Acceleration of Bone Repair in NOD/SCID Mice by Human Monoosteophils,Novel LL-37-Activated Monocytes

Background

An incomplete understanding of bone forming cells during wound healing and ectopic calcification has led to a search for circulating cells that may fulfill this function. Previously, we showed that monoosteophils, a novel lineage of calcifying/bone-forming cells generated by treatment of monocytes with the natural peptide LL-37, are candidates. In this study, we have analyzed their gene expression profile and bone repair function.

Methods and Findings

Human monoosteophils can be distinguished from monocytes, macrophages and osteoclasts by their unique up-regulation of integrin α3 and down-regulation of CD14 and CD16. Monoosteophils express high mRNA and protein levels of SPP1 (osteopontin), GPNMB (osteoactivin), CHI3L1 (cartilage glycoprotein-39), CHIT1 (Chitinase 1), MMP-7, CCL22 and MAPK13 (p38MAPKδ). Monocytes from wild type, but not MAPK13 KO mice are also capable of monoosteophil differentiation, suggesting that MAPK13 regulates this process. When human monoosteophils were implanted in a freshly drilled hole in mid-diaphyseal femurs of NOD/SCID mice, significant bone repair required only 14 days compared to at least 24 days in control treated injuries.

Conclusion

Human derived monoosteophils, characterized as CD45⁺α3⁺α3β⁺CD34⁻CD14⁻BAP (bone alkaline phosphatase)⁻ cells, can function in an animal model of bone injury.     

CD34+和CD34-细胞在NOD/SCID小鼠体内的造血重建

利用非肥胖糖尿病型重症联合免疫缺陷型(NOD/SCID)小鼠模型, 比较了新鲜及培养后的CD34+和CD34-细胞在体内植入及重建造血能力。从新鲜脐血及培养后的单个核细胞(MNC)中分离出CD34+和CD34-细胞, 经尾静脉输注入经亚致死剂量照射的NOD/SCID小鼠体内, 6周后处死存活的小鼠, 取其骨髓、脾脏和外周血细胞, 分别进行细胞表型分析、造血集落形成单位和人特异性基因的检测。经检测, 输注CD34+细胞和混合细胞的小鼠, 其体内CD45+细胞及人源各系血细胞的含量相近, 两者均远远高于输注CD34-细胞的小鼠。输注培养后CD34-细胞的小鼠饲养6周后全部死亡,输注培养后CD34+细胞的小鼠存活率约为66.7%, 而输注培养后混合细胞的小鼠全部存活, 且在两组存活的小鼠体内均能检测到CD45+细胞及人源各系血细胞。结果表明: 无论是新鲜还是培养后的CD34+细胞均具有在NOD/SCID小鼠体内植入和重建造血能力, 而CD34-细胞不具有该能力, 但CD34-细胞与CD34+细胞同时输注有助于提高小鼠的存活率, 说明其对CD34+细胞在小鼠体内发挥植入和造血重建能力有一定的辅助作用。     

人CD34^＋和CD34^-细胞在NOD／SCID小鼠体内的造血重建

利用非肥胖糖尿病型重症联合免疫缺陷型(NOD/SCID)小鼠模型,比较了新鲜及培养后的CD34 和CD34-细胞在体内植入及重建造血能力.从新鲜脐血及培养后的单个核细胞(MNC)中分离出CD34 和CD34-细胞,经尾静脉输注入经亚致死剂量照射的NOD/SCID小鼠体内,6周后处死存活的小鼠,取其骨髓、脾脏和外周血细胞,分别进行细胞表型分析、造血集落形成单位和人特异性基因的检测.经检测,输注CD34' 细胞和混合细胞的小鼠,其体内CD45 细胞及人源各系血细胞的含量相近,两者均远远高于输注CD34-细胞的小鼠.输注培养后CD34-细胞的小鼠饲养6周后全部死亡,输注培养后CD34 细胞的小鼠存活率约为66.7%,而输注培养后混合细胞的小鼠全部存活,且在两组存活的小鼠体内均能检测到CD45 细胞及人源各系血细胞.结果表明:无论是新鲜还是培养后的CD34 细胞均具有在NOD/SCID小鼠体内植入和重建造血能力,而CD34-细胞不具有该能力,但CD34-细胞与CD34 细胞同时输注有助于提高小鼠的存活率,说明其对CD34 细胞在小鼠体内发挥植入和造血重建能力有一定的辅助作用.     

Gene Regulation and Functional Alterations Induced by Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Encoded ORFK13/vFLIP in Endothelial Cells

Kaposi''s sarcoma (KS) is an angioproliferative inflammatory disorder induced by endothelial cell infection with the KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). ORFK13/vFLIP, one of the KSHV genes expressed in KS, encodes a 188-amino-acid protein which binds to the Iκb kinase (IKK) complex to activate NF-κB. We examined ORFK13/vFLIP contribution to KS phenotype and potential for therapeutic targeting. Retroviral transduction of ORFK13/vFLIP into primary human endothelial cells induces the spindle morphology distinctive of KS cells and promotes the formation of abnormal vascular networks typical of KS vasculature; upregulates the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and interferon-responsive genes; and stimulates the adhesion of inflammatory cells characteristic of KS lesions. Thymidine phosphorylase, a cellular enzyme markedly induced by ORFK13/vFLIP, can metabolize the prodrug 5-fluoro-5-deoxyuridine (5-dFUrd) to 5-fluouridine (5-FU), a potent thymidine synthase inhibitor, which blocks DNA and RNA synthesis. When tested for cytotoxicity, 5-dFUrd (0.1 to 1 μM) selectively killed ORFK13/vFLIP-expressing endothelial cells while sparing control cells. These results demonstrate that ORFK13/vFLIP directly and indirectly contributes to the inflammatory and vascular phenotype of KS and identify 5-dFUrd as a potential new drug that targets KSHV latency for the treatment of KS and other KSHV-associated malignancies.Kaposi''s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV/human herpesvirus 8) is the etiological agent of Kaposi''s sarcoma (KS), primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and a subset of multicentric Castleman''s diseases. KS typically presents as a multicentric angioproliferative tumor characterized by multiple nodular or macular lesions often on the skin, and less frequently in the gastrointestinal tract and the lung. Histologically, the lesions consist of spindle cells infected with KSHV, inflammatory infiltrates of monocytes/macrophages, lymphocytes and other cells, and “vascular slits” replete of red blood cells (8). KS spindle cells are likely to be of endothelial lineage (19).In KS tissues, KSHV establishes a mostly latent infection characterized by expression of a limited number of viral genes that are likely important to the disease pathogenesis (30). ORFK13 is one such KSHV latent gene. Its gene product, called vFLIP (for viral Flice-like inhibitory protein) or K-FLIP, comprises two tandem death-effector domains that are often found in apoptotic signaling mediators such as cellular FLICE inhibitory protein (cFLIP) and caspase-8/FLICE. Consistent with its sequence similarity with cFLIP, vFLIP was found to inhibit caspase activation and prevent apoptotic cell death (39). Silencing ORFK13/vFLIP expression by RNA interference stopped PEL growth in vitro and in vivo, providing evidence of the essential role of K13/vFLIP in PEL pathogenesis (16). Transgenic mice of K13/vFLIP in lymphoid cells developed more lymphomas than controls (11). Similar to the viral proteins of many other lymphogenic viruses, K13/vFLIP activates NF-κB (1, 10, 25, 27, 42). By activating NF-κB and inhibiting the AP-1 pathway, K13/vFLIP was recently reported to promote viral latency (49).Recent studies have characterized selected effects of K13/vFLIP expression in primary endothelial cells transduced with ORFK13/vFLIP (15, 20, 29), providing important insights into its function. Here, we broadly investigated K13/vFLIP function in endothelial cells. By establishing stable retrovirus-mediated transduction of ORFK13/vFLIP in primary human endothelial cells, we have extensively characterized the biochemical and functional consequences of K13/vFLIP expression in these cells.     

人脐血CD34+细胞在NOD/SCID小鼠免疫重建及其抗HBV作用的初步探讨

目的：探讨NOD／SCID（nonobese diabetic／severe combined immunodeficient）小鼠移植人脐带血（human umbilical cord blood,HUCB）CD34＋细胞后免疫重建的特性。建立hu—NOD／SCID人鼠嵌合模型并观察其人源化免疫细胞在小鼠体内的生长分化特性、存活时间及其对HBV感染的清除作用。方法：1．NOD／SCID小鼠于C0603．5Gy照射后24h内尾静脉输注HUCBCD34＋细胞;2．以流式细胞技术鉴定小鼠外周血中CD45＋,CD3＋,CD19＋,CD56＋等人源化细胞的比例;3．NOD／SCID小鼠于移植后第4wk注射HBV感染者血清并以未移植的NOD／SCID小鼠作为对照,注射同等量的患者血清;4．于感染后1、7、10、15天采血,免疫荧光定量PCR方法分别检测其HBV—DNA含量。结果：1．HUCBCD34＋细胞移植后第2wk,在小鼠外周血中检测出的CD3＋CD8＋T细胞、CD3＋CD4＋T细胞、CD19＋B细胞、CD56＋NK细胞的比例分别为18．6％、16．1％、13．1％和27．8％。各细胞比例随小鼠周龄而变化。所有移植小鼠存活时间均达9wk;2．移植后小鼠感染HBV血清后,病毒仅在感染后第一天检出,随后消失;未移植CD34＋细胞的小鼠外周血HBV—DNA一直维持在103水平：结论：1．NOD／SCID小鼠经射线照射后移植HUCBCD34＋细胞,在不加任何刺激因子的情况下小鼠可以长时间存活并重建免疫;2．hu—NOD／SCID人鼠嵌合模型小鼠免疫成功重建后,对HBV感染有快速的清除作用。     

外源p53基因和TNFa基因转导对膀胱癌细胞在裸鼠体内的生长抑制

通过逆转录病毒载体将野生型ｐ５３基因、ＴＮＦａ基因单独或与ＩＬ－６基因连接（ＴＮＦＩＬ－６）分别导入膀胱癌细胞株ＥＪ和ＢＩＵ－８７．裸鼠致瘤试验和体外生长实验显示：ｐ５３基因转染组细胞接种裸鼠后９周无肿瘤生长,体外生长速率明显降低,Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ杂交显示Ｈ－ｒａｓ基因表达明显低于非转染组细胞,ＴＮＰａ基因和ＴＮ刊ＩＬ－６基因转染组裸鼠瘤体积明显小于对照组,体外生长速率与对照组无显著差别,两种细胞因子对Ｈ－ｒａｓ基因表达无影响。     

Increased Membrane/Nuclear Translocation and Phosphorylation of p90 KD Ribosomal S6 Kinase in the Brain of Hypoxic Preconditioned Mice

Our previous studies have demonstrated that hypoxic precondition (HPC) increased membrane translocation of protein kinase C isoforms and decreased phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in the brain of mice. The goal of this study was to determine the involvement of p90 KD ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) in cerebral HPC of mice. Using Western-blot analysis, we found that the levels of membrane/nuclear translocation, but not protein expression of RSK increased significantly in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of HPC mice. In addition, we found that the phosphorylation levels of RSK at the Ser227 site (a PDK1 phosphorylation site), but not at the Thr359/Ser363 sites (ERK1/2 phosphorylated sites) increased significantly in the brain of HPC mice. Similar results were confirmed by an immunostaining study of total RSK and phospho-Ser227 RSK. To further define the cellular populations to express phospho-Ser227 RSK, we found that the expression of phospho-Ser227 RSK co-localized with neurogranin, a neuron-specific marker, in cortex and hippocampus of HPC mice by using double-labeled immunofluorescent staining method. These results suggest that increased RSK membrane/nuclear translocation and PDK1 mediated neuron-specific phosphorylation of RSK at Ser227 might be involved in the development of cerebral HPC of mice.     

Type 1 Diabetes Prevention in NOD Mice by Targeting DPPIV/CD26 Is Associated with Changes in CD8+T Effector Memory Subset

CD26 is a T cell activation marker consisting in a type II transmembrane glycoprotein with dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) activity in its extracellular domain. It has been described that DPPIV inhibition delays the onset of type 1 diabetes and reverses the disease in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of MK626, a DPPIV inhibitor, in type 1 diabetes incidence and in T lymphocyte subsets at central and peripheral compartments. Pre-diabetic NOD mice were treated with MK626. Diabetes incidence, insulitis score, and phenotyping of T lymphocytes in the thymus, spleen and pancreatic lymph nodes were determined after 4 and 6 weeks of treatment, as well as alterations in the expression of genes encoding β-cell autoantigens in the islets. The effect of MK626 was also assessed in two in vitro assays to determine proliferative and immunosuppressive effects. Results show that MK626 treatment reduces type 1 diabetes incidence and after 6 weeks of treatment reduces insulitis. No differences were observed in the percentage of T lymphocyte subsets from central and peripheral compartments between treated and control mice. MK626 increased the expression of CD26 in CD8⁺ T effector memory (T_EM) from spleen and pancreatic lymph nodes and in CD8⁺ T cells from islet infiltration. CD8⁺T_EM cells showed an increased proliferation rate and cytokine secretion in the presence of MK626. Moreover, the combination of CD8⁺ T_EM cells and MK626 induces an immunosuppressive response. In conclusion, treatment with the DPPIV inhibitor MK626 prevents experimental type 1 diabetes in association to increase expression of CD26 in the CD8⁺ T_EM lymphocyte subset. In vitro assays suggest an immunoregulatory role of CD8⁺ T_EM cells that may be involved in the protection against autoimmunity to β pancreatic islets associated to DPPIV inhibitor treatment.     

Sorafenib Inhibits Lymphoma Xenografts by Targeting MAPK/ERK and AKT Pathways in Tumor and Vascular Cells

The anti-lymphoma activity and mechanism(s) of action of the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib were investigated using a panel of lymphoma cell lines, including SU-DHL-4V, Granta-519, HD-MyZ, and KMS-11 cell lines. In vitro, sorafenib significantly decreased cell proliferation and phosphorylation levels of MAPK and PI3K/Akt pathways while increased apoptotic cell death. In vivo, sorafenib treatment resulted in a cytostatic rather than cytotoxic effect on tumor cell growth associated with a limited inhibition of tumor volumes. However, sorafenib induced an average 50% reduction of tumor vessel density and a 2-fold increase of necrotic areas. Upon sorafenib treatment, endothelial and tumor cells from SU-DHL-4V, Granta-519, and KMS-11 nodules showed a potent inhibition of either phospho-ERK or phospho-AKT, whereas a concomitant inhibition of phospho-ERK and phospho-AKT was only observed in HD-MyZ nodules. In conclusion, sorafenib affects the growth of lymphoid cell lines by triggering antiangiogenic mechanism(s) and directly targeting tumor cells.     

Early Expression of the Calmodulin Gene, Which Precedes Appressorium Formation in Magnaporthe grisea, Is Inhibited by Self-Inhibitors and Requires Surface Attachment

Fungal conidia contain chemicals that inhibit germination and appressorium formation until they are well dispersed in a favorable environment. Recently, such self-inhibitors were found to be present on the conidia of Magnaporthe grisea, and plant surface waxes were found to relieve this self-inhibition. To determine whether the self-inhibitors suppress the expression of early genes involved in the germination and differentiation of conidia, the calmodulin gene was chosen as a representative early gene, because it was found to be expressed early in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Colletotrichum trifolii differentiation. After calmodulin cDNA and genomic DNA from M. grisea were cloned, the promoter of the calmodulin gene was fused to a reporter gene, that for green fluorescent protein (GFP), and transformed into the M. grisea genome. Confocal microscopic examination and quantitation of expression of GFP green fluorescence showed (i) that the expression of the calmodulin gene decreased significantly when self-inhibition of M. grisea appressorium formation occurred because of high conidial density or addition of exogenous self-inhibitors and (ii) that the expression level of this gene was restored when self-inhibition was relieved by the addition of plant surface waxes. The increase in fluorescence correlated with the percentage of conidia that formed appressoria. The induction of calmodulin was also confirmed by RNA blotting. Concanavalin A inhibited surface attachment of conidia, GFP expression, and appressorium formation without affecting germination. The high correlation between GFP expression and appressorium formation strongly suggests that calmodulin gene expression and appressorium formation require surface attachment.