非洲猪瘟病毒C717R蛋白诱导小鼠炎症应答

【目的】通过炎症应答系统筛选,发现非洲猪瘟病毒(African swine fever virus, ASFV) C717R蛋白可诱导炎症反应,本研究旨在首次鉴定C717R蛋白功能,通过构建C717R重组慢病毒并感染BALB/c小鼠,探究其对炎症应答产生的影响。【方法】通过炎症小体表达系统筛选出诱导炎症应答的C717R蛋白,并构建C717R重组慢病毒。利用C717R重组慢病毒感染小鼠,使C717R在小鼠组织中表达。经实时荧光定量、蛋白质免疫印迹等方法检测C717R慢病毒包装、蛋白表达以及促炎细胞因子TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6、IFN-β的变化。【结果】C717R蛋白在小鼠组织中正常表达。酶联免疫吸附测定(enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA)检测发现,表达C717R蛋白的小鼠,血清中促炎细胞因子TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6、IFN-β及IFN-γ分泌水平显著升高。实时荧光定量检测表达C717R蛋白的小鼠组织证实,C717R、TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6的mRNA转录水平显著上调;蛋白质免疫印迹证实,C717R可诱导小鼠不同组织caspase-1和IL-1β的成熟。组织病理切片结果显示,表达C717R蛋白的BALB/c小鼠和对照组和相比,肝脏、心脏、肺脏等器官炎性细胞浸润程度较对照组更严重。【结论】ASFV的C717R蛋白表达诱导BALB/c小鼠产生炎症应答,为鉴定和阐明C717R蛋白介导的促炎新机制提供了重要依据。     

EGCG通过STAT3抑制血管内皮细胞炎性因子表达

[目的]研究茶多酚EGCG对脂多糖(LPS)诱导的血管内皮细胞炎性因子表达的抑制作用及其机制。[方法]利用MTT和流式检测LPS和EGCG对血管内皮细胞的毒性作用,实时荧光定量PCR检测炎性因子mRNA的水平,多重液相蛋白定量技术检测炎性因子的蛋白表达,Western Blot检测STAT3及其磷酸化水平。[结果]EGCG最大浓度(100μmol/L)对血管内皮细胞无毒性;LPS处理可显著或极显著诱导炎性因子(TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6和IL-8)在mRNA和蛋白水平的表达(P<0.05或P<0.01),LPS对炎性因子的促进作用具有剂量效应;25μmol/L或50μmol/L EGCG预处理能极显著抑制LPS诱导的血管内皮细胞炎性因子的表达(P<0.01),同时抑制LPS诱导的STAT3磷酸化;STAT3抑制剂能显著增强EGCG抗炎效果。[结论]EGCG通过STAT3通路抑制LPS诱导的血管内皮细胞炎症因子的表达。     

荠苧黄酮通过抑制氧化应激和炎症改善高原缺氧诱导的小鼠脑组织损伤

为了阐明荠苧黄酮对高原缺氧致脑组织损伤的保护作用和可能机制,本研究利用建立的低压低氧诱导脑组织损伤模型,考察了芥苧黄酮对高原缺氧小鼠脑组织中氧化应激和炎性因子等相关生化指标和蛋白表达的影响。结果发现:经荠苧黄酮预处理能够显著降低低压低氧小鼠脑组织中ROS、MDA和IL-1β、IL-6和TNF-α含量,提高SOD、CAT和GSH-Px等抗氧化酶的活性和GSH水平,降低IL-1β和TNF-α蛋白表达,提高SOD1和CAT蛋白表达。综上所述,荠苧黄酮对高原缺氧诱导脑组织损伤的保护作用与清除自由基、抑制炎性因子的释放、降低脑组织氧化应激和炎性反应有关。     

异位（过）表达PGRN抑制IL-1β引起的髓核细胞损伤

炎症因子IL-1β是引起髓核细胞功能异常的关键因素之一。颗粒体蛋白原（progranulin,PGRN）是一种多功能生长因子,在组织修复、炎症反应等过程中发挥重要作用,但其在髓核细胞中的作用尚不清楚。本研究以IL-1β诱导的髓核细胞炎性损伤模型为研究对象,探讨PGRN对IL 1β诱导的髓核细胞损伤的保护作用及其机制。基因转染结合MTT方法证明,与IL-1β处理的细胞比较,过表达PGRN可逆转IL-1β引起的原代培养的髓核细胞生长抑制,促进细胞增殖。TUNEL技术和流式细胞分析显示,PGRN抑制IL-1β诱导的髓核细胞凋亡。Western印迹和RT-qPCR方法揭示,与IL-1β处理的细胞相比,过表达PGRN显著上调聚蛋白聚糖（aggrecan）和II型胶原（collagen type II）的蛋白质表达,但下调基质金属蛋白酶-13（MMP-13）、分解素-金属蛋白酶ADAMTS-5的表达,同时抑制IL-1β诱导的炎性因子IL-6、IL-8和TNF-α的表达,说明PGRN可缓解IL-1β引起的炎性反应,并减少细胞外基质（ECM）相关蛋白质的降解。此外,过表达PGRN还可降低p65、p-IkB a和β-catenin的蛋白质表达水平,提示PGRN可抑制IL-1β下游TNF-α介导的NF-κB信号途径及β-catenin途径。总之,上述结果提示,过表达PGRN可通过抑制IL-1β诱导的炎性反应、髓核细胞凋亡及基质代谢紊乱,缓解IL-1β诱导的髓核细胞损伤;PGRN的这种抗炎、抗基质降解作用可能与PGRN参与调控NF-κB和β-catenin信号途径有关。     

重组小鼠IL-38蛋白制备及其生物学活性分析

制备小鼠IL-38蛋白,并检验其生物学活性。对IL-38的基因进行密码子优化并化学合成优化后的基因,将其插入原核表达载体pET28a(+),构建pET28a-IL-38质粒,转化至大肠埃希菌BL21(DE3),经IPTG诱导表达,镍亲和层析法纯化制备IL-38蛋白;分别用IL-36γ和IL-38干预小鼠肠系膜淋巴结(mesenteric lymph node,MLN)细胞,ELISA检测各组Th1细胞因子的分泌水平。经SDS-PAGE分析获得纯度高达95%的IL-38蛋白。相对于对照组,IL-38处理组Th1细胞因子分泌水平明显降低(P0.05)。成功制备小鼠IL-38蛋白,证实了IL-38对IL-36γ刺激的MLN细胞炎性反应具有负向调控作用,为进一步研究IL-38在炎症性疾病中的免疫调节功能提供参考。     

NLRP1炎性体

核苷酸结合寡聚化结构域样受体蛋白1(NLRP1)炎性体是NLRP1在识别胞内病原相关分子模式(PAMP)后与凋亡相关斑点样蛋白(ASC)以及半胱天冬氨酸酶(Caspase-1、Caspase-5)前体等分子结合形成的蛋白复合物,活化后促进IL-1β、IL-18、IL-33等炎症因子的成熟和释放,在先天性免疫中发挥重要作用。本文主要介绍了NLRP1炎性体的组成、激活机制、信号通路、负向调控及生物学功能,综述了NLRP1炎性体在炭疽、弓形虫病、泛发型白癜风、肠炎、牛皮癣等疾病中作用的研究进展。     

自噬与NLRP3炎症小体激活间的相互作用

自噬作为真核生物细胞遭遇各种应激压力时发生的一种基本应答方式,参与细胞的多种生命活动,使细胞在各种应激条件下维持一种动态平衡状态。NOD样受体家族核苷酸结合寡聚化结构域样受体3（NOD-like receptor family,pyrin domain containing 3,NLRP3）炎症小体,是生物体内防御病原微生物的固有免疫防御系统的重要组成部分。NLRP3炎症小体通过激活胱天蛋白酶-1（caspase-1）,从而促进白细胞介素-1β（interleukin-1,IL-1β）和白细胞介素-18（interleukin-18,IL-18）等促炎细胞因子的成熟和分泌,继而介导炎症的发生。众多研究表明,自噬能够负向或正向调控NLRP3炎症小体的激活。同时,NLRP3炎症小体也会逆向影响自噬的作用。本文对自噬包括选择性自噬与NLRP3炎症小体激活的相互作用,以及通过激活自噬抑制NLRP3炎症小体,从而在炎症相关疾病治疗中的应用进行综述。     

热休克转录因子1的抗炎症作用

热休克转录因子1(heat shock factor 1, HSF1)是调节细胞保护性应激蛋白--热休克蛋白表达的主要转录因子,可被热应激、氧化应激等多种理化因素激活.近年研究表明,HSF1具有抗炎症作用:HSF1可抑制TNFα、IL-1β、M-CSF等致炎因子表达,促进IL-10等抗炎因子表达,并降低NF-κB、AP-1等致炎转录因子的活性.HSF1上调热休克蛋白和抑制炎症的双重活性,提示其很可能是联系应激反应和炎症反应的重要因子.     

白介素-17在牙龈上皮细胞中调控趋化因子的机制研究

目的：有研究发现白介素-17（IL-17）作为炎症反应的重要标志物在炎症反应中具有重要作用,并且其表达水平的高低与牙周疾病的严重程度有着正相关性,但是目前为止白介素-17对于牙龈上皮细胞的趋化因子生成的影响尚没有研究,所以本课题主要探索在牙龈上皮细胞（human gingival epithelial cells,HGECs）中白介素-17如何通过趋化因子调控炎症反应,并进一步探究其作用机制。方法：酶联免疫吸附剂测定法（enzyme linked immunosorbent assay,ELISA）观察细胞中相关趋化因子分泌,同时蛋白印迹法（western blot）观察细胞中核转录因子κB的变化。结果：无IL-17刺激组与IL-17刺激组比较,IL-17刺激组的趋化因子白介素8（CXCL8）分泌量显著性增加而另一趋化因子单核细胞趋化蛋白-1（CCL2）却没有显著变化,并且通过磷酸化IκB的表达量显著性增加提示NF-κB被激活（P〈0.05）;同时IL-17刺激组与IL-17＋NF-κB抑制剂组比较,IL-17＋NF-κB抑制剂组的CXCL8分泌量显著降低,而通过磷酸化IκB的表达量显著减少提示NF-κB的活性被抑制（P〈0.05）。结论：NF-κB对IL-17刺激下的牙龈上皮细胞趋化因子的表达调控具有关键性作用,同时可能也为将来治疗IL-17诱导的牙周炎症性疾病提供了新的靶点。     

亚硝基化谷胱甘肽还原酶: 一个调控炎症反应的新分子

炎症因子的表达调控是炎症反应的关键步骤,与自身免疫疾病以及癌症等密切相关．一氧化氮(nitric oxide,NO)在炎症因子表达调控中具有重要作用,但已有的研究多关注于NO合成对炎症因子的调控作用,而对NO代谢的作用知之甚少．亚硝基化谷胱甘肽还原酶(S-nitrosoglutathione reductase,GSNOR)是体内NO信号通路代谢调控的关键蛋白．本研究发现脂多糖(lipopolysaccharide,LPS)在RAW264.7细胞中上调诱导型一氧化氮合酶(inducible nitric oxide synthase,iNOS)的同时下调GSNOR的转录和蛋白质表达,该下调作用依赖MEK1/2、p38和PI3K信号通路．抑制GSNOR可促进LPS诱导的炎症因子IL-1β、IL-6和TNF-α表达,而过表达GSNOR作用相反．抗炎症药物曲古抑菌素A (trichostatin A,TSA)能够挽回LPS对GSNOR的下调作用,并且GSNOR抑制剂削弱了TSA对炎症因子IL-6和TNF-α转录的抑制效应．这些结果表明：GSNOR是一个新的重要炎症调控分子,它可能成为调控NO介导的炎症相关信号通路的新的潜在靶点,上调GSNOR可能是抑制炎症的新思路．本研究揭示了巨噬细胞通过上调iNOS和下调GSNOR共同增强免疫炎症反应的新机制,拓展了对NO代谢在炎症反应中作用机制的认识．     

MCP-1-induced protein-1, an immune regulator

MCP-1-induced protein-1 (MCPIP1) is a newly identified protein that is crucial to immune regulation. Mice lacking MCPIP1 gene suffer from severe immune disorders, and most of them cannot survive longer than 12 weeks. Considerable progress has been made in revealing the mechanism underlying the immune regulatory function of MCPIP1. MCPIP1 can act as an RNase to promote the mRNA degradation of some inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and IL-1. Pre-microRNAs are also confirmed to be the substrate of MCPIP1 RNase. The structure of MCPIP1 N-terminal conserved domain shows a PilT N-terminus-like RNase structure, further supporting the notion that MCPIP1 has RNase activity. MCPIP1 can also deubiquitinate TNF receptor-associated factor family proteins, which are known to mediate immune and inflammatory responses. In this review, we summarize recent progress on the immune regulatory role of MCPIP1 and discuss the mechanisms underlying its function.     

Monocyte chemotactic protein-induced protein (MCPIP) promotes inflammatory angiogenesis via sequential induction of oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy

Major diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, obesity and tumor growth are known to involve inflammation. Inflammatory molecules such as MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-8 are known to promote angiogenesis. MCP-induced protein (MCPIP), originally discovered as a novel zinc finger protein induced by MCP-1, is also induced by other inflammatory agents. MCPIP was shown to mediate MCP-1-induced angiogenesis. Whether angiogenesis induced by other inflammatory agents is mediated via MCPIP is unknown and the molecular mechanisms involved in angiogenesis induced by MCPIP have not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to bridge this gap and delineate the sequential processes involved in angiogenesis mediated via MCPIP. siRNA knockdown of MCPIP was used to determine whether different inflammatory agents, MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-8, mediate angiogenesis via MCPIP in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Chemical inhibitors and specific gene knockdown approach were used to inhibit each process postulated. Oxidative stress was inhibited by apocynin or cerium oxide nanoparticles or knockdown of NADPH oxidase subunit, phox47. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was blocked by tauroursodeoxycholate or knockdown of ER stress signaling protein IRE-1 and autophagy was inhibited by the use of 3'methyl adenine, or LY 294002 or by specific knockdown of beclin1. Matrigel assay was used as a tool to study angiogenic differentiation induced by inflammatory agents or MCPIP overexpression in HUVECs. Tube formation induced by inflammatory agents, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-8 and MCP-1 was inhibited by knockdown of MCPIP. Forced MCPIP-expression induced oxidative stress, ER stress, autophagy and angiogenic differentiation in HUVECs. Inhibition of each step caused inhibition of each subsequent step postulated. The results reveal that angiogenesis induced by inflammatory agents is mediated via induction of MCPIP that causes oxidative and nitrosative stress resulting in ER stress leading to autophagy required for angiogenesis. The sequence of events suggested to be involved in inflammatory angiogenesis by MCPIP could serve as possible targets for therapeutic intervention of angiogenesis-related disorders.     

Structural study of MCPIP1 N-terminal conserved domain reveals a PIN-like RNase

MCP-1-induced protein 1 (MCPIP1) plays an important role in the downregulation of the LPS-induced immune response by acting as an RNase targeting IL-6 and IL-12b mRNAs. A conserved domain located in the N-terminal part of MCPIP1 is thought to be responsible for its RNase activity, but its catalytic mechanism is not well understood due to the lack of an atomic resolution structure. We determined the 3D crystal structure of this MCPIP1 N-terminal conserved RNase domain at a resolution of 2.0 Å. The overall structure of MCPIP1 N-terminal conserved domain shares high structural homology with PilT N-terminal domain. We show that the RNase catalytic center is composed of several acidic residues, verifying their importance by site-specific mutagenesis. A positively charged arm close to the catalytic center may act as an RNA substrate-binding site, since exchange of critical positively charged residues on this arm with alanine partially abolish the RNase activity of MCPIP1 in vivo. Our structure of the MCPIP1 N-terminal conserved domain reveals the details of the catalytic center and provides a greater understanding of the RNA degradation mechanism.     

MCPIP1 negatively regulates toll-like receptor 4 signaling and protects mice from LPS-induced septic shock

Septic shock is one of leading causes of morbidity and mortality in hospital patients. However, genetic factors predisposing to septic shock are not fully understood. Our previous work showed that MCP-induced protein 1 (MCPIP1) was induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), which then negatively regulates LPS-induced inflammatory signaling in vitro. Here we report that although MCPIP1 was induced by various toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands in macrophages, MCPIP1-deficient mice are extremely susceptible to TLR4 ligand (LPS)-induced septic shock and death, but not to the TLR2, 3, 5 and 9 ligands-induced septic shock. Consistently, LPS induced tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) production in MCPIP1-deficient mice was 20-fold greater than that in their wild-type littermates. Further analysis revealed that MCPIP1-deficient mice developed severe acute lung injury after LPS injection and JNK signaling was highly activated in MCPIP1-deficient lungs after LPS stimulation. Finally, macrophage-specific MCPIP1 transgenic mice were partially protected from LPS-induced septic shock, suggesting that inflammatory cytokines from sources other than macrophages may significantly contribute to the pathogenesis of LPS-induced septic shock. Taken together, these results suggest that MCPIP1 selectively suppresses TLR4 signaling pathway and protects mice from LPS-induced septic shock.     

颗粒溶素的研究进展

颗粒溶素具有溶细胞作用和杀菌活性,其作用对象包括肿瘤细胞、细菌、真菌和寄生虫。颗粒溶素是T淋巴细胞、单核细胞和其他炎性细胞的化学刺激物,可以激活许多细胞因子的表达,包括调节激活T细胞表达和分泌（RANTES）、单核细胞化学引诱物蛋白（MCP）1、MCP3、巨噬细胞炎性蛋白1（MP）、白介素（IL）-10、IL-1、IL-6和干扰素（IFN）-α。颗粒溶素与感染、癌症、移植、自身免疫、皮肤和生殖疾病等多种疾病相关。基于颗粒溶素的多功能性,本文针对其作用机制和与临床常见疾病关系做一综述。     

IL-18 induces monocyte chemotactic protein-1 production in macrophages through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and MEK/ERK1/2 pathways

Macrophages are activated during an inflammatory response and produce multiple inflammatory cytokines. IL-18 is one of the most important innate cytokines produced from macrophages in the early stages of the inflammatory immune response. Monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) is expressed in many inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and its expression is correlated with the severity of the disease. Both IL-18 and MCP-1 have been shown to be involved in inflammatory immune responses. However, it has been unclear whether IL-18 is involved in the induction of MCP-1. This investigation was initiated to determine whether IL-18 can induce MCP-1 production, and if so, by which signal transduction pathways. We found that IL-18 induced the production of MCP-1 in macrophages, which was IL-12-independent and was not mediated by autocrine cytokines such as IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha. We then examined signal transduction pathways involved in IL-18-induced MCP-1 production. We found that IL-18 did not activate the IkappaB kinase/NF-kappaB pathway, evidenced by no degradation of IkappaBalpha and no translocation of NF-kappaB p65 to the nucleus in IL-18-stimulated macrophages. Instead, IL-18 activated the PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK1/2 pathways. Inhibition of either of these pathways attenuated MCP-1 production in macrophages, and inhibition of both signaling pathways resulted in the complete inhibition of MCP-1 production. On the basis of these observations, we conclude that IL-18 induces MCP-1 production through the PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK1/2 pathways in macrophages.