The mononuclear phagocytes of the rat adrenal.

Structural and functional investigations have revealed the presence of a population of mononuclear phagocytes in the sinusoids of the rat adrenal. These phagocytes were of myelogenous origin, while electron microscopy and peroxidase cytochemistry demonstrated characteristics resembling those of monocytes. Their concentration on the sinus wall increased after systemic zymosan treatment, due to a transient selective margination of circulating monocytes, many of which were in the synthetic phase of the cell cycle. The monocytic margination in the zymosan-treated rats shown to be partly due to changes in the sinus wall and partly dependent on the surface properties of circulating monocytes.     

Ultrastructural and cytochemical evaluation of sepsis-induced changes in the rat pulmonary intravascular mononuclear phagocytes

Sepsis stimulates an increase in the number and activity of mononuclear phagocytes in systemic host-defence organs. The present study was conducted to define the ultrastructural and cytochemical characteristics of the mononuclear phagocytes that sequester in the lung microvasculature of septic rats. Fourteen rats were challenged with a single intraperitoneal injection of saline (0.5 ml/100 g), E. coli (2×10⁷/100 g) or glucan (4 mg/100 g), and euthanased 2, 4, or 7 d later. The lungs were inflation fixed and processed for transmission electron microscopy. Cellular morphology was used to identify the intravascular mononuclear phagocytes and acid phosphatase (AcPase) expression was monitored as an index of cellular differentiation and activation. Control rats contained a limited number of monocytes in the pulmonary vasculature. In contrast, large numbers of activated mononuclear phagocytes were seen in the microvasculature within 48 h of treatment with either microbial product. The recruited pulmonary intravascular mononuclear phagocytes (PIMP) exhibited AcPase-reactive Golgi complexes, accumulation of secretory vesicles and other features of cell activation consistent with enhanced biosynthetic activity. Subsequent electron microscopy, conducted 4 and 7 d posttreatment, suggested that a progressive decline in the number and activity of PIMPs then occurred. In order to quantify the sepsis-induced accumulation of AcPase-positive PIMP, the experimental challenges were repeated in 11 rats and, 48 h later, tissue samples were evaluated by light microscopy for tartrate-insensitive acid phosphatase. Control rats exhibited 0.148±0.107 AcPase-positive PIMP/alveoli. E. coli and glucan challenged animals exhibited significant (P<0.01) increases in AcPase-positive mononuclear phagocytes, with 0.782±0.073 and 0.636±0.170 PIMP/alveoli respectively. The results demonstrate that focal sepsis stimulates a significant, but transient, recruitment of activated mononuclear phagocytes into the rat pulmonary microvasculature.     

Morphological changes induced by dextran sulfate 500 in mononuclear phagocytes of listeria-infected mice

Morphological changes involving mononuclear phagocytes in Listeria-infected mice after treatment with dextran sulfate 500 were investigated. Mononuclear phagocytes in livers and spleens, both circulating monocytes and fixed macrophages, showed uptake of electron-dense material. Mononuclear phagocyte changes were most pronounced within granulomatous lesions, where many phagocytes showed large membrane-bound inclusions and extensive cellular damage. It is concluded that dextran sulfate 500 selectively damages mononuclear phagocytes and that, in listerial infection, dextran sulfate 500 renders mononuclear phagocytes unable to express cellular resistance.     

Intramesangial passage of mononuclear phagocytes in murine lupus glomerulonephritis.

By repeated biopsies, time-sequential changes of the injected colloidal carbon distribution were investigated in glomeruli of NZB/W F1 mice. The intraglomerular shift of the carbon, evaluated by counting the particles at several time intervals after carbon injection, demonstrated the movement of the carbon from the glomerular capillaries to the extraglomerular areas. Electron-microscopic examination disclosed that most of the increased cells of the glomeruli were mononuclear phagocytes rich in ingested carbon particles and that extracellular carbon was scarcely present. This strongly suggested that the carbon particles observed at the light-microscopic level reflected those ingested by the phagocytes. The mesangial cells per se scarcely ingested carbon particles. Instead, mononuclear cells, extending their cytoplasmic protrusions toward the dense (immune complex) deposits, were frequently noticed. It is concluded that the mononuclear phagocyte is a principal component of the hypercellular glomeruli, presumably contributing to the scavenging of the mesangium, and also that there is a pathway in the mesangium for these cells to shift from the capillary to the extraglomerular area by way of the vascular pole and lacis area.     

Effects of mycobacteria on regulation of apoptosis in mononuclear phagocytes.

Since apoptosis is observed in tuberculous granulomata, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the apoptotic pathway in an in vitro model of mycobacterial infection of mononuclear phagocytes. We postulated that Mycobacterium tuberculosis could trigger the apoptotic pathway in macrophages, resulting in death of the microorganism by modulating the expression of bcl-2, bax, bcl-xL, and bcl-xS. We found that the mRNA of bcl-2, an inhibitor of apoptosis, was downregulated in peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) between 2 and 6 h following infection with M. bovis BCG or induction with heat-killed M. tuberculosis H37Ra. Western analysis showed a downregulation of the Bcl-2 protein, with a half-life of 24 h. At the same time points, there was no change in the expression of Bax or Bcl-xS, inducers of apoptosis, but Bcl-xL, another inhibitor of apoptosis, was minimally upregulated by BCG. To determine if apoptosis could be a mechanism for growth inhibition in vivo, we obtained alveolar macrophages by bronchoalveolar lavage from involved sites in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Using the TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase mediated nick end labeling) technique, we observed significantly more apoptosis in involved segments of five tuberculosis patients (14.8 +/- 1.9%) than in those of normal controls (<1%, P = 0.02) or in uninvolved segments (4.3 +/- 0.9%, P < 0.05). We conclude that apoptosis of mononuclear phagocytes induced by M. tuberculosis occurs in vivo and that in an in vitro model of mycobacterial infection, apoptosis may be mediated by downregulation of Bcl-2.     

In vivo-activated mononuclear phagocytes and protective immunity to chlamydiae in mice.

Peritoneal macrophages (M phi s) collected from Chlamydia psittaci 6BC-immune mice after intraperitoneal challenge with 10(6) 6BC (immune-boosted [IB] M phi s) were compared by various functional criteria with other in vivo- and in vitro-activated M phi populations. While casein-, protease peptone-, and thioglycolate (Thio)-elicited M phi s were equally susceptible to in vitro infection with 6BC, IB M phi s did not support chlamydial growth and M phi s from Mycobacterium tuberculosis BCG- or Listeria monocytogenes-sensitized mice exhibited intermediate susceptibility to infection. The resistance of IB M phi s was not due to the ingestion of fewer 6BC organisms, nor were these cells persistently infected, since chlamydiae could not be recovered from infected IB M phi s after in vitro infection, even after extended incubation times. In contrast, Thio M phi s stimulated in vitro with gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), with or without lipopolysaccharide, resulted in cells that exhibited chlamydiastatic activity which was lost shortly after IFN-gamma was removed from the culture medium. Conversely, the antichlamydial activity of IB M phi s was stable over time but not through the production of autostimulatory cytokines, as evidenced by the lack of stimulation of Thio M phi s to restrict 6BC replication in coculture experiments. IB M phi s exhibited enhanced oxidative activity, but anti-IFN-gamma antibody did not abrogate this response. IB M phi s were recovered only from immunized mice that survived an otherwise lethal 6BC intraperitoneal challenge. These cells appear to be important for development of protective immunity to chlamydiae, and evidence suggests that stimulation by cytokines other than IFN-gamma (with or without lipopolysaccharide) is required for the observed heightened in vivo activation.     

The Fc receptor, FcRI, and other activation molecules on human mononuclear phagocytes after treatment with interferon-gamma.

Human monocytes and the myeloid cell lines U937 and HL60 have been tested with monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) reactive with 22 different cell surface molecules before and after treatment with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). An increase in the expression of the high affinity Fc receptor, FcRI, and the receptor for interleukin 2, IL-2R, were the most consistent alterations which were observed. In addition, expression of the gp55 molecule recognized by CD14 MoAbs was decreased on monocytes. Of the MHC Class II molecules, there was little expression by the myeloid cell lines and no enhancement after IFN-gamma treatment. In contrast monocytes expressed all three MHC Class II subloci with DR much greater than DQ and DP. However there was much variation in IFN-gamma-mediated increase in expression of the individual subregions. In monocytes, the alteration in expression of FcRI, IL-2R, gp55 and MHC Class II molecules took place in a co-ordinate fashion and reached a plateau only after 48 h. In U937 cells, activation proceeded more rapidly and was at maximum levels between 12-16 h. This increase in FcRI appears to be a hallmark of IFN-gamma activation for mononuclear phagocytes (Mph) as the other alterations are either not found on all types of Mph (gp55, MHC Class II) or are induced by other cytokines on Mph and on other cells (IL-2R, MHC Class II). Conversely, other cytokines do not induce FcRI on Mph. These results also suggest that the cell membrane phenotypic changes induced in Mph by IFN-gamma may not be extensive and that FcRI must play a specific role in the IFN-gamma-activated Mph.     

Effects of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides on mononuclear phagocytes.

The mononuclear phagocyte plays an important role in the regulation of microbe-induced inflammation, in part through its ability to secrete mediators, particularly cytokines, in response to microorganisms and their products. To evaluate the effects of the microbial flora associated with chronic adult periodontitis on cytokine induction, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the periodontopathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis was used to stimulate naive and phorbol ester-primed U937 monocytic cells, as well as elutriated human peripheral blood monocytes. We assessed the effect of this LPS, in comparison to that of LPS from Escherichia coli, on cell proliferation, cytokine induction, and surface expression of the LPS receptor CD14. P. gingivalis LPS stimulated proliferation of U937 cells at concentrations of greater than 1 ng/ml, while E. coli LPS inhibited proliferation. Phorbol myristic acid (PMA)-treated U937 cells and elutriated monocytes responded to E. coli LPS activation by producing tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA and protein; however, P. gingivalis LPS induced greater numbers of TNF-alpha mRNA-positive cells and higher (P < 0.05) levels of protein than did E. coli LPS. Both cell types expressed interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) mRNA and protein in response to either LPS treatment. Compared with E. coli LPS, P. gingivalis LPS induced significantly (P < 0.05) higher numbers of IL-1 mRNA-positive U937 cells and elutriated monocytes, as well as production of significantly more (P < 0.05) IL-1 protein by the monocytes. The PMA-treated U937 cells and the monocytes produced high levels of IL-1 receptor antagonist mRNA and protein which were only marginally affected by the LPS preparations. While E. coli LPS induced expression of CD 14 on the surface of PMA-primed U937 cells and monocytes, P. gingivalis LPS exhibited a significantly (P < 0.05) greater ability to enhance receptor levels. Our results indicate that P. gingivalis LPS can activate the mononuclear phagocyte for proliferation, cytokine production, and CD14 expression, providing evidence for the potential of this bacterial component to act as a critical regulatory factor in the chronic inflammatory response associated with periodontitis.     

Ultrastructure of mouse mononuclear phagocytes in bone marrow colonies grown in vitro.

Recently a new method was developed to culture bone marrow cells in a liquid medium on a glass surface. Two kinds of colonies develop in these cultures, namely mononuclear phagocyte and granulocyte colonies. The study of the ultrastructure of the cells in the mononuclear phagocyte colonies was the primary aim of the present study. The architecture of the mononuclear phagocyte colonies appeared to be quite different from that of the granulocyte colonies, since in the latter, the cells lie close together in dense clusters, whereas in mononuclear phagocyte colonies the cells are more loosely dispersed with the highest cell density at the center and stellate orientation of the cells at the periphery. However, both kind of colonies grow entirely separate from each other and mixed colonies are not observed. Electron microscopy showed that there are three types of cell in the mononuclear phagocyte colonies, i.e., monoblasts, promonocytes, and macrophages. The ultrastructure of the promonocytes and macrophages of the colonies is similar to that of the same types of cell isolated directly from the mouse. The monoblast, the most immature cell of mononuclear phagocyte colonies has not been characterized before. The ultrastructure of this cell is clearly distinct from that of the promonocyte in having a round contour without pseudopods, a nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio greater than one, a cytoplasm that contains many polyribosomes, a few small granules, and a small Golgi complex surrounded by a few short strips of rough endoplasmic reticulum.     

Use of Hoechst 33342 staining to detect apoptotic changes in bovine mononuclear phagocytes infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis is an intracellular pathogen of macrophages that causes a chronic enteritis (Johne's disease) in ruminants. The purpose of this study was to determine whether M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection causes apoptosis in bovine monocytes. Using Hoechst 33342 staining, we observed increased numbers of apoptotic monocytes within 6 h of infection with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis, and these numbers increased further at 24 and 48 h. This effect appeared to require viable bacilli, because monocytes infected with heat-killed M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis did not exhibit a significant increase in apoptosis. Preincubation of monocytes with bovine growth hormone prior to infection with M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis did not significantly alter the number of apoptotic cells.     

Determining the role of mononuclear phagocytes in prion neuroinvasion from the skin

Many prion diseases are acquired by peripheral exposure, and skin lesions are an effective route of transmission. Following exposure, early prion replication, upon FDCs in the draining LN is obligatory for the spread of disease to the brain. However, the mechanism by which prions are conveyed to the draining LN is uncertain. Here, transgenic mice were used, in which langerin(+) cells, including epidermal LCs and langerin(+) classical DCs, were specifically depleted. These were used in parallel with transgenic mice, in which nonepidermal CD11c(+) cells were specifically depleted. Our data show that prion pathogenesis, following exposure via skin scarification, occurred independently of LC and other langerin(+) cells. However, the depletion of nonepidermal CD11c(+) cells impaired the early accumulation of prions in the draining LN, implying a role for these cells in the propagation of prions from the skin. Therefore, together, these data suggest that the propagation of prions from the skin to the draining LN occurs via dermal classical DCs, independently of langerin(+) cells.