In order to understand the alcohol's toxicity to the quantitative alternations of synapses in mouse visual cortex, the expression of synaptophysin after prenatal alcohol exposure was investigated. In present study, the experimental mice at P0, P7, P14 and P30 were grouped, as control, 2 g x kg(-1) alcohol treatment and 4 g x kg(-1) alcohol treatment. The pre-synaptic elements which were used to represent synapses were marked with synaptophysin (a synaptic vesicle associated protein) by immunocytochemistry technique. The synaptophysin positive boutons in layer VI of visual cortex were imaged under laser confocal microscope. With stereological methods, the number cal density of synapse in visual cortex was calculated in different groups at various ages. Moreover, Western blotting was carried out to detect the expression of synaptophysin in visual cortex. The results showed that prenatal alcohol exposure could cause synaptic loss with long-term effect and in a dose dependent manner. For instance, there were significant difference among the different treatment groups of P0, P14 and P30 as well (P < 0.05). Western blotting supported the results of immunofluorescent labeling. In conclusion, prenatal alcohol exposure can induce the synaptic loss dose dependently and with long-term effect. Our findings implicate that the synaptic loss with long-term effect in CNS probably contributes to the lifelong mental retardation and memorial lowliness associated with childhood FAS.
Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Ethanol ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Female ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; physiopathology ; Random Allocation ; Synapses ; drug effects ; Synaptophysin ; metabolism ; Visual Cortex ; drug effects ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the level of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and observe relation between expression of Foxp3 and CD127 in peripheral blood of chronic HBV infection.

METHODSCD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ and CD4+ CD25+ CD127low Treg in peripheral blood from 34 patients of immune tolerance stage, 26 patients of immune clearance stage and 31 patients of non-active status were quantitatively analyzed by flow cytometry.

RESULTSImmune tolerance group presented a higher fraction of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ and CD4+ CD25+ CD127low Treg than non-active group in chronic HBV infection (Z = -2.693, P = 0.007 and t = 3.251, P = 0.002), and HBV positive group also presented a higher fraction than non-active group (t = 2.266, P = 0.026 and t = 3.208, P = 0.002), But ALT normal group is similar to ALT abnormal group (P > 0.05). In this study, the relation between expression of CD127low and Foxp3+ from CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells was observed, and CD4+ CD25+ CD127low Treg presented a higher fraction than CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ Treg.

CONCLUSIONPeripheral Treg in HBV active replication group is higher than HBV negative group of chronic HBV infection. Expression of CD127low is consistent with Foxp3+ in CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells, but the former is significantly higher than the latter.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; blood ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B virus ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; genetics ; immunology ; virology ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit ; blood ; immunology ; Interleukin-7 Receptor alpha Subunit ; blood ; genetics ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; immunology ; Young Adult