Prevention of neutrophil extravasation by α2-adrenoceptor-mediated endothelial stabilization.

Adrenergic receptors are expressed on the surface of inflammation-mediating cells, but their potential role in the regulation of the inflammatory response is still poorly understood. The objectives of this work were to study the effects of α2-adrenergic agonists on the inflammatory response in vivo and to determine their mechanism of action. In two mouse models of inflammation, zymosan air pouch and thioglycolate-induced peritonitis models, the i.m. treatment with xylazine or UK14304, two α2-adrenergic agonists, reduced neutrophil migration by 60%. The α2-adrenergic antagonist RX821002 abrogated this effect. In flow cytometry experiments, the basal surface expression of L-selectin and CD11b was modified neither in murine nor in human neutrophils upon α2-agonist treatment. Similar experiments in HUVEC showed that UK14304 prevented the activation-dependent upregulation of ICAM-1. In contrast, UK14304 augmented electrical resistance and reduced macromolecular transport through a confluent HUVEC monolayer. In flow chamber experiments, under postcapillary venule-like flow conditions, the pretreatment of HUVECs, but not neutrophils, with α2-agonists decreased transendothelial migration, without affecting neutrophil rolling. Interestingly, α2-agonists prevented the TNF-α-mediated decrease in expression of the adherens junctional molecules, VE-cadherin, ß-catenin, and plakoglobin, and reduced the ICAM-1-mediated phosphorylation of VE-cadherin by immunofluorescence and confocal analysis and Western blot analysis, respectively. These findings indicate that α2-adrenoceptors trigger signals that protect the integrity of endothelial adherens junctions during the inflammatory response, thus pointing at the vascular endothelium as a therapeutic target for the management of inflammatory processes in humans.

[Change of the weight/ foot area coefficient in relation to aggregation in Tarebia granifera]. / Modificación del coeficiente peso/área del pié en relación con la agregación en Tarebia granifera.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze specimens dispersion in a population of Tarebia granifera and its relationship with the change of morphometric parameters. METHODS: Two samplings by parcels including two types of substrata in opposite aggregation conditions were carried out, and the specimen abundance was compared between both samplings and substrata. The samples were stratified into classes according to shell height and for each of these the coefficient weight/foot-area was calculated and correlated with class size. It was experimentally evaluated whether specimens with a lower foot load had a better persistence in emerged substratum as well as the interaction between two class groups of shell height. RESULTS: The abundance difference between samplings was t=5.874 (p<0.001), and t=10.15 (p<0.001) between emerged rocky and sandy substrata, only under conditions of high aggregation where foot load decreases with the size for higher specimens (r=-0.98, p<0.05). Experimentally, the abundance of specimens of opposed sizes were mutually limited (r=-0.87, p<0.01), waves' height limits the abundance of smaller snails (r=-0.94, p<0.01) but it is tolerated by larger ones (r=0.72, p<0.05), and foot load diminishes with the waves' height (r=-0.93, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Under high aggregation conditions larger specimens emigrate toward substratum of difficult capture by smaller ones, which are limited by the environment's mechanical influence. The decrease of foot load facilitates specimens' dispersion.

Modificación del coeficiente peso/área del pié en relación con la agregación en Tarebia granifera / Change of the weight/foot area coefficient in relation to aggregation in Tarebia granifera

OBJETIVO: Analizar la dispersión de los ejemplares de una población de Tarebia granifera y su relación con la modificación de los parámetros morfométricos. METODOS: Se colectó por parcelas incluyendo dos tipos de substratos en condiciones opuestas de agregación y se comparó la abundancia relativa tanto entre muestreos, como entre sustratos. Se delimitaron 7 clases de alto a las cuales se les determinó el coeficiente peso/área del pié, el cual se correlacionó con la talla por clase. Se evaluó experimentalmente si los individuos con menor carga del pié tienen mayor persistencia en substratos emergidos, así como la interacción entre dos grupos de clases de alto. RESULTADOS: La diferencia de la abundancia entre los muestreos fue de t=5.874 (p<0.001) y de t=10.15 (p<0.001) entre el substrato rocoso emergido y el arenoso, sólo en condiciones de alta agregación, en las que la carga del pié de los individuos más grandes se reduce con la talla (r=-0.98, p<0.05). Experimentalmente, la abundancia de los ejemplares de tallas opuestas está mutuamente limitada (r=-0.87, p<0.01), la altura del oleaje limita la abundancia de los ejemplares menores (r=-0.94, p<0.001) siendo tolerada por los mayores (r=0.72, p<0.05). La carga promedio del pie disminuye con la altura del oleaje (r=-0.93, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONES: Con elevada agregación los ejemplares mayores emigran hacia substratos de difícil conquista por los menores, que están limitados por la acción mecánica del medio. La disminución de la carga del pie facilita la dispersión de los individuos