Sensitivity of intracellular signals responsible for cell cycle progression to cyclosporine

Within the cascade of intracellular activation signals triggering T lymphocyte effector response to alloantigen is a cytoplasmic protein, ADR, that activates DNA replication in isolated nuclei. Quantitative changes in ADR (exclusive to activated cells) regulate cell cycle progression and may indicate changes in intracellular proliferative control. The present communication documents that inhibition of ADR activity reflects the in vitro immunosuppressive effects of Cyclosporine. CsA inhibition of both proliferation and generation of ADR was concentration-dependent and occurred only in the G0 phase of the cell cycle. Drug addition did not affect G1 cells. ADR generation was inhibited both by CsA and by PGE2 alpha, possibly via effects on calcium-dependent activation pathways confined to G0/G1 transition. On the other hand, ADR generation was not inhibited by the immunosuppressive agents 6-mercaptopurine, Enisoprost (a PGE1 analog), or FK506. ADR activity was sensitive to aprotinin, which typically inhibits serine proteases. Using an enzymatic assay to quantitate serine protease activity (SPA) following PHA stimulation revealed that ADR content inversely correlated with SPA: ADR was only present in activated cells; SPA was highest in resting cells and decreased after PHA stimulation. The PHA-induced fall in SPA activity was inhibited by CsA, consistent with the failure to generate ADR. Like ADR, SPA was sensitive to PGE2 alpha and quantitatively unaffected by 6-mercaptopurine, Enisoprost, or FK506. Thus, ADR and SPA may represent opposing components of a cytoplasmic signaling cascade the balance of which reflects the level of immunosuppression, and thus represents a focus for in vitro evaluation of the immunologic response of allografted patients to cyclosporine.