Neutrophils release decondensed nuclear chromatin or Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) in response to a great number of physiological and pharmacological stimuli. However, apart from the host defensive function, NETs play an essential role pathogenesis various autoimmune, inflammatory, malignant diseases. Therefore, understanding molecular mechanisms formation, usually leading neutrophil de...

The human T-cell leukemia, Jurkat, and a T3-negative mutant of Jurkat (S.5) were used to study the role of T3 in human T-cell activation. Incubation of Jurkat with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) resulted in the production of interleukin 2, which was markedly increased by the addition of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Antibodies reactive with T3 could activate Jurkat only if added together wit...

The calcium-sensitive fluorescent probe chlorotetracycline was used to monitor calcium movement in human platelets. The chlorotetracycline fluorescence signal is a linear measure of the level of free calcium in the dense tubules and in the mitochondria, with probe sensitivity in the millimolar range. Experiments perturbing the system with the calcium ionophore A23187 shows that the level of fre...

The effect of NM-monomethyl L-arginine (LNMMA), an analogue of L-arginine (a proposed precursor of endothelium-derived relaxing factor [EDRF]), on EDRF release from bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells was investigated using endothelial cell-vascular smooth muscle cocultures and a superfused column containing endothelial cells grown on microcarrier beads. Cocultures were stimulated with co...

Myocardial ischemia and reperfusion have been shown to impair coronary vasorelaxation to endothelium-dependent vasodilators. To examine the time course of this dysfunction, occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery (90 minutes) was followed by reperfusion for 0, 2.5, 5, 20, 180, or 270 minutes. Coronary arterial rings from the ischemic LAD and control left circumflex (LCx)...

In cardiac fibroblasts, angiotensin II (Ang II) induced a rapid increase in extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) activity in a pertussis toxin insensitive manner. This ERK activation was abolished by the Gq-associated phospholipase C inhibitor U73122 but was insensitive to protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors or PKC downregulation by phorbol ester. Intracellular Ca2+ chelation by BAPTA-AM o...

Peripheral blood cells from nine patients with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) were treated in vitro with bryostatin 1 (a macrocyclic lactone derived from a marine invertebrate). Like the phorbol ester 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate (TPA), bryostatin 1 activates protein kinase C (PKC), which plays a central role in the phosphatidylinositol signal transduction pathway. The effects ...

We have examined the requirement for Na+, Ca2+, and protein synthesis in the induction of the arachidonic acid (20:4) cascade in cultured murine peritoneal macrophages. Replacement of extracellular Na+ with choline or with K+ inhibited receptor-mediated 20:4 release by 60-90%, but did not inhibit release stimulated by the soluble triggers PMA and A23187. Cells that had preingested zymosan parti...