Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) Actions on αT3-1 Gonadotrophs Show Desensitization

PACAP is a hypothalamic hypophysiotropic factor that acts upon a number of pituitary cells, including gonadotrophs. In the gonadotroph-derived αT3-1 cell line, PACAP acts via PVR1 receptors to stimulate adenylyl cyclase and phosphoinositidase C. PACAP-stimulated cAMP accumulation is inhibited by protein kinase C-activating phorbol esters in these cells and the current work was undertaken primarily to establish whether it is also subject to homologous regulation. In acute experiments, PACAP27-stimulated cAMP accumulation (intracellular plus extracellular) was measured (in the presence of phosphodiesterase inhibitor) both in intact cells and in cell membranes. The peptide increased cAMP accumulation, but initial rates of PACAP27-stimulated cAMP accumulation were reduced to between 10 and 50% within 10 min of stimulation in both cells and membranes. The initial rate of forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation was maintained in membranes but not in intact cells (although the deviation from linearity was less pronounced than with PACAP27). Thus, rapid homologous desensitization to PACAP27 occurs in intact αT3-1 cells, but is not entirely receptor specific. Rapid homologous desensitization of PACAP27-stimulated cAMP accumulation also occurred in the presence of a protein kinase C activating phorbol ester, which inhibited cAMP accumulation without altering the kinetics of the PACAP27 effect. Brief pre-treatment (3 min) with PACAP27 also reduced the ability of PACAP27, but not gonadotrophin-releasing hormone, to cause a spike-type elevation of cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration (a consequence of phosphoinositidase C activation). In chronic desensitization studies, pre-treatment for 6 h with PACAP27 caused a dose-dependent (IC₅₀ approximately 10 nM) reduction of PACAP-stimulated cAMP accumulation and down regulated cell surface PVR1 receptors (to approximately 50%). Thus, it appears that PACAP27-stimulated (PVR-1 receptor mediated) adenylyl cyclase undergoes rapid homologous desensitization in αT3-1 cells, which is paralleled by homologous desensitization of PACAP27-stimulated phosphoinositidase C activity and involves mechanisms distinct from those underlying heterologous desensitization by phorbol esters. Chronic desensitization of PACAP-stimulated cAMP accumulation and down-regulation of cell surface PVR-1 receptors also occurs in these cells although the receptor loss may not entirely explain the observed desensitization.     

High levels of the soluble form of CD30 molecule in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are expression of CD30+ T cell involvement in the inflamed joints.

The CD30 is a surface molecule expressed by Th2-type lymphokine-producing T cells upon activation. CD30-expressing activated T cells release a soluble form of the molecule, which can be detectable both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, high levels of soluble CD30 were found in peripheral blood and synovial fluid from patients with RA. However, CD30+ CD3+ cells, either CD4+ or CD8+, were significantly present in synovial fluid, but not in peripheral blood, of RA patients. Serum values of soluble CD30 were higher in active than inactive RA patients and directly correlated with rheumatoid factor serum titres. These data strongly support an involvement of CD30+ T cells in the immune processes of rheumatoid synovitis, and may suggest a relationship between Th2-type cytokine-secreting T cells and the pathological response in RA.     

In vivo induction of CD4+ T cell responses by antigens covalently linked to synthetic microspheres does not require adjuvant

Macrophages, dendritic cells or B lymphocytes have been shownto play a major role in the presentation of soluble antigensto CD4⁺ T cells. In contrast, the capacity of these cells topresent particulate antigens such as bacterial or parasiticantigens to T cells remains controversial. To investigate thisquestion, well defined particulate antigens were prepared bycovalent linkage of proteins or peptides to 1 µm in diametersynthetic microspheres. The T cell immunogenicity of such particulateantigens was analyzed in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, a solubleprotein such as hen egg lysozyme (HEL) coupled to beads stimulateda strong proliferative T cell response of lymph node cells fromHEL-primed mice or of specific T cell hybridomas. HEL coupledto beads was presented to the specific T cell hybridomas bysplenocytes or by peritoneal macrophages, but not by lymphomaB cells. Immunization of mice with several different proteinantigens or with a synthetic peptide covalently linked to beadsinduced strong CD4⁺ T cell responses in the absence of adjuvant.The strong in vivo immunogenicity of proteins coupled to beadsdid not result from a non-specific adjuvant effect of beadssince covalent linkage of the antigen to beads was strictlyrequired to induce T cell responses in the absence of adjuvant.In vivo treatment by carrageenan showed that macrophages arerequired for the in vivo stimulation of T cell responses bythese particulate antigens. Thus, these results demonstratedthe role of phagocytic cells, especially macrophages, for invivo presentation of particulate antigens. These particulateantigens represent an interesting approach for the developmentof new vaccines, and for the in vivo analysis of the role ofvarious antigen presenting cells in T cell activation and differentiation.     

Immunization-induced inflammatory infiltration of the central nervous system in transgenic mice expressing a microbial antigen in astrocytes

Transgenic mice expressing a defined microbial antigen from central nervous system (CNS) cell type-specific promoters can be utilized to investigate the consequences of induction of peripheral immune responses to foreign antigens produced by different CNS cell types. Immunization of mice expressing β-galactosidase (β-gal) in astrocytes with this protein resulted in antigen-dependent infiltration of the CNS by mononuclear cells, principally CD4⁺ T lymphocytes and monocyte/macrophages. The perivascular and intraparenchymal infiltrates, which were located predominantly in the hippocampal formation and cerebellum, the areas of highest β-gal expression, were associated with astrocytosis, microgliosis, and a generalized increase in blood-brain barrier permeability. The resemblance of these pathological changes to aspects of human immune inflammatory CNS disorders e.g. multiple sclerosis, suggests that an initiating step in the process by which such complex diseases are produced could be the induction of peripheral immune responses to antigens expressed in astrocytes.     

ITP患者T细胞对巨核细胞生成作用的影响

本文应用改良的血浆凝块技术和共培养系统研究特发性血小板减少性紫癜(ITP)患者T细胞在体外对异体骨髓巨核细胞生成作用的影响,以探讨ITP的发病机制。实验结果表明,从总体来看,ITP患者的T细胞当加到培养物中和靶细胞共培养时,对巨核系祖细胞集落形成单位(CFU-MK)的集落效应无明显的影响。其中三例PAIgG升高患者的T细胞对CFU-MK有不同程度的抑制作用。以上结果提示ITP的发病机制相当复杂。除体液免疫机制外,也有细胞免疫机制参与,T细胞或其亚群对巨核系祖细胞生成抑制在ITP的发病机制中可能起着一定的作用。     

57例小儿肺炎患者T淋巴细胞亚群及NK细胞观察

为了检测肺炎患儿的免疫功能,用 APAAP 法对57例反复患支气管肺炎的患儿进行 T 淋巴细胞亚群及 NK 细胞检测,结果 CD_3~+53.20±7.64%(对照组:62.50±9.65%),CD_4~+34.2±4.36%(对照组:38.64±4.05%),CD_8~+32.50±6.39%(对照组:26.70±4.23%)。CD_4~+/CD_8~+比值1.05±0.14(对照组:1.45±0.11),NK 细胞8.30±2.40%(对照组:6.44±3.37%)。结果证明,患儿 T 细胞亚群与对照组比较差异有显著(P<0.01),NK 细胞差异无显著性(P>0.05)。     

Elevation of plasma thioredoxin levels in HIV-infected individuals

Thioredoxin (Trx), a ubiquitous protein intimately involvedin redox and protein disulfide reductions, has been shown tobe released from cells and to have cytokine-like activities.In addition, Trx has been implicated in the redox regulationof immunological responses and shown to be deficient in tissuesfrom AIDS patients. In studies presented here, plasma Trx levelswere measured by ELISA in plasma samples from HIV-infected individuals(n = 136) and HIV-negative controls (n = 47). To account forthe release of Trx into plasma due to hemolysis, the Trx measurementswere corrected according to the level of hemoglobin in the plasmasample. Data presented show that, in contrast to tissue Trxlevels, corrected plasma Trx levels are significantly higherin HIV-infected individuals than in controls (P < 0.0001).Furthermore, {small tilde}25% of the HIV-infected individualsstudied have plasma Trx levels greater than the highest levelfound in controls (37 ng/ml). Detailed multiparameter FACS analysisof peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from the infectedindividuals demonstrates that those with higher plasma Trx levels(37 ng/ml or greater) tend to have lower overall CD4 counts.In addition, increases in plasma Trx levels correlate with decreasesin monochlorobimane staining (indicative of lower intracellularglutathione levels in PBMC) and with changes in surface antigenexpression (CD62L, CD38 and CD20) that occur in the later stagesof HIV infection. These correlations suggest that elevationof plasma Trx levels may be an important component of advancedHIV disease, perhaps related to the oxidative stress that oftenoccurs at this stage.     

肺结核病人红细胞免疫功能及T淋巴细胞亚群的变化

①目的探讨红细胞免疫功能及Ｔ淋巴细胞亚群变化与肺结核的关系。②方法对４４例肺结核病人和４４例健康人的红细胞免疫功能、血清循环免疫复合物、Ｔ淋巴细胞亚群、ＮＫ细胞水平的变化进行了检测，并与对照组比较。③结果肺结核病人红细胞Ｃ３ｂ受体花环率（Ｅ－Ｃ３ｂＲＲ），ＣＤ４，ＣＤ４／ＣＤ８，ＮＫ细胞水平明显降低，ＣＤ８水平明显升高，与对照组相比，差异均有极显著意义（ｔ＝９．７６～２２．２４，Ｐ均＜０．０１）；复治组较初治组变化更明显（ｔ＝４．２７～１５．３２，Ｐ均＜０．０１）。Ｅ－Ｃ３ｂＲＲ与ＣＤ４，ＣＤ４／ＣＤ８，ＮＫ细胞水平呈正相关（ｒ＝０．２６９２～０．５４７９，Ｐ＜０．０５，０．０１），与ＣＤ８呈显著负相关（ｒ＝－０．３７４，Ｐ＜０．０１）。④结论红细胞免疫功能、Ｔ淋巴细胞亚群及ＮＫ细胞的异常与肺结核的发病及病情变化有一定关系。     

Development of intestinal epithelial cell lines using a transgenic mouse

The epithelial cells of the colonic mucosa of the animal have proved impossible to culture using standard tissue culture techniques. Immortalization of adult colonic epithelial cells has been unsuccessful due to the lack of DNA synthesis in these cells once they are isolated from the tissue. Recently an unique transgenic mouse bearing a temperature sensitive mutant of the known immortalizing gene, SV40 large T has become available. The advantage of this mouse is that the SV40 large T gene is expressed in every cell. Active immortalizing protein is produced in each cell at the permissive temperature. We have used colonic mucosa from these mice to initiate cultures of epithelial cells from the colon of adult mice. The cells grow readily at the permissive temperature but die within 7 days at the non-permissive temperature. The methods used to develop these cultures are described.     

酸性成纤维细胞生长因子的分离纯化及活性鉴定

目的：从牛脑中分离纯化酸性成纤维细胞生长因子（aFGF)并鉴定生物活性，方法：根据DenisGOSPODAROW-ICZ的方法，新鲜牛脑匀浆，三步硫酸铵盐析。最后沉淀物溶解透析后予离子交换层析及琼脂糖胶亲和层析，促3T3细胞DNA合成率鉴定生物活性。结果：用1.0mol/LNaCl的缓冲液洗脱得到分子量为13600的多肽，得率为610μg/kg牛脑，氨基酸组成分析与已知的aFGF相同，促3T3细胞DNA合成的最低浓度为0.5ng/ml，最大效应浓度50ng/ml，ED50值为8ng/ml。结论：aFGF具有强烈的促细胞增殖作用。