Neuropeptides stimulate production of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α in human dental pulp cells

Objective:Orthodontic tooth movement causes inflammatory reactions in the periodontal membrane and dental pulp. It has been reported that substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), both sensory neuropeptides, are manifested in the dental pulp of rats during experimental tooth movement, suggesting that they might be involved in the dental pulp inflammation during orthodontic tooth movement. However, the relationships between neuropeptides and pro-inflammatory cytokines have not been fully elucidated.Materials and methods:Human dental pulp (HDP) fibroblasts were prepared from 6 healthy young volunteers (3 males, 3 females; 15–25 years old) during the course of orthodontic treatment. HDP cells were incubated for 24 h in fresh medium containing 2% FCS in the presence of various concentrations of CGRP (10^–12 to 10^–4 M) and SP (10^–12 to 10^–4 M), and the levels of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- present in the media were determined using commercially available high-sensitivity enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.Results:We examined the effects of stimulation by these neuropeptides on the production of inflammatory cytokines in HDP fibroblasts, and found that the levels of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF- increased in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. However, the neuropeptides did not act synergistically to increase cytokine secretion in HDP cells or significantly modify LPS-induced cytokine production by HDP cells.Conclusions:Our results suggest that human pulp fibroblasts may be involved in the progress of inflammation in pulp tissue during orthodontic tooth movement, as they produced large amounts of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF- following stimulation with neuropeptides.Received 2 March 2003; returned for revision 14 July 2003; accepted by M.J. Parnham 17 December 2003     

人血浆高密度脂蛋白对大鼠内毒素血症的治疗及防护作用研究

目的:观察人血浆高密度脂蛋白(HDL)对大鼠内毒素血症的治疗和防护效果。方法:采用鲎试剂法和放射免疫分析法于3个时点动态测定对照组、治疗组和防护组大鼠血浆内毒素(ET)水平和肿瘤坏死因子(TNF)浓度并观察血压及存活时间。结果:①输注ET后对照组大鼠血压进行性下降(P<0.01);治疗组大鼠输注HDL后其血压虽也降低但下降程度明显弱于对照组(P<0.01);防护组大鼠在输注ET后血压无明显下降(P>0.05)。治疗组及防护组大鼠存活时间均明显长于对照组(P<0.01)。②3组大鼠血浆ET水平在各时点均无明显变化(P>0.05)。③治疗组及防护组大鼠血浆TNFα水平于第3时点均明显降低(P>0.05)。结论:人血浆HDL能减轻或抑制内毒素血症大鼠血压下降并明显延长其存活时间,对内毒素血症具有良好的治疗和防护作用,此作用可能与其抑制TNF释放有关。     

阴道镜下高频电灼术联合α-2a干扰素凝膏治疗尖锐湿疣疗效分析

目的探讨阴道镜下高频电灼术联合重组人干扰素α-2a治疗尖锐湿疣（CA）的效果。方法将165例CA分为3组，A组应用阴道镜下高频电灼术联合重组人干扰素α-2a；B组单纯采用阴道镜下高频电灼治疗；C组应用NS-FII型多功能光谱治疗仪联合肌注重组人干扰素α-2a。结果治疗后3-6个月A、B、C组复发率分别为0％、4．4％、65．4％：半年后人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）转阴率分别为93．5％、85．4％、43．8％，A组明显优于B组，B组明显优于C组，3组比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01）。结论阴道镜下高频电灼术联合重组人干扰素α-2a治疗CA可明显降低CA复发率和提高HPV转阴率。     

Inflammatory cytokine levels in paw tissues during development of rat collagen-induced arthritis: Effect of FK506, an inhibitor of T cell activation

Objective and design: To characterize rat collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) on the basis of levels of inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-, interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-6 in paw tissues, and further investigate the effect of FK506 (tacrolimus), a potent inhibitor of T cell activation, on cytokine levels.Methods: CIA was induced in female Lewis rats. The volume of hindpaws was measured before and after collagen immunization. TNF-, IL-1 and IL-6 levels in paw tissue extracts were determined by ELISA. Proteoglycan contents of cartilage in femoral heads was measured as an indication of cartilage destruction. To assess the effect of FK506 on inflammatory cytokine levels, rats were orally treated with 5 mg/kg of FK506 from days 14–21.Results: TNF- a level in paw tissues did not significantly change compared to levels found before collagen immunization, throughout development of CIA. In contrast, IL-1 and IL-6 levels in paw tissues significantly increased between day 14 and day 28 after collagen imuninization, when the arthritis was at a developed stage. Therapeutic treatment with FK506 reduced the elevated level of IL-6, but not IL-1, in paw tissue. FK506 treatment was effective in suppressing paw swelling and also recovering the loss of proteoglycan contents in the cartilage.Conclusions: Levels of IL-1 and IL-6, but not TNF- , in paw tissue were upregulated in association with the development of arthritis in rat CIA. These results suggest that IL-1 and IL-6, rather than TNF- , may play important roles at local inflammatory sites in producing joint destruction in rat CIA. FK506 may improve arthritis in established stages of CIA, by reducing the elevated level of IL-6.Received 4 March 2004; returned for revision 2 April 2004; accepted by M. J. Parnham 9 April 2004     

含人基质金属蛋白酶组织抑制因子-1重组腺病毒的构建与体外表达

从人肝癌组织中提取总RNA，RT—PCR合成hTIMP-1的全长cDNA，克隆到腺病毒载体AdEasy系统的穿梭质粒pAdTraek—CMV上，与骨架质粒pAdEasy-1在BJ5183受体菌中进行同源重组，成功构建含hTIMP-1全长eDNA的重组腺病毒载体，经293细胞的包装、扩增，生成含hTIMP-1基因的重组腺病毒AdhTIMP-1并实现体外表达，为进一步研究肝癌浸润和转移机理以及肝癌的基因治疗提供实验基础。     

荷EL4肿瘤小鼠模型的建立及美法仑抑瘤作用免疫机制的探讨

目的:建立荷小鼠淋巴瘤EL4的野生型C57BL/6小鼠及其裸鼠模型,探讨美法仑(melphalan)抑瘤作用的免疫机制。方法:给正常野生型C57BL/6小鼠皮下接种小鼠淋巴瘤EL4细胞,建立荷EL4肿瘤的小鼠模型。于野生型C57BL/6小鼠皮下接种瘤细胞后12d,经腹腔给荷瘤小鼠单次注射不同剂量的美法仑,找出美法仑可发挥最大的抑瘤作用,并能致使肿瘤消退、不再复发的最小使用剂量。然后再给野生型C57BL/6小鼠及其裸鼠(遗传背景相同)皮下同时接种小鼠淋巴瘤EL4细胞建立两种荷瘤小鼠模型。同样于接种瘤细胞后12d,经腹腔给两种荷瘤小鼠模型均注射可使野生型C57BL/6小鼠肿瘤消退、不再复发的最低剂量的美法仑,以正常野生型C57BL/6小鼠为对照,观察在T淋巴细胞缺陷的裸鼠体内美法仑的抑瘤作用。结果:注射7.5mg/kg美法仑治疗后,免疫功能正常的野生型C57BL/6荷瘤小鼠的肿瘤消退;而荷瘤C57BL/6裸鼠的肿瘤仍继续生长。结论:单一剂量的美法仑对荷淋巴瘤EL4小鼠具有明显的治疗作用,其作用的发挥需要T淋巴细胞的参与,可能与T细胞的杀伤作用有关。     

Role of ventricular assist devices in the German heart allocation system

The Eurotransplant (ET) allocation algorithm, newly implemented in 2000, gives priority for heart transplantation (HTx) to patients with high urgency (HU) status, but now this status is rescinded upon ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation and only regained if severe complications occur during mechanical circulatory support (MCS). We studied the effects of this change on the patients in our institute who were waiting for HTx with MCS. The median duration of MCS until HTx in adult patients gradually increased from 3.1 months in 1994, reaching a peak of 16.7 months in 2000, and then gradually decreased to 6.0 months in 2003. Among the patients with VAD implantation as a bridge to HTx, two patients were on MCS for more than 1 year (the longest duration of MCS being 1.6 years) at the end of 1999, and this figure increased to nine patients and a maximum MCS duration of 3.7 years at the end of 2003. These data imply that the patients in whom a complication occurred in the early phase of MCS and who had overcome this complication underwent HTx early with HU status, and those who were stable during MCS waited a long time for HTx. Furthermore, the number of patients in the latter group is increasing. The new allocation algorithm imposes on patients with MCS waiting for HTx who are relatively young and free from complications and serious coexisting disease, very long-term MCS without an end to VAD bridging, which is almost equivalent to destination therapy. Part of this paper was presented at the 42nd JSAO Conference (Tokyo, October 5–7, 2004)     

Imbalances in serum proinflammatory cytokines and their soluble receptors: a putative role in the progression of idiopathic IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and Henoch–Schönlein purpura nephritis,and a potential target of immunoglobulin therapy?

Following recent experimental data suggesting an aggravating effect of circulating proinflammatory cytokines on the histological lesions of IgAN, we studied changes in serum proinflammatory cytokines and their soluble receptors and antagonists in patients treated with polyvalent immunoglobulins (15 with severe nephropathy who had indicators of poor prognosis: heavy proteinuria, hypertension, altered renal function and Lee's histological grade III or IV; and 14 with moderate forms of IgAN who had permanent albuminuria > 300 mg/day and < 2000 mg/day, Lee's histological grade II and a glomerular filtration rate > 70 ml/min) in comparison with healthy controls (n = 20) and patients with non-IgA nephritides (n = 50). These were measured by means of specific immunometric assays before and after 9 months of immunoglobulin therapy. Total tumour necrosis factor (TNF) serum and IL-6 levels were elevated in IgAN patients before therapy, relative to controls, and normalized after immunoglobulin therapy. Levels of soluble TNF receptor of type I (sR55) and type II (sR75) increased on immunoglobulin therapy. TNF index α-55,75 used to assess biologically available TNF-α (ratio of total TNF-α divided by levels of soluble TNF receptors sR55 and sR75) was elevated before therapy and was below healthy control values after 9 months of immunoglobulin administration. Levels of serum IL-1 receptor antagonist were low prior to immunoglobulin administration in patients with severe forms of IgAN, and normalized on therapy. Serum interferon-gamma was unmodified. The histological activity index correlated with serum total TNF-α, TNF index α-55,75 and serum IL-6 levels, whereas proteinuria correlated with serum total TNF-α and TNF index α-55,75 but not with serum IL-6. These data suggest that the overproduction of proinflammatory cytokine is unbalanced by their natural antagonists in IgAN and Henoch–Schönlein syndrome. This process may play a role in the progression of the disease and be one of the targets of immunoglobulin therapy.     

实验性犬心肌梗塞和溶栓后再闭塞时血浆中GMP—140,TXB2的变化

本文采用放免法测定实验性犬心肌梗塞和溶栓后再闭塞时血浆中ＧＭＰ－１４０、ＴＸＢ２、６－Ｋ－ＰＧＦ１α的含量变化，并探讨其与心肌梗塞溶栓后再闭塞的关系。结果表明，在血栓形成时血浆中ＴＸＡ２稳定代谢产物ＴＸＢ２水平显著升高（ｐ〈０．０５），在溶栓后再闭塞率高（８７．５％）的非治疗组（Ｂ组）。在溶栓后４小时至溶栓后３天期间呈进行性升高（ｐ〈０．０１），而在再 埘经低（１６．７％）的ＡＰＩ０１３４治疗组（     

癌瘤患者骨髓细胞c－erbB和c－erbA的基因异常

本文在大系列研究造血系统恶性肿瘤-白血病和白血病前期的基础上，对３１例恶性肿瘤患者骨髓进行血液学、细胞和分子遗传学研究。发现恶性肿瘤患者骨髓有与白血病前期骨髓相似的病态造血（Ｍｙｅｌｏｄｙｓｐｌａｓｉａ）和相关基因异常即ｃ－ｅｒｂＢ基因重排、扩增和ｃ－ｅｒｂＡ缺失。它们不仅同骨髓红系病态造血相关，也同巨核系病态造血相关。骨髓巨核系病态造血及其相关基因异常可能代表急性淋巴细胞白血病等多种恶性肿瘤的早期病变。而ｃ－ｅｒｂＢ重排及其相关的骨髓巨核系异常增生可能是肿瘤发病的遗传背景。