS) alone or the cytokine + LPS. The expression of IL-19 and IL-20 was studied by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and localized using immunohistochemistry. Concentrations of IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha were measured with multiplex sandwich immunoassay using microsphere technology.Results. RT-PCR documented IL-19 and IL-20 gene expression in fetal membranes. Immunohistochemistry localized both peptides to amnion and chorion layers. LPS stimulated the production of all four cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha) from fetal membranes compared to unstimulated controls. No change in IL-1 and IL-8 concentration was seen after IL-19 or IL-20 stimulation, whereas IL-6 concentration was three- and two-fold higher after IL-19 and IL-20 treatment, respectively. TNF levels were unchanged after IL-19 and IL-20 treatment; however, TNF levels were significantly decreased in membranes treated with IL-19 or IL-20 + LPS compared to LPS alone.Conclusion. Fetal membranes are a source of IL-19 and IL-20. These cytokines act as an inhibitory agent to LPS-induced TNF production whereas they stimulate IL-6 production and have no effect on IL-1 and IL-8 production from human fetal membranes. The effect of IL-19 and IL-20 in pregnancy will be dependent on their concentrations and other environmental factors such as infection.
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PMID:Human fetal membrane expression of IL-19 and IL-20 and its differential effect on inflammatory cytokine production. 1685 93

A variety of extraimmune system factors, including hormones, play a critical role in regulating immunity. Progesterone has been shown to affect immunity in rodents and humans, mainly at concentrations commensurate with pregnancy. These effects are primarily mediated via the progesterone receptor (PR), which acts as a transcription factor, although non-genomic effects of PR activation have been reported. In this study, we evaluated the effects of progesterone on rat dendritic cells (DCs) at ranges encompassing physiologic and pharmacologic concentrations to determine whether progesterone plays a role in modulating DC-mediated immune responses. DCs were derived by culturing rat bone marrow cells in granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor and IL-4. Cells were analyzed for expression of PR using FACS analysis, real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR and fluorescent microscopy. Progesterone treatment of LPS-activated, mature bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) suppressed production of the pro-inflammatory response-promoting cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IL-1beta in a dose-dependent manner but did not affect production of the pro-inflammatory response-inhibiting cytokine IL-10. Treatment of cells with progesterone also resulted in down-regulation of co-stimulatory molecule CD80 and MHC class II molecule RT1B expression. In addition, progesterone inhibited DC-stimulated proliferation of T cells. Suppression of pro-inflammatory response-promoting cytokine production by progesterone was prevented using the PR antagonist RU486. There was no dose-dependent effect of progesterone treatment on immature DC capacity to take up antigenic peptide. These data indicate that progesterone directly inhibits mature rat BMDC capacity to drive pro-inflammatory responses. This mechanism could contribute to or account for some of the differential expression of autoimmune/inflammatory disease in females.
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PMID:Progesterone inhibits mature rat dendritic cells in a receptor-mediated fashion. 1728 56

Vibrio vulnificus is thought to employ a quorum-sensing system to control the expression of a global gene. In this study, proteomes and transcriptomes of a lacZ null mutant, VvSR Delta Z, and a luxS-smcR double mutant, VvSR Delta ZSR, were compared with the parent strain, VvAR, by means of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and differentially displayed reverse transcriptase PCR (DDRT-PCR). 2D-PAGE analysis showed that 36 protein spots were differentially expressed, 14 of which have been identified by peptide-mass fingerprinting. The expression of eight cellular proteins was repressed by luxS and smcR mutation: Zn-dependent protease, 6-phosophofructokinase, periplasmic ABC-type Fe3(+) transport system, deoxyribose-phosphate aldolase, phosphomannomutase, orotidine-5'-phosphate decarboxylase, uridylate kinase, and an unidentified protein. These proteins are involved in virulence, adaptation to environmental stress, biosynthesis of LPS, and cell multiplication. Phage shock protein A, a chemotaxis signal transduction protein, and an uncharacterized low-complexity protein were activated in the cellular components of the luxS-smcR mutant. However, only three proteins, of unknown function, were identified in the extracellular components of the mutants. Analysis of transcriptomes with DDRT-PCR showed that two genes, phosphoribosylformylglycinamidine synthase and ATP-dependent protease HslVU protease were regulated at the transcriptional level by luxS and smcR gene mutation. The results from this study show conclusively that luxS/smcR quorum sensing endows a global change in gene expression to V. vulnificus.
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PMID:Identification of quorum sensing-related regulons in Vibrio vulnificus by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and differentially displayed reverse transcriptase PCR. 1750 28

Previous studies show that chronic alcohol abuse is an independent risk factor for acute lung injury (ALI) and impairs alveolar epithelial barrier function through glutathione depletion. However, the precise molecular structures that are damaged by chronic ethanol ingestion have not been identified. To test whether chronic ethanol ingestion impairs the alveolar epithelium barrier by tight junction protein deterioration and predisposes to ALI, this study determined the alterations in tight junction proteins occludin, zonula occludens (ZO)-1, and adherens junction protein E-cadherin in alveolar epithelium and observed the protective effect of glutamine (Gln) supplementation. Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to control, ethanol (6 weeks' ethanol feeding), lipopolysaccharide ([LPS] 2 mg/kg, i.v.), ethanol plus LPS, ethanol plus Gln (0.3 g/kg, gavage daily), and ethanol plus Gln plus LPS groups. Treatment with both ethanol and LPS significantly increased bronchoalveolar epithelial permeability, and treatment with ethanol plus LPS further increased the permeability. Using immunofluorescence, immunoblotting, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, this study shows that treatment with both ethanol and LPS induced partial breakdown of membrane staining and decreased cytoplasm staining in alveolar epithelium and decreased the messenger RNA and protein expression of those molecules in alveolar epithelial cells. Treatment with ethanol plus LPS caused further deterioration. Moreover, Gln supplementation markedly attenuated the enhanced bronchoalveolar epithelial permeability and decreased messenger RNA and protein expression of those molecules induced by ethanol and ethanol plus LPS. These data suggest that chronic ethanol ingestion impairs the alveolar epithelial barrier function via occludin, ZO-1, and E-cadherin deterioration, and predisposes to ALI. Glutamine supplementation has protective effect.
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PMID:Effects of chronic ethanol ingestion on tight junction proteins and barrier function of alveolar epithelium in the rat. 1751 55

To identify positive or negative factors for HIV-1 infectivity, clones from the U937 promonocytic cell line that express similar levels of CD4 and CXCR4, but differ in HIV-1 susceptibility, were compared. In contrast to HIV-1 permissive clone 10 (plus), nonpermissive clone 17 (minus) was adherent to coverslips coated with chemokines, was phagocytic, killed bacteria, and expressed human leukocyte elastase (HLE) in a granule-like compartment (HLEG) that was never detected at the cell surface (HLECS). In contrast to the minus clone, the plus clone expressed HLE on the cell surface and was adherent to coverslips coated with the HLECS ligands alpha1proteinase inhibitor (alpha1PI, alpha1antitrypsin) and the HIV-1 fusion peptide. The phosphorylation status of several important signaling proteins was studied at the single cell level. Tumor suppressor p53, NF-kappaB p65, and Akt were constitutively phosphorylated in the plus clone, but not in the minus clone. Surprisingly, both alpha1PI and LPS induced phosphorylation of NF-kappaB p65 Ser-536 in both clones, but induced dephosphorylation of Ser-529 in the plus clone only. HIV-1 permissivity was conferred to the minus clone in a manner that required stimulation by both alpha1PI and LPS and was coincident to NF-kappaB p65 phosphorylation/dephosphorylation events as well as translocation of HLE to the cell surface. Even when stimulated, the minus clone exhibited greater reverse transcriptase activity, but less p24, than the plus clone. Results presented suggest that HIV-1 uptake and production efficiency are influenced by signaling profiles, receptor distribution, and the phagocytic capacity specific to the stage of differentiation of the CD4+ target cell.
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PMID:NF-kappaB signaling, elastase localization, and phagocytosis differ in HIV-1 permissive and nonpermissive U937 clones. 1809 51

Recently, attention has been focused on the role for dendritic cells (DCs) in the promotion of peripheral tolerance. It is currently believed that the maturation/activation state of DCs might be a control point for the induction of graft tolerance through modifications of the activation state of T cells. We have observed IL-2, and IL-2 receptor gene expression by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in human DC lysates following bacterial stimulation. It has been demonstrated in the present study IL-2R alpha (CD25) expression on human DCs upon LPS activation. DCs differentiated from monocytes were exposed to anti CD25 during maturation, anti CD25 treatment affected the abilities of human DCs to induce CD4+ T cell proliferation in response to alloantigens, maintained endocytic capacity, Anti CD25 treated DCs produce low levels of IL-12 and IFN and high level of IL-10. All these characteristics suggest that DCs may be used in cellular therapy either to induce allograft tolerance (anti CD25 treated DCs) or to restore immunity against tumors (IL-2 treated DCs).
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PMID:Anti CD25 treatment of human dendritic cells modulates both their cytokine synthesis profiles and their capacity to activate allogeneic CD4 T cells: a potential tolerogenic effect. 1827 95

Penehyclidine (PHCD) has been proposed to reduce lung and lethal toxicity. The present study was undertaken to investigate the mechanisms responsible for the protective effect of PHCD against acute lung injury (ALI) in rats. Tail-vein injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 5 mg kg(-1)) was used to induce ALI in rats. Secondary increases in total protein, lactate dehydrogenase activity in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and myeloperoxidase in lung tissue were used to evaluate the effects of PHCD on ALI in rats. Activated DNA binding activity and expression of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) in lung tissue were measured using electrophoretic mobility shift assays assay and immunohistological staining. Levels and mRNA expression of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Pretreatment with PHCD (0.03 mg kg(-1), 0.1 mg kg(-1) and 0.3 mg kg(-1) i.p.) significantly attenuated the LPS-induced changes in lung injury parameters and inhibited the activation and expression of NF-kappaB in lung tissue. Furthermore, PHCD also substantially reduced the LPS-induced TNF-alpha and IL-1beta mRNA expression and production in lung tissue and suppressed neutrophil recruitment. The results suggest that PHCD attenuates LPS-induced acute lung responses through inhibition of NF-kappaB activation and LPS-induced TNF-alpha and IL-1beta production and resulting neutrophil recruitment associated with acute lung inflammation and injury. PHCD may be a useful adjuvant to treatment strategies targeting clinical situations of acute inflammation.
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PMID:Penehyclidine prevents nuclear factor-kappaB activation in acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide. 1871 24

Diabetic patients have increased susceptibility to infection, which may be related to impaired inflammatory response observed in experimental models of diabetes, and restored by insulin treatment. The goal of this study was to investigate whether insulin regulates transcription of cytokines and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) via nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) signaling pathway in Escherichia coli LPS-induced lung inflammation. Diabetic male Wistar rats (alloxan, 42 mg/kg, i.v., 10 days) and controls were instilled intratracheally with saline containing LPS (750 microg/0.4 mL) or saline only. Some diabetic rats were given neutral protamine Hagedorn insulin (4 IU, s.c.) 2 h before LPS. Analyses performed 6 h after LPS included: (a) lung and mesenteric lymph node IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, IL-10, and ICAM-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) were quantified by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction; (b) number of neutrophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, and concentrations of IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, and IL-10 in the BAL were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; and (c) activation of NF-kappaB p65 subunit and phosphorylation of I-kappaB alpha were quantified by Western blot analysis. Relative to controls, diabetic rats exhibited a reduction in lung and mesenteric lymph node IL-1 beta (40%), TNF-alpha (approximately 30%), and IL-10 (approximately 40%) mRNA levels and reduced concentrations of IL-1 beta (52%), TNF-alpha (62%), IL-10 (43%), and neutrophil counts (72%) in the BAL. Activation of NF-kappaB p65 subunit and phosphorylation of I-kappaB alpha were almost suppressed in diabetic rats. Treatment of diabetic rats with insulin completely restored mRNA and protein levels of these cytokines and potentiated lung ICAM-1 mRNA levels (30%) and number of neutrophils (72%) in the BAL. Activation of NF-kappaB p65 subunit and phosphorylation of I-kappaB alpha were partially restored by insulin treatment. In conclusion, data presented suggest that insulin regulates transcription of proinflammatory (IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines, and expression of ICAM-1 via the NF-kappaB signaling pathway.
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PMID:Insulin regulates cytokines and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 gene expression through nuclear factor-kappaB activation in LPS-induced acute lung injury in rats. 1879 99


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