Lack of association between the Met196Arg polymorphism in the TNFR2 gene and autoimmune diseases accompanied by vasculitis including SLE in Japanese

A polymorphism in high-affinity receptor of TNF (TNFR2) gene, Met196Arg, was reported to be associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Japanese, whereas the association could not be found in Europeans at all and this represents an apparent discrepancy. The association, then, should be tested in other populations to clarify the possible involvement, if any, of the TNFR2 polymorphism in SLE or other related autoimmune diseases. The purposes of this study were to examine the TNFR2 polymorphism in Japanese patients with SLE and to investigate its association with other autoimmune diseases accompanied by vasculitis, mixed connective tissue disease, Buerger's disease, and Takayasu's arteritis. We found no association at all between the TNFR2 polymorphism and any autoimmune diseases including SLE in Japanese.     

Mucosal bromodomain-containing protein 4 mediates aeroallergen-induced inflammation and remodeling

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Immunochemical characterization of mouse brain-associated theta (Thy-1) antigen.

The Thy-1 antigens or rat brain and thymus have been isolated and chemically characterized, but those of mice have not been identified. Moreover, it is uncertain whether the antigens are glycolipids or glycoproteins. This study with highly purified preparations of gangliosides GM₁, ¹GD_1a, GD_1b and GT_1b from bovine brain and several ganglioside fractions from mouse brain showed that Thy-1 activity does not reside in gangliosides, but rather in the chloroform-methanol-insoluble residue of brain remaining after extraction of gangliosides. The antigen could be solubilized from this residue with a non-ionic detergent. The antigenic activity of the solubilized preparation was heat-labile but resistant to periodate. The chemical properties of the Thy-1 antigen of mouse brain are discussed.     

妊高征患者治疗前后血清TNF-α、IL-6和IL-8检测的临床意义

目的：探讨了妊高征患者治疗前后血清TNF-α、IL-6和IL-8水平的变化及意义。方法：采用放射免疫分析对36例妊高征患者进行了血清TNF-α、IL-6和IL-8水平检测并与35名正常孕妇作比较。结果：在治疗前血清TNF-α、IL-6和IL-8水平非常显著地高于正常孕妇组（P〈0．01），经治疗后2周，血清TNF-α、IL-6和IL-8水平与正常孕妇组比较，无显著性差异（P〉0．05）。结论：炎性细胞因子TNF-α、IL-6和IL-8在妊高征的发病机理中具有重要的作用，有一定的临床价值。     

Activity of human erythrocyte gangliosides as a receptor to HVJ

Liposomes could bind and fuse efficiently to human erythrocytes in the presence of HVJ when they contained gangliosides isolated from human erythrocytes. Sialosylparagloboside, which has a terminal sequence of NeuAcα2?3Ga1β1?4GlcNac, has a much higher receptor activity to the virus than GD_1a, GD_1b, GT_1b, and GT_1a, all of which contain the terminal sequence of NeuAcα2?3Galβ1?3GalNAc or NeuAcα2?8NeuAcα2?3Galβ1?3GalNAc. The activity of sialosylparagloboside is comparable to that of glycophorin, a major sialoglycoprotein of human erythrocytes, when compared on the basis of the required amount (as sialic acid) of compounds. The high affinity of sialosylparagloboside to the viral HANA protein is also suggested by the finding that it showed high inhibitory activity against HVJ-mediated binding of glycophorin liposomes to erythrocytes. Sialosylparagloboside was also highly susceptible to the viral sialidase, the other biological function of HANA protein.     

Effects of manipulating catecholamines on the incidence of the preovulatory surge of of luteinizing hormone and ovulation in the rat: evidence for a necessary involvement of hypothalamic adrenaline in the normal or 'midnight' surge

The preovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone reaches a maximum at 18.00 h on the day of pro-oestrus in female rats maintained with regular lighting from 06.00 to 20.00 h. This surge is initiated by a discharge of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone into hypophysial portal blood. In this study, drugs which affect catecholamine-mediated neurotransmission were administered on the day of pro-oestrus and the effects on serum concentrations of luteinizing hormone and on subsequent ovulation were observed. alpha-Methyl-p-tyrosine, diethyldithiocarbamate and SKF 64139 inhibit catecholamine synthesis at the level of tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine beta-hydroxylase and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase, respectively. Although alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine suppressed ovulation, it had a negligible effect on the incidence of the preovulatory surge. In contrast, the various treatments with diethyldithiocarbamate and SKF 64139 resulted in a minimal occurrence of the 18.00 h surge; at relatively low doses, however, these drugs frequently elicited a surge at 22.00 or 24.00 h which invariably resulted in ovulation. The failure of the surge after diethyldithiocarbamate or SKF 64139 was not associated with a loss of pituitary sensitivity to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone. In terms of the hypothalamic concentration of dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine at 18.00 h on pro-oestrus, the only common effect of diethyldithiocarbamate and SKF 64139, given in a dose which blocks the surge, was a severe depletion of adrenaline; alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine failed to produce this effect despite inducing a marked depression of dopamine and a moderate loss of noradrenaline. Neither the increase in hypothalamic dopamine after diethyldithiocarbamate, nor the alpha 2 receptor blocking properties of SKF 64139 appear to be relevant in this context since injections of L-dopa or piperoxane, an alpha 2 receptor antagonist, were without effect on the surge or ovulation. The failure of the surge after prazosin, an alpha 1 receptor antagonist, indicates that the function of adrenaline may be mediated postsynaptically by alpha 1 receptors. Clonidine, an alpha 2 receptor agonist which reduces the turnover rate of hypothalamic adrenaline, had effects of the surge and ovulation which were comparable to those of diethyldithiocarbamate and SKF 64139, the relatively low doses causing some of the surges to occur at 24.00 instead of 18.00 h and higher doses suppressing the surge at both times and thus preventing ovulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Neuronal histamine inhibits methamphetamine-induced locomotor hyperactivity in mice

Mianserin (5-20 mg/kg), like chlordiazepoxide (2.5-10 mg/kg), inhibits the shock-induced suppression of drinking (SSD) in rats. However, in contrast to chlordiazepoxide, the effect of mianserin is not blocked by the benzodiazepine antagonist, Ro 15-1788 (10 mg/kg). Although mianserin does not inhibit [3H]diazepam binding in vitro it has now been found to enhance [3H]flunitrazepam binding to mouse whole brain in vivo at 10-100 mg/kg p.o. These results suggest that mianserin does influence central benzodiazepine receptors, but the mechanism by which it does so differs from that of chlordiazepoxide.     

Age-dependent changes in the susceptibility to apoptosis of peripheral blood CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes with virgin or memory phenotype

Susceptibility to apoptosis changes with age and most of the available data on lymphocytes refer to mitogen stimulated cells. We studied this susceptibility in quiescent, purified CD4+ or CD8+ T cells from a group of Italian old people compared with a group of young people. We found that an apoptotic agent such as 2-deoxy-D-ribose (dRib), which acts via glutathione depletion and oxidative stress, was more effective in CD4+ T cells from young donors, while no difference was found in CD8+ T cells. On the contrary, another agent such as TNF-alpha, which acts via receptor engagement, was more effective in CD8+ T cells from old subjects, and no difference was found in CD4+ T cells. When marker of activation-memory were investigated, no difference between young and old subjects was found when dRib was used. Differently, when TNF-alpha was used, memory and activated CD4+ T cells from old donors were less sensitive than younger counterparts, while memory CD8+ T cells from old donors were more sensitive than younger counterparts. This suggests that age-related changes in susceptibility to apoptosis of resting T cells largely depend on the type of the apoptotic stimulus which is used as well as on the memory phenotype of the cells. These results may also account, at least in part, for the deep remodelling of T cell repertoire that occurs during ageing.     

异种移植免疫学及其潜在风险的研究进展

同种器官移植成功率的提高导致了供体器官的严重短缺.采用解剖学上与人类相近的动物,比如猪的器官可以解决这种危机.但从猪到人的器官移植需要克服很多障碍,包括免疫学,生理学及其伦理道德问题.超急性排斥反应是猪到人异种器官移植的首要免疫学障碍,目前主要通过敲除半乳糖α1,3半乳糖(galactose-α1,3-galactose,Gal)抗原来克服超急性排斥反应.除此之外,仍有其它的非-Gal抗原可能引起猪到人的移植物的失功,例如N-羟乙酰神经氨酸等.除了免疫学障碍,猪器官携带的病毒及可能引起的异种移植的潜在风险也不容忽视.虽然现在还没有明显的实验数据显示猪到人的病原体的感染,但当猪到人的免疫学障碍被克服后,感染将成为又一研究热点.     

TRIM5alpha association with cytoplasmic bodies is not required for antiretroviral activity

The tripartite motif (TRIM) protein, TRIM5alpha, restricts infection by particular retroviruses. Many TRIM proteins form cytoplasmic bodies of unknown function. We investigated the relationship between cytoplasmic body formation and the structure and antiretroviral activity of TRIM5alpha. In addition to diffuse cytoplasmic staining, the TRIM5alpha proteins from several primate species were located in cytoplasmic bodies of different sizes; by contrast, TRIM5alpha from spider monkeys did not form cytoplasmic bodies. Despite these differences, all of the TRIM5alpha proteins exhibited the ability to restrict infection by particular retroviruses. Treatment of cells with geldanamycin, an Hsp90 inhibitor, resulted in disappearance or reduction of the TRIM5alpha-associated cytoplasmic bodies, yet exerted little effect on the restriction of retroviral infection. Studies of green fluorescent protein-TRIM5alpha fusion proteins indicated that no TRIM5alpha domain is specifically required for association with cytoplasmic bodies. Apparently, the formation of cytoplasmic bodies is not required for the antiretroviral activity of TRIM5alpha.