Node High Endothelial Venules Research Articles

Lymphocyte homing and leukocyte rolling and migration are impaired in L-selectin-deficient mice

L-selectin, a cell adhesion molecule expressed by leukocytes, mediates the attachment of lymphocytes to high endothelial venules (HEV) of peripheral lymph nodes and mediates the earliest interactions between leukocytes and activated vascular endothelium. Mice possessing a mutant L-selectin gene that results in the complete loss of cell surface receptor expression were generated by gene targeting. Lymphocytes from these mice did not bind to peripheral lymph node HEV and these mice had a severe reduction in the number of lymphocytes localized to peripheral lymph nodes. Short-term homing experiments demonstrated that L-selectin was also involved in lymphocyte migration to mucosal lymph nodes, Peyer's patches, and spleen. Furthermore, significant defects in leukocyte rolling and neutrophil migration into the peritoneum in response to an inflammatory stimulus were observed. Thus, L-selectin plays an essential role in leukocyte homing to lymphoid tissues and sites of inflammation.

Role of the CS1 adhesion motif of fibronectin in T cell adhesion to synovial membrane and peripheral lymph node endothelium.

It has previously been shown that the very late antigen-4/vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VLA-4/VCAM-1) pathway functions as a receptor/ligand interaction system mediating the recruitment of activated lymphocytes to inflamed synovium of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This study was performed to determine whether VLA-4 also affects lymphocyte adhesion to inflamed synovium through interaction with the alternatively spliced CS1 domain of fibronectin. The effect of the synthetic peptide CS1 on lymphocyte binding to human synovial and peripheral lymph node high endothelial venules (HEVs) was measured in an in vitro frozen section assay. In the presence of the CS1 peptide or antibody to fibronectin, significant inhibition of binding was observed (54 and 51% respectively). Blocking with antibody to VCAM-1 yielded inhibition of binding to 46% of the control value. Maximum inhibition of binding was obtained with a combination of antibody to VCAM-1 and CS1 (65%) and with antibody to VLA-4 alpha (68%). Blocking the classical fibronectin receptor with antibody to VLA-5 alpha gave a slightly lower inhibition at 42%. In normal peripheral lymph nodes, the synthetic peptide CS1 and antibodies to fibronectin and VLA-5 also partially inhibited T cell binding to HEVs (45, 47, and 52% respectively). These results show that fibronectin mediates lymphocyte-HEV interactions not only through its classical VLA-5 receptor, but also through its CS1 adhesion motif in inflamed synovium and peripheral lymph nodes.

Enhanced interaction of L-selectin with the high endothelial venule ligand via selectively oxidized sialic acids.

The selectins are adhesion receptors that play key roles in leukocyte trafficking. Each has an N-terminal C-type lectin domain that binds to specific carbohydrates in a calcium-dependent manner. L-selectin recognizes sulfated, sialylated ligands on lymph node high endothelial venules. This recognition is abolished by strong periodate oxidation under conditions that destroy oligosaccharides. In contrast, mild periodate oxidation, which selectively oxidizes the side chain of sialic acid residues without affecting the underlying oligosaccharide, markedly enhances this interaction. The enhancement is calcium dependent, indicating that lectin recognition is maintained. Reduction of the sialic acid aldehydes generated by mild periodate to alcohol groups abolishes this effect. Covalent cross-linking of the oxidized ligand to L-selectin can be demonstrated, suggesting Schiff base formation between lysine residues of the selectin and the newly formed aldehydes. Such selectively oxidized sialylated ligands could be used to probe the lectin domains of the selectins and to identify lysine residues near the binding site. Also, this approach could be used to design drugs for disrupting leukocyte-endothelial interactions leading to pathological inflammation.

Fucoidin, but not yeast polyphosphomannan PPME, inhibits leukocyte rolling in venules of the rat mesentery

Leukocyte rolling in venules is inhibited by several sulfated polysaccharides, by antibodies to the leukocyte adhesion receptor L- selectin (LECAM-1), and by recombinant soluble L-selectin. The sulfated fucose polymer fucoidin and the polyphosphomannan PPME bind to L- selectin and inhibit L-selectin-mediated lymphocyte adhesion to lymph node high endothelial venules (LN-HEV). We investigated whether fucoidin and PPME also inhibit leukocyte rolling. Rolling leukocyte flux was determined by intravital microscopy in 47 venules (diameter 21 to 50 microns) of the rat mesentery with and without micro-infusion of each reagent through 8-microns glass micropipettes. Micro-infusion (1 mg/mL) or intravenous (IV) injection (25 mg/kg) of fucoidin, but not vehicle, reduced leukocyte rolling by greater than 90%. The half- effective concentration was approximately 2.5 micrograms/mL. Stroboscopic fluorescence video microscopy showed that fucoidin decreased the fraction of rolling leukocytes from 44% of all leukocytes passing the venules in control to less than 1%. PPME micro-infusion (1 mg/mL) or IV injection (14 mg/kg) did not reduce leukocyte rolling. Hence, leukocyte rolling differs from lymphocyte homing with respect to the effect of PPME. This may be related to fucoidin binding to L- selectin with greater affinity than PPME. Alternatively, inflamed venular endothelium may express a ligand for L-selectin different from that constitutively expressed on LN-HEV.

Fucoidin, But Not Yeast Polyphosphomannan PPME, Inhibits Leukocyte Rolling in Venules of the Rat Mesentery

Leukocyte rolling in venules is inhibited by several sulfated polysaccharides, by antibodies to the leukocyte adhesion receptor L-selectin (LECAM-1), and by recombinant soluble L-selectin. The sulfated fucose polymer fucoidin and the polyphosphomannan PPME bind to L-selectin and inhibit L-selectin-mediated lymphocyte adhesion to lymph node high endothelial venules (LN-HEV). We investigated whether fucoidin and PPME also inhibit leukocyte rolling. Rolling leukocyte flux was determined by intravital microscopy in 47 venules (diameter 21 to 50 microns) of the rat mesentery with and without micro-infusion of each reagent through 8-microns glass micropipettes. Micro-infusion (1 mg/mL) or intravenous (IV) injection (25 mg/kg) of fucoidin, but not vehicle, reduced leukocyte rolling by greater than 90%. The half-effective concentration was approximately 2.5 micrograms/mL. Stroboscopic fluorescence video microscopy showed that fucoidin decreased the fraction of rolling leukocytes from 44% of all leukocytes passing the venules in control to less than 1%. PPME micro-infusion (1 mg/mL) or IV injection (14 mg/kg) did not reduce leukocyte rolling. Hence, leukocyte rolling differs from lymphocyte homing with respect to the effect of PPME. This may be related to fucoidin binding to L-selectin with greater affinity than PPME. Alternatively, inflamed venular endothelium may express a ligand for L-selectin different from that constitutively expressed on LN-HEV.

Developmental regulation of vascular addressin expression: a possible role for site-associated environments.

Tissue selective traffic of lymphocytes into different lymphoid organs is mediated by adherence of blood borne lymphocytes to specialized endothelial cells lining the high endothelial venules (HEV) in lymphoid organs. Lymphocytes discriminate between HEV in peripheral lymph nodes and in mucosal lymphoid tissues by means of membrane associated lymphocyte homing receptors adhering to their putative HEV ligands, the vascular addressins. The expression of particular vascular addressins on HEV is site- or tissue-selective and may be directed by factors unique to a specific location or lymph node environment. In this study we investigated the impact of regional environments on lymph node HEV differentiation and function. Experimentally, this problem was approached by the transplantation of lymph nodes from one region to a second region. The sites selected for receipt of tissues were the mesentery, a mucosal site, and the popliteal fossa, a peripheral site. We found that the phenotype of lymph node HEV following transplantation was influenced by both donor age and transplantation site. The transplantation site could influence vascular addressin expression, when tissues were obtained from late fetal or early neonatal donors and not when obtained from adult donors. Transplanted adult tissues retained their pre-transplantation vascular addressin expression phenotype regardless of transplantation site. Thus the endothelium within adult lymph nodes may be committed to expression of a particular addressin or addressins during lymph node development. It is also possible that regulatory cells or structures present within lymph nodes at the time of transplantation direct vascular addressin expression following tissue engraftment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Evidence that lymphocyte traffic into rejecting cardiac allografts is CD11a- and CD49d-dependent.

Acute cardiac allograft rejection is characterized by infiltration of leukocytes into tissue parenchyma, but the site of entry and endothelial adhesion molecules involved are not yet defined. Lymphocyte binding to frozen sections prepared from day-3 rejecting cardiac allografts was significantly increased compared with sections made from normal hearts (number of bound lymphocytes, 983 +/- 216 per mm2 vs. 309 +/- 121, respectively, P < 0.001) or syngeneic grafts. The bound lymphocytes were located exclusively only on the top of the capillary structures and not on any other sites on the heart vasculature. We further wanted to analyze which of the cloned endothelial adhesion molecules and their counterreceptors would be involved in the increased lymphocyte binding. Lymphocyte pretreatment with mAb anti-CD11a or anti-CD49d inhibited this binding more than 50%. This inhibition on lymphocyte binding could not be increased by combining these two antibodies. Lymphocyte binding to endothelium has been shown to be at least partly organ specific; therefore, we asked whether increased lymphocytes adhere to cardiac allografts could be organ specific. Lymphocyte binding to lymph node high endothelial venules (HEV) has been shown to be inhibited by mannose-6-phosphate (M6P) and to kidney peritubular capillaries by mannose-1-phosphate (M1P). In the present study neither of these carbohydrates had any effect on lymphocyte binding to cardiac allograft endothelium. Monosaccharide inhibition studies demonstrate that the mechanism of lymphocyte adhesion to cardiac capillary endothelium differs from adhesion to kidney allografts or peripheral lymph node high endothelium.

Selective endothelial binding of interleukin-2-dependent human T-cell lines derived from different tissues.

The ability of lymphocytes to recognize and bind to high endothelial venules (HEVs) is essential for lymphocyte migration from the blood into lymphoid tissues and into sites of inflammation. Endothelial cell binding capacity also critically determines the clinical usefulness of T-cell lines and clones in immunotherapy. In the present study, interleukin-2-dependent T-cell lines were derived from the blood, lamina propria of the gut, inflamed synovium, synovial fluid, and peripheral lymph nodes. After 3-8 weeks of culture, the expression of homing-associated molecules and binding to mucosal, synovial, and peripheral lymph node HEVs were analyzed. Cell lines derived from the blood and mucosal sites bound significantly better to mucosal and synovial HEVs than to peripheral lymph node HEVs. Three out of seven synovial T-cell lines showed preferential binding to synovial HEVs, whereas the rest bound almost equally well to synovial and mucosal HEVs. T-cell lines from peripheral lymph nodes bound preferentially to lymph node HEVs despite the lack of L-selectin (the peripheral lymph node homing receptor). Expression of the known homing-associated molecules did not predict the HEV-binding specificity of these lines. Importantly, two cell lines bound well to synovial venules, but poorly, if at all, to mucosal or peripheral lymph node HEVs, supporting the concept that synovial-specific HEV recognition mechanisms exist. In conclusion, the tissue origin of T-cell lines critically determines their selectivity for endothelial cell recognition, and besides the known "homing receptors," other molecules may also mediate tissue-specific HEV-binding of interleukin-2-activated T cells.

Cloning and expression of mouse integrin beta p(beta 7): a functional role in Peyer's patch-specific lymphocyte homing.

Lymphocytes express integrin receptors, termed lymphocyte Peyer's patch high endothelial venule (HEV) adhesion molecules (LPAMs), that mediate their organ-specific adhesion to specialized HEVs found in mucosal lymphoid organs (Peyer's patches). LPAM-1 consists of a murine integrin alpha 4 noncovalently associated with integrin beta p. Here, we describe the cloning and expression of a mouse cDNA encoding beta p, which is an 806-amino acid transmembrane glycoprotein. The genomic Southern blot analysis indicates that beta p is the murine homologue of human beta 7. The function of alpha 4 beta 7 as a Peyer's patch-specific adhesion molecule was tested directly by expression of the murine beta 7 cDNA in an alpha 4+ beta 7-B-cell line or coexpression of the alpha 4 and beta 7 cDNAs in an alpha 4-beta 7-T-cell line. The transfected cells exhibited a new Peyer's patch-specific adhesive phenotype that could be specifically blocked by monoclonal antibodies against alpha 4 and beta 7. Moreover, an anti-beta 7 monoclonal antibody specifically blocked binding of normal lymphocytes to Peyer's patch HEV but did not inhibit their binding to peripheral lymph node HEVs, indicating that beta 7 is a unique component of the Peyer's patch-specific homing receptor.

Random entry of circulating lymphocyte subsets into peripheral lymph nodes and Peyer's patches: no evidence in vivo of a tissue-specific migration of B and T lymphocytes at the level of high endothelial venules.

Lymphocytes continuously migrate through the body and thus immune competent cells are constantly delivered to most tissues. They interact with high endothelial venules (HEV) via specific homing receptors and vascular addressins, and these molecules seem to be the reason for a preferential homing of B lymphocytes into Peyer's patches and of T lymphocytes into peripheral lymph nodes. When lymphocytes derived from lymph node cell suspensions were applied in the in vitro lymphocyte/endothelium binding assay, the well-known preference of mouse lymph node B lymphocytes for Peyer's patch HEV compared to peripheral lymph node HEV was confirmed in the rat (2.8 times). When in the same in vitro assay thoracic duct lymphocytes (TDL) were used this preference was far less obvious (1.4 times). However, by injecting rat TDL intravenously and by tracing them directly in HEV, B, T, CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes are seen to enter Peyer's patches and peripheral lymph nodes in vivo without preference. Thus, in contrast to lymphocytes from lymph node cell suspensions, no evidence was found of a tissue-specific migration of thoracic duct B, T, CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes at the HEV level. This finding demonstrates the importance of considering both experimental conditions and the cell source used when investigating lymphocyte traffic.

Regulation of L-selectin expression on cultured bone marrow leukocytes and their precursors.

L-selectin (LECAM-1, LAM-1, MEL-14 antigen, Dreg antigen) is one of the molecules controlling lymphocyte homing from the blood to peripheral lymph nodes and granulocyte adhesion to inflamed endothelium. In this work, regulation of L-selectin expression on mouse bone marrow cells was studied. L-selectin-negative cells were isolated by panning technique, cultured for 1-7 days with cytokines and mitogens, and L-selectin expression was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining. When cultured for 3 days with interleukin (IL) 1, IL 2, IL 5, IL 6, phytohemagglutinin, pokeweed mitogen or in the medium alone, 75%-85% of L-selectin-negative large cells (including granulocytes, macrophages/monocytes, blasts and their precursors) became L-selectin positive. In contrast, IL 3, IL 4, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) prevented the induction of L-selectin in a time- and dose-dependent manner. GM-CSF was the most potent inhibitor and only 10%-15% of cells became L-selectin positive after 3 days of culture. Furthermore, L-selectin was down-regulated on cultured unselected bone marrow cells by IL 3, IL 4, GM-CSF and LPS stimulation. After culture, the relative molecular mass of L-selectin was 100 kDa, similar to the size of the granulocyte form of this antigen. Cultured cells adhered to high endothelial venules (HEV) only 10%-32% as effectively as freshly isolated bone marrow cells despite high levels of L-selectin expression. The phenotypic analysis and the HEV binding data indicate that after culturing L-selectin was almost exclusively expressed on bone marrow leukocytes of myeloid series, and on these cells it was not functional in mediating peripheral lymph node HEV binding. Overall, these results show that the expression of L-selectin can be modulated by regulating the maturation and differentiation of the cells in vitro. This supports the idea that different cytokines and mitogens may also be important in controlling migrational status of leukocytes in vivo.

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 and IL-4 regulate the adhesiveness of Peyer's patch high endothelial venule cells for lymphocytes.

The adhesion of lymphocytes to endothelial cells lining the postcapillary high endothelial venules (HEV) is the first step in their emigration from the bloodstream into lymph nodes and Peyer's patches (PP). We have recently shown that the adhesiveness of cultured rat lymph node and PP HEV cells for thoracic duct lymphocytes can be increased significantly by pretreatment with TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-4. In the present study we investigated the role of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta) on the adhesiveness of nonstimulated and cytokine-stimulated PP HEV cells for rat lymphocytes. The results indicated that at picomolar concentrations, TGF-beta significantly (p less than 0.001) decreased the ability of PP HEV cells to adhere 51Cr-labeled rat lymphocytes. Maximal inhibition was observed with a TGF-beta dose of 0.5 ng/ml and an incubation time of 6 to 12 h. TGF-beta did not affect the morphology of HEV cells and had no adverse effect on their viability. Moreover, the decrease in HEV adhesiveness by TGF-beta was reversible, with lymphocyte binding returning to control level 24 h after removal of the cytokine. The specificity of TGF-beta was confirmed by the ability of neutralizing anti-TGF-beta 1 antibody, but not control serum, to abolish the inhibitory properties of the cytokine. In addition, TGF-beta completely abrogated the increased adhesiveness of PP HEV cells normally induced by TNF-alpha or IFN-gamma. In contrast, TGF-beta had no effect on the stimulating effects of IL-4. Moreover, preincubation of PP HEV cells with TGF-beta did not alter the ability of these cells to respond to IL-4. Importantly, the adhesion of rat lymphocytes to IL-4-stimulated PP HEV cells can be blocked by pretreatment of lymphocytes with the PP-homing receptor-specific 1B.2.6 antibody whereas pretreatment of human mononuclear cells with anti-very late activation antigen-4 alpha antibody inhibited only partially the binding of these cells to the IL-4-stimulated PP HEV monolayers. Taken together, these findings strongly suggest that TGF-beta and IL-4 play important regulatory roles in lymphocyte-HEV adhesion and that the stimulatory effect of IL-4 is mediated at least in part through the increased expression of organ-specific ligands on HEV cells.

Structure and function of L-selectin.

The selectins are a newly described family of carbohydrate-binding adhesion molecules involved in the regulation of leukocyte traffic. Selectins are composed of an N-terminal C-type lectin domain, a single EGF domain, a variable number of short consensus repeat (SCR) domains, a transmembrane region and a cytoplasmic tail. L-selectin (LAM-1/LECAM-1/LECCAM-1) is the only selectin expressed on leukocytes, and mediates a number of leukocyte-endothelial interactions, including the binding of lymphocytes to HEV of peripheral lymph node high endothelial venules (HEV), neutrophil rolling, and leukocyte attachment to cytokine-treated endothelium in vitro. Stable transfectants expressing a series of chimeric selectins and deletion mutants were functionally analyzed in order to determine the molecular basis of adhesion mediated by L-selectin. The specificity of adhesion was found to reside entirely within the lectin domain, suggesting that this domain is the only domain of the protein to interact with the carbohydrate ligand. These results make previous observations that certain mAbs which block function map to each of the extracellular domains difficult to interpret. In addition, deletion of the cytoplasmic tail of L-selectin abolished adhesion, without affecting ligand recognition. Thus, each domain of the selectins has an important, but distinct, role in cell adhesion.

The VLA-4/VCAM-1 pathway is involved in lymphocyte adhesion to endothelium in rheumatoid synovium.

Lymphocyte migration to inflammatory sites is an essential factor in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammation. An ensemble of adhesion receptors mediating lymphocyte-endothelial cell recognition and binding are thought to play a crucial role in this process. In the present study, we have explored the molecular basis of lymphocyte adhesion to endothelium in the synovial membrane of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. We established that the very late antigen-4 [VLA-4 (CD49d)] and the vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) are important mediators of binding to synovial endothelium of resting and, to a greater extent, of activated T lymphocytes, whereas the leukocyte-function associated antigen-1 [LFA-1 (CD11a/18)]/intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [ICAM-1 (CD54)] pathway is less important in this interaction. In contrast to its prominent role in lymphocyte interaction with endothelium in rheumatoid synovium, the VLA-4/VCAM-1 pathway does not significantly contribute to lymphocyte adhesion to peripheral lymph node high endothelial venule. Thus, the VLA-4/VCAM-1 pathway may be of primary importance in mediating lymphocyte adhesion to inflamed endothelium and in lymphocyte homing to rheumatoid synovium.

The human peripheral lymph node vascular addressin is a ligand for LECAM-1, the peripheral lymph node homing receptor.

The trafficking of lymphocytes from the blood and into lymphoid organs is controlled by tissue-selective lymphocyte interactions with specialized endothelial cells lining post capillary venules, in particular the high endothelial venules (HEV) found in lymphoid tissues and sites of chronic inflammation. Lymphocyte interactions with HEV are mediated in part by lymphocyte homing receptors and tissue-specific HEV determinants, the vascular addressins. A peripheral lymph node addressin (PNAd) has been detected immunohistologically in mouse and man by monoclonal antibody MECA-79, which inhibits lymphocyte homing to lymph nodes and lymphocyte binding to lymph node and tonsillar HEV. The human MECA-79 antigen, PNAd, is molecularly distinct from the 65-kD mucosal vascular addressin. The most abundant iodinated species by SDS-PAGE is 105 kD. When affinity isolated and immobilized on glass slides, MECA-79 immunoisolated material binds human and mouse lymphocytes avidly in a calcium dependent manner. Binding is blocked by mAb MECA-79, by antibodies against mouse or human LECAM-1 (the peripheral lymph node homing receptor, the MEL-14 antigen, LAM-1), and by treatment of PNAd with neuraminidase. Expression of LECAM-1 cDNA confers PNAd binding ability on a transfected B cell line. We conclude that LECAM-1 mediates lymphocyte binding to PNAd, an interaction that involves the lectin activity of LECAM-1 and carbohydrate determinants on the addressin.

Migration patterns of dendritic cells in the rat: Comparison of the effects of γ and UV-B irradiation on the migration of dendritic cells and lymphocytes

To further define the underlying mechanisms of immune suppression induced by UV-B irradiation, we have examined the kinetics of homing patterns of in vitro UV-B-irradiated and γ-irradiated-thoracic duct lymphocytes (TDL) compared to dendritic cells (DC). Our findings show that 111In-oxine-labeled TDL specifically home to the spleen, liver, lymph nodes, and bone marrow with subsequent recirculation of a large number of cells from the spleen to lymph nodes. In contrast, DC preferentially migrate to the spleen and liver with a relatively insignificant distribution to lymph nodes and an absence of subsequent recirculation. Splenectomy prior to cell injection significantly diverts the spleen-seeking DC to the liver but not to the lymph nodes, while the homing of TDL to lymph nodes is significantly increased. In vitro exposure of 111In-oxine labeled TDL to γ irradiation does not significantly impair immediate homing to lymphoid tissues but inhibits cell recirculation between 3 and 24 hr. In contrast, γ irradiation does not affect the tissue distribution of labeled DC, suggesting that DC are more radioresistant to γ irradiation than TDL. Unlike the findings in animals injected with γ-irradiated cells, UV-B irradiation virtually abolished the homing of TDL to lymph nodes and significantly reduced the homing of the spleen-seeking DC to the splenic compartment while a large number of cells were sequestered in the liver. The results of in vitro cell binding assay show that TDL, unlike DC, have the capacity to bind to high endothelial venules (HEV) within lymph node frozen sections while γ and UV-B irradiation significantly inhibit the binding of TDL to lymph node HEV. These findings suggest that: (i) DC, unlike TDL, are unable to recirculate from blood to lymph nodes through HEV; (ii) although γ irradiation impairs TDL recirculation, it does not affect DC tissue distribution; and (iii) UV-B irradiation impairs both TDL and DC migration patterns. We conclude that the lack of capacity of irradiated TDL to home to lymph nodes is due to damage to cell surface homing receptors and that the failure of DC to home to the lymph node microenvironment is related to the absence of HEV homing receptors on their cell surface.

The hematopoietic and epithelial forms of CD44 are distinct polypeptides with different adhesion potentials for hyaluronate-bearing cells.

CD44 is a polymorphic integral membrane protein which recognizes hyaluronate and whose proposed roles encompass lymphocyte activation, matrix adhesion and the attachment of lymphocytes to lymph node high endothelial venules (HEVs). Immunochemical and RNA blot data have supported the existence of two forms of CD44: a hematopoietic form expressed by cells of mesodermal origin (and by some carcinoma cell lines) and an epithelial form weakly expressed by normal epithelium but highly expressed by carcinomas. This report describes the isolation of a cDNA encoding a distinct CD44 polypeptide expressed by epithelial cells. Re-expression of each form of CD44 in a B cell line allowed cells transfected with the hematopoietic but not the epithelial form to bind to viable rat lymph node HEV cells in primary culture.

Requirement for sialic acid on the endothelial ligand of a lymphocyte homing receptor.

The entry of blood-borne lymphocytes into most secondary lymphoid organs is initiated by a highly specific adhesive interaction with the specialized cuboidal endothelial cells of high endothelial venules (HEV). The adhesive receptors on lymphocytes that dictate interactions with HEV in different lymphoid organs are called homing receptors, signifying their critical role in controlling organ-selective lymphocyte migration. Considerable work has established that the mouse peripheral lymph node homing receptor (pnHR), defined by the mAb MEL-14, functions as a lectin-like adhesive protein. We have previously shown that sialidase treatment of peripheral lymph node (PN) HEV abrogates lymphocyte attachment to the HEV both in vivo and in vitro. We extend this evidence by demonstrating that Limax agglutinin (LA), a sialic acid-specific lectin, when reacted with HEV exposed in cryostat-cut tissue sections, blocks lymphocyte attachment to PN HEV and, unexpectedly, to the HEV of Peyer's patches (PP) as well. Using a recombinant form of the pnHR as a histochemical probe for its cognate adhesive site (HEV-ligand) on PN HEV, we demonstrate that both sialidase and Limax agglutinin functionally inactive this ligand. It is concluded that the requirement for sialic acid is at the level of the pnHR interaction with its HEV ligand. A distinct sialyloligosaccharide may encode the recognition determinant of a PP HEV ligand.

Upregulation and coexpression of adhesion molecules correlate with relapsing autoimmune demyelination in the central nervous system.

The expression of adhesion molecules on central nervous system (CNS) vessels was examined during chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in the SJL mouse. Two molecules associated with cell adhesion were studied: MECA-325, a murine lymph node high endothelial venule marker; and MALA-2, the murine homologue of intercellular adhesion molecule 1. During initial disease, upregulated coexpression of these two molecules occurred in the CNS. This correlated with inflammatory cell invasion. During remission, expression was downregulated, and each subsequent relapse was accompanied by corresponding upregulation. Thus, up- and downregulation of adhesion molecules in the target organ appeared to form an integral part of the inflammatory process in this autoimmune condition and support a role for receptor-mediated inflammatory cell invasion of relevance to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.

Unique structure of rat lymph node HEV for the promotion of lymphocyte migration

Recently particular interest on the lymphocyte recirculation have been forcussed on the structural and functional natures of high-endothelial venules(HEV), in which large numbers of lymphocytes migrate physiologically across the vascular wall. In the present study, we have examined immunohistochemically and morphologically the microstructure of endothelium of HEV and the relationship between the endothelium and migrating lymphocytes, using thoratic duct lymphdrainaged rats which may permit us to investgate more easily their structures.Male DA rats weighing between 160-240g were used. The animals were cannulated with polyethylene tubes thoratic duct using Gowans’s method, placed in the Bollman cages and the lymph drainage was maintained for 3days. For TEM, cervical lymph nodes were fixed, dehydrated through graded alcohols and embedded in Epoxy resin. Ultrathin sections were stained with aqueous uranyl acetate and lead citrate and examined on a JEOL JEM-200CX. For immunohistochemical study, frozen sections were cut and stained with the indirect immunoperoxidase technique using anti ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule) and anti HEV monoclonal antibodies (mAb).