OBJECTIVETo explore the association of fractalkine (FKN) and CD11c expressions oncommon carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques from apoE(-/-) mice with the severity of atherosclerotic lesions.

METHODSTotally 24 apoE(-/-) mice were divided into two groups and fed on a high-fat diet or a normal diet for 12 weeks. Then the blood lipids as well as the plaque area and vascular stenosis rate of the common carotid artery were measured to evaluate the severity of atherosclerotic lesions of the animals. Moreover, immunohistochemical staining was performed to examine the levels of FKN and CD11c expression.

RESULTSThe plaque areas and vascular stenosis rates of the common carotid artery in the experimental group were remarkably larger than those in control group (about 4-fold and 2-fold, respectively). The level of FKN expression in the experimental group was 2 times of that in the control group (P<0.05), and the number of CD11c (+) cells in the plaques in the experimental group was about 4 times of than in the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe expressions of chemokine and FKN remarkably increase in apoE (-/-) atherosclerotic plaques, suggesting that chemokine and FKN may paly important roles in the development of atherosclerosis.

Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; CD11 Antigens ; metabolism ; Chemokine CX3CL1 ; metabolism ; Diet, High-Fat ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; pathology

AIMTo investigate the antitumor immunity by a dendritic cell (DC) vaccine encoding secondary lymphoid chemokine gene and tumor lysate on murine prostate cancer.

METHODSDC from bone marrow of C57BL/6 were transfected with a plasmid vector expressing secondary lymphoid chemokine (SLC) cDNA by Lipofectamine 2,000 liposome and tumor lysate. Total RNA extracted from SLC+lysate-DC was used to verify the expression of SLC by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The immunotherapeutic effect of DC vaccine on murine prostate cancer was assessed.

RESULTSWe found that in the prostate tumor model of C57BL/6 mice, the administration of SLC+lysate-DC inhibited tumor growth most significantly when compared with SLC-DC, lysate-DC, DC or phosphate buffer solution (PBS) counterparts (P < 0.01). Immunohistochemical fluorescent staining analysis showed the infiltration of more CD4(+), CD8(+) T cell and CD11c(+) DC within established tumor treated by SLC+lysate-DC vaccine than other DC vaccines (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONDC vaccine encoding secondary lymphoid chemokine and tumor lysate can elicit significant antitumor immunity by infiltration of CD4(+), CD8(+) T cell and DC, which might provide a potential immunotherapy method for prostate cancer.

Animals ; Antibodies, Neoplasm ; biosynthesis ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; immunology ; CD11 Antigens ; immunology ; Cancer Vaccines ; immunology ; therapeutic use ; Cell Line ; Chemokines ; biosynthesis ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; metabolism ; Epitopes ; immunology ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; Lymphocytes ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the anti-thrombosis effect and its mechanism of Qingkailing injection (QKL).

METHODSD rats were randomly divided into control group, model group and QKL 2.5, 5.0, 10 groups. QKL were given (i.p.) to rats once a day for successively 4 days. The rats in all groups but control were pretreated with carrageenin (Ca) i.p. at 16 h before the last dose of QKL and followed by intravenous injection of endotoxin ( LPS fom E. coli O111:B4) 50 microg x kg(-1) 30 min after the last dosing of QKL. Thrombosis in rat tails were observed at 24 h after injection of LPS. The number of white blood cells and platelets, serum TNF-alpha, IL-6 level, CD11b/CD18 expression of white blood cells and platelet aggregation were analysed.

RESULTQKL obviously inhibited the LPS/Ca-induced thrombosis as showed a reduced infarction range due to thrombosis in tails. The sera concentration of TNF-alpha and IL-6, expression of CD11b/CD18 in WBC and platelet coagulation rate were reduced after QKL treatment.

CONCLUSIONThe anti-thrombosis action of QKL is associated with inhibition of WBC activation and adherence, reduction of inflammatory factor release and abating of platelet coagulation rate. The anti-thrombosis mechanism of QKL is consistent with its function of clearing away heat-evil and toxic materials.

Animals ; CD11 Antigens ; genetics ; metabolism ; CD18 Antigens ; genetics ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Fibrinolytic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Humans ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thrombosis ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

OBJECTIVETo identify the protective effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) preconditioning against LPS-induced inflammatory damage in dopaminergic neurons of midbrain slice culture and the possible mechanisms.

METHODSAfter cultured in vitro for 14 d, the rat organotypic midbrain slices were pretreated with different concentrations (0, 1, 3, 6 or 10 ng/mL) of LPS for 24 h followed by treatment with 100 ng/mL LPS for 72 h. The whole slice viability was determined by measurement of the activity of lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH). Tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-IR) neurons and CD11b/c equivalent-immunoreactive (OX-42-IR) microglia in the slices were observed by immunohistochemical method, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels in the culture media were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).

RESULTSIn the slices treated with 100 ng/mL LPS for 72 h, the number of TH-IR neurons reduced from 191+/-12 in the control slices to 46+/-4, and the LDH activity elevated obviously (P < 0.01), along with remarkably increased number of OX-42-IR cells and production of TNF-alpha (P < 0.01). Preconditioning with 3 or 6 ng/mL LPS attenuated neuron loss (the number of TH-IR neurons increased to 126+/-12 and 180+/-13, respectively) and markedly reduced LDH levels (P < 0.05), accompanied by significant decreases of OX-42-IR microglia activation and TNF-alpha production (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONLow-dose LPS preconditioning could protect dopaminergic neurons against inflammatory damage in rat midbrain slice culture, and inhibition of microglial activation and reduction of the proinflammatory factor TNF-alpha production may contribute to this protective effect. Further understanding the underlying mechanism of LPS preconditioning may open a new window for treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Animals ; CD11 Antigens ; metabolism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inflammation ; chemically induced ; pathology ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Lipopolysaccharides ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Mesencephalon ; drug effects ; immunology ; pathology ; Microglia ; drug effects ; immunology ; pathology ; Nerve Degeneration ; metabolism ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Neurons ; drug effects ; immunology ; pathology ; Organ Culture Techniques ; Rats ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of glucocorticoid on phenotype of thymic dendritic cells in mice and to investigate the protective effect of Yougui Pill (YGP) on it.

METHODSBALB/c mice allocated in the group A and B were treated respectively with 10 mg/kg hydrocortisone, alone and combined with 20.81 g/kg YGP. The control mice were treated with normal saline. The changes before and after treatment of I-A(d) and H-2K(d) antigen presentation molecules expression in CD11c(+) and CD45(+) thymic dendritic cells of mice were analyzed by flow cytometry assay, and the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) mRNA in thymocytes were determined by RT-PCR as well.

RESULTSThe percentage of I-A(d+) and H-2K(d+) in CD11c(+) in Group A after treatment was 46.77 +/- 4.32% and 64.34 +/- 7.69% respectively, as compared with those in the control group (65.81 +/- 7.69% and 31.88 +/- 5.01%), the percentage of I-A(d+) was lower and that of H-2K(d+) was higher significantly (all P <0.01). Meantime, the expression of ICAM-1 and LFA-1 in thymocyte in Group A (30.11 +/- 2.51% and 30.40 +/- 3.77%) was significantly lower than that in the control group (46.35 +/- 3.34% and 47.28 +/- 2.91%) respectively (P <0.01). Changes in Group B showed that treated by hydrocortisone in combination with YGP, the above-mentioned hydrocortisone-induced changes could be obviously reversed, the outcome of CD11c(+) I-A(d+) was 54.19 +/- 5.08%, ICAM-1 33.97 +/- 2.04% and LFA-1 34.80 +/- 2.92%, the difference between the two treated groups in these indexes all showed statistical significance (P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONGlucocorticoidcan inhibit the expression of major histocompatibility complex class II antigen molecule, but promote the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I in CD11c(+) and CD45(+) dendritic cells, down-regulate ICAM-1 and LFA-1 transcription, while the tonifying yang recipe, YGP, has a dominant protective effect against the above actions of glucocorticoid.

Animals ; CD11c Antigen ; metabolism ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; immunology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; H-2 Antigens ; metabolism ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II ; metabolism ; Hydrocortisone ; toxicity ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Leukocyte Common Antigens ; metabolism ; Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Phenotype ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Thymus Gland ; cytology ; drug effects ; immunology

CD137, which is expressed on activated T cells, plays a critical role in inflammatory responses. However, the exact role that CD137 plays in monocytes is not fully known. Here we studied the expression and function of CD137 in human monocytic THP-1 cells, which we found constitutively expresses CD137 at the mRNA and protein level. Cross-linking of CD137 increased the secretion of IL-8 and TNF-alpha, promoted the expression of CD54 and CD11b, and increased adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. In particular CD137-induced adhesion of THP-1 cells was inhibited by an inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), but not by a p38 kinase inhibitor. Taken together, these results show that the adhesion and cytokine production of THP-1 cells induced by CD137 occur via activation of MEK, which results in the activation of ERK-1/2 signaling pathways. Therefore, this study suggests that CD137 induces an activating and migrating signal during inflammatory processes.
Antigens, CD/biosynthesis/*immunology ; Antigens, CD11/biosynthesis ; *Cell Adhesion ; Cell Adhesion Molecules/biosynthesis ; Cell Line ; Cytokines/*biosynthesis ; Enzyme Activation ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins/metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunity, Natural ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1/biosynthesis ; Interleukin-8/biosynthesis ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1/metabolism ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3/metabolism ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors/metabolism ; Monocytes/metabolism/*physiology ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Binding ; Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor/biosynthesis/*immunology ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor/biosynthesis/*immunology ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Signal Transduction ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/biosynthesis ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is a membrane protein, exists as a dimer on the cell surface, and interacts with leukocyte function associated antigen-1 (LFA-1), a member of beta2-integrin family. A soluble circulating form of ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) is also detected in human serum, and has been implicated as a regulator for LFA-1-dependent cell-cell interaction in vivo. However, previous reports demonstrated that sICAM-1 shows little inhibitory effect on LFA-1 binding to ICAM-l, indicating that sICAM-1 is unlikely to antagonize LFA-1/ICAM-1-mediated cellular events in vivo. Here, we investigated the property of the dimeric sICAM-1 as an inhibitor of LFA-1 interaction with ICAM-3, since the lower avidity of LFA-1 for ICAM-3 compared with ICAM-1 or ICAM-2 had been speculated. Using recently constructed heterodimeric sICAM-1 joined at the C terminus via an a-helical coiled coil (ACID-BASE) (Jun, CD. et al., 2001, Proc Natl Acad Sci 98, 6830-6835), we also tested whether the structural integrity in dimer could affect the inhibitory action of sICAM-1. Engineered sICAM-1 dimer that contained intact ectodomain (E34/E34) significantly blocked SKW3 cell (LFA-1+) binding to ICAM-3, but not to ICAM-1 and ICAM-2, indicating the lower avidity of LFA-1 to ICAM-3 than that of both ICAM-1 and ICAM-2. A one binding site knock out mutant (E34/K34) showed -2-fold reduction in efficiency compared with E34/E34 to inhibit cell binding. Interestingly, a one binding domain deletion mutant (E34/deltaD1-D2) showed significant reduction (~5-fold) compare with E34/K34, suggesting that structural integrity, which is precluded in E34/deltaD1-D2, is necessary for optimal binding of dimeric sICAM-1 to LFA-1, thereby inhibiting LFA-1/ICAM-3-dependent adhesion. Furthermore, BIAcore affinity measurements revealed that E34/deltaD1-D2 bound to immobilized soluble open LFA-1 I domain with an -3-fold reduced affinity compared with E34/K34. Overall, our results demonstrate that maintaining the structural integrity in dimer is necessary for optimal binding of sICAM-1 to LFA-1, and further suggest the therapeutic potential of dimeric sICAM-1 to antagonize LFA-1/ICAM-3-mediated cellular events in vivo.
Binding Sites ; Humans ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Leukocytes* ; Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1* ; Membrane Proteins

Emerging evidence suggests that gap formation and opening of the endothelial junctions during leukocyte extravasation is actively controlled to maintain the integrity of the vascular barrier. While the role for endothelial cells to this process has been well defined, it is not clear whether leukocytes are also actively contributing to endothelial barrier function. We have recently showed that extravasating leukocytes deposit microparticles on the subendothelium during the late stages of extravasation, which is LFA-1 dependent. Using multiphotonintravital microscopy (MP-IVM) of mouse cremaster muscle vessels in the current work, we show that microparticle formation and deposition maintains the integrity of the microvascular barrier during leukocyte extravasation. Inhibition of neutrophil-derived microparticle formation resulted in dramatically increased vascular leakage. These findings suggest that deposition of microparticles during neutrophil extravasation is essential for maintaining endothelial barrier function and may result in temporal difference between neutrophil extravasation and an increase in vascular leakage.
Animals ; Endothelial Cells ; Leukocytes ; Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 ; Mice ; Microscopy ; Monocytes ; Muscles ; Neutrophils

Acute monocytic leukemia is a distinct subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with characteristic biology and clinical features. This study was designed to compare the immunophenotypical features and clinical manifestations of the patients with AML-M(5a) to that of patients with AML-M(5b), and to identify differences between M(5a) and M(5b) and to explore their relations. A total of 58 cases of de novo adult patients with AML M(5) were investigated. Immunofluorescence analysis by flow cytometry was performed to determine the immunophenotype of the leukemic cells in all cases. Meanwhile, clinical data of these cases were studied retrospectively. The results showed that the immunophenotypes of monocytic leukemic cells in patients with AML M(5) were heterogeneous, and CD68 and CD11b were expressed higher in patients with AML M(5a), compared with that in patients with AML M(5b) (P < 0.01). The significant differences in sex, extramedullary infiltration, WBC counts of peripheral blood, complete remission rate and disease-free survival (DFS > 300 days) between the patients with AML M(5a) and M(5b) did not exist (P > 0.05). It is concluded that the special individual immunophenotype features can be detected in patients with either of AML M(5a) or M(5b), and that expressions of CD68 and CD11b were much higher in M(5a). It seems that the complete remission rate and disease-free survival of patients with M(5a) and M(5b) are not different from that of currently available therapy.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Antigens, CD ; analysis ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; analysis ; CD11b Antigen ; analysis ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute ; classification ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis

Endotoxin-induced uveitis model was produced in Lewis rats by footpad injection of Salmonella endotoxin(lipopolysaccharide, LPS). The clinical course and histological examination were observed at intervals of two hours. Immunohistochemical staining of intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) and lymphoyte function associated antigen-1(LFA-1) were also peformed. Initial intraocular inflammatory signs were observed at 8-10 hours after injection. Clinical and histological abnormalities peaked at 24-48 hours and were resolving after 72 hours. Histological changes were limited to anterior uvea. ICAM-1 expression was first noted on cells of iris and ciliary body and LFA-1 was expressed on infiltring inflammatory cells 8 hours after the injection and increased by 24 hours and disappeared after 72 hours. LPS induced uveitis in the rat provides a simple, reproducible model for anterior uveitis. ICAM-1 and LFA-1 expression in uveal tract are increased during early phase of uveitis and may enhance the adherence of inflammatory cells with the subsequent initiation of inflammation.
Animals ; Ciliary Body ; Inflammation ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Iris ; Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 ; Rats ; Salmonella ; Uvea ; Uveitis* ; Uveitis, Anterior