No abstract available.
B-Lymphocytes* ; Lymph Nodes* ; Mitogens*

No abstract available.
Animals ; B-Lymphocytes* ; Mice* ; Mitogens* ; Spleen*

No abstract available.
Allergens* ; Hypersensitivity* ; Lymphocyte Activation* ; Lymphocytes* ; Mitogens* ; T-Lymphocytes*

Induced neural precursor cells (iNPCs) are one source of transplantable dopaminergic neurons used in cell therapy for Parkinson's disease. In the present study, we demonstrate that iNPCs can be generated by transducing Brn2, Ascl1, Myt1L and Bcl-xL in a culture supplemented with several mitogens and subsequently can be differentiated to dopaminergic neurons (DA). However, studies have shown that iDA and/or iNPC-derived DA neurons using various conversion protocols have low efficiency. Here, we show that early exposure of FGF8 to fibroblasts efficiently improves differentiation of DA neurons. So our study demonstrates that FGF8 is a critical factor for generation of iNPC-derived DA neurons.
Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy ; Dopaminergic Neurons* ; Fibroblasts ; Mitogens ; Neurons ; Parkinson Disease

BACKGROUND: The regulatory rnechanisrns of melanocytes underlying ultraviolet(UV) melanogenesis have been an interest tu many investigators. They have shown that several materials produced and secreted frorn norm il human keratinocytes play roles as mitogens of human melanocytes, and demonstrated that UVB exposure stirnulated highly the paracrine linkage of endothelin(ET) be tween keratinocytes and melanocytes. It suggest that ET is one of keratinocytes-derived intrinsic mitogens in UVB induced hyperpigmentation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether ET secreted from keratinocytes under the UV irradiation works as paracrine effects such as melanocyte pro)iferation and function, the present, study was under taken. METHODS: Primary kevatinocytes and rnelanocytes cultures from neonatal foreskins were grown in complete MCDB 154 medium. Cultured human keratinocytes were irradiated with UVB 50mJ/ cm2. Twenty fours hour later, conditioned medium of keratinocytes was added into the growth medium of melanocytes of concentration in 10%, 20%, and 30%, respectively. Four days later, in order to detect of melanocytes proliferat.ion and function, number of melanocytes, melanin granules and tyrosinase activity v ere measured. RESULTS: J. The number of me anocytes were higher increase in groups of incubation with conditioned medium of irradiated keratinocytes than that of incubation with conditioned mediurn of irradiated keratinocytes and treatment of anti-ET-1(5ug/ml)(p>0.05). 2. The melanin contents were significantly higher increase in groups of incubation with conditioned medium(20%, 30%) of irradiated keratinocytes than that of incubation with conditioned medium of irradiated keiatinocytes and treatment of anti-ET-1(5ug/ml)(p<0.05). 3. The tyrosinase activity of melanocyte incubated with 30% COllcentration of conditioned medium from cultured keratinocyte irradiated with UVB was significantly higher increase than that of melanocyte incubated with 30% concentration of conditioned mediurn from cultured keratinocytes irradiated with UVB and treated with anti-ET-1(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This stud provided an important confirmation of the proposal that ET-1 is intrin sic factor for proliferation and differentiation of human melanocytes. These findings suggest that keratinocyte derived ET-1 make a considerable effect on human melanocyte proliferation and function in UV melanog nesis.
Culture Media, Conditioned ; Endothelin-1* ; Foreskin ; Humans* ; Hyperpigmentation ; Keratinocytes* ; Melanins ; Melanocytes* ; Mitogens ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Research Personnel

BACKGROUND: There are many growth media for cultivation of human melanocytes (MGM), depending on the supplements added, and the growth of cells is closely related to these components. To understand melanocytes in vivo, it is necessary to find out the biological or biochemical characteristics of melanocytes grown in physiologic growth medium (P-MGM) and phorbol-12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-containing medium (C-MGM). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of different biochemical markers of melanocytes grown in C-MGM and in P-MGM. METHODS: C-MGM is basically composed of PMA (10 ng/ml), and bFGF (3 ng/ml), and is now commercially available for melanocyte culture. P-MGM is a physiologic growth medium containing physiologic mitogens such as bFGF (10 ng/ml), ET-1 (10 nM), and alpha-MSH (12 nM). The cell proliferation and the expression of biochemical markers were measured in cultured human melanocytes which were grown in either C-MGM or P-MGM. RESULTS: In this study, there was significant difference in cell proliferation between cells grown in C-MGM and P-MGM (p<0.01). The tyrosinase activity and melanin contents were significantly increased in C-MGM. The expression of TRP1, MART-1 and p53 in mRNA level was higher in C-MGM than in P-MGM. The up-regulation of p53 protein expression was also observed in C-MGM. CONCLUSION: The proliferation and expression of p53, at both transcriptional and translational levels were increased when melanocytes were grown in C-MGM, compared to P-MGM. This data suggests that p53-mediated melanization is to some degree related with phorbol ester, and should further be elucidated.
alpha-MSH ; Biomarkers ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans* ; Melanins ; Melanocytes* ; Mitogens ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; RNA, Messenger ; Up-Regulation

Thl cloned cell line 28-4 which is an I-A + KLH - specific Th1 type clone of (C57BU6xC 3H) F1 origin was kindly provided by professor Tomio Tada. In these studies, employing these cloned cells, the author investigated both proliferation responses of Thl cells in the presence of various concentrations of cytokines, such as IL-2, IL-4 or IL-6 and proliferation of Thl cells to various concentration of mitogens such as PHA, ConA or PWM. In addition, the author also investigated the proliferation response of Th1 cells to the optimal dose of PHA, ConA or PWM in the presence or absence of above mentioned cytokines. It was found that IL-2, IL-4 or IL-6 alone their growth stimulation degree was dependent on cytokine concentration and that PHA, ConA or PWM stimulated Thl cell proliferation and optimal dose of PHA ConA and PWM was 3 g, 4 g and 2 g per ml, respectively. In addition, proliferation response of Th1 cells to ConA or PWM in the presence of IL-2 was significantly enhanced, but the proliferation response to PHA was not increased significantly. However, IL-4 did not significantly modulate mitogen-activated Thl cell proliferation response. Interestingly, IL-6 decreased PHA- or ConA-activated proliferation of Thl cells, but did not change PWM-activated proliferation. Taken together, these studies strongly suggested that IL-2, IL-4 or IL-6 itself clone stimulated the Thl cell proliferation and that PHA, ConA or PWM also stimulated Thl cell proliferation. In addition, these studies also indicated that IL-2 increased ConA- or PWM-activated Thl cell proliferation, but IL6 inhibited PHA- or ConA-activated Th1 cell proliferation and that IL-4 did not significantly change the mitogen-activated Th1 cell proliferation.
Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Clone Cells ; Cytokines* ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukin-6 ; Mitogens ; Th1 Cells*

The purposes of this study is to evaluate the combination effects of TGF-beta1 and PDGF-BB on the periodontal ligament cells to use as a regeneration promoting agent of periodontal tissue. Human periodontal ligament cells were prepared from the first premolar tooth extracted for the orthodontic treatment and were cultured in DMEM/10% FBS at the 37degrees C, 5% CO2 incubator. Authors measured the DNA synthesis, total protein, collagen and noncollagenous protein synthesis according to the concentration of TGF-beta1, (1, 5ng/ml) and PDGF-BB (1, 10 ng/ml) in combination. To explore further this delayed effect of TGF-beta1, we preincubated human periodontal ligament cells with TGF-beta1 for 4 or 24 hours before PDGF-BB stimulation. The results were as follows: The DNA synthetic activity was increased dose dependently by TGF-beta1, PDGF-BB. The combination of TGF-beta1 and PDGF-BB consistently enhanced the DNA synthetic activity to PDGF-BB alone. The ability of TGF-beta1 to enhance DNA synthetic activity in PDGF-BB treated periodontal ligament cells was dose dependent. The maximum mitogenic effect was at the 5ng/ml of TGF-beta1 and 10ng/ml of PDGF-BB. Preincubation of cells with TGF-beta1 resulted in significantly greater response to PDGF-BB at all TGF-beta1 concentration studied, and may be useful for clinical application in periodontal regenerative procedures. The total protein, collagen and noncollagen synthesis was increased dose pendently by TGF-beta1, PDGF-BB. The % of collagen was slightly decresed according to the concentration of TGF-beta1, PDGF-BB. The effect of TGF-beta1, PDGF-BB were not specific for collagen synthesis since it also increased noncollagenous protein synthesis. This study demonstrates that PDGF-BB is major mitogens for human periodontal ligament cells in vitro, and supports a role for TGF-beta1 as a regulation of the mitogenic and total protein formation to PDGF-BB in these cells.
Bicuspid ; Collagen ; DNA ; Humans ; Incubators ; Mitogens ; Periodontal Ligament* ; Regeneration ; Tooth ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Superantigens such as Staphylococcus aureus exotoxin (SE) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (NP). The aim of this study was to determine the immunologic response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to staphylococcal exotoxin B (SEB) in patients with NP. METHODS: The interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and interferon-gamma(IFN-gamma) responses of PBMCs to nonspecific mitogens such as phylohemagglutin (PHA) and SEB were examined in 24 NP patients and 16 control subjects. The presence or absence of atopy and asthma was determined to evaluate the correlation of these conditions with the levels of cytokines. RESULTS: PBMCs from the NP patients were more likely to produce IL-4 and IL-5 in response to SEB than those from controls. There was no difference in the mitogen-induced cytokine responses between NP patients and controls. SEB-induced IL-5 and IL-4 levels were higher in patients with NP with asthma than in patients with NP without asthma. CONCLUSION: Patients with NP show an exaggerated Th2 cytokine response of PBMCs to SEB.
Asthma ; Exotoxins ; Humans ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukin-5 ; Interleukins ; Mitogens ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Superantigens

Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide derived from brown algae that has been reported to perform multiple biological activities, including immunostimulation. In this study, we investigated whether fucoidan has beneficial effects on endotoxemia induced by LPS, a septic model in mice. The focus of this study was on survival rates and spleen function of the mice upon treatment. We found that fucoidan had prophylactic effects on the survival rate of mice with endotoxemia. Flow cytometric analysis using antibodies for subset-specific markers revealed that fucoidan profoundly reversed the depleted population of dendritic cells in mice with endotoxemia. According to Western blot analysis, the spleen cells of LPS/fucoidan-treated mice showed a higher expression of anti-apoptotic molecules compared to those of LPS-treated mice. Also, fucoidan-treated spleen cells were more responsive to mitogens. Taken together, these results demonstrate that fucoidan pre-treatment has beneficial effects on the survival rate and function of the spleen in mice with endotoxemia. This study may broaden the use of fucoidan in clinical fields, especially endotoxemia.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Blotting, Western ; Dendritic Cells ; Endotoxemia ; Immunization ; Mice ; Mitogens ; Phaeophyta ; Polysaccharides ; Spleen ; Survival Rate