Establishment and Characterization of a Novel Gill Cell Line, LG-1, from Atlantic Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.)

The use of lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) as a cleaner fish to fight sea lice infestation in farmed Atlantic salmon has become increasingly common. Still, tools to increase our knowledge about lumpfish biology are lacking. Here, we successfully established and characterized the first Lumpfish Gill cell line (LG-1). LG-1 are adherent, homogenous and have a flat, stretched-out and almost transparent appearance. Transmission electron microscopy revealed cellular protrusions and desmosome-like structures that, together with their ability to generate a transcellular epithelial/endothelial resistance, suggest an epithelial or endothelial cell type. Furthermore, the cells exert Cytochrome P450 1A activity. LG-1 supported the propagation of several viruses that may lead to severe infectious diseases with high mortalities in fish farming, including viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) and infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). Altogether, our data indicate that the LG-1 cell line originates from an epithelial or endothelial cell type and will be a valuable in vitro research tool to study gill cell function as well as host-pathogen interactions in lumpfish.

The Acute Effect of Insulin on Tissue Plasminogen Activator and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor in Man

SummaryThe present study was performed to elucidate the acute effect of insulin on levels of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor of endothelial cell type (PAI-1). Nine middle-aged, non-obese and non-smoking men were studied during a hyperinsulinemic, euglycemic glucose clamp for 2 h. Plasma insulin level during the clamp averaged 84 ± 12 mU/l and euglycemia was maintained at 4.9 ± 0.6 mmol/l. The t-PA activity gradually increased (75% mean increase after 2h, p <0.001) and the PAI-1 activity decreased (49% mean decrease after 2 h, p <0.001) during the clamp. t-PA activity decreased and PAI-1 activity increased after the insulin infusion was ceased, but they were still 48% higher and 38% lower, respectively, after 60 min. PAI-1 and t-PA activities were not affected by saline infusion for 2h.Thus, acute changes in the insulin levels lead to alterations rapid in the fibrinolytic system even when euglycemia is maintained. These effects may be induced by insulin itself or by the concomitant activation of the sympatho-adrenal system during the euglycemic clamp.

Blood Platelet Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor: Two Different Pools of Endothelial Cell Type Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor in Human Blood

SummaryAn assay for plasminogen activator inhibitor in human platelets is described. With this assay we find an average value of 6.8 × 10−8 IU/platelet (S.D. = 3.0 × 10−8; n = 20) in a healthy population. We characterized the PA-inhibitor from platelets and identified it as endothelial cell type plasminogen activator inhibitor, by its immunologic and functional properties. Besides the plasma pool of plasminogen activator inhibitor with a very high turnover rate, platelets constitute a second pool of plasminogen activator inhibitor in the circulation of the same order of magnitude. The two different pools of plasminogen activator inhibitor might have a different physiologic function.

A Sensitive Assay, Specific for Endothelial Cell Type Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor in Blood Plasma

SummaryA polyclonal antibody raised against plasminogen activator (PA-)inhibitor from endothelial cells fully precipitates the PA-inhibitor in endothelial cell conditioned medium but only a part of the PA-inhibitory activity in blood plasma. This indicates that the PA-inhibitory activity in blood plasma is not due to a single inhibitory component. Performing the assay for PA-inhibitory activity in plasma both in the presence and absence of saturating concentrations of anti-endothelial cell PA-inhibitor antibodies, allows the determination of endothelial cell type PA-inhibitor in plasma. The assay gives a linear dose-response curve of amount of plasma added versus t-PA neutralised.Values for endothelial cell type PA-inhibitor in plasma of a group of 20 healthy individuals are in the range of 0.0-16.8 IU/ml and are not normally distributed (median value 3.0 IU/ml).This method also reveals a second, so far unidentified, PA-inhibitory component in human plasma.