TNF-alpha-induced up-regulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 is regulated by a Rac-ROS-dependent cascade in human airway epithelial cells

Up-regulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the lung airway epithelium is associated with the epithelium-leukocyte interaction, critical for the pathogenesis of various lung airway inflammatory diseases such as asthma. However, little is known about how ICAM-1 is up-regulated in human airway epithelial cells. In this study, we show that tumor TNF-alpha induces monocyte adhesion to A549 human lung airway epithelium and also up-regulation of ICAM-1 expression. These effects were significantly diminished by pre-treatment with diphenyliodonium (DPI), an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase-like flavoenzyme. In addition, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was increased in response to TNF-alpha in A549 cells, suggesting a potential role of ROS in the TNF-alpha-induced signaling to ICAM-1 expression and monocyte adhesion to airway epithelium. Further, we found out that expression of RacN17, a dominant negative mutant of Rac1, suppressed TNF-alpha-induced ROS generation, ICAM-1 expression, and monocyte adhesion to airway epithelium. These findings suggest that Rac1 lies upstream of ROS generation in the TNF-alpha-induced signaling to ICAM-1 expression in airway epithelium. Finally, pretreatment with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), an inhibitor of NF-kappaB, reduced TNF-alpha-induced ICAM-1 expression and both DPI and RacN17 significantly diminished NF-kappaB activation in response to TNF-alpha. Together, we propose that Rac1-ROS-linked cascade mediate TNF-alpha-induced ICAM-1 up-regulation in the airway epithelium via NF-kappaB-dependent manner.     

Endothelial f-actin depolymerization enables leukocyte transmigration

A demanding task of medicine is to understand and control the immune system. Central players in the cellular immune response are the leukocytes that leave the blood stream for host defense. Endothelial cells limit the emigration rate of leukocytes. Being located between blood and tissues, they permit or deny the passage. The exact mechanism of this process called diapedesis is not solved yet. Leukocytes can principally traverse either between cells (paracellularly) or directly through an individual endothelial cell (transcellularly). The transcellular way has recently gained experimental support, but it is not clear how the endothelial cytoskeleton manages to open and close a transmigratory channel. Atomic force microscopy was used to investigate the endothelial cytoskeleton. In order to directly access the leukocyte–endothelial interaction site, we applied a special protocol (“nanosurgery”). As a result, the endothelial cell turned out to become softer in a confined region strictly underneath the leukocyte. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed a depolymerization of the f-actin strands at the invasion site. Leukocytes dramatically rearrange the endothelial cytoskeleton to form transmigratory channels.     

HIV-1 Tat and Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans Orchestrate the Setup of in Cis and in Trans Cell-Surface Interactions Functional to Lymphocyte Trans-Endothelial Migration

HIV-1 transactivating factor Tat is released by infected cells. Extracellular Tat homodimerizes and engages several receptors, including integrins, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) syndecan-1 expressed on various cells. By means of experimental cell models recapitulating the processes of lymphocyte trans-endothelial migration, here, we demonstrate that upon association with syndecan-1 expressed on lymphocytes, Tat triggers simultaneously the in cis activation of lymphocytes themselves and the in trans activation of endothelial cells (ECs). This “two-way” activation eventually induces lymphocyte adhesion and spreading onto the substrate and vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin reorganization at the EC junctions, with consequent endothelial permeabilization, leading to an increased extravasation of Tat-presenting lymphocytes. By means of a panel of biochemical activation assays and specific synthetic inhibitors, we demonstrate that during the above-mentioned processes, syndecan-1, integrins, FAK, src and ERK_1/2 engagement and activation are needed in the lymphocytes, while VEGFR2, integrin, src and ERK_1/2 are needed in the endothelium. In conclusion, the Tat/syndecan-1 complex plays a central role in orchestrating the setup of the various in cis and in trans multimeric complexes at the EC/lymphocyte interface. Thus, by means of computational molecular modelling, docking and dynamics, we also provide a characterization at an atomic level of the binding modes of the Tat/heparin interaction, with heparin herein used as a structural analogue of the heparan sulfate chains of syndecan-1.     

Differential Effects of Ruminant and Industrial 18-Carbon trans-Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (trans Vaccenic and Elaidic) on the Inflammatory Responses of an Endothelial Cell Line

Endothelial dysfunction and inflammation are recognised factors in the development of atherosclerosis. Evidence suggests that intake of industrial trans fatty acids (TFAs) promotes endothelial dysfunction, while ruminant TFAs may have the opposite effect. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of elaidic acid (EA (18:1n-9t); an industrially produced TFA) and trans vaccenic acid (TVA (18:1n-7t); a natural TFA found in ruminant milk and meat) on inflammatory responses of endothelial cells (ECs). ECs (EA.hy926 cells) were cultured under standard conditions and exposed to TFAs (1 to 50 μM) for 48 h. Then, the cells were cultured for a further 6 or 24 h with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α, 1 ng/mL) as an inflammatory stimulant. ECs remained viable after treatments. TFAs were incorporated into ECs in a dose-dependent manner. Preincubation with EA (50 µM) increased production of MCP-1, RANTES, and IL-8 in response to TNF-α, while preincubation with TVA (1 µM) decreased production of ICAM-1 and RANTES in response to TNF-α. Preincubation with EA (50 µM) upregulated toll-like receptor 4 and cyclooxygenase 2 gene expression in response to TNF-α. In contrast, preincubation with TVA (1 µM) downregulated TNF-α induced nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1 gene expression. Preincubation of ECs with EA (50 µM) increased THP-1 monocyte adhesion. In contrast, preincubation of ECs with TVA (1 µM) reduced THP-1 monocyte adhesion, while preincubation of ECs with TVA (50 µM) decreased the level of surface expression of ICAM-1 seen following TNF-α stimulation. The results suggest that TVA has some anti-inflammatory properties, while EA enhances the response to an inflammatory stimulus. These findings suggest differential effects induced by the TFAs tested, fitting with the idea that industrial TFAs and ruminant TFAs can have different and perhaps opposing biological actions in an inflammatory context.     

A novel and convenient route for the construction of 5-((1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methyl)-1H-indoles and its application in the synthesis of Rizatriptan

In this study, a novel and convenient route for the construction of 5-((1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methyl)-1H-indoles (8) is presented starting from (1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methanol (5) and indolines (6) under 98% H₂SO₄ at room temperature for 4–24 h, followed by deacetylation and dehydrogenation. Based on this finding, a novel route to synthesize Rizatriptan starting from tryptamine was designed and accomplished with 48.5% overall yield in 6 steps. Compared with operational art, the new route afforded higher yield and more pure products requiring no chromatographic purification, which may further be applied in industrialization.     

Early effect of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection on Mac-1 and ICAM-1 expression on mouse peritoneal macrophages

Effect of M. tuberculosis infection was studied on the expression of intercellular adhesion molocule-1 (ICAM-1) and Mac-1 markers on murine peritoneal macrophages. Intraperitoneal administration of M. tuberculosis resulted in a marked increase in the proportion of Mac-1(+) cells whereas the proportion of ICAM-1(+) cells declined sharply 4 h post infection. Absolute numbers of Mac-1(+) and ICAM-1(+) cells however increased at all time points after the infection. Comparison of kinetics of changes observed in Mac-1(+) and ICAM-1(+) cell populations with differential leukocyte counts in peritoneal cells indicated that these alterations could be due to cellular influx, especially that of neutrophils, or up regulation of these markers on macrophages and other peritoneal cells. In adherent peritoneal macrophages infected in vitro with M. tuberculosis, proportion of Mac-1(+) and ICAM-1(+) cells increased markedly within 24 h of infection. Mean expression of these markers on per cell basis also increased significantly. Similar results were obtained by using RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cell line, suggesting that the enhanced expression of Mac-1 and ICAM-1 markers was a direct effect of M. tuberculosis infection and not mediated by contaminating cell types present in adherent macrophage preparations. Mac-1 and ICAM-1 expression was further studied on macrophages that had actually engulfed M. tuberculosis and compared with bystander macrophages without intracellular M. tuberculosis. For this purpose M. tuberculosis pre-stained with DilC18 fluorescent dye were used for infecting adherent peritoneal macrophages. Mac-1 and ICAM-1 expression on gated DilC18 positive and negative cell populations was analyzed. Our results indicate that the expression of Mac-1 and ICAM- 1 markers was significantly enhanced on all macrophages incubated with M. tuberculosis but was more pronounced on macrophages with internalized mycobacteria. Taken together, our results suggest that the expression of Mac-1 and ICAM-1 markers is significantly up regulated as a result of exposure and infection with M. tuberculosis. Since these markers play important role in the uptake of mycobacteria as well as in the process of antigen presentation by macrophages, their upregulation may be beneficial for generation of a protective immune response to M. tuberculosis.     

正相条件下温度和流速对衍生化环糊精键合手性高效液相色谱固定相立体异构体选择性的影响

合成了苯基氨基甲酸酯衍生化的β-环糊精键合固定相,9个α-氨基膦酸酯类化合物首次在环糊精类固定相上进行了有效拆分,研究了温度和流速对异构体选择性的影响,讨论了可能的手性识别机理.     

Non-adsorbing macromolecules in plasma induce erythrocyte adhesion to the endothelium

Red blood cell (RBC) adhesion to the endothelium is usually insignificant. However, an enhanced adhesion can be observed in various pathological conditions such as diabetes mellitus or sickle cell disease, which is often accompanied by elevated levels of pro-adhesive plasma proteins such as fibrinogen. In the past, these proteins have only been considered to act as ligands, cross-linking the corresponding receptors on adjacent cells, but the detailed underlying mechanism often remained obscure. This work demonstrates that the presence of non-adsorbing polymers in plasma can also enhance the adhesion efficiency of RBCs to endothelial cells (ECs) through depletion interaction. Furthermore, adhesion of RBCs to ECs may be likewise promoted by the protein fibrinogen through depletion interaction. We propose an alternative mechanism for the pro-adhesive effects of plasma proteins and indicate that depletion interaction might play a significant role for the stabilization and destabilization of blood flow in health and disease.     

Expression of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone and Its Receptor Splice Variants in Primary Human Endometrial Carcinomas: Novel Therapeutic Approaches

Antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) inhibit the growth of various tumors, including endometrial carcinomas (EC). However, tumoral receptors that mediate the antiproliferative effects of GHRH antagonists in human ECs have not been fully characterized. In this study, we investigated the expression of mRNA for GHRH and splice variants (SVs) of GHRH receptors (GHRH-R) in 39 human ECs and in 7 normal endometrial tissue samples using RT-PCR. Primers designed for the PCR amplification of mRNA for the full length GHRH-R and SVs were utilized. The PCR products were sequenced, and their specificity was confirmed. Nine ECs cancers (23%) expressed mRNA for SV1, three (7.7%) showed SV2 and eight (20.5%) revealed mRNA for SV4. The presence of SVs for GHRH-Rs could not be detected in any of the normal endometrial tissue specimens. The presence of specific, high affinity GHRH-Rs was also demonstrated in EC specimens using radioligand binding studies. Twenty-four of the investigated thirty-nine tumor samples (61.5%) and three of the seven corresponding normal endometrial tissues (42.9%) expressed mRNA for GHRH ligand. Our findings suggest the possible existence of an autocrine loop in EC based on GHRH and its tumoral SV receptors. The antiproliferative effects of GHRH antagonists on EC are likely to be exerted in part by the local SVs and GHRH system.     

Inflammatory mimetic microfluidic chip by immobilization of cell adhesion molecules for T cell adhesion

Leukocyte adhesion to adhesion molecules on endothelial cells is important in immune function, cancer metastasis and inflammation. This cell-cell binding is mediated via cell adhesion molecules such as E-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) found on endothelial cells. Because these adhesion molecules on endothelial cells vary significantly across several disease conditions such as autoimmune diseases, inflammation or cancer metastasis, investigations of therapeutic agents that down-regulate leukocyte-endothelial interactions have been based on in vitro models using endothelial cell lines. Here we report a new model, an inflammatory mimetic microfluidic chip, which emulates leukocyte binding to cell adhesion molecules (CAM) by controlling the types and ratio of adhesion molecules. In our model, E-selectin was essential for the synergic binding of Jurkat T cells. Immunosuppressive drugs, such as tacrolimus (FK506) and cyclosporine A (CsA), were used to inhibit T cell interactions under the physiologic model of T cell migration at a ratio of 5?:?4.3?:?3.9 (E-selectin?:?ICAM-1?:?VCAM-1). Our results support the potential usefulness of the inflammatory mimetic microfluidic chip as a T cell adhesion assay tool with modified adhesion molecules for applications such as immunosuppressive drug screening. The inflammatory mimetic microfluidic chip can also be used as a biosensor in clinical diagnostics, drug efficacy tests and high throughput drug screening due to the dynamic monitoring capability of the microfluidic chip.     

Dicarboxylic degradation products of nonylphenol polyethoxylates. Determination and structural elucidation in water samples by solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after methylation

A reliable method combining solid-phase extraction, derivatization and gas chromatography-chemical ionization mass spectrometry (GC-CI-MS) was developed for the measurement, in river and sewage effluent water, of four select model compounds of dicarboxylic metabolites (dm-CA(5-8)P1EC) and other dicarboxylic metabolites (CA(5-8)P1ECs) of nonylphenol polyethoxylates. These selected isomers were referred as dm-CA(5-8)P1ECs because they have an alpha,alpha-dimethyl configuration (expressed as "dm"), five to eight C atoms and a carboxyl group in the alkyl chain, and an ethoxy acetic acid group. The derivatization of terminal carboxyl groups was successful with (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane. The best extraction conditions were obtained using an Oasis HLB cartridge as a sorbent bed and 4 ml of MTBE/methanol (9:1, v/v) elution mixture. The method detection limits of 0.03-0.07 microg/l for dm-CA(5-8)P1ECs were attained in 500 ml pure water. The recovery was then evaluated for pure water, river and sewage effluent water samples. The high recoveries of typically >89% for each isomer indicated the high performance of the method. Although dm-CA(5-8)P1ECs were not detected in the collected water samples, 21 isomers of CA(5-8)P1ECs were identified by CI-MS and the tentative structures of six out of them were elucidated, mainly limited to the branch at alpha-C atom, by studying the EI-mass spectra. The relative concentrations of individual CA(5-8)P1EC metabolites were calculated based on dm-CA(5-8)P1ECs. The results showed that the main degradation on the nonyl chain occurred via the elimination of two carbon-units and the concentrations in Japan were much lower than those in Taiwan and Italy.     

1-萘甲膦酸改性氧化锆固定相分离芳胺类化合物的色谱性能研究

研究了一些芳胺类化合物在1-萘甲膦酸改性氧化锆固定相上的色谱行为。分别考察了流动相中甲醇含量、缓冲液pH值和离子强度等对芳胺类化合物色谱保留的影响,并对这类化合物在该固定相上的保留机理进行了探讨。研究结果表明,芳胺类化合物在该固定相上表现出反相和阳离子交换的混合保留模式。以pH 10.1的Tris-甲醇(60/40,V/V)溶液为流动相,在1-萘甲膦酸改性氧化锆固定相上成功分离了间苯二胺、邻甲苯胺、N-甲苯胺、对硝基苯胺、邻硝基苯胺和α-甲萘胺6种芳胺类化合物。     

Influence of surface carbon coverage of C1 (TMS) stationary phases on the separation of nonylphenol ethoxylate ethoxymers

The determination of surfactants in surface waters is required owing to their toxicity to aquatic micro-organisms and potential as endocrine disrupters. We have previously reported a method for the simultaneous separation of linear alkyl benzene sulfonates (LAS) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEO) by high-performance liquid chromatography using a C1 (TMS) column. In this earlier work we discussed some problems with the resolution of individual ethoxymers from NPEO using C1 columns from different manufacturers. Here, we postulate that this phenomenon may be linked to carbon coverage of the C1 (TMS) stationary phases and study this utilising both elemental (bulk) analyses and surface specific analyses by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Data obtained indicate that for the simultaneous separation of the LAS homologues and ethoxymers of NPEO, the stationary phase must have some trimethylsilyl groups bound to the surface of the silica in order to achieve separation of the LAS homologues, however the degree of surface coverage must not be greater than ca. 0.5 micromol/m2 in order to achieve adequate resolution of the NPEO ethoxymers. These data support earlier evidence for a "pseudo" reversed-phase mechanism for this separation.     

PSGL-1——一种介导白细胞粘附的重要分子

PSGL-1是90年代初期发现的一种粘附分子，具有同源二聚体的结构，为一种跨膜的糖蛋白，表达于白细胞的表面，成熟PSGL-1分子上具有很多O-连接的糖基化位点，岩藻糖基化，唾液酸化和NH2末端酪氨酸的硫酸化对于PSGL-1的功能十分重要，PSGL-1是选择素P的配体，与选择素P具有特殊的亲和性，PSGL-1同时也是选择素L和选择素E的配体，PSGL-1与选择素分子的相互作用在白细胞粘附的起始阶段发挥着重要作用，PSGL-1在介导白细胞粘附的同时可以转导胞外信号，促进白细胞活化并使其稳定粘附，白细胞粘附具有重要的生理意义。     

Characterization and epitope mapping of two monoclonal antibodies against human CD99

CD99 plays a critical role in the diapedesis of monocytes, T cell differentiation, and the transport of MHC molecules. Engagement of CD99 by agonistic monoclonal antibodies has been reported to trigger multifactorial events including T cell activation as well as cell-cell adhesion during hematopoietic cell differentiation. In this study, to identify the functional domains participating in the cellular events, we mapped the epitopes of CD99, which are recognized by two agonistic CD99 monoclonal antibodies, DN16 and YG32. Using recombinant fusion proteins of GST with whole or parts of CD99, we found that both antibodies interact with CD99 molecules independently of sugar moieties. DN16 mAb detected a linear epitope located in the amino terminal region of CD99 while YG32 mAb bound another linear epitope in the center of the extracellular domain. To confirm that the identified epitopes of CD99 are actually recognized by the two mAbs, we showed the presence of physical interaction between the mAbs and the fusion proteins or synthetic peptides containing the corresponding epitopes using surface plasmon resonance analyses. The dissociation constants of DN16 and YG32 mAbs for the antigen were calculated as 1.27 x 10(-7) and 7.08 x 10(-9) M, respectively. These studies will help understand the functional domains and the subsequent signaling mechanism of CD99.     

Dielectric Characteristics of Water and Electric Conductivity of Aqueous Electrolytes

The specific electric conductivities (ECs) of concentrated aqueous solutions of electrolytes were shown to be comparable to the limiting high-frequency (HF) EC of water. The limiting HF EC of water is determined by the ratio of the absolute dielectric constant to the dipole dielectric relaxation time. It was assumed that the specific EC of an aqueous solution cannot exceed the limiting HF EC of water. The specific ECs of the 1.0 М aqueous solutions of lithium, sodium, and potassium chlorides were calculated from the limiting HF EC of water. At elevated temperatures, the specific ECs of aqueous salts were shown to increase in direct proportion to the limiting HF EC of water.     

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) in proteomics

In proteomics, nanoflow multidimensional chromatography is now the gold standard for the separation of complex mixtures of peptides as generated by in-solution digestion of whole-cell lysates. Ideally, the different stationary phases used in multidimensional chromatography should provide orthogonal separation characteristics. For this reason, the combination of strong cation exchange chromatography (SCX) and reversed-phase (RP) chromatography is the most widely used combination for the separation of peptides. Here, we review the potential of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) as a separation tool in the multidimensional separation of peptides in proteomics applications. Recent work has revealed that HILIC may provide an excellent alternative to SCX, possessing several advantages in the area of separation power and targeted analysis of protein post-translational modifications. Figure Artistic impression of the HILIC separation mechanism     

Linear trimerization of 1-ethynylcyclohexan-1-ol catalysed by nickel(II) complexes

The catalytic reaction of 1-ethynylcyclohexan-1-ol (EC) in the presence of bisphosphine nickel(II) complexes yields a linear trimer. The trimer could be isolated and characterized by means of MS, IR and NMR spectroscopies. The reaction mechanism is also discussed.     

CO_2熔盐电化学转化碳材料的电化学特性

基于对熔融碳酸盐体系中电化学还原CO_2所得碳材料(electrolytic-carbon,EC)的形貌、结构、组成的认识,以粉末微电极循环伏安法测试为基础,在稀溶液中对EC的本征电化学行为进行了考察,以揭示这类碳材料的界面电化学特性。实验发现,在典型条件(450°C、4.5 V槽压)下制备的电解碳(450°C-4.5 V-EC)的伏安行为有别于多壁碳纳米管、石墨烯、石墨、乙炔黑等常见碳材料,在负电位区表现出显著的"双电层充放电响应迟滞"现象。通过考察溶液pH值、电位扫描速率、阴阳离子种类对这一现象的影响,发现pH和电解液组成都不影响这一现象的出现;电解液浓度提高和低扫描速率时滞后现象减弱,表明迟滞充放电是这类碳材料的本征特性,与其表面含氧官能团及其对阳离子的特性吸附密切相关。实验进一步研究了不同电解条件下制备的EC所展现的电化学特性吸附及电容性质,发现随着熔盐温度的升高,EC对电解液中阳离子的特性吸附能力降低,而相同温度不同槽压下制备的EC特性吸附能力相近,表现出相似的电容特性,这与EC的含氧量和比表面积有关。电解碳所展现的独特电容特性对其潜在的应用或可提供有价值的线索和指导。