The instability of membrane markers expressed by human monocytes and macrophages in culture

Surface markers were tested on freshly isolated human monocytes and following their in vitro maturation to macrophages. The markers tested were HLA-DR antigens, receptors for the Fc of IgG and complement as well as membrane markers defined by monoclonal antibodies. The results revealed a dynamic expression of some of the markers on monocytes which was influenced by several variables. The expression of the markers was modulated by the presence of different sera, by treatment with lymphokines and interferon and following the in vitro maturation of monocytes to macrophages. The most unstable marker was found to be the HLA-DR, which was modulated by all these variables. The 63D3 was affected by different sera and culture supernatant, as well as following the maturation of monocytes to macrophages, but not by lymphokines and interferon. One of the markers, the Mac 120, was found to be relatively stable and did not change significantly following the maturation of monocytes to macrophages. The Fc and complement receptors were also stable in their expression under these conditions, but were probably partially blocked in the presence of human serum. These results indicated that at least some of the heterogeneity related to the monocyte population was probably not due to the occurrence of stable subsets of cells, but rather to reversible changes in marker expression.     

gp49B1 suppresses stem cell factor-induced mast cell activation-secretion and attendant inflammation in vivo

We report that gp49B1, a mast cell membrane receptor with two immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs (ITIM), constitutively inhibits mast cell activation-secretion induced by stem cell factor (SCF), a tissue-derived cytokine that also regulates mast cell development. The intradermal injection of SCF into the ears of gp49B1 null (gp49B(-/-)) mice elicited approximately 4- and 2.5-fold more degranulating mast cells and tissue swelling caused by edema, respectively, than in gp49B(+/+) mice. SCF did not induce tissue swelling in mast cell-deficient mice, and the responsiveness of gp49B(-/-) mice to mast cell-associated amine and lipid mediators was unaltered. When gp49B(+/+) and gp49B(-/-) mice were pretreated with antagonists of the amines, SCF-induced tissue swelling was reduced by >90% and 60%, respectively, and it was reduced by >90% in both genotypes when a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist was also provided. Hence, the dominant contribution of secretory granule amines to SCF-induced tissue swelling is the result of gp49B1-mediated inhibition of the production of cysteinyl leukotrienes by mast cells. Our findings also provide the first example of an ITIM-bearing receptor that constitutively suppresses inflammation generated in vivo independently of the adaptive immune response by a receptor that signals through intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity rather than immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs.     

Intrarenal distribution of125I-polyvinyl pyrrolidone and51Cr-labelled red cells in hydropenic and polyuric rabbits

Summary The intrarenal volumes of distribution of¹²⁵I-polyvinyl pyrrolidone and⁵¹Cr-labelled red cells have been examined in rabbits under conditions of severe hydropenia and starvation-induced polyuria, and in rabbits under control conditions. The PVP space was significantly reduced, and the ratio [red cell space]:[red cell space + PVP space] significantly elevated, in the outer cortex of kidneys of hydropenic rabbits, and in the papilla of polyuric rabbits. It is suggested that the former may in some manner result from a reduction in the total cortical vascular space, whereas the latter reflects variations of medullary and appillary interstitial tonicity under these conditions.     

Development of patient derived organoids for cancer drug screening applications

Cancer is a disease characterised by abnormal cell growth that can invade or spread to other regions of the body. Organoids are three-dimensional ex vivo tissue cultures made from embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, progenitor cells or tissue that serve as a physiological model for cancer research. These are designed to recapitulate the in vivo properties of tumours. Importantly, effective recapitulation of the structure of tissues and function is believed to predict patient response, allowing for the creation of personalised therapy in a timely manner that may be used in the clinic. This Review discusses the pre-clinical model and different types of human organoids as models for the development of high throughput drug screening and also aims to highlight how organoids are shaping the future of cancer research.     

骨髓间充质干细胞分化为血管内皮细胞的实验研究

目的 :探讨骨髓间充质干细胞 (MSCs)自体移植后在扩张型心肌病(DCM)微环境中分化为血管内皮细胞的可行性。方法 :以日本大耳白兔为研究对象 ,分离培养扩增MSCs,盐酸阿霉素耳缘静脉注射复制兔DCM模型 ,将 5溴脱氧尿嘧啶 (BrdU)标记的MSCs移植到DCM心肌内 ,4周后观察移植细胞的增殖分化情况。结果 :细胞移植 4周后 ,实验组心肌内有BrdU标记的阳性细胞 ,有一部分参与组成新生血管 ,对照组中没有发现 ,且实验组毛细血管密度大于对照组 ,差异具有显著性 (P<0 .0 1)。结论 :MSCs自体移植到扩张型心肌病后可以分化为血管内皮细胞。     

Cytocompatibility of Three Corneal Cell Types with Amniotic Membrane

Rabbit limbal corneal epithelial cells, corneal endothelial cells and keratocytes were cultured on amniotic membrane. Phase contrast microscope examination was performed daily. Histological and scan electron microscopic examinations were carried out to observe the growth, arrangement and adhesion of cultivated cells. Results showed that three corneal cell types seeded on amniotic membrane grew well and had normal cell morphology. Cultured cells attached firmly on the surface of amniotic membrane. Corneal epithelial cells showed singular layer or stratification. Cell boundaries were formed and tightly opposed. Corneal endothelial cells showed cobblestone or polygonal morphologic characteristics that appeared uniform in size. The cellular arrangement was compact. Keratocytes elongated and showed triangle or dendritic morphology with many intercellular joints which could form networks. In conclusion, amniotic membrane has good scaffold property, diffusion effect and compatibility with corneal cells. The basement membrane side of amniotic membrane facilitated the growth of corneal epithelial cells and endothelial cells and cell junctions were tightly developed. The spongy layer of amniotic membrane facilitated the growth of keratocytes and intercellular joints were rich. Amniotic membrane is an ideal biomaterial for layering tissue engineered cornea.     

Colocalization of glutamate and glycine in bipolar cell terminals of the human retina

Human retinae from surgical specimens rapidly fixed in a glutaraldehyde/formaldehyde mixture were subjected to postembedding, immunogold immunocytochemistry of glutamate and glycine, and subsequently analysed in an electron microscope. The two amino acids were visualised in the same tissue sections by the use of two different gold particle sizes. All bipolar cell perikarya and terminals showed significant glutamate labelling with mean gold particle densities 3–4 times higher than those of the retinal, non-neural pigment epithelial and Müller cells. Bipolar cell terminals displayed significantly higher glutamate labelling density than the bipolar cell bodies, as would be expected of glutamatergic neurons. A subpopulation of the glutamate-immunolabelled bipolar cell bodies (18%) and terminals (32%) also exhibited strong glycine labelling (7–8 times that of pigment epithelial and Müller cells). These glutamate-glycine positive terminals established contacts with amacrine cell processes and ganglion cell dendrites and were localised almost exclusively at between 44% and 88% depth of the inner plexiform layer, indicating that they belong to the ON cone bipolar system. This subpopulation of terminals was endowed with significantly higher glycine labelling density than the glycine positive bipolar cell bodies. These results show that human bipolar cell terminals colocalise glutamate and glycine and provide the first direct demonstration of an enrichment of these two amino acids in the same presynaptic element.     

Protochordate concordant xenotransplantation settings reveal outbreaks of donor cells and divergent life span traits

If fulminate rejection in allogeneic and xenogeneic engraftments is not an evolutionary relict feature, then any treatment that ablates the host surveillance's effector arms capabilities and eliminates graft vs. host reactivity should induce donor chimerism in transplant settings. We demonstrate here marked proliferative response of Botryllus (Urochordata) blood cells months following their infusions (2×10⁴–10⁵ blood cells per host) into the concordant xenogeneic environment of irradiated Botrylloides soma. The state of infused cells was followed by Botryllus specific microsatellite alleles on DNA samples from host zooids and vascular system. Increased growth rates and life spans of engrafted hosts in some cases, and sudden chimerical death following the outbreak of donor cells in others, indicate a ‘double-edged sword’ expression of concurrent evolutionary selected mechanisms. This DES phenomenon in immunity underlies divergent stem cell competition phenomena in multicellular organisms, leading in mammals, to cases of autoimmune diseases vis-à-vis long-lasting microchimerism events following an iatrogenic transplantation.     

金属硫蛋白抑制同型半胱氨酸诱导的大鼠血管平滑肌细胞增殖

目的:研究金属硫蛋白(MT)对同型半胱氨酸(Hcy)诱导大鼠血管平滑肌细胞(vascularsmoothmusclecells,VSMCs)增殖的影响及其作用机制。方法:以[³H]-TdR掺入法测定VSMCs增殖程度,免疫沉淀法测定VSMCs内丝裂素活化蛋白激酶(MAPK)活性,[¹⁰⁹Cd]-血红蛋白饱和法测定MT含量,硫代巴比妥酸法测定丙二醛(MDA)含量,NADH氧化法测定乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)漏出量。结果:Hcy(10^-6-10^-4mmol/L)呈浓度依赖性的刺激培养大鼠VSMCs[³H]-TdR掺入,0.1mmol/LHcy刺激[³H]-TdR掺入比对照组高4.2倍(P＜0.01)。Hcy亦呈浓度依赖性地激活VSMCsMAPK活性、增加细胞MDA的生成和LDH的漏出(P均<0.01)。单独MT孵育,对VSMCs的上述指标均无明显影响(P＞0.05)。但MT(10^-6-10^-4mol/L)呈浓度依赖性抑制100μmol/LHcy的促增殖效应(r=0.98,P＜0.01)。MT显著抑制Hcy对VSMCs的MAPK活性、MDA生成和LDH漏出的激活作用(均P＜0.01)。以0.5mmol/LZnCl₂预孵育6h后,VSMCsMT含量比非诱导细胞高5.7倍(P＜0.01),这种内源性MT高表达的细胞,显著抵抗Hcy刺激的-TdR掺入和MAPK激活;抑制Hcy的促细胞MDA生成与LDH漏出效应(均P＜0.01)。结论:MT能有效抑制Hcy促大鼠VMSCs增殖作用,其机制可能与MT拮抗Hcy对MAPK的激活和其抗氧化作用有关。     

肿瘤坏死因子与肾小球系膜细胞的关系

目的研究肾小球系膜细胞的肿瘤坏死因子的自分泌功能,肿瘤坏死因子对肾小球系膜细胞作用的机制。方法利用体外培养的人和大鼠的肾小球系膜细胞,通过逆转录－多聚酶链反应、原位杂交和免疫组化方法,探讨它们之间的关系。结果肾小球系膜细胞既可产生肿瘤坏死因子,又有肿瘤坏死因子受体。结论肾小球系膜细胞是肿瘤坏死因子作用的靶细胞,肿瘤坏死因子通过旁分泌和自分泌两种途径作用于肾小球系膜细胞。