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Endotoxins (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) released by Gram-negative bacteria induce acute inflammation with polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) infiltration. The mechanism of PMNL accumulation appears to be complement-independent and is not well understood. Here, we report investigation of the factors which may mediate LPS-induced PMNL accumulation in the pleural cavity and skin of rabbits. The intrapleural injection of 50 ng of Escherichia coli 0111 LPS caused the appearance in the exudate fluid of an activity which, upon intradermal injection induced PMNL accumulation in the skin, as measured by a 51Cr-labeled leukocyte assay and which was confirmed histologically. This activity preceded by 30 minutes the massive influx of PMNL into the pleural cavity. 125I-labeled LPS, gel filtration chromatography, limulus amebocyte lysate assays, and polymyxin B allowed distinction between reactions in the skin attributable to LPS and reactions due to the effect of this "PMNL infiltration-inducing activity." Pleural macrophages cultured for 3 to 6 hours with 3 to 30 ng/ml of LPS also released factors which induced PMNL infiltration into the skin. Sephadex G-100 chromatography of LPS-induced pleural exudate fluid or of supernatants from LPS-stimulated macrophage cultures yielded identical elution profiles, with one major peak of PMNL infiltration-inducing activity at an apparent molecular weight of 45,000 and a minor peak at 14,000 to 18,000. Only the low molecular weight fraction contained interleukin 1 activity. Lipid A was required for the secretion of these factors by macrophages. The LPS shed by killed E. coli also induced macrophage production of PMNL infiltration-inducing activity. The activity was sensitive to pronase, and its production was inhibited by an inhibitor of protein synthesis (cycloheximide). The active factors did not induce PMNL chemotaxis, aggregation, or chemiluminescence in vitro indicating that the activity was not C5a. We conclude that PMNL infiltration induced by LPS and perhaps by Gram-negative bacteria, may be mediated in part by the secretion from tissue macrophages of factors which can recruit PMNLs from the blood. The most active of these (approximately equal to 45,000 daltons) lacks interleukin-1 or PMNL chemotactic activity.

The authors review the different cellular types found in the airways, the alveoli and the pleura. They describe in detail the structure and the function of the bronchial mucociliary system and the immunological defense system of the airways. Also discussed, on an alveolar level, are the mechanisms of defense and filtering vis-à-vis air transported pollutants and the role of protease-antiprotease balance in the integrity of interstitial connective tissue.

Neutrophils isolated from the pleural cavity of rats 3 hr after the intrapleural injection of carrageenan metabolize exogenously added arachidonic acid via cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase. In addition, these cells esterify arachidonic acid to produce diarachidonyl diglyceride. The structure of the diglyceride was determined with the use of various chemical and enzymatic digestions, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and 252Cf plasma-desorption mass spectrometry. The formation of this unique diglyceride is stimulated by the presence of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Some of the possible consequences of diarachidonyl diglyceride production are discussed.

Pleural mesothelial cells (PMC) from the parietal pleura of rats were incubated in culture with UICC A chrysotile fibers. The sequence of events in phagocytosis was studied by electron microscopy: phases of attachment sequestration, and degranulation of lysosomal content into the phagocytic vacuole were observed. This demonstrates that PMC can engage in phagocytosis of chrysotile fibers.

In man, during fetal development the B cell populations show distinct phenotypes at different tissue sites. The pre-B and B lymphocytes of the fetal liver and bone marrow express IgM and B cell markers, B1 (CD20) and BA-1 (CD24). These "early" cells are negative with a number of other reagents, anti-IgD, RFB4 (CD22), RFB6 (CD21), and RFA-2, which on the other hand recognize peripheral B cells. These peripheral B lymphocytes in the developing fetus are heterogeneous. The diffusely distributed B cells in the earliest lymph node samples, 16 to 17 wk of gestational age, and from 16 to 21 wk in the spleen, are strongly IgM+ (IgD+,RFB4+,RFB6+, and RFA-2+) but lack T cell-associated markers such as T1 (CD5, p 67,000 dalton equivalent of murine Ly-1) and Tü-33. In fetal lymph nodes, primary nodules develop around the follicular dendritic (FD) cells from 17 wk onward, and contain a virtually pure population of B cells; B1+,BA1+,RFB4+,RFB6+,RFA-2+, which simultaneously express IgM,IgD together with T1 (CD5), a T cell-associated antigen. A sizeable subpopulation of these IgM+,T1+ cells are also positive for Tü-33, another T cell-associated marker. In the spleen, the B cells of the IgM+,IgD+,T1+ type appear in smaller numbers and only relatively late around wk 22. These cells are diffusely distributed at first, and start accumulating around the small FD cell clusters as soon as these emerge about the 23rd gestational wk. At that time, the IgM+,T1+B cells can also be washed out from the peritoneal and pleural cavities. The T1+,IgM+B cells may represent the normal equivalent cells of B chronic lymphoid leukemia and centrocytic lymphoma, and appear to be the counterpart of Ly-1+,IgM+B cells in the mouse.

The random and directed locomotion of rabbit polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) were investigated in vitro by the agarose technique. PMNs were either recruited in serum-elicited pleural exudates or isolated from blood collected before or after pleurisy development. Directed PMN migration was assessed in the presence of N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP), isologous rabbit serum (IRS) or cell-free exudates as chemotactic stimuli. Neutrophils collected from blood before pleurisy induction or 4 h afterwards displayed similar random migration, and similar migration oriented by FMLP, IRS, or cell-free exudates. However, both random and FMLP-induced migration were greater for exudate than blood PMNs. In the presence of IRS or cell-free exudate as chemoattractants, exudate and blood PMNs migrated over similar distances. These results suggest that exudation does not deactivate elicited PMNs but alters their locomotion responses according to the stimulus applied.

The effects of UICC crocidolite and chrysotile A, either oxalic acid-leached or unleached, on the viability, morphology and growth characteristics of rat pleural mesothelial cells (PMC) were examined; DQ12 quartz particles were also used. When asbestos fibers were added for 48 hr at the beginning of exponential growth, 20 or 50 micrograms/mL of chrysotile fibers were cytotoxic and no growth occurred; with 5 or 10 micrograms/mL a latent period was observed, and the mean population doubling time was increased. Chrysotile ingestion was associated with morphological changes (spreading, intense vacuolation); moreover, a large proportion of the cells was binucleated (more than 30% with 10 micrograms/mL). The oxalic acid-leached chrysotile inhibited growth at a concentration of 50 micrograms/mL; with 5 or 10 micrograms/mL, no spreading occurred, but a shrinkage of some cells was observed. A few large vacuoles were seen in the cytoplasm of the cells; there were fewer binucleated cells. Addition of 5 or 10 micrograms/mL of crocidolite, either leached or unleached, did not significantly change the growth rate, in spite of the presence of a large number of fibers inside the cells which persisted when the cells reached confluency. With 20 or 50 micrograms/mL, the mean population doubling time was increased in a dose-dependent manner. A slight vacuolation of the cells occurred. The sample of quartz did not modify the parameters studied in this report. The results confirm the different in vitro reactivities of the two kinds of unleached asbestos fibers. Leaching of chrysotile fibers decreased their reactivity; alternatively, leaching of crocidolite increased the effects on PMC.

When studying total pleural mesothelium films in rats after intrapleural injection of chrysotile the pathological regeneration of the mesothelium is observed. During 12 months of the experiment rare mitoses, multinuclear cells and symplasts were found.

A specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the determination of desmosine, a cross-linked amino acid specific to fibrous elastin. Competition between solid phase-bound desmosine-protein conjugate and free desmosine for binding to monospecific anti-desmosine antiserum constituted the underlying principle of the assay. The conjugation of desmosine to different protein carriers was carried out with the 1-ethyl-3-(dimethylamino-propyl)carbodiimide (ECDI); rabbits were immunized with desmosine-bovine serum albumin and micro-titer plates were coated with desmosine-egg albumin. An avidin-biotin peroxidase system was used to reveal anti-desmosine antibodies bound to the desmosine-protein conjugate. As both conjugates revealed new non-specific common epitopes on the carrier proteins, prior absorption of the anti-desmosine antiserum on rabbit albumin polymerized with ECDI was required to remove the antibodies directed against these neo-antigens. The absorption procedure resulted in an increased specificity and sensitivity. Values ranging from 0.07 to 4 ng of desmosine/well could be detected and this sensitivity was greater than that obtained in previous immunoassays for desmosine. In order to assess the specificity of the test, samples containing aminoacids and urine hydrolysates were included in an assay. Some cross-reactivity was observed with the desmosine precursor lysinonorleucine and the desmosine isomer isodesmosine but, in contrast the very low cross-reactivity observed with collagen hydrolysate was similar to that exhibited by albumin hydrolysate. Analysis of urine samples from 118 normal male volunteers showed, firstly, that urinary creatinine measurement was a good indicator of the amount of urine which could be safely introduced in the assay without risk of non-specific interference by other organic compounds and, secondly, that the desmosine/creatinine ratio was a reliable index for an in vivo assessment of degraded elastin excretion. The assay also allowed quantitation of elastin fiber biosynthesis in the connective tissue matrix of cultured rat pleural mesothelial cells. This ELISA for demosine is a simple technique which should be useful for further in vivo or in vitro investigations of fibrous elastin tissue metabolism.

Isolation of sensitized rat mast cells by density gradient centrifugation in Ficoll decreases the histamine release obtained when they are subsequently exposed to antigen. The histamine release from such isolated cells is potentiated by the addition of 2% boiled rat serum. This potentiation is dose-dependent and has a temperature optimum of about 25 degrees C. The potentiating activity was localized to the serum phospholipid fraction. Of the pure phospholipids studies (LPC, PC, PE, PI, PS and SM) only phosphatidylserine and lysophosphatidylcholine were found to potentiate the histamine release. The mechanism behind this potentiation is discussed and it is suggested that the potentiation by phosphatidylserine and lysophosphatidylcholine is due to a requirement of these phospholipids for the ion exchange (Na+, K+ and Ca++) or the adenylcyclase activity essential for the histamine release process.

Cells isolated from the rat pleural cavity consist mainly of macrophages, mast cells, eosinophils, and lymphocytes. Isolated pleural cells labeled with [14C]arachidonic acid released appreciable amounts (approximately 12%) of radiolabel upon exposure to pharmacological concentrations of carrageenan (1-100 micrograms/ml). The release of radiolabel was decreased by an inhibitor of phospholipase A2 (p-bromophenacyl bromide) but not by an inhibitor of arachidonate cyclooxygenase (indomethacin). The released products were arachidonic acid and, to a much lesser extent, prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene C4. The release of radiolabel was associated with release of cytosolic lactate dehydrogenase over the same range of carrageenan concentrations. Time-course studies indicated that release of radiolabel preceded that of lactate dehydrogenase. Since p-bromophenacyl bromide blocked stimulated release of radiolabel but did not prevent release of lactate dehydrogenase, it is unlikely that increase in arachidonate causes carrageenan-induced cell damage. Nevertheless, the question of whether the activation of phospholipase A2 in the pleural cells, most probably the macrophages, was sufficient to initiate the carrageenan-induced inflammatory response requires further study. Cytotoxicity which was apparent with as little as 5 micrograms/ml of carrageenan, may have been a significant consequence of carrageenan action.

Histamine release from rat pleural and peritoneal mast cells induced by catechol (1, 10, 50, 250 microM and 1 mM) has been studied. The dose-response induced by catechol is non-cytotoxic, is not modified by purification of mast cells and is calcium independent. The sensitivity and maximum response to catechol is the same irrespective of the presence or absence of Ca++, except on purified pleural mast cells, that showed a plateau response at 250 microM catechol in the absence of Ca++, and on unpurified peritoneal mast cells which exhibited a lower maximum response equally in the absence of Ca++. The release is induced by catechol at concentrations as low as 50 microM in all cases, and the maximum response is reached at 1 mM.

The study concerned the macroscopic and microscopic examination of 54 cases of diffuse malignant mesothelioma. Four points were felt to be of interest and worthy of emphasis: --the unilateral nature of the lesions, constant in this series; --the absence of involvement of other serous surfaces; --the tumour-like appearance of the disorder in 2/3 of cases and the appearance of a simple pachy-pleuritis in 1/3; --from a histological standpoint, despite the morphological flexibility of the classically accepted mesothelial cells, the homogenicity of our group, in which tumour morphology was much more epithelial than histiocytic or connective.

Adrenergic agonists inhibit the release of histamine from rat pleural and peritoneal mast cells stimulated with compound 48/80 to a degree dependent on their beta-activity. Isoprenaline takes part in a stereoselective inhibitory action in the range 10(-7)-10(-4) M. Adrenaline induces a similar response pattern, with inhibition at higher concentrations. The response profile, but not the maximum values of inhibition, is clearly dependent on the concentration of the histamine releaser. Noradrenaline by itself is a histamine releaser, no stereoselectivity being observed. In the presence of compound 48/80 it takes part in a non-stereoselective inhibitory reaction at low concentrations. Inhibition of histamine release by isoprenaline was antagonized by 10 or 100 microM propranolol except at the highest isoprenaline concentration (1 mM). Both atenolol and propranolol nullified the inhibitory activity of noradrenaline, but not the increased histamine release it induces at higher concentrations (at least when acting in conjunction with compound 48/80). When rat mast cells are purified through Percoll, a change in their response profiles is observed. Isoprenaline and adrenaline by themselves elicit non-specific release of histamine; with compound 48/80, release is additive in the case of isoprenaline and supra-additive in the case of adrenaline. Results point to the loss of beta-adrenergic inhibitory activity after purification.

Four monoclonal mouse anti rat mast cell antibodies were selected which detect an antigenic determinant occurring on connective tissue mast cells of the rat. A strong antigen density was found on peritoneal mast cells whereas pleural and mesenteric mast cells exhibit considerably smaller amounts of the antigen. It does not occur on lung mast cells and basophils, thus permitting a mast cell subtype differentiation according to the expression of a surface antigen. The monoclonal antibodies do not react with IgE or IgE Fc-receptor determinants and do not interfere with the histamine secretion from peritoneal mast cells.

The effects of various histamine liberators and inhibitors on isolated rat peritoneal and pleural mast cells have been compared. The pleural cells showed an increased reactivity to challenge with antigen following passive, but not active, sensitization and were more responsive to challenge with anti-IgE. Phosphatidyl serine enhanced the secretion from both cell types. Peritoneal and pleural cells exhibited virtually identical responses after treatment with chemical secretagogues in the presence of exogenous calcium, but the peritoneal cells were significantly more reactive to stimulation with basic inducers in the absence of the cation. Anaphylactic histamine secretion was comparably inhibited by a number of anti-allergic drugs but the peritoneal cells were rather more sensitive to inhibition by dibutyryl cyclic AMP. These results are discussed in terms of the general functional heterogeneity of mast cells from different sources.

Previous observations indicate that "CD5 B lymphocytes" are preferentially clustered in gut-related mesenchymal areas, such as peritoneum, thymus and tonsils. We have now found that pleuropericardial spaces contain an homogeneous population of large-sized, noncycling, nonsecretory B cells, expressing very high levels of surface IgM, little or no IgD, Mac-1 and low levels of B220. This phenotype and the over-representation of some antibody clonotypes suggest that the pleuropericardial cavity contains a pure "CD5 B cell" population. In all mouse strains analyzed, however, many of these cells are CD5-. These findings, together with the common origin of peritoneum and pleural layers in the primitive coelomic cavity, suggest that such B cells differentiate locally from intraembryonic precursors; we propose to designate them as "coelomic", to distinguish them from "stromal", bone marrow-derived B cells.

Human blood monocytes when cultured on hydrophobic Teflon membranes differentiate into mature macrophages. The expression of transferrin receptors was monitored by monoclonal antibody (OKT9) binding as detected by immunoperoxidase staining. Whereas monocytes were negative, an increasing percentage of macrophages, starting from day 2 in culture, labelled with the antitransferrin receptor antibody as these cells undergo differentiation. After completion of maturation more than 90% of macrophages expressed transferrin receptors. While 90-95% of macrophages from broncho-alveolar lavage fluids labelled with the OKT9 antibody, only a minor portion of macrophages obtained from peritoneal and pleural cavities did so. In parallel, intracellular ferritin in cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage increased from 10 ng/10(6) cells to 350-1,500 ng/10(6) cells during maturation in vitro. Alveolar macrophages proved to have the highest ferritin content which ranged from 355-8,400 ng/10(6). The results may indicate that iron uptake and storage is a function of cells at late stages of macrophage maturation and that the occurrence of surface receptors for transferrin can be regarded as differentiation dependent marker.

ATPase activity in rat mast cells was studied, assuming that pleural and peritoneal mast cells are different populations. Mast cells were purified with Percoll. Enzymatic activity was found to be 36% higher in pleural cells that in peritoneal cells. Moreover, for both populations results show a Na+-K+ ATPase activity either low or slightly inhibited by ouabain.

In vitro concentrations of chloroquine, amodiaquine, quinine, and mefloquine were assessed with respect to functional responses (chemotaxis, anion superoxide generation, and lysosomal enzyme release) of rat polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) collected after induction of acute pleural inflammation. Chloroquine, amodiaquine, and mefloquine exhibited dose-dependent inhibition of: (1) random migration and oriented migration of PMN; and (2) opsonized zymosan- or phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated PMN O2- release. These effects were not stimulus-specific and were largely reversed by washing the cells before stimulation Mefloquine was the most effective drug. Quinine had no effect on PMN migration. Apart from quinine, the drugs induced similar dose-dependent increases in beta-glucuronidase release from unstimulated PMN. Only quinine inhibited the enzyme release from stimulated PMN. Our data show that the antimalarial derivatives affect PMN functions in various ways and suggest that their effects reflect nonspecific modifications of cellular membrane.

The diagnostic accuracy of the immunocytochemical characterization of body fluids was evaluated in 100 specimens (35 pleural, 40 peritoneal, 7 pericardial and 18 cerebrospinal [CSF] fluids) in comparison with routine morphologic examination. The immunochemical markers used for all specimens were common-leukocyte antigen, epithelial membrane antigen, epithelial keratin and desmin. Additional immunocytochemical studies for neurofilaments, glial fibrillary acidic protein, vimentin and melanoma-associated antigen were performed on the CSF specimens. The study confirmed the accuracy of the immunocytochemical characterization of cells in body fluids using a panel of immunocytochemical stains. These methods are recommended as an adjunct to improve the accuracy of the cytologic diagnosis of body fluids, especially in cases with diagnostically difficult morphologic features.

In view of the rapid degradation of PAF in biological fluids, this study was designed to determine if late eosinophil infiltration induced in rats by PAF was derived from its direct chemotactic action. A significant and selective 5-fold increase in the pleural eosinophil counts was detected 24 h after intrapleural PAF injection. The transfer of 6-h PAF washings to the pleural cavity of recipient rats also induced a 3-fold selective accumulation of eosinophils. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide abolished the pleural eosinophil migration and the generation of transferable chemotactic activity when administered to donor but not to recipient rats. These findings suggest that a secondary protein mediator accounts for the late eosinophil mobilization induced by PAF.

Rats were subjected to gram-negative septicemia induced by cecal perforation or were sham-operated. Thromboplastin values increased in blood monocytes (40-fold), peritoneal macrophages (115-fold) pleural macrophages (5-fold), splenic macrophages (3-fold), and lung alveolar macrophages (1.4-fold) in septic animals as compared to controls. In septic animals disseminated intravascular coagulation was evidenced by a significant (p less than 0.05) fall in fibrinogen, factor VII, X and platelets. A simultaneous and significant (p less than 0.05) decrease in thromboplastin content of tissue-specimens from lung and spleen was observed in rats with septicemia, whereas increased thromboplastin values were demonstrated in tissue-samples from cecum - the infectious focus. This might reflect mobilization of mononuclear phagocytes in favour of the site of infection.

Cultures were made of mesothelial cells obtained by scraping the parietal pleura of the adult rats. The growth was restricted to close polyhedric epithelial-like cells, forming a monolayer. The cellular proliferation continued until the 7th day, followed by a stationary phases. In subcultures the mesothelial cells kept their epithelial type. The cultures were stopped on the 20th day.

Synthesis of crosslinked elastin was measured in cultures of pleural mesothelial cells. Results indicate that mesothelial cells are a rich source of crosslinked elastin and may therefore be useful for in vitro studies of this connective tissue component.

Craighead, J. E. (Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.). Growth of Myxovirus parainfluenza type 3 in organ cultures of guinea pig tissue. J. Bacteriol. 92:751-761. 1966.-Organ cultures of adult guinea pig nasal mucosa, lung, and pleura were infected with Myxovirus parainfluenza type 3. Observations were made on the growth of virus at intervals after inoculation. An inoculum of 10(2.5) tissue culture infectious doses (tcid(50)) initiated infection in each of the tissues. Cultures of nasal mucosa yielded up to 10(6.0)tcid(50) per 6 hr for periods of as long as 2 weeks. Virus production was not affected by the "immune" status of the animal used as a source of tissue. Introduction of antiserum into the medium appeared to suppress virus release but failed to "cure" the infection. Interferon was not detected in fluids bathing the nasal mucosa. Cultured fragments of lung produced virus for 28 days after inoculation. As much as 10(5.0)tcid(50) per 6 hr was released by the tissue. Pleural mesothelial cells lining the diaphragm yielded up to 10(6.0)tcid(50) per 6 hr over a 14-day period. Histological sections showed that the tissues retained differentiated morphological features during maintenance in vitro. Cytological changes unequivocally associated with infection were not recognized. The techniques described give reproducible, quantitative results. Organ cultures are feasible for the study of virus growth and cytopathology in differentiated tissues.