荚膜在新型隐球菌黏附和侵袭肺泡上皮细胞中的作用

在对新型隐球菌与肺泡上皮细胞相互作用的研究中,发现隐球菌可以与肺泡上皮细胞发生黏附,诱导自身进入肺泡上皮细胞即对细胞发生侵袭,同时对细胞的活性造成损伤,并对其过程进行了显微结构上的观察.本文利用这一模型,对荚膜在隐球菌黏附和侵袭肺泡上皮细胞中的作用做进一步的研究.     

雷帕霉素对顺铂作用下人肺腺癌A549及耐药A549/DDP细胞增殖、侵袭、黏附及自噬凋亡的影响

 目的:研究雷帕霉素（Rap）对顺铂（DDP）作用下人肺腺癌A549及耐药A549/DDP 细胞增殖、迁移、黏附及其自噬凋亡的影响。方法: 培养人肺腺癌A549及耐药A549/DDP细胞株,利用MTT方法分别检测Rap和DDP单独与联合作用对A549及耐药A549/DDP细胞增殖抑制率的影响;Transwell方法检测Rap和DDP单独与联合作用对A549及耐药A549/DDP细胞体外侵袭能力的影响;黏附实验检测Rap和DDP单独与联合作用对A549及耐药A549/DDP细胞体外侵袭能力的影响;流式细胞术检测Rap和DDP单独与联合作用对A549及耐药A549/DDP细胞凋亡的影响;Western blotting检测Rap和DDP单独与联合作用对A549及耐药A549/DDP细胞自噬标志蛋白beclin-1和LC3表达的影响。 结果: 与Rap或DDP单独作用组相比,Rap和DDP联合作用能够同时显著抑制人肺腺癌A549及耐药A549/DDP细胞增殖、体外侵袭能力及细胞黏附能力,并能够促进细胞凋亡和自噬标志蛋白beclin-1和LC3的表达（均P＜0.05）。结论: Rap能够通过促进细胞自噬而增强DDP的作用,进而抑制人肺腺癌A549及耐药A549/DDP细胞的增殖、侵袭、黏附并促进细胞凋亡作用,具有协同作用。     

周期性机械牵张对人肺泡上皮细胞穿透素-3表达的影响

目的探讨人肺泡上皮细胞穿透素-3(PTX3)在呼吸机相关性肺损伤中的可能作用。方法应用FX4000T细胞应变加载系统,对体外培养的人肺泡上皮细胞A549周期性施加20%应变,频率为0.3Hz,加载时间为1、2、4、6h,然后采用实时定量RT-PCR检测肺泡上皮细胞PTX3表达的变化、Western blot检测分泌到培养液上清PTX3蛋白,同时检测细胞活性。结果(1)周期性牵张诱导肺泡上皮细胞表达PTX3;(2)牵张引起肺泡上皮细胞的凋亡;(3)PTX3的水平与肺泡上皮细胞的凋亡水平显著相关。结论本研究提示PTX3在呼吸机相关性肺损伤的发病机制中可能起重要的作用。     

Caspase-3基因沉默对肺炎链球菌感染的肺泡上皮细胞凋亡的影响

目的:通过siRNA抑制caspase-3基因的表达探讨肺炎链球菌对肺泡上皮细胞凋亡的影响及凋亡基因caspase-3对凋亡的调节作用,寻找治疗肺炎链球菌肺炎的新方法。方法:体外培养肺泡上皮细胞A549,用肺炎链球菌R6作用于A549细胞,使用siRNA技术抑制caspase-3表达,RT-PCT法检测caspase-3转录强度,化学荧光测定法检测caspase-3蛋白含量,ELISA法检测细胞上清中IL-6和IL-10浓度,TUNEL法检测细胞凋亡。结果:肺炎链球菌能诱导A549细胞凋亡、导致caspase-3的表达和IL-6的浓度升高、IL-10的浓度降低;使用siRNA抑制caspase-3表达后,caspase-3的表达降低,A549细胞的凋亡率降低,而IL-6和IL-10的浓度并无明显变化。结论:Caspase-3在肺炎链球菌引起的肺泡上皮细胞的凋亡中占据了重要的地位;运用RNA干扰技术抑制caspase-3的表达能降低肺泡上皮细胞的凋亡率,这可能对肺炎链球菌肺炎的治疗有积极意义。     

香烟提取物和腺病毒E1A基因对肺泡上皮细胞ICAM-1表达的影响

目的:探讨香烟提取物(CSE)致肺泡上皮细胞细胞间粘附分子-1(ICAM-1)表达的作用及腺病毒E1A基因的影响.方法:通过脂质体转染的方法将腺病毒E1A基因转染A549细胞,获取E1A阳性表达A549细胞,不同浓度的CSE活化,测定细胞ICAM-1的表达.结果:CSE显著增加A549细胞ICAM-1表达,且呈浓度依赖性;与未转染和对照质粒转染A549细胞相比较,CSE活化后E1A阳性表达A549细胞ICAM-1表达显著增加.结论:CSE能够诱导肺泡上皮细胞ICAM-1表达,而腺病毒E1A基因显著增加CSE所致的肺泡上皮细胞ICAM-1表达,提示腺病毒潜伏感染放大吸烟所致的气道炎症反应.     

尿道致病性大肠埃希菌感染对人膀胱上皮细胞基因表达谱的影响

目的 研究尿道致病性大肠埃希菌(UPEC)菌株132与人膀胱上皮EJ细胞的相互作用,分析该菌株感染对EJ细胞基因表达谱的改变.方法 UPEC132感染EJ细胞,用倒置显微镜观察细菌与细胞的黏附,计算黏附率,并通过激光共聚焦显微镜观察UPEC132对细胞的侵袭.感染UPEC132的EJ细胞与未经细菌感染的细胞提取总RNA,用人类全基因组寡核苷酸微阵列芯片分析差异表达基因,并采用RT-PCR对基因芯片数据进行验证.结果 UPEC132能够黏附于EJ细胞表面,黏附率为(73.20±5.26)%;激光共聚焦显微镜观察发现部分细菌位于细胞内部,证实该菌对EJ细胞具有侵袭性.UPEC132感染后的EJ细胞与未经感染的细胞相比,共有28个基因上调,1个基因下调,主要涉及细胞增殖、炎症反应、细胞凋亡等相关基因.结论 UPEC与尿路上皮细胞的相互作用激活宿主细胞内部多种应答反应与信号转导途径,本研究为深入探索UPEC致病机制奠定基础.     

黄芪甲苷通过调节细胞自噬增强贝伐单抗在肺癌细胞系A549中抗肿瘤作用机制的研究

目的：验证黄芪甲苷可以通过调节细胞自噬增强贝伐单抗对肺癌细胞系A549细胞增殖能力的影响,讨论黄芪甲苷在A549中的抗肿瘤作用机制。方法：MTT方法检测黄芪甲苷单药以及与贝伐单抗联合应用对A549细胞增殖能力的影响。Western blot方法分别检测黄芪甲苷以及贝伐单抗处理A549后自噬相关蛋白P62和LC3的表达水平。RT-PCR方法检测黄芪甲苷处理后A549细胞内侵袭相关基因MMP-2和MMP-9的表达情况。ECIS方法检测黄芪甲苷处理后A549细胞黏附与迁移能力的变化。结果：MTT检测结果显示,100 mg/L的黄芪甲苷与750 mg/L的贝伐单抗联合应用对A549细胞的活力有显著的抑制作用,两药联合应用组与对照组相比差异有统计学意义,P值为0.0009。Western blot检测结果显示,黄芪甲苷能够通过影响自噬通路P62和LC3的表达从而抑制自噬的发生。RT-PCR方法显示黄芪甲苷能显著抑制侵袭相关基因MMP-2和MMP-9的表达,黄芪甲苷组与对照组相比差异有统计学意义,P值分别为0.0001和0.001。ECIS结果显示黄芪甲苷能够增强A549细胞的黏附能力并抑制其转移。结论：体外研究结果显示黄芪甲苷能够增强A549细胞的黏附能力并抑制其转移和侵袭,这一过程是通过抑制细胞自噬的发生,而贝伐单抗有较弱的促进自噬发生的作用,当两者联合时较单用贝伐单抗更强的抗肿瘤细胞增殖的作用。     

阿糖胞苷诱导肺腺癌细胞凋亡与p73激活相关

目的 体外观察阿糖胞苷(1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine, Ara-C)对肺腺癌A549细胞凋亡的诱导作用,探讨p53、p73基因在此凋亡过程中的调控作用.方法 Ara-C体外作用于A549细胞,TUNEL法检测A549细胞的凋亡;透射电镜观察A549细胞凋亡的典型超微结构;免疫印迹法检测A...     

沉默Bax基因对TNF-α诱导人肺泡Ⅱ型上皮细胞凋亡的影响

目的:运用RNA干扰(RNAi)技术沉默人肺泡Ⅱ型上皮细胞株A549的B细胞淋巴瘤-2相关基因(Bax),探讨Bax在肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)诱导A549细胞凋亡中的作用。方法:体外培养A549细胞,利用脂质体LipofectamineTM2000将化学合成的Bax小干扰RNA(siRNA)转染入A549细胞,给予10μg/LTNF-α刺激24h,RT-PCR检测bax mRNA的表达,Western blotting和免疫组化检测Bax蛋白的表达,流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率的变化。结果:化学合成的Bax siRNA抑制了A549细胞Bax mRNA和蛋白的表达(P0.05),流式细胞术显示BaxsiRNA组的细胞凋亡率明显低于TNF-α组和阴性对照siRNA组(P0.05)。结论:体外实验证明Bax的高表达在TNF-α诱导A549细胞凋亡中发挥了重要的促凋亡作用,利用RNAi技术沉默Bax基因可以有效抑制由TNF-α介导的A549细胞凋亡。     

FOXO1真核表达载体构建及其对TNF-α介导的A549细胞凋亡的影响

目的构建FOXO1真核表达质粒,明确FOXO1对TNF-α介导的Ⅱ型肺泡上皮细胞凋亡的影响及其可能存在的调控机制。方法根据Gen Bank中人FOXO1 CDS序列设计并合成引物,提取A549细胞总RNA,通过RT-PCR获得FOXO1目的基因片段;通过酶切、连接,构建GV230-FOXO1真核表达质粒并进行测序分析鉴定;经鉴定后的表达载体瞬时转染入A549细胞,荧光显微镜及Western blot法检验FOXO1蛋白表达。体外培养A549细胞,利用脂质体Lipofectamine~(TM) 2000将本次合成的GV230-FOXO1质粒转染入A549细胞,给予10 ng/ml TNF-α刺激24 h,流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率,Western blot检测凋亡相关蛋白Bim的表达。结果成功构建GV230-FOXO1荧光真核表达质粒;FOXO1组细胞凋亡率明显高于TNF-α组和阴性对照组(P0.05),FOXO1组蛋白Bim的表达明显高于TNF-α组和阴性对照组(P0.05)。结论 FOXO1在TNF-α介导的A549细胞损伤中起促进细胞凋亡的作用,其作用机制可能为通过上调促凋亡蛋白Bim的表达,从而促进细胞凋亡。     

Role of capsule and interleukin-6 in long-term immune control of Cryptococcus neoformans infection by specifically activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Cryptococcus neoformans is a frequent cause of meningoencephalitis in immunosuppressed individuals. To better understand the mechanisms of a protective immune response to C. neoformans, a long-term in vitro model of human immune control of cryptococcal infection was developed. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) prestimulated with heat-killed C. neoformans significantly restricted the growth of C. neoformans after a subsequent live infection compared to that with unstimulated PBMC. Live infection with encapsulated C. neoformans was controlled for as long as 10 days, while infection with acapsular organisms could sometimes be eradicated. During immune control, fungal cells were both intracellular and extracellular within aggregates of mononuclear phagocytes and lymphocytes. Optimal immune control depended on the presence of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Immune control of cryptococcal growth was more effective following prestimulation with acapsular compared with encapsulated organisms. Prestimulation with acapsular organisms was associated with a significant and prolonged increase in interleukin-6 (IL-6) production compared with prestimulation with encapsulated C. neoformans. Addition of IL-6 and depletion of CD25+ T cells prior to prestimulation and infection with encapsulated organisms resulted in reductions in cryptococcal growth that reached borderline statistical significance. Depletion of CD25+ T cells significantly reduced cryptococcal growth in wells with unstimulated PBMC. The results demonstrate an association between high levels of IL-6 and resistance to infection and, through suppression of IL-6 release, an additional mechanism whereby the cryptococcal capsule subverts a protective immune response. Further work is required to clarify the mechanism of action of IL-6 in this setting and any interaction with regulatory T cells.     

Cell wall targeting of laccase of Cryptococcus neoformans during infection of mice

Laccase is a major virulence factor of the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, which afflicts both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. In the present study, laccase was expressed in C. neoformans lac1Delta cells as a fusion protein with an N-terminal green fluorescent protein (GFP) using C. neoformans codon usage. The fusion protein was robustly localized to the cell wall at physiological pH, but it was mislocalized at low pH. Structural analysis of the laccase identified a C-terminal region unique to C. neoformans, and expression studies showed that the region was required for efficient transport to the cell wall both in vitro and during infection of mouse lungs. During infection of mice, adherence to alveolar macrophages was also associated with a partial mislocalization of GFP-laccase within cytosolic vesicles. In addition, recovery of cryptococcal cells from lungs of two strains of mice (CBA/J and Swiss Albino) later in infection was also associated with cytosolic mislocalization, but cells from the brain showed almost exclusive localization to cell walls, suggesting that there was more efficient cell wall targeting during infection of the brain. These data suggest that host cell antifungal defenses may reduce effective cell wall targeting of laccase during infection of the lung but not during infection of the brain, which may contribute to a more predominant role for the enzyme during infection of the brain.     

In vivo role of dendritic cells in a murine model of pulmonary cryptococcosis

Dendritic cells (DC) have been shown to phagocytose and kill Cryptococcus neoformans in vitro and are believed to be important for inducing protective immunity against this organism. Exposure to C. neoformans occurs mainly by inhalation, and in this study we examined the in vivo interactions of C. neoformans with DC in the lung. Fluorescently labeled live C. neoformans and heat-killed C. neoformans were administered intranasally to C57BL/6 mice. At specific times postinoculation, mice were sacrificed, and lungs were removed. Single-cell suspensions of lung cells were prepared, stained, and analyzed by microscopy and flow cytometry. Within 2 h postinoculation, fluorescently labeled C. neoformans had been internalized by DC, macrophages, and neutrophils in the mouse lung. Additionally, lung DC from mice infected for 7 days showed increased expression of the maturation markers CD80, CD86, and major histocompatibility complex class II. Finally, ex vivo incubation of lung DC from infected mice with Cryptococcus-specific T cells resulted in increased interleukin-2 production compared to the production by DC from na?ve mice, suggesting that there was antigen-specific T-cell activation. This study demonstrated that DC in the lung are capable of phagocytosing Cryptococcus in vivo and presenting antigen to C. neoformans-specific T cells ex vivo, suggesting that these cells have roles in innate and adaptive pulmonary defenses against cryptococcosis.     

Resistance to Cryptococcus neoformans infection in the absence of CD4+ T cells.

Previous studies of Cryptococcus neoformans infection have revealed a role for CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells in anticryptococcal resistance in the lungs, but such a role has been revealed only for CD4+ T cells in the brains of experimentally infected mice. In this study, we found that mice genetically engineered to lack CD4+ T cells could be successfully vaccinated to express resistance to a rechallenge with Cryptococcus neoformans, provided the challenge dose was kept to lower than 1000 organisms per mouse. The challenge infection was uniformly lethal for unvaccinated control mice. Depletion of CD8+ T cells weakened this resistance to re-challenge: both na?ve and vaccinated mice that were treated with antibody raised against CD8+ T cells died significantly earlier than did mice that received an irrelevant control antibody. In vitro, purified CD8+ T cells taken from draining lymph nodes of antigen-experienced mice were less efficient than were identically prepared CD4+ T cells at stimulating the cells of a transformed microglial cell line to inhibit C. neoformans proliferation, possibly mirroring the inferiority of CD8+ T-cell-mediated protection observed in vivo. RNase protection assays showed similar IFN-gamma mRNA levels in both lymphocyte subsets. Class II major histocompatibility antigen expression was up-regulated strikingly on microglia cultured with IFN-gamma, but class I expression was less dramatically affected. Therefore microglial cell interaction may be more greatly enhanced with CD4+ cells than with CD8+ cells.     

Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii can exploit Acanthamoeba castellanii for growth.

It has recently been proposed that the origin and maintenance of virulence in certain environmental fungi is influenced by their interactions with non-vertebrate hosts such as amoebae and nematodes. In prior studies we have shown that the interactions of the soil amoebae Acanthamoeba castellanii with Cryptococcus neoformans varieties neoformans and grubii resemble those with macrophages. Here we extend those studies to C. neoformans variety gattii and describe quantitative differences in the type and outcome of the interactions observed relative to the other varieties. C. neoformans var. gattii proliferated in the presence of A. castellanii but the interaction was primarily extracellular with a paucity of phagocytic events. Experiments with acapsular cells coated with polysaccharide suggest that differences in the capsule structure may be responsible for the different interactions between cells of varieties neoformans, grubii, and gattii with amoebae. The ability of C. neoformans var. gattii to exploit amoebae indicates that despite major biological differences between C. neoformans varieties, all retain the ability to be pathogenic for A. castellanii.     

Typing and patterns of cellular morphological alterations in Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii isolates exposed to a panel of killer yeasts.

Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are encapsulated basidiomycetous yeasts that cause meningoencephalitis. The action of killer yeasts on the growth of one hundred genotypically characterized C. neoformans var. neoformans, C. neoformans var. grubii, and C. gattii clinical and environmental isolates was evaluated. Killer studies were performed on yeast malt-methylene blue (YM-MB) agar Petri dishes, and a dendrogram was obtained based on a quantitative data matrix using the diameter of the inhibition halo. The cellular morphological characteristics of dead cells within the halo were observed by means of optical and scanning electron microscopy. There was no formation of pores on the cell surface of the sensitive cells in contact with the toxins, at least for C. neoformans. The sensitivity patterns of clinical and environmental isolates to the killer toxins demonstrated that there is correlation between killer sensitivity of Cryptococcus species or varieties and some of the killer strains. In this case, the isolates were discriminated using the killer sensitivity patterns, and this could be used as a complementary tool to PCR-fingerprinting in epidemiological studies.     

Effect of polysaccharide capsule and methods of preparation on human lymphocyte proliferation in response to Cryptococcus neoformans.

Cryptococcus neoformans is a pathogenic encapsulated yeast that infects patients that have defective cell-mediated immunity, including AIDS patients. Whole cryptococcal organisms that are killed by heating stimulate normal human lymphocytes to proliferate. However, strains of C. neoformans vary widely in virulence and therefore in their ability to cause disease in humans. To determine the effect of virulence factors such as the cryptococcal capsule, serotype, and the state of the organisms on the lymphocyte response to C. neoformans, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with C. neoformans in vitro and lymphocyte proliferation was determined. The major determinant of the lymphocyte response to C. neoformans was the amount of polysaccharide present. The response was greater after stimulation by minimally encapsulated strains (strains C3D, 68, and 613) than by heavily encapsulated strains (strains 6 and 145). A heavily encapsulated strain (strain 6) did not suppress the response to an acapsular mutant (strain 67). However, the response to an acapsular strain was suppressed by the addition of purified polysaccharide. Human lymphocytes responded to both serotypes of C. neoformans var. neoformans. The antigen responsible for lymphocyte stimulation was preserved despite various techniques of inactivation, including heat, paraformaldehyde fixation, irradiation, and mechanical disruption. Finally, lymphocytes responded equally to live and killed organisms. These results suggest that capsular polysaccharide, a known virulence factor, may suppress the human lymphocyte response to C. neoformans during an infection. Lymphocytes could respond to C. neoformans regardless of the viability of the organism, and they could also respond to disrupted organisms. We speculate that lymphocyte proliferation in vitro could be related to the protective immune response in host defense to C. neoformans and that it is suppressed by virulence factors of C. neoformans.     

The pathology of human and murine pulmonary infection with Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii

Human infection by Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans is well characterised and usually occurs in immunocompromised patients. Less is known about infection by Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii, which usually produces disease in previously normal individuals. In two cases of human pulmonary infection by Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii, we observed a mixed inflammatory pattern, including granulomas associated with numerous T lymphocytes and a lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis with B lymphocytes and formation of follicles. We also established a murine model of pulmonary infection by Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii, which reproduced most of these features. This model is likely to prove useful in studies of the pathogenesis of this infection.     

Synthesis of polymerized melanin by Cryptococcus neoformans in infected rodents

The ability of Cryptococcus neoformans to synthesize polymerized melanin in vitro has been associated with virulence, but it is unclear whether this fungus synthesizes polymerized melanin during infection. To study this question, we used two approaches: one involved the generation of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to melanin for use in immunohistochemical studies of C. neoformans-infected rodents, and the other sought to isolate fungal melanin from infected tissues. Digestion of in vitro-melanized C. neoformans cells with proteases, denaturant, and hot concentrated acid yields melanin particles that retain the shape of fungal cells and are therefore called melanin ghosts. BALB/c mice were immunized with melanin ghosts, and two immunoglobulin M MAbs to melanin were generated from the spleen of one mouse. Immunofluorescence analyses of lung and brain tissues of rodents infected with wild-type melanin-producing (Mel(+)) C. neoformans strains demonstrated binding of the MAbs to the fungal cell wall. No binding was observed when infections were performed with mutant albino (Mel(-)) C. neoformans strains. Particles with striking similarity to melanin ghosts were recovered after digestion of lung and brain tissues from Mel(+) C. neoformans-infected rodents and were reactive with the MAbs to melanin. No particles were recovered from tissues infected with Mel(-) C. neoformans. A Mel(+) C. neoformans strain grown on lung or brain homogenate agar became lightly pigmented and also yielded particles similar to melanin ghosts upon digestion, providing additional evidence that lung and brain tissues contain substrate for C. neoformans melanization. These results demonstrate that C. neoformans synthesizes polymerized melanin during infection, which has important implications for pathogenesis and antifungal drug development.     

Binding of glucuronoxylomannan to the CD14 receptor in human A549 alveolar cells induces interleukin-8 production

Glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) is the major capsular polysaccharide of Cryptococcus neoformans. GXM receptors have been characterized in phagocytes and endothelial cells, but epithelial molecules recognizing the polysaccharide remain unknown. In the current study, we demonstrate that GXM binds to the CD14 receptor in human type II alveolar epithelial cells, resulting in the production of the proinflammatory chemokine interleukin-8.