Effect of amyloid peptides on the increase in TrkA receptor expression induced by nicotine in vitro and in vivo

The ability of nicotine to induce a cytoprotective or neuroprotective action occurs through several down-stream mechanisms. One possibility is that the drug increases the expression of tyrosine kinase A (TrkA) nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors. Certain β-amyloid peptides (e.g., Aβ1–42) have been shown to bind with high affinity to α7 nicotinic receptors and thus interfere with a potentially neurotrophic influence. Treatment of differentiated PC-12 cells with nicotine produced a concentration-dependent increase in cell-surface TrkA receptors that occurred concomitantly with cytoprotection. The effect of nicotine was blocked by either of the α7 receptor antagonists α-bungarotoxin (α-BTX) or methyllycaconatine. The cytoprotective action of nicotine also was inhibited by pretreatment with 10–100 nM Aβ1–42. Nicotine also was administered (four injections of 30 μg, spaced evenly over 24 h) to rats by direct injection into a lateral cerebral ventricle. Brain TrkA expression was increased significantly in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (up to 32% above control), with no changes found in cerebral cortex or hypothalamus. The nicotine-induced increases in TrKA expression in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex were significantly inhibited by 10 μg α-BTX or by 10 nmol Aβ1–42. Therefore, physiologically relevant concentrations of Aβ1–42 can prevent nicotine-induced TrkA receptor expression in brain regions containing cholinergic neurons susceptible to the neurotoxicity associated with Alzheimer’s disease.     

Additive effects of CD59 expression in Gal knockout mice in vitro but not in an ex vivo model

Abstract: Transgenic expression of the human complement regulatory molecule CD59 in mice and genetic deletion of the major xenoantigen galactose α 1,3 galactose (Gal KO) each resulted in partial protection of spleen cells from lysis by human serum. These protective effects were additive when the two genetic modifications were combined. However, when the effects of these genetic modifications were examined in an ex vivo model in which mouse hearts were perfused with human plasma, it was Gal KO which was the modification which determined protection. CD59 expression alone was not protective and CD59 expression in combination with Gal knockout did not result in a significant additional increase in protection over and above that provided by Gal knockout alone. The likely explanation for this discrepancy between the in vitro and ex vivo data is that the H2-K^b promoter used to drive CD59 expression results I in substantially less expression on endothelium than on spleen cells.     

人腭扁桃体隐窝上皮结构的研究

采用扫描电镜、透射电镜及光镜免疫金银法观察了31例慢性扁桃体炎患者和8例胎儿的扁桃体隐窝上皮结构及其中细胞的分布。电镜观察发现隐窝上皮表面存在三种类型微隐窝开口,其腔内有浸润细胞、异物及细菌。有三种特化上皮细胞(M细胞)覆盖于Ⅲ型微隐窝开口处,其结构与肠道M细胞相似,其数量随扁桃体炎的反复发作而减少。形态表明微隐窝是浸润细胞和外来抗原的出入口。M细胞与抗原的摄取及传递有关。光镜免疫金银法观察证明上皮浸润细胞中多数为OKT_s~+细胞,其中OKT_4~+者又占多数而OKT_s~+细胞较少,这些细胞是隐窝上皮参于免疫应答的结构基础。     

Pharmacological Characterization of Bradykinin Receptors Coupled to Phosphoinositide Turnover in SV40-Immortalized Human Trabecular Meshwork Cells

This study sought to pharmacologically characterize bradykinin receptors on SV40-immortalized human trabecular meshwork (HTM3) cells. Phosphoinositide (PI) turnover studies were conducted using [³H]myo-inositol-labeled HTM3 cells and anion exchange chromatography to quantify [³H]inositol phosphates generated in response to bradykinin (BK) and various BK analogs. The blockade of these responses was studied using two potent and receptor-subtype selective antagonists. BK and T-kinin (Ile-Ser-BK; TK) induced a 4.2–4.4 fold stimulation of PI turnover above base levels at 1–10 μM. Several other peptides unrelated to BK, including angiotensin II, endothelin, cholecystokinin, bombesin and peptide YY tested at 1–10 μMwere essentially inactive. The molar potencies (EC₅₀) of BK, TK and close analogs were: BK=4.5±0.5 nM(n=6), Lys-BK=6.5±0.7 nM(n=3), TK=38.8±6.6 nM(n=8), Met-Lys-BK=41.5±13.4 nM(n=4), Des-Arg⁹-BK=2093±626 nM(n=4). All the latter BK-related peptides>were full agonists. The actions of BK and TK were potently and competitively antagonized by Hoe-140 (molar potency=0.6–1 nM;pA₂n=8.97–9.21,n=3–4) and byD-Arg⁰[Hyp³,-Thi^5,8,-DPhe⁷]-BK (molar potency=251 nM;-log potency, pK_b=6.6), two selective B₂-type BK antagonists. In conclusion, rank order of potency of BK agonists and the blockade of BK- and TK-induced PI turnover by the selective antagonists are consistent with the classification of the BK receptors on HTM3 cells as the B₂-receptor subtype.     

Frequency of T-Cell Progenitors in Nude Mice

The hypothesis that prothymocytes are distinct from and regulated independently of multilineage hemopoietic progenitors was tested by enumeration of these two cell populations in normal versus congenitally athymic (nude) mice. The absence of a thymus and of peripheral T cells in nude mice had no effect on the frequency of either multilineage progenitors (day 12 CFU-S) or prothymocytes (CFU-T), suggesting that there is no feedback regulation of CFU-T frequency. Thymus seeding from the bone marrow is therefore likely to be regulated by the availability of niches for prothymocyte maturation, rather than by feedback control of prothymocyte production.     

Effects of topical anti-inflammatory drugs on eosinophil survival primed by epithelial cells. Additive effect of glucocorticoids and nedocromil sodium

Background Eosinophil infiltration is a hallmark of the inflammatory response in rhinitis and in nasal polypcsis. Objective We studied the effect of steroids and nedocromil sodium on eosinophil survival primed by epithelial cells from healthy (nasal mucosa) and inflamed (nasal polyp) respiratory tissue. Methods Blood eosinophils were incubated with increasing concentrations (10^-11 10^-5 M) of topical steroids (fiuticasone propionate, budesonide, triamcinolone acetonide and beclomethasone dipropionate) and/or nedocromil sodium prior to the addition of human epithelial cell conditioned media (HECM), eosinophil viability was measured and IC₅₀ for each drug was calculated. Results All four steroids and nedocromil sodium caused a dose-related inhibition of HECM-induced eosinophil survival. The IC₅₀ of steroids were lower in eosinophils primed by mucosa HECM than on those primed by polyp HECM (fluticasone, 4nM vs 114nM: budesonide, 21 nM vs 280 nM; triamcinolone, 7 nM vs 853 nM; and beclomethasone, 171 nM vs 181 nM). The combined inhibitory effect of 10^-7M budesonide plus 10^-5M nedocromil (43.8 ± 10.8%, P < 0.03) was significantly higher than budesonide (28.5 ± 9.2%) or nedocromil (16.7 ± 5.4%) alone and close to 10^-5M budesonide (52.3 ± 11%). No differences were found in cytokine (IL-8, IL-6, GM-CSF, TNFα, IL-lβ and RANTES) concentrations between HECM from mucosa and polyps. Conclusion These results suggest that topical anti-inflammatory drugs may diminish airway eosinophilic infiltration by decreasing eosinophil viability, that nasal polyp epithelial cell secretions may induce steroid resistance in eosinophils, and that nedocromil sodium has additive effects with steroids.     

Immunoelectron microscopic studies on centromere-kinetochore complexes detached from chromosomes

The centromere-kinetochore complexes of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were detached and separated from the condensed chromatin by treatment with hydroxyurea and caffeine. By labelling the complex for immunoelectron microscopy (immuno-EM) with a mixture of antibodies against centromere proteins (anti-CENP-A,-B, -C) in some cells, we could demonstrate complete detachment of the complexes. No remnants were left at the bulk of condensed chromatin in these cells. In some mitotic cells complex and chromatin were found side by side. It could be shown that the fine structure of the separated material of the complex differs significantly from that of the rest of chromatin. The complex consists of proteins and DNA. This leads us to suppose that the organization of chromatin in the centromere-kinetochore complex is different.