The non-ELR-containing CXC chemokines Mig and IP-10 have been shown to function as chemotactic cytokines for activated T lymphocytes. In this study, we examined the potential involvement of Mig and IP-10 in antimycobacterial response of mice immunized or infected with M. bovis BCG. The accumulation of Mig and IP-10 mRNA in resident peritoneal monocytes (RPMPHI) was slightly reduced by stimulation with vBCG, and the degree was greater for 24 hr culture even though IFN-gamma was added. Expression of Mig, IP-10, and IFN-gamma in 24 hr delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response was stronger in vBCG-immune mice than in the non-immune. The increase of DTH measured by foot-pad thickness appears to be clearly related to the levels of chemokines Mig and IP10 messages and those of IFN-gamma and IL-12. Stimulation with vBCG for 2 days decreased or completely dropped the levels of Mig message in non-immune or immune splenocytes, respectively, whereas IP-10 message was slightly decreased in 2 days culture. Moreover, messages for IL-12 (p40) showed similar kinetics for Mig. The levels of Mig and IP-10 mRNA during the course of infection with BCG were not readily changed in lungs, livers, and spleens from BCG-infected mice. Although there was no obvious changes of Mig and IP-10 messages in the target organs during infection process, we found that the infection progressed over the first 3 wk before being contained by the emerging immune response suggested from detectable amount of IFN-gamma mRNA around this time. In view of selectivity of chemokines Mig and IP-10 for activated T cells, these data suggest that chemokine Mig and IP-10, especially in collaboration with IL-12 and IFN-gamma, may play a role as T cell recruiters in immune response against mycobacterial infection.
Animals ; Chemokines ; Chemokines, CXC* ; Cooperative Behavior ; Hypersensitivity ; Interleukin-12 ; Kinetics ; Liver ; Lung ; Mice* ; Monocytes ; Mycobacterium bovis* ; RNA, Messenger ; Spleen ; T-Lymphocytes

Brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are intimately connected to form a bidirectional neurohumoral communication system. The communication between gut and brain, knows as the gut-brain axis, is so well established that the functional status of gut is always related to the condition of brain. The researches on the gut-brain axis were traditionally focused on the psychological status affecting the function of the GI tract. However, recent evidences showed that gut microbiota communicates with the brain via the gut-brain axis to modulate brain development and behavioral phenotypes. These recent findings on the new role of gut microbiota in the gut-brain axis implicate that gut microbiota could associate with brain functions as well as neurological diseases via the gut-brain axis. To elucidate the role of gut microbiota in the gut-brain axis, precise identification of the composition of microbes constituting gut microbiota is an essential step. However, identification of microbes constituting gut microbiota has been the main technological challenge currently due to massive amount of intestinal microbes and the difficulties in culture of gut microbes. Current methods for identification of microbes constituting gut microbiota are dependent on omics analysis methods by using advanced high tech equipment. Here, we review the association of gut microbiota with the gut-brain axis, including the pros and cons of the current high throughput methods for identification of microbes constituting gut microbiota to elucidate the role of gut microbiota in the gut-brain axis.
Brain ; metabolism ; Central Nervous System ; metabolism ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; metabolism ; microbiology ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Liver ; metabolism ; Metabolic Diseases ; metabolism ; pathology ; Metagenome ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; metabolism

Recent advances in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) expansion by growth factors including angiopoietin-like proteins (Angptls) have opened up the possibility to use HSCs in regenerative medicine. However, the unavailability of true in vitro HSCs expansion by these growth factors has limited the understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanism of HSCs expansion. Here, we report the functional role of mouse Angptls 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 and growth factors SCF, TPO, IGF-2 and FGF-1 on purified mouse bone-marrow (BM) Lineage(-)Sca-1(+)(Lin-Sca-1(+)) HSCs. The recombinant retroviral transduced-CHO-S cells that secrete Angptls in serum-free medium were used alone or in combination with growth factors (SCF, TPO, IGF-2 and FGF-1). None of the Angptls stimulated HSC proliferation, enhanced or inhibited HSCs colony formation, but they did support the survival of HSCs. By contrast, any of the six Angptls together with saturating levels of growth factors dramatically stimulated a 3- to 4.5-fold net expansion of HSCs compared to stimulation with a combination of those growth factors alone. These findings lead to an understanding of the basic function of Angptls on signaling pathways for the survival as well as expansion of HSCs in the bone marrow niche.
Angiopoietin-like 4 Protein ; Angiopoietin-like Proteins ; Angiopoietins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Antigens, Ly ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; CHO Cells ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Lineage ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; pharmacology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; pharmacology ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Mice ; Transfection