Retinoic acid regulated insulin-like growth factor gene expression in cord blood lymphocytes

Objective To explore the immune promotion mechanism of retinoic acid (RA).Methods Reverse Transcription-Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the gene expression of insulin like growth factor Ⅰ (IGF-Ⅰ) and IGF receptors (IGF-IR and IGF-IIR) in vitro, and their regulation by RA in human cord blood lymphocyte (CBL). Results Significant upregulation of IGF-I, IGF-IR and IGF-IIR mRNA was found at 6-24 hours in CBL incubated with physiologic concentrations of RA as compared to those without RA. Conclusion The enhancement of IGF expression may be an important pathway for vitamin A to promote immune cellular functions.

Induction of LAK cells in acute leukemia patients and kinetics of LAK activity in long term culture in vitro

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells（PBMNC）isolated from patients with acuteleukemia（AL）and from normal controls were cultured in a medium containing1000units/ml of recombinant interleukin-2（IL-2）.Marked LAK activity was induced onthe third culture day in the normal controls,with the highest cytotoxicity appearing be-tween day 3 and 5,whereas induction of LAK activity in the AL patients began on the5th day of culture,with a peak level appearing at day 15,showing that the peak ofLAK activity was significantly delayed in AL.LAK cells surface phenotyping tests showedthat CD8 and CD16 positive cells began to increase significantly from day 5 and reachedthe highest level at week 3,whereas CD4- subclass began to decrease at day 5 anddropped to the nadir at week 3,indicating that LAK activity was positively correlatedwith the proportion of CD8+ and CD16+ cells,but negatively with that of CD4+ cells.

Effects of Shen-Fu Injection (参附注射液) on Apoptosis of Regulatory T Lymphocytes in Spleen during Post-Resuscitation Immune Dysfunction in A Porcine Model of Cardiac Arrest

Objective： To investigate whether Shen-Fu Injection（参附注射液, SFI） reduces post-resuscitation immune dysfunction in a porcine model of cardiac arrest by modulating apoptosis of regulatory T lymphocytes（Treg） in the spleen. Methods： After 8-min untreated ventricular fibrillation and 2-min basic life support, 24 pigs were divided into 3 groups with a random number table, i.e. SFI group, epinephrine（EP） group, and saline（SA） group（8 in each group）, which received central venous injection of SFI（1.0 m L/kg）, EP（0.02 mg/kg） and SA, respectively. The same procedure without CA initiation was achieved in the sham-operated（sham） group（n=6）. After successful return of spontaneous circulation（ROSC）, apoptosis rate of splenic Treg was detected by flow cytometry; and the m RNA expression of forkhead/winged helix transcription factor（Foxp3） of splenic Treg was detected by real time-polymerase chain reaction; and the levels of interleukin-4（IL-4） and interferon-γ（IFN-γ） in porcine splenic Treg were detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Results： Compared with the sham group, the apoptosis rate of Treg was significantly decreased, and the levels of Foxp3 m RNA expression, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IFN-γ/IL-4 were increased in the SA group（P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. Compared with the EP and SA groups, SFI treatment increased the apoptosis rate of Treg and reduced the levels of Foxp3 m RNA expression, IFN-γ and IFN-γ/IL-4（P〈0.05）. Conclusions： SFI has significant effects in attenuating post-resuscitation immune dysfunction by modulating apoptosis of Treg in the spleen.