scholarly journals Sphingosine synergistically stimulates tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced prostaglandin E2 production in human fibroblasts.

1991 ◽  
Vol 174 (6) ◽  
pp. 1363-1369 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Candela ◽  
S C Barker ◽  
L R Ballou

Sphingosine is a biologically active derivative of sphingomyelin. It affects diverse cellular functions and its mechanism(s) of action is poorly defined. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) has recently been shown to rapidly induce sphingomyelin turnover, implicating this metabolic pathway in TNF alpha signal transduction. Because TNF alpha is known to induce prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in human fibroblasts, we tested the effect of sphingosine on TNF alpha-induced PGE2 production. We found that sphingosine enhanced TNF alpha-induced PGE2 production by as much as 18-fold over TNF alpha alone. Sphingosine appeared to stimulate TNF alpha-induced PGE2 production independent of TNF alpha-mediated interleukin 1 (IL-1) production, because anti-IL-1 antibodies and IL-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP) did not inhibit TNF alpha-induced PGE2 production or the stimulatory effect of sphingosine. TNF alpha stimulated PGE2 production to the same degree in normal and protein kinase C (PKC) downregulated cells in the presence and absence of sphingosine, indicating that neither TNF alpha nor sphingosine require active PKC to elicit their respective effects. The sphingosine analogues stearylamine and stearoyl-D-sphingosine had little or no effect on TNF alpha-mediated PGE2 production, supporting a specific role for sphingosine in the activation process. Short-term (1 min) exposure of cells to sphingosine dramatically increased TNF alpha-induced PGE2 production. A potential mechanism by which sphingosine could increase TNF alpha-induced PGE2 production involves enhancement of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and/or cyclooxygenase (Cox) activity, the rate-limiting enzymes in PGE2 production. We found that both TNF alpha and sphingosine alone enhanced these enzymatic activities, and that sphingosine additively increased the effect of TNF alpha on phospholipase A2 activity. It appears that sphingosine affects TNF alpha-induced PGE2 production via a mechanism that is independent of PKC involvement, and that sphingosine may function as an endogenous second messenger capable of modulating the responsiveness of the cell to external stimuli.

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 6561-6569
Author(s):  
L Klampfer ◽  
T H Lee ◽  
W Hsu ◽  
J Vilcek ◽  
S Chen-Kiang

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) activate transcription of the TSG-6 gene in normal human fibroblasts through a promoter region (-165 to -58) that encompasses an AP-1 and a NF-IL6 site. We show by deletion analysis and substitution mutagenesis that both sites are necessary for activation by TNF-alpha. Activation by IL-1 requires the NF-IL6 site and is enhanced by the AP-1 site. These results suggest that the NF-IL6 and AP-1 family transcription factors functionally cooperate to mediate TNF-alpha and IL-1 signals. Consistent with this possibility, IL-1 and TNF-alpha markedly increase the binding of Fos and Jun to the AP-1 site, and NF-IL6 activates the native TSG-6 promoter. Activation by NF-IL6 requires an intact NF-IL6 site and is modulated by the ratio of activator to inhibitor NF-IL6 isoforms that are translated from different in-frame AUGs. However, the inhibitor isoform can also bind to the AP-1 site and repress AP-1 site-mediated transcription. The finding that the inhibitor isoform antagonizes activation of the native TSG-6 promoter by IL-1 and TNF-alpha suggests that NF-IL6 has a physiologic role in these cytokine responses. Thus, the functionally distinct NF-IL6 isoforms cooperate with Fos and Jun to positively and negatively regulate the native TSG-6 promoter by TNF-alpha and IL-1.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 6561-6569 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Klampfer ◽  
T H Lee ◽  
W Hsu ◽  
J Vilcek ◽  
S Chen-Kiang

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) activate transcription of the TSG-6 gene in normal human fibroblasts through a promoter region (-165 to -58) that encompasses an AP-1 and a NF-IL6 site. We show by deletion analysis and substitution mutagenesis that both sites are necessary for activation by TNF-alpha. Activation by IL-1 requires the NF-IL6 site and is enhanced by the AP-1 site. These results suggest that the NF-IL6 and AP-1 family transcription factors functionally cooperate to mediate TNF-alpha and IL-1 signals. Consistent with this possibility, IL-1 and TNF-alpha markedly increase the binding of Fos and Jun to the AP-1 site, and NF-IL6 activates the native TSG-6 promoter. Activation by NF-IL6 requires an intact NF-IL6 site and is modulated by the ratio of activator to inhibitor NF-IL6 isoforms that are translated from different in-frame AUGs. However, the inhibitor isoform can also bind to the AP-1 site and repress AP-1 site-mediated transcription. The finding that the inhibitor isoform antagonizes activation of the native TSG-6 promoter by IL-1 and TNF-alpha suggests that NF-IL6 has a physiologic role in these cytokine responses. Thus, the functionally distinct NF-IL6 isoforms cooperate with Fos and Jun to positively and negatively regulate the native TSG-6 promoter by TNF-alpha and IL-1.


1998 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 638-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaaki ISHIKAWA ◽  
Shu-ichi KANNO ◽  
Motoaki TAKAYANAGI ◽  
Yoshio TAKAYANAGI ◽  
Ken-ichi SASAKI

1992 ◽  
Vol 263 (5) ◽  
pp. E897-E902 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Beylot ◽  
H. Vidal ◽  
G. Mithieux ◽  
M. Odeon ◽  
C. Martin

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) stimulates hepatic lipogenesis. Therefore, it could play a role in the control of ketogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we measured simultaneously free fatty acids (FFA; [1–13C]palmitate) and ketone body (KB; [3,4–13C2]acetoacetate) kinetics, before and after intraperitoneal injection of saline or TNF-alpha, in postabsorptive rats or rats starved for 24 h. In both groups of rats, TNF-alpha injection did not modify insulinemia and induced a moderate increase of FFA concentrations and appearance rates (P < 0.05). Despite increased FFA availability, ketogenesis was impaired after TNF-alpha injection, as shown by lower KB concentrations and appearance rates; this effect was more important in postabsorptive than in starved rats. The percentage of FFA flux used for ketogenesis was decreased by TNF-alpha in the postabsorptive group (P < 0.05) and starved (P < 0.05) rats. In both groups, maximal liver acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase activity and estimated phosphorylation state were not modified by TNF-alpha injection, but hepatic concentrations of citrate were increased (P < 0.05). This increased citrate level could be related to a mobilization of glucose stored as glycogen since liver glycogen was decreased by TNF-alpha injection (P < 0.05). In conclusion, TNF-alpha injection in rats decreased hepatic ketogenesis. This action could be related to an increased mobilization and utilization of carbohydrate stores.


Blood ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 571-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
RB Lal ◽  
DL Rudolph

Abstract The human T-cell lymphotropic viruses (HTLV) type I and type II are capable of inducing a variety of cellular genes, including many of the cytokines that regulate cell proliferation. To determine if the spontaneous proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients infected with HTLV-I and HTLV-II was related to coordinate expression of cytokines, we analyzed the levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- alpha) and interferon-tau (IFN-tau) in culture supernatants derived from spontaneously proliferating cells. Significantly elevated levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were present in culture supernatants from HTLV- I/II-infected individuals when compared with normal controls (P less than .01). Kinetic experiments showed that both IL-6 and TNF-alpha were elevated by day 5. None of the other cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, and IFN-tau) were detectable in any of the culture. These data suggest that release of IL-6 and TNF-alpha may regulate lymphocyte proliferation in HTLV-I/II-infected individuals.


Blood ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 690-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
KJ Balazovich ◽  
SJ Suchard ◽  
DG Remick ◽  
LA Boxer

Human peripheral blood neutrophils (PMN) plated onto fibrinogen and activated with FMLP release H2O2 and lactoferrin, a specific granule component, with parallel kinetics. Although tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) only primes PMN in suspension, it is a potent agonist of adherent PMN. Activation of adherent PMN by FMLP (10(-7) mol/L) stimulated detectable release of TNF alpha within 45 minutes of stimulation, with maximal release (45.5 pg/10(6) cells) detected by 90 minutes. TNF alpha release paralleled the release of both lactoferrin and H2O2. To determine if TNF alpha plays a role in H2O2 and lactoferrin release, we investigated the effect of anti-TNF alpha antibodies on FMLP-stimulated activation of adherent PMN. A neutralizing rabbit anti-TNF alpha antibody inhibited both H2O2 and lactoferrin release stimulated by FMLP, whereas rabbit lgG, anti-HLA- A,B,C, anti-CD 14, and anti-interleukin-8 antibodies were without effect. The simultaneous addition of TNF alpha (1,000 U/mL) with anti- TNF alpha antibody reversed the inhibition seen with anti-TNF alpha alone. Furthermore, treatment of PMN with either actinomycin D or cylcoheximide resulted in partial (33%) inhibition of H2O2 and lactoferrin release, suggesting that protein synthesis is required for FMLP-mediated activation of adherent PMN. The addition of TNF alpha to either cycloheximide or of actinomycin D-treated PMN overcame the inhibition, indicating that the effect was specific for TNF alpha. The addition of antibodies against either the 55-or 75-kD TNF alpha receptors (referred to as p55 and p75, respectively) resulted in partial (32%) inhibition of FMLP-mediated activation of H2O2 and lactoferrin release, whereas a combination of both antibodies reduced their release to control levels. These data indicate that both p55 and p75 are involved in FMLP activation of adherent PMN. Taken together, these findings indicate that the production of TNF alpha and ligation of TNF alpha receptors are central to FMLP activation of PMN adherent to fibrinogen.


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