The effect of peritoneal macrophage-derived factor(s) on ovarian progesterone secretion and LH receptors: the role of calcium.

Macrophages and their secretory products, cytokines, play an integral role in many reproductive processes. In this study we examined the effect of conditioned media from cultured human peritoneal macrophages on progesterone production by granulosa cells and the role of calcium in this process. Macrophages were pretreated with various concentrations of a calcium channel blocker (verapamil) or a calcium ionophore (A23187). Macrophage-conditioned media (MCM) or cell-free media that contained calcium channel modifiers were added at three dose levels to cultured porcine granulosa cells. Progesterone production and LH receptor content were determined. Macrophage-conditioned media alone elevated basal progesterone production, but significantly attenuated granulosa cell LH receptor content. These effects were neither potentiated nor suppressed by pretreating macrophages with verapamil. However, production of the LH receptor lowering factor(s) appeared to be suppressed by calcium ionophore. We conclude that (1) one or more factors produced by macrophages have a net stimulatory effect on basal progesterone production and these factor(s) may not be calcium-dependent and (2) macrophage-derived secretory products reduce granulosa cell LH receptor content. The production of these factor(s) may be calcium-dependent.     

The time course of leucocyte colony-formation in cultures of bone-marrow progenitor cells from rats and dogs

The colony-forming units granulocyte and macrophage (CFU-GM) assay, using either rat or dog haematopoietic progenitor cells, assesses the toxicity of new compounds. To identify the characteristics of colony formation in this system, a time-course study of CFU-GM assays using rat and dog bone marrow cells was tested. Neutrophil colonies, macrophage colonies and mixed colonies of neutrophils and macrophages were formed in soft agar medium. Neutrophil colonies reached their maximum number on days 3–4 and decreased markedly thereafter. Macrophage colonies reached their maximum number on days 7–8 and remained steady thereafter. Only a small number of mixed colonies of neutrophils and macrophages were formed beginning around day 4. There were no significant differences between rat and dog bone marrow cells in the occurrence of these maxima, or in any other growth phenomenon. This result suggests that to evaluate the influence of compounds on neutrophil colonies and macrophage colonies, observations should be made on days 4 and 8, respectively.     

Dectin-2 is predominantly myeloid restricted and exhibits unique activation-dependent expression on maturing inflammatory monocytes elicited in vivo

Dectin-2 is a recently described dendritic-cell-associated receptor, suggested to be involved in the initiation and maintenance of UV-induced tolerance. To understand the physiological relevance of the proposed functions of this C-type lectin-like receptor, we have generated monoclonal antibodies against its extracellular domain and performed a detailed study of its expression. In naive mice, Dectin-2 has a novel distribution pattern compared with other myeloid markers, but is predominantly expressed by a wide variety of tissue macrophages. Its expression was limited on dendritic cells and notably absent from brain microglia and choroid plexus or meningeal macrophages. On peripheral blood monocytes, Dectin-2 expression was very low on the surface but was transiently and markedly up-regulated on induction of inflammation in vivo using a variety of stimuli. This change in Dectin-2 expression occurs on 'inflammatory' monocytes after arrival at the inflammatory lesion as demonstrated by adoptive cell-transfer studies, and is independent of whether the macrophages elicited by the stimuli ultimately expressed Dectin-2. These observations show Dectin-2 expression to be characteristic of monocyte activation/maturation at an inflammatory lesion and provide a new perspective on the interpretation of Dectin-2 function in vivo.     

表达载体介导的反义RNA抑制人巨噬细胞移动抑制因子的表达

目的：研究表达载体介导的反义RNA对人巨噬细胞移动抑制因子(MIF)表达的抑制作用。 方法:用亚克隆技术构建可转录MIF反义RNA的真核表达载体pcDNA3-antiMIF。用lipofectamine2000分别将pcDNA3、pcDNA3-antiMIF转染可表达MIF的HEK293(293-MIF)细胞，用Real-time定量PCR鉴定MIF mRNA表达水平。将pcDNA3-antiMIF转化人脐静脉血管内皮细胞(HUVECs)，建立可表达MIF反义RNA的HUVECs(HUVECs-antiMIF)细胞。将MIF的真核表达载体pSecTag-MIF转染HUVECs-antiMIF，用Real-time定量PCR鉴定MIF mRNA的表达水平。 结果:正确构建了MIF反义RNA的表达载体pcDNA3-antiMIF。MIF 反义RNA对293-MIF细胞中MIF表达的抑制水平达32%（P<0.05）。建立稳定表达MIF反义RNA的HUVECs-antiMIF细胞株。HUVECs-antiMIF中MIF的表达受到抑制，表达水平降低40%（P<0.05）。 结论:表达载体介导的反义RNA能有效地抑制MIF的表达，建立了稳定表达MIF反义RNA的HUVECs。     

小白鼠腹腔渗出细胞吞噬功能的研究

本实验比较糖元、鸡红细胞及两者复合使用对小鼠腹腔渗出细胞的影响,结果表明鸡红细胞和糖元一样能激活巨噬系和组织嗜碱系细胞,影响巨噬系细胞分化,鸡红细胞较糖元快;而影响组织嗜碱系细胞分化,糖元较鸡红细胞快。由于腹腔渗出细胞中存在原、幼巨噬细胞,按照血细胞发育是不可逆回的理论,推测腹腔巨噬细胞不是来源于血液循环中的单核细胞,而是来自血循环中的定向干细胞。本实验在腹腔渗出细胞中,首次发现组织嗜碱系细胞并描写其形态特征。     

胸腺因子对小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞影响的电镜观察

小白鼠15只,其中10只作实验组(用胸腺因子激活其腹腔巨噬细胞),5只(以等量生理盐水作对照)。通过扫描与透射电镜观察注射腹腔巨噬细胞的微细结构变化。结果:实验组的巨噬细胞其形态、突起、胞质内溶酶体、空泡、吞噬体、线粒体和游离核蛋白体、吞噬鸡红细胞数等均强于对照组。这些变化与活比巨噬细胞旺盛的功能状态有密切关系,本课题可进一步了解胸腺因子(一种免疫促进剂)。对巨噬细胞的激活与免疫的加强作用,并提供巨噬细胞一些形态学的依据。     

脂多糖诱导的小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞基因表达谱分析

目的　利用基因芯片技术分析脂多糖 (LPS)活化的小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞基因表达谱 ,以更全面地了解LPS诱导的巨噬细胞反应。方法　以未刺激的和用 1mg/LLPS刺激的小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞制备3 3 P标记的cDNA探针 ,分别与含有 1176个已知基因的小鼠cDNA芯片杂交。结果　活化组和未刺激组间的 2倍差异表达基因为 118个 ,3倍差异表达基因为 6 9个 ,其中 4 4个上调 ,2 5个下调。转录因子、细胞内信号调节蛋白、炎症细胞因子和细胞凋亡相关基因的转录发生明显的调节变化。结论提供了LPS活化的巨噬细胞综合基因表达信息 ,并筛选出一些新的可能与LPS活化相关的基因。     

Properties of voltage-gated currents of microglia developed using macrophage colony-stimulating factor

Microglia were isolated from a murine neonatal brain cell culture in which their development had been stimulated by supplementation with the macrophage/microglial growth factor macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). Using the whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique, voltage-gated membrane currents were recorded from these microglial cells. Hyperpolarization induced inward rectifying K⁺ currents, as described for microglia from untreated cultures. These currents activated negative to the K⁺ equilibrium potential and, with a strong hyperpolarization, displayed time-dependent inactivation. The inactivation was abolished when extracellular NaCl was replaced by N-methyl-d-glucamine (NMG), thereby indicating a partial block of this K⁺ conductance by Na⁺. Inward rectifying currents were also blocked by extracellularly applied Cs⁺ or Ba²⁺. They were slightly diminished following treatment with extracellular tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA) but were not affected by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP). Upon long lasting depolarizing voltage pulses to potentials positive to 0 mV, the cells exhibited a slowly activating H⁺ current which could be reduced by application of inorganic polyvalent cations (Ba²⁺, Cd²⁺, Co²⁺, La³⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺) as well as by 4-AP or TEA. Based on their kinetics and pharmacological characteristics, both currents detected on M-CSF-grown microglia are suggested to correspond to the inward rectifier and the H⁺ current of macrophages.