Long‐term high‐physiological‐dose growth hormone reduces intra‐abdominal fat in HIV‐infected patients with a neutral effect on glucose metabolism

Objectives

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of long‐term high‐physiological‐dose recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy on fat distribution and glucose metabolism in HIV‐infected patients.

Methods

Forty‐six HIV‐infected Caucasian men on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), with an age range of 21–60 years and no significant comorbidity, were included in this randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, single‐centre trial. Twenty‐eight subjects were randomized to 0.7 mg/day rhGH, and 18 subjects to placebo, administered as daily subcutaneous injections between 1 and 3 pm for 40 weeks. Endpoints included changes in visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), limb fat mass, percentage of limb fat, plasma lipids, insulin resistance and glucose tolerance.

Results

VAT and trunk fat mass decreased significantly in the GH group compared with the placebo group [−19 cm² (−11%) vs. 12 cm² (6%), P=0.03, and −548 g (−9%) vs. 353 g (6%), P<0.01, respectively]. The beneficial fat redistribution in the GH group occurred without concomitant changes in subcutaneous fat at the abdomen or extremities. rhGH therapy was well tolerated. Insulin resistance, glucose tolerance, and total plasma cholesterol and triglycerides did not significantly change during intervention.

Conclusions

Daily 0.7 mg rhGH treatment for 40 weeks reduced abdominal visceral fat and trunk fat mass in HIV‐infected patients. This treatment appeared to be safe with respect to glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.

     

应用人骨髓间质干细胞与脱细胞猪主动脉瓣膜支架体外构建组织工程心脏瓣膜

目的:应用动物来源的细胞构建组织工程化心脏瓣膜的研究较多,本实验特征在于观察人骨髓间质干细胞与脱细胞猪主动脉瓣膜支架体外构建组织工程心脏瓣膜,并探讨其作为种子细胞的可行性。方法:实验于2005-12/2006-10在解放军第二军医大学长海医院全军胸心外科研究所完成,研究方案获伦理委员会批准。①实验材料:取开胸术中切除的肋骨骨髓,术前已经患者知情同意。新鲜猪心脏瓣膜取自上海复新屠宰场。②实验方法:Ficoll密度梯度离心从肋骨骨髓中获取骨髓单个核细胞,体外扩增培养后鉴定。采用去污剂和酶消化法将猪主动脉瓣叶行脱细胞处理,种植人骨髓间质干细胞。③实验评估:采用EnVision二步法染色鉴定人骨髓间质干细胞形态及细胞表型;采用苏木精-伊红染色、维多利亚蓝染色和VanGieson氏染色法观察细胞在脱细胞猪主动脉瓣叶支架上的生长特点;扫描电镜观察静态构建组织工程心脏瓣膜的形态。结果:①人骨髓间质干细胞形态及细胞表型鉴定:人骨髓间质干细胞为梭形,抗平滑肌抗体和波形蛋白染色阳性,CD31及Ⅷ因子染色阴性。②脱细胞猪主动脉瓣膜支架的组织学观察:猪去细胞瓣膜支架去细胞完全,弹力纤维及胶原纤维保持完整,种植的人骨髓间质干细胞在脱细胞瓣叶表面形成完整的细胞层。③构建组织工程心脏瓣膜的形态学观察:扫描电镜示瓣膜表面细胞层完整,细胞呈梭形复层生长。结论:人骨髓间质干细胞体外具有自然分化为肌成纤维细胞的特性,在去细胞猪主动脉瓣膜上生长良好,可作为一种有前途的种子细胞构建组织工程心脏瓣膜。     

Dependency on intercellular adhesion molecule recognition and local interleukin-2 provision in generation of an in vivo CD8+ T-cell immune response to murine myeloid leukemia

The immune response to a murine myeloid leukemia (cell line C1498) was studied in vitro and in vivo. Natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) were shown to lyse C1498 in vitro through the binding of leukocyte function antigen-1 (LFA-1) on effectors and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and ICAM-2 on C1498 target cells. However, the ability of nonimmunized mice to resist an in vivo challenge of a low dose (10(4)) of C1498 was NK-cell, but not T-cell dependent. The failure of T cells to participate in the immune surveillance of a low leukemia burden appeared, in part, because of a lack of expansion of leukemia reactive CTL precursors (CTLp). Leukemia reactive CTLp frequency estimations in naive and leukemia bearing mice were not significantly different (range, 1:20,600 to 1:74,000) in contrast to immunized mice (range, 1:1,400 to 1:4,400). Leukemia reactive CTLp could be expanded to a level that could apparently mediate in vivo immune surveillance of 10(5) leukemia cells by injection of irradiated leukemia cells intraperitoneally (IP) or subcutaneously (SC), but not intravenously (IV). However, IV injection of 10(5) live leukemia cells engineered to secrete interleukin-2 (IL-2) resulted in systemic immunity mediated primarily by CD8+ T cells. We conclude that NK cells can mediate immune surveillance of a low leukemia burden. CD8+ CTL-mediated immune surveillance can eliminate a higher leukemia burden than NK cells, but requires T-cell help, which can be delivered by local IL-2. Both NK and CTL-mediated immune surveillance of C1498 murine myeloid leukemia is dependent on recognition through the LFA-1:ICAM adhesion pathway.     

Point mutations in the conserved box 1 region inactivate the human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor for growth signal transduction and tyrosine phosphorylation of p75c-rel

The human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor (hG-CSFR) belongs to the cytokine receptor superfamily. As with other members of this family, the cytoplasmic domain of hG-CSFR lacks intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. To identify critical regions mediating growth signal transduction by hG-CSFR, deletions or site-directed amino acid substitutions were introduced into the cytoplasmic domain of hG-CSFR, and the mutant cDNAs were transfected into the murine interleukin-3 (IL- 3)-dependent Ba/F3 and FDCP cell lines. Truncation of the carboxy- terminal end of the receptor to the membrane-proximal 53 amino acids of the cytoplasmic domain, which retained the conserved Box 1 and Box 2 sequence motifs, decreased the ability of hG-CSFR to transduce G-CSF- mediated growth signals without an associated loss in receptor binding affinity. Substitution of proline by alanine at amino acid positions 639 and 641 within Box 1 completely abolished the G-CSF-mediated growth signal. Rapid induction of tyrosine phosphorylation of several cellular proteins, including a 75-kD protein (p75) identified as c-rel, was an early event associated with transduction of proliferative signals by hG- CSFR in Ba/F3 transfectants. Mutant receptors containing Pro-to-Ala substitutions that inactivated the receptor for mitogenic activity also inactivated the receptor for tyrosine-specific phosphorylation of p75. These results show that the conserved Box 1 sequence motif (amino acids 634 to 641) is critical for mitogenesis and activation of cellular tyrosine kinases by hG-CSFR.     

Intestinal hormones and growth factors： Effects on the small intestine

There are various hormones and growth factors which may modify the intestinal absorption of nutrients, and which might thereby be useful in a therapeutic setting, such as in persons with short bowel syndrome. In part I, we focus first on insulin-like growth factors, epidermal and transferring growth factors, thyroid hormones and glucocorticosteroids. Part Ⅱ will detail the effects of glucagon-like peptide （GLP）-2 on intestinal absorption and adaptation, and the potential for an additive effect of GLP2 plus steroids.     

Morphological, kinetic, membrane biochemical and genetic aspects of intestinal enteroplasticity

The process of intestinal adaptation （＂enteroplasticity＂） is complex and multifaceted. Although a number of trophic nutrients and non-nutritive factors have been identified in animal studies, successful, reproducible clinical trials in humans are awaited. Understanding mechanisms underlying this adaptive process may direct research toward strategies that maximize intestinal function and impart a true clinical benefit to patients with short bowel syndrome, or to persons in whom nutrient absorption needs to be maximized. In this review, we consider the morphological, kinetic and membrane biochemical aspects of enteroplasticity, focus on the importance of nutritional factors, provide an overview of the many hormones that may alter the adaptive process, and consider some of the possible molecular profiles. While most of the data is derived from rodent studies, wherever possible, the results of human studies of intestinal enteroplasticity are provided.