Effect of different types of macrophages on hepatic fibrosis in Echinococcus Granulosus mice.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to illustrate the therapeutic effect of which kind of polarized macrophages-based cell therapy in hepatic fibrosis caused by cystic echinococcosis. METHODS: The isolation culture and polarization induction of mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) are established in an in vitro environment. A model of Echinococcus granulosus infection is established by direct injection of the Echinococcus granulosus suspension into the left hepatic lobe. The macrophages are labeled in vitro and the localization of the returned macrophages in the liver of the mice is determined by in vivo tracing. Macrophages of different polarization types are injected into the successfully modeled mice through the tail vein, and the results of HE, Masson, Sirius Red, Desmin immunohistochemistry and Hyp content are inspected to evaluate by liver tissue. Liver pathology and changes in the degree of fibrosis. RESULTS: Bone marrow-derived macrophages have been successfully obtained and induced into M1 and M2 macrophages by different conditions; a model of Echinococcus granulosus infection was successfully established. Macrophages labeled in vitro were returned to the model through the tail vein and they can be located in the liver; a variety of experimental results show that compared with the PBS group, the degree of fibrosis in the M0 group and the M1 group have been reduced, with statistical difference, and the M1 is better than M0 in terms of the therapeutic effect. There is no significant change in the degree of fibrosis in the M2 group. CONCLUSION: Both M1 and M0 macrophages can alleviate liver fibrosis caused by persistent infection of Echinococcus granulosus, but the treatment effect of M1 macrophages is more significant. Cell therapy based on M1 macrophages may be a new idea for treating liver fibrosis caused by persistent infection of Echinococcus granulosus.

Transmembrane protein 166 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Xinjiang, China.

OBJECTIVE: Transmembrane protein 166 (TMEM166) expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and remote normal esophageal tissues was examined to assess any role in tumour biology. METHODS: TMEM166 mRNA expression in 36 cases with ESCC (36 tumour samples, 36 remote normal esophageal tissue samples) was detected by RT-PCR. TMEM166 protein expression was analysed in paraffin-embedded tissue samples from the same cases by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Semi-quantitative analysis showed TMEM166 mRNA expression in ESCCs to be significantly lower than in remote normal esophageal tissues (0.759 ± 0.713 vs. 2.622 ± 1.690, P=0.014). TMEM166 protein expression was also significantly reduced (69.4% vs. 94.4%, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: TMEM166 mRNA and protein expression demonstrated significant reduction in ESCCs compared with remote esophageal tissues, albeit with no correlation with tumour size, differentiation, stage, and lymph node metastasis, suggesting a role in regulating autophagic and apoptotic processes in the ESCC.

[Dynamic change of IL-10 and TGF-beta1 in the liver of Echinococcus multilocularis-infected mice].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the dynamic expression and function of IL-10 and TGF-beta1 in liver of BALB/c mice infected with Echinococcus multilocularis (Em). METHODS: Sixty female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into experiment group and control group. Mice in the experiment group were each injected with 0.2 ml Em protoscolex suspension (containing about 400 protoscoleces) , while those in control group received same volume of normal saline. At 2, 8, 30, 90, 180, and 360 d after infection, 5 mice from each group were sacrificed and liver specimens were collected for pathological examination and immunohistochemical detection for IL-10 and TGF-beta1. RESULTS: In mice of the experiment group, Em cysts in different sizes were found in the abdominal cavity and the liver tissue, which gradually enlarged with the time. HE staining showed infiltration of lymphocytes in liver tissue, pathological change between the cyst wall and hepatic cells. In the control, the liver lobules showed integrity and inflammatory cells were seen occasionally. The level of IL-10 expression in liver tissue of the infected mice increased with the time, and reached a peak [(1639 +/- 1.73) %] at 90 d post-infection and maintained a high level thereafter. The expression of TGF-beta1 also reached the highest level [(23.69 +/- 2.29) %] . Both were significantly higher than the control (P < 0.01), though a low level expression was found in the control at 90d post-injection. CONCLUSION: The expressions of IL-10 and TGF-beta1 both increase in the middle and late stages of the infection. Besides, their inhibited functions do not be helpful for clearing and controlling Echinococcus multilocularis infection in livers.

[Regulation on phenotypic and functional maturation of dendritic cells by apolipoprotein A-I].

AIM: to investigate the effects of apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) on the peripherial blood dendritic cell (PBDC) and monocyte derived DC (MDDC) in vitro. METHODS: isolate PBDC or monocyte by cell isolation kit, monocyte were induced to MDDC by treated with GM-CSF plus IL-4 for 6 days, and then collect PBDC and MDDC treated them with apoA-I, LPS or TNF-α for 24 hours. Then check the cell surface marker and phagocytic capacity by flow cytometry. ELISA was used to detect the levels of cytokine secretion. T cells were stained with CFSE and T cell proliferation was assessed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: collect the PBDC and MDDC with high purity. In the presence of ApoA-I, the surface markers on MDDC, such as CD40, CD86 and MHC-II, were up-regulated which were detected by flow cytometry. CD83 expression on both PBDC and MDDC was remarkably increased. ApoA-I DC demonstrated decreased the phagocytic capacity. ApoA-I also stimulated MDDC to produce IL-12 and TNF-α. Furthermore, ApoA-I can induce considerable Th cell proliferation. CONCLUSION: ApoA-I can induce the maturation and activation of MDDC and PBDC, including the cytokine secretion, specific antigen presentation and T cell proliferation and decreasing the phagocytic capacity. Therefore, ApoA-I may attribute to the immune response in AS process.

[Transient expression of Echinococcus granulosus Eg95 DNA vaccine and induction of immune response in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To detect the in vitro expression of pcDNA3-Eg95 and to observe the immunological effect of the Eg95 DNA vaccine in mice. METHODS: The eukaryotic recombinant plasmid pcDNA3-Eg95 was transfected into HeLa cells with liposome-mediated method. RT-PCR, ELISA and Western blotting were used to analyze the expression of Eg95 mRNA and Eg95 protein, respectively. The BALB/c mice were immunized by pcDNA3-Eg95. Anti-Eg95 IgG and IgG2a in murine serum were determined by ELISA. The proliferation activity of spleen T lymphocytes was tested using MTT assay. RESULTS: Using RT-PCR method, the expression of Eg95 mRNA was confirmed in vitro. The results of ELISA and Western blotting showed that there was a specific Eg95 protein, which can be specifically recognized by anti-sera of Eg95-prokaryotic-expressing protein in pcDNA3-Eg95 transfected HeLa cell lysis. The specific IgG was induced during the 3rd week and continued to increase until week 10. IgG2a was detected after 2 weeks and maintained a higher level till week 10. There was a significant difference of IgG2a level between pcDNA3-Eg95 immunized group and pcDNA3 control (P<0.01). In spleen T cell proliferation response, the stimulation index (SI) in pcDNA3-Eg95 group was higher than that of vector control (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Eg95 DNA vaccine can induce significant cellular and humoral immune response in mice.

[Change of cytokines in mice with Echinococcus multilocularis infection].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the change of six cytokines in mice infected with Echinococcus multilocularis as part of the study on immunological mechanism in the infection. METHODS: Mice were infected by abdominal inoculation of echinococcus protoscoleces. The change of serum level of the cytokines IL-2, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 was determined by ELISA during the infection which lasted for 260 d. RESULTS: Compared with uninfected control, the levels of the cytokines all significantly increased in the 260 d. The level of IL-2 reached a peak after 80 d post-infection (p.i.), then decreased quickly after 140 d p.i., High level of TNF-alpha was detected after 40 d, compared to uninfected control, reached a peak at 100 d p.i., and decreased quickly after 140 d. The level of IFN-gamma reached a peak after 80 d p.i., and decreased slowly after 140 d p.i. The levels of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 remained lower before 80 d, and increased sharply after 100 days. The levels of IL-4 and IL-10 reached peaks at 100 d p.i., and that of IL-5 at 140 d p.i. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that the induction of Th2 antibody-mediated immunity (AMI) with a parallel expansion of Th1 cell-mediated inflammatory (CMI) responses are important mechanism of the host in defending against the metacestodes. Th1 CMI plays an important role at the early stage of infection, and Th2 AMI is important in the later stage of infection.

Cloning, homological analysis and construction of Eg95 Xinjiang strain DNA vaccine.

OBJECTIVE: To study the structure specificity of Echinococcus granulosus 95 (Eg95) gene and the open reading frame (ORF) of the full-length cDNA sequence in Xinjiang, northwestern China and construct Eg95 Xinjiang strain DNA vaccine. METHODS: Primers of Eg95 were designed on the basis of the sequence of Eg95 antigen cDNA. Genomic DNA was extracted from E.granulosus protoscoleces (sheep) in Xinjiang. The Eg95 gene and full-length Eg95 cDNA were amplified by PCR from the genomic DNA and protoscolex cDNA library of E.granulosus in Xinjiang, respectively. The Eg95 gene was cloned into pUCm-T plasmid and the Eg95 cDNA into eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3 for the construction of full-length ORF DNA vaccine pcDNA3-Eg95/XJ. Both Eg95 gene and Eg95 cDNA were sequenced and analyzed by DNAman and NCBI/Blast program. RESULTS: DNA sequence analysis of Eg95 Xinjiang strain (Eg95/XJ) cDNA fragment indicated that the coding region of the full-length of Eg95/XJ was 471bp and that encoding a peptide with 156aa and the genomic DNA size was 1191bp. Homological comparison showed that the ORF of Eg95/XJ cDNA was identical to the cDNA sequence of Eg95 reported in the reading frame, but the genomic DNA was a new sequence, named Eg95/XJ and the multiple nucleotide differences, which were represented in Eg95/XJ gene in comparison with those of the New Zealand strain, occurred predominantly in the non-coding regions of the gene. The pcDNA3-Eg95/XJ positive clone was the exact recombinant plasmid and could be used as a DNA vaccine. CONCLUSION: pcDNA3-Eg95/XJ Xinjiang strain DNA vaccine is successfully constructed.