G-CSF Control of Neutrophils Dynamics in the Blood

White blood cell neutrophil is a key component in the fast initial immune response against bacterial and fungal infections. Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) which is naturally produced in the body, is known to control the neutrophils production in the bone marrow and the neutrophils delivery into the blood. In oncological practice, G-CSF injections are widely used to treat neutropenia (dangerously low levels of neutrophils in the blood) and to prevent the infectious complications that often follow chemotherapy. However, the accurate dynamics of G-CSF neutrophil interaction has not been fully determined and no general scheme exists for an optimal G-CSF application in neutropenia. Here we develop a two-dimensional ordinary differential equation model for the G-CSF—neutrophil dynamics in the blood. The model is built axiomatically by first formally defining from the biology the expected properties of the model, and then deducing the dynamic behavior of the resulting system. The resulting model is structurally stable, and its dynamical features are independent of the precise form of the various rate functions. Choosing a specific form for these functions, three complementary parameter estimation procedures for one clinical (training) data set are utilized. The fully parameterized model (6 parameters) provides adequate predictions for several additional clinical data sets on time scales of several days. We briefly discuss the utility of this relatively simple and robust model in several clinical conditions. Dedicated to Lee Segel who guided us to apply mathematics for the benefit of mankind—a teacher, a colleague, a friend. L.A. Segel passed away on 31 January 2005.     

Oedema in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Changes in the Coefficient of Capillary Filtration

The rate of formation of tissue fluid for a given increase of venous pressure and for a known volume of tissue has been measured in the forearm. There is a significant increase in this figure in rheumatoid arthritis and a still greater increase in patients who develop recurrent oedema. This increase could not be attributed to steroid or phenylbutazone therapy, nor to a fall in the serum albumin. The results imply that there is some generalized abnormality in capillary function in rheumatoid disease and that this change is not limited to the joints.     

Lipoproteins Removed from Serum and Plasma by Membrane Filtration

Abstract

Tangential (crossflow) filtration of a plasma/serum mixture through 0.2μm-poresize polycarbonate track-etch membrane filters (PC) at pressures < 10 psi removes low density lipoproteins (LDL) and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) but not high density lipoproteins (HDL) from the filtrate. At pressures > 10 psi all lipoproteins pass through the PC. Once the filters have been intruded with LDL and VLDL those lipoproteins continue to pass the filters despite subsequent reduction in differential pressure below 10 psi.     

Cathepsin G-Dependent Modulation of Platelet Thrombus Formation In Vivo by Blood Neutrophils

Neutrophils are consistently associated with arterial thrombotic morbidity in human clinical studies but the causal basis for this association is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that neutrophils modulate platelet activation and thrombus formation in vivo in a cathepsin G-dependent manner. Neutrophils enhanced aggregation of human platelets in vitro in dose-dependent fashion and this effect was diminished by pharmacologic inhibition of cathepsin G activity and knockdown of cathepsin G expression. Tail bleeding time in the mouse was prolonged by a cathepsin G inhibitor and in cathepsin G knockout mice, and formation of neutrophil-platelet conjugates in blood that was shed from transected tails was reduced in the absence of cathepsin G. Bleeding time was highly correlated with blood neutrophil count in wildtype but not cathepsin G deficient mice. In the presence of elevated blood neutrophil counts, the anti-thrombotic effect of cathepsin G inhibition was greater than that of aspirin and additive to it when administered in combination. Both pharmacologic inhibition of cathepsin G and its congenital absence prolonged the time for platelet thrombus to form in ferric chloride-injured mouse mesenteric arterioles. In a vaso-occlusive model of ischemic stroke, inhibition of cathepsin G and its congenital absence improved cerebral blood flow, reduced histologic brain injury, and improved neurobehavioral outcome. These experiments demonstrate that neutrophil cathepsin G is a physiologic modulator of platelet thrombus formation in vivo and has potential as a target for novel anti-thrombotic therapies.     

猴免疫缺陷病毒引起多形核嗜中性白细胞凋亡的可能机理

本实验目的是研究猴免疫缺陷病毒（SIV）引起多形核嗜中性白细胞（PMNs）凋亡的机理。实验用PCR技术扩增gag基因,用Western blot法测定p53和bcl-2基因的表达。结果显示PMNs在被SIV感染后随着保温时间的延长存活率下降,在感染后24h可以从PMNs中扩增出gag基因。PMNs中p53基因的表达在感染后24h增加。同时bcl-2基因的表达在对照组和SIV感染组都增加,但在SIV感染组bcl-2蛋白的表达明显低于对照组。结果揭示SIV能够感染PMNs,p53和bcl-2基因表达的改变可能是SIV感染PMNs引起细胞凋亡的机理。     

The Mechanism of Bactericidal Activity in Phagosomes of Neutrophils

Myeloperoxidase plays the key role in antimicrobial of phagocytes. This enzyme uses hydrogen peroxide and chloride to catalyze hypochlorous acid formation. HOCl is the most probable agent in the oxygen-dependent bactericidal activity in the phagocyte phagosome. Chlorination markers indicate HOCl generation in the quantities lethal for bacteria. Enzymatic assay for myeloperoxidase indicates proceeding of other reactions involved in bactericidal activity. Superoxide integrates many activities of this kind and is important for physiological function of myeloperoxidase. Elucidation of phagosomes biochemistry can help us to understand why certain pathogens survive in such unfavorable environment.     

猴免疫缺陷病毒引起多形核嗜中性白细胞凋亡的可能机理

本实验目的是研究猴免疫缺陷病毒(SIV)引起多形核嗜中性白细胞(PMNs)凋亡的机理.实验用PCR技术扩增gag基因,用Western blot法测定p53和bcl-2基因的表达.结果显示PMNs在被SIV感染后随着保温时间的延长存活率下降,在感染后24h可以从PMNs中扩增出gag基因.PMNs中p53基因的的表达在感染后24h增加.同时bcl-2基因的表达在对照组和SIV感染组都增加,但在SIV感染组bcl-2蛋白的表达明显低于对照组.结果揭示SⅣ能够感染PMNs,p53和bcl-2基因表达的改变可能是SⅣ感染PMNs引起细胞凋亡的机理.     

Detection of Peptide-Based Nanoparticles in Blood Plasma by ELISA

AimsThe aim of the current study was to develop a method to detect peptide-linked nanoparticles in blood plasma.ResultsThe ELISA based method for the detection of FITC labeled peptides had a detection limit of 1 ng/mL. We were able to accurately measure peptides bound to pentafluorophenyl methacrylate nanoparticles in blood plasma of rats, and similar results were obtained by LC/MS.ConclusionsWe detected FITC-labeled peptides on pentafluorophenyl methacrylate nanoparticles after injection in vivo. This method can be extended to detect nanoparticles with different chemical compositions.     

Preparation of Secretory Vesicle-Free Plasma Membranes by Isopycnic Sucrose Gradient Fractionation of Neutrophils Purified by the Gelatin Method

Isolated human neutrophils serve as a model for the in vitro study of host defensive processes as well as the cell biology and biochemistry of primary human cells. We demonstrate that the requirements of the gelatinbased procedure for neutrophil isolation from whole blood induces the complete loss of secretory vesicles from in vitro isolated populations, whereas isolation by a dextran-based methodology results in the preservation of this organelle. Following density fractionation of cellular cavitates, examination of commonly employed plasma membrane marker activities yielded subcellular localization patterns that were indistinguishable between dextran- or gelatin-isolated populations, indicating both populations to be otherwise comparable in terms of the relative complexity and large-scale organization of plasma membranes. Given that the cell surface upregulation of secretory vesicles is implicated as an initial requirement of neutrophil activation as well as an intrinsic feature of neutrophil priming, we show that dextran and gelatin-isolated neutrophils may be considered to occupy functionally nonactivated and primed cellular states, respectively. These differences in phenotype can be exploited in specific ways. We suggest that the gelatin method has technical advantages with regard to the study of neutrophil plasma membranes. In particular, results from this study indicate the gelatin method to be a reliable and effective preparatory technique appropriate for tandem use with density fractionation procedures to achieve rapid isolation of plasma membranes that are uncontaminated by secretory organelles.     

Toxic Effect of Heavy Metals on Human Blood Neutrophils

Activity of the peroxidase-hydrogen peroxide system is proposed as a biological marker of ecological risk of heavy metal contamination of the environment. The effect of lead, copper, mercury, and cadmium ions on peroxidase system activity in human peripheral blood neutrophils was studied using cytochemical methods. A possible mechanism of suppression of peroxidase system activity by metal ions is discussed.__________Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Biologicheskaya, No. 3, 2005, pp. 336–338.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Mushtakova, Fomina, Rogovin.     

斜带髭鲷外周血嗜中性粒细胞核内包涵体的超微结构

目的在对斜带髭鲷（Hapalogenys nitens）外周血细胞结构进行透射电镜观察时发现嗜中性粒细胞存在大量的核内包涵体,系统研究了这些核内包涵体的超微结构,以探讨其来源和形成过程。方法应用电镜技术对这些核内包涵体的超微结构进行研究。结果斜带髭鲷外周血嗜中性粒细胞的核内包涵体可分为假包涵体和真包涵体两种类型,包涵体中的内含物来自胞质。胞核首先是以核膜内陷的方式将胞质及其各种有形成分包绕进核内而在核质外层形成具有双层膜包裹的典型假包涵体,随后假包涵体双层膜降解消失而转化成无被膜包裹的真包涵体,即核内糖原包涵体。结论假包涵体是形成真包涵体的开始阶段。随着假包涵体向真包涵体的转变,包涵体内含物的组成及其超微结构也出现了显著变化。     

Plug Effect of Erythrocytes in Capillary Blood Vessels

As an idealized problem of the motion of blood in small capillary blood vessels, the low Reynolds number flow of plasma (a newtonian fluid) in a circular cylindrical tube involving a series of circular disks is studied. It is assumed in this study that the suspended disks are equally spaced along the axis of the tube, and that their centers remain on the axis of the tube and that their faces are perpendicular to the tube axis. The inertial force of the fluid due to the convective acceleration is neglected on the basis of the smallness of the Reynolds number. The solution of the problem is derived for a quasi-steady flow involving infinitesimally thin disks. The numerical calculation is carried out for a set of different combinations of the interdisk distance and the ratio of the disk radius to the tube radius. The ratio of the velocity of the disk to the average velocity of the fluid is calculated. The different rates of transport of red blood cells and of plasma in capillary blood vessels are discussed. The average pressure gradient along the axis of the tube is computed, and the dependence of the effective viscosity of the blood on the hematocrit and the diameter of the capillary vessel is discussed.     

Nature Reduces the Energy Costs of Water Flow in the Capillary System of Plants and Blood Vessels of Animals

Biophysics - Abstract—Nature is known to minimize the energy costs of water flow in the vascular bundles of plants and the blood vessels of animals. However, until recently, the mechanisms of...     

Transgenic Mice Over-expressing Endothelin-1 in Testis Transactivated by a Cre/loxP System Showed Decreased Testicular Capillary Blood Flow

It is generally believed that too high or low levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1), a strong vasoconstrictor, may be detrimental to animals. Therefore, in order to understand the in vivo function of ET-1, we used a conditional transgenic approach, Cre/loxP recombination system, to generate transgenic mice that over-express ET-1 in a tissue-specific manner. In such a strategy a single transgenic mouse line, ELSE, was initially generated where a general promoter, human elongation factor 1alpha (hEF1alpha) promoter, was used to drive the expression of a loxP-flanked sequence containing the lacZ reporter gene and a STOP cassette before the ET-1 cDNA, the recombinational competency of which was confirmed in an Escherichia coli test system. In ELSE mice, expression of the reporter lacZ was limited to spermatozoa and spermatogonia as well as Sertoli, Leydig and endothelial cells in the testis, thus confirming the suitability of these mice for the generation of testes-limited ET-1 expression. To generate transgenic progeny with ET-1 over-expression in the testis (successful recombination, ELSE/ELT), ELSE mice were mated with EIIa-cre mice expressing Cre recombinase in pre-implantation mouse embryos. These ELSE/ELT mice exhibiting testis-specific ET-1 over-expression had normal reproductive function and showed no obvious alterations in gross testicular morphology. Although over-expression of ET-1 leads to reduction of testicular blood flow, young adult ELSE/ELT mice showed no obvious signs of inflammation, fibrosis or abnormal proliferation of cells in the testes of young ELSE/ELT mice by histochemical analyses.     

TLR-Mediated Production of Reactive Oxygen Species and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha by Human Peripheral Blood Neutrophils

This paper presents the study on TLR-mediated production of reactive oxygen species and tumor necrosis factor alpha by peripheral blood neutrophils in healthy donors stimulated with zymosan (TLR2/6 ligand), peptidoglycan (TLR2/1 ligand), and lipopolysaccharide (TLR4 ligand). Luminol- and lucigen-independent chemiluminescence was used to detect the production of reactive oxygen species. The concentration of tumor necrosis factor alpha was measured by enzyme immunoassay. The plots of dependence of the light sums of luminol- and lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence on the concentration of each ligand were shaped as saturation curves. The comparison of the light sums of lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence (the production of superoxide anion radical) and luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (the total production of reactive oxygen species) showed that the contribution of NADPH oxidase to the total TLR-mediated production of oxidants can reach 40–50%. Stimulation indices were calculated to compare the ability of TLR ligands to stimulate the production of reactive oxygen species and tumor necrosis factor alpha by neutrophils. It has been established that the activation of neutrophils with zymosan leads to higher (more than 8-fold) production of reactive oxygen species rather than production of tumor necrosis factor alpha. Unlike zymosan, lipopolysaccharide stimulated the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha to a greater extent (by more than 2 times) than the production of reactive oxygen species. Peptidoglycan takes an intermediate position between these ligands. Thus, the production of effector molecules (reactive oxygen species and tumor necrosis factor alpha) by human peripheral blood neutrophils depends on the nature of the TRL ligand.     

Use of Capillary Blood in Measurement of Arterial Po2

In this study we investigated the possibility of obtaining accurate values of arterial Po₂ from specimens of capillary blood stored in glass capillary tubes and measured in an oxygen microelectrode. It has been shown that Po₂ measurements made on the Radiometer oxygen microelectrode are as accurate as those made on the macroelectrode and that the storage of blood is as satisfactory in glass capillary tubes as in glass syringes. The important feature in obtaining accurate values for arterial Po₂ is the choice of the capillary bed and its method of preparation for sampling. If the ear lobe is massaged with thurfyl nicotinate (Trafuril) it is possible to obtain values of Po₂ from the capillary blood which are in close agreement with arterial Po₂ in normal, hyperoxic, and shocked vasoconstricted patients.