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Metabolic heterogeneity has previously been demonstrated for cloned fibroblast populations. It is unclear whether a "high producer" or "activated" phenotype for one cell product reflects general metabolic activation or whether activated phenotypes for different metabolic markers segregate independently among cloned populations. We examined human foreskin fibroblast substrains, isolated by limiting dilution cloning, for heterogeneity in biosynthesis of PGE2 and collagenase (stimulated by Interleukin 1-containing mononclear cell supernates), and tissue factor. Synthesis of these products varied 5- to 10-fold among 16 substrains isolated from two parent lines (AT and WB). Metabolic phenotypes (high versus low levels of synthesis) were stable for the substrains over multiple weeks of culture. In neither group of substrains was there a correlation between levels of stimulated PGE synthesis and stimulated collagenase synthesis (r = -0.24 and 0.29 for AT and WB substrains, respectively). Similarly, tissue factor generation did not correlate with either PGE production (r = 0.12 and -0.38 for AT and WB substrains, respectively) or collagenase synthesis (r = 0.17 and 0.21 for AT and WB substrains, respectively). The discordance between high producer phenotypes for the different products was observed even when all three products were measured in the same culture. Activated phenotypes for different metabolic markers thus appear to segregate among cells independently. The process of connective tissue activation by immune cell-derived mediators may depend on the constituent makeup of the responding connective tissue cell population.

We examined prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) biosynthetic heterogeneity in fibroblast substrains and possible mechanisms that might mediate this heterogeneity. PGE2 synthesis of fibroblast substrains, in response to phytohemagglutinin-stimulated mononuclear cell supernates, ranged from 9.0 +/- 1.0 ng/ml to 79.3 +/- 7.4 ng/ml (mean +/- SD). The phenotypic behavior of individual substrains was stable. Substrains were also heterogeneous in PGE2 response to phorbol myristate acetate, and displayed stability in this phenotype as well. Substrains which were high responders to mononuclear cell supernate also ranked high in response to phorbol myristate acetate. Similar heterogeneity was observed in response to purified interleukin-1. Arachidonic acid added exogenously did not raise interleukin-1 responsiveness of low-producer substrains to that of high producers, suggesting that differences in PGE2 synthesis among substrains did not reflect differences in substrate availability or phospholipase activity. Supernates of high- and low-responder phenotype substrains, when added to cells of the reciprocal strain or to unrelated fibroblasts, did not affect the pattern of PGE2 synthesis. The concordance of substrain responsiveness to mononuclear cell supernate and phorbol myristate acetate suggests that heterogeneity among substrains in PGE2 synthesis is related to the ability to produce PGE2, rather than to the ability to respond to a given mediator. In addition, differences in PGE2 synthesis among substrains do not appear to result from release of regulatory autokines.

IL 1, a monocyte-derived cytokine, has potent biologic effects in a variety of target tissues. The existence of naturally occurring inhibitors of IL 1 activity has been recently described; these inhibitors blocked one IL 1 effect: stimulation of thymocyte responses to mitogens. We examined the effect of one well-characterized inhibitor of IL 1, isolated from the urine of febrile patients, on a second IL 1 effect, stimulation of fibroblast PGE synthesis. In this system, purified preparations of the urinary inhibitor that completely blocked murine thymocyte proliferative responses to mitogen failed to block PGE synthetic responses to IL 1. Rather, inhibitor preparations markedly enhanced fibroblast PGE synthetic responses to IL 1. When partially purified inhibitor preparations were fractionated by ion exchange chromatography, inhibitory activity for the IL 1 effect on thymocytes and PGE stimulatory activity co-eluted. Augmentation of the IL 1-induced PGE response was seen with both low (1:1 unit) and high (400:1) ratios of inhibitor to IL 1. Inhibitor preparations alone did not stimulate fibroblast PGE synthesis. The augmentation of fibroblast PGE synthesis by inhibitor preparations was not due to contaminating endotoxin. Active inhibitor preparations contained less than 15 pg of endotoxin/U activity, and the PGE stimulatory effect was not blocked by the addition of polymyxin B, whereas polymyxin B reversed the effects of exogenous endotoxin. It appears that the inhibition of IL 1 effects by naturally occurring inhibitors may have target cell and/or functional specificity.

Acquired abnormalities of connective tissue metabolism in inflammatory diseases often persist when lesional tissue is maintained in in vitro culture. Although connective tissue cells are exposed to inflammatory cell-derived mediators in vivo and such mediators have been shown to alter connective tissue cell behavior, it is unclear whether the persistence of metabolic defects in vitro could result from remote in vivo exposure to these mediators. An in vitro model was used to test whether transient exposure of normal fibroblasts to inflammatory mediators could lead to metabolic alterations that persist during in vitro culture. Short-term exposure of human foreskin fibroblasts in vitro to supernates of mitogen-activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells led to persistent abnormalities of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) metabolism. Fibroblasts previously exposed to mononuclear cell products synthesized more than twice as much PGE2 when stimulated compared with similarly stimulated but previously unexposed control fibroblasts of the same strain. The enhanced PGE2 synthesis persisted for as long as 20 wk and 19 cell generations after the original exposure to mononuclear cell products. Exposure of fibroblast populations to mononuclear cell products may, thus, lead to metabolite alterations that are still evident after multiple cell generations.

The role of immune cell products in modulating connective tissue metabolism was investigated. Supernates of both unstimulated and phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human mononuclear cell cultures suppressed fibroblast proliferation (up to 90%) and concomintantly stimulated fibroblast prostaglandin E(PGE) synthesis (20- to 70-fold). The growth suppression was, at least in part, a secondary result of the increased fibroblast PGE synthesis; growth suppression (a) paralled the increased fibroblast PGE synthesis, (b) was reversed by addition of inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis (indomethacin, meclofenamate, and eicostaetraynoic acid), and (c) was reproduced by addition of exogenous PGE2 to fibroblast cultures. The prostaglandin-stimulatory, growth-suppressive activity was a product of non-T-lymphocyte, adherent cells and was present within 6 h of mononuclear cell culture. The activity was heat (56 degrees C) and trypsin sensitive, nondialyzable, and appeared in the 12,000-20,000 mol wt fractions by Sephadex G-100 chromatography. The activity in supernates of mononuclear cell cultures was removed by incubation with fibroblasts but not by similar incubation with peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Mononuclear cells release a factor(s) which modulates fibroblast proliferation by altering prostaglandin metabolism.

An ELISA for PGE2 has been developed which is sensitive to concentrations of 0.5 to 20.0 ng PGE2/ml. Mouse monoclonal anti-PGE2 ascites is utilized in a binding competition between the test sample and an adsorbed conjugate of PGE2-BSA. The antibody which remains bound to the solid phase is quantitated colorimetrically by incubation with alkaline phosphatase-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG followed by incubation with p-nitro-phenylphosphate. PGE1, PGA1, PGA2, PGB2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, PGF2 alpha, 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGE2, thromboxane B2 and arachidonic acid showed minimal cross-reactivity with the anti-PGE2. The PGE2 ELISA permits the quantitative analysis of large numbers of samples at a fraction of the cost and time required to process a commercial RIA kit. When linked to the appropriate computer software, data collection and analysis can be performed in less than 10 minutes per 96-well plate. Furthermore, the use of an ELISA system eliminates the radioactive and toxic chemical waste generated by RIA methods.

Human dermal fibroblasts were examined for heterogeneity in proliferation and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthetic response to supernates of mitogen activated mononuclear cell cultures. Eleven substrains from a single neonatal foreskin culture displayed marked clonal heterogeneity in the fibroblast response to mononuclear cell derived mediators. Supernates of mononuclear cell cultures stimulated fibroblast PGE2 synthesis and suppressed proliferation. Substrains displayed tenfold differences in PGE synthesis and the extent of growth suppression. Release of immunologic mediators at sites of inflammatory lesions could lead to alterations in the clonal composition and phenotypic expression of connective tissue cells.