Social isolation stress augments angiogenesis induced by colon 26-L5 carcinoma cells in mice

We have previously shown that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which is an important angiogenesis-related factor, was over-secreted in male BALB/c mice under social isolation stress as compared with the control, and closely associated with a remarkable elevation of tumor invasion and metastasis of colon 26-L5 carcinoma cells. In the present study, we explored the effect of isolation stress on the angiogenesis caused by colon 26-L5 carcinoma cells in vivo and in vitro. Social isolation lead to the enhancement of tumor growth after intrahepatic implantation with a fragment of colon 26-L5 tumor. Angiogenic response (number of vessels oriented towards tumor mass) and tumor growth (size) were significantly increased in the socially isolated mouse relative to that in the group-housed mice. Furthermore, higher protein level of hepatic TNF-α was found in the stressed mice than that in the control. Expression of mRNA for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were also elevated in the tumor regions and liver tissues of the stressed mice in comparison with that in group-housed mice. On the other hand, hepatic sinusoidal endothelial (HSE) cells treated with TNF-α exhibited a marked promotion of the migration, invasion, expression of mRNA for matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, and tube-like formation, but no cytotoxicity against the cells in vitro. The above data suggest that the social isolation stress augmented the tumor-induced angiogenesis probably by up-regulating the angiogenesis-related factors, including TNF-α, VEGF and HGF, and consequently mediating the functions of endothelial cells such as migration, invasion, and tube-like formation.     

TNF microsatellite alleles a2 and b3 are not primarily associated with celiac disease in the Finnish population

Abstract: Recently, an independent association between tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene polymorphism and ceiiac disease was observed in the Irish population. We tested this association in Finnish patients with celiac disease. The TNF microsatellite alleles a2 and b3 were strongly associated (P_corr<0.0001 for both) with celiac disease when the patients were compared to the random population. However, when the comparison was made with the DQ2-matched controls, no association could be found. We therefore conclude that in Finland the TNFa2 and b3 alleles are associated with DQ2-positive haplotypes rather than celiac disease.     

Transforming growth factor J3 type II receptor (TGFpRII) mutation in gastric lymphoma without mutator phenotype

A new mutation in the serine-threonine klnase domain of the transforming growth factor β type II receptor (TGFpRII) was found in a case of diffuse, B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the stomach. A mfssense mutation (ACA to GCA, Thr to Ala) was detected In exon 5, and a wild type allele was also present. This Is the first naturally occurring mutation in the klnase domain of this gene identified in human primary lymphoma. The replication error at three loci was negative, and the poly A tract of exon 3, which is frequently a target of mismatch repair genes, was intact. Malignant lymphoma of B cell origin in the stomach Is an addition to an expanding catalogue of tumors with TGFβRII alterations, and the biological sequelae of the change in the functional domain and the clinical characteristics of the patient in this study are intriguing.     

企业员工应激源的因素结构研究

目的 :该研究旨在确立企业员工应激源的因素结构。方法 :经过对 394 6名被试的探索性因素分析 ,提出企业员工应激源的 9因素结构。结果 :因素分别命名为职业发展、住房问题、工作特征、社会环境、人际关系、经济收入、子女问题、组织气氛和夫妻关系。结论 :企业员工应激源的 9因素结构获得了验证性因素分析的支持。     

内痔粘膜及血管上皮细胞VEGF/FGF2的表达与内痔分期的相关性分析

目的 通过观察人体内痔不同分期粘膜及血管内皮细胞生长因子（VEGF）及碱性成纤维细胞生长因子（FGF2）的表达，探讨内痔的发生及发展机制。 方法 收集南方医院肛肠科门诊手术切除的Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ期内痔标本134例（Ⅰ期42例，Ⅱ期45例，Ⅲ期47例），内痔周围正常肠壁组织40例作为对照，采用HE染色观察组织的病理学变化，采用免疫组织化学方法检测血管内皮细胞VEGF及FGF2的表达。 结果 正常组及Ⅰ期内痔黏膜层被覆上皮完整，未见扩张血管；Ⅱ期内痔黏膜层被覆上皮破坏，黏膜肌层破坏，黏膜层内见新生血管；Ⅲ期内痔黏膜层被覆上皮破坏，见血管管壁增厚迂曲，管腔扩张；与正常粘膜成纤维细胞相比VEGF在粘膜层成纤维细胞表达水平明显升高，并随分期增高而增高（F=883.961，P<0.01），FGF2也存在相同表达（F=656.013，P<0.01）；与正常组相比VEGF在血管内皮细胞表达水平明显升高，并随分期增高而增高（F=776.561，P<0.01），FGF2在血管内皮细胞的表达水平存在相同趋势（F=1066.458，P＜0.01）。 结论 VEGF及FGF2在内痔的形成过程中具有促进血管内皮细胞和粘膜下成纤维细胞增生的作用，同时可作为内痔发生发展的分子标志物。     

Changes in VEGF expression and in the vasculature during the growth of early-stage ethylnitrosourea-induced malignant astrocytomas in rats

 Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potent angiogenic and vascular permeability factor, may be important as a mediator of brain tumour progression. However, it is still not clear whether VEGF plays a causative role in the early stage of glioma development. We investigated the relationship between VEGF protein expression (as assayed by immunohistochemistry) and different morphological parameters reflecting tumour progression (tumour diameter, vascular density and vascular diameter) in tumours at various stages. As a tumour model, ethylnitrosourea (ENU)-induced rat malignant astrocytoma was used. Tumours were classified by size and level of vascularity estimated by the von Willebrand factor (vWF) staining. Tumours less than 10 mm in diameter were designated early stage neoplastic lesions. All 34 early astroglial tumours were found to be VEGF positive. Increase in the VEGF immunopositive rate of tumour cells correlated significantly with increase in vascular density and vascular diameter. We suggest that VEGF induces angiogenesis and growth of microvessels, promoting growth of the early stage malignant astrocytoma. Received: 7 October 1997 / Accepted: 9 June 1998     

Cytostasis of different tumours by a murine PPD-reactive CD4+ T lymphocyte clone is mediated by interferon-gamma and tumour necrosis factor alone or synergistically.

We have shown that a murine CD4+ PPD-reactive T lymphocyte clone was weakly cytotoxic towards the syngeneic tumour B16 melanoma and MC6A fibrosarcoma which had been coated with PPD using a monoclonal antibody-PPD heteroconjugate. Cell-free supernatants produced by PPD-stimulated T lymphocyte clones were however highly cytostatic for the two tumour targets when assayed over 48-72 h. In this study we have demonstrated good titres of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in the supernatants, which accounted for their observed cytostatic activity on the tumour targets. The high level of cytostasis seen with the B16 melanoma using the supernatants could be attributed to their sensitivity to the cytostatic activity of IFN-gamma; the lower levels of cytostasis seen with the IFN-gamma-resistant MC6A target was the result of IFN-gamma increasing the sensitivity of this target to TNF. Antibodies to IFN-gamma were able to neutralize the majority of the cytostatic activity of the supernatants on both targets, consistent with the role demonstrated for this lymphokine.     

gp49B1 suppresses stem cell factor-induced mast cell activation-secretion and attendant inflammation in vivo

We report that gp49B1, a mast cell membrane receptor with two immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs (ITIM), constitutively inhibits mast cell activation-secretion induced by stem cell factor (SCF), a tissue-derived cytokine that also regulates mast cell development. The intradermal injection of SCF into the ears of gp49B1 null (gp49B(-/-)) mice elicited approximately 4- and 2.5-fold more degranulating mast cells and tissue swelling caused by edema, respectively, than in gp49B(+/+) mice. SCF did not induce tissue swelling in mast cell-deficient mice, and the responsiveness of gp49B(-/-) mice to mast cell-associated amine and lipid mediators was unaltered. When gp49B(+/+) and gp49B(-/-) mice were pretreated with antagonists of the amines, SCF-induced tissue swelling was reduced by >90% and 60%, respectively, and it was reduced by >90% in both genotypes when a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist was also provided. Hence, the dominant contribution of secretory granule amines to SCF-induced tissue swelling is the result of gp49B1-mediated inhibition of the production of cysteinyl leukotrienes by mast cells. Our findings also provide the first example of an ITIM-bearing receptor that constitutively suppresses inflammation generated in vivo independently of the adaptive immune response by a receptor that signals through intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity rather than immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs.     

白细胞介素—1对大鼠下丘脑室旁核Fos癌蛋白和CRF的诱导作用

将白细胞介素-1(IL)注入大鼠侧脑室,用Fos癌蛋白抗体免疫组化法检测了下丘脑室旁核的激活神经元:大量位于含促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子(CRF)相应区域的室旁核小细胞部神经元呈Fos免疫强阳性。Fos和CRF的免疫双染色显示了许多Fos免疫阳性神经元也呈CRF免疫阳性。此外,在IL-1注射动物中,CRF的免疫阳性显著加强,提示CRF合成增加。     

Novel single nucleotide polymorphisms of the human nuclear factor kappa-B 2 gene identified by sequencing the entire gene

The nuclear factor kappa-B 2 (NFKB2) gene is a member of the NFKB/Rel gene family, which is known to be a pivotal regulator of the acute phase of the inflammatory response and of immune responses. We identified three novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and determined their allelic frequencies, as determined by the sequencing of 48 alleles of the entire gene in a Japanese population sample. Two of the three polymorphisms were identified at nucleotide (nt) position 1837 (T/C) and nt position, 1867 (GG/G) in the upstream region of the gene. The other polymorphism was identified at nt position 2584 (G/T) within intron 1. These polymorphisms will be useful in genetic studies of the processes involved in inflammatory responses and in bone differentiation. Received: October 17, 2000 / Accepted: October 23, 2000