Activation via multiple signaling pathways induces down-regulation of platelet-activating factor receptors on human B lymphocytes

Chemical Tools for Studying Lipid-Binding Class A G Protein-Coupled Receptors

Cannabinoid, free fatty acid, lysophosphatidic acid, sphingosine 1-phosphate, prostanoid, leukotriene, bile acid, and platelet-activating factor receptor families are class A G protein-coupled receptors with endogenous lipid ligands. Pharmacological tools are crucial for studying these receptors and addressing the many unanswered questions surrounding expression of these receptors in normal and diseased tissues. An inherent challenge for developing tools for these lipid receptors is balancing the often lipophilic requirements of the receptor-binding pharmacophore with favorable physicochemical properties to optimize highly specific binding. In this study, we review the radioligands, fluorescent ligands, covalent ligands, and antibodies that have been used to study these lipid-binding receptors. For each tool type, the characteristics and design rationale along with in vitro and in vivo applications are detailed.

Expression of the platelet-activating factor receptor enhances benzyl isothiocyanate-induced apoptosis in murine and human melanoma cells

Melanoma cells often express platelet-activating factor receptor (PAF-R), which has been demonstrated to increase metastatic behavior. However, the effect of PAF-R on the responsiveness of melanoma to naturally occurring cytotoxic agents remains to be elucidated. The present study aimed to determine the relative cytotoxicity and mechanism of benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC), a component of cruciferous vegetables, in melanoma cells expressing PAF-R. To evaluate the importance of PAF-R signaling in melanoma cell growth, PAF-R-negative murine B16F10 cells were transduced with a retrovirus containing the cDNA for PAF-R to generate cells stably expressing PAF-R (B16-PAF-R) or an empty vector (MSCV) to generate PAF-R-deficient B16-MSCV control cells. Activation of PAF-R, using the PAF-R agonist, 1-hexadecyl-2-N-methylcarbamoyl-3-glycerophosphocholine, induced an increase in the proliferation of B16-PAF-R cells compared with the B16-MSCV cells. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed the presence of functional PAF-R in human melanoma SK23MEL cells, but not in SK5MEL cells. The present study investigated the effect of BITC treatments on the survival of murine and human melanoma cells, in the presence or absence of functional PAF-R. The results revealed that treatment with BITC decreased the survival rate of the PAF-R-positive and negative murine and human melanoma cells. However, the expression of PAF-R substantially augmented BITC-mediated cytotoxicity in the PAF-R-positive cells at lower concentrations compared with the PAF-R-negative cells. In order to determine the underlying mechanism, flow cytometric analysis was used, which demonstrated a significant increase in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the B16-PAF-R cells compared with the B16-MSCV cells, which enhanced apoptosis by BITC, as measured by increased caspase-3/7 luminescence. Notably, the BITC-mediated decreased cell survival rate, increased ROS and increased apoptosis in the B16-PAF-R cells were significantly attenuated by the antioxidant, vitamin C, indicating ROS involvement. Additionally, the WEB2086 PAF-R antagonist, inhibited the BITC-mediated enhancement of apoptosis in the B16-PAF-R cells, indicating a role for PAF-R-signaling in the BITC-mediated effects. These findings indicated that the selectivity of BITC towards PAF-R in melanoma offers a promising chemopreventive agent for PAF-R-positive melanoma treatment.

The environmental stressor ultraviolet B radiation inhibits murine antitumor immunity through its ability to generate platelet-activating factor agonists

Ubiquitous pro-oxidative stressor ultraviolet B radiation (UVB) to human or mouse skin generates platelet-activating factor (PAF) and novel oxidatively modified glycerophosphocholines (Ox-GPCs) with PAF-receptor (PAF-R) agonistic activity. These lipids mediate systemic immunosuppression in a process involving IL-10. The current studies sought to determine the functional significance of UVB-mediated systemic immunosuppression in an established model of murine melanoma. We show that UVB irradiation augments B16F10 tumor growth and is dependent on host, but not melanoma cell; PAF-R-expression as UVB or the PAF-R agonist, carbamoyl PAF (CPAF), both promote B16F10 tumor growth in wild-type (WT) mice, independent of whether B16F10 cells express PAF-Rs, but do not augment tumor growth in Pafr -/- mice. UVB-mediated augmentation of experimental murine tumor growth was inhibited with antioxidants, demonstrating the importance of Ox-GPC PAF-R agonists produced non-enzymatically. Host immune cells are required as CPAF-induced augmentation of tumor growth which is not seen in immunodeficient NOD SCID mice. Finally, depleting antibodies against IL-10 in WT mice or depletion of CD25-positive cells in FoxP3(EGFP) transgenic mice block UVB and/or CPAF-induced tumor growth supporting a requirement for IL-10 and Tregs in this process. These findings indicate that UVB-generated Ox-GPCs with PAF-R agonistic activity enhance experimental murine melanoma tumor growth through targeting host immune cells, most notably Tregs, to mediate systemic immunosuppression.

Role of the platelet-activating factor and its receptor in the proliferative regulation of bovine ovarian granulosa cells

Proliferation of granulosa cells and their withdrawal from the cell cycle may regulate follicular ovulation. Antagonists of platelet-activating factor (PAF) and its receptor (PAFr) inhibit follicle rupture.

OBJECTIVES

Thus, PAF and PAFr may be involved in proliferative regulation of granulosa cells; however, expression of PAFr in these cells is unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of PAFr and the effect of PAF on proliferation of cultured bovine granulosa cells using real-time polymerase chain reaction to assay steady-state level of mRNA, immunocytochemistry to quantify PAFr protein and proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

We found that granulosa cells express PAFr transcripts and protein. PAF presence did not change the concentration of PAFr mRNA or PAFr protein. Granulosa cells responded to PAF doses of 10 and 50 nm with increasing proportions of cells entering G0/G1 phase, as well as a significant expansion of total cell numbers. Rise in G0/G1-phase cells was accompanied by a decline in proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein expression, and these effects could be suspended by simultaneous PAFr blockage. The results provide clear evidence for expression of PAFr in bovine granulosa cells and its functional involvement in PAF/PAFr-mediated stimulation of cell recruitment.

CONCLUSIONS

PAF antagonists are suggested to disturb this regulative activity of PAF and to contribute in this way to blockage of ovulation.

Down-regulation of platelet-activating factor receptor gene expression during focal reversible cerebral ischemia in rats

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is an endogenous potent phospholipid mediator in stroke and related to the post-ischemic brain damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the regulation and mechanisms of PAF receptor gene expression in the perifocal regions of cerebral infarction after middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion. Sixty mature Wistar rats were randomly divided into 12 groups: sham-operated control group, simple ischemia 90 min group, 6, 12, 18 h, 1 day (1 d), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 d reperfusion groups. After the right middle cerebral artery occluded, the rats were suffered from ischemia for 90 min, and then reperfusion was allowed for different time courses. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and radioimmunoassay were applied to evaluate the PAF receptor messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and PAF levels in the perifocal regions of cerebral infarction respectively. RT-PCR analysis revealed that PAF receptor mRNA was 0.95 +/- 0.15 in control group. However, following ischemia-reperfusion, the levels of PAF receptor mRNA progressively decreased until 2 d of reperfusion (0.54 +/- 0.10), then returned to control group's levels gradually. Compared with the control group's (582 +/- 72 pg/g wet weight), the PAF concentrations of simple ischemic and 6, 12, 18 h, 1, 2 d reperfusion group were significantly higher than that of any other groups. These results indicate that PAF receptor gene expression may be subject to down-regulation in the perifocal regions of cerebral infarction after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion and relative to the increase of endogenous PAF concentrations.

Activation and regulation of platelet-activating factor receptor: role of G(i) and G(q) in receptor-mediated chemotactic, cytotoxic, and cross-regulatory signals

Platelet-activating factor (1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerolphosphocholine; PAF) induces leukocyte accumulation and activation at sites of inflammation via the activation of a specific cell surface receptor (PAFR). PAFR couples to both pertussis toxin-sensitive and pertussis toxin-insensitive G proteins to activate leukocytes. To define the role(s) of G(i) and G(q) in PAF-induced leukocyte responses, two G-protein-linked receptors were generated by fusing G alpha(i3) (PAFR-G alpha(i3)) or G alpha(q) (PAFR-G alpha(q)) at the C terminus of PAFR. Rat basophilic leukemia cell line (RBL-2H3) stably expressing wild-type PAFR, PAFR-G alpha(i3), or PAFR-G alpha(q) was generated and characterized. All receptor variants bound PAF with similar affinities to mediate G-protein activation, intracellular Ca2+ mobilization, phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis, and secretion of beta-hexosaminidase. PAFR-G alpha(i3) and PAFR-G alpha(q) mediated greater GTPase activity in isolated membranes than PAFR but lower PI hydrolysis and secretion in whole cells. PAFR and PAFR-G alpha(i3), but not PAFR-G alpha(q), mediated chemotaxis to PAF. All three receptors underwent phosphorylation and desensitization upon exposure to PAF but only PAFR translocated beta arrestin to the cell membrane and internalized. In RBL-2H3 cells coexpressing the PAFRs along with CXCR1, IL-8 (CXCL8) cross-desensitized Ca2+ mobilization to PAF by all the receptors but only PAFR-G alpha(i3) activation cross-inhibited the response of CXCR1 to CXCL8. Altogether, the data indicate that G(i) exclusively mediates chemotactic and cross-regulatory signals of the PAFR, but both G(i) and G(q) activate PI hydrolysis and exocytosis by this receptor. Because chemotaxis and cross-desensitization are exclusively mediated by G(i), the data suggest that differential activation of both G(i) and G(q) by PAFR likely mediate specific as well as redundant signaling pathways.

Platelet-activating factor antagonists decrease follicular dendritic-cell stimulation of human B lymphocytes

Both B-lymphoblastoid cell lines and tonsillar B lymphocytes express receptors for platelet-activating factor (PAF). In lymph node germinal centres, B lymphocytes interact with follicular dendritic cells (FDCs), which present antigen-containing immune complexes to B lymphocytes. FDCs have phenotypic features that are similar to those of stromal cells and monocytes and may therefore be a source of lipid mediators. In this study, we evaluated the effects of the PAF antagonist WEB 2170 on the activation of tonsillar B lymphocytes by FDCs. FDCs were isolated from tonsils by Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) gradient centrifugation. After being cultured for 6 to 10 days, they were incubated with freshly isolated B cells in the presence or absence of the specific PAF receptor antagonist WEB 2170. B-lymphocyte proliferation was assessed by [³H]-thymidine incorporation, and immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM secretion was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). WEB 2170 (10^-6 to 10^-8 M) inhibited [³H]-thymidine incorporation by up to 35% ± 3%. Moreover, the secretion of IgG and IgM was inhibited by up to 50% by WEB 2170 concentrations ranging from 10^-6 to 10^-8 M. There was no evidence of toxicity by trypan blue staining, and the addition of WEB 2170 to B cells in the absence of FDCs did not inhibit the spontaneous production of IgG or IgM. The effect of the PAF antagonist is primarily on B lymphocytes, as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction detected little PAF receptor messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) from FDCs. These data suggest that endogenous production of PAF may be important in the interaction of B lymphocytes with FDCs.

Platelet-activating factor and normal or leukaemic haematopoiesis

Platelet-activating factor (PAF), a phospholipid mediator with a wide range of actions on mature leukocytes, acts directly during early human haematopoiesis by affecting the growth of haematopoietic progenitors and indirectly, by modulating cytokine synthesis by bone marrow stromal cells. At this time, its role during leukaemic diseases remains speculative. The lack of membrane PAF receptor (PAF-R) on leukaemic blasts suggest that this receptor represents a marker of mature cells and its membrane induction a consequence of cell maturation. While the couple PAF/PAF-R has been largely studied using B cell lines, few results are available using B cells of patients with haematopoietic malignancies casting some doubts concerning the potential role (if any) of this molecule during leukaemic diseases.