title: Urocanic acid isomers, immunosuppressive cytokines and the induction of human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: The ability of cis-urocanic acid to mimic the effects of ultraviolet (UV) was tested in two systems that show cellular responses to direct UV irradiation. First, cultured mouse keratinocytes were treated with cis-urocanic acid and the cell culture supernatants were injected into mice to test for the ability to block spleen cell proliferation in the mixed lymphocyte reaction. Second, human fibroblasts carrying the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene under the control of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) long terminal repeat promoter were tested for the ability of cis-urocanic acid to induce gene expression. In these tests cis-urocanic acid did not induce a response comparable with UV irradiation alone, although at toxic concentrations cis-UCA did induce low expression from the viral promoter. These data suggest that, unlike UVB radiation, cis-urocanic acid does not activate keratinocytes to produce immunosuppressive cytokines nor does it induce expression of the HIV promoter.
authors.affiliation: Applied Genetics Inc., Freeport, New York 11520.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Yarosh
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alas
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kibitel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ullrich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D016207:Cytokines / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D006678:HIV / Q000201:enzymology; D016325:HIV Long Terminal Repeat / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014560:Urocanic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase; D014560:Urocanic Acid