EBI1-ligand chemokine (ELC) attracts a broad spectrum of lymphocytes: activated T cells strongly up-regulate CCR7 and efficiently migrate toward ELC

EBI1-ligand chemokine (ELC) is a CC chemokine constitutively expressed in various lymphoid tissues and a high-affinity functional ligand for EBI1/CCR7, a seven transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptor originally identified as an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-inducible gene. Here we examined chemotactic activity of ELC on peripheral blood leukocytes. ELC attracted both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, particularly efficiently after activation with IL-2 or with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) plus IL-2, as well as CD19+ B cells, but not CD16+ NK cells, CD14+ monocytes or neutrophils. Among CD3+ T cells, ELC attracted both CD45RO- naive and CD45RO+ memory subsets. ELC also induced vigorous calcium mobilization in T cells stimulated with IL-2 with an ED50 of 3 nM. ELC fused with the secreted form of alkaline phosphatase (ELC-SEAP) specifically bound to lymphocytes and this binding was blocked only by ELC among 10 CC chemokines so far tested. Notably, lymphocytes stimulated with IL-2 or T cells expanded by PHA plus IL-2 showed much higher levels of binding than fresh lymphocytes. Consistently, CCR7 mRNA was detected in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as B cells, but not in NK cells, monocytes or neutrophils, and was dramatically increased in T cells upon treatment with IL-2 or with PHA plus IL-2. Like ELC mRNA, CCR7 mRNA was expressed in various lymphoid tissues. By in situ hybridization, ELC and CCR7 mRNA were detected in the parafollicular and inner cortical regions of a lymph node, and in the parafollicular regions of an appendix. Collectively, ELC and CCR7 may be involved in the trafficking of a broad spectrum of lymphocytes, especially activated T cells, into and within various lymphoid tissues.      

Arpp,a new homolog of carp,is preferentially expressed in type 1 skeletal muscle fibers and is markedly induced by denervation

In this study, we isolated and characterized a murine counterpart of the human Arpp (hArpp) gene. Sequence analysis revealed that the murine Arpp (mArpp) gene is almost identical to the Ankrd2 gene, which has recently been isolated as a mouse gene induced in stretched skeletal muscle. The mArpp gene encodes a protein of 332 amino acids that contains four well-conserved ankyrin-repeat domains in the central portion of the protein. The amino acid sequence of mArpp protein (mArpp) is highly homologous to that of mouse cardiac-restricted ankyrin-repeat protein (Carp), which is proposed to be a putative genetic marker for cardiac hypertrophy. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that mArpp is preferentially expressed in type 1 skeletal muscle fibers, and that mArpp is localized in both the nucleus and the sarcomeric I-band of muscle fibers, suggesting that Arpp may function as a nuclear and sarcomeric protein. Furthermore, mArpp was also expressed in neurons of the cerebellum and cerebrum, the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, and the esophageal epithelium, suggesting that mArpp may play a functional physiologic role in brain, pancreas, and esophagus as well as in type 1 muscle fibers. Interestingly, although mArpp was localized in both nucleus and cytoplasm in neurons, its localization was restricted to nucleus in pancreas and esophagus, suggesting that intracellular localization of mArpp is regulated in a tissue-specific manner. Furthermore, we found that mArpp- and Carp-expression in skeletal muscle were markedly up-regulated after denervation. Although the elevated expression level of Carp was kept only for two weeks after denervation, that of Arpp was kept at least for 4 weeks, suggesting that mArpp and Carp may play distinct functional roles in denervated skeletal muscle.     

Thermodynamic studies on poly(a) · poly(u) duplex-dye systems

The interaction between poly(A) · poly(U) duplex and dyes (proflavine (PF) and 9-aminoacridine (9-AA)) was studied by means of the heat of mixing. From the results, thermodynamic quantities of poly(A) · poly(U) duplex-dye systems for the intercalation process were estimated. The free energy change for the poly(A) · poly(U) duplex-(PF) system is smaller than that for the poly(A) · poly(U) duplex-(9-AA) system, indicating that PF intercalated into poly(A) · poly(U) duplex is more stable than the intercalated 9-AA. This conclusion is based on the absolute value of the heat of interaction between PF and poly(A) · poly(U) duplex being larger than that between 9-AA and the poly(A) · poly(U) duplex.     

Functional Thin Polymer Films at High Pressure

Summary: A new thin‐film characterization setup was created based on the combination of a surface plasmon spectrometer with an electrochemical cell operated under high pressure of up to 200 MPa and at temperatures up to 120 °C. The examples given to document its performance include photoisomerization studies with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films partly derivatized with disperse red (DR1), as well as, a preliminary account of the electropolymerization of EDOT under pressure and the assessment of the redox properties of the resulting thin PEDOT films.

Sketch of the high‐pressure electrochemistry surface plasmon cell.     

Survey of recognition and utilization of guidelines for the diagnosis and management of bronchial asthma in Japan

BACKGROUND: In Japan in 1993, the Japanese Society of Allergology (JSA) developed guidelines for diagnosis and management of asthma (JGL), which were based on the concept that asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airway. METHODS: This survey study was intended to investigate the recognition and utilization of JGL among physicians who had treated asthma. The survey comprised two methods: a quantitative mail survey and a qualitative door-to-door survey conducted by trained interviewers. RESULTS: In the mail survey, a total of 1028 physicians responded; 552 members of the JSA and 476 nonmembers. Ninety-four percent of JSA members were aware of adult asthma management guidelines, while 53% of nonmembers were aware of them. Although approximately half of the physicians, both members and nonmembers, found differences between the asthma management policies in JGL and their previous policies, most of them utilized JGL once they read it. In the qualitative door-to-door survey, 80-90% of physicians evaluated JGL as good after they read it. CONCLUSIONS: JGL was recognized and utilized by most JSA members, but only half of nonmember physicians were aware of JGL, although they utilized JGL after they read it. Further action to implement JGL among nonspecialist physicians is needed to improve management of asthma.     

THE BEHAVIOUR OF LYMPHOGENEOUSLY GIVEN ANTIGEN IN THE LYMPH NODE THE LOCALIZATION OF GIVEN ANTIGEN and NEWLY FORMED ANTIBODY

The vascular structures in the lymph node and their relation to fluid exchange have been reported in previous communications and it was considered that the morphological changes of the vascular structures were closely correlated with the functional development of lymph nodes as an antibody forming organ. In order to clarify the localization of the given antigen and newly formed antibody in relation to the morphological structure of lymph nodes, the popliteal lymph nodes of rabbits were studied by immuno-fluorescent techniques.
The antibody was found in the pavement arrangement (solid) of reticulum tissue which was formed by the expel of lymphocytes in the cortical mass and by the morphofunctional alterations of the reticulum cells. The given antigen and newly formed antibody were never detected in the follicles throughout the period of this experiment. ACTA PATH. JAP. 22:427–440, 1972.     

Intra-bone marrow-bone marrow transplantation facilitates hemopoietic recovery including dendritic cells

In this report, we provide evidence using a serial bone marrow transplantation (BMT) protocol that intra-bone marrow (IBM)-BMT (IBM-BMT) can efficiently reconstitute the hemopoietic system with cells of donor origin, in contrast to conventional intravenous (IV)-BMT (IV-BMT). Furthermore, the hematolymphoid system of secondary recipients that had received bone marrow cells (BMCs) from primary recipients treated with IBM-BMT recovered earlier than that of the secondary recipients of BMCs from primary recipients treated with IV-BMT. This was the case when the Lin-/c-kit+ progenitor cells of the secondary and tertiary recipients were examined. These findings indicate that IBM-BMT can facilitate the development of not only cells of various lineages but also the effective generation and, more importantly, the maintenance of the progenitor cells. Furthermore, we show that IBM-BMT can reconstitute the dendritic cell (DC) subsets (myeloid and lymphoid DCs), which are critical for the initiation of both adaptive and innate immune responses. The frequency of both myeloid and lymphoid DC subsets was approximately equal to that of normal age-matched untreated controls and, after second and third BMT, this ratio was close to that observed in the normal controls. However, the lymphoid DCs were clearly reduced in the secondary and tertiary recipients of BMCs from mice that had received IV-BMT. Therefore, the development of DC subsets is also normally maintained in the IBM-BMT group.