AIM: To investigate the anti-HIV-1 activity of five anthraquinone derivatives (emodin,rhein,chrysophanol,physcion and aloe-emodin) in vitro.METHODS: Viral replication was estimated by observation of cytopathogenesis and measurement of HIV-1 p24 antigen production in HIV-1ⅢB acutely infected C8166 cells. The anti-HIV-1 activity was evaluated by the 50% effective concentrations (EC50) and selective indexes (SI) of these derivatives.RESULTS: These anthraquinone derivatives inhibited HIV-1ⅢB replication on syncytia formation induced by HIV-1ⅢB infection with EC50 mean values of (11.44±0.93)μmol/L (emodin),(51.28±2.86)μmol/L (rhein),(90.58±2.30)μmol/L (chrysophanol),(8.59±0.38)μmol/L (physcion) and (0.89±0.08)μmol/L (aloe-emodin),respectively. The p24 antigen production with EC50 mean values were (11.61±0.56)μmol/L (emodin),(12.35±4.73)μmol/L (rhein),(39.63±2.87)μmol/L (chrysophanol),>250 μmol/L (physcion) and (2.75±0.20)μmol/L (aloe-emodin) respectively. CONCLUSION: These structurally-related chemicals show different anti-HIV-1 activity in vitro. Among them,aloe-emodin is the most potent inhibitor to HIV-1 replication.

AIM: To investigate the relationship between the expression of MMP-2, TIMP-2 and VEGF-C in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with or without lymph node metastasis. METHODS: The expression of MMP-2, TIMP-2 and VEGF-C in 44 cases of HCC were examined using immunohistochemistry methods (SP).RESULTS: The positive expression of MMP-2, TIMP-2 and VEGF-C was associated with lymph node metastasis of HCC (P

AIM: To investigate the relationship between CD200~+CK7~+ trophoblasts and the resorption of embryos in a poly (I∶C)-induced abortion model. METHODS: The status of CD200 expression was investigated in Balb/c?C57BL/6 and Balb/c?Balb/c mice as induced model of embryo-resorption by an i.p. injection of poly (I∶C). CD200 expression on CK7~+ cells from placentas was detected with flow cytometry. CD200~+ cells in placenta were observed with immunocytochemical staining. RESULTS: Both the percentage and absolute number of CD200~+CK7~+ cells were dramatically decreased by injection of poly (I∶C) in Balb/c?C57BL/6 (6.3%?6.2% vs 36.1%?9.3%, P

AIM: To investigate the effect of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on the proliferation of murine T lymphocytes stimulated by Con A in vitro and its related immunosuppressive mechanism. METHODS: Murine T lymphocytes were stimulated by Con A and treated with different concentrations of DHA. Cell proliferation was measured by carboxyl fluoresce in diacetate succinmidyl ester (CFDA-SE) staining. The expression of CD69, CD25 and CD71,which was the marker of early, middle, later activation of CD3~+ T lymphocytes, was measured by flow cytometry (FCM) combined with two-color immunofluorescent staining of cell surface antigen. Fluorescence calcium indicator fluo-4/AM was used to measure the change of the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca~(2+)]_i) of murine T lymphocytes. The distribution of the cell cycle was analyzed by PI staining. The expression of CD69, the early activation antigen on CD4~+CD25~(high) Treg was also measured by FCM combined with three-color immunofluorescent staining. RESULTS: The result of CFDA-SE staining showed that DHA efficiently inhibited the Con A-induced proliferation of T-lymphocytes in a time-and dose-dependent manners. DHA showed modestly increased proportions of CD69 and CD25 on Con A-stimulated CD3~+T cells, but inhibited the expression of CD25 in a dose dependent manner. DHA with Con A, but not DHA alone, caused an increase in intracellular calcium concentration of T cells. The results of FCM analysis with PI staining showed that DHA imposed a total cell cycle arrest in G_0/G_1 and prevented cells entering S phase and G_2/M phase. Furthermore, DHA reduced the expression of CD69 on CD4~+CD25~(high) Treg. CONCLUSION: DHA, which exhibits immunosuppressive effect on the proliferation of murine T-lymphocytes, is promising to be developed as an immunosuppressive reagent.

AIM: To confirm that CD4~+CD25~+ regulatory T cells don't have an instinctive defection in IL-2 secretion, and to have an insight into the maturation state of CD4~+CD25~+ T cells in cord blood. METHODS: CD4~+CD25~+ and CD4~+CD25~- T cells were purified from cord blood of term infants (CB) and adult peripheral blood (PB) by autoMACS, and stimulated with PDB plus ionomycin. After 45 hours of culture, cells were detected for expression of CD69 and CD25 by flow cytometry, and the supernatants were measured for 7 kinds of cytokines by Luminex. RESULTS: CD4~+CD25~+ T cells from both CB and PB proliferated comparably with CD4~+CD25~- T cells when stimulated with PDB plus ionomycin. After 45 hours of culture, however, the CD4~+CD25~+ T cells underwent a tendency of cell death. Expression of CD25 was further upregulated when CD25~+ cells were activated. Under stimulation of PDB plus ionomycin, both CD4~+CD25~+ and CD4~+CD25~- T cells in PB secreted high levels of IFN-?, IL-2 and TNF-?, with CD25~+ cells secreted much higher level of IL-5, IL-4 and IL-10 than those in CD25~- cells; CD4~+CD25~+ and CD4~+CD25~- T cells in CB also secreted high level of IL-2 and TNF-? but much lower level of IFN-? than those in PB, and no secretion of IL-5, IL-4 and IL-10 was observed. CONCLUSION: CD4~+CD25~+ regulatory T cells don't have an instinctive defection in IL-2 secretion, otherwise there may be a different TCR signaling pattern in CD4~+CD25~+ T cells from traditional T cells. The CD4~+CD25~+ T cells in cord blood have not fully matured in function.

AIM:To analyze the effects of oxymatrine(OMT) on the quantity of murine regulatory T cells(Tr cells) in the peripheral blood and mouse lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by Con A,and to probe into the immunological mechanism that OMT treats allergic contact dermatitis(ACD).METHODS:An ACD mouse model stimulated by dinitrofluorobenzene(DNFB) was established.Different dosages of OMT,PBS and hydrocortisone(HCT) were intraperitoneally injected(IP) into the mice.Blood samples were collected at 1 d,7 d,14 d,21 d and 28 d,then the T cells were isolated and marked with anti-CD3,anti-CD4,anti-CD25 three-colored immune fluorescence antibody to detect the quantity of CD4+CD25+ T cells with flow cytometry.The fluorescence intensity changes of lymphocytes which were isolated from mouse's lymph node and co-stimulated by polyclonal stimulator Con A and OMT were examined by carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester(CFDA-SE) staining and flow cytometry.RESULTS:OMT at concentrations of 500,125 and 31 mg/L had the ability to restrain the proliferation of lymphocytes from lymph node in a dose dependent manner.However,OMT at concentrations of 16,8,4 and 2 mg/L promoted the proliferation of T lymphocytes from lymph node,but was not obviously dependent on its concentration.Intraperitoneal injection of OMT increased the numbers of CD4+CD25+T cell in peripheral blood obviously(P

AIM: To study the suppressive effect of glycyrrhizin (GL), a Chinese medicine, on DNFB-induced contact hypersensitivity in mice. METHODS: BALB/c mice were divided into 5 groups according to different medication: GL 1 (11 mg/kg) group; GL 2 (22 mg/kg) group; GL 3 (44 mg/kg) group; dexamethasone (DXM, 0.75 mg/kg) group; and normal saline group. For induction of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) to DNFB, mice were sensitized to abdomen and challenged to right ear by epicutaneously DNFB. Each mouse was administrated intraperitoneally on day 1 to day 5 with different medication. The suppression of mice CHS by different medication were evaluated 24 hours after elicited, according to ear thickness difference, ear weight difference and pathological change of challenged ear section. Thymus index and spleen index were calculated to see the effect on mouse immune system to CHS. RESULTS: Compared with normal saline group, the ear thickness difference and ear weight difference were both significantly reduced in GL1, GL2, GL3 and DXM groups (P

AIM: To study the effect of supernatants from cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) on infection of HIV-1 in vitro, and develop effectively soluble factors for human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) treatment. METHODS: Different supernatants from CBMC and PBMC activated by PHA for 5 hours and 12 hours were added to cell culture systems between HIV-1ⅢB/H9 cells labeled by calcein-AM and MT-2 cells, then to count the fusion under a reverted fluorescent microscope after 2 hours, respectively, and different soluble factors in supernatants were detected by Luminex 100~ TM . RESULTS: These supernatants from CBMC and PBMC activated by PHA for 5 hours and 12 hours inhibited the formation of fusion, and there is no difference between supernatants collected in CBMC and PBMC at same time point. However, the supernatants collected in 5 hours were more effective to inhibit the formation of fusion than those in 12 hours (P