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The 3-nitro-2-pyridinesulfenyl (Npys) group has been used successfully for side chain protection of cysteine during the stepwise solid-phase synthesis of Lys8-vasopressin (LVP) on benzhydrylamine resin. The versatility and limitations of this group have been evaluated by comparison of this synthesis with a parallel control synthesis using the 3,4-dimethylbenzyl (DMB) group and with a synthesis utilizing a combination of both groups. The Npys group was found to be stable to TFA as reported and, in addition, was found to be stable to HF: anisole (9:1) for 45 min at 0 degree, but not when thiol was present in either reagent. Furthermore, compatibility of the Npys group with the Boc-benzyl synthetic tactic in solid-phase peptide synthesis was demonstrated. LVP with full biological activity was obtained after purification by gel filtration and reverse-phase HPLC.

Summary This short review describes how competitive inhibitors were synthesized and how the solubility was increased in order to make them effective at physiological pH. Their use for in vitro and in vivo inhibition of renin is discussed and their use for purification of renin demonstrated.

The CD44 gene codes for a family of alternatively spliced, multifunctional adhesion molecules that participate in extracellular matrix binding, lymphocyte activation, cell migration, and tumor metastasis. In a mouse model of transplant-associated arteriosclerosis, CD44 protein was induced in the neointima of allografted vessels and colocalized with a subset of proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC). To elucidate the molecular mechanisms regulating CD44 expression in this model, we investigated the regulation of CD44 gene expression by interleukin (IL)-1beta. Treatment of rat aortic SMC with IL-1beta resulted in a 5.3-fold increase in cell surface CD44 expression. Northern analysis showed that IL-1beta promoted a dose- and time-dependent induction of CD44 mRNA which reached 6.6-fold after 48 h, and nuclear run-on analysis showed that IL-1beta increased the rate of CD44 gene transcription within 8 h of stimulation. In transient reporter gene transfection experiments in rat aortic SMC, a 1.4-kilobase fragment of the mouse CD44 5'-flanking sequence mediated this response to IL-1beta. Regulation of CD44 gene expression by the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1beta may contribute to SMC phenotypic modulation in the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis.

Phenotypic modulation of vascular smooth muscle cells plays an important role in the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis. In a screen of proteins expressed in human aortic smooth muscle cells, we identified a novel gene product designated aortic carboxypeptidase-like protein (ACLP). The approximately 4-kilobase human cDNA and its mouse homologue encode 1158 and 1128 amino acid proteins, respectively, that are 85% identical. ACLP is a nonnuclear protein that contains a signal peptide, a lysine- and proline-rich 11-amino acid repeating motif, a discoidin-like domain, and a C-terminal domain with 39% identity to carboxypeptidase E. By Western blot analysis and in situ hybridization, we detected abundant ACLP expression in the adult aorta. ACLP was expressed predominantly in the smooth muscle cells of the adult mouse aorta but not in the adventitia or in several other tissues. In cultured mouse aortic smooth muscle cells, ACLP mRNA and protein were up-regulated 2-3-fold after serum starvation. Using a recently developed neural crest cell to smooth muscle cell in vitro differentiation system, we found that ACLP mRNA and protein were not expressed in neural crest cells but were up-regulated dramatically with the differentiation of these cells. These results indicate that ACLP may play a role in differentiated vascular smooth muscle cells.

Mortality from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is lower in premenopausal women than in age-matched men. It is also lower in postmenopausal women who take estrogens and progestins together rather than estrogens alone. Progesterone receptors were detected in human and rat aortic smooth muscle cells in vivo and in vitro (in subculture). We examined the effect of progesterone on proliferation of smooth muscle cells, important constituents of atherosclerotic plaques. Progesterone at physiologic levels inhibited DNA synthesis and proliferation in these cells in a dose-dependent manner, and pretreatment with the progesterone receptor antagonist RU486 blocked inhibition. Cyclin A and E messenger RNA levels decreased after progesterone treatment but those of cyclin B and D1 did not change. This cell cycle-dependent inhibition of arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation by progesterone may represent a mechanism for the hormone's protective effect against atherosclerosis.

Abstract To identify genes involved in vascular remodeling, we applied differential mRNA display analysis to the rat carotid artery balloon injury model. One polymerase chain reaction product showing increased expression at days 2 to 14 after vascular injury was nearly identical to the mouse α 1 chain of type VIII collagen, a heterotrimeric short-chain collagen of uncertain function expressed by a limited number of cell types. By Northern analysis, expression of both chains of the type VIII collagen heterotrimer increased: collagen α 1 (VIII) mRNA expression was almost 4-fold higher than control by 7 days after vascular injury, and collagen α 2 (VIII) mRNA expression reached a maximum of almost 6-fold above baseline by 3 days after injury. By immunohistochemical analysis, type VIII collagen expression increased in the media and neointima in a localized pattern consistent with the distribution of activated dedifferentiated vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Cultured VSMCs expressed higher levels of type VIII collagen in response to serum and growth factors, notably platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB. VSMCs adhered significantly less to type VIII collagen than to type I collagen substrata and showed greater PDGF-BB–stimulated migration (by 2.2-fold) on type VIII collagen than on type I collagen. We hypothesize that increased expression of type VIII collagen by VSMCs after arterial injury may contribute to vascular remodeling through the promotion of VSMC migration.

The endothelial cell type-specific tyrosine kinase KDR/flk-1 is a receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor and a critical regulator of endothelial cell growth and development. To study mechanisms of endothelial cell differentiation and gene regulation, we have analyzed the topology of the proximal promoter of human KDR/flk-1. A protected sequence between base pairs -110 and -25 was defined by in vitro DNase I footprinting analysis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Purified Sp1 alone produced similar protection, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that Sp1 was indeed the major nuclear protein binding to this region. Despite the cell type specificity of KDR/flk-1 expression, no cell type differences were observed in DNA-protein interactions in vitro. In contrast, in vivo footprinting assays demonstrated marked differences in core promoter interactions between cell types. Protection of Sp1 binding sites was observed in HUVECs by in vivo DNase I footprinting, whereas in human fibroblasts and HeLa cells a pattern consistent with nucleosomal positioning was observed. In vivo dimethylsulfate footprinting confirmed that DNA-protein interactions occurred within Sp1 elements in HUVECs but not in nonendothelial cells. It is possible that distant elements coordinate Sp1 binding and chromatin structure to regulate cell type-specific expression of KDR/flk-1.

Background Inhibition of thrombin by either the indirect thrombin inhibitor heparin or by more potent direct thrombin inhibitors such as hirudin reduces thrombus formation after arterial injury. The present study was designed to determine if a fibrin-specific thrombin inhibitor could, by local thrombin inhibition, prevent thrombosis more effectively. Methods and Results We first studied antithrombotic potency in vitro, comparing fibrin-targeted hirudin (recombinant hirudin covalently linked to the Fab′ fragment of the anti-fibrin monoclonal antibody 59D8) to recombinant hirudin in baboon plasma. Fibrin-targeted hirudin was nine times more effective than recombinant hirudin in inhibiting fibrin deposition on experimental clot surfaces in baboon plasma ( P 111 In-labeled platelet deposition was measured in a synthetic graft segment of an extracorporeal arteriovenous shunt in control animals and in animals receiving either fibrin-targeted hirudin or hirudin. In these experiments, fibrin-targeted hirudin was 10-fold more potent than hirudin in inhibiting platelet deposition and thrombus formation ( P Conclusions These data indicate that targeting a thrombin inhibitor such as hirudin to an epitope present in thrombi results in increased antithrombotic potency.

The helix-loop-helix E2A proteins (E12 and E47) govern cellular growth and differentiation. To identify binding partners that regulate the function of these ubiquitous transcription factors, we screened for proteins that interacted with the C terminus of E12 by the yeast interaction trap. UbcE2A, a rat enzyme that is highly homologous to and functionally complements the yeast ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBC9, was identified and cloned. UbcE2A appears to be an E2A-selective ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme because it interacts specifically with a 54-amino acid region in E47-(477-530) distinct from the helix-loop-helix domain. In contrast, most of the UbcE2A protein is required for interaction with an E2A protein. The E2A proteins appear to be degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway because the E12 half-life of 60 min is extended by the proteasome inhibitor MG132, and E12 is multi-ubiquitinated in vivo. Finally, antisense UbcE2A reduces E12 degradation. By participating in the degradation of the E2A proteins, UbcE2A may regulate cell growth and differentiation.

Background Thrombolytic therapy reduces mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction, but significant limitations exist with the use of currently available agents. In the present report, we describe the thrombolytic and antithrombotic potencies of a hybrid recombinant plasminogen activator consisting of an antifibrin antibody 59D8 (AFA) and low-molecular-weight single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (scuPA). Methods and Results A thrombolysis model in which thrombi are preformed in vivo in juvenile baboons was developed to compare the potencies of AFA-scuPA, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA), and recombinant scuPA (rscuPA) in lysing nonocclusive 111 In-labeled platelet-rich arterial-type thrombi and 125 I-labeled fibrin-rich venous-type thrombi. Systemic infusion of 1.89 nmol/kg AFA-scuPA produced thrombolysis that was comparable to that obtained with much higher doses of TPA (14.2 nmol/kg) and rscuPA (28.5 nmol/kg). When steady-state plasma concentrations are normalized, AFA-scuPA lyses thrombi sixfold more rapidly than scuPA and TPA ( P P P 2 -antiplasmin consumption was less ( P d -dimer generation was lower ( P Conclusions We conclude that antibody targeting of scuPA to fibrin increases thrombolytic and antithrombotic potencies with less impairment of hemostasis compared with rTPA and rscuPA.

Radiolabeled antibody specific for cardiac myosin administered intravenously has been used to define noninvasively regions of myocardial necrosis. Inflammatory heart disorders such as myocarditis and heart transplant rejection demonstrate diffuse and often faint myocardial uptake of antimyosin antibody. This study was undertaken to evaluate the reproducibility and diagnostic accuracy of antimyosin antibody imaging for the detection of patients with suspected myocarditis.Fifty antimyosin scans, performed consecutively in patients with suspected myocarditis, were evaluated by one independent observer and two panels of observers. Antimyosin scan interpretations were compared with endomyocardial biopsy results and also with serial changes in left ventricular function. An independent observer (A) and a panel of five observers (A through E) interpreted the antimyosin scans as positive or negative on the basis of both planar images and tomographic reconstructions. Three of the five observers (A through C) again interpreted the scans but based interpretation only on planar images. Blinded random sequence evaluation of antimyosin scans based on the planar and tomographic interpretations revealed moderate agreement between the independent observer (A) and the group of observers (A through E) (kappa = 0.58). There was also moderate agreement between interpretations based on planar images alone and interpretations based on both planar and tomographic images (kappa [A through E]/[A through C] = 0.57; kappa [A through C]/A = 0.48). Comparison of antimyosin scan results with histologic evidence of myocarditis in endomyocardial biopsy specimens demonstrated that all scan results obtained from the individual or the panels of observers had a very high sensitivity (91% to 100%) and a high negative predictive value (93% to 100%). The specificity (31% to 44%) and positive predictive value (28% to 33%) were less impressive. We also compared the scan and biopsy results with the composite clinical standard of significant left ventricular functional improvement. Endomyocardial biopsy demonstrated poor sensitivity (35%) compared with antimyosin scans (82% to 94%) but had superior specificity (endomyocardial biopsy, 79%; antimyosin scan, 25% to 42%). The specificity of interpretations based on planar and tomographic interpretations (38% to 42%) was better than the planar images alone (25%). If reversible left ventricular dysfunction is considered clinical evidence of myocarditis, this study suggests that a negative endomyocardial biopsy significantly misses the presence of the disease. On the other hand, a negative antimyosin scan almost invariably excludes myocarditis.This study demonstrates a high degree of interobserver reproducibility of antimyosin interpretation. Comparison of the scintigraphic results with histologic and clinical standards indicates a high sensitivity of antimyosin scans for the detection of myocarditis. The antimyosin scan is also not likely to miss clinically or pathologically diagnosed myocarditis, in contrast to the endomyocardial biopsy, which missed clinically validated myocarditis 65% of time. The combination of high sensitivity and negative predictive value suggests that antimyosin scintigraphy may be an effective screening procedure for obviating biopsies in patients with suspected myocarditis.

Pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) have been used as antioxidants to prevent apoptosis in lymphocytes, neurons, and vascular endothelial cells. We report here that PDTC and NAC induce apoptosis in rat and human smooth muscle cells. In rat aortic smooth muscle cells, PDTC induced cell shrinkage, chromatin condensation, and DNA strand breaks consistent with apoptosis. In addition, overexpression of Bcl-2 suppressed vascular smooth muscle cell death caused by PDTC and NAC. The viability of rat aortic smooth muscle cells decreased within 3 h of treatment with PDTC and was reduced to 30% at 12 h. The effect of PDTC and NAC on smooth muscle cells was not species specific because PDTC and NAC both caused dose-dependent reductions in viability in rat and human aortic smooth muscle cells. In contrast, neither PDTC nor NAC reduced viability in human aortic endothelial cells. The use of antioxidants to induce apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells may help prevent their proliferation in arteriosclerotic lesions.

Homocysteine is an important and independent risk factor for arteriosclerosis. We showed previously that homocysteine stimulates vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, a hallmark of arteriosclerosis. We show here that homocysteine and serum increased DNA synthesis synergistically in both human and rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs). Treatment of quiescent RASMCs with 1 mM homocysteine or 2% calf serum for 36 h increased cyclin A mRNA levels by 8- and 14-fold, respectively, whereas homocysteine plus serum increased cyclin A mRNA levels by 40-fold, indicating a synergistic induction of cyclin A mRNA. Homocysteine did not increase the half-life of cyclin A mRNA (2.9 h), but it did increase the transcriptional rate of the cyclin A gene in nuclear run-on experiments. The positive effect of homocysteine on cyclin A gene transcription was confirmed by our finding that homocysteine increased cyclin A promoter activity and ATF-binding protein levels in RASMCs. Finally, 1 mM homocysteine increased cyclin A protein levels and cyclin A-associated kinase activity by threefold. This homocysteine-induced expression lesions by promoting proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells.

KDR/flk-1 is one of two receptors for vascular endothelial growth factor, a potent angiogenic peptide. KDR/flk-1 is an early marker for endothelial cell progenitors, and its expression is restricted to endothelial cells in vivo. To investigate the molecular mechanisms regulating expression of KDR/flk-1, we cloned and characterized the promoter of the human KDR/flk-1 gene. The transcription start site was localized by primer extension and ribonuclease protection to a nucleotide 303 base pairs (bp) 5' of the initiation methionine codon. The 5'-flanking sequence is rich in G and C residues and contains five Sp1 elements but no TATA consensus sequence. By reporter gene transfection experiments, we found that approximately 4 kilobases of KDR/flk-1 5'-flanking sequence directed high level luciferase activity in bovine aortic endothelial cells; further deletion analysis revealed positive regulatory elements between bp -225 to -164, -95 to -77, -77 to -60, and +105 to +127. Mutation of an atypical GATA sequence between bp +105 and +127 did not affect promoter activity, suggesting that GATA elements are not essential for the high level promoter activity of this gene. Consistent with endothelial cell-restricted expression of KDR/flk-1 mRNA, we found that the 4-kilobase flanking sequence directed high level promoter activity in endothelial cells but not in other cell types. To our knowledge this is the first report characterizing the KDR/flk-1 promoter. Understanding the KDR/flk-1 promoter will allow us to investigate endothelial cell-specific gene regulation and to uncover methods for targeting gene delivery specifically to endothelial cells.

On evidence that the potency and specificity of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) can be improved by chemical conjugation to an antifibrin antibody (59D8), we constructed a recombinant molecule, 59D8-t-PA(AB), containing a truncated 59D8 antibody attached through peptide linkage to the amino terminus of full-length t-PA. Initial analysis of recombinant 59D8-t-PA(AB) in the absence of fibrin revealed enzymatic characteristics indistinguishable from those of t-PA: for the S-2288 substrate, the respective Km values of t-PA and 59D8-t-PA(AB) were 0.480.02 mM and 0.520.02 mM; for plasminogen, the values were 82.35 ± 5.35 μM and 81.25 ± 2.03 μM. Recombinant 59D8-t-PA(AB) was up to 10-fold more potent than t-PA in an assay measuring the lysis of fibrin monomer. However, in contrast with the chemical conjugate, recombinant 59D8-t-PA(AB) was 2 to 3-fold less potent than t-PA in lysing clots in a plasma milieu. To determine whether this difference in plasma clot lysis was due to impaired fibrin stimulation of the t-PA portion of the recombinant molecule, we devised an assay that quantitates fibrin stimulation of t-PA's catalytic activity. Fibrin stimulation was indeed reduced by 15-fold for recombinant 59D8-t-PA(AB). This observation suggests that attaching a targeting antibody to the amino terminus of t-PA diminishes the ability of fibrin to stimulate the enzyme.

Two distinct spontaneous variants of the murine anti-digoxin hybridoma 26-10 were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting for reduced affinity of surface antibody for antigen. Nucleotide and partial amino acid sequencing of the variant antibody variable regions revealed that 1 variant had a single amino acid substitution: Lys for Asn at heavy chain position 35. The second variant antibody had 2 heavy chain substitutions: Tyr for Asn at position 35, and Met for Arg at position 38. Mutagenesis experiments confirmed that the position 35 substitutions were solely responsible for the markedly reduced affinity of both variant antibodies. Several mutants with more conservative position 35 substitutions were engineered to ascertain the contribution of Asn 35 to the binding of digoxin to antibody 26-10. Replacement of Asn with Gln reduced affinity for digoxin 10-fold relative to the wild-type antibody, but maintained wild-type fine specificity for cardiac glycoside analogues. All other substitutions (Val, Thr, Leu, Ala, and Asp) reduced affinity by at least 90-fold and caused distinct shifts in fine specificity. The Ala mutant demonstrated greatly increased relative affinities for 16-acetylated haptens and haptens with a saturated lactone. The X-ray crystal structure of the 26-10 Fab in complex with digoxin (Jeffrey PD et al., 1993, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 90:10310-10314) reveals that the position 35 Asn contacts hapten and forms hydrogen bonds with 2 other contact residues. The reductions in affinity of the position 35 mutants for digoxin are greater than expected based upon the small hapten contact area provided by the wild-type Asn. We therefore performed molecular modeling experiments which suggested that substitution of Gln or Asp can maintain these hydrogen bonds whereas the other substituted side chains cannot. The altered binding of the Asp mutant may be due to the introduction of a negative charge. The similarities in binding of the wild-type and Gln-mutant antibodies, however, suggest that these hydrogen bonds are important for maintaining the architecture of the binding site and therefore the affinity and specificity of this antibody. The Ala mutant eliminates the wild-type hydrogen bonding, and molecular modeling suggests that the reduced side-chain volume also provides space that can accommodate a congener with a 16-acetyl group or saturated lactone, accounting for the altered fine specificity of this antibody.

We have determined the three-dimensional structures of the antigen-binding fragment of the anti-digoxin monoclonal antibody 26-10 in the uncomplexed state at 2.7 A resolution and as a complex with digoxin at 2.5 A resolution. Neither the antibody nor digoxin undergoes any significant conformational changes upon forming the complex. Digoxin interacts primarily with the antibody heavy chain and is oriented such that the carbohydrate groups are exposed to solvent and the lactone ring is buried in a deep pocket at the bottom of the combining site. Despite extensive interactions between antibody and antigen, no hydrogen bonds or salt links are formed between 26-10 and digoxin. Thus the 26-10-digoxin complex is unique among the known three-dimensional structures of antibody-antigen complexes in that specificity and high affinity arise primarily from shape complementarity.

Antibody produced by a variant of the murine antidigoxin hybridoma 26-10 has reduced affinity for digoxin but enhanced recognition of the digoxin 12-hydroxyl due to a Tyr to His substitution at heavy chain position 50 (Schildbach, J. F., Panka, D. J., Parks, D. R., Jager, G. C., Novotny, J., Herzenberg, L. A., Mudgett-Hunter, M., Bruccoleri, R. E., Haber, E., and Margolies, M. N. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 4640-4647). Consistent with these data, the 26-10 Fab-digoxin x-ray crystal structure (Jeffrey, P. D., Strong, R. K., Sieker, L. C., Chang, C. Y., Campbell, R. L., Petsko, G. A., Haber, E., Margolies, M. N., and Sheriff, S. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., in press) reveals that Tyr-50 contacts a region of digoxin that includes the hapten-12 carbon. To determine the effects of other heavy chain position 50 substitutions, mutant antibodies were engineered, and their affinities for digoxin and digoxin analogues were measured. The affinity of the mutant antibodies for digoxin roughly correlates with the size of the position 50 side chain. Substitutions of Trp or Phe have no effect on affinity, whereas substitutions of Asn, His, Leu, Ala, Gly, and Asp confer progressively lower affinities. Although Trp and Phe mutants exhibit wild-type specificity, Asn and Asp mutants have improved affinity for digoxin relative to digitoxin (12-deshydroxydigoxin). Leu, Ala, and Gly mutants have improved affinity for 12-acetyldigoxin relative to digoxin as compared with 26-10. These results indicate that position 50 is a determinant of both antibody affinity and fine specificity for antibody 26-10 and that single-amino acid substitutions can alter antibody fine specificity. Models of the mutants were computationally constructed, and haptens were docked into the modeled binding sites. The results suggest that 12-acetyldigoxigenin occupies different orientations in the 26-10 and in the Ala mutant binding sites, resulting in altered binding.

Antibody LB4, produced by a spontaneous variant of the murine anti-digoxin monoclonal antibody 26-10, has an affinity for digoxin two orders of magnitude lower than that of the parent antibody due to replacement of serine with phenylalanine at position 52 of the heavy chain variable region (Schildbach, J.F., Panka, D.J., Parks, D.R., et al., 1991, J. Biol. Chem. 266, 4640-4647). To examine the basis for the decreased affinity, a panel of engineered antibodies with substitutions at position 52 was created, and their affinities for digoxin were measured. The antibody affinities decreased concomitantly with increasing size of the substituted side chains, although the shape of the side chains also influenced affinity. The crystal structure of the 26-10 Fab complexed with digoxin (P.D.J., R.K. Strong, L.C. Sieker, C. Chang, R.L. Campbell, G.A. Petsko, E.H., M.N.M., & S.S., submitted for publication) shows that the serine at heavy chain position 52 is not in contact with hapten, but is adjacent to a tyrosine at heavy chain position 33 that is a contact residue. The mutant antibodies were modeled by applying a conformational search procedure to position side chains, using the 26-10 Fab crystal structure as a starting point. The results suggest that each of the substituted side chains may be accommodated within the antibody without substantial structural rearrangement, and that none of these substituted side chains are able to contact hapten. These modeling results are consistent with the substituents at position 52 having only an indirect influence upon antibody affinity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Myocarditis occasionally masquerades as acute myocardial infarction because patients may present with severe chest pain, electrocardiographic changes, and elevated serum levels of creatine kinase. In patients with normal coronary arteries who presumably died of acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis has been reported as an incidental abnormality at autopsy1–4. Although there have been anecdotal clinical reports of myocarditis mimicking myocardial infarction in patients with normal coronary arteries, this association has almost always relied on a demonstration of diffuse electrocardiographic abnormalities or a preceding viral illness in young patients with few coronary risk factors5–7. In most cases no definitive . . .

We show that the mouse gamma 2b heavy chain or human beta-globin 3' untranslated region can greatly enhance protein expression in myeloma cells transfected by genes coding for antibody-plasminogen activator fusion proteins. Expression plasmids were constructed containing a cloned genomic heavy chain variable region from fibrin-specific monoclonal antibody 59D8, a cloned genomic constant region of the mouse gamma 2b heavy chain, and DNA sequence coding for either tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) or a segment of urokinase (UK) and their respective 3' untranslated sequences. Cell lines transfected with these constructs, pSVtPA (tPA) and pSVUKG(UK), produced extremely low levels of mRNA and protein (0.008-0.06 micrograms/ml) in comparison with the parental 59D8 myeloma cell line (7.6-10 micrograms/ml). In vitro nuclear run-off analysis indicated that the low steady-state levels of mRNA encoded by pSVUKG(UK) did not result from a lower rate of transcription of the transfected gene (relative to the rate of transcription of the endogenous heavy chain gene in the 59D8 parent cells). In an attempt to increase protein secretion, we assembled the expression plasmids pSVtPA(Ig), pSVUKG(Ig), and pSVUKG(beta), in which the 3' untranslated region of the mouse gamma 2b heavy chain or human beta-globin gene was substituted for the 3' untranslated region of the plasminogen activator gene. Analysis of supernatant media from cell lines transfected with these constructs showed an increase in recombinant protein secretion of 68 to 100 fold in comparison with that from cell lines transfected with pSVtPA(tPA) or pSVUKG(UK).

SPECIFIC AIMThe present study was designed to elucidate a role for the adipocyte fatty acid binding protein AFABP or aP2 in the development of atherosclerosis. We evaluated the expression of aP2 in atherosclerotic lesions, assessed aP2 gene regulation in macrophages, and intercrossed aP2−/− mice with apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice to study the effect of aP2 deficiency on lesion formation in this hypercholesterolemic model of atherosclerosis.PRINCIPAL FINDINGS1. aP2 is expressed in atherosclerotic lesions from ApoE−/− miceLesions from ApoE−/− mice were evaluated because they developed severe hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerotic lesions characteristic of human disease. aP2 mRNA was not detectable in the arterial walls of wild-type mice except in adipose tissue of the adventitia. However, an intense aP2 signal was visible in the arterial walls of ApoE−/− mice. The signal for aP2 was prominent in both the atherosclerotic lesion and adipose tissue of the adventitia, with much less signal in the ...

The ability to engineer the antibody molecule has now progressed to the stage where one can realistically contemplate creating a pharmacologically useful targeting molecule comprising a single-chain, minimal antibody combining site together with a domain that imparts a second functionality. It will certainly be possible in the near future to adjust the fine specificity and affinity of the antibody domain, either by in vitro selection methods or by site-directed mutagenesis based on structural criteria. The functional domain could be an enzyme, a toxin, or any other protein that suits a pharmacological purpose. In this review I have illustrated these directions primarily by summarizing work from my laboratory and those of my collaborators. The review covers single point mutations in the heavy chains of digoxin-specific antibodies that either strikingly diminish or strikingly enhance recognition of a small feature of the antigen, the position 12 OH moiety in the steroid nucleus. The principles for constructing a minimal, single-chain antigen-binding domain based on one of the digoxin-specific antibodies are also outlined, as are the principles for incorporating such domains into fusion proteins. Finally, as a practical application of antibody-targeted enzymes, the construction and evaluation of an anti-fibrin antibody-single-chain urokinase fusion protein is examined. This protein has enhanced potency and specificity both in vivo and in vitro, and it offers the promise of increased therapeutic efficacy as well as diminished toxicity.

We have created a bacterial expression-export system and have used it to express (14 mg l −1 ) the variable region fragment (Fv) of an anti-digoxin antibody (26-10) in Escherichia coli . The expression-export plasmid contains a T7 promoter and the E. coli signal sequences ompA [Movva et al., J. biol. Chem. 255 , 27–29 (1980)] and phoA [Inouye et al., J. Bacterial . 149 , 434–439 (1982)] fused to heavy chain (V H ) and light chain (V L ) variable region sequences to generate an artificial cistron. The 26-10 Fv protein made using this system was soluble, unlike many other expression systems which produce insoluble proteins in the form of inclusion bodies. The 26-10 V H and V L proteins were cleaved at their mature N-termini and exported into the bacterial periplasm where they could be easily extracted and affinity purified on ouabain-Sepharose. 26-10 Fv bound to digoxin with similar affinity and specificity as the whole 26-10 antibody ( K a , for Fv, 1.3 × 10 9 M −1 , K a for IgG, 7 × 10 9 M −1 ). 26-10 Fv appears to be remarkably stable in comparison with other Fv fragments. The half-life for chain dissociation of 26-10 Fv was 48 hr compared to the reported 1.5 hr half-life of McPC603 Fv. We present the proton NMR spectra of the 26-10 Fv as preliminary evidence that this expression-export system can be used to facilitate the analysis of the solution structure of 26-10 Fv by NMR.

BACKGROUND Mice with abdominal heterotopic heart transplants were studied to determine whether scintigraphic detection of an increase in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigen expression could be used as a noninvasive method for diagnosing early rejection. METHODS AND RESULTS Allografts from C3H/He (H2k) donors were transplanted into BALB/c (H2d) recipients (n = 18). Two of the 18 allografted mice were treated with cyclosporine (15 mg/kg/day), and two isografted mice served as controls. Each mouse was injected intravenously with 100 microCi of 111In-labeled anti-MHC class II monoclonal antibodies (10-2-16 and 14-4-4S) 24 hours before scintigraphy. After imaging, the mice were killed for tissue counting and histopathology. Radiotracer uptake in the grafts reflected the severity of rejection as determined by histopathological criteria. The percent injected dose per gram of tissue in excised grafts was 4.8 +/- 1.8 (mean +/- SD) for normal grafts (n = 8), 11.1 +/- 9.7 for grafts with grade IA rejection (n = 3, NS), 18.0 +/- 3.8 for grafts with grade IIIA rejection (n = 4, p less than 0.001 versus normal), 18.7 +/- 3.2 for grafts with grade IIIB rejection (n = 3, p less than 0.001 versus normal), and 22.6 +/- 5.4 for grafts with severe rejection (grade IV) (n = 3, p less than 0.001 versus normal). Rejecting allografts with lymphocyte infiltration but without significant myocyte necrosis could be identified by this scintigraphic method. In the BALB/c donor-C57BL/6 (H2b, IE-) recipient combination, rejecting allografts were visualized by 14-4-4S (anti-IEk,d,p,r) antibody but not by 10-2-16 (anti-IAk,r,s,f) antibody. This difference shows that class II antigens induced on donor hearts are solely responsible for the antibody uptake in positive scintigrams of rejecting allografts. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that 111In-labeled anti-MHC class II antigen antibody imaging is a sensitive and noninvasive method for detecting cardiac allograft rejection.

SummaryPlatelet clots resist fibrinolysis by plasminogen activators. We hypothesized that platelet factor XIII may enhance the fibrinolytic resistance of platelet-rich clots by catalyzing the crosslinking of α2-antiplasmin (α2AP) to fibrin. Analysis of plasma clot structure by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting revealed accelerated α2AP-fibrin crosslinking in platelet-rich compared with platelet-depleted plasma clots. A similar study of clots formed with purified fibrinogen (depleted of factor XIII activity), isolated platelets, and specific factor XIII inhibitors indicated that this accelerated crosslinking was due to the catalytic activity of platelet factor XIII. Moreover, when washed platelets were aggregated by thrombin, there was evidence of platelet factor XIII-mediated crosslinking between platelet α2AP and platelet fibrin(ogen). Specific inhibition (by a monoclonal antibody) of the α2AP associated with washed platelet aggregates accelerated the fibrinolysis of the platelet aggregate. Thus in platelet-rich plasma clots, and in thrombin-induced platelet aggregates, platelet factor XIII actively formed α2AP-fibrin crosslinks, which appeared to enhance the resistance of platelet-rich clots to fibrinolysis.

SummaryThe binding of radiolabeled monoclonal antifibrin antibody 59D8 (specific for fibrin but not fibrinogen) to a series of degraded fibrin clots showed that the availability of the Bβ(15-21) epitope (against which 59D8 had been raised) was inversely proportional to the extent of clot lysis. Examination of digest supernatants revealed that the Bβ(15-21) epitope was released from clots as a high molecular weight degradation product in the presence of calcium ions but that the generation of low molecular weight peptides occurred in the absence of calcium ions. To address the question of epitope accessibility, we compared levels of fibrin clot binding among four radioactively labeled antibodies: antifibrin monoclonal antibody 59D8, two antifibrinogen monoclonal antibodies that cross-reacted with fibrin, and an affinity-purified polyclonal antifibrinogen antibody. We expected that the antifibrinogen antibodies would show enhanced binding to clots in comparison with the antifibrin antibody. However, the epitope accessibility experiments showed that all four antibody preparations bound fibrin clots at comparable levels. Taken together, these studies demonstrated that one fibrin-specific epitope, Bβ(15-21), remains available on clots as they undergo degradation by plasmin and, importantly, that the epitope is not solubilized at a rate faster than the rate at which the clot is itself solubilized. The availability of the Bβ(15-21) epitope during the course of plasminolysis assures the potential utility of antifibrin antibodies such as 59D8 for detecting thrombi and targeting plasminogen activators.

A bifunctional molecule was genetically engineered which contained an amino-terminal effector domain that bound immunoglobulin Fc (fragment B of staphylococcal protein A) and a carboxyl-terminal domain that bound digoxin [a single-chain Fv (sFv)]. Effector and sFv binding properties were virtually identical with those of the parent molecules, despite the proximity of the FB to the sFv combining site. This finding is unprecedented since in all molecules of the natural immunoglobulin superfamily, the antigen binding domain is amino terminal to the effector domain. The FB-sFv sequence was encoded in a single synthetic gene and expressed as a 33,106 molecular weight protein in Escherichia coli. After purification, renaturation, and affinity isolation, yield of active fusion protein were 110 mg/L of fermented cells (18.5-g cell paste). Bifunctionality was confirmed by the ability of FB-sFv to cross-link IgG to digoxin-bovine serum albumin, as measured by plate assays and by Ouchterlony analysis. Analysis of the expressed fusion protein suggests that the sFv holds promise for the development of multifunctional, targetable single-chain proteins.

Single-chain urokinase plasminogen activator (scu-PA) that had been modified with N-succinimidyl-3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate was covalently linked by disulfide bonds to the Fab' of a monoclonal antibody specific for the beta-chain of fibrin (antibody 59D8). scu-PA-59D8 Fab' conjugate was separated from free scu-PA and two-chain urokinase coupled to 59D8 Fab' by two-step affinity chromatography. First, the reaction mixture was chromatographed on a column containing Sepharose linked to the peptide that had been used as immunogen for antibody 59D8; scu-PA-59D8 Fab' conjugate and unconjugated 59D8 Fab' were retained but not unconjugated scu-PA. Then, the eluate from the peptide-Sepharose column was chromatographed on a column containing Sepharose linked to benzamidine, which acts as a ligand for two-chain urokinase. The molecular weight of the scu-PA-59D8 Fab' conjugate was approximately 100 kDa when electrophoresed on a nonreducing sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel. Enzymatic assay after purification revealed that more than 97% of the scu-PA present in the conjugate retained the single-chain form. The Fab' portion of the conjugate functioned in a manner indistinguishable from that of native antibody 59D8. In an in vitro assay for lysis of fibrin monomer, the fibrinolytic potency of scu-PA-59D8 Fab' was 33-fold more than that of tissue plasminogen activator (p less than 0.001), 230-fold more than that of unconjugated scu-PA (p less than 0.0001), and 420-fold more than that of urokinase (p less than 0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

One hundred fifty patients with potentially life-threatening digitalis toxicity were treated with digoxin-specific antibody fragments (Fab) purified from immunoglobulin G produced in sheep. The dose of Fab fragments was equal to the amount of digoxin or digitoxin in the patient's body as estimated from medical histories or determinations of serum digoxin or digitoxin concentrations. The youngest patient received Fab fragments within several hours of birth, and the oldest patient was 94 years old. Seventy-five patients (50%) were receiving long-term digitalis therapy, 15 (10%) had taken a large overdose of digitalis accidentally, and 59 (39%) had ingested an overdose of digitalis with suicidal intent. The clinical response to Fab was unspecified in two cases, leaving 148 patients who could be evaluated. One hundred nineteen patients (80%) had resolution of all signs and symptoms of digitalis toxicity, 14 (10%) improved, and 15 (10%) showed no response. After termination of the Fab infusion, the median time to initial response was 19 minutes, and 75% of the patients had some evidence of a response by 60 minutes. There were only 14 patients with adverse events considered to possibly or probably have been caused by Fab; the most common events were rapid development of hypokalemia and exacerbation of congestive heart failure. No allergic reactions were identified in response to Fab treatment. Of patients who experienced cardiac arrest as a manifestation of digitalis toxicity, 54% survived hospitalization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The formation and release of covalent complexes between tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) limits the application of equilibrium radioligand binding analysis to characterize the interaction between t-PA and human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayers. To avoid this difficulty, we used a recombinant mutant of t-PA, S478A rt-PA, in which alanine has been substituted for the active-site serine. Although the mutant is incapable of covalently reacting with PAI-1, 125I-labeled S478A rt-PA binding to HUVEC monolayers is specific and reversible and is characterized by a high affinity (Kd of 1.5 nM) and a large number of sites (1.5 x 10(6)/cell). This binding was shown to occur through noncovalent interaction with PAI-1 in the HUVEC monolayer by the fact that a monoclonal anti-PAI-1 antibody (MA-7D4) completely blocked S478A rt-PA binding. Two solution-phase assays with recombinant PAI-1 (rPAI-1) confirmed this noncovalent interaction: complexes between 125I-S478A rt-PA and rPAI-1 could be isolated by immunoprecipitation with anti-PAI-1 antibodies, and S478A rt-PA competed with rt-PA for inactivation by rPAI-1. In contrast diisopropylphosphate rt-PA (in which the active site serine is chemically modified) showed minimal binding to HUVEC monolayers, as a result of impaired interaction with PAI-1, in the two assays. Thus, both wild-type rt-PA and S478A rt-PA interact with the HUVEC monolayer through PAI-1. With rt-PA this results in the formation of covalent rt-PA.PAI-1 complexes that are released from the monolayer into the supernatant. With S478A rt-PA this results in the formation of noncovalent complexes that remain associated with the HUVEC monolayer, thereby identifying a large pool of reactive PAI-1 molecules in the monolayer.

To improve the efficacy of plasminogen activators, we produced a monoclonal antibody (RWR) that inhibits human alpha 2-antiplasmin (alpha 2AP). In addition to inhibiting alpha 2AP in plasma, RWR binds to and inhibits fibrin cross-linked alpha 2AP and reproduces the "spontaneous" clot lysis that is the hallmark of human alpha 2AP deficiency. By inhibiting the inactivation of plasmin by alpha 2AP, RWR interacts synergistically with plasminogen activators to increase the potency (for 50% clot lysis) of urokinase by 80-fold, tissue plasminogen activator by 27-fold, and streptokinase by 20-fold. Yet, for a given amount of fibrinolysis, the combination of RWR and lower doses of plasminogen activator leads to less fibrinogen consumption than is obtained with higher, equipotent doses of plasminogen activator alone. These results suggest a strategy for increasing the efficacy of plasminogen activators. More generally, this approach to amplifying enzymatic activity by immunoneutralizing an inhibitor may be useful in other biologic processes that are rigidly governed by inhibitors.

Plasminogen activator therapy for acute myocardial infarction has become standard medical practice. Bleeding complications, however, limit the utility of the currently available agents. This article reviews how the tools of immunology, molecular biology and protein engineering are being used to develop safer and more effective plasminogen activators.

SummaryBispecific monoclonal antibodies that bind simultaneously to human fibrin and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) enhance the fibrinolytic potency of tPA. Two bispecific antibodies (F36.23 and F32.1) were generated by somatic cell fusion. Antibody F36.23 derives its tPA binding from monoclonal anti-tPA antibody TCL8 and its fibrin binding from monoclonal antifibrin antibody 59D8. After purification from cell supernatants and ascites by two steps of affinity chromatography, hybrid-hybridoma bispecific antibody F36.23 simultaneously bound tPA and fibrin in solution and in solid-phase assays. In an assay for the lysis of human fibrin monomer, F36.23 increased the fibrinolytic potency of tPA by 5 to 10 fold, regardless of whether the bispecific antibody had been combined with the tPA before or during the assay. Bispecific F36.23 F(ab′)2 also bound tPA and fibrin simultaneously, and the enhancement in fibrinolysis in the presence of F36.23 F(ab′)2 was identical to that in the presence of intact F36.23. The second bispecific antibody, F32.1, was produced by an alternative strategy that has a wider potential for applicaton in other systems. Hybridoma bispecific antibody F32.1 was derived from the fusion of immune splenocytes (in mice immunized with a synthetic oligopeptide representing the amino terminus of the α-chain of human fibrin) with the anti-tPA cell line TCL8. The properties of hybridoma bispecific antibody F32.1 and its F(ab′)2 were indistinguishable from those of hybrid-hybridoma bispecific antibody F36.23 in solid-phase binding assays and in assays of fibrinolysis. Bispecific antibodies produced by somatic cell fusion, particularly in the form of F(ab′)2, may have potential for use in clinical thrombolysis.

In this issue Badenhop et al1 present a study of genetic markers in schoolchildren and death from coronary artery disease or myocardial infarction or a history of coronary artery bypass surgery or angioplasty in their grandparents. The study shows a correlation between these end points and both an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) genotype and the plasma concentration of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]. These observations remind us that we do not fully understand the risk factors governing coronary artery disease. Over many years, a wealth of studies have identified smoking, hypertension, sex, increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, and a sedentary lifestyle as having a significant impact on the incidence of arteriosclerosis and myocardial infarction or stroke. Yet data from the Framingham Study show that the probability of developing one of the manifestations of coronary artery disease within 10 years is 6% for a 50-year-old man without any of the known risk factors; for a 60-year-old man in the same condition, the probability is 9%.2 It is not surprising, then, that the identification of other risk factors for arteriosclerosis and its consequences —especially those factors for which a positive linkage exists between a genetic locus and disease—remains the focus of considerable research activity. Of particular interest in the context of the report by Badenhop et al1 are the plasma concentrations of angiotensin II and Lp(a). Angiotensin II is a potent vasoconstrictor, cardiac inotropic agent, and smooth muscle cell growth factor. Elevated levels of angiotensin II have been recognized for some time to correlate with hypertension, and they appear to be associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction.3 The plasma and tissue concentrations of angiotensin II are determined by the renin-angiotensin system. The enzyme renin cleaves its substrate angiotensinogen to release an inactive peptide, angiotensin I. A second enzyme, …

Mammalian Ubc9 (mUbc9) is required for rapid degradation of the E2A proteins E12 and E47 by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. We have shown elsewhere that mUbc9 interacts with amino acids 477-530 of E12/E47. Here we test the hypothesis that this region, rich in proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine (PEST) residues, serves as the E2A protein degradation domain (DD). An E2A protein lacking this region, E47Delta(478-531), was significantly more stable than wild-type E47(half-life of more than 6 h versus 55 min). Deletion of the E2A DD had no effect on the E-box-binding and transcriptional activity of E47. We mapped two discreet mUbc9-interacting regions within the E2A DD: amino acids 476-494 and 505-513. E2A(505-513) interacted with mUbc9 but not with human Ubc5, MyoD, Id3, or the polymyositis-scleroderma autoantigen. Substitution of the E2A(505-513) central hydrophobic residues with basic residues abolished interaction with mUbc9. Also, full-length E47 lacking the second mUbc9-interacting region was significantly more stable than wild-type E47. Reintroduction of the E2A DD into the long-lived, naturally occurring chimeric oncoprotein E2A-HLF (hepatic leukemic factor) destabilized it, suggesting that this domain can transfer a degradation signal to a heterologous protein. E2A-HLF-DD chimeric protein was stabilized by the proteasome inhibitor LLNL, indicating the role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system mediating degradation through the E2A degradation domain. Our experiments indicate that the E2A DD mediates E2A protein interactions with the ubiquitin-proteasome system and that the E2A DD is required for metabolism of these widely expressed proteins.

Abstract —Recent studies of mice that lack plasminogen have identified a critical role for this zymogen in arterial remodeling. To permit the use of these (and other) genetically modified mice in the analysis of venous injury, we developed a model in which a patch cut from the external jugular vein of a mouse is grafted to repair a surgically created defect in its carotid artery. In wild-type mice, the venous graft showed initial endothelial denudation and formation of a neointima that progressively and reproducibly expanded in a manner analogous to human vein graft disease, albeit at an accelerated pace. This neointima occupied 37±4.6% of the vessel lumen at day 7 and 66±5.7% at day 20. The proliferative index of neointimal cells assessed by proliferating cell nuclear antigen staining was 50.6±3.6% at day 7 and 15.2±2.0% at day 20. CD45-positive leukocytes and α-actin–positive smooth muscle cells accounted for 9.5±1.0% and 9.9±1.1% of intimal area at day 7, respectively, with the latter increasing to 40.9±2.6% at day 20. Collagen accounted for 6.8±0.7% of intimal area at day 7 and 20.7±1.8% at day 20. Surprisingly, even though arterial neointima formation due to electrostatic and immune-mediated injury is impaired in plasminogen –/– mice, in our study vein graft neointima formation in these mice was not significantly different from that in controls (70.9±6.4 versus 65.6±4.4% luminal occlusion, P =NS). Thus, plasmin proteolysis, although critical in extracellular matrix degradation and cellular migration after arterial injury, does not appear to be so important in vein graft neointima formation, perhaps because of the relative lack of structural barriers to cellular migration in the normal vein wall. This novel model of vein graft injury should be useful for further studies of differences in the response to injury of arterial and venous tissues.

Interferons (IFNs) affect cellular functions by altering gene expression. The eukaryotic cell cycle is governed in part by the periodic transcription of cyclin genes, whose protein products associate with and positively regulate the cyclin-dependent kinases. To understand better the growth inhibitory effect of IFN-gamma on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), we compared the expression and activity of G1 and S phase cyclins in control and IFN-gamma-treated VSMCs. IFN-gamma treatment did not inhibit the G1 cyclins but did decrease cyclin A protein, mRNA, and associated kinase activity by 85, 90, and 90%, respectively. Nuclear run-on and mRNA stability determinations indicated that this decrease was the result of transcriptional inhibition. To investigate the molecular basis of this inhibition, we examined protein-DNA interactions involving the cyclin A promoter. Electromobility shift assays showed little change with IFN-gamma treatment in the binding of nuclear proteins to isolated ATF, NF-Y, and CDE elements. In vivo genomic footprinting indicated that IFN-gamma treatment changed the occupancy of chromosomal NF-Y and CDE sites slightly and did not affect occupancy of the ATF site. In a previous study of transforming growth factor-beta1-mediated inhibition of the cyclin A promoter, we mapped the inhibitory effect to the ATF site; in the present study of IFN-gamma treatment, functional analysis by transient transfection showed that inhibition of the cyclin A promoter persisted despite mutation of the ATF, NF-Y, or CDE elements. We hypothesize that IFN-gamma inhibits cyclin A transcription by modifying co-activators or general transcription factors within the complex that drives transcription of the cyclin A gene.

Transplant-associated arteriosclerosis remains an obstacle to long-term graft survival. To determine the contribution to transplant arteriosclerosis of MHC and adhesion molecules from cells of the donor vasculature, we allografted carotid artery loops from six mutant mouse strains into immunocompetent CBA/CaJ recipients. The donor mice were deficient in either MHC I molecules or MHC II molecules, both MHC I and MHC II molecules, the adhesion molecule P-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, or both P-selectin and ICAM-1. Donor arteries in which ICAM-1, MHC II, or both MHC I and MHC II were absent showed reductions in neointima formation of 52%, 33%, and 38%, respectively, due primarily to a reduction in smooth muscle cell (SMC) accumulation. In P-selectin-deficient donor arteries, neointima formation did not differ from that in controls. In donor arteries lacking both P-selectin and ICAM-1, the size of the neointima was similar to that in those lacking ICAM-1 alone. In contrast, neointima formation increased by 52% in MHC I-deficient donor arteries. The number of CD4-positive T cells increased by 2.8-fold in MHC I-deficient arteries, and that of alpha-actin-positive SMCs by twofold. These observations indicate that ICAM-1 and MHC II molecules expressed in the donor vessel wall may promote transplant-associated arteriosclerosis. MHC I molecules expressed in the donor may have a protective effect.

Although several cytokines and growth factors have been shown to regulate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production, little is known about how VEGF may regulate growth factors that have known mitogenic and chemotactic actions on mesenchymal cells (which are involved in the maturation of the angiogenic process). We investigated the effect of VEGF on heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. HB-EGF mRNA was induced by 8-fold after 2 h of VEGF stimulation, and it returned to base line within 6 h. VEGF did not alter the half-life of HB-EGF mRNA (55 min). Nuclear run-on experiments showed a 4.9-fold increase in HB-EGF gene transcription within 2 h of VEGF stimulation, and Western analysis demonstrated an associated increase in cellular HB-EGF protein. We found that platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) mRNA was also induced 3-fold after 5 h of VEGF stimulation, whereas neither endothelin 1 nor transforming growth factor-beta1 was regulated by VEGF. Finally, conditioned medium from VEGF-stimulated endothelial cells produced an increase in DNA synthesis in vascular smooth muscle cells, and this effect was blocked by a neutralizing antibody to PDGF. The induction of HB-EGF and PDGF-BB expression in endothelial cells may represent the mechanism by which VEGF recruits mesenchymal cells to form the medial and adventitial layers of arterioles and venules during the course of angiogenesis.

Background Hypercholesterolemia is thought to be a significant risk factor for coronary vasculopathy in cardiac transplant recipients. Methods and Results We examined the development of arteriosclerosis in mouse carotid artery loops allografted from B.10A(2R) (H-2 h2 ) donors to normocholesterolemic C57BL/6J (H-2 b ) recipients and hypercholesterolemic C57BL/6J recipients in which the apolipoprotein (apo) E gene had been knocked out. Luminal occlusion and cross-sectional neointimal area were greater in arteries allografted into hypercholesterolemic recipients at 15 and 30 days after transplantation. We also measured cellular and extracellular matrix components of the neointima by computerized planimetry of the fractional areas subtended by smooth muscle cells (anti–α-actin stain), collagen (Masson’s trichrome), lipid (oil red O), and leukocytes (anti-CD45). The neointimal area stained for smooth muscle cells was significantly greater in hypercholesterolemic recipients than in normocholesterolemic recipients at 15 and 30 days after allografting. Lipid contributed to neointimal area to a lesser degree, and there was no significant increase in the contribution of collagen or leukocytes. Conclusions Smooth muscle cell accumulation appears to be the principal contributor to the increase in neointimal area observed in arteries allografted into hypercholesterolemic mice.