Murine stem cell factor (SCF) induces the differentiation of mucosal mast cells (MMC) into connective tissue mast cells (CTMC) and potentiates mediator release induced by aggregation of high-affinity IgE receptors (Fc epsilon RI). In the present work, we investigated the effect of Fc epsilon RI aggregation on nitric oxide (NO) pathway induction in the different subsets of mast cells, as well as the contribution of SCF in this induction. Inducible NO synthase (iNOs) expression was not evidenced in non-stimulated MMC obtained by culture of hematopoietic progenitors in the presence of interleukin-3, whereas IgE-antigen-stimulated MMC expressed iNOs mRNA and protein and synthesized nitrites. Long-term treatment of MMC with SCF, allowing them to differentiate into CTMC, induced iNOs expression in non-stimulated cells and up-regulated iNOs expression and generation of NO derivatives induced by IgE-antigen stimulation. Thus, NO derivatives generated by mast cells could participate in inflammatory reactions during allergic stimulation.

Human keratinocytes (HK) generate nitric oxide (NO) and proinflammatory mediators following activation with either IgE/anti-IgE immune complexes or a combination of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). Recently, interleukin-10 (IL-10) has been shown to down-regulate various inflammatory responses and to be secreted by lymphocytes and dendritic cells during skin inflammatory reactions. We show here that IL-10 down-regulates the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and IL-6 by activated HK. Also, induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in HK by IgE/anti-IgE or LPS/IFN-gamma is significantly reduced by the addition of IL-10. This effect is dose dependent and correlates with reduction of iNOS mRNA production and enzyme level. Therefore, IL-10 down-regulates NO-mediated HK inflammatory responses and may thus participate in the regulation of the skin immune network.

We tested the effects of theophylline, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor inducing intracellular accumulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), on malignant B cells from 15 patients with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). We observed a large increase in apoptotic cell numbers (mean, 90% v 20% in medium alone) in the presence of theophylline (100 micrograms/mL) or chlorambucil (10 mumol/L) after 72 hours of incubation. Maximal apoptosis (90%) was reached after 36 hours when the two drugs were used together at fourfold lower concentrations, indicating a synergistic effect; no effect was observed with normal B cells, suggesting that the combination might have therapeutic interest. Chlorambucil induced intracellular Ca+2 influx, pointing to the involvement of two signaling pathways that might explain its synergy with theophylline through their effects on oncogenes. The expression of bcl-2 protein, a proto-oncogene inhibiting apoptosis, decreased after incubation with the drugs, while c-myc, recently described as having a potent role in apoptosis, was overexpressed. For p53 we observed an overexpression in the presence of chlorambucil or both theophylline- chlorambucil and a decrease after theophylline incubation. Chlorambucil- and theophylline-induced apoptosis was partially inhibited by interleukin-4 (IL-4), which also abrogated the effects on oncogene expression. These results provide insight into the mechanisms underlying B-CLL apoptosis and suggest that the theophylline- chlorambucil combination may be of therapeutic value in this setting.

Retinoids exert various functions including anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects on many cell types including keratinocytes and are widely used in skin diseases, such as psoriasis and acne. We have previously shown that human keratinocytes express low affinity immunoglobulin E receptor (FcepsilonRII/CD23) when stimulated with interleukin-4. Immunoglobulin E ligates CD23 and induces the production of nitrites (reflecting the mobilization of the nitric oxide [NO]-pathway) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha by human keratinocytes. Here, 13-cis and all-trans retinoic acid (RA) were shown to reduce the production of nitrites by immunoglobulin E-activated keratinocytes by 80% in a time- and concentration-dependent fashion. As a consequence, RA derivatives also reduced the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha by these cells by 70%. The level of inducible NO synthase activity in activated human keratinocytes was significantly decreased upon treatment of the cells with RA derivatives (inhibition by 60% of the mean inducible NO synthase activity with 13-cis RA, 2 microM). Treatment for 24 h with RA derivatives almost completely abolished transcription of inducible NO synthase-specific mRNA in activated keratinocytes. Therefore, RA derivatives downregulate tumor necrosis factor-alpha release and the NO-transduction pathway through the inhibition of inducible NO synthase transcription. Together, our data provide evidence for inhibition of the NO-pathway by 13-cis and all-trans retinoic acid on CD23-activated human keratinocytes. These data may clarify the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory activity of RA derivatives in skin diseases.

CD34 is a marker for pluripotent stem cells also present on lineage- committed hematopoietic progenitors from bone marrow and a subpopulation of immature thymocytes. To characterize these early immature thymocytes, we have studied 24 pediatric thymus samples for CD34/7 expression. Three subpopulations could be defined from these T- cell receptor (TcR-) immature thymocytes: CD34+7++ (12.0 +/- 5.8), CD34- 7++ (12.6 +/- 8.6), and CD34-7+ (71.5 +/- 17.0%). CD7++ represents upregulation of this antigen and is expressed by cells of a blast-like morphology. Three-color flow cytometric analysis of these three subsets suggests the following ordered differentiation sequence: CD34+7++1-4-8- 45RA+-->CD34+7++1+ 4+8-45RA+/- -->CD34-7++1+4+8-+45RO+-->CD34- 7+1++4+8+45RO+. Early immature thymocyte cell division is essential in the thymus to generate a large number of precursors before the initiation of the selection process. We observed that both CD2 as well CD28 activation pathways were inefficient to serve as costimulant with phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate or interleukin-2 (IL-2) to induce the proliferation of the three CD34/7 subsets isolated by cell sorting. However, whereas IL-1, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and granulocyte-macrophage colony- stimulating factor were ineffective, IL-7 was a potent cytokine, alone or in synergy with stem cell factor (SCF) to induce immature thymocyte proliferation. The proliferation induced by IL-7 or IL-7 + SCF is restricted to the CD34+ cells and, after 4 or 8 days of culture with IL- 7, some CD34+7++ acquire the expression of CD4 and/or CD8, but remain CD3/TcR-. We also tested the myeloid differentiation capacity of these CD34 immature thymocytes. Using two different approaches, myeloid colony formation in methylcellulose and limiting dilution analysis in the presence of myeloid growth factors, we were unable to detect myeloid differentiation capacity from CD34+ early thymocytes, whereas CD34+7+ from bone marrow contained about 10% of the clonogenic cells present in the CD34+7- fraction. Together, these data support the concept that thymic CD34+7++ represents the earliest thymic subset of fully committed T-lineage cells, capable of proliferating specifically to IL-7.