RESUMEN
Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were trapped between 1999 and 2004 at 122 locations in mainland Greece and on most of the larger Aegean and Ionian islands, using OVI light traps, in order to determine the distribution and seasonal activity of bluetongue virus vectors and other Culicoides species. Thirty-nine Culicoides species were identified, six of which (C. furcillatus, C. impunctatus, C. paolae, C. pictipennis, C. riethi, and C. scoticus) were identified for the first time in Greece. Two of these (C. impunctatus and C. scoticus) may be of veterinary importance due to their role as vectors of bluetongue virus and related orbiviruses. In addition, C. imicola was detected for the first time in mainland Greece.
Asunto(s)
Biodiversidad , Ceratopogonidae , Insectos Vectores , Animales , Lengua Azul/transmisión , Virus de la Lengua Azul , Bovinos , Cabras , Grecia , Estaciones del Año , OvinosRESUMEN
Activation of cytokine receptors and alterations in cytokines are thought to play important roles in neuronal dysfunction and in the pathogenesis of the nervous system diseases. CXCL8 (IL-8) is a CXC chemokine with chemotactic and inflammatory properties. Chemokines control mast cell infiltration in several inflammatory diseases, including stress and neurological dysfunctions. Using isolated human umbilical cord blood-derived cultured mast cells (HUCMC) from hematopoietic stem cells CD34+, mast cells were immunologically activated with anti-IgE at concentrations of 1, 5, 10 and 20 microg/ml leading to the dose-dependent production of IL-8 (p < 0.05). The increase in IL-8 mRNA expression was also noted when the cells were treated with anti-IgE at 10 microg/ml for 6 h. Immunologically activated HUCMC provoked the generation of tryptase in a dose- and time-dependent manner. We also found increased histidine decarboxylase (HDC) expression in activated HUCMC after 6 h of incubation, a rate-limiting enzyme responsible for the generation of histamine from histidine. Taken together, these results confirm that anti-IgE-activated mast cells release inflammatory mediators including CXCL8, a CXC chemokine which regulates several biological effects of mast cells, e.g. chemoattraction, and possibly causes cell arrest.
Asunto(s)
Anticuerpos Antiidiotipos/inmunología , Histidina Descarboxilasa/biosíntesis , Inmunoglobulina E/inmunología , Interleucina-8/metabolismo , Mastocitos/inmunología , Triptasas/metabolismo , Células Cultivadas , Sangre Fetal/citología , Expresión Génica/inmunología , Histidina Descarboxilasa/genética , Humanos , Microscopía Electrónica de Transmisión , ARN Mensajero , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa de Transcriptasa Inversa , Transcripción GenéticaRESUMEN
Flavonoids are naturally occurring polyphenolic plant compounds that are capable of inhibiting histamine and cytokine release from several cells. Many studies suggest that flavonoids are anticancer agents with an apoptotic effect on tumor cells. Studies with animal tumour models have found vitamin deficiency to enhance susceptibility to chemical carcinogenesis and large doses of anti-oxidant vitamins and flavonoids to inhibit carcinogenesis. In some studies flavonoids and/or vitamins were found to reduce the predisposition to develop tumours in animals and humans. In conclusion, in this review we describe the role of flavonoids and vitamins in cancer.
Asunto(s)
Flavonoides/uso terapéutico , Neoplasias/prevención & control , Vitaminas/uso terapéutico , Animales , HumanosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) is found in blood plasma or serum and leukocytes and regulates intercellular processes, maintaining phosphoryl metabolites in a steady state, as well as synthesizing and hydrolyzing phosphate esters on membranes. ALPase supervises the active transport of inorganic phosphates, fats, proteins, carbohydrates and the sodium/potassium pump mechanisms. The formed elements of blood such as polymorphonuclear (PMNs) leucocytes, macrophages (MP) and some lymphocytes are high in ALPase concentrations. METHODS: In this study we have tested whether the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-lra) could influence ALPase generation in IL-1beta or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated neutrophils and MP. Human neutrophils were isolated from heparin-anticoagulated blood drawn from healthy individuals by centrifugation in a two-step gradient, Ficoll-Hypaque. ALPase activity was assessed spectrophotometrically in test tubes containing isolated neutrophils and adherence PBMCs treated with LPS, IL-1beta and IL-1ra, alone or in combination. RESULTS: IL-lbeta or LPS enhanced ALPase in both PMNs and MP, whereas IL-1ra could not inhibit ALPase activity. We performed time course experiments at 0 min, 5 min, 1 h, 24 h, and 43 h (LPS 20 microg/mL, IL-1beta 10 ng/mL). No significant increase in ALPase activity was seen until 1 h; however, there was a rapid rise over the next few hours. In another set of experiments using IL-1ra (500 ng/mL), there was no difference between treated cells and control cells. The combination of IL-1beta plus IL-1ra did not reduce the ability of IL-1beta to induce ALPase activity. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that IL-1beta stimulates ALPase through other mechanisms than the release of arachidonic acid products, which are inhibited by IL-lra.
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Fosfatasa Alcalina/metabolismo , Interleucina-1beta/farmacología , Monocitos/efectos de los fármacos , Fagocitos/efectos de los fármacos , Fosfatasa Alcalina/antagonistas & inhibidores , Humanos , Proteína Antagonista del Receptor de Interleucina 1/farmacología , Lipopolisacáridos/farmacología , Monocitos/enzimología , Neutrófilos/efectos de los fármacos , Neutrófilos/enzimología , Fagocitos/enzimología , Regulación hacia ArribaRESUMEN
Mast cells are important in reactions of allergic disease and are also involved in a variety of neuroinflammatory diseases. Mast cells can be immunologically activated by IgE through their Fc receptors, as well as by neuropeptides and cytokines to secrete mediators. Here we used a human mast cell-1 (HMC-1) cell line cultured and treated with a physiological activator, anti-IgE, and a nonphysiological activator, calcium ionophore A23187, for tryptase and MCP-1 generation and transcription of histidine decarboxylase. We used quercetin, a potent antioxidant, cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory compound capable of inhibiting histamine and some cytokines released from several cell types, as an inhibitor of immunological and nonimmunological stimulus for mast cells. In this study quercetin inhibits, in a dose-response manner, tryptase and MCP-1. Moreover, using RT-PCR quercetin inhibited the transcription of histidine decarboxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme responsible for the generation of histamine from histidine, and MCP-1. Our data suggest that quercetin is an important and good candidate for reducing the release of pro-inflammatory mast cell mediators activated by physiological and nonphysiological stimulators.
Asunto(s)
Antioxidantes/farmacología , Quimiocina CCL2/efectos de los fármacos , Histidina Descarboxilasa/efectos de los fármacos , Mastocitos/efectos de los fármacos , Quercetina/farmacología , Triptasas/efectos de los fármacos , Northern Blotting , Línea Celular , Quimiocina CCL2/metabolismo , Histidina Descarboxilasa/biosíntesis , Humanos , Mastocitos/metabolismo , ARN Mensajero/análisis , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa de Transcriptasa Inversa , Transcripción Genética/efectos de los fármacos , Triptasas/metabolismoRESUMEN
Interleukin-17 (now known as IL-17A), is a homodimer of two 155 amino acid chains secreted by CD4+ activated memory T cells (CD45+ RO+) and is available as a glycosylated 20- to 30-kDa homodimeric peptide. Human IL-17 shows amino acid sequence identity of 62.5 and 58% to the mouse and rat sequences, respectively. IL-17 can regulate the function of a variety of cell types, plays an important role in the maturation of hematopoietic progenitor cells, and induces production of proinflammatory mediators. Here, for the first time, we summarize the biological effects of IL-17 and its family members as important players of T cell-mediated immune responses and underline the important implications of this cytokine in inflammation and degenerative diseases.
Asunto(s)
Interleucina-17/fisiología , Enfermedades Óseas/inmunología , Enfermedades Óseas/metabolismo , Citocinas/biosíntesis , Citocinas/inmunología , Humanos , Mediadores de Inflamación/inmunología , Mediadores de Inflamación/metabolismo , Interleucina-17/inmunología , Enfermedades Intestinales/inmunología , Enfermedades Intestinales/metabolismo , Artropatías/inmunología , Artropatías/metabolismo , Enfermedades Renales/inmunología , Enfermedades Renales/metabolismo , Hipersensibilidad Respiratoria/inmunología , Hipersensibilidad Respiratoria/metabolismo , Linfocitos T/inmunología , Linfocitos T/metabolismoRESUMEN
Interleukin (IL) 6 is a pleiotropic cytokine (26 kDa) that originally was named interferon beta 2 or B cell-stimulating factor or differentiating B cell factor inducing immunoglobulin production. IL-6 is produced in many diseases. After secretion, IL-6 binds to its receptor IL-6R alpha (gp 80), the IL-6R alpha complex then recruits the signal-transducing beta-subunit (gp 130), which is the functional complex for signal transduction. In addition, activation of Th2 cells or mast cells also produce IL-6, which mediates immune responses, inflammation, acute phase responses, hematopoiesis, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, etc. IL-6 also is a crucial cytokine for mast cell maturation. Human cord blood CD34+ cells differentiate and grow into mast cells in the presence of stem cell factor (SCF) and IL-6, causing increases in cell size, frequency of chymase positive cells, and intracellular histamine levels when compared with cells treated with SCF alone. Activated mast cells increase IL-6 mRNA associated with protein kinase C (PKC) activity. IL-6 also up-regulates histamine production rather than increases its storage and is an important inducing factor for the expression of immunoglobulin E (IgE) Fc epsilon RI.
Asunto(s)
Inflamación/fisiopatología , Interleucina-6/fisiología , Mastocitos/fisiología , HumanosRESUMEN
Chemokines are involved in a number of pathophysiological conditions, such as inflammatory processes and are divided in two major subfamilies, C-X-C and C-C chemokines. The C-C chemokines are monocyte chemotactic protein 1-2-3-4-5, while C-X-C chemokines include MIP-2, IL-8, etc. We studied the levels of MCP-1 and MIP-2 in diaphragmatic and intercostal muscle tissue and serum in Trichinella spiralis infected mice treated and not treated with 4-deoxypyridoxine, a potent Vit. B6 antagonist which inhibits humoral and cellular immune response. MCP-1 and MIP-2 were measured in homogenized tissue and serum and determined by a specific ELISA. Here we found the levels of MCP-1 and MIP-2 in diaphragmatic and intercostal muscle tissue of T. spiralis infected mice were significantly increased after 10 days and peaked on day 20 post-infection; however, the levels of MIP-2 in mice treated with 4-DPD was lower than that of untreated mice at day 20. MCP-1 also peaked at days 20 and 40. Animals treated with 4-DPD also inhibited the production of MCP-1, compared with untreated animals. The maximum inhibition was at day 40. These inhibitory effects on MIP-2 and MCP-1 were also repeated in the serum determinations, but were not significant. This study demonstrates that MIP-2 and MCP-1 are stimulated in serum and tissue of T. spiralis infected mice and 4-DPD-treated animals significantly inhibited them.
Asunto(s)
Antiinflamatorios/farmacología , Quimiocina CCL2/metabolismo , Quimiocinas/metabolismo , Piridoxina/análogos & derivados , Piridoxina/farmacología , Trichinella spiralis/inmunología , Triquinelosis/inmunología , Animales , Quimiocina CXCL2 , Diafragma/metabolismo , Diafragma/patología , Músculos Intercostales/metabolismo , Músculos Intercostales/patología , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos BALB C , Regulación hacia ArribaRESUMEN
Mimosine is a non-toxic plant aminoacid which is an effective inhibitor of DNA replication by acting at the S-phase. In this study we infected mice with T. spiralis, a nematode parasite, and studied the inflammatory response through the determination of MIP-2, a C-X-C chemokine and MCP-1, a C-C chemokine in the inflamed area around the parasitic cyst. The animals were infected and their diaphragms were tested for inflammatory response. MCP-1 and MIP-2 was tested after 1, 10, 20, 30, and 40 days post inoculation, before and after mimosine treatment. The inflammatory index was calculated by counting the white blood cells around the nematode cysts, while expression of MIP-2 and MCP-1 was calculated by ELISA method and transcription by Northern blot and RT-PCR. Here we found that mimosine strongly inhibited the inflammatory index in the diaphragmatic tissue at 10, 20, 30 and 40 days post-treatment. In these experiments, mimosine had no effect on the number of cysts produced. In addition, we found that MCP-1 transcription and translation was completely inhibited by mimosine, while MIP-2 transcription and translation was partially inhibited at 30 and 40 days; yet it was totally inhibited after 10 and 20 days in encysted diaphragm tissue infected by T. spiralis. Our studies suggest that mimosine has an inhibitory effect through the inhibition of cytoplasmatic serine hydroxymethyltransferase altering the cell cycle of white blood cells. This study suggests for the first time the premise that mimosine acts as an anti-inflammatory compound.