Prevention of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) by treatment with polyethylene glycol-conjugated type II collagen; distinct tolerogenic property of the conjugated collagen from the native one

Administration of a soluble protein into animals prior to challenge immunization induces immunological tolerance which is specific for the protein. In addition, chemical modification of proteins with polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been reported to convert the immunogenic proteins to become tolerogenic. However, differences in tolerogenic properties between PEG-modified proteins and the native counterparts have never been analysed. The ability of PEG-conjugated type II collagen (PEG-CII) to attenuate CIA, an animal model for rheumatoid arthritis, was compared with the native unconjugated CII. Groups of DBA/1 J mice were treated weekly with i.p. injections with PEG-CII, native CII, or vehicle alone for 3 weeks, before they were challenged with CII in adjuvants. The induction of tolerance was confirmed in both PEG-CII- and CII-pretreated mice when suppression of lymph node T cell proliferation in response to CII was noted. The degrees of suppression of T cell proliferation were comparable between the two pretreated groups. However, induction of arthritis and production of IgG anti-CII antibody were more markedly suppressed in PEG-CII-pretreated mice than in native CII-pretreated mice, although the severity of arthritis and antibody levels in the latter group were also lower than in control mice. IgG2a and IgG2b antibody levels were equally suppressed in the two pretreated groups, whereas the IgG1 level was significantly lower in the PEG-CII-pretreated group than in the native CII-pretreated group. The results provide the first evidence that attachment of PEG to CII renders the protein more tolerogenic.     

检测体内异种II型胶原异体移植引起的细胞毒反应

检测用猪II型胶原免疫新西兰大白兔的异种异体细胞免疫反应。用II型胶原免疫新西兰大白兔60 d,定期抽取血浆检测抗II型胶原抗体;第60 d取兔的外周血淋巴细胞、兔脾细胞、淋巴结分别分离淋巴细胞,进行体外二次II型胶原刺激,检测由此引起的反应性的细胞增殖规律。实验分为二组,第一组加入不同浓度植物血凝素(PHA)作阳性对照,并测定非特异性免疫;第二组加入不同浓度II型胶原,检测特异性免疫。正常兔的淋巴细胞在PHA剌激下发生增殖,但对II型胶原的第一次剌激不发生增殖,而免疫兔对PHA和II型胶原的剌激均能发生显著的增殖。表明异种II型胶原在一定浓度下,可以引起免疫兔的抗II型胶原抗体的升高,并可引起兔脾、外周血淋巴细胞增殖,异种II型胶原能在体内引起细胞免疫反应。     

Ⅰ型胶原膜、胞外基质提取物膜体外构建人工真皮能力比较

比较Ⅰ型胶原与胞外基质(extracellularmatrix,EM)提取物冻干后形成的膜(EM膜)在体外构建人工真皮的能力,以选择一种更有利于人工真皮形成的支架材料。方法分别使用小牛真皮部分提取的Ⅰ型胶原蛋白和胞外基质提取物冻干后制备基质网架,植入皮肤成纤维细胞,形成人工真皮。用扫描电镜观察I型胶原膜和EM膜的表面形态结构;选取不同的时间点,对种植于两种支架材料上的细胞进行计数,并利用间接ELISA方法检测人工真皮复合物中的细胞Ⅰ型胶原分泌情况,通过统计学的分析手段,对细胞的生长情况做出判断;用组织学方法观察人工真皮的形成情况。结果扫描电镜观察结果,两种膜在外观形态上无明显差异;细胞在EM膜上的增殖速度较Ⅰ型胶原膜快;ELISA分析显示,EM-细胞复合物中的成纤维细胞能够分泌更多的Ⅰ型胶原;与Ⅰ型胶原膜相比,EM在培养液中的降解更为缓慢,种植后的成纤维细胞在EM膜上生长旺盛,细胞层次明显多于前者,形成了较为明显的真皮样组织。结论EM膜适于成纤维细胞的生长,体外降解速率慢,是一种较Ⅰ型胶原膜更为理想的真皮支架材料。     

纳米羟基磷灰石/胶原药物载体的制备

以湿法制备出平均粒径为50nm的羟基磷灰石粉体，并采用超声分散，将纳米羟基磷灰石分散在酸溶的胶原稀溶液中。测试结果显示，羟基磷灰石在胶原溶液中形成了稳定的分散体系，该分散体系的稳定性与体系的pH值以及羟基磷灰石和胶原的相对浓度有关。     

Microscopic analysis of the cellular events during scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor-induced epithelial tubulogenesis

Scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor (SF/HGF), a large multifunctional polypeptide growth and motility factor, is known to play important roles during embryonic development, adult tissue growth and repair. In an established three-dimensional type I collagen model, SF/HGF induces Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cysts to form long, branching tubules (tubulogenesis). In addition, the composition of the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) has been shown to modulate SF/HGF-induced morphogenesis, where tubulogenesis was completely abrogated in Matrigel basement membrane. Many cellular events that occur during SF/HGF-mediated remodelling, and its modulation by the ECM, remain unclear. We have investigated these mechanisms through microscopic examination of the time-course of SF/HGF-induced responses in MDCK cysts cultured in type I collagen or Matrigel. We found that early responses to SF/HGF were matrix-independent. Changes included increased paracellular spacing between normally closely apposed lateral membranes, and the formation of filopodial processes, indicating a partial motile response. Cell-cell contact was maintained, with the persistence of cell junctions. Therefore, while one or a number of ECM components are preventing SF/HGF-primed cells from undergoing an invasive and/or migratory programme, non-permissive matrices are not preventing SF/HGF signalling to the cell. Later matrix-dependent responses, which occurred in type I collagen but not Matrigel, included the formation of basal protrusions that comprise two or more neighbouring cells, which extend to form nascent tubules. Modified polarity of cells comprising the basal protrusions was evident, with a marker for the apical membrane being found in the same region as adherens junctions and desmosomes, typically localized at lateral membranes. We propose a model for SF/HGF-induced tubulogenesis in which tubules form from basal protrusions of adjacent cells. This mechanism of in vitro tubule formation has many similarities to reported in vivo epithelial tubulogenesis.     

Identification of antibody epitopes in the CB-11 peptide of bovine type II collagen recognized by sera from arthritis-susceptible and -resistant rhesus monkeys.

Sera from eight rhesus monkeys that had been immunized with native bovine type II collagen were tested for antibodies to cyanogen bromide peptides (CB peptides) of type II collagen by Western blotting. The monkeys produced IgG antibodies to a number of different CB peptides, with five out of eight animals producing antibodies to the CB-11 peptide (four arthritic, one non-arthritic). Antibody epitopes on the CB-11 peptide of bovine type II collagen recognized by these sera were investigated by epitope mapping. Peptides (8-mers overlapping by seven amino acids) representing the CB-11 region were synthesised and the sera screened for binding to these peptides to determine areas of high IgG antibody binding to this region of type II collagen. The profiles obtained were not identical, though there were some epitopes that were commonly recognized. Antibodies to one epitope, also present in human type II collagen, were found only in the sera of two animals with the severest arthritis. The technique of epitope mapping has successfully identified a number of epitopes within the CB-11 peptide of type II collagen recognized by antibodies from bovine type II collagen-immunized monkeys. Studies on the relevance of responses to the identified epitopes can now be undertaken.     

Amelioration of established murine collagen-induced arthritis with anti-IL-1 treatment.

Inflammatory cytokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. To validate a key role for IL-1 in arthritic processes we have studied the protective effect of neutralizing antimurine IL-1 antibodies in the murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model. Combination of anti-IL-1 alpha and anti-IL-1 beta given before onset of arthritis was shown to prevent disease completely. Remarkably, a single treatment was also highly effective in the established phase of arthritis, reducing both inflammation as well as cartilage destruction. Suppression was most pronounced with the combination, but anti-IL-1 beta alone also induced significant relief. Finally, we studied the protective effect of IL-1 neutralization on cartilage metabolism in a unilateral expression model of collagen arthritis. To this end zymosan was injected in one knee joint before onset of disease, resulting in accelerated expression in that particular joint and the draining paw. Anti-IL-1 treatment started after accelerated expression of arthritis was able to fully normalize chondrocyte synthetic function, which was highly suppressed in the control group. It is concluded that IL-1 is an important determinant in both inflammation and cartilage destruction in collagen arthritis, and this may have implications for therapy in human arthritis.     

肝素化胶原/壳聚糖多孔支架的制备及其血管化的研究

本研究旨在构建一种能快速血管化的人工真皮替代物。用冻干法制备了胶原／壳聚糖多孔支架，并对其进行肝素化，观察此支架的结构特征、亲水性、体外降解性和组织相容性，同时将血管生成素引入到此支架，对复合有血管生成素的肝素化支架的体内血管化进行了初步研究。结果表明，肝素化胶原／壳聚糖多孔支架具有合适的三维多孔结构、良好的吸水性和较理想的酶解稳定性，体内实验表明，此支架具有良好的组织相容性，血管生成素可加快支架的血管化。     

Breast development gives insights into breast disease

Aims : Studies of developing human breasts are essential for understanding the organogenesis as well as molecular pathogenesis of benign and malignant breast diseases. In this study we have examined the distribution of TGF-α, TGF-β1, tenascin-C and collagen type IV with the aim of starting to build a picture of the profile of molecules that may be involved in the development of the human breast.  

Methods and results

Ten fetal breasts (16 to 23 weeks of gestation) and 45 infant breasts, ranging in age from newborn to 2 years, were used in this study. Paraffin sections from these samples were immunostained with antibodies for these proteins and for Ki67 to elucidate the level of proliferative activity in different stages of breast development. TGF-α immunoreactivity was observed both in the stromal and the epithelial cells within fetal and infant breasts up to 25 days. TGF-β1 immunoreactivity was localized in the extracellular matrix. Tenascin-C was found around the neck of the developing breast bud and in the extracellular matrix of the infant with peaks in the newborn at 6–12 weeks. The immunoreactivity for type IV collagen was more intense in the region of the breast bud neck in the fetal breasts and reduced around the tips of lobular and terminal-end buds within the infant breasts.  

Conclusions

The distribution of the growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins within the developing human breast indicates that they play a significant role in different cellular compartments during morphogenesis and provides insights into breast disease.     

可溶性TRAIL重组蛋白治疗CIA实验研究

用sTRAIL重组蛋白治疗CIA模型 ,探讨sTRAIL用于自身免疫病治疗的可能性。将鸡肋骨II型胶原蛋白注射大鼠 ,建立了RA的动物模型———胶原诱导性关节炎 ,自制的可溶性TRAIL蛋白治疗CIA ,观察治疗后关节炎指数与血清中炎性细胞因子的变化。结果是sTRAIL 30 0ng/只 (0 1ml/次 )局部应用于关节炎部位 ,皮下注射 1周以后 ,sTRAIL应用的大鼠症状较对照组指数评分稍有下降 ;患病大鼠较正常大鼠IFN γ和TNF α表达量增加 ,而经过sTRAIL治疗后两者表达量都有显著下降 (P <0 0 5 )。提示sTRAIL局部应用后可缓解关节炎的局部炎症 ,可能是通过抑制激活的淋巴细胞 ,减少炎症细胞因子的分泌量和对炎症细胞的趋化而起作用