1.Regulatory Effects of Cytokines on Spontaneous Pyroptosis in Neutrophils.
Tong CHEN ; Qian REN ; Feng-Xia MA
Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae 2025;47(4):497-508
Objective To explore the regulatory effects of cytokines interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6,tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-ɑ),gamma interferon(IFN-γ),granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(G-CSF),and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor(GM-CSF)on spontaneous pyroptosis in neutrophils.Methods Neutrophils isolated from mouse bone marrow by density-gradient centrifugation were cultured in vitro for 20 h with or without 10,50 or 100 ng/mL IL-1β,IL-6,IFN-γ,G-CSF or GM-CSF,or for 12 h with or without 1,10 or 50 ng/mL TNF-α.After incubation,cells were stained with annexin Ⅴ(AV)/propidium iodide(PI),and the proportions and absolute number of neutrophils undergoing different forms of cell death were determined by fluorescence microscopy combined with manual counting.Pyroptotic neutrophils were identified by cell morphology in conjunction with AV/PI staining.Flow cytometry with counting beads was employed to measure the proportions and number of AV/PI-stained Ly6g+neutrophils in different forms of cell death.Western blotting was employed to assess the cleavage and activation levels of cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3(caspase-3)and gasdermin E(GSDME).Results Treatment with IL-1β or IL-6 had no significant effect on the proportion or number of neutrophils undergoing spontaneous pyroptosis.After 12 h of treatment with TNF-α at 1,10,and 50 ng/mL,the proportions of pyroptotic neutrophils were(14.79±0.45)%,(19.99±3.02)%,and(20.66±1.99)%,respectively,higher than that[(10.22±1.12)%]in the untreated control(P=0.024,P<0.001,and P<0.001,respectively).Treatment with 10,50,and 100 ng/mL IFN-γ for 20 h reduced the proportion of pyroptotic neutrophils from(17.43±1.88)%to 12.00%(all P<0.001).G-CSF at 10,50,and 100 ng/mL reduced the proportion of pyroptotic cells to around 6.00%and greatly inhibited the cleavage of both caspase-3 and GSDME.After 20 h of treatment with 10,50,and 100 ng/mL GM-CSF,the proportions of pyroptotic neutrophils decreased to(7.52±0.53)%,(5.27±2.30)%,and(0.64±1.11)%,respectively.Conclusions Neither IL-1β nor IL-6 affects GSDME-mediated spontaneous pyroptosis in neutrophils.TNF-ɑ induces spontaneous pyroptosis in neutrophils,whereas IFN-γ,G-CSF,and GM-CSF demonstrate inhibitory effects.
Pyroptosis/drug effects*
;
Animals
;
Neutrophils/cytology*
;
Mice
;
Cytokines/pharmacology*
;
Interleukin-1beta/pharmacology*
;
Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor/pharmacology*
;
Cells, Cultured
;
Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor/pharmacology*
;
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/pharmacology*
;
Interferon-gamma/pharmacology*
;
Interleukin-6/pharmacology*
2.Efficacy and safety of inhaled salbutamol sulfate combined with beclomethasone dipropionate in children with bronchial asthma: a randomized controlled study.
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(11):1373-1377
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the efficacy and safety of inhaled salbutamol sulfate combined with beclomethasone dipropionate in the treatment of pediatric bronchial asthma.
METHODS:
A total of 106 children with bronchial asthma treated from December 2022 to November 2023 were randomly assigned to a control group (n=53) and a treatment group (n=53). The control group received conventional symptomatic management plus salbutamol sulfate, while the treatment group received additional inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate. The symptom relief time, asthma control status, complete blood count parameters, interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels, infection incidence, and adverse event rate were compared between the two groups.
RESULTS:
Compared with the control group, the treatment group had shorter times to symptom relief and complete symptom resolution (P<0.05). After 7 days of therapy, the treatment group showed higher asthma control score, IFN-γ level, and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio than the control group (P<0.05), and lower neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, IL-4 level, infection incidence, and overall adverse event rate (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Inhaled salbutamol sulfate combined with beclomethasone dipropionate improves clinical efficacy, promotes T helper 1/T helper 2 immune balance, optimizes multiple hematologic indices, and demonstrates good safety in children with bronchial asthma.
Humans
;
Beclomethasone/adverse effects*
;
Asthma/immunology*
;
Albuterol/adverse effects*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Child
;
Administration, Inhalation
;
Child, Preschool
;
Interleukin-4/blood*
;
Interferon-gamma/blood*
;
Adolescent
;
Drug Therapy, Combination
3.Knocking Out DNMT1 Enhances the Inhibitory Effect of NK Cells on Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Kun WU ; Jia-Li HUANG ; Shen-Ju CHENG ; Yan-Hong LI ; Yun ZENG ; Ming-Xia SHI
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(3):653-659
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the effect and mechanism of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) knockout on the inhibition of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by natural killer (NK) cells.
METHODS:
The peripheral blood NK cells of AML patients and controls were collected, and the mRNA and protein level of DNMT1 were measured by PCR and Western blot, respectively. The DNMT1 knockout mice were constructed to obtain NKDNMT1-/- cells. The NK cells were stimulated with interleukin (IL)-12, IL-15, and IL-18 to construct memory NK cells, and then the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels were measured by ELISA. After co-culturing with memory NK cells and HL60 cells, the killing effect of NKDNMT1-/- cells on HL60 cells was detected by LDH assay. Then, the HL60 cell apoptosis and NK cell NKG2D level were measured by flow cytometry. The perforin and granzyme B protein levels of NK cells were measured by Western blot. The AML model mice were constructed by injecting HL60 cells into the tail vein, meanwhile, memory NK cells were also injected, and then the mouse weights, CD33 positive rates, and survival time were detected.
RESULTS:
The mRNA and protein levels of DNMT1 in NK cells of AML patients were significantly higher than those in the control group (both P < 0.01), while the IFN-γ level induced by interleukin was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with NKDNMT1+/+ cells, the ability of NKDNMT1-/- cells to secrete IFN-γ after interleukin stimulation was significantly increased (P < 0.05). The killing and apoptosis-inducing effects of NKDNMT1-/- cells on HL60 cells were significantly stronger than those of NKDNMT1+/+ cells (both P < 0.05). The NKG2D level and expression of perforin and granzyme B of NKDNMT1-/- cells were significantly increased compared with NKDNMT1+/+ cells (all P < 0.05). Compared with AML mice injected with NKDNMT1+/+ cells, AML mice injected with NKDNMT1-/- cells showed significantly increased body weight, decreased CD33 positive rate, and prolonged survival time (all P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Knocking out DNMT1 can enhance the inhibitory effect of NK cells on AML, which may be related to enhancing NK cell memory function.
Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism*
;
Animals
;
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute
;
Humans
;
DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1
;
Mice
;
Mice, Knockout
;
HL-60 Cells
;
Apoptosis
;
Interferon-gamma/metabolism*
;
Granzymes/metabolism*
;
Perforin/metabolism*
;
NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K/metabolism*
4.Screening of Anti-Tumor Drugs that Enhance Antigen Presentation of AML Cells with TCR-Like Antibody.
Xiao-Ying YANG ; Bo TANG ; Hui-Hui LIU ; Wei-Wei XIE ; Shuang-Lian XIE ; Wen-Qiong WANG ; Jin WANG ; Shan ZHAO ; Yu-Jun DONG
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(5):1305-1311
OBJECTIVE:
To screen anti-tumor drugs that improve antigen processing and presentation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells.
METHODS:
A TCR-like or TCR mimic antibody that can specifically recognize HLA-A*0201:WT1126-134 ( RMFPNAPYL) complex (hereafter referred to as HLA-A2:WT1) was synthesized to evaluate the function of antigen processing and presentation machinery (APM) in AML cells. AML cell line THP1 was incubated with increasing concentrations of IFN-γ, hypomethylating agents (HMA), immunomodulatory drugs (IMiD), proteasome inhibitors (PI) and γ-secretase inhibitors (GSI), followed by measuring of HLA-ABC, HLA-A2 and HLA-A2:WT1 levels by flow cytometry at consecutive time points.
RESULTS:
The TCR-like antibody we generated only binds to HLA-A*0201+WT1+ cells, indicating the specificity of the antibody. HLA-A2:WT1 level of THP-1 cells detected with the TCR-like antibody was increased significantly after co-incubation with IFN-γ, showing that the HLA-A2:WT1 TCR like antibody could evaluate the function of APM. Among the anti-tumor agents screened in this study, GSI (LY-411575) and HMA (decitabine and azacitidine) could significantly increase the HLA-A2:WT1 level. The IMiD lenalidomide and pomalidomide could aslo upregulate the expression of HLA-A2:WT1 complex under certain concentrations of the drugs and incubation time. As proteasome inhibitors, carfilzomib could significantly decreased the expression of HLA-A2:WT1, while bortezomib had no significant effect on HLA-A2:WT1 expression.
CONCLUSION
HLA-A2:WT1 TCR-like antibody can effectively reflect the APM function. Some of the anti-tumor drugs can affect the APM function and immunogenicity of tumor cells.
Humans
;
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/immunology*
;
Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology*
;
Antigen Presentation/drug effects*
;
HLA-A2 Antigen/immunology*
;
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology*
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Interferon-gamma
5.The Expression and Significance of PD-1, Th1, Th2, and Th17 Cytokines in Multiple Myeloma.
Di LIU ; Qian CHEN ; Ling LI ; Hua-Xin JIANG
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(5):1366-1373
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the expression and clinical significance of programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1), Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines in multiple myeloma (MM).
METHODS:
A total of 76 MM patients treated in the Tengzhou Central People's Hospital from May 2021 to May 2023 were collected as MM group, and 48 healthy individuals who underwent physical examination during the same period were included as control group. The expression of PD-1 on the surface of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and the levels of serum Th1 cytokines [interleukin (IL) -2, interferon γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)], Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10) and Th17 cytokines (IL-17) were detected in the two groups. Spearman correlation was used to examine the relationship between PD-1, Th1, Th2 and Th17 cytokines and clinical stage and immune typing of MM patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the related factors affecting the efficacy of chemotherapy in MM patients, and the factors were tested for multicollinearity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the predictive value of PD-1, Th1, Th2 and Th17 cytokines in chemotherapy efficacy of MM patients.
RESULTS:
The levels of CD4+T PD-1, CD8+T PD-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 in the MM group were higher than those in the control group, while the levels of IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α were lower (all P <0.001). The levels of CD4+T PD-1, CD8+T PD-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 in R-ISS stage III patients were higher than those in stage II and I patients, and the levels in stage II patients were higher than those in stage I patients (all P <0.05). The IL-2 level in R-ISS stage III patients was lower than that in stage II and I patients, and IL-2 level in R-ISS stage II patients was lower than that in stage I patients (all P <0.05). The levels of CD4+T PD-1, CD8+T PD-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 in IgG patients were higher than those in IgA, light chain, and non secretory patients, while the level of IL-2 was lower (all P <0.05). Correlation analysis showed that CD4+T PD-1, CD8+T PD-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 were positively correlated with R-ISS staging in MM patients (r =0.623, 0.635, 0.728, 0.330, 0.742, 0.412), and negatively correlated with immune classification (r =-0.664, -0.756, -0.642, -0.479, -0.613, -0.323). IL-2 was negatively correlated with R-ISS staging in MM patients (r =-0.280), and positively correlated with immune classification (r =0.483). The levels of CD4+T PD-1, CD8+T PD-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 in the non-remission group were higher than those in the remission group, while the level of IL-2 was lower (all P <0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the increased CD4+T PD-1, CD8+T PD-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-17 were risk factors for the efficacy of chemotherapy in MM patients (OR >1, P <0.05), while the increased IL-2 was a protective factor (OR < 1, P <0.05). The results of multicollinearity test showed that the tolerance of the seven factors included was between 0.714-0.885, and the variance inflation factor was between 1.130-1.400. There was no multicollinearity. The ROC curve analysis results showed that the area under the curve for the combined prediction of chemotherapy efficacy in MM patients by the above 7 factors was 0.942, with specificity of 0.741 and sensitivity of 0.909.
CONCLUSION
The expression levels of PD-1 on the surface of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and serum Th2 and Th17 cytokines in MM patients are high, while Th1 cytokines are low. PD-1, Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines are related to clinical stage and immune classification of MM patients. The combined detection of these indicators can help predict the chemotherapy efficacy of MM patients.
Humans
;
Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/metabolism*
;
Multiple Myeloma/blood*
;
Cytokines/metabolism*
;
Th17 Cells/metabolism*
;
Th1 Cells/metabolism*
;
Th2 Cells/metabolism*
;
Female
;
Male
;
Interleukin-10
;
Interferon-gamma
;
Middle Aged
;
Interleukin-17
;
Interleukin-2
;
Interleukin-4
;
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
;
Interleukin-6
;
Aged
6.Observation of the efficacy of dupilumab for treatment of atopic dermatitis in the elderly.
Ran SUN ; Yuhao WU ; Mei DI ; Xiaoyang WANG
Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences) 2025;57(2):298-302
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dupilumab in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in the elderly.
METHODS:
In this study, elderly patients with atopic dermatitis treated with dupilumab for at least 16 weeks in the Department of Dermatology and Venereology of Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2021 to October 2023 were retrospectively collected. Clinical indicators were compared before, during and after treatment, including pruritus numerical rating score (PNRS), eczema area and severity index (EASI), dermatology life quality index (DLQI) score, and the incidence of adverse events was recorded. The expression of interferon γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in peripheral blood were compared before treatment and after 16 weeks of treatment.
RESULTS:
A total of 90 elder patients with atopic dermatitis were included, EASI, PNRS and DLQI scores all showed a gradual downward trend during the treatment period, which was manifested as a rapid decline in the first 4 weeks after starting treatment, and then the decline gradually leveled off. The results of point-to-point comparison showed that EASI, PNRS and DLQI scores in 4 weeks after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.001); In the 16th week after treatment, the scores of the above therapeutic indicators were further reduced, and the difference was statistically significant compared with the 4th week (P < 0.01); The EASI score was significantly lower at each time point than the previous time point, indicating that the patients' skin lesions continued to improve significantly. The overall efficacy of dupliumab was evaluated. After 4 weeks of treatment, 62.89% of patients achieved EASI-50 (EASI score decreased by ≥50%), and 74.4% of patients' DLQI score decreased by ≥4 points. After 16 weeks of treatment, 57.8% of the patients achieved EASI-75, 32.2% achieved EASI-90, and the PNRS and DLQI scores of all the patients decreased by ≥4 points. After 16 weeks of treatment, the expression levels of IL-4 and IL-6 were (31.62±6.23) ng/L and (14.36±2.25) ng/L, respectively, which were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.001), and the expression level of IFN-γ was (15.37±3.14) ng/L, which was higher than before treatment (P < 0.001).The main adverse reactions were conjunctivitis (2 cases), injection site reaction (3 cases) and multiple bacterial folliculitis of the back (2 cases), which could be alleviated by symptomatic treatment, and no serious adverse reactions occurred.
CONCLUSION
Dupilumab has shown good efficacy in the treatment of elderly atopic dermatitis, which can effectively improve clinical symptoms such as itching and skin lesions, improve the quality of life of patients, and no serious adverse reactions occurred during treatment, so it is safe and worthy of clinical promotion.
Humans
;
Dermatitis, Atopic/blood*
;
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/adverse effects*
;
Aged
;
Male
;
Female
;
Interleukin-4/blood*
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Quality of Life
;
Interleukin-6/blood*
;
Interferon-gamma/blood*
;
Middle Aged
;
Treatment Outcome
;
Severity of Illness Index
7.Therapeutic effects of inulin-type oligosaccharides of Morinda officinalis on Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis in mice.
Zehan LI ; Meng LIANG ; Gencheng HAN ; Xuewu ZHANG
Journal of Southern Medical University 2025;45(3):577-586
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the therapeutic effects of inulin-type oligosaccharides of Morinda officinalis (IOMO) in a murine model of Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis (SPM) and explore its possible mechanisms.
METHODS:
A total of 120 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned into Sham, SPM+Saline, SPM+IOMO (25 mg/kg), and SPM+IOMO (50 mg/kg) groups. After modeling, the mice received daily gavage of saline or IOMO at the indicated doses for 7 consecutive days, and the changes in symptom scores and mortality of the mice were monitored. Brain pathology and neuronal injury of the mice were assessed using HE and Nissl staining, and qRT-PCR was performed to detect mRNA levels of the inflammatory mediators. Brain edema and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability of the mice were evaluated by measuring brain water content and Evans blue (EB) staining; Western blotting was used to analyze the expressions of BBB-associated proteins, and flow cytometry was employed to detect IFN‑γ expression level in the infiltrating lymphocytes. Open-field test (OFT) and novel object recognition test (NORT) were conducted to assess learning and memory ability of the mice on day 21 after modeling.
RESULTS:
IOMO treatment at 50 mg/kg significantly reduced the symptom scores and mortality rate of SPM mice, alleviated brain damage, and downregulated mRNA levels of IL-6, TNF‑α, IL-1β, IL-18, IFN‑γ, iNOS, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and GSDMD in the brain tissue. IOMO treatment also decreased brain water content and EB leakage, upregulated VE-cadherin and occludin expressions, and suppressed AQP4, iNOS, and IFN‑γ levels of the mice. IOMO-treated mice exhibited improved learning and memory compared with the saline-treated mice on day 21 after SPM modeling.
CONCLUSIONS
IOMO alleviates SPM symptoms, reduces mortality, and mitigates cognitive deficits in mice possibly by suppressing cerebral inflammation and protecting BBB functions.
Animals
;
Morinda/chemistry*
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Male
;
Mice
;
Meningitis, Pneumococcal/drug therapy*
;
Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism*
;
Inulin/therapeutic use*
;
Oligosaccharides/therapeutic use*
;
Disease Models, Animal
;
Interferon-gamma/metabolism*
;
Brain Edema
8.Loss of tricellular tight junction tricellulin leads to hyposalivation in Sjögren's syndrome.
Xiangdi MAO ; Haibing LI ; Sainan MIN ; Jiazeng SU ; Pan WEI ; Yan ZHANG ; Qihua HE ; Liling WU ; Guangyan YU ; Xin CONG
International Journal of Oral Science 2025;17(1):22-22
Tricellulin, a key tricellular tight junction (TJ) protein, is essential for maintaining the barrier integrity of acinar epithelia against macromolecular passage in salivary glands. This study aims to explore the role and regulatory mechanism of tricellulin in the development of salivary gland hypofunction in Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Employing a multifaceted approach involving patient biopsies, non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice as a SS model, salivary gland acinar cell-specific tricellulin conditional knockout (TricCKO) mice, and IFN-γ-stimulated salivary gland epithelial cells, we investigated the role of tricellulin in SS-related hyposalivation. Our data revealed diminished levels of tricellulin in salivary glands of SS patients. Similarly, NOD mice displayed a reduction in tricellulin expression from the onset of the disease, concomitant with hyposecretion and an increase in salivary albumin content. Consistent with these findings, TricCKO mice exhibited both hyposecretion and leakage of macromolecular tracers when compared to control animals. Mechanistically, the JAK/STAT1/miR-145 axis was identified as mediating the IFN-γ-induced downregulation of tricellulin. Treatment with AT1001, a TJ sealer, ameliorated epithelial barrier dysfunction, restored tricellulin expression, and consequently alleviated hyposalivation in NOD mice. Importantly, treatment with miR-145 antagomir to specifically recover the expression of tricellulin in NOD mice significantly alleviated hyposalivation and macromolecular leakage. Collectively, we identified that tricellulin deficiency in salivary glands contributed to hyposalivation in SS. Our findings highlight tricellulin as a potential therapeutic target for hyposecretion, particularly in the context of reinforcing epithelial barrier function through preventing leakage of macromolecules in salivary glands.
Sjogren's Syndrome/complications*
;
Animals
;
Xerostomia/etiology*
;
Mice
;
Mice, Inbred NOD
;
MARVEL Domain Containing 2 Protein/metabolism*
;
Humans
;
Mice, Knockout
;
Disease Models, Animal
;
Interferon-gamma
;
Salivary Glands/metabolism*
;
Tight Junctions/metabolism*
;
MicroRNAs/metabolism*
;
Female
9.Involvement of interferon γ-producing mast cells in immune responses against melanocytes in vitiligo requires Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor X2 activation.
Zhikai LIAO ; Yunzhu YAO ; Bingqi DONG ; Yue LE ; Longfei LUO ; Fang MIAO ; Shan JIANG ; Tiechi LEI
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(11):1367-1378
BACKGROUND:
Increasing evidence indicates that oxidative stress and interferon γ (IFNγ)-driven cellular immune responses are responsible for the pathogenesis of vitiligo. However, the connection between oxidative stress and the local production of IFNγ in early vitiligo remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to identify the mechanism underlying the production of IFNγ by mast cells and its impact on vitiligo pathogenesis.
METHODS:
Skin specimens from the central, marginal, and perilesional skin areas of active vitiligo lesions were collected to characterize changes of mast cells, CD8 + T cells, and IFNγ-producing cells. Cell supernatants from hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 )-treated keratinocytes (KCs) were harvested to measure levels of soluble stem cell factor (sSCF) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. A murine vitiligo model was established using Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor-B2 (MrgB2, mouse ortholog of human MrgX2) conditional knockout (MrgB2 -/- ) mice to investigate IFNγ production and inflammatory cell infiltrations in tail skin following the challenge with tyrosinase-related protein (Tyrp)-2 180 peptide. Potential interactions between the Tyrp-2 180 peptide and MrgX2 were predicted using molecular docking. The siRNAs targeting MrgX2 and the calcineurin inhibitor FK506 were also used to examine the signaling pathways involved in mast cell activation.
RESULTS:
IFNγ-producing mast cells were closely aligned with the recruitment of CD8 + T cells in the early phase of vitiligo skin. sSCF released by KCs through stress-enhanced MMP9-dependent proteolytic cleavage recruited mast cells into sites of inflamed skin (Perilesion vs . lesion, 13.00 ± 4.00/high-power fields [HPF] vs . 26.60 ± 5.72/HPF, P <0.05). Moreover, IFNγ-producing mast cells were also observed in mouse tail skin following challenge with Tyrp-2 180 (0 h vs . 48 h post-recall, 0/HPF vs . 3.80 ± 1.92/HPF, P <0.05). The IFNγ + mast cell and CD8 + T cell counts were lower in the skin of MrgB2 -/- mice than in those of wild-type mice (WT vs . KO 48 h post-recall, 4.20 ± 0.84/HPF vs . 0.80 ± 0.84/HPF, P <0.05).
CONCLUSION
Mast cells activated by MrgX2 serve as a local IFNγ producer that bridges between innate and adaptive immune responses against MCs in early vitiligo. Targeting MrgX2-mediated mast cell activation may represent a new strategy for treating vitiligo.
Vitiligo/metabolism*
;
Mast Cells/immunology*
;
Animals
;
Interferon-gamma/metabolism*
;
Mice
;
Humans
;
Melanocytes/metabolism*
;
Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/genetics*
;
Mice, Knockout
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Male
;
Female
;
Matrix Metalloproteinase 9/metabolism*
;
Stem Cell Factor/metabolism*
10.Effect of Evodiamine on immune function of allergic rhinitis rats by regulating CCL2/CCR2 signaling pathway.
Xiaoli WANG ; Wei LI ; Shan ZHU ; Xingchan SHI ; Wei CHEN
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(4):300-307
Objective To explore the effect of Evodiamine (Evo) on the immune function of allergic rhinitis (AR) rats and the regulatory mechanism on C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2)/ C-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) pathway. Methods The related targets of Evo-AR-immune function were screened by network pharmacology, and the protein interaction network diagram of intersecting targets was constructed. The AR rat model was established by ovalbumin (OVA) combined with aluminium hydroxide, and the rats were divided into six groups: a normal control (NC) group, a model group, a Loratadine (LOR) group, an Evodiamine low dose (Evo-L) group, a Evodiamine high dose (Evo-H) groups, and an Evo-H combined with CCL2 group. After the last administration, the symptoms of rats in each group were scored; ELISA was applied to detect the levels of histamine, immunoglobulin E (IgE), interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-13 and interferon γ (IFN-γ); Diff-Quick staining solution was applied to detecte the number of cells in the nasal lavage fluid (NALF); hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining was applied to observe the pathological changes of nasal mucosa tissue; real-time quantitative PCR was applied to detect the levels of CCL2 and CCR2 mRNA in tissue; Western blot was applied to detect the expression levels of CCL2, CCR2 and CXC motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8) proteins in nasal mucosa. Results There were eight intersection targets of EVo-AR-immune function, and protein interaction network diagram showed that CXCL8 was the core target. Compared with the NC group, the score of nasal symptoms, the levels of histamine, IgE, IL-4 and IL-13, the numbers of eosinophil, macrophages, neutrophils, lymphocytes and total cells, the mRNA and protein expression levels of CCL2 and CCR2, and the expression of CXCL8 protein in the model group were increased, while the level of IFN-γ was decreased. Compared with the model group, the score of nasal symptoms, the levels of histamine, IgE, IL-4 and IL-13, the numbers of eosinophil, macrophages, neutrophils, lymphocytes and total cells, the mRNA and protein expression levels of CCL2 and CCR2, and the expression of CXCL8 protein in LOR and Evo groups were decreased, while the level of IFN-γ was increased. Further use of CCL2 recombinant protein for compensatory experiments revealed that the improvement effect of Evo on immune function in AR rats was reversed by CCL2. Conclusion Evo can improve the immune function of AR rats, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the CCL2/CCR2 pathway.
Animals
;
Receptors, CCR2/immunology*
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
;
Chemokine CCL2/immunology*
;
Rats
;
Rhinitis, Allergic/metabolism*
;
Immunoglobulin E/blood*
;
Quinazolines/pharmacology*
;
Male
;
Interferon-gamma
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Interleukin-13
;
Histamine
;
Interleukin-4/immunology*
;
Disease Models, Animal

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail