菊花总黄酮对RSV感染A549细胞趋化因子的影响

目的:探讨菊花总黄酮对小儿RSV感染A549细胞诱导RANTES及MCP-1释放作用影响。方法:实验分为细胞对照组,病毒对照组,菊花总黄酮组和病毒唑组。在Hep-2细胞和A549细胞分别加入菊花总黄酮和病毒唑的含药维持液,测定上述两种药物的最大无毒浓度;RSV病毒感染Hep-2细胞,观察药物对RSV的病毒抑制作用;RSV感染A549细胞,ELISA法测细胞趋化因子RANTES及MCP-1含量。结果:菊花总黄酮50%有效率优于病毒唑组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);RANTES及MCP-1释放抑制作用比较中,菊花总黄酮组RANTES、MCP-1明显降低,优于病毒唑组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:菊花总黄酮能够抑制RSV病毒活性,明显降低A549细胞释放RANTES、MCP-1,缓解患儿的呼吸道症状,对临床具有指导意义,值得临床推广。     

Sphingosine 1-phosphate inhibits migration and RANTES production in human bronchial smooth muscle cells

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a bioactive lipid mediator, has been shown to be increased in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after allergen challenge in asthmatic patients. Here, we examined S1P actions and their intracellular signalings in cultured human bronchial smooth muscle cells (BSMCs). Expression of mRNAs of three subtypes of S1P receptors, including S1P(1), S1P(2), and S1P(3), was detected in BSMCs, and exposure of the cells to S1P inhibited platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced migration and tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced RANTES production. S1P also inhibited PDGF-induced Rac1 activation, and dominant negative Rac1 inhibited PDGF-induced migration. On the other hand, dominant negative Galpha(q) attenuated the S1P-induced inhibition of RANTES production. Finally, an S1P(2)-selective antagonist, JTE-013, suppressed the S1P-induced inhibition of migration response and RANTES production. These results suggest that S1P attenuates cell migration by inhibiting a Rac1-dependent signaling pathway and decreases RANTES production by stimulating a Galpha(q)-dependent mechanism both possibly through the S1P(2) receptors.     

Biotinylation of heat shock protein 70 induces RANTES production in HEK293 cells in a CD40-independent pathway

Biotinylated proteins and peptides have been used as popular ligands for characterization of cell surface receptors by a variety of methods including flow cytometry. The number and the location of biotin moieties incorporated could alter the structural and physicochemical properties of ligands, although biotin is thought to be such a small molecule (244Da) that it is capable of being conjugated to most proteins without affecting their activity. Here, we demonstrate that the biotinylated HSP70 molecule via primary amines bound to epithelium-like HEK 293 cells in a saturable manner whereas the unlabeled counterparts of HSP70 other than mouse Hsp72 do not. This binding was not competed by either HSP70 or the biotin entity itself. Interestingly, the biotinylated HSP70 also elicited the production of CC-chemokine RANTES independent of CD40 signaling. This response occurred regardless of sequence diversity of HSP70 derived from different species, and neither the biotinylated ovalbumin nor the unlabeled HSP70 cross-linked with a biotinylated protein stimulated a significant level of RANTES production which was induced by biotinylated HSP70 itself. Our findings suggest that modification of HSP70 such as biotinylation may function as a biological alarm signal in the innate immune system.     

Fibroblast nemosis induces angiogenic responses of endothelial cells

Increasing evidence points to a central link between inflammation and activation of the stroma, especially of fibroblasts therein. However, the mechanisms leading to such activation mostly remain undescribed. We have previously characterized a novel type of fibroblast activation (nemosis) where clustered fibroblasts upregulated the production of cyclooxygenase-2, secretion of prostaglandins, proteinases, chemotactic cytokines, and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and displayed activated nuclear factor-κB. Now we show that nemosis drives angiogenic responses of endothelial cells. In addition to HGF, nemotic fibroblasts secreted vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and conditioned medium from spheroids promoted sprouting and networking of human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVEC). The response was partly inhibited by function-blocking antibodies against HGF and VEGF. Conditioned nemotic fibroblast medium promoted closure of HUVEC and human dermal microvascular endothelial cell monolayer wounds, by increasing the motility of the endothelial cells. Wound closure in HUVEC cells was partly inhibited by the antibodies against HGF. The stromal microenvironment regulates wound healing responses and often promotes tumorigenesis. Nemosis offers clues to the activation process of stromal fibroblasts and provides a model to study the part they play in angiogenesis-related conditions, as well as possibilities for therapeutical approaches desiring angiogenesis in tissue.     

RANTES的多聚化及其意义

RANTES可以单体,双体和多聚体等形式存在,单体和双体形式的RANTES受体为CCR1,CCR3,CCR4和CCR5,而多聚体GAG。Glu26和Glu66在RANTES的多聚化过程中起着重要的作用。多聚体的RANTES与Jak2,Jak3和Src kinase p56(lck)等酪氨酸磷酸化有关,活化T细胞,单个核细胞及巨噬细胞,并可增强HIV的复制。     

Structural correlates of antimicrobial efficacy in IL-8 and related human kinocidins

Chemokines are small (8-12 kDa) effector proteins that potentiate leukocyte chemonavigation. Beyond this role, certain chemokines have direct antimicrobial activity against human pathogenic organisms; such molecules are termed kinocidins. The current investigation was designed to explore the structure-activity basis for direct microbicidal activity of kinocidins. Amino acid sequence and 3-dimensional analyses demonstrated these molecules to contain iterations of the conserved γ-core motif found in broad classes of classical antimicrobial peptides. Representative CXC, CC and C cysteine-motif-group kinocidins were tested for antimicrobial activity versus human pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Results demonstrate that these molecules exert direct antimicrobial activity in vitro, including antibacterial activity of native IL-8 and MCP-1, and microbicidal activity of native IL-8. To define molecular determinants governing its antimicrobial activities, the IL-8 γ-core (IL-8γ) and α-helical (IL-8α) motifs were compared to native IL-8 for antimicrobial efficacy in vitro. Microbicidal activity recapitulating that of native IL-8 localized to the autonomous IL-8α motif in vitro, and demonstrated durable microbicidal activity in human blood and blood matrices ex vivo. These results offer new insights into the modular architecture, context-related deployment and function, and evolution of host defense molecules containing γ-core motifs and microbicidal helices associated with antimicrobial activity.     

RANTES gene mRNA expression and its -403 G/A promoter polymorphism in coronary artery disease

Objective

Increased RANTES expression has been described to have a role in atherosclerosis plaque formation. Functional polymorphisms within RANTES promoter region have shown association with increased risk of coronary atherosclerosis (CAD). The aim of this study was to examine the RANTES mRNA expression in patients with CAD compared to patients without CAD and its association with RANTES − 403 G/A polymorphism in an Iranian population.

Methods

The study was performed on 319 patients who underwent coronary artery angiography and patients with > 50% stenosis in vessels considered as case groups (CAD+) N = 191 and normal vessels group as control (CAD−) N = 128. In each group 20 patients were examined for RANTES mRNA expression.RANTES mRNA expression was examined using quantitative real-time PCR. Genotyping of − 403 polymorphism was performed using PCR-RFLP technique.

Results

We found that RANTES mRNA expression was increased to 1.37 fold in CAD patients compared to the controls but the difference was not statistically significant. Also comparing the RANTES mRNA expression in patients with different RANTES − 403 G/A polymorphism showed that in patients carrying AA genotype RANTES mRNA expression was increased to 1.74 fold compared to patients carrying GG genotype and to 1.51 fold compared to patients carrying GA genotype. No significant difference for allele and genotype frequencies of RANTES − 403 polymorphism was found between cases and controls.

Conclusion

More studies on larger number of samples are required to further evaluate role of RANTES in pathogenesis of CAD.     

建立稳定表达人RANTES基因的夏枯草细胞克隆

为了在中药细胞中表达人源有用基因 ,以增强其特异药理活性 ,将克隆自人外周血淋巴细胞 (PBL)mRNA的RANTES基因经Ti质粒衍生的中间表达载体pROKII导入携带pAL44 0 4质粒的根癌农杆菌LBA44 0 4菌株中 ,并采用叶盘共培养法转化离体培养夏枯草细胞 ,经Southern杂交确认RANTES基因在转化细胞基因组中的整合 ,用RT -PCR扩增、Western印迹杂交和酶联免疫吸附测定 (ELISA)分析转化细胞中RANTES基因的表达 ,以PBL的过氧化物酶活性作为重组RANTES对细胞趋化性诱导的检测指标。结果表明 ,RANTES基因已在转基因夏枯草细胞中整合 ,并已形成稳定表达RANTES基因的细胞克隆 ,为进一步培育具有特异药理活性的转基因夏枯草植株打下了基础。     

趋化因子基因对HIV-1外膜蛋白基因疫苗诱导的免疫应答的影响

研究趋化因子基因对HIV-1外膜蛋白基因疫苗诱导免疫应答的影响,以探求防治HIV的新策略。将 pVAX1GP120联合RANTES、MIP-1α基因或者pVAX1GP120单独免疫Balb／c小鼠,采用ELISA检测免疫小鼠 的特异性抗体和IFN-γ水平,用MTT比色法检测免疫小鼠脾淋巴细胞的增殖,用乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)试验检测小 鼠特异性细胞毒性T淋巴细胞(CTL)的应答。与pVAX1GP120免疫组比较,pVAX1GP120联合RANTES、MIP- 1α基因免疫组小鼠血清的抗HIV-1gp120抗体滴度升高,有显著性差异(p<0．01);与pVAX1GP120免疫组比较, pVAX1GP120联合RANTES、MIP-1α基因免疫组小鼠血清的IFN-γ升高,有显著性差异(p<0．01); pVAX1GP120联合RANTES、MIP-1α基因免疫组小鼠的脾淋巴细胞增殖实验刺激指数(SI)以及特异性CTL活性 均高于pVAX1GP120免疫组,有显著性差异(p<0．01)。RANTES、MIP-1α基因联合HIV-1外膜蛋白基因疫苗免 疫小鼠,可能增强HIV特异性Th1细胞和CTL反应,RANTES、MIP-1α基因对体液免疫有加强作用。因此, RANTES、MIP-1α基因对于HIV-1外膜蛋白基因疫苗具有较好应用前景的免疫佐剂。