Biomaterial Database

FK778: new cellular and molecular mechanisms of action. 2006

S Schrepfer, and T Deuse, and F Koch-Nolte, and C Detter, and H Reichenspurner

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center, Hamburg, Germany. sschrepfer@uke.uni-hamburg.de

OBJECTIVE The new malononitrilamide FK778 is currently being evaluated as an immunosuppressant for organ transplantation. Its main mechanism is inhibition of a pivotal enzyme of pyrimidine biosynthesis. This report revealed new mechanisms of action on different cell types involved in acute and chronic allograft rejection. METHODS Purified Brown-Norway rat aortic endothelial cell (EC) cultures were pretreated with several concentrations of FK778. Endothelial adhesion molecule expression (ICAM-1/VCAM-1) stimulated with TNF-alpha was quantified by immunofluorescence. Purified Lewis rat lymphocytes (LC) incubated with FK778 were stimulated via TCR/CD28 signals, and CD25 expression was quantified using FACS analysis. Uridine addition was used in all assays to reverse the pyrimidine synthesis blockade. Lymphocyte-EC interaction was assessed by micromanipulator-assisted single-cell adhesion assays. Finally, smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation and migration was analyzed. Uridine addition was used in all assays to reverse the pyrimidine synthesis blockade. RESULTS TNF-alpha stimulation and TCR/CD28 co-stimulation significantly increased EC ICAM-1/VCAM-1-expression and LC CD25 surface expression, respectively. These effects were dose-dependently inhibited by FK778 and were not reversed by the addition of uridine. FK778 dose-dependently attenuated LC adhesion to allogeneic EC. The dose-dependent inhibition of SMC proliferation by FK778 was abolished by uridine addition, whereas the inhibitory effect on SMC migration was not affected by uridine supplementation. CONCLUSIONS FK778 directly reduced endothelial adhesion molecule up-regulation, inhibited lymphocyte activation, and attenuated lymphocyte-endothelium interactions, critical early steps in graft rejection. These effects were separate from the blockade of pyrimidine synthesis. The antiproliferative potency of FK778 on SMC may be an important mechanism to inhibit the fibroproliferative lesions of chronic organ rejection.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007555	Isoxazoles	Azoles with an OXYGEN and a NITROGEN next to each other at the 1,2 positions, in contrast to OXAZOLES that have nitrogens at the 1,3 positions.	Isoxazole
D008213	Lymphocyte Activation	Morphologic alteration of small B LYMPHOCYTES or T LYMPHOCYTES in culture into large blast-like cells able to synthesize DNA and RNA and to divide mitotically. It is induced by INTERLEUKINS; MITOGENS such as PHYTOHEMAGGLUTININS, and by specific ANTIGENS. It may also occur in vivo as in GRAFT REJECTION.	Blast Transformation,Blastogenesis,Lymphoblast Transformation,Lymphocyte Stimulation,Lymphocyte Transformation,Transformation, Blast,Transformation, Lymphoblast,Transformation, Lymphocyte,Activation, Lymphocyte,Stimulation, Lymphocyte
D008214	Lymphocytes	White blood cells formed in the body's lymphoid tissue. The nucleus is round or ovoid with coarse, irregularly clumped chromatin while the cytoplasm is typically pale blue with azurophilic (if any) granules. Most lymphocytes can be classified as either T or B (with subpopulations of each), or NATURAL KILLER CELLS.	Lymphoid Cells,Cell, Lymphoid,Cells, Lymphoid,Lymphocyte,Lymphoid Cell
D009570	Nitriles	Organic compounds containing the -CN radical. The concept is distinguished from CYANIDES, which denotes inorganic salts of HYDROGEN CYANIDE.	Nitrile
D011914	Rats, Inbred BN	An inbred strain of rat that is widely used in a variety of research areas such as the study of ASTHMA; CARCINOGENESIS; AGING; and LEUKEMIA.	Rats, Inbred Brown Norway,Rats, BN,BN Rat,BN Rat, Inbred,BN Rats,BN Rats, Inbred,Inbred BN Rat,Inbred BN Rats,Rat, BN,Rat, Inbred BN
D011917	Rats, Inbred Lew	An inbred strain of rat that is used in BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH.	Rats, Inbred Lewis,Rats, Lew,Inbred Lew Rat,Inbred Lew Rats,Inbred Lewis Rats,Lew Rat,Lew Rat, Inbred,Lew Rats,Lew Rats, Inbred,Lewis Rats, Inbred,Rat, Inbred Lew,Rat, Lew
D011948	Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell	Molecules on the surface of T-lymphocytes that recognize and combine with antigens. The receptors are non-covalently associated with a complex of several polypeptides collectively called CD3 antigens (CD3 COMPLEX). Recognition of foreign antigen and the major histocompatibility complex is accomplished by a single heterodimeric antigen-receptor structure, composed of either alpha-beta (RECEPTORS, ANTIGEN, T-CELL, ALPHA-BETA) or gamma-delta (RECEPTORS, ANTIGEN, T-CELL, GAMMA-DELTA) chains.	Antigen Receptors, T-Cell,T-Cell Receptors,Receptors, T-Cell Antigen,T-Cell Antigen Receptor,T-Cell Receptor,Antigen Receptor, T-Cell,Antigen Receptors, T Cell,Receptor, T-Cell,Receptor, T-Cell Antigen,Receptors, T Cell Antigen,Receptors, T-Cell,T Cell Antigen Receptor,T Cell Receptor,T Cell Receptors,T-Cell Antigen Receptors
D002448	Cell Adhesion	Adherence of cells to surfaces or to other cells.	Adhesion, Cell,Adhesions, Cell,Cell Adhesions
D004730	Endothelium, Vascular	Single pavement layer of cells which line the luminal surface of the entire vascular system and regulate the transport of macromolecules and blood components.	Capillary Endothelium,Vascular Endothelium,Capillary Endotheliums,Endothelium, Capillary,Endotheliums, Capillary,Endotheliums, Vascular,Vascular Endotheliums
D005434	Flow Cytometry	Technique using an instrument system for making, processing, and displaying one or more measurements on individual cells obtained from a cell suspension. Cells are usually stained with one or more fluorescent dyes specific to cell components of interest, e.g., DNA, and fluorescence of each cell is measured as it rapidly transverses the excitation beam (laser or mercury arc lamp). Fluorescence provides a quantitative measure of various biochemical and biophysical properties of the cell, as well as a basis for cell sorting. Other measurable optical parameters include light absorption and light scattering, the latter being applicable to the measurement of cell size, shape, density, granularity, and stain uptake.	Cytofluorometry, Flow,Cytometry, Flow,Flow Microfluorimetry,Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting,Microfluorometry, Flow,Cell Sorting, Fluorescence-Activated,Cell Sortings, Fluorescence-Activated,Cytofluorometries, Flow,Cytometries, Flow,Flow Cytofluorometries,Flow Cytofluorometry,Flow Cytometries,Flow Microfluorometries,Flow Microfluorometry,Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting,Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sortings,Microfluorimetry, Flow,Microfluorometries, Flow,Sorting, Fluorescence-Activated Cell,Sortings, Fluorescence-Activated Cell