The term "functional redundancy" has been used as key words in foreign literature recently. However, it is rarely appeared in Chinese literature. Functional redundancy is an important characteristic of cytokines and transcription factors. The author gives personal opinion on this term for discussion.
Animals ; Cytokines ; physiology ; Humans ; Transcription Factors ; physiology

As the progenitor of most cell components in the hematopoietic microenvironment, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) exhibit self-renewal and multilineage differentiation capacity. Through direct interaction with hematopoietic cells, secreting extracellular matrix and factors, MSC maintain the integrity of hematopoietic microenvironment and regulate hematopoiesis accurately. This review summarized the function of MSC in hematopoietic regulation, such as secretion of cytokines supporting hematopoiesis, MSC expression and adhesion molecules interacting with hematopoietic cells, and supportive effects of transplantation combining MSC with HSC on hematopoietic reconstruction, and its clinical perspectives.
Cell Communication ; Cytokines ; biosynthesis ; Hematopoiesis ; physiology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; physiology ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; physiology

Faltering linear growth is commonly encountered in children with intestinal inflammation. Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) are important regulators of postnatal longitudinal bone growth. Inhibition of GH/IGF axis will result in growth failure in young children. Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) abnormally increase in children with intestinal inflammation, and may affect linear growth both systemically and locally at the level of the growth plate though disturbing the GH/IGF axis.
Bone Development ; Cytokines ; physiology ; Enteritis ; complications ; Growth Disorders ; etiology ; Human Growth Hormone ; physiology ; Humans ; Somatomedins ; physiology

Objective: Allergic airway diseases (AADs) are a group of heterogeneous disease mediated by T-helper type 2 (Th2) immune response and characterized with airway inflammation and remodeling, including allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, and chronic rhinosinusitis with allergic background. This review aimed to discuss the abnormal epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk in the pathogenesis of AADs. Data Sources: Articles referred in this review were collected from the database of PubMed published in English up to January 2018. Study Selection: We had done a literature search using the following terms "allergic airway disease OR asthma OR allergic rhinitis OR chronic sinusitis AND IL-25 OR IL-33 OR thymic stromal lymphopoietin OR fibrocyte". Related original or review articles were included and carefully analyzed. Results: It is now believed that abnormal epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk underlies the pathogenesis of AADs. However, the key regulatory factors and molecular events involved in this process still remain unclear. Epithelium-derived triple cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-25, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), are shown to act on various target cells and promote the Th2 immune response. Circulating fibrocyte is an important mesenchymal cell that can mediate tissue remodeling. We previously found that IL-25-circulating fibrocyte axis was significantly upregulated in patients with asthma, which may greatly contribute to asthmatic airway inflammation and remodeling. Conclusions In view of the redundancy of cytokines and "united airway" theory, we propose a new concept that IL-25/IL-33/TSLP-fibrocyte axis may play a vital role in the abnormal epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk in some endotypes of AADs. This novel idea will guide potential new intervention schema for the common treatment of AADs sharing common pathogenesis in the future.
Asthma ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Cytokines ; physiology ; Humans ; Interleukin-17 ; physiology ; Interleukin-33 ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the resuscitation promoting role of resuscitation promoting factor and the initial bacteria amount of dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

METHODSMycobacterium tuberculosis (dormant bacteria) was cultured for 100 days, then diluted into 1 mg/ml concentration with 7H9, and further diluted into 0.5, 0.25, 0.125, 0.0625, and 0.03125 mg/ml. Twelve new tubes added with 5 ml 7H9 and divided into two groups: the first group was added with the resuscitation-promoting factor protein, and the second group as control was added with 7H9. In each group the above diluted solutions were added. The tubes were located at 37 degrees C for culture. Optical density (OD) was detected on day 15, 25, 30, and 35. From each tube 1 microl culture solution was plated on 7H11 medium for colony counting.

RESULTSOD detection showed that bacteria proliferation in each group had positive linear correlation (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), indicating that the resuscitation-promoting factor played a similiar role in solutions with different dilution concentrations. 7H11 results and the OD results show that these two detection methods in each group had linear correlation (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), indicating that these two methods showed consistent test results.

CONCLUSIONThe resuscitation-promoting factor has no effect on the resuscitation of dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its initial bacteria amount.

Cytokines ; physiology ; Humans ; Nephritis ; etiology ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch ; etiology

Spermatogenesis is a complex process regulated by endocrine and testicular paracrine/autocrine factors. Gonadotropins are involved in the regulation of several testicular paracrine factors, mainly of the IL-1 family and testicular hormones. Testicular cytokines and growth factors (such as IL-1, IL-6, TNF, IFN-gamma, LIF and SCF) were shown to affect both the germ cell proliferation and the Leydig and Sertoli cells functions and secretion. Cytokines and growth factors are produced by immune cells and in the interstitial and seminiferous tubular compartments by various testicular cells, including Sertoli, Leydig, peritubular cells, spermatogonia, differentiated spermatogonia and even spermatozoa. Corresponding cytokine and growth factor receptors were demonstrated on some of the testicular cells. These cytokines also control the secretion of the gonadotropins and testosterone in the testis. Under pathological conditions the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines are increased and negatively affected spermatogenesis. Thus, the expression levels and the mechanisms involved in the regulation of testicular paracrine/autocrine factors should be considered in future therapeutic strategies for male infertility.
Animals ; Cytokines ; physiology ; Growth Substances ; physiology ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Leydig Cells ; cytology ; Male ; Sertoli Cells ; cytology ; Spermatogenesis ; physiology ; Testis ; physiology

Animals ; Autonomic Nervous System ; physiology ; Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena ; Cytokines ; physiology ; Humans ; Potassium Channels ; physiology ; Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers ; physiology

Microglial cells are widely distributed in the brain and spinal cord, and usually act as resident immune cells which could provide continuous monitoring roles within the central nervous system. When the cells in the central nervous system are injured, microglial cells are activated and induce a series of biological effects. Recently, several voltage-gated sodium channel subtypes were found to be expressed on the surface of the microglial cells which are able to participate in the regulation of the activation, phagocytosis, secretion of multiple cytokines/chemokines, migration, invasion of microglial cells, and etc. In the present study, the latest progresses on the regulation of voltage-gated sodium channel isoforms on microglial cells were summarized and analyzed. In addition, the mechanism and future research of the relationship between voltage-gated sodium channels and microglial cells were also discussed.
Animals ; Cytokines ; Humans ; Microglia ; physiology ; Protein Isoforms ; Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels ; physiology

ISG15 is a 15kD ubiquitin-like protein (UBL) induced by interferon (IFN). ISG15 can be covalently attached to proteins, which is called ISGylation process. ISGylation system contains ISG15, UBE1L, UBCH8 and HERC5 proteins, which are all essential for ISGylation. ISG15 and ISGylation system have been found to have anti-viral effects. A better understanding of how ISG15 mediates the anti-viral activity will provide insights for new anti-viral drugs development and new therapeutic strategies. The mechanisms underlying the ISG15 mediated anti-viral response have been explored extensively in recent years. This minireview summarized the research advances of how ISG15 mediated the anti-viral effects against different kinds of viruses.
Animals ; Cytokines ; physiology ; HIV Infections ; immunology ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; immunology ; Ubiquitins ; physiology ; Virus Diseases ; immunology