VP2 capsid domain of the H-1 parvovirus determines susceptibility of human cancer cells to H-1 viral infection.

Although H-1 parvovirus is used as an antitumor agent, not much is known about the relationship between its specific tropism and oncolytic activity. We hypothesize that VP2, a major capsid protein of H-1 virus, determines H-1-specific tropism. To assess this, we constructed chimeric H-1 viruses expressing Kilham rat virus (KRV) capsid proteins, in their complete or partial forms. Chimeric H-1 viruses (CH1, CH2 and CH3) containing the whole KRV VP2 domain could not induce cytolysis in HeLa, A549 and Panc-1 cells. However, the other chimeric H-1 viruses (CH4 and CH5) expressing a partial KRV VP2 domain induced cytolysis. Additionally, the significant cytopathic effect caused by CH4 and CH5 infection in HeLa cells resulted from preferential viral amplification via DNA replication, RNA transcription and protein synthesis. Modeling of VP2 capsid protein showed that two variable regions (VRs) (VR0 and VR2) of H-1 VP2 protein protrude outward, because of the insertion of extra amino-acid residues, as compared with those of KRV VP2 protein. This might explain the precedence of H-1 VP2 protein over KRV in determining oncolytic activity in human cancer cells. Taking these results together, we propose that the VP2 protein of oncolytic H-1 parvovirus determines its specific tropism in human cancer cells.

Sodium meta-arsenite prevents the development of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice.

Sodium meta-arsenite (SA) is an orally available arsenic compound. We investigated the effects of SA on the development of autoimmune type 1 diabetes. Female non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice were orally intubated with SA (5mg/kg/day) from 8weeks of age for 8weeks. The cumulative incidence of diabetes was monitored until 30weeks of age, islet histology was examined, and lymphocytes including T cells, B cells, CD4+ IFN-γ+ cells, CD8+ IFN-γ+ cells, CD4+ IL-4+ cells, and regulatory T cells were analyzed. We also investigated the diabetogenic ability of splenocytes using an adoptive transfer model and the effect of SA on the proliferation, activation, and expression of glucose transporter 1 (Glut1) in splenocytes treated with SA in vitro and splenocytes isolated from SA-treated mice. SA treatment decreased the incidence of diabetes and delayed disease onset. SA treatment reduced the infiltration of immunocytes in islets, and splenocytes from SA-treated mice showed a reduced ability to transfer diabetes. The number of total splenocytes and T cells and both the number and the proportion of CD4+ IFN-γ+ and CD8+ IFN-γ+ T cells in the spleen were significantly reduced in SA-treated NOD mice compared with controls. The number, but not the proportion, of regulatory T cells was decreased in SA-treated NOD mice. Treatment with SA either in vitro or in vivo inhibited proliferation of splenocytes. In addition, the expression of Glut1 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 was decreased by SA treatment. These results suggest that SA reduces proliferation and activation of T cells, thus preventing autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice.

Amelioration of high fat diet-induced glucose intolerance by blockade of Smad4 in pancreatic beta-cells.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we investigated whether Smad4 signaling is involved in the regulation of beta-cell function using a high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mouse model. METHODS: Beta-cell-specific Smad4-knockout mice (Smad4(-/-)RIP-Cre(+); ß-Smad4KO) were generated by mating Smad4 (flox/flox) mice with rat insulin promoter (RIP)-Cre mice. Mice were fed a HFD beginning at 6 weeks of age for 16 weeks. Body weight, food intake, fasting and fed glucose levels, and glucose and insulin tolerance were measured. RESULTS: The expression of Smad4 mRNA was significantly decreased in the islets of ß-Smad4KO mice. In wild-type mice, Smad4 mRNA was significantly decreased at 18 weeks of age as compared with 8 weeks of age. On a regular chow diet, ß-Smad4KO mice showed no differences in body weight, fed and fasting blood glucose levels, and glucose tolerance compared with wild-type mice. When fed a HFD, body weight gain was significantly reduced in ß-Smad4KO mice as compared with wild-type mice, although the amount of food intake was not different. During the HFD, fed and fasting blood glucose levels, glucose stimulated insulin secretion, disposition index and glucose tolerance were significantly improved in ß-Smad4KO mice as compared with wild-type mice. However, insulin tolerance tests showed no differences between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Inhibition of Smad4 in beta-cells conferred mild but significant improvements in glucose levels and glucose tolerance in HFD-induced obese mice. Therefore, regulation of Smad4 expression may be one of the mechanisms regulating physiological expansion of beta-cells during development of type 2 diabetes.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 inhibits adipose tissue macrophage infiltration and inflammation in an obese mouse model of diabetes.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with low-grade chronic inflammation. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is known to reduce insulin resistance. We investigated whether GLP-1 has anti-inflammatory effects on adipose tissue, including adipocytes and adipose tissue macrophages (ATM). METHODS: We administered a recombinant adenovirus (rAd) producing GLP-1 (rAd-GLP-1) to an ob/ob mouse model of diabetes. We examined insulin sensitivity, body fat mass, the infiltration of ATM and metabolic profiles. We analysed the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines, lipogenic genes, and M1 and M2 macrophage-specific genes in adipose tissue by real-time quantitative PCR. We also examined the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: Fat mass, adipocyte size and mRNA expression of lipogenic genes were significantly reduced in adipose tissue of rAd-GLP-1-treated ob/ob mice. Macrophage populations (F4/80(+) and F4/80(+)CD11b(+)CD11c(+) cells), as well as the expression and production of IL-6, TNF-α and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, were significantly reduced in adipose tissue of rAd-GLP-1-treated ob/ob mice. Expression of M1-specific mRNAs was significantly reduced, but that of M2-specific mRNAs was unchanged in rAd-GLP-1-treated ob/ob mice. NF-κB and JNK activation was significantly reduced in adipose tissue of rAd-GLP-1-treated ob/ob mice. Lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation was reduced by the GLP-1 receptor agonist, exendin-4, in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and ATM. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: We suggest that GLP-1 reduces macrophage infiltration and directly inhibits inflammatory pathways in adipocytes and ATM, possibly contributing to the improvement of insulin sensitivity.

Effects of UCP2 and UCP3 variants on the manifestation of overweight in Korean children.

To investigate the associations of uncoupling protein (UCP)2 and UCP3 gene variants with overweight and related traits, we genotyped UCP2-866G>A, UCP2Ala55Val, and UCP3-55C>T in 737 Korean children and 732 adults and collected data regarding anthropometric status and blood biochemistry. Information concerning the children's lifestyles and dietary habits was collected. The UCP2-866G>A and UCP3-55C>T gene variants showed significant associations with BMI level, waist circumference, and body weight in the children but not in the adults. Compared with -866GG carriers, the -866GA and AA carriers showed a strong decreasing trend in the risk for overweight (odds ratio (OR), 0.67; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.45-1.01; P = 0.053). In comparison with UCP3-55CC carriers, children carrying -55CT and TT showed a significant reduction in the risk of overweight (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.46-0.98; P = 0.039). There was also evidence of interactions between the effects of the combined UCP2-UCP3 genotype and obesity-related metabolic traits. The greatest protective effect against overweight was seen in those with the combined genotype non-UCP2-866GG and non-UCP3-55CC, as compared with those carrying both UCP2-866GG and UCP3-55CC (OR,0.60; 95% CI, 0.38-0.95; P = 0.030). In the subgroup with a low level of physical activity, UCP3-55CC carriers had higher BMI values than UCP3-55T carriers (16.6 +/- 2.3 kg/m(2) vs. 16.1 +/- 1.9 kg/m(2), P = 0.016). Low physical activity may aggravate the susceptibility to overweight in UCP2-866GG and UCP3-55CC carriers.

Suppressive effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 on interferon-gamma-induced nitric oxide production in insulin-producing cells is mediated by inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha production.

During the development of Type 1 diabetes, inflammatory cytokines are known to induce the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in pancreatic islets, and subsequent production of nitric oxide (NO) contributes to beta cell destruction. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has been shown to reduce cytokine-induced apoptosis of beta cells. In this study, we investigated whether GLP-1 affects cytokine-induced NO production, resulting in the inhibition of beta-cell apoptosis. We treated MIN6N8a mouse beta cells with interferon (IFN)-gamma in the presence or absence of GLP-1 and found that IFN-gamma treatment induced iNOS mRNA expression and NO production, which was significantly inhibited by treatment with GLP-1. Blocking of GLP-1 receptor signaling via the cyclic AMP and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway did not directly affect the suppressive effect of GLP-1 on IFN- gamma-induced iNOS mRNA expression. Further studies revealed that IFN-gamma induced the expression of TNF-alpha mRNA and protein, which synergistically induced NO production, and GLP-1 treatment inhibited this induction of TNF-alpha. To examine whether the reduction of TNF-alpha by GLP-1 treatment plays a role in suppressing NO production, we treated MIN6N8a cells with IFN-gamma in the presence of anti-TNF-alpha neutralizing antibody and found that NO production was reduced. In addition, treatment of mouse islets with GLP-1 inhibited the expression of iNOS and TNFmRNA. These results suggest that GLP-1 inhibits IFN-gamma-induced NO production by suppression of TNF-alpha production.

A potential role for skeletal muscle caveolin-1 as an insulin sensitivity modulator in ageing-dependent non-obese type 2 diabetes: studies in a new mouse model.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a common age-dependent disease. We discovered that male offspring of non-diabetic C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice, called JYD mice, develop type 2 diabetes when they grow old. JYD mice show characteristics of insulin resistance, hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia in old age without obesity. We postulated that the mechanism of age-dependent type 2 diabetes in this model relates to caveolin-1 status in skeletal muscle, which appears to regulate insulin sensitivity in the mice. METHODS: We compared insulin sensitivity in aged C57BL/6 and JYD mice using glucose and insulin tolerance tests and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. We also determined insulin signalling molecules and caveolin proteins using western blotting, and altered caveolin-1 levels in skeletal muscle of C57BL/6 and JYD mice using viral vector systems, to examine the effect of this on insulin sensitivity. RESULTS: In 30-week-old C57BL/6 and JYD mice, the basal levels of IRS-1, Akt and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma decreased, as did insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of Akt and insulin receptor beta. However, caveolin-1 was only increased about twofold in 30-week-old JYD mice as compared with 3-week-old mice, whereas an eightfold increase was seen in C57BL/6 mice. Downregulation of caveolin-1 production in C57BL/6 mice caused severe impairment of glucose and insulin tolerance. Upregulation of caveolin-1 in aged diabetic JYD mice significantly improved insulin sensitivity with a concomitant increase of glucose uptake in the skeletal muscle. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The level of skeletal muscle caveolin-1 is correlated with the progression of age-dependent type 2 diabetes in JYD mice.

Human chorionic gonadotropin is an immune modulator and can prevent autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Expression of T helper (Th)1 cytokine mRNA in pregnant women is known to be inversely correlated with serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Type 1 diabetes is a Th1-mediated autoimmune disease, in which intervention at an early stage of the autoimmune process can prevent disease progression. We hypothesised that immune modulation by treating young NOD mice with hCG may prevent diabetes. METHODS: Female NOD mice were treated with hCG or recombinant hCG from 3 to 15 weeks of age and the incidence of diabetes and development of insulitis was determined. CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell populations, T cell proliferation, cytokine production and CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells were examined and adoptive transfer experiments were performed. RESULTS: Both purified and recombinant hCG prevented development of diabetes in NOD mice. hCG decreased the proportion and number of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells and inhibited T cell proliferative responses against beta cell antigens. hCG treatment suppressed IFN-gamma production, but increased IL-10 and TGF-beta production in splenocytes stimulated with anti-CD3 antibody. hCG treatment also suppressed TNF-alpha production in splenocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. Furthermore, hCG treatment increased the CD4(+)CD25(+)/CD4(+) T cell ratio in spleen and pancreatic lymph nodes. Depletion of CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells from splenocytes of hCG-treated NOD mice abolished their preventive effect on diabetes transfer. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: We conclude that hCG has an immunomodulatory effect by downregulating effector cells, including Th1 cells, CD8(+) T cells and macrophages, and increasing the CD4(+)CD25(+)/CD4(+) T cell ratio, thus preventing autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice.

Naphthalenemethyl ester derivative of dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid, a component of cinnamon, increases glucose disposal by enhancing translocation of glucose transporter 4.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Cinnamon extracts have anti-diabetic effects. Phenolic acids, including hydrocinnamic acids, were identified as major components of cinnamon extracts. Against this background we sought to develop a new anti-diabetic compound using derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acids purified from cinnamon. METHODS: We purified hydroxycinnamic acids from cinnamon, synthesised a series of derivatives, and screened them for glucose transport activity in vitro. We then selected the compound with the highest glucose transport activity in epididymal adipocytes isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats in vitro, tested it for glucose-lowering activity in vivo, and studied the mechanisms involved. RESULTS: A naphthalenemethyl ester of 3,4-dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid (DHH105) showed the highest glucose transport activity in vitro. Treatment of streptozotocin-induced diabetic C57BL/6 mice and spontaneously diabetic ob/ob mice with DHH105 decreased blood glucose levels to near normoglycaemia. Further studies revealed that DHH105 increased the maximum speed of glucose transport and the translocation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4, now known as solute carrier family 2 [facilitated glucose transporter], member 4 [SLC2A4]) in adipocytes, resulting in increased glucose uptake. In addition, DHH105 enhanced phosphorylation of the insulin receptor-beta subunit and insulin receptor substrate-1 in adipocytes, both in vitro and in vivo. This resulted in the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Akt/protein kinase B, contributing to the translocation of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: We conclude that DHH105 lowers blood glucose levels through the enhancement of glucose transport, mediated by an increase in insulin-receptor signalling. DHH105 may be a valuable candidate for a new anti-diabetic drug.

Approaches for the cure of type 1 diabetes by cellular and gene therapy.

Type 1 diabetes results from insulin deficiency caused by autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. Islet transplantation, beta cell regeneration, and insulin gene therapy have been explored in an attempt to cure type 1 diabetes. Major progress on islet transplantation includes substantial improvements in islet isolation technology to obtain viable and functionally intact islets and less toxic immunosuppressive drug regimes to prevent islet graft failure. However, the availability of human islets from cadaveric pancreata is limited. Regeneration of pancreatic beta cells from embryonic or adult stem cells may overcome the limited source of islets and transplant rejection if beta cells are regenerated from endogenous stem cells. However, it is difficult to overcome the persisting hostile beta cell-specific autoimmune response that may destroy the regenerated beta cells. Insulin gene therapy might overcome the weakness of islet transplantation and beta cell regeneration with respect to their vulnerability to autoimmune attack. This method replaces the function of beta cells by introducing various components of the insulin synthetic and secretory machinery into non- beta cells, which are not targets of beta cell-specific autoimmune responses. However, there is no regulatory system that results in the expression and release of insulin in response to glucose with satisfactory kinetics. Although there is no perfect solution for the cure of type 1 diabetes at the present time, research on a variety of potential approaches will offer the best choices for the cure of human type 1 diabetes.

Prevention of autoimmune diabetes by immunogene therapy using recombinant vaccinia virus expressing glutamic acid decarboxylase.

AIMS/HYPOTHESES: Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus results from T-cell-mediated autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells. Among the beta-cell autoantigens that have been implicated in triggering of beta-cell-specific autoimmunity, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is a strong candidate in both humans and the NOD mouse. We aimed to determine whether treatment with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing GAD (rVV-GAD65) could prevent the development of diabetes in NOD mice. METHODS: Three-eight-to-nine-week-old female NOD mice were injected with various doses of rVV-GAD65 or rVV-MJ601as a control. We then examined the incidence of diabetes, T-cell proliferative response to GAD, amounts of anti-GAD IgGs, cytokine production and generation of regulatory cell populations. RESULTS: Administration of rVV-GAD65 to NOD mice prevented diabetes in an age-dependent and dose-dependent manner. Splenic T cells from rVV-GAD65-treated mice did not proliferate in response to GAD65. The amount of IgG1 was increased, whereas IgG2a amounts did not change in rVV-GAD65-treated NOD mice. The production of interleukin-4 increased, whereas the production of interferon-gamma decreased in rVV-GAD65-treated mice after stimulation with GAD. Furthermore, splenocytes from rVV-GAD65-treated NOD mice prevented the transfer of diabetes by splenocytes from acutely diabetic NOD mice in NOD. scid recipients. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: Immunogene therapy using a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing GAD results in the prevention of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice by the induction of immunological tolerance through active suppression of effector T cells, and this treatment might have therapeutic value for the prevention of Type I diabetes.

Role of glutamic acid decarboxylase in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes.

Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is considered to be one of the strongest candidate autoantigens involved in triggering beta-cell-specific autoimmunity. The majority of recent onset type 1 diabetes patients and pre-diabetic subjects have anti-GAD antibodies in their sera, as do nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, one of the best animal models for human type I diabetes. Immunization of young NOD mice with GAD results in the prevention or delay of the disease as a result of tolerizing autoreactive T cells. Autoimmune diabetes can also be prevented by the suppression of GAD expression in antisense GAD transgenic mice backcrossed with NOD mice for seven generations. These results support the hypothesis that GAD plays an important role in the development of T-cell-mediated autoimmune diabetes. However, there is some controversy regarding the role of GAD in the pathogenesis of diabetes. Whether GAD truly plays a key role in the initiation of this disease remains to be determined. The examination of the development of insulitis and diabetes in beta-cell-specific GAD knockout NOD mice will answer this remaining question.

The role of viruses in type I diabetes: two distinct cellular and molecular pathogenic mechanisms of virus-induced diabetes in animals.

Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus results from the progressive loss of pancreatic beta cells. Environmental factors are believed to play an important part in the development of Type I diabetes by influencing the penetrance of diabetes susceptibility genes. As one environmental factor, the virus has long been considered to play a part in this disease. To date 13 different viruses have been reported to be associated with the development of Type I diabetes in humans and in various animal models. The most clear and unequivocal evidence that a virus induces diabetes in animals comes from studies on the D variant of the encephalomyocarditis (EMC-D) virus in mice and the Kilham rat virus (KRV) in rats. The infection of genetically susceptible strains of mice with a high titre of EMC-D virus results in the development of diabetes within 3 days. This is largely due to the rapid destruction of beta cells by the replication of the virus within the beta cells. In contrast, the infection of mice with a low titre of EMC-D virus results in a limited replication of the virus before the induction of neutralizing anti-virus antibody and the subsequent recruitment of activated macrophages. The Src kinases, particularly hck, play an important part in the activation of macrophages and the subsequent production of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1 beta and nitric oxide (NO), leading to the destruction of beta cells which results in the development of diabetes. The Kilham rat virus causes autoimmune diabetes in diabetes resistant (DR)-BB rats without infection of beta cells. The infection of DR-BB rats with KRV results in the disruption of the finely tuned immune balance of Th1-like CD45RC+CD4+ and Th2-like CD45RC-CD4+ T cells, leading to the selective activation of beta-cell-cytotoxic effector T cells.

Role of Hck in the pathogenesis of encephalomyocarditis virus-induced diabetes in mice.

Soluble mediators such as interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) produced from activated macrophages play an important role in the destruction of pancreatic beta cells in mice infected with a low dose of the D variant of encephalomyocarditis (EMC-D) virus. The tyrosine kinase signaling pathway was shown to be involved in EMC-D virus-induced activation of macrophages. This investigation was initiated to determine whether the Src family of kinases plays a role in the activation of macrophages, subsequently resulting in the destruction of beta cells, in mice infected with a low dose of EMC-D virus. We examined the activation of p59/p56(Hck), p55(Fgr), and p56/p53(Lyn) in macrophages from DBA/2 mice infected with the virus. We found that p59/p56(Hck) showed a marked increase in both autophosphorylation and kinase activity at 48 h after infection, whereas p55(Fgr) and p56/p53(Lyn) did not. The p59/p56(Hck) activity was closely correlated with the tyrosine phosphorylation level of Vav. Treatment of EMC-D virus-infected mice with the Src kinase inhibitor, PP2, resulted in the inhibition of p59/p56(Hck) activity and almost complete inhibition of the production of TNF-alpha and iNOS in macrophages and the subsequent prevention of diabetes in mice. On the basis of these observations, we conclude that the Src kinase, p59/p56(Hck), plays an important role in the activation of macrophages and the subsequent production of TNF-alpha and nitric oxide, leading to the destruction of pancreatic beta cells, which results in the development of diabetes in mice infected with a low dose of EMC-D virus.

Cellular and molecular pathogenic mechanisms of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), also known as type 1 diabetes, is an organ-specific autoimmune disease resulting from the destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. The hypothesis that IDDM is an autoimmune disease has been considerably strengthened by the study of animal models such as the BioBreeding (BB) rat and the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse, both of which spontaneously develop a diabetic syndrome similar to human IDDM. Beta cell autoantigens, macrophages, dendritic cells, B lymphocytes, and T cells have been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes. Among the beta cell autoantigens identified, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) has been extensively studied and is the best characterized. Beta cell-specific suppression of GAD expression in NOD mice results in the prevention of IDDM. Macrophages and/or dendritic cells are the first cell types to infiltrate the pancreatic islets. Macrophages play an essential role in the development and activation of beta cell-cytotoxic T cells. B lymphocytes play a role as antigen-presenting cells, and T cells have been shown to play a critical role as final effectors that kill beta cells. Cytokines secreted by immunocytes, including macrophages and T cells, may regulate the direction of the immune response toward Th1 or Th2 as well as cytotoxic effector cell or suppressor cell dominance. Beta cells are destroyed by apoptosis through Fas-Fas ligand and TNF-TNF receptor interactions and by granzymes and perforin released from cytotoxic effector T cells. Therefore, the activated macrophages and T cells, and cytokines secreted from these immunocytes, act synergistically to destroy beta cells, resulting in the development of autoimmune IDDM.

Cyclophosphamide inhibits the development of diabetes in the diabetes-prone BB rat.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Cyclophosphamide has been shown to augment the diabetic process in NOD mouse and BB rat models of Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Because cyclophosphamide has, however, been shown to increase immunoregulatory cell activity, we examined if cyclophosphamide treatment increases immunoregulatory cell activity and inhibits the diabetic process in BB rats. METHODS: The development of insulitis and diabetes was explored in BB rats treated with saline and cyclophosphamide (60 to 175 mg/kg body weight). Subsets of spleen cells were assessed by flow cytometry and cytokine gene expression by RT-PCR. To determine if cyclophosphamide induces immunoregulatory cell activity, the development of diabetes was assessed in BB rats injected with spleen cells from rats treated with saline and cyclophosphamide. RESULTS: All dosages of cyclophosphamide decreased the development of diabetes. The degree of insulitis was lower in pancreata from 55-day-old rats treated with cyclophosphamide than those from controls. Cyclophosphamide caused no alterations in the numbers of NK cells, T-cell subsets, or RT6.1+ T cells. The adoptive transfer of spleen cells from cyclophosphamide-treated rats to BB rats inhibited the development of diabetes. Cyclophosphamide treatment decreased IL-12, IL-1beta, IL-2, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha gene expressions in mononuclear spleen cells but IL-4 gene expression increased. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: These findings show that cyclophosphamide treatment decreases the development of diabetes by inhibiting the development of insulitis. This inhibitory action of cyclophosphamide on the diabetic process seems to be mediated by the induction of immunoregulatory cell activity. The suppression of cytokines that promote Thl cell differentiation by cyclophosphamide treatment could also play a part in the diabetes sparing effect of cyclophosphamide.

Cellular and molecular mechanism for Kilham rat virus-induced autoimmune diabetes in DR-BB rats.

Kilham rat virus (KRV) causes autoimmune diabetes in diabetes-resistant BioBreeding (DR-BB) rats; however, the mechanism by which KRV induces autoimmune diabetes without the direct infection of beta cells is not well understood. We first asked whether molecular mimicry, such as a common epitope between a KRV-specific peptide and a beta cell autoantigen, is involved in the initiation of KRV-induced autoimmune diabetes in DR-BB rats. We found that KRV peptide-specific T cells generated in DR-BB rats infected with recombinant vaccinia virus expressing KRV-specific structural and nonstructural proteins could not induce diabetes, indicating that molecular mimicry is not the mechanism by which KRV induces autoimmune diabetes. Alternatively, we asked whether KRV infection of DR-BB rats could disrupt the finely tuned immune balance and activate autoreactive T cells that are cytotoxic to beta cells, resulting in T cell-mediated autoimmune diabetes. We found that both Th1-like CD45RC+CD4+ and cytotoxic CD8+ T cells were up-regulated, whereas Th2-like CD45RC-CD4+ T cells were down-regulated, and that isolated and activated CD45RC+CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from KRV-infected DR-BB rats induced autoimmune diabetes in young diabetes-prone BioBreeding (DP-BB) rats. We conclude that KRV-induced autoimmune diabetes in DR-BB rats is not due to molecular mimicry, but is due to a breakdown of the finely tuned immune balance of Th1-like CD45RC+CD4+ and Th2-like CD45RC-CD4+ T cells, resulting in the selective activation of beta cell-cytotoxic effector T cells.

Hemostatic suturing technique for uterine bleeding during cesarean delivery.

BACKGROUND: If medical management is unsuccessful in controlling postpartum hemorrhage, conservative surgical intervention or cesarean hysterectomy is required. TECHNIQUE: Hemostatic multiple square suturing using a straight number 7 or number 8 needle and number 1 chromic catgut is a new surgical technique to approximate anterior and posterior uterine walls, especially in areas where there is heavy bleeding. It controls postpartum hemorrhage by attachment and compression of the hemorrhage site of the endometrium or myometrium. EXPERIENCE: We used this technique in 23 women with postpartum hemorrhages at cesarean who did not respond to conservative treatment. In all 23 cases, bleeding decreased markedly and hysterectomy was avoided. All resumed normal menstrual flow after surgery. In four cases, further pregnancy was achieved after this method was used. CONCLUSION: Hemostatic multiple square suturing is an easy, safe, conservative surgical alternative to hysterectomy for treating uncontrollable postpartum hemorrhage.