Search

We studied inactivation of HIV-1 by fresh sera of animals. We found that while fresh sera of humans and chimpanzees (among others) did not have antiviral activity, fresh sera of several other mammals, especially those of rodents and felines, showed a dose-dependent viral-inactivating property against cell-free HIV-1; these sera were also capable of inactivating virus preadsorbed to cells, similar to neutralizing antibody. The activity was destroyed by heating to 56 degrees C, required Ca2+ but no antiviral antibody, and therefore apparently involves the classical complement pathway. The activity could not be ascribed to any single fraction of sera separated on a size exclusion HPLC column. Mouse serum (the only one tested) also inactivated HIV-2. The data are consistent with classical C-mediated pathway inactivation of HIV-1 and HIV-2 by animal sera and is the first report of any "complement-like" antilentiviral serum factor. Elucidation of this mechanism may aid in understanding the lack of activity of human serum against HIV-1 and may prove useful in combined interventive strategies against HIV-1.

Lysis of autologous sheep red cells (labeled with methotrexate as the target hapten) by neat autologous serum was studied. The results indicated that the efficiency of lysis under physiological concentrations of cells and serum was about the same as lysis of the same target cells sensitized with autologous antibody and guinea pig serum as the source of complement. The data also indicate that the one-hit mechanism of immune lysis operates under near physiological conditions.

Line-1 guinea pig hepatoma cells are susceptible to killing by anti-Forssman IgM antibody plus guinea pig complement (GPC). When these tumor cells are incubated with insulin, epinephrine, hydrocortisone, or prednisolone, the cells show a marked reduction in their susceptibility to antibody-C-killing. If the ability of the cells to synthesize DNA, RNA, and protein is impaired by pretreatment with metabolic inhibitors, x-irradiation, or culture in nutrient-deficient media, the hormones are no longer effective in rendering the cells resistant to killing. If only DNA synthesis is impaired, but not RNA and protein synthesis, the hormones are effective. The inability of cells inhibited in their macromolecular synthesis to be rendered resistant to killing after hormone treatment is not due to an inability of the cells to bind hormone.

After treatment with aminoethylisothiouronium bromide hydrobromide (AET), the ascites forms of the diethylnitrosamine-induced guinea pig hepatomas, line-1 and line-10, were susceptible or more susceptible to killing in vitro by certain combinations of tumor-specific or IgM anti-Forssman antibody and either human or guinea pig complement. Since AET could be toxic to either cell line, conditions of pH, concentration of AET, and duration of exposure of the cells to the reagent were determined that resulted in enhanced susceptibility without significantly affecting cell viability. Chicken erythrocytes (CE) also were tested and AET-treated cells found to be more susceptible to lysis by IgM anti-Forssman antibody and guinea pig complement. The enhancement apparently was not due to increased ability of AET-treated CE to fix antibody. In contrast to CE, the lytic susceptibility of sheep cells was not affected by AET treatment. In addition to AET, several drugs and enzymes that also can affect the susceptibility of the tumor cells to antibody and complement were tested and found to be ineffective against CE. Since AET reputedly acts directly on the cell surface, it seems reasonable to assume that the increased susceptibility of the tumor cells and CE to antibody and complement may result from a modification of the cell surface.

The mechanism of the terminal steps in the lysis of antibody-sensitized tumor cells by complement (TAC) was studied. It was shown that once complement has reacted, lysis proceeded even in the absence of fluid-phase complement. Transformation of TAC to dead cells was found to be at least a two-step process: one of the steps was temperature dependent whereas the other was reversibly inhibited by EDTA. In analogy to the hemolytic system, TAC has been designated T.

A number of metabolic inhibitors and chemotherapeutic agents have been found to increase the sensitivity of a chemically induced guinea pig hepatoma (line 1) to killing by antibody and complement. We have investigated whether the mechanism whereby these drugs increase sensitivity to killing is attributable to their primary action of inhibiting DNA, RNA, or protein synthesis. Line 1 cells incubated for 1, 4, or 17 hr with actinomycin D (25 microng/ml), adriamycin (40 microng/ml), or puromycin (5 micron/ml) or with 5-fold lower concentrations of these drugs were maximally inhibited (greater than 90%) in their ability to synthesize DNA, RNA, and protein within 1 hr. However, only cells incubated for 17 hr with the high concentrations of drugs showed increased sensitivity to killing by antibody and complement. Line 1 cells incubated with high concentrations of these drugs of 17 hr, washed, and resuspended in drug-free medium recovered their resistance to killing by antibody and complement within 4 hr. These cells ever after culture for 24 hr in drug-free medium did not regain their ability to synthesize DNA, RNA, or protein. A similar lack of correlation between synthesis of these macromolecules and sensitivity to antibody-complement-mediated killing was observed after the cells were treated with physical agents that inhibit macromolecular synthesis. Both heat-treated and X-irradiated cells were inhibited in their ability to synthesize DNA, RNA, and protein immediately after treatment; however, only X-irradiated cells (6 and 16 hr postirradiation) were increased in their sensitivity to antibody-complement-mediated killing. Our data show that the ability of line 1 tumor cells to resist humoral immune attack does not depend solely on their ability to synthesize DNA, RNA, or protein.

The inhibitory effects of 0.1 M EDTA on the lysis of E prepared by incubating EA with whole GPC was studied. At high end point lysis (greater than 70%) 0.1 M EDTA failed to prevent hemoglobin release whereas at lower end point (less than 60%) 0.1 M EDTA was effective. In all cases hemoglobin release was inhibited by 25% BSA. When E were prepared by incubating EAC1-8 with C9, similar results were obtained. In this system the difference in the ability of 0.1 M EDTA to inhibit hemoglobin release at high or low end point lysis could not be correlated with the low end point lysis could not be correlated with the number of lesions/cell but appeared to be related to the C9 to SAC1-8 ratio. With limiting SAC1-8 and excess C9, E were produced from which hemoglobin release could not be prevented by 0.1 M EDTA whereas at lower C9 to SAC1-8 ratios hemoglobin release was prevented by 0.1 M EDTA. These differences most probably reflect functionally different sized transmembrane channels that were produced at different C9 to SAC1-8 ratios.

Concanavalin A (Con A) was found to inhibit the killing of antibody-sensitized line-1 tumor cells (TA) by guinea pig complement (GPC) but not by human complement (HuC). Other plant lectins (wheat germ, leucoagglutinin, and pokeweed mitogen) were also tested but Con A was the only lectin found to inhibit antibody-GPC-mediated killing. The inhibitory effect of Con A was observed when the GPC was mixed with Con A or when the antibody-sensitized cells were pretreated with Con A (TA-Con A) before the addition of GPC. The effect could be reversed by treatment of such cells with alpha-D-methylglucopyranoside or by incubation at 37 degrees C for approximately 2 hr. Con A appeared to act by preventing the binding of the first component of GPC (GPC1) to antibody-sensitized tumor cells. Differences in the binding of the first component of HuC (HuC1) and GPC1 to TA-Con A suggested that a difference in the binding site for HuC1 and GPC1 might exist. There was no difference in the number of GPC1 molecules fixed to antibody-sensitized sheep erythrocytes (EA) or EA treated with Con A in experiments using the same antibody as used with the tumor cells and the same Con A preparation. It would consequently appear that the inhibitory effect of Con A on the binding of GPC1 to TA is not due solely to an interaction of Con A with the antibody.

Rabbit anti-methotrexate (MTX) IgG antibody was used to study the effect of MTX density on sheep red cells on the lysis of cells by complement (C). Under conditions in which the density of IgG did not vary, the number of lytic IgG complexes remained approximately the same when the average distance between MTX molecules was between 5 and 7 nm, but decreased rapidly with an average distance less than 10 nm. The results were interpreted to mean that in addition to aggregation for IgG to acquire maximal C in fixing and activating properties, the angle of the Fab arms of the molecule must not be larger than about 50 to 60 degrees. The data also suggested IgG molecules with Fab angles of less than about 30 degrees might also not be able to induce C-mediated cell lysis.

The interaction of d.l. activity with chicken red cells (CE) generates a cell intermediate with the properties of classical E*. Generation of CE* by d.l. activity at 37 degrees C is rapid, while there is a considerable lag in the conversion of CE* to ghost and hemoglobin. Conversion of CE* to ghosts can be blocked by high concentration of EDTA and/or 0 degrees C. CE* contain at least C6 and C9 on their surface.

We have previously shown that 0.1 M EDTA could be used to distinguish functionally different transmembrane channels produced during complement-(C) mediated hemolysis of E. In this paper we have studied the ability of sugars of varying Stokes' radii to prevent hemoglobin release from E intermediates whose lysis was inhibitable or not inhibitable by EDTA. On the basis of these experiments we propose that the inhibition of E transformation by high molarity EDTA occurs by virtue of the size of the EDTA molecule in solution. Studies on the effect of EDTA on red cell lysis induced by polyene antibiotics that form transmembrane channels of a defined size support this conclusion. The results of these experiments were interpreted to mean: 1) The EDTA inhibitable lesion of E has a smaller effective radius than the noninhibitable lesion; 2) the effective radius of the smallest lesion that yields a lytic site was less than 3.6 A; 3) the lesions produced in the red cell membrane by C are not uniform but vary in size depending on the C9 to SACl-8 ratio used to produce E.

Two antigenically distinct diethylnitrosamine-induced guinea pig hepatoma cell lines, line-1 and line-10, sensitized with rabbit anti-Forssman or with tumor-specific antibody, were more susceptible to killing by human complement (HuC) than by guinea pig complement (GPC). This difference could not be ascribed to differences in the amount of C1, C4, and C3 fixed: millions of C4 and hundreds of thousands of C3 were detected on cells whether they were killed or not killed by the C sources. Tumor cells sensitized with anti-Forssman IgM antibody generally had more GP C4 and C3 than Hu C4 and C3 bound to their surfaces. Cells sensitized with anti-tumor antibody generally had more Hu C4 and C3 than GP C4 and C3 bound to their surfaces. The resistance to killing of nucleated cells by antibody and C may be due in part to intrinisic properties of the cell.

Line-1 diethylnitrosamine-induced guinea pig tumor cells can be rendered sensitive to killing by rabbit anti-Forssman IgM antibody plus guinea pig complement (GPC) or antitumor antibody plus GPC following prolonged incubation (17 hr ) of the cells with one of several metabolic inhibitors. Compared to control cells, these cells have been shown to be inhibited in their ability to incorporate fatty acids into complex cellular lipids, which suggested that lipid synthesis is of fundamental importance for the ability of the tumor cells to resist humoral immune killing. In this study, drug-treated cells that were rendered sensitive to killing by anti-Forssman antibody plus GPC, but not antitumor antibody plus GPC, were inhibited in their incorporation of saturated (palmitic or stearic acid), but not an unsaturated, fatty acid (linoleic acid). These data suggested that the fatty acid composition of specific lipids may also be important for the resistance of these tumor cells to killing by antibody and complement.

When the ascitic forms of two antigenically distinct guinea pig hepatomas induced by diethylnitrosamine are treated in vitro with chemotherapeutic drugs, their sensitivity to killing by xenogeneic antibody plus guinea pig complement increases. The effect is dependent on drug dose, is reversible, and does not appear to be due to increased antigen expression or fixation of the early acting components of guinea pig complement.

A method is described for the determination of the absolute amount of guinea pig (GP) C-3 bound to cell surfaces. The test is based on the inhibition of anti-C-3 by C-3. The C-3 to be measured is added to a standard amount of anti-C-3 antibody and the residual activity is determined by its capacity to sensitize EC43-gp for lysis by GPC. By comparing the observed lysis with inhibition-of-lysis curves obtained with known C-3 antigen, the amount of test antigen can be determined. The method is simple, rapid, and reproducible and can detect nanogram amounts of C-3. The C-3 content of six normal guinea pig sera was found to be 1365 plus or minus 56 mug/ml (ranges 1120 to 1510 mug/ml) by the inhibition method described in this paper. Guinea pig hepatoma cells, line-1 and line-10, harvested from the peritoneal cavity of guinea pigs contained approximately 6.7 x 10-3 to 6.2 x 10-4 GPC-3 per cell whereas tumor cells sensitized with anti-Forssman or specific anti-tumor antibody contained from 1 to 9 x 10-5 C-3 per cell. Susceptibility to killing by antibody and GPC could not be correlated with the amount of GPC-3 bound to the surfaces of the tumor cells. Comparisons made between the amounts of C-3 bound to antibody-sensitized sheep erythrocytes and nucleated cells suggest there is a fundamental quantitative difference in the fixation of selected C components.

Guinea pig hepatoma cells (line-10) growing as ascites were studied for the presence of immunoglobulin, C4, and C3 (components of complement) on their surfaces. Immunoglobulin, C4, and C3 content increased with length of time spent in the peritoneal cavity. The persistence of these factors bound in vivo or in vitro was also determined. Complement-fixing (CF) activity of cellbound antibody disappeared from the surface more rapidly at 37 degrees C than at 4 degrees C; the continued presence of cellbound immunoglobulin in non-complement-fixing form could be demonostrated at either temperature. No CF activity was released into the medium. C4 and C3 were released into the medium and could be demonstrated in the medium by immunochemical methods.

A comparison of the events leading from T to dead cell and E to E ghost and hemoglobin was made. Transformation of T to dead cells was inhibitable by EDTA, NaF, histamine, DMSO, cytochalasin B and 3'5' cAMP. Transformation of E to E ghost and hemoglobin was only inhibited by EDTA.

The guinea pig hepatoma (line-1) treated with anti-Forssman antibody (TA) and GPC sequentially released 86Rb, 14C from 14C aminoidobutyric acid and failed to exclude trypan blue. Incubation of TA with fluid phase GPC for 1 min caused maximal 86Rb release; however, if the GPC was removed at this time, the cells were not subsequently killed. Using a number of naturally occurring human sera deficient in a complement component we have shown 86Rb release requires the binding of the complement components 1 through 8, but there was no absolute requirement for C9. Irreversible damage to the cell as measured by 14C AIB release or uptake of trypan blue required the complete sequence of complete sequence of complement components. These observations indicate that 86Rb release is not a relible indicator cytotoxicity.

Two chemically induced, antigenically distinct guinea pig hepatoma cell lines, line 1 and line 10, which are resistant to killing by rabbit anti-Forssman or specific antitumor antibody and complement, can be rendered susceptible when the cells are pretreated with metabolic inhibitors and drugs commonly used for the treatment of cancer patients. The effect appears within 7 hr after initial contact with the inhibitors and is dependent on temperature and on inhibitor concentration; the effect is reversible within 7 hr, and the process of reversion is also temperature dependent. Not all preparations of tumor cells were rendered susceptible following treatment with inhibitors. In some cases, susceptibility to killing by complement was observed with anti-Forssman antibody but not antitumor antibody. No clear correlation between known metabolic inhibitory activity of the inhibitors and conversion to the sensitive state could be made. The results suggest that properties of nucleated cells, which are under metabolic control, play an important role in the killing efficiency of antibody and complement.

Line 1, a chemically induced guinea pig hepatoma, is susceptible to killing by anti-Forssman immunoglobulin M antibody and guinea pig complement. When these tumor cells are pretreated at 37 degrees with 10(-4) to 10(-11) M concentrations of the polypeptide hormone insulin, with the catecholamine L-epinephrine-HCl, or with the glucocorticoid steroids hydrocortisone sodium succinate or prednisolone sodium succinate, the cells show a marked reduction in their suseptibility to killing by antibody and guinea pig complement; pretreatment at 0 degrees is ineffective. Similar results were obtained with another antigenically distinct guinea pig hepatoma (line 10) when tested with anti-Forssman immuno-globulin M or specific antitumor antibodies and human complement. The ability of the hormones to render the cells resistant is dependent on time, temperature, and hormone concentration. The effect of hormone treatment is maximal between 30 and 60 min and is reversible within 4 hr even in the continued presence of hormone. Treatment of line 1 cells with up to 10,000-fold greater concentrations of the less biologically active or inactive analogs, DL-epinephrine, beta-estradiol, testosterone, or proinsulin has no effect on the susceptibility of the cells to killing by antibody and guinea pig complement. The effect of hormone treatment is not due to a direct inactivation of bound or fluid-phase complement components by the hormones or to a decrease in the ability of the cells to bind complement-fixing antibody.

Antigenic similarity between cell-bound human and guinea pig C4 was detected with antisera specific for each of these molecules. No cross-reaction could be detected between C4 of normal guinea pig or human sera or after treatment of the sera with antigen-antibody C1 complexes. The cross-reactivity between cell-bound human and guinea pig C4 may reflect conformational changes in the C4 molecule as a result of binding of the cell surface.

Antibody-sensitized line-1 or line-10 tumor cells treated with GPC (TAC) incorporated fatty acids into complex cellular lipids and released increased amounts of fatty acids within 5 to 10 min after the addition of GPC as compared to control cells. This effect was dependent on the concentration of GPC used; however, under conditions where the cells were not killed, the enhanced synthesis and release of lipids were not dependent on the antibody concentration used to sensitize the cells. Treatment of the cells with antibody alone, GPC alone, or antibody plus heat-inactivated GPC did not result in enhanced synthesis or release of lipids. No enhancement in DNA, RNA, or protein synthesis in TAC was noted. Line-1 cells, which can be killed by GPC when sensitized with excess anti-Forssman IgM antibody, demonstrated enhanced lipid synthesis within 1 to 3 min after the addition of GPC to the antibody-sensitized cells, before measurable killing of the cells had occurred. This effect persisted in the surviving cells when tested 5 and 10 min after the formation of TAC. Addition of GPC deficient in C4 to antibody-sensitized cells did not result in enhanced lipid synthesis or release. These data suggest that the synthesis of macromolecules of which lipids are a major component is of central importance for the ability of the cells to resist antibody-GPC mediated attack.

Lysis of sheep erythrocytes (E) sensitized with anti-Forssman antiserum (EA) is inhibited by the action of concanavalin A (Con A) on whole guinea pig complement (GPC). The degree of inhibition observed for a given quantity of GPC was dependent on the Con A concentration. Specifically, Con A inhibits the activity of the early acting complement components C1 and C2 in the fluid phase, but has no significant effect on lysis once these components are bound to EA. Results of tmax experiments performed in the presence or absence of Con A showed that inhibition of C2 activity results from a direct interaction between Con A and C2 and not from a decreased number of effective EAC14 sites. Furthermore, since Con A pretreated or untreated EAC14 cells had the same tmax value, Con A and C2 apparently do not compete for the same binding site on the indicator cells. The lectin has no observable effect on either fluid phase or cell-bound C4 activity. Under similar conditions, wheat germ or soy bean agglutinin, leucoagglutinin or pokeweed mitogen did not inhibit hemolysis.

Line 1, a chemically induced guinea pig hepatoma, is susceptible to killing by anti-Forssman immunoglobulin M antibody and guinea pig complement. When these tumor cells are pretreated with insulin, L-epinephrine, hydrocortisone, or prednisolone, the cells show a marked reduction in their susceptibility to antibody-complement-mediated killing within 15 to 60 min; this effect reverses within 4 hr in the continued presence of hormone. Maximal binding of the hormones to the line 1 cells was observed within 60 min. However, the hormones remained bound to the cells after 4 hr of incubation, suggesting that line 1 cells incubated in the continued presence of hormone revert to the susceptible state despite the persistence of cell-bound hormone. Hormone-treated tumor cells, washed free of hormone and reincubated in hormone-free medium, lost nearly all their bound hormone within 15 to 30 min of washing. These cells, however, remained resistant to antibody-complement-mediated killing for up to 2 hr after washing. Line 1 cells, reverted in the continued presence of hormone, remained susceptible to killing by antibody and guinea pig complement after reexposure to the same, but not to a different, hormone. Hormone-treated cells reverted after prolonged incubation in hormone-free media; however, they were rendered resistant to killing after reexposure to the same hormone. The temporary refractoriness of reverted cells to further hormone stimulation was not due to an inability of the cells to bind hormone.

The increase in susceptibility to killing by rabbit antibody and guinea pig complement of guinea pig hepatoma cells (line-10), after treatment with certain metabolic inhibitors, did not correlate with the mobility of antigen on the cell surface as measured by indirect immunofluorescence.

Transformation of T to dead cells was prevented by 3'5' cAMP. The effect of 3'5' cAMP was dose, time, and temperature dependent. T washed free of 3'5' cAMP after short-term incubation proceeded to die to the same extent as control cells. After 3 hr of incubation of T with 3'5' cAMP the level of killing was significantly reduced. The 3'5' cyclic nucleotides of uridine, guanine, cytosine, and thymidine and the 2'3' cyclic adenosine nucleotide were not effective. It was concluded that prolonged treatment of T with 3'5' cAMP either irreversibly blocked the damage-producing process or facilitated the reapir of damaged sites.

Metabolic inhibitors commonly used in the treatment of cancer increase the ability of antibody and complement to kill guinea pig tumor cells in vitro. No correlation was found between increased killing and changes in cell surface antigen concentration or binding of complement components C4 and C3.

The titer of late-acting complement components in sera from male mice is 8-10 times higher than the titer of sera from female mice. Using assays developed to measure the serum content of two of the late-acting components, we have shown that this difference is due to the effect of androgen and estrogen on these two late-acting complement components. These two components have been tentatively identified as C'5 and C'6. Androgen and estrogen have greater effect on C'6 than on C'5. The possibility has not been excluded that still other of the late-acting complement components are affected by androgens and estrogens. The course of homograft rejection was unchanged in mice deficient in C'5 and C'6.