In order to investigate the mechanism of elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in peritoneal fluids from patients with endometriosis, macrophages were recovered from peritoneal fluids obtained at the time of diagnostic laparoscopy from infertile women with endometriosis (EMT group, n=20) and without endometriosis (control group, n=20). Macrophages were cultured in vitro. The VEGF levels of peritoneal fluid and the supernatant of macrophages culture were determined by enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA). Meanwhile, the eutopic (n=20) and ectopic endometrium (n=20) from endometriosis patients, and normal edometrium (n=20) from non-endometriosis patients were obtained for the analysis of VEGF expression by labeled Streptavidin Biotin (LSAB). It was found that VEGF levels in peritoneal fluid and macrophages culture supernatant were significantly higher in EMT group than in control group (P<0.01). In normal endometrium, VEGF showed a cyclic changes and similar in eutopic and ectopic endometrium from patients with endometriosis. There was no difference in the intensity of VEGF in endometrium between two groups within each menstrual phase. It is suggested that altered VEGF production by peritoneal macrophages and ectopic endometrium secretion may contribute to the elevated VEGF levels in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis.
Ascitic Fluid/*metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Endometriosis/*metabolism ; Macrophages, Peritoneal/pathology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/*biosynthesis

In order to investigate the mechanism of elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in peritoneal fluids from patients with endometriosis, macrophages were recovered from peritoneal fluids obtained at the time of diagnostic laparoscopy from infertile women with endometriosis (EMT group, n=20) and without endometriosis (control group, n=20). Macrophages were cultured in vitro. The VEGF levels of peritoneal fluid and the supernatant of macrophages culture were determined by enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA). Meanwhile, the eutopic (n=20) and ectopic endometrium (n=20) from endometriosis patients, and normal edometrium (n=20) from non-endometriosis patients were obtained for the analysis of VEGF expression by labeled Streptavidin Biotin (LSAB). It was found that VEGF levels in peritoneal fluid and macrophages culture supernatant were significantly higher in EMT group than in control group (P<0.01). In normal endometrium, VEGF showed a cyclic changes and similar in eutopic and ectopic endometrium from patients with endometriosis. There was no difference in the intensity of VEGF in endometrium between two groups within each menstrual phase. It is suggested that altered VEGF production by peritoneal macrophages and ectopic endometrium secretion may contribute to the elevated VEGF levels in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis.
Adult ; Ascitic Fluid ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Endometriosis ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; pathology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; biosynthesis

The role of very low density lipoprotein receptor (LVLDR) in the process of foam cell formation was investigated. After the primary cultured mouse peritoneal macrophages were incubated with VLDL, beta-VLDL or low density lipoprotein (LDL), respectively for 24 h and 48 h, foam cells formation was identified by oil red O staining and cellular contents of triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) were determined. The mRNA levels of LDLR, LDLR related protein (ILRP) and VLDLR were detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The results demonstrated that VLDL, beta-VLDL and LDL could increase the contents of TG and TC in macrophages. Cells treated with VLDL or beta-VLDL showed markedly increased expression of VLDLR and decreased expression of LDLR, whereas LRP was up-regulated slightly. For identifying the effect of VLDL receptor on cellular lipid accumulation, ldl-A7-VR cells, which expresses VLDLR and trace amount of LRP without functional LDLR, was used to incubate with lipoproteins for further examination. The results elucidated that the uptake of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein mediated by VLDLR plays an important role in accumulation of lipid and the formation of foam cells.
Animals ; Arteriosclerosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cells, Cultured ; Cholesterol, LDL ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Female ; Foam Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Lipoproteins, VLDL ; pharmacology ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; cytology ; metabolism ; Mice ; Receptors, LDL ; metabolism ; Triglycerides ; metabolism

AIMTo study the effects of TNF receptor blocking peptide on adjuvant arthritis in rats.

METHODSThe model of rat adjuvant arthritis was induced by injection of complete Freund's adjuvant. The TNF receptor blocking peptide was injected locally in the ankle. The ankle swelling, the pathologic changes in the ankle joint and the expression of IL-1 beta mRNA and TNF-alpha mRNA by peritoneal macrophages (RT-PCR) were observed.

RESULTSThe model of rat adjuvant arthritis induced by injection of complete Freund's adjuvant was similar to human rheumatoid arthritis. The treatment with TNF receptor blocking peptide for 10 days resulted in complete inhibition of joint swelling, a decrease in infiltration of inflammatory cell into joint tissue, an obvious alleviation of inflammatory pathological damages and an apparent decline of TNF-alpha mRNA and IL-1 beta mRNA of peritoneal macrophages of rats.

CONCLUSIONThe TNF receptor blocking peptide can protect the joint from inflammatory damage induced by adjuvant arthritis by suppression of TNF-alpha and IL-1 production, thereby alleviating the pathological injury of joint and controlling effectively the clinic course of arthritis.

Animals ; Ankle Joint ; pathology ; Arthritis, Experimental ; immunology ; pathology ; Interleukin-1 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; metabolism ; Male ; Peptides ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the adjustment of Xianggui pill on the cytokine of endometriosis model rat, and investigate the mechanism of Xianggui pill on the treatment of endometriosis.

METHODTo set up endometriosis model by rat self-endometria transplantation, drench sodium chloride, Xianggui pill elixation or Danazol after grouping, and to detect the contents of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) by ELISA.

RESULTThe contents of IL-8, TNF-alpha in the peripheral blood and peritoneal fluid of model group were higher than that of the blank group; The quality of allotopia growth intima tissue, the quantity of macrophage in peritoneal fluid and the contents of IL-8, TNF-alpha in the Xianggui pill group and Danazol group were all lower than those of the model group; but there was no significant difference of each target between the Xianggui pill group and Danazol group.

CONCLUSIONXianggui pill can restrain significantly the growth of allotopia intima tissue, and has apparently adjustment to the cytokine.

Animals ; Cell Count ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Endometriosis ; blood ; immunology ; metabolism ; Female ; Interleukin-8 ; blood ; metabolism ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; metabolism ; pathology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of SiO(2) on the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) in human lung fibroblasts in vitro and vivo.

METHODSThe experimental group comprised 32 rats while 32 rats were included in the control. In vivo, the expression of alpha-SMA in lung tissues of rats exposed to SiO(2), the supernate of RAW264.7 cells, SiO(2) and the growth factor beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) were investigated, respectively.

RESULTS(1) alpha-SMA positive myofibroblasts appeared in the lung tissues of the 28th day groups exposed to SiO(2). (2) The expression of alpha-SMA in HLF-02 cells was unregulated by TGF-beta(1) and supernate of RAW264.7 cells exposed to SiO(2). (3) The expression of alpha-SMA in HLF-02 cells was not induced by SiO(2).

CONCLUSIONMyofibroblasts related to silicosis, and the appearance of myofibroblasts (in vitro) are independent on direct stimulation by SiO(2), but related to the mediator (TGF-beta(1)) secreted by SiO(2) stimulated macrophages.

Actins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Lung ; cytology ; metabolism ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Silicon Dioxide ; pharmacology ; Silicosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate effect of Chaiqin Chengqi Decoction (, CQCQD) on changes of neuronal acetylcholine receptor alpha 7 (nAChRα7) of peritoneal macrophages in acute pancreatitis (AP).

METHODSEighteen Kunming mice were equally randomized into the control group, AP group and CQCQD treatment group. AP was induced by two intraperitoneal injections of 4 g/kg L-arginine at 1 h apart, while control mice received saline injections. At 72 h after the first injection of L-arginine, mice in the treatment group were intragastrically administered 0.1 mL/10 g CQCQD every 2 h for 3 times, whilst mice in the other two groups received the same amount of saline feeding. Mice were sacrificed by cervical dislocation 2 h after the last feeding of either CQCQD or saline. Peritoneal macrophages were collected for determination of nAChRα7 mRNA and protein expression. Serum was collected for detection of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10 and acetylcholine (ACh) levels, and pancreas was for histopathology analysis.

RESULTSThe CQCQD treatment significantly ameliorated the severity of AP as evidenced by reducing the pancreatic histopathology score (4.5±0.5 vs. 6.2±1.7, P<0.05) and the serum IL-6 levels (1228.3±419.2 pg/mL vs. 1589.6±337.3 pg/mL, P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression of nAChRα7 of the peritoneal macrophages in the AP group were similar to the control group (P>0.05), but were significantly up-regulated after the CQCQD treatment (P<0.05). The serum ACh levels in the AP group were significantly lower than those in the control group (3.1±0.6 μg/mL vs 4.8±0.7 μg/mL P<0.05), but were significantly increased after the CQCQD treatment (5.6±1.5 μg/mL vs 3.1±0.6 μg/mL, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONCQCQD is protective against L-arginine-induced AP through mechanisms involving nAChRα7 of peritoneal macrophages.

Acetylcholine ; pharmacology ; Acute Disease ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Interleukin-10 ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mice ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Pancreas ; drug effects ; pathology ; Pancreatitis ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor ; genetics ; metabolism

AIMTo observe the effects of leflunomide (LEF), an isoxazole immunomodulatory agent and its active metabolite, A771726, on the production and mRNA expression of TNF-alpha in peritoneal macrophages and synovial cells with adjuvant arthritis rats and to further investigate the immunosuppression effects of leflunomide and its mechanisms.

METHODSELISA methods were used for assaying the levels of TNF-alpha. The RT-PCR methods were used for measuring the expression of TNF-alpha.

RESULTSThe production of TNF-alpha was increased in the supernatant of PM psi in adjuvant arthritis (AA) model rat. LEF (5, 10, 25 mg.kg-1, ig) was shown to inhibit the release of TNF-alpha from peritoneal macrophages induced by LPS and the inhibitory effects were in a dose-effect relevance manner. A parallel investigation of cytokine mRNA expression was undertaken using semi-quantitative reverse transcribed polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to follow the kinetics of cytokine appearance in PM psi and synovial membrane tissue cells obtained from AA/normal rats treated with A771726. The results of RT-PCR from macrophages and synovial membrane tissue cells of AA rats at the peak of inflammatory phase showed that TNF-alpha mRNA expression levels were higher than those of normal rats, while the expression of TNF-alpha mRNA was reduced by treating with A771726 in vitro. On the other hand, the TNF-alpha mRNA expression showed kinetics very similar to those obtained by ELISA technique which measured protein expression.

CONCLUSIONLeflunomide and its active metabolite, A771726, was found to inhibit the production and mRNA expression of TNF-alpha in peritoneal macrophages and synovial cells with adjuvant arthritis rats model. It might be involved in the mechanisms of its anti-inflammation and immunosupression.

Adjuvants, Immunologic ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Arthritis, Experimental ; pathology ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Isoxazoles ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Synovial Membrane ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; biosynthesis ; genetics

This study is to investigate the therapeutic effect of syringin on adjuvant arthritis (AA) in rats and its mechanisms. Complete Freund's adjuvant (FCA) was used to induce AA in rats. Secondary paw swelling of AA rats was measured with volume meter. Pain response and polyarthritis index were scored. Meanwhile, splenic lymphocyte proliferation response induced by concanavalin A (ConA) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was examined with MTT assay. IL-2 production of splenic lymphocytes and IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha production of peritoneal macrophage (PM phi) were estimated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The secondary inflammation of AA rats appeared on the 14th day after injection of FCA. Syringin and tripterygium glycosides (TG) were given by intragastric administration for 16 days from the 14th day. Treatment of AA rats with syringin and TG from the 22th day significantly attenuated the secondary hind paw swelling, as well as relieved the pain response and the polyarthritic symptoms of the whole body as compared with that of the AA model group. The suppressed lymphocyte proliferation and IL-2 production of splenic lymphocytes in AA rats were reversed by treatment with syringin. Meanwhile, syringin remarkably down-regulated IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha productions from PM phi. These results indicate that anti-inflammatory effects of syringin on AA rats are mediated by modulating the immune function of abnormal cells and the balance of cytokines.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Arthritis, Experimental ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Eleutherococcus ; chemistry ; Freund's Adjuvant ; Glucosides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Interleukin-1beta ; metabolism ; Interleukin-2 ; metabolism ; Lymphocytes ; metabolism ; pathology ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; metabolism ; Male ; Phenylpropionates ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Spleen ; pathology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

Plasma sphingomyelin (SM) has been shown to be an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease, and sphingomyelin synthase 2 (SMS2) contributes to de novo SM biosynthesis and plasma membrane SM levels. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the in vivo role of SMS2 deficiency in serum SM metabolism and atherosclerosis (AS) development. We used male SMS2 knockout (SMS2(-/-)) and C57BL/6J (wild-type, WT) mice as experimental and control groups, respectively. Each group was fed high-fat diet (1% cholesterol, 20% leaf fat), as well as bile salt for accelerating the atherosclerotic formation. After three months of feeding, the mice were killed to observe aortic arches and oil red-stained longitudinal sections of thoracoabdominal aortae. Fasting blood samples were taken from the tail vein before and after high-fat diet, and the serum lipid and SM levels were measured by using kits and enzymatic method respectively. Western blot was used to analyze the contents of nuclear factor-kappaB (NFkappaB) p65 subunit in peritoneal macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) after high-fat diet. The results showed that after high-fat diet, SMS2(-/-) mice presented decreased atherosclerotic lesions in aortic arch and thoracoabdominal aorta compared with WT mice. Regardless of whether high-fat diet were given or not, SMS2(-/-) mice showed a significant decrease in serum SM level (P<0.05), but no significant changes in serum lipid levels, compared with WT mice. The expressions of NFkappaB p65 were attenuated in macrophages from SMS2(-/-) mice in response to LPS stimulation compared with those of the WT mice. These results suggest that SMS2 deficiency decreases AS and inhibits inflammation in mice. Thus, SMS2 deficiency may be a potential therapeutic strategy.
Animals ; Aorta ; pathology ; Atherosclerosis ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Diet, High-Fat ; Dietary Fats ; administration & dosage ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; Inflammation ; prevention & control ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; enzymology ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Knockout ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Sphingomyelins ; blood ; Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups) ; genetics