Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity is inducible in mouse 3T3 fibroblasts by benz[alpha]anthracene, whereas no detectable basal or inducible levels of this enzyme occur in rat-hepatoma tissue culture cells. Conversely, tyrosine aminotransferase activity is inducible in hepatoma cells by dexamethasone, whereas only low noninducible levels of this enzyme exist in 3T3 cells. In hybrids formed by...

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a member of the gp130 cytokine family and signals through the receptor complex of gp130 and the LIF receptor (LIFR) to activate the JAK/STAT signaling cascade. Since LIF activates STATs 1 and 3 in adipocytes, we examined the effects of LIF on 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our studies clearly demonstrate that LIF treatment had minimal effects on adipocyte differentiation...

The ether lipid analogue 1-octadecyl-2-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (ET-18-OCH3) has been shown to be a direct inhibitor of Swiss 3T3 fibroblast and BG1 ovarian adenocarcinoma cell cytosolic phosphoinositide selective phospholipase C (PIPLC) using [3H]-phosphatidylinositol-(4, 5)-bisphosphate ([3H]PIP2) as the substrate. The inhibition occurred when ET-18-OCH3 was incorporated into the [...

Interleukin 12 (IL-12), a disulfide-linked heterodimeric cytokine produced primarily by macrophages, is composed of light (p35) and heavy (p40) chains. It binds to a receptor on T-cells and natural killer cells, promoting the induction of primarily a TH1 response in vitro and in vivo. To determine whether paracrine IL-12 secretion can alter tumor cell growth or promote antitumor immunity, we ha...

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha or TNF) gene is activated by both lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and cycloheximide in RAW 264.7 macrophages, whereas neither stimulus activates the gene in 3T3 fibroblasts. Moreover, the pattern of CG methylation within the TNF gene is readily distinguishable in DNA derived from cells of these two types. These findings would suggest that the TNF gene has been rend...

A technique for exposing the interior of aggregates of cultured cells has been developed and is described in this report. Using this technique, we have examined for the first time, by scanning electron microscopy, cell morphology and cell contact ultrastructure in the interior of aggregates of BALB/c 3T3 and SV40-transformed 3T3 cells. The 3T3 cells make initial intercellular contact by means o...

Infiltration of immune cells into adipose tissue plays a central role in the pathophysiology of obesity-associated low-grade inflammation. The aim of this study was to analyze the role of adipocyte NF-κB signaling in the regulation of the chemokine/adipokine interferon-γ-induced protein 10 kDa (IP-10) and adipocyte-mediated T cell migration. Therefore, the regulation of IP-10 was investigated i...

Treatment of intact NIH 3T3 cells with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) causes a rapid redistribution (stabilization) of protein kinase C to the particulate fraction. Part of the enzyme activity stabilized to the membrane fraction in response to TPA can be recovered associated with nuclear-cytoskeletal components. An apparently pure nuclear fraction prepared from NIH 3T3 cells was fou...

OBJECTIVE It is well known that bleomycin induces tissue fibrosis, including pulmonary fibrosis or scleroderma-like conditions. However, the pathogenesis has not been completely elucidated. We recently observed that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) stimulated by bleomycin show growth stimulatory activity for fibroblasts. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important mediator of immune and inflamm...

Abnormal lipid metabolism in adipose tissue is closely related to the occurrence and progression of a wide variety of metabolic syndromes. We have analyzed the pharmacological effects of Chinese herbal medicines on cell differentiation and lipid metabolism in adipocytes. Yi-Gan-San (YGS) is a Chinese herbal medicine that is effective in treating the behavioral and psychological symptoms of deme...