Transgenic expression of a CD46 (membrane cofactor protein) minigene: Studies of xenotransplantation and measles virus infection

CD46 (membrane cofactor protein) is a human cell-surface regulator of activated complement and a receptor for the measles virus. A CD46 transgenic mouse line with an expression pattern similar to that of human tissues has been produced, to develop an animal model of (i) the control of complement activation by complement regulators in hyperacute rejection of xenografts, and (ii) measles virus infection. The mouse line was made using a CD46 minigene that includes promoter sequence and the first two introns of genomic CD46, which was coinjected into mouse ova with chicken lysozyme matrix attachment region DNA. A high level of CD46 expression in homozygotic transgenic mice was obtained with spleen cells having approximately 75% of the level found on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. CD46 was detected in all tissues examined by immunohistochemistry, radioimmunoassay and Western blotting, showing that these mice were suitable for transplantation and measles virus infection studies. It also indicated that the transgene included the important regulatory elements of the CD46 promoter. Transgenic spleen cells were significantly protected in vitro from human complement activated by either the classical or alternative pathways and from alternative pathway rat complement. Furthermore, transgenic mouse hearts transplanted to rats regulated complement deposition in an in vivo model of antibody-dependent hyperacute xenograft rejection. Similar to human lymphocytes, transgenic lymphoblasts could be infected in vitro with measles virus; infected cells expressed viral proteins and produced infectious viral particles. The data demonstrate the suitability of this minigene for obtaining high-level CD46 expression sufficient for enhanced resistance of transgenic cells to complement attack and for obtaining wide tissue distribution of CD46, analogous to human tissues and, therefore, useful for comparative studies.     

The persistence of interleukin-6 is regulated by a blood buffer system derived from dendritic cells

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Increased spontaneous immunoglobulin secretion associated with cyclophosphamide-induced immune suppression

Spontaneous immunoglobulin (Ig) secretion by cells from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients (in the progressive phase) treated with monthly pulse doses of cyclophosphamide (CY) (1000–1600 mg/M²) was measured using the protein A plaque assay, to evaluate the effect of CY treatment on B-cell function. Surprisingly, an increase, rather than a decrease, in Ig-secreting cells was seen following CY treatment. CY-treated MS patients averaged 1380±535 spontaneous total (IgM+G+A) Ig plaque-forming cells (PFC) per 1×10⁶ peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC), measured at 15–22 days after monthly CY administration, while healthy adults had 280±47 Ig PFC/10⁶ MNC, and MS patients not treated with CY had 300±43 Ig PFC/10⁶ MNC. The observed increase was due to an increase in IgG and IgA PFC. PFC levels remained elevated for 4 weeks following CY treatment, decreasing to control levels by 7–8 weeks post-CY. A small increase in serum IgG level was noted after >12 months of pulse CY therapy; no increase was seen in CSF IgG levels. A preferential decrease in the number of CD4+ T cells was also seen in the CY-treated MS patients. We propose that the observed increase in the number of spontaneous Ig PFC was due to the CY-induced disruption of the CD4+ T cell-mediated control ofin vivo activated B cells.     

Does feeding regime affect physiologic and thermal responses during exposure to 8, 20, and 27° C?

Summary When the loss of body heat is accelerated by exposure to low environmental temperatures, additional substrates must be oxidized to provide energy to sustain temperature homeostasis. Therefore, the present investigation examined the relation between feeding regime [pre-experimental carbohydrate feeding (FED) vs a fast (FAST)], during 120 min of exposure to 8, 20, and 27° C in well-nourished men. The following were examined: tissue insulation (I; °C · m² · W^–1), rectal temperature (T _re; °C), and oxygen consumption ( O₂; ml · kg^–1 · min^–1). O₂, T _re, and I revealed no significant differences between treatments (FED vs FAST) at any temperature. At 27° C, I was less (P < 0.05) than at 20 and 8° C, and decreased (P < 0.05) as exposure time increased. At 8° C, O₂was higher (P < 0.5) than at 20 or 27°C, and O₂increased as time increased (P < 0.05). T _re decreased (P < 0.05) as time increased for all conditions. Respiratory exchange ratio (R) differed (P < 0.05) between treatments (FED vs FAST), temperature (8 vs 20° C), and across time. Values for R suggests that carbohydrate accounted for 56% and 33% of caloric utilization during the FED vs FAST conditions, respectively. At 8 vs 20° C, R represented 54% vs 30% of cabohydrate utilization. Across time, R demonstrated that in both conditions (FED vs FAST) there was a decreased reliance on carbohydrate utilization for energy provision. From these data it appears that while substrate utilization differed between dietary treatment and across time this did not differentially affect O₂or T _re during protracted exposure to 8, 20, and 27° C. The higher R in the 8° C condition for both dietary treatments demonstrates that carbohydrate utilization is increased in shivering cold-exposed humans. However, the reduction in R across time suggests that fat oxidation is also involved in metabolic heat production and core temperature maintenance during shivering in the cold.     

Rheogenic sodium-bicarbonate cotransport in the peritubular cell membrane of rat renal proximal tubule

The mechanism of bicarbonate transport across the peritubular cell membrane was investigated in rat kidney proximal tubules in situ by measuring cell pH and cell Na⁺ activity in response to sudden reduction of peritubular Na⁺ and/or HCO ₃ ^– . The following observations were made: 1. sudden peritubular reduction of either ion concentration produced the same transient depolarizing potential response; 2. bicarbonate efflux in response to peritubular reduction of bicarbonate was accompanied by sodium efflux; 3. sodium efflux in response to peritubular sodium removal was accompanied by cell acidification indicating bicarbonate efflux; 4. all aforementioned phenomena were inhibited by SITS (10^–3 mol/l) except for a small SITS-independent sodium efflux and depolarization which occurred in response to peritubular sodium removal and was not accompanied by cell pH changes; 5. bicarbonate efflux and accompanying potential changes in response to reduction of peritubular bicarbonate virtually vanished in sodium-free solutions. From these observations we conclude that bicarbonate efflux proceeds as rheogenic sodium-bicarbonate cotransport with a stoichiometry of bicarbonate to sodium greater than 1. The question which of the charged species of the bicarbonate buffer system moves cannot yet be decided. Attempts to determine the stoichiometry from the SITS-inhibitable initial cell depolarization and from the SITS-inhibitable initial fluxes suggest a stoichiometry of 3 HCO ₃ ^– : 1 Na⁺. In addition to sodium-dependent bicarbonate flux, evidence was obtained for a sodium-independent transport system of acids or bases which is able to regulate cell pH even in sodium-free solutions.     

Fine structure of the carotid body of the midterm human fetus

Summary The human fetal carotid body was studied using both histochemical and electron microscopic methods. The glomus cells of a mid term fetal carotid body evidently contain catecholamines. This was demonstrated both by formaldehyder-induced fluorescence of the cells and by the presence of typical dense-cored vesicles (diameter 1430–3200 Å) in the cytoplasm of the chief cells. The glomus cells were densely innervated and the synapses found on their surface were probably cholinergic in type, containing agranular synaptic vesicles measuring 400–700 Å in diameter with a few dense-cored vesicles measuring 900 to 1300 Å. Synapses were not found in any other cell type within the glomus caroticum. The prominent feature of the glomus cell cytoplasm was the presence of the dense-cored vesicles. The density of the vesicular core varied only slightly from cell to cell. There were no perceptible differences in vesicular size between the different cells. The glomus cells were mostly surrounded by the processes of the sustentacular cells, which usually also surrounded the capillary walls. No glomus cells were ever found in direct contact with the capillary wall. The capillaries were wide and very numerous over the restricted area of the organ. They formed sinusoidal loops, probably anastomosing with each other. Finally, the features of the fine structure are discussed, correlating the present findings with our knowledge about the adult functional carotic body.     

Association between atopy and recurrent vaginal candidiasis

To determine whether there is an association between atopy and recurrent vaginal candidiasis (RVC) and to evaluate the type-2 immune response in patients with RVC. Evaluation of immediate hypersensitivity skin tests to aeroallergens, measurement of total IgE and Candida albicans specific IgE and levels of IL-5 in 44 women with RVC and 26 with sporadic vaginal candidiasis (SVC). Statistical analyses were performed by Mann-Whitney test and chi(2) test with Yates correction. History of atopy (68%) and positive skin test (42%) were higher (P < 0.05) in RVC than in patients with SVC. No significant difference was found in total IgE, C. albicans specific IgE and IL-5 levels. There was a strong association between atopy and RVC, but type-2 immune response to C. albicans antigen was absent or similar in the two groups of patients.     

Aberrant chromatin at genes encoding stem cell regulators in human mixed-lineage leukemia

Mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) fusion proteins are potent inducers of leukemia, but how these proteins generate aberrant gene expression programs is poorly understood. Here we show that the MLL-AF4 fusion protein occupies developmental regulatory genes important for hematopoietic stem cell identity and self-renewal in human leukemia cells. These MLL-AF4-bound regions have grossly altered chromatin structure, with histone modifications catalyzed by trithorax group proteins and DOT1 extending across large domains. Our results define direct targets of the MLL fusion protein, reveal the global role of epigenetic misregulation in leukemia, and identify new targets for therapeutic intervention in cancer.     

Cx43在造血调控及重建中的作用

目的:采用条件性基因敲除技术构建造血系统间隙连接蛋白43(Cx43)基因敲除(Cx43~(-/-))小鼠模型,并探讨Cx43在维持造血细胞自我更新及功能稳定中的作用。方法:将引进的2对转基因小鼠Cx43 loxP/loxP和Lyz-Cre/+杂交,选取F1雌性子代Cx43 loxP/-_Lyz-Cre/+与雄性Cx43 loxP/loxP合笼回配,提取所获得子代小鼠鼠尾组织基因组DNA,采用PCR方法鉴定小鼠基因型,RT-PCR方法筛选Cx43~(-/-)小鼠,同时分析小鼠不同器官中Cx43基因的表达差异;该类小鼠经5-氟尿嘧啶(5-FU;125 mg/kg)处理,在化疗前及化疗后第5、10和15天经眼球取血分析其血象变化。Cx43~(-/-)及Cx43~(+/+)小鼠予7.5 Gy(~(60)Co-γ)的致死量照射,剂量率1 Gy/min,照射后6 h分别给予事先准备就序的骨髓细胞,每只3×10~6细胞于尾静脉注入,2周后处死小鼠检测造血是否重建:分离股骨切片后,收集骨髓细胞进行细胞表型分析(选用的单抗为CD45R、Gr-1、CD4、 CD8a、TCRαβ、Mac-1、抗sIgM、TER119、Sca-1及CD117);同时进行体外造血细胞集落实验观察造血细胞的体外增殖能力。结果:本研究通过2种转基因小鼠间杂交和回交,成功获得造血系统选择性Cx43基因敲除小鼠;该类小鼠骨髓及外周血细胞无Cx43表达,参与造血的组织,如肝脏和脾脏中Cx43表达也显著下调(P0.01),而心脏和肾脏的Cx43表达则无影响,小鼠成年后外周血象分析并无明显异常,但应急代偿能力下降,经5-FU处理后,其造血功能恢复显著减缓,处理15 d后,Cx43~(+/+)小鼠造血功能已接近正常水平,而Cx43~(-/-)小鼠仍无明显的恢复迹象,血红蛋白、白细胞及血小板仍处低位,2者差别有统计学显著性(P0.01);体外集落试验也证实Cx43~(-/-)小鼠造血干/祖细胞的增殖能力下降,其CFU-GM或CFU-E集落数均明显少于Cx43~(+/+)小鼠(P0.01),但流式细胞术结果显示,Cx43~(-/-)小鼠骨髓中Lin~-/c-Kit~+/Sca-1~+细胞亚群数量与Cx43~(+/+)小鼠相比差异并无统计学显著性;Cx43~(-/-)小鼠在化疗或移植后其骨髓造血功能重建均延迟,且化疗15 d后骨髓切片及涂片均证实其骨髓中造血细胞增生程度明显降低,脂肪组织显著增多,而且T、B细胞发育也有异常。此外,其外周血中CD4~+CD8~+细胞比例比野生型小鼠增多(P0.05),但CD4~+T细胞显著减少(P0.01),尤其是TCRαβ亚群细胞减少最为明显(P0.01)。同样,Cx43~(-/-)小鼠外周血中CD45R~+sIgM~-细胞亚群比例与野生型小鼠相比显著减少(P0.01)。结论:骨髓中Cx43基因表达在造血干/祖细胞发育(尤其是应急状态时)具重要作用,敲除Cx43基因后造血干/祖细胞增殖减缓,造血及免疫重建功能受损。