Technical improvements in the clotted plasma droplet MIF assay in vitro.

The migration inhibitory activity of culture supernatants of rat and human lymphocytes stimulated with PHA and Con A-Sepharose was tested on cell migration from clotted plasma droplets. This technique was improved by using homologous as well as heterologous plasma and fibrinogen solutions for suspending the migratory cells, automatic micropipettes for performing the technique and purified cell populations as target. The effects of calcium chloride and of the cell concentration in the plasma droplets on the migration indices obtained in the MIF assay were tested.     

Immunologic events in pigeon breeders'' disease

The immunologic and physiologic status of a group of symptomatic and asymptomatic pigeon breeders was studied in an attempt to define the immunologic events occurring in pigeon breeders' disease. Antibody activity to antigen(s) present in pigeon dropping extract (PDE) and pigeon serum (PS) was detected in the serum of both symptomatic and asymptomatic breeders. Antibody activity, however, tended to be greater in the symptomatic pigeon breeders. When subjects were challenged with PS via aerosol, serum complement activity became depressed only in asymptomatic patients. Cellular hypersensitivity to antigens present in PDE was detected in vitro in peripheral lymphocyte populations of 4 of 5 symptomatic breeders and in none of the asymptomatic breeders; cellular hypersensitivity to antigens in PS was not demonstrated in any of the individuals tested. These findings indicate that cell-mediated hypersensitivity, as well as humoral immunologic processes, may be involved in the pathogenesis of the hypersensitivity pneumonitis found in pigeon breeders.     

Chemical Characterization of Macrophage Cytotoxicity Factor,Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor,T-Helper Cell-Replacing Factor and Colony-Stimulating Factor from Culture Supernatants of Concanavalin A-Stimulated Murine Spleen Cells

Supernatants from Concanavalin A-stimulated murine spleen cells were subjected to hydrophobic interaction chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose. Macrophage cytotoxicity factor (MCF), macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), T-helper cell-replacing factor (TRF) and colony-stimulating factor (CSF) were bound at high ionic strength and were released stepwise at low ionic strength. CSF thus could be separated from MCF, MIF and TRF and the bulk of other proteins. Chromatography of pools containing MCF, MIF and TRF on Sephadex did not lead to a separation of the three activities which were all found in a molecular weight range of 25.000-55.000. Isoelectric focusing of these pools in pH range from 4 to 9 gave two peaks for MCF at pH 8.2 and 7.2, whereas MIF activity focused from pH 4.5 to 5.5. TRF activity was found in a single sharp peak at pH 5.3. The results demonstrate that the four biological activities can be distinguished on a chemical basis and are accessible for purification and chemical characterization.     

Hormonal influences on the extinction of conditioned taste aversion

Conditioned taste aversion for a 5% glucose solution (sugar water) was induced in rats by an i.p. injection of LiCl 30 min after the first presentation of sugar water. Extinction of conditioned taste aversion was measured either in the forced-drinking test or in the preference-drinking test. In the forced-drinking test sugar water was the only fluid presented to the animals during extinction sessions. In the preference-drinking test the animals had the choice of tap water or sugar water. The rate of extinction was much slower in the preference test.The ACTH-analogues, ACTH_4–10 and ACTH_{4–10 7D Phe}, and -MSH delayed extinction in the preference test but not extinction in the forced-drinking test. ACTH_11–24 was without any effect. MSH-release inhibiting factor (MIF) facilitated extinction in the forced-drinking test but did not alter extinction in the preference test. The peptides did not affect intake of tap water or preference of sugar water over tap water by control rats.     

银杏叶提取物对急性坏死性胰腺炎大鼠肺泡巨噬细胞功能的影响

目的:探讨银杏叶提取物(GBE)对急性坏死性胰腺炎(ANP)肺损伤时肺泡巨噬细胞功能的影响。方法:48只成年SD大鼠随机分为对照组、ANP组、治疗组,每组再分为6h、12h组。逆行性胰胆管注射5%牛磺酸钠建立ANP大鼠模型。治疗组在胰腺炎模型基础上予GBE干预,对照组、ANP组给予等量生理盐水。经支气管肺泡灌洗获取肺泡巨噬细胞,激光共聚焦扫描显微镜(LSCM)结合特异性荧光探针DAF-FM-DA检测肺泡巨噬细胞内一氧化氮(NO)、ELISA法检测肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)及MIF水平。结果:治疗组肺泡巨噬细胞内NO水平、TNF-α、MIF分泌水平显著低于ANP组(P<0.01)。结论:银杏提取物通过抑制肺泡巨噬细胞内NO生成,降低TNF-α、MIF分泌活性,从而改善ANP肺损伤时肺泡巨噬细胞的功能。     

音乐胎教对胎儿血流动力学及行为活动影响的超声评价

目的:利用四维彩色多普勒超声探讨胎教对胎儿血流及行为活动的影响。方法:选取于我院行孕期体检的89例孕龄在23周以上的健康胎儿,所有胎儿均进行胎教,采用四维彩超评价胎儿胎教前后大脑中动脉、脐动脉、主动脉及心输出量等血流动力学变化,并对其行为活动进行评分。结果:胎教后胎儿胎动例数及胎动强度明显强于胎教前(P0.05)。胎教后动脉阻力指数(RI)及收缩期/舒张期流速比(S/D)均明显下降(P0.05)。胎教后心输出量较胎教前显著增加(P0.05)。胎教前胎儿平均生理评分为(7.18±1.51)分,显著低于胎教后评分平均值(8.41±1.91)分(P0.05)。结论 :23周孕龄及以上健康胎儿行综合胎教可明显改善胎儿血循环,增加心脑血流量,促进胎儿发育。     

Role for macrophage migration inhibitory factor in acute respiratory distress syndrome

The critical role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in mediating inflammatory lung injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been raised recently. The present study has identified enhanced MIF protein expression in alveolar capillary endothelium and infiltrating macrophages in lung tissues from ARDS patients. The possibility that MIF up-regulates its synthesis in an autocrine fashion in ARDS was tested using cultured endothelial cells stimulated with MIF and a murine model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury. MIF induced significant MIF and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha synthesis in cultured endothelial cells and the effect was blocked by neutralizing anti-MIF antibody. A similar blocking effect was observed when MIF-stimulated endothelial cells were pretreated with neutralizing anti-TNF-alpha antibody or glucocorticoid, supporting the notion that MIF induced TNF-alpha production via an amplifying pro-inflammatory loop. Treatment with anti-MIF or glucocorticoid effectively attenuated pulmonary pathology and the synthesis of MIF or TNF-alpha in mice with LPS-induced acute lung injury. Mildly augmented expression of aquaporin 1 (AQP1) was also detected in alveolar capillary endothelium in ARDS. In vitro studies revealed that both MIF and TNF-alpha induced a small increase of AQP1 synthesis in cultured endothelial cells. These findings suggest that MIF plays a crucial pathological role leading to alveolar inflammation in ARDS. Anti-MIF and early glucocorticoid therapy may represent a novel therapeutic approach for reducing alveolar inflammation in ARDS.     

Increased Expression of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor and DJ-1 contribute to Cell Invasion and Metastasis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Background and aim: Both macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and DJ-1 protein have been shown to relate with cell invasion and metastasis in tumors. However, the role of DJ-1 in invasion and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its relation to MIF expression in NPC are not fully understood. The aim of present study is to determine whether or not MIF and DJ-1 are correlated with tumor invasion and influence a worse outcome in NPC, as well as its related mechanism.Methods: 125 cases of NPC and 45 normal tissues of nasopharynx were collected. The expression of MIF and DJ-1 in tissue microarray was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. Correlation between immunostainings and clinicopathological parameters, as well as the follow-up data of patients, was analyzed statistically. The association of MIF and DJ-1 with cell invasion and migration in NPC cell line were evaluated by small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection, invasion assay and Western blotting.Results: MIF and DJ-1 staining was diffused and strong in tumor cells, whereas they were generally weaker and less common in normal lining epithelia of nasopharynx. High MIF expression in tumor cells (71.2%, 89/125 cases) were significantly associated with advanced clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and worse prognosis of NPC patients. High expression of DJ-1 (75.2%, 94/125 cases) were closely correlated to lymph node metastasis and MIF high-expression. Only MIF high expression (P = 0.010) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.004) emerged as strong independent prognostic factors for overall survival of NPC patients. In vitro, down-regulated expression of DJ-1 in NPC cell lines by siRNA was observed to reduce cell migration and invasion potential, however, exogenous MIF promoted cells invasion.Conclusions: The data provided evidence that increased expression of MIF and DJ-1 induced cell invasion and metastasis of NPC, supporting the idea that MIF and DJ-1 may play important roles as regulators in the progression of NPC.