雌激素处理DCs在诱导小鼠同种皮肤移植免疫耐受中的作用

目的：研究雌二醇（17β-estradiol, E₂）处理的供体骨髓来源树突细胞（dendritic cells, DCs）在诱导小鼠同种异基因皮肤移植免疫耐受中的作用。方法：体外培养小鼠骨髓来源DCs，然后用E₂处理。受体小鼠在皮肤移植前经尾静脉分别输注经E₂处理的供体小鼠DCs、供体小鼠成熟DCs以及不成熟DCs，输注PBS为对照组。1周后对受体小鼠进行同种异基因皮肤移植，手术后观察皮肤存活情况，应用流式细胞术检测手术前后受体小鼠外周血中CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞百分率的变化。结果：在同种异基因皮肤移植中，受体小鼠尾静脉输注经E2处理的DCs组与对照组和不成熟DCs组比较，移植皮肤存活时间显著延长，较不成熟DCs组存活时间平均延长10.6 d（P<0.01）；与对照组和不成熟DCs组比较，E₂处理组外周血中CD4+CD25+ 调节性T细胞百分率明显升高（P<0.01）。结论：在同种异基因小鼠皮肤移植模型中，E₂处理的供体小鼠DCs可以延长移植皮肤存活时间。     

管花苷B对抗H2O2诱导的PC12细胞凋亡

目的：观察肉苁蓉提取物管花苷B对H₂O₂诱导的PC12细胞损伤的影响。方法：用MTT法检测细胞存活率，以激光共聚焦显微镜荧光染色法检测细胞内活性氧的产生和线粒体膜电位的变化，DNA琼脂糖凝胶电泳和流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡的发生，并用荧光酶标仪测定caspase-3的活性。结果：100 μmol·L^-1 H₂O₂处理细胞24 h显著降低细胞的存活率；诱导细胞发生凋亡，凋亡率达48.0％；细胞内活性氧水平及caspase-3的活性显著升高；而线粒体膜电位却明显降低，红/绿荧光强度的比值由正常的5.97降低为0.41左右。而预先给予1、10或100 mg·L^-1浓度的管花苷B处理细胞12 h，可显著提高细胞存活率；并可有效抑制DNA ladder的发生；流式细胞仪检测凋亡率分别降低到30.9%、18.3%和6.2%；激光共聚焦显微镜结果显示管花苷B可明显降低细胞内活性氧的水平；并可逐渐恢复线粒体的高能量状态；caspase-3的活性不断降低，并呈现了一定的剂量依赖性。结论：管花苷B能显著地抑制H₂O₂诱导的PC12细胞凋亡，其神经细胞保护作用可能与其降低细胞内活性氧水平，维持线粒体膜电位的高能状态和抑制caspase-3的活性有关。     

Dual function of Langerhans cells in skin TSLP-promoted TFH differentiation in mouse atopic dermatitis

1. Download : Download high-res image (187KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

CD40-mediated lymphotoxin α expression in human B cells is tyrosine kinase dependent

The cytokine lymphotoxin (LT)α is known to play a role in B cell activation. As the engagement of the B cell antigen CD40 is known to lead to B cell proliferation and differentiation, we studied LTα expression in human B cells after CD40 ligation. We demonstrate that anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody (mAb) induces strong LTα mRNA and surface expression in human tonsil B cells. Induction of LTα mRNA and surface expression by CD40 ligation is inhibited by the protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitors herbimycin and genistein in a dose-dependent manner. The protein kinase C (PKC)-specific inhibitors sphingosine and bisindolylmaleimide caused negligible inhibition of anti-CD40-induced LTα mRNA and surface expression. No inhibition is observed with the protein kinase (PKA) inhibitors H89 and HA1004. Cross-linking of the transmembrane phosphatase CD45 to CD40 by using goat-anti-mouse F(ab')₂ fragments strongly inhibits CD40-mediated LTα expression in human B cells, confirming the role of PTK activation in CD40-mediated induction of LTα expression. Inhibitors of the serine/threonine protein phosphatases PP1 and PP2A, okadaic acid and calyculin induce LTα mRNA expression. In contrast, cyclosporin A, an inhibitor of the serine/threonine phosphatase calcineurin has no effect on anti-CD40-induced LTα expression. These results suggest that induction of LTα expression in B cells following engagement of CD40 involves activation of protein tyrosine kinases.     

Human interdigitating dendritic cells directly stimulate CD40-activated naive B cells

Human interdigitating dendritic cells (IDC) were isolated from tonsils based on their CD40⁺ lineage-negative expression in situ. Isolated IDC displayed a phenotypic profile similar to that of IDC in tonsils and spleen in situ, characterized by high-level expression of major histocompatibility complex class II, the co-stimulatory molecules B7.1 (CD80) and B7.2 (CD86), expression of the late DC maturation marker CD83, and no expression of CD1a, CD13, or CD33. IDC also showed weak nonspecific esterase staining and had the ability to induce an allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction. In this study, we further show that in the presence of surrogate activated T cells in the form of CD40 ligation and IL-2, IDC enhance the proliferation of naive B cells and induce their differentiation into plasma cells producing IgM. Evidence for the anatomical co-localization of naive B cells and IDC in the T cell area together with the data obtained in vitro implies a role for IDC in the initiation of the extrafollicular reaction.     

Bone marrow mast cell reaction in preleukaemic myelodysplasia and in aplastic anaemia

Summary The relationship of bone marrow mast cell counts to prognosis was investigated in 48 patients with preleukaemic myelodysplasia, in 59 patients with aplastic anemia and in a DMBA induced myelodysplasia/leukaemia rat model. In patients with myelodysplasia terminating in overt leukaemia the number of mast cells per square millimeter was not correlated to duration of the preleukaemic course. Leukaemia development probabilities of patients at risk were not different for low and elevated mast cell counts. In aplastic anaemia, however, a lower bone marrow mast cell count was related to a higher survival probability and longer survival time. In the animal model no significant differences could be found between myelodysplastic, leukaemic, and control animals.     

Immunofluorescent detection of anti-cytoskeleton antibodies using vinblastine-treated mononuclear cells

A reliable and reproducible immunofluorescence method is described for the detection of anti-cytoskeleton antibodies in human sera, based on the use of vinblastine-treated peripheral blood mononuclear cells as substrate. Three immunofluorescence patterns associated with antibodies to microfilaments, intermediate filaments and microtubules are readily identified.     

Immunochemical characterization of mouse brain-associated theta (Thy-1) antigen.

The Thy-1 antigens or rat brain and thymus have been isolated and chemically characterized, but those of mice have not been identified. Moreover, it is uncertain whether the antigens are glycolipids or glycoproteins. This study with highly purified preparations of gangliosides GM₁, ¹GD_1a, GD_1b and GT_1b from bovine brain and several ganglioside fractions from mouse brain showed that Thy-1 activity does not reside in gangliosides, but rather in the chloroform-methanol-insoluble residue of brain remaining after extraction of gangliosides. The antigen could be solubilized from this residue with a non-ionic detergent. The antigenic activity of the solubilized preparation was heat-labile but resistant to periodate. The chemical properties of the Thy-1 antigen of mouse brain are discussed.