Deficiency of the ywhaz gene, involved in neurodevelopmental disorders, alters brain activity and behaviour in zebrafish.

Genetic variants in YWHAZ contribute to psychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia, and have been related to an impaired neurodevelopment in humans and mice. Here, we have used zebrafish to investigate the mechanisms by which YWHAZ contributes to neurodevelopmental disorders. We observed that ywhaz expression was pan-neuronal during developmental stages and restricted to Purkinje cells in the adult cerebellum, cells that are described to be reduced in number and size in autistic patients. We then performed whole-brain imaging in wild-type and ywhaz CRISPR/Cas9 knockout (KO) larvae and found altered neuronal activity and connectivity in the hindbrain. Adult ywhaz KO fish display decreased levels of monoamines in the hindbrain and freeze when exposed to novel stimuli, a phenotype that can be reversed with drugs that target monoamine neurotransmission. These findings suggest an important role for ywhaz in establishing neuronal connectivity during development and modulating both neurotransmission and behaviour in adults.

Intermittent Hypobaric Hypoxic Preconditioning Provides Neuroprotection by Increasing Antioxidant Activity, Erythropoietin Expression and Preventing Apoptosis and Astrogliosis in the Brain of Adult Rats Exposed to Acute Severe Hypoxia.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to intermittent hypoxia has been demonstrated to be an efficient tool for hypoxic preconditioning, preventing damage to cells and demonstrating therapeutic benefits. We aimed to evaluate the effects of respiratory intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) to avoid brain injury caused by exposure to acute severe hypoxia (ASH). METHODS: biomarkers of oxidative damage, mitochondrial apoptosis, and transcriptional factors in response to hypoxia were assessed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry in brain tissue. Four groups of rats were used: (1) normoxic (NOR), (2) exposed to ASH (FiO2 7% for 6 h), (3) exposed to IHH for 3 h per day over 8 days at 460 mmHg, and (4) ASH preconditioned after IHH. RESULTS: ASH animals underwent increased oxidative-stress-related parameters, an upregulation in apoptotic proteins and had astrocytes with phenotype forms compatible with severe diffuse reactive astrogliosis. These effects were attenuated and even prevented when the animals were preconditioned with IHH. These changes paralleled the inhibition of NF-κB expression and the increase of erythropoietin (EPO) levels in the brain. CONCLUSIONS: IHH exerted neuroprotection against ASH-induced oxidative injury by preventing oxidative stress and inhibiting the apoptotic cascade, which was associated with NF-κB downregulation and EPO upregulation.

Exploring tumourigenic potential of the parasite Anisakis: a pilot study.

Anisakiasis is a global disease caused by consumption of raw or lightly cooked fish parasitised with Anisakis spp. third-stage larvae. Cases in the literature show colocalised anisakiasis and colorectal cancer, and the incidental finding of Anisakis larvae at the tumour site was reported. Data from our group suggested an epidemiological link between previous infection and gastrointestinal cancer. Furthermore, it has recently been reported that Anisakis products lead to inflammation and DNA damage. Based on these facts, the aim was to investigate whether Anisakis antigens are able to induce changes in the proliferation of epithelial cells in vitro or in the expression of serum microRNA (miRNA) in Sprague-Dawley rats. Anisakis complete extract (CE) induced increases in cell proliferation and decreases in apoptosis compared with nontreated cells, which resulted in a significant increase in the absolute number of viable cells at 48 h of exposure (P < .05). Furthermore, the miRNAs mmu-miR-1b-5p and mmu-miR-10b-5p (a cancer-related miRNA) were significantly decreased (P < .05) in sera from the rats inoculated with Anisakis CE, compared with control rats inoculated with saline. Additionally, based on their relative quantification values, four other cancer-related miRNAs were considered to be differently expressed, rno-miR-218a-5p and mmu-miR-224-5p (decreased) and rno-miR-125a-3p and rno-miR-200c-3p (increased). Anisakis CE was able to induce changes both in epithelial cells in vitro and in an animal model. The results obtained with Anisakis CE, in terms of increasing cell proliferation, decreasing apoptosis and inducing changes in the expression of serum cancer-related miRNAs in rats, suggest that Anisakis could have tumourigenic potential.

Cyclic AMP signaling restricts activation and promotes maturation and antioxidant defenses in astrocytes.

BACKGROUND: cAMP signaling produces dramatic changes in astrocyte morphology and physiology. However, its involvement in phenotype acquisition and the transcriptionally mediated mechanisms of action are largely unknown. RESULTS: Here we analyzed the global transcriptome of cultured astroglial cells incubated with activators of cAMP pathways. A bulk of astroglial transcripts, 6221 annotated genes, were differentially regulated by cAMP signaling. cAMP analogs strongly upregulated genes involved in typical functions of mature astrocytes, such as homeostatic control, metabolic and structural support to neurons, antioxidant defense and communication, whereas they downregulated a considerable number of proliferating and immaturity-related transcripts. Moreover, numerous genes typically activated in reactive cells, such as scar components and immunological mediators, were repressed by cAMP. GSEA analysis contrasting gene expression profiles with transcriptome signatures of acutely isolated astrocytes and in situ evaluation of protein levels in these cells showed that cAMP signaling conferred mature and in vivo-like transcriptional features to cultured astrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that cAMP signaling is a key pathway promoting astrocyte maturation and restricting their developmental and activation features. Therefore, a positive modulation of cAMP signaling may promote the normal state of differentiated astrocytes and favor the protection and function of neuronal networks.

A novel role for an RCAN3-derived peptide as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer.

The members of the human regulators of calcineurin (RCAN) protein family are endogenous regulators of the calcineurin (CN)-cytosolic nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFATc) pathway activation. This function is explained by the presence of a highly conserved calcipressin inhibitor of calcineurin (CIC) motif in RCAN proteins, which has been shown to compete with NFATc for the binding to CN and therefore are able to inhibit NFATc dephosphorylation and activation by CN. Very recently, emerging roles for NFATc proteins in transformation, tumor angiogenesis and metastasis have been described in different cancer cell types. In this work, we report that the overexpression of RCAN3 dramatically inhibits tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis in an orthotopic human breast cancer model. We suggest that RCAN3 exerts these effects in a CN-dependent manner, as mutation of the CIC motif in RCAN3 abolishes the tumor suppressor effect. Moreover, the expression of the EGFP-R3(178-210) peptide, spanning the CIC motif of RCAN3, is able to reproduce all the antitumor effects of RCAN3 full-length protein. Finally, we show that RCAN3 and the EGFP-R3(178-210) peptide inhibit the CN-NFATc signaling pathway and the induction of the NFATc-dependent gene cyclooxygenase-2. Our work suggests that the EGFP-R3(178-210) peptide possess potent tumor suppressor properties and therefore constitutes a novel lead for the development of potent and specific antitumoral agents. Moreover, we propose the targeting of the CN-NFATc pathway in the tumor cells constitutes an effective way to hamper tumor progression by impairing the paracrine network among tumor, endothelial and polymorphonucleated cells.

Serotonin skews human macrophage polarization through HTR2B and HTR7.

Besides its role as a neurotransmitter, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) regulates inflammation and tissue repair via a set of receptors (5HT(1-7)) whose pattern of expression varies among cell lineages. Considering the importance of macrophage polarization plasticity for inflammatory responses and tissue repair, we evaluated whether 5HT modulates human macrophage polarization. 5HT inhibited the LPS-induced release of proinflammatory cytokines without affecting IL-10 production, upregulated the expression of M2 polarization-associated genes (SERPINB2, THBS1, STAB1, COL23A1), and reduced the expression of M1-associated genes (INHBA, CCR2, MMP12, SERPINE1, CD1B, ALDH1A2). Whereas only 5HT(7) mediated the inhibitory action of 5HT on the release of proinflammatory cytokines, both 5HT(2B) and 5HT(7) receptors mediated the pro-M2 skewing effect of 5HT. In fact, blockade of both receptors during in vitro monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation preferentially modulated the acquisition of M2 polarization markers. 5HT(2B) was found to be preferentially expressed by anti-inflammatory M2(M-CSF) macrophages and was detected in vivo in liver Kupffer cells and in tumor-associated macrophages. Therefore, 5HT modulates macrophage polarization and contributes to the maintenance of an anti-inflammatory state via 5HT(2B) and 5HT(7), whose identification as functionally relevant markers for anti-inflammatory/homeostatic human M2 macrophages suggests their potential therapeutic value in inflammatory pathologies.

Protein kinase CK2-dependent phosphorylation of the human Regulators of Calcineurin reveals a novel mechanism regulating the calcineurin-NFATc signaling pathway.

Cyclosporine A and FK506 produce immunosuppression by blocking calcineurin phosphatase activity and consequently activation of cytosolic Nuclear Factor of Activated T-cell (NFATc) transcription factor. Due to the chronic toxicity associated with their administration, the development of more specific immunosuppressants is currently an important unmet medical need. In this context, an immunosuppressant peptide derived from the CIC motif of the human Regulators of Calcineurin (RCAN) proteins has been shown to inhibit NFATc signaling without affecting general phosphatase activity of calcineurin. Here we show that protein kinase CK2 phosphorylates a conserved serine residue within the CIC motif of vertebrate RCANs, which increases its affinity for calcineurin and consequently its inhibition of NFATc-dependent gene expression in activated T-cells. Molecular modeling studies have led us to identify a positively charged interaction site on the surface of calcineurin where the phosphorylated serine residue of the CIC motif would normally locate. Finally, we have also identified RCAN3 as a new phosphoprotein with multiple phosphorylation sites. Therefore, our findings reveal for the first time a novel molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of calcineurin-NFATc signaling by means of phosphorylation of the CIC motif of RCAN proteins. The knowledge of how RCAN proteins modulate the calcineurin-NFATc pathway paves the way for the development of potent novel selective immunosuppressant drugs.

Bulk and molecular compressibilities of organic-inorganic hybrids [(CH3)4N]2MnX4 (X = Cl, Br); role of intermolecular interactions.

This work reports an X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption, and Raman spectroscopy study of [(CH3)4N]2MnX4 (X = Cl, Br) under pressure. We show that both compounds share a similar phase diagram with pressure. A P21/c monoclinic structure describes precisely the [(CH3)4N]2MnCl4 crystal in the 0.1-6 GPa range, prior to crystal decomposition and amorphization, while [(CH3)4N]2MnBr4 can be described by a Pmcn orthorhombic structure in its stability pressure range of 0-3 GPa. These materials are attractive systems for pressure studies since they are readily compressible through the weak interaction between organic/inorganic [(CH3)4N⁺/MnX4²â»] tetrahedra through hydrogen bonds and contrast with the small compressibility of both tetrahedra. Here we determine the equation-of-state (EOS) of each crystal and compare it with the corresponding local EOS of the MnX4²â» and (CH3)4N⁺ tetrahedra, the compressibility of which is an order and 2 orders of magnitude smaller than the crystal compressibility, respectively, in both chloride and bromide. The variations of the Mn-Cl bond distance obtained by extended X-ray absorption fine structure and the frequency of the totally symmetric ν1(A1) Raman mode of MnCl4²â» with pressure in [(CH3)4N]2MnCl4 allowed us to determine the associated Grüneisen parameter (γ(loc) = 1.15) and hence an accurate local EOS. On the basis of a local compressibility model, we obtained the Grüneisen parameters and corresponding variations of the intramolecular Mn­Br and C­N bond distances of MnBr4²â» (γ(loc) = 1.45) and (CH3)4N⁺ (γ(loc) = 3.0) in [(CH3)4N]2MnBr4.

Dendritic cell-specific ICAM-3-grabbing nonintegrin expression on M2-polarized and tumor-associated macrophages is macrophage-CSF dependent and enhanced by tumor-derived IL-6 and IL-10.

Dendritic cell-specific ICAM-3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN; CD209) is a human pathogen-attachment C-type lectin with no obvious murine ortholog and for which ligation leads to enhanced anti-inflammatory cytokine release and altered proinflammatory cytokine production. Although induced by IL-4 in monocytes and considered as a DC marker, DC-SIGN expression on human APCs under homeostatic conditions is so far unexplained. We report in this study that M-CSF enhances DC-SIGN expression on in vitro derived anti-inflammatory macrophages and that M-CSF mediates the induction of DC-SIGN by fibroblast- and tumor cell-conditioned media. The M-CSF-inducible DC-SIGN expression along monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation is dependent on JNK and STAT3 activation, potentiated by STAT3-activating cytokines (IL-6, IL-10), and abrogated by the M1-polarizing cytokine GM-CSF. In pathological settings, DC-SIGN expression is detected in tumor tissues and on ex vivo-isolated CD14(+) CD163(+) IL-10-producing tumor-associated macrophages. Importantly, DC-SIGN Abs reduced the release of IL-10 from macrophages exposed to Lewis(x)-expressing SKBR3 tumor cells. These results indicate that DC-SIGN is expressed on both wound-healing (IL-4-dependent) and regulatory (M-CSF-dependent) alternative (M2) macrophages and that DC-SIGN expression on tumor-associated macrophages might help tumor progression by contributing to the maintenance of an immunosuppressive environment.

A rat model of intragastric infection with Anisakis spp. live larvae: histopathological study.

Anisakiasis is a fish-borne parasitic disease caused by consumption of raw or undercooked fish or cephalopods parasited by Anisakis spp. third stage larvae. The pathological effects of the infection are the combined result of the mechanical action of the larva during tissue invasion, the direct tissue effects of the excretory/secretory products released by the parasite, and the complex interaction between the host immune system and the Anisakis antigens. The aim of this study was to develop an experimental model of infection with Anisakis spp. live larvae in rats, useful to study the acute and chronic histopathological effects of the Anisakis infection. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to esophageal catheterization to place larvae directly into the stomach. Reinfections at different intervals after the first infection were preformed. Live larvae were found anchored to the mucosa and passing through the wall of the stomach and showed a strong resistance being able to stay alive at different sites and at the different pH. Migration of larvae from the stomach to other organs out of the gastrointestinal tract was also observed. The histopathological study showed the acute inflammatory reaction, with predominance of polymorphonuclear eosinophils and a mild fibrotic reaction. The model of infection described is valid to study the behavior of the larvae inside the host body, the histopathological changes at the invasion site, and the effects of the repeated infections by ingestion of live larvae.

Apolipoprotein E imbalance in the cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer's disease patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) apolipoprotein E (apoE) species in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. METHODS: We analyzed two CSF cohorts of AD and control individuals expressing different APOE genotypes. Moreover, CSF samples from the TgF344-AD rat model were included. Samples were run in native- and SDS-PAGE under reducing or non-reducing conditions (with or without ß-mercaptoethanol). Immunoprecipitation combined with mass spectrometry or western blotting analyses served to assess the identity of apoE complexes. RESULTS: In TgF344-AD rats expressing a unique apoE variant resembling human apoE4, a ~35-kDa apoE monomer was identified, increasing at 16.5 months compared with wild-types. In humans, apoE isoforms form disulfide-linked dimers in CSF, except apoE4, which lacks a cysteine residue. Thus, controls showed a decrease in the apoE dimer/monomer quotient in the APOE ε3/ε4 group compared with ε3/ε3 by native electrophoresis. A major contribution of dimers was found in APOE ε3/ε4 AD cases, and, unexpectedly, dimers were also found in ε4/ε4 AD cases. Under reducing conditions, two apoE monomeric glycoforms at 36 kDa and at 34 kDa were found in all human samples. In AD patients, the amount of the 34-kDa species increased, while the 36-kDa/34-kDa quotient was lower compared with controls. Interestingly, under reducing conditions, a ~100-kDa apoE complex, the identity of which was confirmed by mass spectrometry, also appeared in human AD individuals across all APOE genotypes, suggesting the occurrence of aberrantly resistant apoE aggregates. A second independent cohort of CSF samples validated these results. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that despite the increase in total apoE content the apoE protein is altered in AD CSF, suggesting that function may be compromised.

Content and traffic of taurine in hippocampal reactive astrocytes.

Taurine is one of the most abundant free amino acids in the mammalian central nervous system, where it is crucial to proper development. Moreover, taurine acts as a neuroprotectant in various diseases; in epilepsy, for example, it has the capacity to reduce or abolish seizures. In the present study, taurine levels has been determine in mice treated with Kainic Acid (KA) and results showed an increase of this amino acid in hippocampus but not in whole brain after 3 and 7 days of KA treatment. This increase occurs when gliosis was observed. Moreover, taurine transporter (TAUT) was found in astrocytes 3 and 7 days after KA treatment, together with an increase in cysteine sulfinic acid decarboxylase (csd) mRNA, that codifies for the rate-limiting enzyme of taurine synthesis, in the hippocampus at the same times after KA treatment. Glial cultures enriched in astrocytes were developed to demonstrate that these cells are responsible for changes in taurine levels after an injury to the brain. The cultures were treated with proinflammatory cytokines to reproduce gliosis. In this experimental model, an increase in the immunoreactivity of GFAP was observed, together with an increase in CSD and taurine levels. Moreover, an alteration in the taurine uptake-release kinetics was detected in glial cells treated with cytokine. All data obtained indicate that astrocytes could play a key role in taurine level changes induced by neuronal damage. More studies are, therefore, needed to clarify the role taurine has in relation to neuronal death and repair.

Secretogranin III is an astrocyte granin that is overexpressed in reactive glia.

Astrocytes release peptide and nonpeptide transmitters that influence neuronal development, function, and plasticity. However, the molecular components of the astroglial secretory pathways in vivo are largely unknown. Here, we analyze in astrocytes the production, expression regulation, trafficking, and release of secretogranin III (SgIII), a member of the multifunctional granin family. We show that astroglial cells in culture synthesize and release a nonprocessed form of SgIII. In vivo studies show that many neuronal populations produce and transport SgIII. In particular, the highest SgIII expression in the cerebral cortex in vivo is present in astroglial cells. Both SgIII protein and mRNA are abundantly detected in cortical astrocytes and in Bergmann glial cells. Moreover, the levels of SgIII mRNA and protein in reactive astrocytes, induced by perforating injury increase dramatically. These results implicate SgIII in the astrocyte secretory pathway in vivo and show that its expression is finely regulated during glial activation. The robust expression of SgIII in astrocytes and its regulation in the injured brain suggest both intracellular and extracellular roles for this glial granin in the physiology and repair/damage of neuronal circuits.

Hypodermal decidualized endometrioma with aberrant cytokeratin expression. A lesion mimicking malignancy.

Decidualized endometrioma is a pseudoneoplastic lesion that may appear as a solitary nodule in the hypodermis, simulate a malignant epithelioid tumor, and can represent a diagnostic challenge. A 36-year-old woman delivered a full-term baby by cesarean. At the immediate puerperium, she complained of a subcutaneous nodule measuring 2.5 cm, underneath a previous caesarean scar from the former full-term delivery 3 years earlier. Histologic features included a nodular growth pattern of large monomorphic epithelioid cells showing diffuse positivity for cytokeratin (AE1/AE3, 18), human placental lactogen, and CD10 and focal positivity for inhibin alpha. The main differential diagnoses include trophoblastic neoplasia and deciduoid mesothelioma. Good clinicopathological correlation is essential for the correct diagnosis. Immunohistochemical stains can be misleading. An important clue is the combination of large decidualized cells and lumens lined by flat or low cuboidal cells that are atrophic endometrial glands. This lesion has a benign behavior.

Adsorptive Capture of Ionic and Non-Ionic Pollutants Using a Versatile Hybrid Amphiphilic-Nanomica.

A versatile, functional nanomaterial for the removal of ionic and non-ionic pollutants is presented in this work. For that purpose, the high charge mica Na-4-Mica was exchanged with the cationic surfactant (C16H33NH(CH3)2)+. The intercalation of the tertiary amine in the swellable nano-clay provides the optimal hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature in the bidimensional galleries of the nanomaterial responsible for the dual functionality. The organo-mica, made by functionalization with C16H33NH3+, was also synthesized for comparison purposes. Both samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction techniques and transmission electron microscopy. Then, the samples were exposed to a saturated atmosphere of cyclohexylamine for two days, and the adsorption capacity was evaluated by thermogravimetric measurements. Eu3+ cations served as a proof of concept for the adsorption of ionic pollutants in an aqueous solution. Optical measurements were used to identify the adsorption mechanism of Eu3+ cations, since Eu3+ emissions, including the relative intensity of different f-f transitions and the luminescence lifetime, can be used as an ideal spectroscopic probe to characterize the local environment. Finally, the stability of the amphiphilic hybrid nanomaterial after the adsorption was also tested.

Dense core vesicle markers in CSF and cortical tissues of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: New fluid biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) that reveal synaptic and neural network dysfunctions are needed for clinical practice and therapeutic trial design. Dense core vesicle (DCV) cargos are promising cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) indicators of synaptic failure in AD patients. However, their value as biomarkers has not yet been determined. METHODS: Immunoassays were performed to analyze the secretory proteins prohormone convertases PC1/3 and PC2, carboxypeptidase E (CPE), secretogranins SgIII and SgII, and Cystatin C in the cerebral cortex (n = 45, provided by Bellvitge University Hospital) and CSF samples (n = 66, provided by The Sant Pau Initiative on Neurodegeneration cohort) from AD patients (n = 56) and age-matched controls (n = 55). RESULTS: In AD tissues, most DCV proteins were aberrantly accumulated in dystrophic neurites and activated astrocytes, whereas PC1/3, PC2 and CPE were also specifically accumulated in hippocampal granulovacuolar degeneration bodies. AD individuals displayed an overall decline of secretory proteins in the CSF. Interestingly, in AD patients, the CSF levels of prohormone convertases strongly correlated inversely with those of neurodegeneration markers and directly with cognitive impairment status. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate marked alterations of neuronal-specific prohormone convertases in CSF and cortical tissues of AD patients. The neuronal DCV cargos are biomarker candidates for synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration in AD.

The CREB/CREM transcription factors negatively regulate early synaptogenesis and spontaneous network activity.

The family of CREB (cAMP response element-binding protein) transcription factors are involved in a variety of biological processes including the development and plasticity of the nervous system. In the maturing and adult brain, CREB genes are required for activity-dependent processes, including synaptogenesis, refinement of connections and long-term potentiation. Here, we use CREB1(Nescre)CREM(-/-) (cAMP-responsive element modulator) mutants to investigate the role of these genes in stimulus-independent patterns of neural activity at early stages. We show that lack of CREB/CREM genes specifically in neural tissue leads to increased synaptogenesis and to a dramatic increase in the levels of spontaneous network activity at embryonic stages. Thus, the functions of CREB/CREM genes in neural activity differ in distinct periods of neural development.

Molecular pathogenesis of megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts: mutations in MLC1 cause folding defects.

Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC) is a rare type of leukodystrophy, most often caused by mutations in the MLC1 gene. MLC1 is an oligomeric plasma membrane (PM) protein of unknown function expressed mainly in glial cells and neurons. Most disease-causing missense mutations dramatically reduced the total and PM MLC1 expression levels in Xenopus oocytes and mammalian cells. The impaired expression of the mutants was verified in primary cultures of rat astrocytes, as well as human monocytes, cell types that endogenously express MLC1, demonstrating the relevance of the tissue culture models. Using a combination of biochemical, pharmacological and imaging methods, we also demonstrated that increased endoplasmatic reticulum-associated degradation and endo-lysosomal-associated degradation can contribute to the cell surface expression defect of the mutants. Based on these results, we suggest that MLC1 mutations reduce protein levels in vivo. Since the expression defect of the mutants could be rescued by exposing the mutant-protein expressing cells to low temperature and glycerol, a chemical chaperone, we propose that MLC belongs to the class of conformational diseases. Therefore, we suggest the use of pharmacological strategies that improve MLC1 expression to treat MLC patients.

The pathogen receptor liver and lymph node sinusoidal endotelial cell C-type lectin is expressed in human Kupffer cells and regulated by PU.1.

UNLABELLED: Human LSECtin (liver and lymph node sinusoidal endothelial cell C-type lectin, CLEC4G) is a C-type lectin encoded within the L-SIGN/DC-SIGN/CD23 gene cluster. LSECtin acts as a pathogen attachment factor for Ebolavirus and the SARS coronavirus, and its expression can be induced by interleukin-4 on monocytes and macrophages. Although reported as a liver and lymph node sinusoidal endothelial cell-specific molecule, LSECtin could be detected in the MUTZ-3 dendritic-like cell line at the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein level, and immunohistochemistry analysis on human liver revealed its presence in Kupffer cells coexpressing the myeloid marker CD68. The expression of LSECtin in myeloid cells was further corroborated through the analysis of the proximal regulatory region of the human LSECtin gene, whose activity was maximal in LSECtin+ myeloid cells, and which contains a highly conserved PU.1-binding site. PU.1 transactivated the LSECtin regulatory region in collaboration with hematopoietic-restricted transcription factors (Myb, RUNX3), and was found to bind constitutively to the LSECtin proximal promoter. Moreover, knockdown of PU.1 through the use of small interfering RNA led to a decrease in LSECtin mRNA levels in THP-1 and monocyte-derived dendritic cells, thus confirming the involvement of PU.1 in the myeloid expression of the lectin. CONCLUSION: LSECtin is expressed by liver myeloid cells, and its expression is dependent on the PU.1 transcription factor.

Splanchnic Th(2) and Th(1) cytokine redistribution in microsurgical cholestatic rats.

BACKGROUND: Long-term extrahepatic cholestasis in the rat induces ductular proliferation and fibrosis in the liver, portal hypertension, splenomegaly, portosystemic collateral circulation, and ascites. These splanchnic alterations could have an inflammatory pathophysiology. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We measured serum levels of hepatobiliary injury markers and the acute phase proteins, alpha-1-major acid protein (alpha(1)-MAP) and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (alpha(1)-GPA) in rats 6 wk after microsurgical extrahepatic cholestasis. We also assayed Th(1) (TNF-alpha and IL-1beta) and Th(2) (IL-4 and IL-10) cytokine levels in the liver, ileum, spleen, and mesenteric lymph complex by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. Liver fibrosis was measured by Sirius red stain and by using an image system computer-assisted method and mast cell liver infiltration by Giemsa stain. RESULTS: The cholestatic rats showed an increase (P<0.001) in serum levels of bile acids, total and direct bilirubin, AST, ALT, AST/ALT index, gamma-GT, alkaline phosphatase, alpha(1)- MAP, alpha(1)-GPA, and LDH (P<0.05) in relation to sham-operated rats. TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-4, and IL-10 increased in the ileum (P<0.01) and mesenteric lymph complex (P<0.001), and decreased in the liver (P<0.001). A marked bile proliferation associated with fibrosis (P<0.001) and mast cell infiltration was also shown in the liver of cholestatic rats. CONCLUSION: The splanchnic redistribution of cytokines, with an increase of Th(1) and Th(2) production in the small bowel and in the mesenteric lymph complex, supports the key role of inflammatory mechanisms in rats with secondary biliary fibrosis.