Jeffry Shearer - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Jeffry Shearer

Analytical Chemistry, Dec 1, 2011

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) are the deadliest agents known. Previously, we reported an endopepti... more Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) are the deadliest agents known. Previously, we reported an endopeptidase activity based method (Endopep-MS) that detects and differentiates BoNT serotypes A-G. This method uses serotype specific monoclonal antibodies and the specific enzymatic activity of BoNT against peptide substrates which mimic the toxin's natural target. Cleavage products from the reaction are detected by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We have now developed a multiple reaction monitoring method to quantify the biological activity of BoNT serotypes A (BoNT/A) and B (BoNT/B) present in 0.5 mL of serum using electrospray mass spectrometry. The limit of quantification for each serotype is 1 mouse intraperitoneal lethal dose (MIPLD(50)) corresponding to 31 pg of BoNT/A and 15 pg of BoNT/B in this study. This method was applied to serum from rhesus macaques with inhalational botulism following exposure to BoNT/B, showing a maximum activity of 6.0 MIPLD(50)/mL in surviving animals and 653.6 MIPLD(50)/mL in animals that died in the study. The method detects BoNT/B in serum 2-5 h after exposure and up to 14 days. This is the first report of a quantitative method with sufficient sensitivity, selectivity, and low sample size requirements to measure circulating BoNT activity at multiple times during the course of botulism.

Surgery, Mar 1, 1990

Injured tissue is characterized by increased glucose uptake and increased lactate production as c... more Injured tissue is characterized by increased glucose uptake and increased lactate production as compared to normal tissue. These metabolic changes have been attributed to the presence of inflammatory cells in injured tissues. To correlate these metabolic changes with changes in the inflammatory cell population at various times after injury, we studied the lambda-carrageenan hindlimb wound model in anesthetized rats. Perfusion studies demonstrated that at 3 and 5 days after injury glucose uptake was increased in injured hindlimbs, compared with hindlimbs from pair-fed control animals. At 3, 5, and 10 days after injury, lactate production from glucose was increased in injured hindlimbs, compared with hindlimbs from pair-fed control animals. These metabolic changes were not related to differences in body weight or food intake. There was no difference in glucose oxidation or in oxygen consumption in injured hindlimbs, compared with hindlimbs from pair-fed control animals. The increased glucose uptake and increased lactate production from glucose was coincident with the presence of inflammatory cells--predominantly macrophages--at the site of injury. It is suggested that the glucose metabolism in injured tissue reflects the metabolism of the inflammatory cells at the site of injury.

American Journal of Physiology Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Oct 1, 1998

Analysis of phagocytic activity in wound fibroblasts was chosen as a means to assess the possible... more Analysis of phagocytic activity in wound fibroblasts was chosen as a means to assess the possible continuity between macrophage and fibroblast phenotypes. Fibroblast phagocytosis of uncoated, IgG-coated, or collagen-coated fluorescent beads was analyzed by flow cytometry in vivo and in vitro. Phagocytosis of fluorescent beads by procollagen I-positive cells (fibroblasts) was evaluated in vivo by injecting beads into subcutaneously implanted sponge wounds in anesthetized Fisher rats. Phagocytic activity of a purified population of wound fibroblasts was measured in vitro and correlated with oxidation state using hydroethidium. In the wound environment, 50-60% of the cells that engulfed uncoated, IgG-coated, or collagen-coated beads were procollagen I-positive cells (i.e., fibroblasts). Procollagen I-positive cells engulfed uncoated and IgG-coated beads in preference to collagen-coated beads in vivo. Cultured wound fibroblasts engulfed uncoated, IgG-coated, and collagen-coated particles. The majority of fibroblasts that engulfed beads were in an elevated oxidation state. We conclude that substantial fibroblast phagocytosis occurs in the wound, but scavenger receptor-mediated fibroblast phagocytosis is different from that of macrophages. Additional markers will be helpful in defining the macrophage fibroblast continuum.

Archives of Surgery, Jun 1, 1989

The administration of endotoxin in vivo results in an increase in glucose utilization through an ... more The administration of endotoxin in vivo results in an increase in glucose utilization through an as yet undetermined mechanism. This study evaluated (1) the contribution of blood to the increased glucose utilization noted following endotoxemia, (2) the direct action of endotoxin on skeletal muscle glucose uptake in an isolated hindlimb perfusion system and in incubated muscle, and (3) the possibility that the increased glucose uptake in skeletal muscle mediated by endotoxin requires the presence of plasma. Incubation of blood with 50 and 100 mg/L of endotoxin increased glucose uptake and lactate production in a dose-dependent manner. Muscle incubations and perfusions in the absence of plasma and white blood cells showed that glucose uptake and lactate production were not affected by the presence of 50 to 250 mg/L of endotoxin, while 500 mg/L of endotoxin produced a 26.2% decrease in glucose uptake. In contrast, incubation of muscle in the presence of plasma and endotoxin increased glucose uptake by 37%. These findings suggest that (1) the increased glucose utilization of endotoxemia is only partially explained by increased glucose metabolism by blood, (2) endotoxin does not have a direct effect on the glucose uptake of skeletal muscle, and (3) an interaction of endotoxin with a component of plasma is required for an endotoxin-mediated increase in glucose utilization by skeletal muscle.

American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism, Oct 1, 1997

Progress in clinical and biological research, 1991

1. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1991;365:205-22. The temporal change in amino acid concentration within wo... more 1. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1991;365:205-22. The temporal change in amino acid concentration within wound fluid--a putative rationale. Caldwell MD, Mastrofrancesco B, Shearer J, Bereiter D. Department of Surgery, Brown University, Providence, RI. ...

Surgery, 1991

Growth factors and amino acids (AA) are required for cell proliferation. A comparison of the AA c... more Growth factors and amino acids (AA) are required for cell proliferation. A comparison of the AA composition of wound fluid (WF) to that of Eagle's medium reveals that AA in WF may be limiting to cell replication. Yet WF supports fibroblast replication and stimulates AA uptake. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates fibroblast replication and stimulates human wound healing when applied topically. We evaluated the interactions between EGF and AA concentrations found in WF. Wound fibroblasts were cultured in media prepared to mimic the AA concentrations found in WF on days 1, 5, and 10 and in the presence of varying concentrations of EGF. Fibroblasts cultured in all three experimental media showed a dose response to EGF for both tritiated-thymidine uptake (proliferation) and AA uptake. The fibroblast proliferation in response to EGF was augmented by the AA composition of day-5 WF. These data show a dose-dependent effect of EGF on fibroblast replication and AA uptake in the absenc...

Vaccine, Jan 2, 2012

A recombinant botulinum vaccine (rBV A/B) is being developed to protect adults 18-55 years of age... more A recombinant botulinum vaccine (rBV A/B) is being developed to protect adults 18-55 years of age from fatal botulism caused by inhalational intoxication with botulinum neurotoxin complex (BoNT) serotype A, subtype A1 (BoNT/A1) and BoNT serotype B, subtype B1 (BoNT/B1). Fundamental to the advanced development process is an initial demonstration of product safety in animals. A comprehensive series of studies was conducted to evaluate the general toxicity, neurobehavioral toxicity and local reactogenicity of the rBV A/B vaccine prior to first use in humans. Toxicity was evaluated in CD-1 mice vaccinated with control material and three dosages of rBV A/B with or without Alhydrogel(®) by intramuscular (IM) injection on Study Days 0, 28, 56 and 70 in a volume of 100μL. Total immunizing protein given in each dose was either 0, 2, 4 or 8 μg/animal. Local reactogenicity was evaluated in mice at the dosages given and in New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits using the same injection volume (0.5 mL)...

The American journal of physiology, 1998

Analysis of phagocytic activity in wound fibroblasts was chosen as a means to assess the possible... more Analysis of phagocytic activity in wound fibroblasts was chosen as a means to assess the possible continuity between macrophage and fibroblast phenotypes. Fibroblast phagocytosis of uncoated, IgG-coated, or collagen-coated fluorescent beads was analyzed by flow cytometry in vivo and in vitro. Phagocytosis of fluorescent beads by procollagen I-positive cells (fibroblasts) was evaluated in vivo by injecting beads into subcutaneously implanted sponge wounds in anesthetized Fisher rats. Phagocytic activity of a purified population of wound fibroblasts was measured in vitro and correlated with oxidation state using hydroethidium. In the wound environment, 50-60% of the cells that engulfed uncoated, IgG-coated, or collagen-coated beads were procollagen I-positive cells (i.e., fibroblasts). Procollagen I-positive cells engulfed uncoated and IgG-coated beads in preference to collagen-coated beads in vivo. Cultured wound fibroblasts engulfed uncoated, IgG-coated, and collagen-coated particle...

The American journal of physiology, 1997

The exact mechanism by which insulin reverses impaired wound healing is unknown. Previous investi... more The exact mechanism by which insulin reverses impaired wound healing is unknown. Previous investigators have shown that insulin is degraded in experimental wounds, suggesting that the action of insulin may be locally modified. The following study corroborates these findings and identifies the major proteinase responsible for insulin degradation in wound fluid (WF). Adult male Fisher rats were wounded by subcutaneous implantation of polyvinyl alcohol sponges while under pentobarbital sodium anesthesia. WF and serum were collected on 1, 5, 10, and 14 days postinjury. Decreased insulin concentration in late WF correlated with an increased insulin-degrading activity. Multiple proteinases appear to participate in the overall degradation of insulin in WF. However, the primary enzyme responsible for insulin degradation in WF was characterized by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting and identified as the neutral thiol-dependent metalloproteinase, insulin-degrading enzyme (EC 3.4.24.56). E...

The Journal of surgical research, 1984

Classically, increased lactate production in wounded tissue is ascribed to anaerobic glycolysis a... more Classically, increased lactate production in wounded tissue is ascribed to anaerobic glycolysis although its oxygen consumption has been found to be similar to normal tissue. This apparent inconsistency was studied in a standardized isolated perfused wound model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were wounded (group W) with intramuscular injections of lambda-carrageenan and fed ad lib.; not wounded and pair fed to the decreased food intake of the wounded animals (group PFC); or not wounded and fed ad lib. (group ALC). After 5 days, the hindlimbs of animals from each group were either perfused using a standard perfusate with added [U-14C]glucose or [1-14C]pyruvate or assayed for the tissue content of lactate and pyruvate. In addition, the effect of a 30% hemorrhage on the tissue lactate and pyruvate concentration was examined. Wounding increased glucose uptake and lactate production by 100 and 96%, respectively, above that seen in ALC animals. Oxygen consumption was unchanged by wounding (5.7...

The American journal of physiology, 1986

To evaluate whether the alterations in amino acid (AA) metabolism that follow the lambda-carragee... more To evaluate whether the alterations in amino acid (AA) metabolism that follow the lambda-carrageenan injury are direct consequences of wounding and are therefore independent of food intake, plasma AA, in vivo muscle intracellular free AA, and AA release during isolated hindlimb perfusions were determined in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats with lambda-carrageenan-induced hindlimb muscle wounds (W) and in pair-fed (PFC) and ad libitum-fed (ALC) non-wounded controls. Both PFC and W animals showed different plasma and muscle intracellular AA composition that ALC. The alterations observed in these compartments in W animals may not have resulted exclusively as a consequence of the wound. Wounded hindlimbs released more AA during perfusion than either control group. The marked increase in net protein catabolism of W muscle appeared to be related to wounding and not a consequence of partial starvation. The normalized release (amino acid/phenylalanine ratio) of glutamine (W less than ALC), a...

Surgery, 1986

The role of lactate in the metabolism of the healing wound is poorly understood. The purpose of t... more The role of lactate in the metabolism of the healing wound is poorly understood. The purpose of the present studies was to determine if despite a net lactate production, wounded (Wx) tissue could metabolize lactate and use it as an oxidative fuel. The extensor digitorum longus muscles (EDL) of weanling, male, Fischer rats were injured with lambda-carrageenan or injured thermally, and 5 and 3 days later, respectively, were incubated in a standard incubate that contained varying amounts of lactate (0 to 6 mmol/L added). Lactate uptake and oxidation, occurred in lambda-carrageenan Wx EDL, thermally injured EDL and non-Wx EDL in a dose-dependent manner. At lactate concentrations of less than 3 mmol/L in the incubate, there was net lactate production, but at lactate concentrations of 6 mmol/L there was no net lactate production by both Wx and non-Wx EDL. The increase in lactate oxidation was not associated with an alteration in the tissue content of adenosine triphosphate or creatine pho...

Circulatory shock, 1988

Wounded muscle which has increased glucose uptake is infiltrated with a large number of inflammat... more Wounded muscle which has increased glucose uptake is infiltrated with a large number of inflammatory cells. Macrophages which are the predominant inflammatory cells in wounded muscle can increase glucose oxidation by epididymal fat pads. Therefore, the possibility that inflammatory cells could also alter glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle was investigated. Peritoneal inflammatory cells (67% macrophages, 7% lymphocytes, 15% polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and 11% eosinophils) were elicited with a 1% sodium caseinate solution. Extensor digitorum longus muscles, were incubated alone, in the presence of inflammatory cells or in an inflammatory-cell-conditioned media. Similar incubations were performed using epididymal fat pads. In addition, inflammatory cells were incubated alone. The present studies confirmed the previous finding that inflammatory cells release a factor(s) that increases glucose oxidation in epididymal fat pads. The coincubation of inflammatory cells with skeletal mus...

The American journal of physiology, 1987

Wounding with lambda-carrageenan results in a marked decrease in the intracellular-free glutamine... more Wounding with lambda-carrageenan results in a marked decrease in the intracellular-free glutamine content of rat skeletal muscle. The potential mechanisms for this finding, including alterations in glutamine release, glutamine utilization, and glutamine synthesis, were investigated in rats under pentobarbital anesthesia. Wounding did not increase glutamine release from muscle during incubation or isolated hindlimb perfusion. Wounded muscle utilized more glutamine than nonwounded muscle, as measured both by the production of [14C]O2 and of -glutamate from labeled glutamine. Maximal glutamine synthetase activity was increased by wounding. The increase in glutamine synthetase activity in wounded muscle was prevented by adrenalectomy and restored by replacement doses of corticosterone in wounded adrenalectomized animals. The decrease in muscle free glutamine induced by wounding is therefore not mediated by an increase in the release of this amino acid, nor by a reduction in the tissue c...

Surgery, 1990

Injured tissue is characterized by increased glucose uptake and increased lactate production as c... more Injured tissue is characterized by increased glucose uptake and increased lactate production as compared to normal tissue. These metabolic changes have been attributed to the presence of inflammatory cells in injured tissues. To correlate these metabolic changes with changes in the inflammatory cell population at various times after injury, we studied the lambda-carrageenan hindlimb wound model in anesthetized rats. Perfusion studies demonstrated that at 3 and 5 days after injury glucose uptake was increased in injured hindlimbs, compared with hindlimbs from pair-fed control animals. At 3, 5, and 10 days after injury, lactate production from glucose was increased in injured hindlimbs, compared with hindlimbs from pair-fed control animals. These metabolic changes were not related to differences in body weight or food intake. There was no difference in glucose oxidation or in oxygen consumption in injured hindlimbs, compared with hindlimbs from pair-fed control animals. The increased ...

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950), Jan 15, 1992

The potential of the immune system to inhibit or stimulate tumor growth is a vivid example of the... more The potential of the immune system to inhibit or stimulate tumor growth is a vivid example of the "two-edged sword" nature of immune responses. Our results provide evidence that this dual capacity can be attributed, in part, to the dual pathways of arginine metabolism exhibited by intratumor macrophages. Specifically, i.p. tumor rejection in P815-preimmunized mice is accompanied by an upshift in intratumor macrophage arginine metabolism to the nitric oxide (NO) synthase pathway that yields citrulline and NO. A rapid and marked local increase in IFN-gamma (both mRNA and protein) in preimmunized mice during tumor rejection suggests that this cytokine plays a role in up-regulating nitric oxide production in vivo. Unlike tumor rejection, progressive i.p. P815 tumor growth in naive mice is associated with a marked decline in the production of citruline/NO by intratumor macrophages. Examination of macrophage arginine metabolism via arginase revealed a pattern opposite that of NO...

Vaccine, 2008

Tularemia is a severe disease for which there is no licensed vaccine. An attenuated F. tularensis... more Tularemia is a severe disease for which there is no licensed vaccine. An attenuated F. tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS) was protective when administered to humans but safety concerns precluded its licensure and use in large scale immunization. An improved F. tularensis LVS preparation was produced under current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) guidelines for evaluation in clinical trials. Preclinical safety, tolerability and immunogenicity were investigated in rabbits that received LVS in escalating doses (1x10 5 to 1x10 9 CFU) by the intradermal, subcutaneous or percutaneous (scarification) route. This improved LVS formulation was well tolerated at all doses; no death or adverse clinical signs were observed and necropsies showed no signs of pathology. No live organisms were detected in liver or spleen. Transient local reactogenicity was observed after scarification injection. Erythema and edema developed after intradermal injection in the highest dose cohorts. High levels of F. tularensis-specific IgM, IgG and IgA developed early after immunization, in a dose-dependent fashion. Scarification elicited higher levels of IgA. Antibodies elicited by LVS also recognized F. tularensis Schu-S4 antigens and there was a significant correlation between antibody titers measured against both LVS and Schu-S4. The ELISA titers also correlated closely with those measured by microagglutination. This is the first report describing comprehensive toxicological and immunological studies of F. tularensis LVS in rabbits. This animal model, which closely resembles human disease, proved adequate to assess safety and immunogenicity of F. tularensis vaccine candidates. This new LVS vaccine preparation is being evaluated in human clinical studies.

Analytical Chemistry, Dec 1, 2011

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) are the deadliest agents known. Previously, we reported an endopepti... more Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) are the deadliest agents known. Previously, we reported an endopeptidase activity based method (Endopep-MS) that detects and differentiates BoNT serotypes A-G. This method uses serotype specific monoclonal antibodies and the specific enzymatic activity of BoNT against peptide substrates which mimic the toxin's natural target. Cleavage products from the reaction are detected by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We have now developed a multiple reaction monitoring method to quantify the biological activity of BoNT serotypes A (BoNT/A) and B (BoNT/B) present in 0.5 mL of serum using electrospray mass spectrometry. The limit of quantification for each serotype is 1 mouse intraperitoneal lethal dose (MIPLD(50)) corresponding to 31 pg of BoNT/A and 15 pg of BoNT/B in this study. This method was applied to serum from rhesus macaques with inhalational botulism following exposure to BoNT/B, showing a maximum activity of 6.0 MIPLD(50)/mL in surviving animals and 653.6 MIPLD(50)/mL in animals that died in the study. The method detects BoNT/B in serum 2-5 h after exposure and up to 14 days. This is the first report of a quantitative method with sufficient sensitivity, selectivity, and low sample size requirements to measure circulating BoNT activity at multiple times during the course of botulism.

Surgery, Mar 1, 1990

Injured tissue is characterized by increased glucose uptake and increased lactate production as c... more Injured tissue is characterized by increased glucose uptake and increased lactate production as compared to normal tissue. These metabolic changes have been attributed to the presence of inflammatory cells in injured tissues. To correlate these metabolic changes with changes in the inflammatory cell population at various times after injury, we studied the lambda-carrageenan hindlimb wound model in anesthetized rats. Perfusion studies demonstrated that at 3 and 5 days after injury glucose uptake was increased in injured hindlimbs, compared with hindlimbs from pair-fed control animals. At 3, 5, and 10 days after injury, lactate production from glucose was increased in injured hindlimbs, compared with hindlimbs from pair-fed control animals. These metabolic changes were not related to differences in body weight or food intake. There was no difference in glucose oxidation or in oxygen consumption in injured hindlimbs, compared with hindlimbs from pair-fed control animals. The increased glucose uptake and increased lactate production from glucose was coincident with the presence of inflammatory cells--predominantly macrophages--at the site of injury. It is suggested that the glucose metabolism in injured tissue reflects the metabolism of the inflammatory cells at the site of injury.

American Journal of Physiology Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Oct 1, 1998

Analysis of phagocytic activity in wound fibroblasts was chosen as a means to assess the possible... more Analysis of phagocytic activity in wound fibroblasts was chosen as a means to assess the possible continuity between macrophage and fibroblast phenotypes. Fibroblast phagocytosis of uncoated, IgG-coated, or collagen-coated fluorescent beads was analyzed by flow cytometry in vivo and in vitro. Phagocytosis of fluorescent beads by procollagen I-positive cells (fibroblasts) was evaluated in vivo by injecting beads into subcutaneously implanted sponge wounds in anesthetized Fisher rats. Phagocytic activity of a purified population of wound fibroblasts was measured in vitro and correlated with oxidation state using hydroethidium. In the wound environment, 50-60% of the cells that engulfed uncoated, IgG-coated, or collagen-coated beads were procollagen I-positive cells (i.e., fibroblasts). Procollagen I-positive cells engulfed uncoated and IgG-coated beads in preference to collagen-coated beads in vivo. Cultured wound fibroblasts engulfed uncoated, IgG-coated, and collagen-coated particles. The majority of fibroblasts that engulfed beads were in an elevated oxidation state. We conclude that substantial fibroblast phagocytosis occurs in the wound, but scavenger receptor-mediated fibroblast phagocytosis is different from that of macrophages. Additional markers will be helpful in defining the macrophage fibroblast continuum.

Archives of Surgery, Jun 1, 1989

The administration of endotoxin in vivo results in an increase in glucose utilization through an ... more The administration of endotoxin in vivo results in an increase in glucose utilization through an as yet undetermined mechanism. This study evaluated (1) the contribution of blood to the increased glucose utilization noted following endotoxemia, (2) the direct action of endotoxin on skeletal muscle glucose uptake in an isolated hindlimb perfusion system and in incubated muscle, and (3) the possibility that the increased glucose uptake in skeletal muscle mediated by endotoxin requires the presence of plasma. Incubation of blood with 50 and 100 mg/L of endotoxin increased glucose uptake and lactate production in a dose-dependent manner. Muscle incubations and perfusions in the absence of plasma and white blood cells showed that glucose uptake and lactate production were not affected by the presence of 50 to 250 mg/L of endotoxin, while 500 mg/L of endotoxin produced a 26.2% decrease in glucose uptake. In contrast, incubation of muscle in the presence of plasma and endotoxin increased glucose uptake by 37%. These findings suggest that (1) the increased glucose utilization of endotoxemia is only partially explained by increased glucose metabolism by blood, (2) endotoxin does not have a direct effect on the glucose uptake of skeletal muscle, and (3) an interaction of endotoxin with a component of plasma is required for an endotoxin-mediated increase in glucose utilization by skeletal muscle.

American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism, Oct 1, 1997

Progress in clinical and biological research, 1991

1. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1991;365:205-22. The temporal change in amino acid concentration within wo... more 1. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1991;365:205-22. The temporal change in amino acid concentration within wound fluid--a putative rationale. Caldwell MD, Mastrofrancesco B, Shearer J, Bereiter D. Department of Surgery, Brown University, Providence, RI. ...

Surgery, 1991

Growth factors and amino acids (AA) are required for cell proliferation. A comparison of the AA c... more Growth factors and amino acids (AA) are required for cell proliferation. A comparison of the AA composition of wound fluid (WF) to that of Eagle's medium reveals that AA in WF may be limiting to cell replication. Yet WF supports fibroblast replication and stimulates AA uptake. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates fibroblast replication and stimulates human wound healing when applied topically. We evaluated the interactions between EGF and AA concentrations found in WF. Wound fibroblasts were cultured in media prepared to mimic the AA concentrations found in WF on days 1, 5, and 10 and in the presence of varying concentrations of EGF. Fibroblasts cultured in all three experimental media showed a dose response to EGF for both tritiated-thymidine uptake (proliferation) and AA uptake. The fibroblast proliferation in response to EGF was augmented by the AA composition of day-5 WF. These data show a dose-dependent effect of EGF on fibroblast replication and AA uptake in the absenc...

Vaccine, Jan 2, 2012

A recombinant botulinum vaccine (rBV A/B) is being developed to protect adults 18-55 years of age... more A recombinant botulinum vaccine (rBV A/B) is being developed to protect adults 18-55 years of age from fatal botulism caused by inhalational intoxication with botulinum neurotoxin complex (BoNT) serotype A, subtype A1 (BoNT/A1) and BoNT serotype B, subtype B1 (BoNT/B1). Fundamental to the advanced development process is an initial demonstration of product safety in animals. A comprehensive series of studies was conducted to evaluate the general toxicity, neurobehavioral toxicity and local reactogenicity of the rBV A/B vaccine prior to first use in humans. Toxicity was evaluated in CD-1 mice vaccinated with control material and three dosages of rBV A/B with or without Alhydrogel(®) by intramuscular (IM) injection on Study Days 0, 28, 56 and 70 in a volume of 100μL. Total immunizing protein given in each dose was either 0, 2, 4 or 8 μg/animal. Local reactogenicity was evaluated in mice at the dosages given and in New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits using the same injection volume (0.5 mL)...

The American journal of physiology, 1998

Analysis of phagocytic activity in wound fibroblasts was chosen as a means to assess the possible... more Analysis of phagocytic activity in wound fibroblasts was chosen as a means to assess the possible continuity between macrophage and fibroblast phenotypes. Fibroblast phagocytosis of uncoated, IgG-coated, or collagen-coated fluorescent beads was analyzed by flow cytometry in vivo and in vitro. Phagocytosis of fluorescent beads by procollagen I-positive cells (fibroblasts) was evaluated in vivo by injecting beads into subcutaneously implanted sponge wounds in anesthetized Fisher rats. Phagocytic activity of a purified population of wound fibroblasts was measured in vitro and correlated with oxidation state using hydroethidium. In the wound environment, 50-60% of the cells that engulfed uncoated, IgG-coated, or collagen-coated beads were procollagen I-positive cells (i.e., fibroblasts). Procollagen I-positive cells engulfed uncoated and IgG-coated beads in preference to collagen-coated beads in vivo. Cultured wound fibroblasts engulfed uncoated, IgG-coated, and collagen-coated particle...

The American journal of physiology, 1997

The exact mechanism by which insulin reverses impaired wound healing is unknown. Previous investi... more The exact mechanism by which insulin reverses impaired wound healing is unknown. Previous investigators have shown that insulin is degraded in experimental wounds, suggesting that the action of insulin may be locally modified. The following study corroborates these findings and identifies the major proteinase responsible for insulin degradation in wound fluid (WF). Adult male Fisher rats were wounded by subcutaneous implantation of polyvinyl alcohol sponges while under pentobarbital sodium anesthesia. WF and serum were collected on 1, 5, 10, and 14 days postinjury. Decreased insulin concentration in late WF correlated with an increased insulin-degrading activity. Multiple proteinases appear to participate in the overall degradation of insulin in WF. However, the primary enzyme responsible for insulin degradation in WF was characterized by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting and identified as the neutral thiol-dependent metalloproteinase, insulin-degrading enzyme (EC 3.4.24.56). E...

The Journal of surgical research, 1984

Classically, increased lactate production in wounded tissue is ascribed to anaerobic glycolysis a... more Classically, increased lactate production in wounded tissue is ascribed to anaerobic glycolysis although its oxygen consumption has been found to be similar to normal tissue. This apparent inconsistency was studied in a standardized isolated perfused wound model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were wounded (group W) with intramuscular injections of lambda-carrageenan and fed ad lib.; not wounded and pair fed to the decreased food intake of the wounded animals (group PFC); or not wounded and fed ad lib. (group ALC). After 5 days, the hindlimbs of animals from each group were either perfused using a standard perfusate with added [U-14C]glucose or [1-14C]pyruvate or assayed for the tissue content of lactate and pyruvate. In addition, the effect of a 30% hemorrhage on the tissue lactate and pyruvate concentration was examined. Wounding increased glucose uptake and lactate production by 100 and 96%, respectively, above that seen in ALC animals. Oxygen consumption was unchanged by wounding (5.7...

The American journal of physiology, 1986

To evaluate whether the alterations in amino acid (AA) metabolism that follow the lambda-carragee... more To evaluate whether the alterations in amino acid (AA) metabolism that follow the lambda-carrageenan injury are direct consequences of wounding and are therefore independent of food intake, plasma AA, in vivo muscle intracellular free AA, and AA release during isolated hindlimb perfusions were determined in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats with lambda-carrageenan-induced hindlimb muscle wounds (W) and in pair-fed (PFC) and ad libitum-fed (ALC) non-wounded controls. Both PFC and W animals showed different plasma and muscle intracellular AA composition that ALC. The alterations observed in these compartments in W animals may not have resulted exclusively as a consequence of the wound. Wounded hindlimbs released more AA during perfusion than either control group. The marked increase in net protein catabolism of W muscle appeared to be related to wounding and not a consequence of partial starvation. The normalized release (amino acid/phenylalanine ratio) of glutamine (W less than ALC), a...

Surgery, 1986

The role of lactate in the metabolism of the healing wound is poorly understood. The purpose of t... more The role of lactate in the metabolism of the healing wound is poorly understood. The purpose of the present studies was to determine if despite a net lactate production, wounded (Wx) tissue could metabolize lactate and use it as an oxidative fuel. The extensor digitorum longus muscles (EDL) of weanling, male, Fischer rats were injured with lambda-carrageenan or injured thermally, and 5 and 3 days later, respectively, were incubated in a standard incubate that contained varying amounts of lactate (0 to 6 mmol/L added). Lactate uptake and oxidation, occurred in lambda-carrageenan Wx EDL, thermally injured EDL and non-Wx EDL in a dose-dependent manner. At lactate concentrations of less than 3 mmol/L in the incubate, there was net lactate production, but at lactate concentrations of 6 mmol/L there was no net lactate production by both Wx and non-Wx EDL. The increase in lactate oxidation was not associated with an alteration in the tissue content of adenosine triphosphate or creatine pho...

Circulatory shock, 1988

Wounded muscle which has increased glucose uptake is infiltrated with a large number of inflammat... more Wounded muscle which has increased glucose uptake is infiltrated with a large number of inflammatory cells. Macrophages which are the predominant inflammatory cells in wounded muscle can increase glucose oxidation by epididymal fat pads. Therefore, the possibility that inflammatory cells could also alter glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle was investigated. Peritoneal inflammatory cells (67% macrophages, 7% lymphocytes, 15% polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and 11% eosinophils) were elicited with a 1% sodium caseinate solution. Extensor digitorum longus muscles, were incubated alone, in the presence of inflammatory cells or in an inflammatory-cell-conditioned media. Similar incubations were performed using epididymal fat pads. In addition, inflammatory cells were incubated alone. The present studies confirmed the previous finding that inflammatory cells release a factor(s) that increases glucose oxidation in epididymal fat pads. The coincubation of inflammatory cells with skeletal mus...

The American journal of physiology, 1987

Wounding with lambda-carrageenan results in a marked decrease in the intracellular-free glutamine... more Wounding with lambda-carrageenan results in a marked decrease in the intracellular-free glutamine content of rat skeletal muscle. The potential mechanisms for this finding, including alterations in glutamine release, glutamine utilization, and glutamine synthesis, were investigated in rats under pentobarbital anesthesia. Wounding did not increase glutamine release from muscle during incubation or isolated hindlimb perfusion. Wounded muscle utilized more glutamine than nonwounded muscle, as measured both by the production of [14C]O2 and of -glutamate from labeled glutamine. Maximal glutamine synthetase activity was increased by wounding. The increase in glutamine synthetase activity in wounded muscle was prevented by adrenalectomy and restored by replacement doses of corticosterone in wounded adrenalectomized animals. The decrease in muscle free glutamine induced by wounding is therefore not mediated by an increase in the release of this amino acid, nor by a reduction in the tissue c...

Surgery, 1990

Injured tissue is characterized by increased glucose uptake and increased lactate production as c... more Injured tissue is characterized by increased glucose uptake and increased lactate production as compared to normal tissue. These metabolic changes have been attributed to the presence of inflammatory cells in injured tissues. To correlate these metabolic changes with changes in the inflammatory cell population at various times after injury, we studied the lambda-carrageenan hindlimb wound model in anesthetized rats. Perfusion studies demonstrated that at 3 and 5 days after injury glucose uptake was increased in injured hindlimbs, compared with hindlimbs from pair-fed control animals. At 3, 5, and 10 days after injury, lactate production from glucose was increased in injured hindlimbs, compared with hindlimbs from pair-fed control animals. These metabolic changes were not related to differences in body weight or food intake. There was no difference in glucose oxidation or in oxygen consumption in injured hindlimbs, compared with hindlimbs from pair-fed control animals. The increased ...

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950), Jan 15, 1992

The potential of the immune system to inhibit or stimulate tumor growth is a vivid example of the... more The potential of the immune system to inhibit or stimulate tumor growth is a vivid example of the "two-edged sword" nature of immune responses. Our results provide evidence that this dual capacity can be attributed, in part, to the dual pathways of arginine metabolism exhibited by intratumor macrophages. Specifically, i.p. tumor rejection in P815-preimmunized mice is accompanied by an upshift in intratumor macrophage arginine metabolism to the nitric oxide (NO) synthase pathway that yields citrulline and NO. A rapid and marked local increase in IFN-gamma (both mRNA and protein) in preimmunized mice during tumor rejection suggests that this cytokine plays a role in up-regulating nitric oxide production in vivo. Unlike tumor rejection, progressive i.p. P815 tumor growth in naive mice is associated with a marked decline in the production of citruline/NO by intratumor macrophages. Examination of macrophage arginine metabolism via arginase revealed a pattern opposite that of NO...

Vaccine, 2008

Tularemia is a severe disease for which there is no licensed vaccine. An attenuated F. tularensis... more Tularemia is a severe disease for which there is no licensed vaccine. An attenuated F. tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS) was protective when administered to humans but safety concerns precluded its licensure and use in large scale immunization. An improved F. tularensis LVS preparation was produced under current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) guidelines for evaluation in clinical trials. Preclinical safety, tolerability and immunogenicity were investigated in rabbits that received LVS in escalating doses (1x10 5 to 1x10 9 CFU) by the intradermal, subcutaneous or percutaneous (scarification) route. This improved LVS formulation was well tolerated at all doses; no death or adverse clinical signs were observed and necropsies showed no signs of pathology. No live organisms were detected in liver or spleen. Transient local reactogenicity was observed after scarification injection. Erythema and edema developed after intradermal injection in the highest dose cohorts. High levels of F. tularensis-specific IgM, IgG and IgA developed early after immunization, in a dose-dependent fashion. Scarification elicited higher levels of IgA. Antibodies elicited by LVS also recognized F. tularensis Schu-S4 antigens and there was a significant correlation between antibody titers measured against both LVS and Schu-S4. The ELISA titers also correlated closely with those measured by microagglutination. This is the first report describing comprehensive toxicological and immunological studies of F. tularensis LVS in rabbits. This animal model, which closely resembles human disease, proved adequate to assess safety and immunogenicity of F. tularensis vaccine candidates. This new LVS vaccine preparation is being evaluated in human clinical studies.