前列腺癌组织中树突状细胞的变化及以此为基础的免疫治疗

树突状细胞(DC)作为功能最为强大的抗原呈递细胞,对肿瘤免疫起着关键的启动作用。前列腺癌细胞通过一系列复杂的作用使肿瘤免疫微环境中DC的数目和功能发生变化,从而逃逸机体的免疫监视,形成了肿瘤的发生、发展。认识到这一点,人们开展以DC为基础的前列腺癌的免疫疫苗治疗,并取得了一定的效果。而前列腺癌免疫微环境中DC的变化和以此为基础的免疫治疗仍处于起步阶段。     

增强抗原呈递功能的树突状细胞疫苗

树突状细胞（DC）疫苗的研究已成为当前肿瘤免疫治疗的一大热点。随着对DC的不断认识，其强大的功能可塑性为发展增强其抗原呈递功能的DC疫苗提供了新思路，现就DC疫苗增强其抗原呈递功能的种种途径进行综述。     

人外周血单核细胞和脐血CD34+细胞来源的树突细胞比较

目的比较从人外周血单核细胞及脐血CD34+细胞诱导树突细胞(DC)的方法及其特性.方法用淋巴细胞分离液分离外周血单个核细胞,贴壁法获得单核细胞;经GM-CSF及IL-4诱导获得DC.磁性活化细胞分选系统(MACS)分选脐血CD34+细胞,以GM-CSF、IL-4、TNF-α、SCF、FL、TPO等细胞因子诱导获得DC.用电镜、普通显微镜观察DC形态;流式细胞仪分析DC表型;同种混合淋巴细胞反应(allo-MLR)观察DC刺激T淋巴细胞增殖的能力.结果外周血单核细胞在因子GM-CSF、IL-4、TNF-α,脐血CD34+细胞在GM-CSF、IL-4、TNF-α、SCF、FL、TPO等因子作用下,可生成DC,并表达相应的DC分化抗原CD14、CD80、CD83、CD86、HLA-DR.脐血CD34+细胞具有较强的扩增能力,经2周诱导,体系细胞数可增加173.8士26.7倍,两种来源的DC均能刺激同种异体淋巴细胞的增殖反应.结论外周血单核细胞与脐血CD34+细胞,在体外均可诱导成DC,并具有相应的DC分化抗原和功能.     

Interleukin 6 Influences Germinal Center Development and Antibody Production via a Contribution of C3 Complement Component

Mice rendered deficient for interleukin (IL) 6 by gene targeting were evaluated for their response to T cell–dependent antigens. Antigen-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)M levels were unaffected whereas all IgG isotypes showed varying degrees of alteration. Germinal center reactions occurred but remained physically smaller in comparison to those in the wild-type mice. This concurred with the observations that molecules involved in initial signaling events leading to germinal center formation were not altered (e.g., B7.2, CD40 and tumor necrosis factor R1). T cell priming was not impaired nor was a gross imbalance of T helper cell (Th) 1 versus Th2 cytokines observed. However, B7.1 molecules, absent from wild-type counterparts, were detected on germinal center B cells isolated from the deficient mice suggesting a modification of costimulatory signaling. A second alteration involved impaired de novo synthesis of C3 both in serum and germinal center cells from IL-6–deficient mice. Indeed, C3 provided an essential stimulatory signal for wild-type germinal center cells as both monoclonal antibodies that interrupted C3-CD21 interactions and sheep anti–mouse C3 antibodies caused a significant decrease in antigen-specific antibody production. In addition, germinal center cells isolated from C3–deficient mice produced a similar defect in isotype production. Low density cells with dendritic morphology were the local source of IL-6 and not the germinal center lymphocytes. Adding IL-6 in vitro to IL-6–deficient germinal center cells stimulated cell cycle progression and increased levels of antibody production. These findings reveal that the germinal center produces and uses molecules of the innate immune system, evolutionarily pirating them in order to optimally generate high affinity antibody responses.     

Neuronal migration and dendritic maturation of the medial cerebellar nucleus in rat embryos: an HRP in vitro study using cerebellar slabs

The morphological maturation of medial nuclear neurons of fetal rat cerebella was studied using an in vitro assay. Neurons of this nucleus were identified in isolated preparations of rhombencephalon between embryonic days 16 and 20 (E16-E20) by the intracerebellar decussation of their outgrowing axons within the uncinate fascicle. A small crystal of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) applied either in the region containing the inferior cerebellar peduncle or, preferably, in the lateral cerebellum retrogradely labeled contralateral medial nuclear neurons. In the youngest embryos (E16-E17), HRP-marked neurons were situated rostrally at the dorsal surface of the cerebellum. By E18, the cell mass containing labeled neurons had shifted in a rostrocaudal and dorsoventral direction and finally reached the adult position in E19-E20 embryos. Dendritic differentiation of these neurons followed a similar positional gradient, closely corresponding to the pattern of temporal development. From the most immature monopolar forms located dorsally to the virtually adult stellate neurons in a ventral position, it was possible to trace a continuum of intermediary forms grouped into six well-defined stages. Immature monopolar cells first became transversely bipolar. Then, they changed orientation, assuming a longitudinal radial direction. During this stage, neurons sank into the cerebellar parenchyma. As they reached their final destination, these neurons gradually developed dendrites which radiated from the cell body in an adult-like pattern. It is concluded that the medial nuclear neurons occupy a superficial dorsal position in early phases of cerebellar ontogeny, thereafter undergoing a second, inward migration. The main stages of neuronal dendritic differentiation occur between E16 and E20, indicating that the ingrowth of afferent in puts to the medial nucleus most probably occurs rather early and is concomitant with dendritic development.     

New metrics for analysis of dendritic branching patterns demonstrating similarities and differences in ON and ON-OFF directionally selective retinal ganglion cells.

The morphology and dendritic branching patterns of retinal ganglion cells have been studied in Golgi-impregnated, whole-mount preparations of rabbit retina. Among a large number of morphological types identified, two have been found that correspond to the morphology of ON and ON-OFF directionally selective (DS) ganglion cells identified in other studies. These two kinds of DS ganglion cell are compared with each other, as well as with examples of class I, class II, and class III cells, defined here with reference to our previous studies. Cell body, dendritic field size and branching pattern are analyzed in this paper and levels of dendritic stratification are examined in the following paper. ON DS ganglion cells are about 10% larger in soma size and about 5 times the dendritic field area of ON-OFF DS ganglion cells, when compared at the same retinal location. These two morphological types of ganglion cell can be said to define the upper and lower bounds of an intermediate range of cell body and dendritic field sizes within the whole population of ganglion cells. Nevertheless, in previous physiological studies receptive field sizes of the two types were shown to be similar. This discrepancy between morphological and physiological evidence is considered in the Discussion in terms of a model of the excitatory receptive field of ON-OFF DS ganglion cells incorporating starburst amacrine cells. A new set of metrics is introduced here for the quantitative analysis and characterization of the branching pattern of neuronal arborizations. This method compares the lengths of terminal and preterminal dendritic branches (treated separately), as a function of the distances of their origins from the soma, viewed graphically in a two-dimensional scatter plot. These values are derived from computer-aided 3D logging of the dendritic trees, and distance from the soma is measured as the shortest distance tracked along the dendritic branches. From these metrics of the "branch length distributions," scale-independent branching statistics are derived. These make use of mean branch lengths and distances, slopes of lines fitted to the distributions, and elliptical indices of scatter in the distributions. By these measures, ON and ON-OFF DS ganglion cells have similar branching patterns, which they share to varying degrees with functionally unrelated class III.1 ganglion cells. The scale of the branching patterns of ON and ON-OFF DS cells and their degree of uniformity are different, however.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Morphology of retinal ganglion cells in lungless salamanders (fam. Plethodontidae): an HRP and Golgi study

The family Plethodontidae consists of nearly two-thirds of all living urodeles; most of them possess highly developed visual abilities. We investigated the morphology of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in four representative species by means of the horseradish peroxidase method in flatmounts and in transverse sections and with the Golgi method in transverse sections. In flatmount preparations, four classes of RGCs were found, differing in dendritic arborization, dendritic field size, and stratification pattern of dendrites in the inner plexiform layer (IPL). Class-1 cells had small dendritic fields (29-44 microns 2) and arborized throughout the entire depth of the IPL. Class-2 cells had medium to large dendritic fields (75-206 microns 2) and mostly arborized in two or three laminae or in a diffuse fashion in the IPL. Class-3 cells had medium to large dendritic fields (72-200 microns 2) but sparse dendritic arborization. They only arborized in the proximal lamina of the IPL. Class-4 cells had large dendritic fields (273-626 microns 2) and branched in the most sclerad stratum of the IPL. No large differences in intraspecific soma size of the different RGC classes were detected (although interspecific soma size varied to a considerable degree) and no "giant" cells typically found in other vertebrate retinas were present. The results suggest that, with respect to the pattern of arborization and stratification of dendrites, lungless salamanders possess morphological classes of RGC similar to those found in frogs, but the morphology of RGCs in lungless salamanders seems to be simplified in comparison to frog RGCs. This simplification might be a consequence of paedomorphosis.     

α黑素细胞刺激素基因转染对小鼠骨髓来源的树突状细胞成熟的影响

为观察转染α黑素细胞刺激素(-αMSH)基因的树突状细胞(DC)的功能和特性,以腺相关病毒(AAV)为载体将α-MSH基因导入小鼠骨髓来源的未成熟DC(-αMSH-DC),用ELISA检测-αMSH-DC培养上清中-αMSH及IL-12水平,用流式细胞仪分析-αMSH-DC表面分子的表达,以-αMSH-DC提呈OVA抗原刺激致敏T细胞,通过ELISA测定IL-2水平来观察其抗原提呈功能。结果显示,在-αMSH-DC培养上清中检测到-αMSH的分泌,-αMSH-DC表面分子表达下调,分泌IL-12的能力降低,抗原提呈功能被抑制。-αMSH-DC可部分抵抗LPS上调表面分子表达和促进IL-12分泌的作用。表明-αMSH基因可籍AAV载体导入未成熟DC,并有效地表达,α-MSH基因修饰的DC成熟受到抑制。     

Osteopontin affects the persistence of beta-glucan-induced hepatic granuloma formation and tissue injury through two distinct mechanisms

Osteopontin (OPN) plays a pivotal role in various immune responses and inflammatory diseases. OPN is expressed in various granulomatous diseases; however, the cellular and molecular role of OPN in these diseases is not well known. We analyzed the role of OPN in a beta-glucan-induced hepatic granuloma model. First, we found that neither OPN deficiency nor overexpression of OPN affected the number and the size of hepatic granulomas at day 7, indicating that OPN is not involved in the formation of hepatic granulomas at the early stages. Importantly, OPN did not influence the liver tissue damage as defined by alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels at early stages. Second, OPN deficiency resulted in the reduction of IL-12 and IFN-gamma production at early stages. Third, at late stages, OPN deficiency resulted in a decrease in the number and size of hepatic granulomas, and a reduction of liver tissue injury. This was due to the reduction of the cellular recruitment including macrophages, CD4 T cells and dendritic cells into the liver, and the reduction of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha production in the liver. In contrast, overexpression of OPN resulted in the persistence of granuloma formation. These data suggest that OPN affects the persistence of hepatic granuloma formation. Our results indicate that OPN up-regulates the production of IL-12 and IFN-gamma within the granulomas at early stages, and OPN has an additional role in the regulation of cellular recruitment and TNF-alpha production at late stages that determine the severity of liver tissue injury.     

IDO expression on decidual and peripheral blood dendritic cells and monocytes/macrophages after treatment with CTLA-4 or interferon-gamma increase in normal pregnancy but decrease in spontaneous abortion

Recent data demonstrated that CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells and an enzyme called indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) mediate maternal tolerance to the fetus. Interestingly, Treg cells express the CTLA-4 molecule on their surface, and B7 (CD80/86) ligation by CTLA-4 enhanced IDO activity of dendritic cells (DCs) and monocytes by the induction of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) production. In this study, we studied the IDO expression on peripheral blood monocytes and decidual monocytes or DCs after treatment with CTLA-4/Fc fusion protein or IFN-gamma using flow cytometry. IDO expressions on both peripheral blood DC and decidual DC and monocytes were up-regulated during normal pregnancy. On the other hand, both IDO expression on DC and monocytes after IFN-gamma treatment or CTLA-4 treatment were decreased in spontaneous abortion cases. The expression of CD86 on peripheral blood and decidual monocytes and DC in spontaneous abortion cases was lower compared with those in normal pregnancy subjects. Also, IFN-gamma production by decidual and peripheral blood mononuclear cells after CTLA-4/Fc treatment in spontaneous abortion cases was significantly lower than those in normal pregnancy subjects. These data suggest that CTLA-4 on Treg cells up-regulates IDO expression on decidual and peripheral blood DC and monocytes by the induction of IFN-gamma production.