Stimulatory Effect Of Substance P Research Articles

Substance P enhances mesenchymal stem cells-mediated immune modulation

Since clinical application of MSCs requires long-term ex vivo culture inducing senescence in MSCs and reducing the therapeutic activity of transplanted MSCs, numerous efforts have been attempted to sustain the active state of MSCs. Substance P (SP) is a neuropeptide that functions to activate the cellular physiological responses of MSCs, including proliferation, migration, and secretion of specific cytokines. In this study, we explored the potential of SP to restore the weakened immune modulating activity of MSCs resulting from long-term culture by measuring T cell activity and interleukin-2 (IL-2) secretion of CD4+ Jurkat leukemic T cells and primary CD4+ T cells. As the number of cell passages increased, the immunosuppressive function of MSCs based on T cell activity decreased. This weakened activity of MSCs could be restored by SP treatment and nullified by co-treatment of an NK1 receptor blocker. Higher levels of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) secretion were noted in the medium of SP-treated late passage MSC cultures, but IL-10 levels did not change. SP-treated MSC-conditioned medium decreased T cell activity and IL-2/Interferon gamma (IFN-g) secretion in T cells even in the activation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or CD3/CD28 antibodies, both of which were successfully blocked by inhibiting the TGF beta signaling pathway. This stimulatory effect of SP on late passage MSCs was also confirmed in direct cell–cell contact co-culture of MSCs and CD4+ Jurkat T cells. Collectively, our study suggests that SP pretreatment to MSCs may recover the immunosuppressive function of late passage MSCs by potentiating their ability to secrete TGF-β1, which can enhance the therapeutic activity of ex vivo expanded MSCs in long-term culture.

Substance P treatment stimulates chemokine synthesis in pancreatic acinar cells via the activation of NF-κB

Acinar cell injury early in acute pancreatitis leads to a local inflammatory reaction and to the subsequent systemic inflammatory response, which may result in multiple organ dysfunction and death. Inflammatory mediators, including chemokines and substance P (SP), are known to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis. It has been shown that pancreatic acinar cells produce the chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in response to caerulein hyperstimulation, demonstrating that acinar-derived MCP-1 is an early mediator of inflammation in acute pancreatitis. Similarly, SP levels in the pancreas and pancreatic acinar cell expression of neurokinin-1 receptor, the primary receptor for SP, are both increased during secretagogue-induced experimental pancreatitis. This study aims to examine the functional consequences of exposing mouse pancreatic acinar cells to SP and to determine whether it leads to proinflammatory signaling, such as production of chemokines. Exposure of mouse pancreatic acini to SP significantly increased synthesis of MCP-1, macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha), as well as MIP-2. Furthermore, SP also increased NF-kappaB activation. The stimulatory effect of SP was specific to chemokine synthesis through the NF-kappaB pathway, since the increase in chemokine production was completely attenuated when pancreatic acini were pretreated with the selective NF-kappaB inhibitor NF-kappaB essential modulator-binding domain peptide. This study shows that SP-induced chemokine synthesis in mouse pancreatic acinar cells is NF-kappaB dependent.

Structural similarity between the bone marrow extracellular matrix protein and neurokinin 1 could be the limiting factor in the hematopoietic effects of substance P.

In the adult bone marrow (BM), immune cells are replenished through the process of definitive hematopoiesis, which is regulated by a complex process of cellular and humoral interactions. The latter include substance P (SP), a neurotransmitter that is produced by neural and nonneural cells. Neurokinin-1 (NK-1), the high-affinity SP receptor, shares structural similarity with fibronectin, a component of the BM extracellular matrix proteins. This study examines how such similarity could alter the effects of SP on the proliferation of the immature BM progenitors. In vitro studies show that 1 ng fibronectin/mL enhanced the stimulatory effect of SP on the proliferation of primitive BM progenitors. This finding was studied by computational studies: proteomics and three-dimensional molecular modeling. Use of surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization ProteinChip technology showed that despite the induction of neutral endopeptidase, exogenous fibronectin hindered the degradation of SP to SP(1-4). These findings support a protective role for fibronectin in the digestion of SP. Since SP(1-4) is a negative regulator of hematopoiesis, this report indicates that the structural similarity between fibronectin and NK-1 could be important for maintaining hematopoietic stimulation. These studies could be extrapolated to hematological disorders that are associated with SP-fibronectin complexes.

Substance P enhances HIV-1 replication in latently infected human immune cells

Substance P (SP) is a potent modulator of neuroimmunoregulation. SP receptors are present on human monocytes and T lymphocytes, and SP alters the function of these immune cells. We investigated the effects of SP on HIV-1 replication in latently infected human immune cells. SP significantly enhanced HIV-1 replication in the latently infected promonocytic cell line (U1) and T lymphocyte line (ACH-2) stimulated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α). When added to these cells in combination with TNF-α, SP also enhanced HIV-1 gag gene expression in U1 and ACH-2 cells. This stimulatory effect of SP was associated with the activation of HIV-LTR (long terminal repeat) driven chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene expression, and could be blocked by pretreatment of U1 and ACH-2 cells with an SP receptor antagonist RP-67,580, indicating specific SP receptor-mediated regulation. Furthermore, the addition of SP to the cultures of latently infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from HIV-1-infected patients enhanced HIV-1 gag gene expression. Thus, SP may play a potentially important role as a positive regulator of HIV-1 replication in latently infected monocytes and lymphocytes. These observations may have significant implications toward understanding the role of neuropeptide SP in the immunopathogenesis of HIV-1 infection and AIDS.

Distribution of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, neuropeptide-Y and substance P and their effects on insulin secretion from the in vitro pancreas of normal and diabetic rats☆

This study examined the pattern of distribution of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), neuropeptide-Y (NPY) and substance P (SP) in the pancreas of diabetic rat to determine whether there are changes in the number and pattern of distribution of these neuropeptides after the onset of diabetes. Moreover, the effect of VIP, NPY and SP on insulin secretion from the pancreas of normal and diabetic rats was also examined. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was induced by a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ) given intraperitoneally (i.p.) (60 mg kg body weight −1). Four weeks after the induction of DM, diabetic ( n = 6) and normal ( n = 6) rats were anesthetized with chloral hydrate and their pancreases removed and processed for immunohistochemistry and insulin secretion. The number of insulin-positive cells in the islets of Langerhans was reduced while that of VIP and NPY increased significantly after the onset of diabetes. The pattern of distribution of VIP, NPY and SP in the nerves innervating the pancreas was similar in both normal and diabetic rats. VIP-evoked large and significant ( P < 0.02) increases in insulin secretion from the pancreas of normal and diabetic rats. NPY also induced a marked ( P < 0.005) increase in insulin release from pancreatic tissue fragments of normal rat. Stimulation of pancreatic tissue fragments of diabetic rat with NPY resulted in a slight but not significant increase in insulin release. SP induced a large and significant ( P < 0.005) increase in insulin secretion from the pancreas of normal rat but inhibited insulin secretion significantly ( P < 0.03) from isolated pancreas of diabetic rat. In summary, VIP and NPY can stimulate insulin secretion from the pancreas after the onset of diabetes. The stimulatory effect of SP on insulin secretion is reversed to inhibitory in diabetic rats.

Interaction between substance P and gastrin-releasing peptide on thyrotropin secretion by rat pituitary in vitro.

The effect of substance P (SP) on thyrotropin (TSH) secretion is controversial. In this study we evaluated the effect of SP on TSH secretion by hemipituitaries of 3-month-old Wistar rats in vitro and its interaction with gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) at equimolar concentrations (1 microM and 10 microM). TSH release was measured under basal conditions and 30 min after incubation in the absence or presence of SP, GRP or both peptides. Pituitary TSH content was also measured in the pituitary homogenate after incubation. SP at both concentrations caused a significant (P<0.05) increase in TSH secretion compared with all other groups, which was approximately 60% (1 microM) and 85% (10 microM) higher than that of the control group (23.3 +/- 3.0 ng/ml). GRP at the lower concentration did not produce a statistically significant change in TSH secretion, whereas at the concentration of 10 microM it produced a 50% reduction in TSH. GRP co-incubated with substance P completely blocked the stimulatory effect of SP at both concentrations. Pituitary TSH content decreased in the SP-treated group compared to controls (0.75 +/- 0.03 microg/hemipituitary) at the same proportion as the increase in TSH secretion, and this effect was also blocked when GRP and SP were co-incubated. In conclusion, in an in vitro system, SP increased TSH secretion acting directly at the pituitary level and this effect was blocked by GRP, suggesting that GRP is more potent than SP on TSH secretion, and that this inhibitory effect could be the predominant effect in vivo.

Substance P augments tumor necrosis factor release in human monocyte-derived macrophages.

Substance P (SP) is an undecapeptide that has the amino sequence Arg-Pro-Lys-Pro-Gin-Gln-Phe-Phe-Gly-Leu-Met-NH2 and that belongs to a family of structurally related peptides known as tachykinins, the latter are widely distributed in the central nervous system. SP is involved in the biological activities of cells in the immune system, including the induction of cytokines in immune cells. We have investigated the effects of SP on constitutive and/or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in cultured blood monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). Cells cultured in vitro for 14 days were treated with SP at various concentrations (10(-10) to 10(-6M) in the presence of LPS before culture supernatants were harvested. TNF bioactivity in culture supernatants was measured with L929 cell line MDM from 10 of 12 donors treated with a SP alone showed increased TNF production. SP and LPS also interacted in a synergistic fashion in upregulating TNF production in MDM from responders. The stimulatory effect of SP was inhibited by two SP antagonists, spantide ([D-Arg-1-D-Trp-7-D-Trp-7-D-Trp-9-leu-11]-SP) and CP-96,345 (a nonpeptide antagonist of the SP receptor). In addition, an anti SP polyclonal antibody blocked the SP effect on TNF production in cultured MDM, further indicating the specificity of these effects. These results demonstrate that SP is an important regulator of monokine production by human monocytes/macrophages.

In Vitro Stimulatory Effect of Substance P on Hematopoiesis

AbstractThe neuropeptide Substance P (SP) is widely distributed in the peripheral nervous system. Its biologic effects have been extensively studied in the immune system. However, even though the bone marrow (BM) is innervated with SP-immunoreactive fibers and some of its cells not only express SP receptors (T and B cells, endothelial cells, and macrophages) but also produce SP (macrophages, eosinophils, and endothelial cells), the effects of SP on hematopoiesis are scanty. Furthermore, SP induces the production of hematopoietic growth factors (HGFs) (interleukin-1 [IL-1], IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor α) from human monocytes. In this study, we have found a potent in vitro stimulatory effect of SP (10−8 to 10−12 mol/L) on hematopoiesis for both erythroid and granulocytic progenitors in short-term methylcellulose BM cultures. SP alone, in the absence of exogenous HGFs, is able to sustain hematopoiesis in vitro. This stimulatory effect of SP is: (1) mostly mediated by the adherent cells; (2) completely abrogated by two SP receptor (SP-R) antagonists; and (3) partially reduced by anti-IL-1, IL-3, IL-6, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Furthermore, it appears that the stimulatory effect of SP may be mediated by IL-3 and GM-CSF because we have also found that SP induces the release of these two cytokines from BM mononuclear cells. Considering that the SP effect occurs at concentrations as low as 10−11 mol/L, and via a specific receptor, it appears that SP may play a physiologic role in regulating hematopoiesis, at least partially through the adherent BM cells and the release of HGFs, and may place SP, a neuropeptide, in a new category of hematopoietic regulators.

In vitro stimulatory effect of substance P on hematopoiesis

The neuropeptide Substance P (SP) is widely distributed in the peripheral nervous system. Its biologic effects have been extensively studied in the immune system. However, even though the bone marrow (BM) is innervated with SP-immunoreactive fibers and some of its cells not only express SP receptors (T and B cells, endothelial cells, and macrophages) but also produce SP (macrophages, eosinophils, and endothelial cells), the effects of SP on hematopoiesis are scanty. Furthermore, SP induces the production of hematopoietic growth factors (HGFs) (interleukin-1 [IL-1], IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha) from human monocytes. In this study, we have found a potent in vitro stimulatory effect of SP (10(-8) to 10(-12) mol/L) on hematopoiesis for both erythroid and granulocytic progenitors in short-term methyl- cellulose BM cultures. SP alone, in the absence of exogenous HGFs, is able to sustain hematopoiesis in vitro. This stimulatory effect of SP is: (1) mostly mediated by the adherent cells; (2) completely abrogated by two SP receptor (SP-R) antagonists; and (3) partially reduced by anti-IL-1, IL-3, IL-6, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Furthermore, it appears that the stimulatory effect of SP may be mediated by IL-3 and GM-CSF because we have also found that SP induces the release of these two cytokines from BM mononuclear cells. Considering that the SP effect occurs at concentrations as low as 10(-11) mol/L, and via a specific receptor, it appears that SP may play a physiologic role in regulating hematopoiesis, at least partially through the adherent BM cells and the release of HGFs, and may place SP, a neuropeptide, in a new category of hematopoietic regulators.

Effect of substance P on ciliary beat frequency in human adenoid explants.

This study investigated the direct effects of substance P (SP) on ciliary beat frequency of human upper airway mucosa. Human adenoid explant tissue was maintained in serum free culture media, MCDB153. Ciliated epithelial cells were observed with phase-contrast microscopy and ciliary activity was measured using a photometric technique. Oscillations in transmitted light caused by ciliary beating were recorded and modal ciliary beat frequency was determined by fast Fourier transformation. Specimens were treated with SP at concentrations of 10(-4), 10(-5), 10(-6), and 10(-7) mol/L and with equal molar solutions of SP and (D-Pro2,D-Trp7,9)-SP, a SP antagonist. Substance P was found to increase ciliary beat frequency in a dose-dependent manner with a maximum increase of 12.1%. This effect was not seen with solutions containing (D-Pro2,D-Trp7,9)-SP. This suggests that SP exerts a direct stimulatory effect on ciliated cells of the upper airway. Because SP is known to be released in the upper airway in response to chemical irritation, it is presumed that the stimulatory effect of SP on mucosal cells provides a protective mechanism against inhaled irritants.

Effects of tachykinins on [ 3H]taurine release from human astrocytoma cells (U-373 MG)

Substance P (SP) stimulated [3H]taurine release from human astrocytoma cells (U-373 MG). This effect was concentration dependent and the EC50 was 0.3 nM. This stimulatory effect of SP can be inhibited by spantide, a SP receptor antagonist. The rank order of potencies of related tachykinins and their analogues in stimulating the release of [3H]taurine was SP much greater than neurokinin A much greater than neurokinin B and [Glp6,L-Pro9]SP (6-11) much greater than [Glp6, D-Pro9]SP (6-11) which conformed to that reported for the tachykinin NK-1 receptor. In addition to SP, isoproterenol, a beta-adrenergic agonist, can also increase the release of [3H]taurine from these cells and the effects of SP and isoproterenol were additive.