Biocompatibility studies on cerium oxide nanoparticles - combined study for local effects, systemic toxicity and genotoxicity via implantation route

An implantation study of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NP) combined with 28-day systemic toxicity and genotoxicity studies aligned to current regulatory standards was conducted. The results suggested that local tissue reactions caused by CeO2-NP was minimal (implantation irritation index of less than 3) and was better tolerated than most other implant materials tested in our laboratory. Furthermore, CeO2-NP showed virtually no systemic toxicity or in vivo micronucleus induction in bone marrow via implantation route. Chemical analysis showed that CeO2-NP migrated from the implant sites (250 mg per site) in low levels and was deposited predominantly in liver (191.8 ± 35.1 ng g^-1 of tissue; P < 0.01), lungs (263.4 ± 30.9 ng g^-1 of tissue; P < 0.001), spleen (211.2 ± 6.5 ng g^-1 of tissue; P < 0.001) and kidneys (272.8 ± 20.4 ng g^-1 of tissue; P < 0.001). These observations provide a base line biocompatibility and toxicity data on CeO2-NP. The current findings will also be useful in defining standards for nanoparticle containing biomaterials and devices.

Scaffolds containing chitosan/carboxymethyl cellulose/mesoporous wollastonite for bone tissue engineering

Scaffold based bone tissue engineering utilizes a variety of biopolymers in different combinations aiming to deliver optimal properties required for bone regeneration. In the current study, we fabricated bio-composite scaffolds containing chitosan (CS), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) with varied concentrations of mesoporous wollastonite (m-WS) particles by the freeze drying method. The CS/CMC/m-WS scaffolds were characterized by the SEM, EDS and FT-IR studies. Addition of m-WS particles had no effect on altering the porosity of the scaffolds. m-WS particles at 0.5% concentration in the CS/CMC scaffolds showed significant improvement in the bio-mineralization and protein adsorption properties. Addition of m-WS particles in the CS/CMC scaffolds significantly reduced their swelling and degradation properties. The CS/CMC/m-WS scaffolds also showed cyto-friendly nature to human osteoblastic cells. The osteogenic potential of CS/CMC/m-WS scaffolds was confirmed by calcium deposition and expression of an osteoblast specific microRNA, pre-mir-15b. Thus, the current investigations support the use of CS/CMC/m-WS scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.

Impact of antibody quality and anamnestic response on viremia control post-challenge in a combined Tat/Env vaccine regimen in rhesus macaques

Previously, priming rhesus macaques with Adenovirus type 5 host range mutant-recombinants encoding Tat and Env and boosting with Tat and Env protein in MPL-SE controlled chronic viremia by 4 logs following homologous intravenous SHIV89.6P challenge. Here we evaluated Tat, Env, and Tat/Env regimens for immunogenicity and protective efficacy using clade C Env, alum adjuvant, and a heterologous intrarectal SHIV1157ipd3N4 challenge. Despite induction of strong cellular and humoral immunity, Tat/Env group T and B-cell memory responses were not significantly enhanced over Tat- or Env-only groups. Lack of viremia control post-challenge was attributed to lower avidity Env antibodies and no anamnestic ADCC response or SHIV1157ipd3N4 neutralizing antibody development post-challenge. Poor biologic activity of the Tat immunogen may have impaired Tat immunity. In the absence of sterilizing immunity, strong anamnestic responses to heterologous virus can help control viremia. Both antibody breadth and optimal adjuvanticity are needed to elicit high-quality antibody for protective efficacy.

Reduced soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) scavenger capacity precedes pre-eclampsia in Type 1 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

Increased advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and their soluble receptors (sRAGE) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia (PE). However, this association has not been elucidated in pregnancies complicated by diabetes. We aimed to investigate the serum levels of these factors in pregnant women with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), a condition associated with a four-fold increase in PE.

DESIGN

Prospective study in women with T1DM at 12.2 ± 1.9, 21.6 ± 1.5 and 31.5 ± 1.7 weeks of gestation [mean ± standard deviation (SD); no overlap] before PE onset.

SETTING

Antenatal clinics.

POPULATION

Pregnant women with T1DM (n = 118; 26 developed PE) and healthy nondiabetic pregnant controls (n = 21).

METHODS

Maternal serum levels of sRAGE (total circulating pool), N(ε)-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), hydroimidazolone (methylglyoxal-modified proteins) and total AGEs were measured by immunoassays.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Serum sRAGE and AGEs in pregnant women with T1DM who subsequently developed PE (DM PE+) versus those who remained normotensive (DM PE-).

RESULTS

In DM PE+ versus DM PE-, sRAGE was significantly lower in the first and second trimesters, prior to the clinical manifestation of PE (P < 0.05). Further, reflecting the net sRAGE scavenger capacity, sRAGE:hydroimidazolone was significantly lower in the second trimester (P < 0.05) and sRAGE:AGE and sRAGE:CML tended to be lower in the first trimester (P < 0.1) in women with T1DM who subsequently developed PE versus those who did not. These conclusions persisted after adjusting for prandial status, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), duration of diabetes, parity and mean arterial pressure as covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

In the early stages of pregnancy, lower circulating sRAGE levels, and the ratio of sRAGE to AGEs, may be associated with the subsequent development of PE in women with T1DM.

Rapid SIV Env-specific mucosal and serum antibody induction augments cellular immunity in protecting immunized, elite-controller macaques against high dose heterologous SIV challenge

Three Indian rhesus macaques, Ad-SIV primed/protein boosted and exposed twice to high-dose mucosal SIV(mac251) challenges, exhibited elite control of viremia over 6.5 years. They were negative for host factors associated with control of SIV infection. After a third intrarectal challenge with SIV(smE660), all controlled viremia, with one (macaque #5) maintaining undetectable viremia in blood. Acquisition was not blocked, but virus was contained in the jejunum and draining lymph nodes. Polyfunctional memory T cell responses and high-titered neutralizing and non-neutralizing serum and mucosal antibodies were present before and maintained post-challenge. The level of protection seen for animal #5 was predicted from analyses of gene transcription in jejunum 2 weeks post-challenge. Macaques #7 and #9, exhibiting lower pre-challenge cellular and humoral immunity, partially controlled the SIV(smE660) challenge. Initial vaccine-induced control by macaque #5 extended to the SIV(smE660) challenge due to multiple immune mechanisms that were boosted and augmented by cryptic SIV exposure.

RINm5f cells express inactivating BK channels whereas HIT cells express noninactivating BK channels

Large-conductance Ca2+- and voltage-activated BK-type K+ channels are expressed abundantly in normal rat pancreatic islet cells and in the clonal rat insulinoma tumor (RINm5f) and hamster insulinoma tumor (HIT) beta cell lines. Previous work has suggested that the Ca2+ sensitivity of BK channels in RIN cells is substantially less than that in HIT cells, perhaps contributing to differences between the cell lines in responsiveness to glucose in mediating insulin secretion. In both RIN cells and normal pancreatic beta cells, BK channels are thought to play a limited role in responses of beta cells to secretagogues and in the electrical activity of beta cells. Here we examine in detail the properties of BK channels in RIN and HIT cells using inside-out patches and whole cell recordings. BK channels in RIN cells exhibit rapid inactivation that results in an anomalous steady-state Ca2+ dependence of activation. In contrast, BK channels in HIT cells exhibit the more usual noninactivating behavior. When BK inactivation is taken into account, the Ca2+ and voltage dependence of activation of BK channels in RIN and HIT cells is essentially indistinguishable. The properties of BK channel inactivation in RIN cells are similar to those of inactivating BK channels (termed BKi channels) previously identified in rat chromaffin cells. Inactivation involves multiple, trypsin-sensitive cytosolic domains and exhibits a dependence on Ca2+ and voltage that appears to arise from coupling to channel activation. In addition, the rates of inactivation onset and recovery are similar to that of BKi channels in chromaffin cells. The charybdotoxin (CTX) sensitivity of BKi currents is somewhat less than that of the noninactivating BK variant. Action potential voltage-clamp waveforms indicate that BK current is activated only weakly by Ca2+ influx in RIN cells but more strongly activated in HIT cells even when Ca2+ current magnitude is comparable. Concentrations of CTX sufficient to block BKi current in RIN cells have no effect on action potential activity initiated by glucose or DC injection. Despite its abundant expression in RIN cells, BKi current appears to play little role in action potential activity initiated by glucose or DC injection in RIN cells, but BK current may play an important role in action potential repolarization in HIT cells.

CD4 cross-linking (CD4XL) induces RAS activation and tumor necrosis factor-alpha secretion in CD4+ T cells

CD4 molecules are the primary receptors for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and bind the envelope glycoprotein gp120 of HIV with high-affinity. We have previously shown that cross-linking of CD4 molecules (CD4XL) in normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) results in secretion of cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), but not of interleukin-2 (IL-2) or IL-4. To investigate the intracellular signaling events associated with CD4-gp120 interaction, we incubated CD4+ T cells from peripheral blood of HIV-negative healthy donors with HIV envelope protein gp160 alone or performed CD4XL with gp160 and anti-gp160 antibody. This procedure resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation of intracellular substrates p59fyn, zap 70, and p95vav and also led to ras activation, as assessed by conversion of rasGDP to rasGTP. The role of ras in CD4 signaling was further investigated using CD4+ Jurkat cells transfected with a dominant negative ras mutant. CD4+ T cells expressing dn-ras secreted significantly reduced levels of TNF-alpha in response to CD4XL. These studies indicate that interaction of HIV gp160 with CD4 molecules activates the ras pathway in T cells, which may result in the cells becoming unresponsive to subsequent stimulation.

Antibodies with specificity to native gp120 and neutralization activity against primary human immunodeficiency virus type 1 isolates elicited by immunization with oligomeric gp160

Current human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope vaccine candidates elicit high antibody binding titers with neutralizing activity against T-cell line-adapted but not primary HIV-1 isolates. Serum antibodies from these human vaccine recipients were also found to be preferentially directed to linear epitopes within gp120 that are poorly exposed on native gp120. Systemic immunization of rabbits with an affinity-purified oligomeric gp160 protein formulated with either Alhydrogel or monophosphoryl lipid A-containing adjuvants resulted in the induction of high-titered serum antibodies that preferentially bound epitopes exposed on native forms of gp120 and gp160, recognized a restricted number of linear epitopes, efficiently bound heterologous strains of monomeric gp120 and cell surface-expressed oligomeric gp120/gp41, and neutralized several strains of T-cell line-adapted HIV-1. Additionally, those immune sera with the highest oligomeric gp160 antibody binding titers had neutralizing activity against some primary HIV-1 isolates, using phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell targets. Induction of an antibody response preferentially reactive with natively folded gp120/gp160 was dependent on the tertiary structure of the HIV-1 envelope immunogen as well as its adjuvant formulation, route of administration, and number of immunizations administered. These studies demonstrate the capacity of a soluble HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein vaccine to elicit an antibody response capable of neutralizing primary HIV-1 isolates.

Differential ability to form the G protein betagamma complex among members of the beta and gamma subunit families

We have determined the relative abilities of several members of the G protein beta and gamma subunit families to associate with each other using the yeast two-hybrid system. We show first that the mammalian beta1 and gamma3 fusion proteins form a complex in yeast and that formation of the complex activates the reporter gene for beta-galactosidase. Second, the magnitude of reporter activity stimulated by various combinations of beta and gamma subunit types varies widely. Third, the reporter activity evoked by a particular combination of beta and gamma subunit types is not correlated with the expression levels of these subunit types in the yeast cells. Finally, the reporter activity shows a direct relationship with the amount of hybrid betagamma complex formed in the cell as determined by immunoprecipitation. These results suggest that different beta and gamma subunit types interact with each other with widely varying abilities, and this in combination with the level of expression of a subunit type in a mammalian cell determines which G protein will be active in that cell. The strong preference of all gamma subunit types for the beta1 subunit type explains the preponderence of this subunit type in most G proteins.

A brain-specific G protein gamma subunit

Two different cDNAs for G protein gamma subunits have been isolated from mouse brain. One encodes a novel gamma subunit, gamma 4, the expression of which is detected only in brain. A fragment of this cDNA had been isolated previously. The other cDNA encodes gamma 3, a subunit type previously isolated from bovine brain. The primary structure of the gamma 3 subunit is conserved completely across species indicating that the diversity in the structure of the gamma subunits is of functional consequence. Moreover, gamma 2, gamma 3 and gamma 4, which are predominantly expressed in brain, are more homologous to each other than other gamma subunits, indicating that the G protein gamma subunits belong to distinct subfamilies similar to the alpha subunits.

Characterization of a soluble, oligomeric HIV-1 gp160 protein as a potential immunogen

We have assessed the oligomeric structure and antigenic properties of an affinity purified gp160 protein (oligo-gp160) using biosensor technology. Sucrose gradient purification analysis identified the existence of tetrameric, dimeric and monomeric forms of the protein. Reactivity to a broad panel of monoclonal antibodies specific for oligomeric gp160, discontinuous epitopes within monomeric gp120 and several linear epitopes within gp120 (V3) and gp41 was demonstrated. International sera from several countries, where HIV-1 clades A-F are prevalent, including type O from Cameroon, were reactive with oligo-gp160 indicating conserved antigenic epitopes. Enhanced immunologic reactivity per gp160 molecule was obtained with oligo-gp160 as compared to other current HIV-1(IIIB) subunit monomeric envelope gp120/gp160 immunogens suggesting higher HIV-1 envelope protein mimicry. HIV-1 antibodies from sera during acute HIV-1 infection were detectable by oligo-gp160 prior to detection with either a recombinant, monomeric gp120 protein or several commercial HIV-1 screening kits suggesting antibodies sensitive to oligomeric gp160 structure may be present earlier in infection. The oligomeric nature of this gp160 protein preparation and high reactivity with divergent mAbs and HIV-1 sera support the use of this protein as an HIV-1 immunogen.

Preferential antibody recognition of structurally distinct HIV-1 gp120 molecules

We have developed an assay, using a biosensor matrix and surface plasmon resonance, that rapidly and reproducibly measures antibody reactivity to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp120 in various structural conformations. In particular, antibodies displaying preferential reactivity to a CD4-binding competent ("native," rgp120) or CD4-binding incompetent ("reduced," rcmgp120) monomeric gp120 molecule were distinguished. This technique has advantages over conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methodology in which it is difficult to control the concentration of protein adsorbed to the ELISA wells and a significant disruption of protein structure occurs on adsorption. A population of gp120 molecules that lacked CD4 receptor binding capacity and bound antibodies specific for reduced gp120 was found in several native gp120 preparations. The relative amount of this CD4-binding incompetent population varied among the various preparations studied. This presence of CD4-binding incompetent molecules within various native recombinant gp120 preparations may have implications for HIV-1 envelope vaccine development. By measuring antibody-binding ratios, several monoclonal antibodies were identified, which, although elicited by immunization with various native gp120 preparations, bound specifically to reduced gp120. The ability to screen antibody specificity against HIV-1 envelope proteins with different conformations will assist in determining the quality of antibodies induced by various HIV-1 envelope vaccine candidates.

Phylogenetic associations of human and simian T-cell leukemia/lymphotropic virus type I strains: evidence for interspecies transmission

Homologous env sequences from 17 human T-leukemia/lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) strains from throughout the world and from 25 simian T-leukemia/lymphotropic virus type I (STLV-I) strains from 12 simian species in Asia and Africa were analyzed in a phylogenetic context as an approach to resolving the natural history of these related retroviruses. STLV-I exhibited greater overall sequence variation between strains (1 to 18% compared with 0 to 9% for HTLV-I), supporting the simian origin of the modern viruses in all species. Three HTLV-I phylogenetic clusters or clades (cosmopolitan, Zaire, and Melanesia) were resolved with phenetic, parsimony, and likelihood analytical procedures. Seven phylogenetic clusters of STLV-I were resolved with the most primitive (deeply rooted) divergence involving several STLV-I strains from Asian primate species. Combined analysis of HTLV-I and STLV-I revealed that neither STLV-I clusters nor HTLV-I clusters recapitulated host species specificity; rather, multiple clades from the same species were closer to clades from other species than to each other. We interpret these evolutionary associations as support for the occurrence of multiple discrete interspecies transmissions of ancestral viruses between primate species (including human) that led to recognizable phylogenetic clades that persist in modern species. Geographic concordance of divergent host species that harbor closely related viruses reinforces that physical feasibility for hypothesized interspecies virus transmission in the past and in the present.

Transfusion-associated AIDS: donor-recipient human immunodeficiency virus exhibits genetic heterogeneity

The genetic diversity of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) isolated from transfusion-associated AIDS patients has been examined. Restriction enzyme mapping studies of integrated proviral DNA of donor and recipient origin demonstrated genomic variation between isolates. Analysis of the molecularly cloned viral genomes of one donor-recipient pair showed that virus from the recipient had restriction enzyme site differences from the donor, noticeably clustered in the env and orf-2 regions, and also had a greater number of restriction sites in common with the donor as well. These results suggest that HIV may undergo genomic variation in vivo. Comparison of donor-recipient viruses may further the understanding of the molecular basis for AIDS pathogenesis.