Obesity aggravates the joint inflammation in a collagen-induced arthritis model through deviation to Th17 differentiation

White fat cells secrete adipokines that induce inflammation and obesity has been reported to be characterized by high serum levels of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-α. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a prototype of inflammatory arthritis, but the relationship between RA and obesity is controversial. We made an obese inflammatory arthritis model: obese collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). C57BL/6 mice were fed a 60-kcal high fat diet (HFD) from the age of 4 weeks and they were immunized twice with type II collagen (CII). After immunization, the obese CIA mice showed higher arthritis index scores and histology scores and a more increased incidence of developing arthritis than did the lean CIA mice. After treatment with CII, mixed lymphocyte reaction also showed CII-specific response more intensely in the obese CIA mice than lean CIA. The anti-CII IgG and anti-CII IgG2a levels in the sera of the obese CIA mice were higher than those of the lean CIA mice. The number of Th17 cells was higher and the IL-17 mRNA expression of the splenocytes in the obese CIA mice was higher than that of the lean CIA mice. Obese CIA mice also showed high IL-17 expression on synovium in immunohistochemistry. Although obesity may not play a pathogenic role in initiating arthritis, it could play an important role in amplifying the inflammation of arthritis through the Th1/Th17 response. The obese CIA murine model will be an important tool when we investigate the effect of several therapeutic target molecules to treat RA.     

IL-17-deficient allogeneic bone marrow transplantation prevents the induction of collagen-induced arthritis in DBA/1J mice

IL-17-producing CD4⁺ T cells (Th17) play important functions in autoimmune diseases and allograft rejection of solid organs. We examined the effects of IL 17 and its mechanism of action on arthritis in a murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model using bone marrow transplantation (BMT) system. DBA/1J mice were administered a lethal radiation dose and then rescued with bone marrow derived from either wild-type (WT) or IL-17^-/- mice on C57BL/6 background mice. CIA was induced after the bone marrow transplant, and disease progression was characterized. DBA/1J mice with CIA that received IL-17^-/- donor bone marrow showed potently inhibited development and severity of clinical arthritis as compared with CIA mice that received WT bone marrow. Reduced secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, and collagen-specific T cell responses were observed in mice that received IL-17^-/- bone marrow. IL-17 blockade also inhibited effector T cell proliferation by reciprocally regulating the Treg/Th17 ratio. IL-17 blockade prevented joint destruction in mice with CIA. These findings suggest that CIA with BMT is a viable method of immunological manipulation and that IL-17 deficiency suppresses severe joint destruction and inflammation in CIA mice. There may be clinical benefits in blocking IL-17 and BMT in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.     

Synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis induces ��-smooth muscle actin in human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells through a TGF-��1-dependent mechanism

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is a secreted protein that promotes differentiation of synovial fibroblasts to α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)-positive myofibroblasts to repair the damaged joints. Synovial fluid from patients with RA (RA-SF) induced expression of α-SMA in human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs). RA-SF-induced α-SMA expression was abrogated by immunodepletion of TGF-β1 from RA-SF with anti-TGF-β1 antibody. Furthermore, pretreatment of hASCs with the TGF-β type I receptor inhibitor SB431542 or lentiviral small hairpin RNA-mediated silencing of TGF-β type I receptor expression in hASCs blocked RA-SF-induced α-SMA expression. Small interfering RNA-mediated silencing of Smad2 or adenoviral overexpression of Smad7 (an inhibitory Smad isoform) completely inhibited RA-SF-stimulated α-SMA expression. These results suggest that TGF-β1 plays a pivotal role in RA-SF-induced differentiation of hASCs to α-SMA-positive cells.     

鱼油长碳链多不饱和脂肪酸的生理效应及其开发和利用

较系统地介绍了鱼油长碳链多不饱和脂肪酸，并重点阐述了二十碳五烯酸，抗心血管病和抗风湿性关节炎的原理以及二十二碳六烯酸促进幼儿的智力、视力和生殖系统发育的原理，并且对其历史作了一些叙述。本文明确指出开发和利用鱼油中长碳链多不饱和脂肪酸的关键问题是提高其产品的氧化稳定性，并对其提取工艺提出了改进意见。     

利用血管回声跟踪技术研究老年人类风湿关节炎与动脉弹性的相关性

为了给早期预防和治疗心血管疾病提供参考,利用血管回声跟踪技术研究老年人类风湿关节炎与动脉弹性的相关性。研究对象选择年龄在60～79岁之间的老年人类风湿关节炎患者40例和健康老年人40例,依次作为实验组与对照组。采用ALOKA Prosoundα10.型彩色超声诊断仪对颈动脉和肱动脉内中膜厚度以及弹性相关参数进行检测。结果发现:检测结果中有35例类风湿关节炎患者颈动脉IMT值超过1 mm,有31例健康研究对象颈动脉IMT值超过1 mm;实验组颈动脉IMT和对照组相比差异无统计学意义(p 0. 05),β、Ep、PWVβ和AI与对照组相比差异有统计学意义(p 0. 05,p 0. 01);实验组与对照组的肱动脉IMT值间无显著差异(p 0. 05),β、PWVβ与AI间有显著性差异(p 0. 05); ROC曲线分析结果中,两组研究对象动脉弹性参数差异有统计学意义(p 0. 05)。可见类风湿关节炎与老年人颈动脉和肱动脉弹性存在显著相关性,但受年龄的影响,动脉IMT值改变无法体现RA和动脉粥样硬化在统计学上的相关性,根据实验结果可知,可将ET技术当成一种早期发现RA患者动脉弹性功能下降的诊断方法预防心血管疾病。     

类风湿因子（RF）免疫吸附剂的制备及性能研究

以球形纤维素为载体,经环氧氯丙烷活化后键联活性配基热聚人IgG,制备类风湿因子（RF）免疫吸附剂,可望用于血液灌流治疗类风湿关节炎。研究了配基的固定化条件及吸附剂的吸附性能。实验结果表明,吸附剂对IgGRF、IgMRF、IgARF的吸附率分别达到69.6%、70.3%、77.0%。     

基于鸟枪法脂质组学研究环氧酶-2抑制剂对关节炎模型血清脂代谢的干预作用

心血管疾病(CVD)是类风湿关节炎(RA)患者死亡的重要原因之一,脂代谢紊乱与CVD发生有密切关联,因而有必要对RA和药物治疗导致的脂代谢改变进行探讨。该研究采用胶原诱导法(CIA)构建关节炎模型,引入多维质谱鸟枪法开展血清脂质分析,检测了血清中105种脂质分子,发现模型大鼠体内7种磷脂酰肌醇、15种鞘磷脂、5种神经酰胺、10种磷脂酰胆碱和2种溶血磷脂酰胆碱异常上调,环氧酶-2(COX-2)抑制剂可部分修复紊乱的脂代谢,但对5种磷脂酰胆碱和1种溶血磷脂酰胆碱具有异常调控作用。该研究从脂质分子水平探讨了RA及COX-2抑制剂对脂代谢的干预作用,可以为RA的心血管风险研究提供信息。     

Exploration and Evaluation of Therapeutic Efficacy of Drug‐Free Macromolecular Therapeutics in Collagen‐Induced Rheumatoid Arthritis Mouse Model

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against B cell antigens are extensively used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The B cell depletion therapy prevents RA symptoms and/or alleviates existing inflammation. The previously established two‐step drug‐free macromolecular therapeutics (DFMT) is applied in the treatment of collagen‐induced rheumatoid arthritis in a collagen‐induced rheumatoid arthritis mouse model. DFMT is a B cell depletion strategy utilizing Fab′ fragment of anti‐CD20 mAb for biorecognition and receptor crosslinking to induce B cell apoptosis. DFMT is composed from two nanoconjugates: 1) bispecific engager, Fab′‐MORF1 (anti‐CD20 Fab′ fragment conjugated with morpholino oligonucleotide MORF1), and 2) a crosslinking (effector) component P‐(MORF2)_X (N‐(2‐hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide copolymer grafted with multiple copies of complementary morpholino oligonucleotide MORF2). The absence of Fc fragment has the potential to avoid development of resistance and infusion‐related reactions. DFMT produces B cell depletion, keeps the RA score low for more than 100 days, and shows minimal cartilage and bone erosion and inflammatory cell infiltration. Further improvements will be explored to optimize DFMT strategy in autoimmune disease treatment.     

Thermodynamic and spectroscopic study of the interaction of Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II) and Ca(II) ions with 2-amino-N-(2-oxo-2-(2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl amino)ethyl)acetamide,a pseudo-mimic of human serum albumin

The protonation equilibria of 2-amino-N-(2-oxo-2-(2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl amino)ethyl)acetamide ([H₂(556)–N]) and the complexation of this ligand with Cu(II) Ca(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) have been studied by glass electrode potentiometry and UV–visible spectrophotometry. From pH ∼2.00–11.00, five models for Cu(II) with the following complexes; MLH, ML, MLH₋₁, MLH₋₂ and MLH₋₃ were generated and observed to describe the experimental data equally well as far as the statistical criteria were concerned. The MLH₋₂ complex predominates at physiological pH in all five models, while the MLH₋₁ complex species exists only at low concentration in two models. The coordination in the MLH₋₂ complex suggested the involvement of one amino, two deprotonated peptides and one pyridyl nitrogen atoms. Molecular mechanics (MM) calculations confirmed the MLH₋₂ complex as the most stable species. Speciation calculations, using a blood plasma model, predicted that the Cu(II)–[H₂(556)–N] complex is able to mobilize Cu(II). Octanol/water partition of CuLH₋₂ showed that 30% of the complex went into the octanol phase, hence promoting percutaneous absorption of copper. The complex is a poor mimic of native copper–zinc superoxide dismutase.     

Regulation of B cell activating factor (BAFF) receptor expression by NF-ΚB signaling in rheumatoid arthritis B cells

B cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). High levels of B cell activating factor (BAFF) are detected in autoimmune diseases. BAFF and BAFF receptor (BAFF-R) are expressed in B and T cells of RA synovium. The study was undertaken to identify the NF-ΚB signal pathway involved in the induction of BAFF-R in human B cells. Immunohistochemical staining of NF-ΚB p65, NF-ΚB p50, BAFF, and BAFF-R was performed on sections of synovium from severe and mild RA and osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from control and RA patients and B cells were isolated from controls. BAFF-R was analyzed by flow cytometry, realtime PCR and confocal staining after treatment with NF-ΚB inhibitors. NF-ΚB p65, NF-ΚB p50, BAFF, and BAFF-R were highly expressed in severe RA synovium relative to mild RA synovium or OA synovium. BAFF-R expression was reduced by NF-ΚB inhibitors in PBMCs and B cells from normal controls. We also showed reduction in expression of BAFF-R via inhibition of the NF-ΚB pathway in PBMCs of RA patients. BAFF/BAFF-R signaling is an important mechanism of pathogenesis in RA and that BAFF-R reduction by NF-ΚB blocking therapy is another choice for controlling B cells in autoimmune diseases such as RA.