Osteopontin affects macrophage polarization promoting endocytic but not inflammatory properties

OBJECTIVE

Macrophages are the main drivers of obesity-induced adipose tissue (AT) inflammation that causes insulin resistance. Macrophages polarize toward different inflammatory (M1) or protective (M2) phenotypes. Osteopontin (OPN) is an inflammatory cytokine highly expressed in AT in obesity and known to be involved in chronic inflammatory processes. It was hypothesized that OPN polarizes macrophages into a proinflammatory phenotype.

METHODS

AT macrophages (ATMs) of OPN-deficient (Spp1(-/-) ) and wild-type C57BL/6 (WT) mice with obesity and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) of Spp1(-/-) and WT mice as well as human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) polarized in the presence of OPN were investigated.

RESULTS

While ATM infiltration was lower in Spp1(-/-) upon high-fat diet, Spp1(-/-) ATMs expressed more M1 and less M2 markers but less tumor necrosis factor-α compared with WT. There was no effect of OPN deficiency on BMDM polarization. In human MDMs, the presence of OPN during polarization ambiguously altered M1/M2-related marker expression and diminished LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine production. Strikingly, phagocytic activity was elevated by the presence of OPN during polarization in both human MDMs and murine BMDMs.

CONCLUSIONS

In contradiction to our hypothesis, data indicated that OPN does not induce inflammatory macrophages but was a signal to induce phagocytosis, which may be required due to increased adipocyte death in obesity.

Immunological blockade of adipocyte inflammation caused by increased matrix metalloproteinase-cleaved osteopontin in obesity

OBJECTIVE

Osteopontin (OPN) is upregulated in adipose tissue (AT) in obesity and contributes to subclinical inflammation, adipocyte dysfunction, and insulin resistance. OPN effects can be increased by cleavage by matrix metalloproteinases (MMP). This study aimed at investigating the presence of OPN cleavage products in human AT in obesity and their impact on adipocyte function and immunological blockade of these effects.

METHODS

AT of severely obese and control donors was investigated for OPN and MMP expression and the presence of OPN cleavage fragments. Primary adipocytes were isolated from human donors for in vitro investigation of cleaved OPN effects.

RESULTS

OPN and MMP-9 expression was highly correlated in AT from obese donors, and increased levels of cleaved OPN were detected in AT from obese individuals. The in vitro effect of OPN on adipocyte inflammation and insulin resistance was enhanced by protease cleavage, which could finally be blocked with a monoclonal antibody directed against the MMP cleavage site of OPN.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show that MMP cleavage of OPN in AT occurs in obesity, thereby enhancing OPN's inflammatory and pro-diabetic activity on adipocytes. Specifically targeting MMP-cleaved OPN opens avenues for prevention and treatment of obesity-induced type 2 diabetes.

The pan-Bcl-2 blocker obatoclax promotes the expression of Puma, Noxa, and Bim mRNA and induces apoptosis in neoplastic mast cells

Advanced SM is an incurable neoplasm with short survival time. So far, no effective therapy is available for these patients. We and others have shown recently that neoplastic MC in ASM and MCL express antiapoptotic Mcl-1, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL. In this study, we examined the effects of the pan-Bcl-2 family blocker obatoclax (GX015-070) on primary neoplastic MC, the human MC leukemia cell line HMC-1, and the canine mastocytoma cell line C2. Obatoclax was found to inhibit proliferation in primary human neoplastic MC (IC₅₀: 0.057 μM), in HMC-1.2 cells expressing KIT D816V (IC₅₀: 0.72 μM), and in HMC-1.1 cells lacking KIT D816V (IC₅₀: 0.09 μM), as well as in C2 cells (IC₅₀: 0.74 μM). The growth-inhibitory effects of obatoclax in HMC-1 cells were accompanied by an increase in expression of Puma, Noxa, and Bim mRNA, as well as by apoptosis, as evidenced by microscopy, TUNEL assay, and caspase cleavage. Viral-mediated overexpression of Mcl-1, Bcl-xL, or Bcl-2 in HMC-1 cells was found to introduce partial resistance against apoptosis-inducing effects of obatoclax. We were also able to show that obatoclax synergizes with several other antineoplastic drugs, including dasatinib, midostaurin, and bortezomib, in producing apoptosis and/or growth arrest in neoplastic MC. Together, obatoclax exerts major growth-inhibitory effects on neoplastic MC and potentiates the antineoplastic activity of other targeted drugs. Whether these drug effects can be translated to application in patients with advanced SM remains to be determined.

NI-1: a novel canine mastocytoma model for studying drug resistance and IgER-dependent mast cell activation

BACKGROUND

Advanced mast cell (MC) disorders are characterized by uncontrolled growth of neoplastic MC in various organs, mediator-related symptoms, and a poor prognosis. Kit mutations supposedly contribute to abnormal growth and drug resistance in these patients.

METHODS

We established a novel canine mastocytoma cell line, NI-1, from a patient suffering from MC leukemia.

RESULTS

NI-1 cells were found to form mastocytoma lesions in NOD/SCID IL-2Rgamma(null) mice and to harbor several homozygous Kit mutations, including missense mutations at nucleotides 107(C→T) and 1187(A→G), a 12-bp duplication (nucleotide 1263), and a 12-bp deletion (nucleotide 1550). NI-1 cells expressed several MC differentiation antigens, including tryptase, Kit, and a functional IgE receptor. Compared to the C2 mastocytoma cell line harboring a Kit exon 11 mutation, NI-1 cells were found to be less responsive against the Kit tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) masitinib and imatinib, but were even more sensitive against proliferation-inhibitory effects of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) blocker RAD001 and PI3-kinase/mTOR blocker NVP-BEZ235. The Kit-targeting multikinase inhibitors PKC412 and dasatinib were also found to override TKI resistance in NI-1 cells, and produced growth inhibition with reasonable IC(50) values (<0.1 μM).

CONCLUSION

NI-1 may serve as a useful tool to investigate IgE-dependent reactions and mechanisms of abnormal growth and drug resistance in neoplastic MC in advanced mastocytosis.

Human TCR transgenic Bet v 1-specific Th1 cells suppress the effector function of Bet v 1-specific Th2 cells

Pollinosis to birch pollen is a common type I allergy in the Northern Hemisphere. Moreover, birch pollen-allergic individuals sensitized to the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 frequently develop allergic reactions to stone fruits, hazelnuts, and certain vegetables due to immunological cross-reactivity. The major T cell epitope Bet v 1(142-153) plays an important role in cross-reactivity between the respiratory allergen Bet v 1 and its homologous food allergens. In this study, we cloned and functionally analyzed a human αβ TCR specific for the immunodominant epitope Bet v 1(142-153). cDNAs encoding TCR α- and β-chains were amplified from a Bet v 1(142-153)-specific T cell clone, introduced into Jurkat T cells and peripheral blood T lymphocytes of allergic and nonallergic individuals, and evaluated functionally. The resulting TCR transgenic (TCRtg) T cells responded in an allergen-specific and costimulation-dependent manner to APCs either pulsed with Bet v 1(142-153) peptide or coexpressing invariant chain::Bet v 1(142-153) fusion proteins. TCRtg T cells responded to Bet v 1-related food and tree pollen allergens that were processed and presented by monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Bet v 1(142-153)-presenting but not Bet v 1(4-15)-presenting artificial APCs coexpressing membrane-bound IL-12 polarized allergen-specific TCRtg T cells toward a Th1 phenotype, producing high levels of IFN-γ. Coculture of such Th1-polarized T cells with allergen-specific Th2-differentiated T cells significantly suppressed Th2 effector cytokine production. These data suggest that human allergen-specific TCR can transfer the fine specificity of the original T cell clone to heterologous T cells, which in turn can be instructed to modulate the effector function of the disease initiating/perpetuating allergen-specific Th2-differentiated T cells.

Polo-like kinase-1 as a novel target in neoplastic mast cells: demonstration of growth-inhibitory effects of small interfering RNA and the Polo-like kinase-1 targeting drug BI 2536

BACKGROUND

In advanced systemic mastocytosis the response of neoplastic mast cells to conventional drugs is poor and the prognosis is bad. Current research is, therefore, attempting to identify novel drug targets in neoplastic mast cells. Polo-like kinase-1 is a serine/threonine kinase that plays an essential role in mitosis and has recently been introduced as a new target in myeloid leukemias and solid tumors.

DESIGN AND METHODS

In the present study, we analyzed the expression and function of Polo-like kinase-1 in neoplastic mast cells in systemic mastocytosis.

RESULTS

As determined by immunostaining, primary neoplastic mast cells as well as the human mast cell leukemia cell line HMC-1 displayed phosphorylated Polo-like kinase-1. In addition, neoplastic mast cells expressed Polo-like kinase-1 mRNA. Polo-like kinase-1-specific small interfering RNA induced apoptosis in neoplastic mast cells, whereas no effect was seen with a control small interfering RNA. BI 2536, a drug targeting Polo-like kinase-1, was found to inhibit proliferation in HMC-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. BI 2536 also inhibited the growth of primary neoplastic mast cells and cells of the canine mastocytoma cell line C2. The growth-inhibitory effects of BI 2536 on neoplastic mast cells were found to be associated with mitotic arrest and subsequent apoptosis. Finally, BI 2536 was found to synergize with the KIT-targeting kinase inhibitor midostaurin (PKC412) in inhibiting the growth of neoplastic mast cells. In control experiments, BI 2536 did not induce apoptosis in normal cultured mast cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, our data show that Polo-like kinase-1 is a potential therapeutic target in neoplastic mast cells. Targeting Polo-like kinase-1 may be an attractive pharmacological concept in the management of advanced systemic mastocytosis.

H1-receptor antagonists terfenadine and loratadine inhibit spontaneous growth of neoplastic mast cells

OBJECTIVE

In mast cell (MC) neoplasms, clinical problems requiring therapy include local aggressive and sometimes devastating growth of MCs and mediator-related symptoms. A key mediator of MCs responsible for clinical symptoms is histamine. Therefore, use of histamine receptor (HR) antagonists is an established approach to block histamine effects in these patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We screened for additional beneficial effects of HR antagonists and asked whether any of these agents would also exert growth-inhibitory effects on primary neoplastic MCs, the human MC line HMC-1, and on two canine MC lines, C2 and NI-1.

RESULTS

We found that the HR1 antagonists terfenadine and loratadine suppress spontaneous growth of HMC-1, C2, and NI-1 cells, as well as growth of primary neoplastic MCs in all donors tested (human patients, n = 5; canine patients, n = 8). The effects of both drugs were found to be dose-dependent (IC(50): terfenadine, 1-20 μM; loratadine, 10-50 μM). Both agents also produced apoptosis in neoplastic MCs and augmented apoptosis-inducing effects of two KIT-targeting drugs, PKC412 and dasatinib. The other HR1 antagonists (fexofenadine, diphenhydramine) and HR2 antagonists (famotidine, cimetidine, ranitidine) tested did not exert substantial growth-inhibitory effects on neoplastic MCs. None of the histamine receptor blockers were found to modulate cell-cycle progression in neoplastic MCs.

CONCLUSIONS

The HR1 antagonists terfenadine and loratadine, in addition to their antimediator activity, exert in vitro growth-inhibitory effects on neoplastic MCs. Whether these drugs (terfenadine) alone, or in combination with KIT inhibitors, can also affect in vivo neoplastic MC growth remains to be determined.