THE ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY OF HUMAN T CELL ACTIVATION BY MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES(A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN NORMAL INDIVIDUALS AND CANCER PATIENTS)

This paper described T cell proliferative response by an alternative pathway in normal subjects and In patients with malignant diseases. Two McAbs, Anti-CCTl and Lo-CD2-act recognizing two distinct epitopes on E-receptor (CD2) were used to costimulate PBMC. Proliferative responsiveness was measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation. It was found that 82% of 72 nonnal subjects gave proliferative response whereas only 23% of the 93 patients did. The average cpm±SD in patients with bladder cancer (118±2314), kidney cancer (1619±2719) or lymphoma (2518±4057) was significantly lower than that in normal subjects (4935±2314), (P<0.001). These results indicate that T cell proliferation through the alternative pathway was significantly depressed in patients with cancer, and this can be used as a new parameter to monitor the immune status of cancer patients.

Endothelial progenitor cell-conditioned medium promotes angiogenesis and is neuroprotective after spinal cord injury

Endothelial progenitor cells secrete a variety of growth factors that inhibit inflammation, promote angiogenesis and exert neuroprotective effects. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether endothelial progenitor cell-conditioned medium might have therapeutic effectiveness for the treatment of spinal cord injury using both in vitro and in vivo experiments. After primary culture of bone marrow-derived macrophages, lipopolysaccharide stimulation was used to classically activate macrophages to their proinflammatory phenotype. These cells were then treated with endothelial progenitor cell-conditioned medium or control medium. Polymerase chain reaction was used to determine mR NA expression levels of related inflammatory factors. Afterwards, primary cultures of rat spinal cord neuronal cells were prepared and treated with H2O2and either endothelial progenitor cell-conditioned medium or control medium. Hoechst 33258 and propidium iodide staining were used to calculate the proportion of neurons undergoing apoptosis. Aortic ring assay was performed to assess the effect of endothelial progenitor cell-conditioned medium on angiogenesis. Compared with control medium, endothelial progenitor cell-conditioned medium mitigated the macrophage inflammatory response at the spinal cord injury site, suppressed apoptosis, and promoted angiogenesis. Next, we used a rat model of spinal cord injury to examine the effects of the endothelial progenitor cell-conditioned medium in vivo. The rats were randomly administered intraperitoneal injection of PBS, control medium or endothelial progenitor cell-conditioned medium, once a day, for 6 consecutive weeks. Immunohistochemistry was used to observe neuronal morphology. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated d UTP nick-end labeling assay was performed to detect the proportion of apoptotic neurons in the gray matter. The Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan Locomotor Rating Scale was used to evaluate the recovery of motor function of the bilateral hind limbs after spinal cord injury. Compared with the other two groups, the number of axons was increased, cavities in the spinal cord were decreased, the proportion of apoptotic neurons in the gray matter was reduced, and the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan score was higher in the endothelial progenitor cell-conditioned medium group. Taken together, the in vivo and in vitro results suggest that endothelial progenitor cell-conditioned medium suppresses inflammation, promotes angiogenesis, provides neuroprotection, and promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

Toxoplasma ROP16Ⅰ/Ⅲ ameliorated inflammatory bowel diseases via inducing M2 phenotype of macrophages

BACKGROUND Inflammatory bowel disease（IBD） is characterized by chronic and non-specific inflammation of the intestinal mucosa and mainly includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.AIM To explore the beneficial effect of Toxo ROP16Ⅰ/Ⅲ-induced M2 phynotype macrophages in homeostasis of IBDs through downregulation of M1 inflammatory cells.METHODS RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide（LPS）（M1 cells） were co-cultured with Caco-2 cells as an inflammatory model of IBD in vitro.The expression of Toxo ROP16Ⅰ/Ⅲ was observed in RAW264.7 macrophages that were transfected with p EGFP-rop16Ⅰ/Ⅲ.The phenotypes of M2 and M1 macrophage cells were assessed by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and the expression of tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α,interleukin（IL）-1β,IL-6,transforming growth factor（TGF）-β1,IL-10,inducible nitric oxide synthase（i NOS）,and arginase-1（Arg-1） was detected.The expression of i NOS,Arg-1,signal transducer and activator of transcription 3（Stat3）,p-Stat3,Stat6,pStat6,programmed death ligand-2（PD-L2）,caspase-3,-8,and-9 was analyzed by Western blotting,and Griess assays were performed to detect nitric oxide（NO）.TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,TGF-β1,and IL-10 expression in the supernatants was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and Caco-2 cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry after mixing M1 cells with M2 cells in a Caco-2 cell co-culture system.RESULTS M1 cells exhibited significantly increased production of i NOS,NO,TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6,while Toxo ROP16Ⅰ/Ⅲ induced macrophage bias to M2 cells in vitro,showing increased expression of Arg-1,IL-10 and TGF-β1 and elevated production of p-Stat3 and p-Stat6.The mixed M1 and M2 cell culture induced by Toxo ROP16 Ⅰ/Ⅲ exhibited decreased production of NO and i NOS and upregulated expression of Arg-1 and PD-L2.Accordingly,Caco-2 cells became apoptotic,and apoptosis-associated proteins such as caspase-3,-8 and-9 were dampened during co-culture of M1 and M2 cells.Flow cytometry analysis showed that co-culture of M1 cells with Caco-2 cells facilitated the apoptosis of Caco-2 cells,but co-culture of M1 and M2 cells alleviated Caco-2 cell apoptosis.CONCLUSION Toxo ROP16 Ⅰ/Ⅲ-induced M2 macrophages inhibited apoptosis of Caco-2 cells caused by M1 macrophages.This finding may help gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanism and represent a promising therapeutic strategy for IBDs.

Intercross real-time control strategy in alternating activated sludge process for short-cut biological nitrogen removal treating domestic wastewater

To develop technically feasible and economically favorable dynamic process control(DPC)strategies for an alternating activated sludge(AAS)system,a bench-scale continuous-flow alternating aerobic and anoxic reactor,performing short-cut nitrogen removal from real domestic wastewater was operated under different control strategies for more than five months.A fixed-time control(FTC) study showed that bending-points on pH and oxidation-reduction potential(ORP)profiles accurately coincided with the major biologic...

Osteopontin splice variants expressed by breast tumors regulate monocyte activation via MCP-1 and TGF-β1

Osteopontin （OPN）, a multifunctional glycoprotein, has three transcripts that have distinct roles in tumors in vitro. Whether OPN transcripts have different functions in tumor processes in vivo is unclear. It has been reported that immune cell-derived OPN can promote tumor formation. We propose a hypothesis that tumor-derived OPN may facilitate tumor immune escape by affecting immune cell differentiation and function. In this study, we constructed lentiviral expression vectors of OPN transcripts and transfected them into the MCF-7 cell line. MCF-7 cells transfected with OPN transcripts were injected into the armpit of nude mice, and tumor growth was monitored. The results showed that all OPN transcripts promoted local tumor formation, but that there was no significant difference among transcripts. We also investigated the effect of the OPN expressed by tumor cells on monocyte differentiation by coculturing monocytes with tumor supernatant. We found OPN-c upregulated CD163 levels compared with OPN-a and OPN-b; however, none of the transcripts affected HLA-DR and CD206 levels. All OPN transcripts significantly inhibited TNF-α and enhanced IL-10 production by monocytes. Furthermore, we found that the overexpression of OPN transcripts significantly upregulated TGF-β1 and MCP-1 production by tumor cells. Using neutralizing antibody and recombinant cytokines, we found that OPN overexpressed by tumor cells regulates the production of TNF-α and IL-10 by monocytes partly via MCP-1 and TGF-β1, respectively. Collectively, our results show that OPN transcripts have no distinct role in breast cancer formation in vivo. We also demonstrate that OPN regulates the alternative activation of monocytes via TGF-β1 and MCP-1, which may represent an additional mechanism for tumor immune escape.

The transcription factor PU.1 promotes alternative macrophage polarization and asthmatic airway inflammation

The transcription factor PU.1 is involved in regulation of macrophage differentiation and maturation.However,the role of PU.1 in alternatively activated macrophage(AAM)and asthmatic inflammation has yet been investigated.Here we report that PU.1 serves as a critical regulator of AAM polarization and promotes the pathological progress of asthmatic airway inflammation.In response to the challenge of DRA(dust mite,ragweed,and Aspergillus)allergens,conditional PU.1-deficient(PU/ER(T)^(+/-))mice displayed attenuated allergic airway inflammation,including decreased alveolar eosinophil infiltration and reduced production of IgE,which were associated with decreased mucous glands and goblet cell hyperplasia.The reduced asthmatic inflammation in PU/ER(T)^(+/-) mice was restored by adoptive transfer of IL-4-induced wild-type(WT)macrophages.Moreover,after treating PU/ER(T)^(+/-) mice with tamoxifen to rescue PU.1 function,the allergic asthmatic inflammation was significantly restored.In vitro studies demonstrate that treatment of PU.1-deficient macrophages with IL-4 attenuated the expression of chitinase 3-like 3(Ym-1)and resistin-like molecule alpha 1(Fizz-1),two specific markers of AAM polarization.In addition,PU.1 expression in macrophages was inducible in response to IL-4 challenge,whichwas associated with phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6(STAT6).Furthermore,DRAchallenge in sensitized mice almost abrogated gene expression of Ym-1 and Fizz-1 in lung tissues of PU/ER(T)^(+/-) mice compared with WT mice.These data,all together,indicate that PU.1 plays a critical role in AAM polarization and asthmatic inflammation.

nduction of M2-1ike macrophages in recipient NOD-scid mice by allogeneic donor CD4＋CD25＋ regulatory T cells

CD4＋CD25＋ regulatory T cells （Tregs） play an important role in maintaining host immune tolerance via regulation of the phenotype and function of the innate and adaptive immune cells. Whether allogeneic CD4＋CD25＋ Tregs can regulate recipient mouse macrophages is unknown. The effect of allogeneic donor CD4＋CD25＋ Tregs on recipient mouse resident F4/80＋macrophages was investigated using a mouse model in which allogeneic donor CD4＋CD25＋ Tregs were adoptively transferred into the peritoneal cavity of host NOD-scid mice. The phenotype and function of the recipient macrophages were then assayed. The peritoneal F4/80＋ macrophages in the recipient mice that received the allogeneic CD4＋CD25＋ Tregs expressed significantly higher levels of CD23 and programmed cell death-ligand I（PD-L1） and lower levels of CD80, CD86, CD40 and MHC II molecules compared to the mice that received either allogeneic CD4＋CD25- T cells （Teffs） or no cells. The resident F4/80＋ macrophages of the recipient mice injected with the allogeneic donor CD4＋CD25＋ Tregs displayed significantly increased phagocytosis of chicken red blood cells （cRBCs） and arginase activity together with increased IL-IO production, whereas these macrophages also showed decreased immunogenicity and nitric oxide （NO） production. Blocking arginase partially but significantly reversed the effects of CD4＋CD25＋ Tregs with regard to the induction of the M2 macrophages in vivo. Therefore, the allogeneic donor CD4＋CD25＋ Tregs can induce the M2 macrophages in recipient mice at least in part via an arginase pathway. We have provided in vivo evidence to support the unknown pathways by which allogeneic donor CD4＋CD25＋ Tregs regulate innate immunity in recipient mice by promoting the differentiation of M2 macrophages.

RNA interference with DNA polymerase and synthesis

RNA can catalyze and participate in many chemical and biochemical reactions. Non-coding RNAs （ncRNA） can regulate cellular transcription and translation reactions. We have demonstrated biochemically that RNA can also interfere with DNA polymerization via transforming DNA polymerase into deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate diphosphatase （dNTP-DPase）. RNA, even with six nucleotides, can transform DNA polymerase into dNTP-DPase, and the dNTP-DPase activity causes the hydrolysis of dNTPs into dNMPs and pyrophosphate. Moreover, we have found that DNA polymerases from several families generally have similar RNA-dependent dNTP-DPase activity. We have also observed that in the presence of RNA, when the dNTP concentrations are relatively low, and that the dNTP-DPase activity can deplete dNTPs and interfere with DNA polymerization Thus, we have discovered for the first time that in the presence of RNA, DNA polymerase can behave as a diphosphatase and inhibit DNA synthesis when dNTP quantity is low. These in vitro observations might imply a plausible role of RNA in vivo, such as suppressing DNA synthesis during a resting phase （Go） of the cell cycle, when RNA quantity is high and dNTP quantity is low.

Two-stage Optimal Dispatching of AC/DC Hybrid Active Distribution Systems Considering Network Flexibility

The increasing flexibility of active distribution systems(ADSs)coupled with the high penetration of renewable distributed generators(RDGs)leads to the increase of the complexity.It is of practical significance to achieve the largest amount of RDG penetration in ADSs and maintain the optimal operation.This study establishes an alternating current(AC)/direct current(DC)hybrid ADS model that considers the dynamic thermal rating,soft open point,and distribution network reconfiguration(DNR).Moreover,it transforms the optimal dispatching into a second-order cone programming problem.Considering the different control time scales of dispatchable resources,the following two-stage dispatching framework is proposed.d dispatch uses hourly input data with the goal(1)The day-ahea of minimizing the grid loss and RDG dropout.It obtains the optimal 24-hour schedule to determine the dispatching plans for DNR and the energy storage system.(2)The intraday dispatch uses 15-min input data for 1-hour rolling-plan dispatch but only executes the first 15 min of dispatching.To eliminate error between the actual operation and dispatching plan,the first 15 min is divided into three 5-min step-by-step executions.The goal of each step is to trace the tie-line power of the intraday rolling-plan dispatch to the greatest extent at the minimum cost.The measured data are used as feedback input for the rolling-plan dispatch after each step is executed.A case study shows that the comprehensive cooperative ADS model can release the line capacity,reduce losses,and improve the penetration rate of RDGs.Further,the two-stage dispatching framework can handle source-load fluctuations and enhance system stability.

Local administration of liposomal-based Plekhf1 gene therapy attenuates pulmonary fibrosis by modulating macrophage polarization

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF)is a fatal interstitial lung disease with limited therapeutic options.Macrophages,particularly alternatively activated macrophages(M2),have been recognized to contribute to the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis.Therefore,targeting macrophages might be a viable therapeutic strategy for IPF.Herein,we report a potential nanomedicinebased gene therapy for IPF by modulating macrophage M2 activation.In this study,we illustrated that the levels of pleckstrin homology and FYVE domain containing 1(Plekhf1)were increased in the lungs originating from IPF patients and PF mice.Further functionality studies identified the pivotal role of Plekhf1 in macrophage M2 activation.Mechanistically,Plekhf1 was upregulated by IL-4/IL-13 stimulation,after which Plekhf1 enhanced PI3K/Akt signaling to promote the macrophage M2 program and exacerbate pulmonary fibrosis.Therefore,intratracheal administration of Plekhf1 siRNA-loaded liposomes could effectively suppress the expression of Plekhf1 in the lungs and notably protect mice against BLM-induced lung injury and fibrosis,concomitant with a significant reduction in M2 macrophage accumulation in the lungs.In conclusion,Plekhf1 may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis,and Plekhf1 siRNA-loaded liposomes might be a promising therapeutic approach against pulmonary fibrosis.