Differential responses of stressful elements to predatory exposure in behavior-lateralized mice.

BACKGROUND: Predatory stress as a psychological stressor can elicit the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is involved in the dialogue of the neuroimmunoendocrine network. The brain has been proven to regulate the activity of the HPA axis by way of lateralization. In the present study, we probed the pivotal elements of the HPA circuitry including CRH, GR and a multifunctional cytokine in behavior-lateralized mice to determine their changes when the animals were subjected to predator exposure. METHODS: Behavior-lateralized mice were classified into left-pawed and right-pawed mice through a paw-preference test. Thereafter, mice in the acute stress group received a single 60-min cat exposure, and mice in the chronic group received daily 60-min cat exposure for 14 consecutive days. The plasma CS and TNF-α were determined by ELISA, the hypothalamic CRH mRNA and hippocampal GR mRNA were detected by real-time PCR, and the hippocampal GR protein was detected by western blot analysis. RESULTS: The results revealed that the levels of plasma CS were significantly elevated after chronic predatory exposure in both right-pawed and left-pawed mice; the right-pawed mice exhibited a higher plasma CS level than the left-pawed mice. Similarly, the acute or chronic cat exposure could induce the release of plasma TNF-α, and the left-pawed mice tended to show a higher level after the acute stress. Chronic stress significantly upregulated the expression of hypothalamic CRH mRNA in both left-pawed and right-pawed mice. Normally, the left-pawed mice exhibited a higher GR expression in the hippocampus than the right-pawed mice. After the cat exposure, the expression of GR in both left-pawed and right-pawed mice was revealed to be greatly downregulated. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that predatory stress can invoke a differential response of stressful elements in behavior-lateralized mice. Some of these responses shaped by behavioral lateralization might be helpful for facilitating adaption to various stimuli.

Oxymatrine Inhibits Influenza A Virus Replication and Inflammation via TLR4, p38 MAPK and NF-κB Pathways.

Oxymatrine (OMT) is a strong immunosuppressive agent that has been used in the clinic for many years. In the present study, by using plaque inhibition, luciferase reporter plasmids, qRT-PCR, western blotting, and ELISA assays, we have investigated the effect and mechanism of OMT on influenza A virus (IAV) replication and IAV-induced inflammation in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that OMT had excellent anti-IAV activity on eight IAV strains in vitro. OMT could significantly decrease the promoter activity of TLR3, TLR4, TLR7, MyD88, and TRAF6 genes, inhibit IAV-induced activations of Akt, ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and NF-κB pathways, and suppress the expressions of inflammatory cytokines and MMP-2/-9. Activators of TLR4, p38 MAPK and NF-κB pathways could significantly antagonize the anti-IAV activity of OMT in vitro, including IAV replication and IAV-induced cytopathogenic effect (CPE). Furthermore, OMT could reduce the loss of body weight, significantly increase the survival rate of IAV-infected mice, decrease the lung index, pulmonary inflammation and lung viral titter, and improve pulmonary histopathological changes. In conclusion, OMT possesses anti-IAV and anti-inflammatory activities, the mechanism of action may be linked to its ability to inhibit IAV-induced activations of TLR4, p38 MAPK, and NF-κB pathways.

Anti-influenza A virus activity of rhein through regulating oxidative stress, TLR4, Akt, MAPK, and NF-κB signal pathways.

Rhein, an anthraquinone compound existing in many traditional herbal medicines, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, antiviral, hepatoprotective, and nephroprotective activities, but its anti-influenza A virus (IAV) activity is ambiguous. In the present study, through plaque inhibition assay, time-of-addition assay, antioxidant assay, qRT-PCR, ELISA, and western blotting assays, we investigated the anti-IAV effect and mechanism of action of rhein in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that rhein could significantly inhibit IAV adsorption and replication, decrease IAV-induced oxidative stress, activations of TLR4, Akt, p38, JNK MAPK, and NF-κB pathways, and production of inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases in vitro. Oxidant H2O2 and agonists of TLR4, Akt, p38/JNK and IKK/NF-κB could significantly antagonize the inhibitory effects of rhein on IAV-induced cytopathic effect (CPE) and IAV replication. Through an in vivo test in mice, we also found that rhein could significantly improve the survival rate, lung index, pulmonary cytokines, and pulmonary histopathological changes. Rhein also significantly decreased pulmonary viral load at a high dose. In conclusion, rhein can inhibit IAV adsorption and replication, and the mechanism of action to inhibit IAV replication may be due to its ability to suppress IAV-induced oxidative stress and activations of TLR4, Akt, p38, JNK MAPK, and NF-κB signal pathways.

Emodin Inhibition of Influenza A Virus Replication and Influenza Viral Pneumonia via the Nrf2, TLR4, p38/JNK and NF-kappaB Pathways.

Lasting activations of toll-like receptors (TLRs), MAPK and NF-κB pathways can support influenza A virus (IAV) infection and promote pneumonia. In this study, we have investigated the effect and mechanism of action of emodin on IAV infection using qRT-PCR, western blotting, ELISA, Nrf2 luciferase reporter, siRNA and plaque inhibition assays. The results showed that emodin could significantly inhibit IAV (ST169, H1N1) replication, reduce IAV-induced expressions of TLR2/3/4/7, MyD88 and TRAF6, decrease IAV-induced phosphorylations of p38/JNK MAPK and nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65. Emodin also activated the Nrf2 pathway, decreased ROS levels, increased GSH levelss and GSH/GSSG ratio, and upregulated the activities of SOD, GR, CAT and GSH-Px after IAV infection. Suppression of Nrf2 via siRNA markedly blocked the inhibitory effects of emodin on IAV-induced activations of TLR4, p38/JNK, and NF-κB pathways and on IAV-induced production of IL-1ß, IL-6 and expression of IAV M2 protein. Emodin also dramatically increased the survival rate of mice, reduced lung edema, pulmonary viral titer and inflammatory cytokines, and improved lung histopathological changes. In conclusion, emodin can inhibit IAV replication and influenza viral pneumonia, at least in part, by activating Nrf2 signaling and inhibiting IAV-induced activations of the TLR4, p38/JNK MAPK and NF-κB pathways.

LPS-Primed Release of HMGB-1 from Cortical Astrocytes is Modulated Through PI3K/AKT Pathway.

Studies have shown that LPS-preconditioned tolerant state could protect against brain injury to subsequent challenges. We hypothesized astrocytes were directly involved in the readjustment to confer neuroprotective effects with LPS pretreatment. High-mobility group box 1(HMGB-1) from LPS-preconditioned astrocytes, presumably serving as a positive regulator, might contribute to the favorable preconditioned effects. Furthermore, a potential cellular pathway (PI3K/AKT pathway), has been proposed for the active regulation of LPS-primed reactive astrocytes to secrete HMGB-1. In the present study, we used a low concentration of LPS to directly prime the astrocytes in vitro, and the subsequent astrocytic reactions, including cytokine secretion, the expression of transcription factors, and the release of HMGB-1 were examined after the blockade of the PI3K pathway. The data showed that LPS preconditioning could reduce some capacity of astrocytes to subsequent challenge in vitro. PI3K/AKT pathway was partially involved in the modulation of the release HMGB-1 from reactive astrocytes. These findings offer direct evidence supporting the flexible roles of astrocytes in mediating LPS-primed neuroprotection, and highlight additional targets for future attempts to modify the protective effects of astrocytes through LPS preconditioning.

Inhibition of Tanshinone IIA, salvianolic acid A and salvianolic acid B on Areca nut extract-induced oral submucous fibrosis in vitro.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge has been reported to possess excellent antifibrotic activity. In this study, we have investigated the effect and mechanism of tanshinone IIA (Tan-IIA), salvianolic acid A (Sal-A) and salvianolic acid B (Sal-B), the important active compounds of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, on areca nut extract (ANE)-induced oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) in vitro. Through human procollagen gene promoter luciferase reporter plasmid assay, hydroxyproline assay, gelatin zymography assay, qRT-PCR, ELISA and Western blot assay, the influence of these three compounds on ANE-stimulated cell viability, collagen accumulation, procollagen gene transcription, MMP-2/-9 activity, MMP-1/-13 and TIMP-1/-2 expression, cytokine secretion and the activation of PI3K/AKT, ERK/JNK/p38 MAPK and TGF-ß/Smads pathways were detected. The results showed that Tan-IIA, Sal-A and Sal-B could significantly inhibit the ANE-stimulated abnormal viability and collagen accumulation of mice oral mucosal fibroblasts (MOMFs), inhibit the transcription of procollagen gene COL1A1 and COL3A1, increase MMP-2/-9 activity, decrease TIMP-1/-2 expression and inhibit the transcription and release of CTGF, TGF-ß1, IL-6 and TNF-α; Tan-IIA, Sal-A and Sal-B also inhibited the ANE-induced activation of AKT and ERK MAPK pathways in MOMFs and the activation of TGF-ß/Smads pathway in HaCaT cells. In conclusion, Tan-IIA, Sal-A and Sal-B possess excellent antifibrotic activity in vitro and can possibly be used to promote the rehabilitation of OSF patients.

Serum B-cell activating factor in myeloperoxiase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies-associated vasculitis.

BACKGROUND: In this study, the serum B-cell activating factor belonging to tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) levels in patients with myeloperoxidase (MPO)-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) were measured, and their clinical significance was further analyzed. METHODS: One hundred twenty-one patients with MPO-AAV were enrolled in this study. Eighty-three patients had active vasculitis and 38 were in remission. Fifty-five healthy individuals were used as healthy controls. The levels of serum BAFF were assessed using commercial available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The correlations between serum BAFF and Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and MPO-ANCA were further evaluated. RESULTS: The levels of serum BAFF of patients with MPO-AAV in both active (6.06±5.02 ng/mL) and remission phases (3.60±3.83 ng/mL) were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (0.87±0.31 ng/mL) (P<0.001, respectively). The serum BAFF levels in patients with active vasculitis were significantly higher than those in remission (P<0.001). Serum BAFF levels were significantly correlated with Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (r=0.320, P<0.001) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate value (r=0.311, P<0.01) in all patients, but no correlation was found between the levels of serum BAFF and MPO-ANCA. Using receiver-operating characteristics statistics, the cutoff values of serum BAFF level for indicating the presence of MPO-AAV and active vasculitis were 1.58 and 4.20 ng/mL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of serum BAFF were elevated in patients with MPO-AAV and associated with disease activity, but they were not related with the levels of MPO-ANCA.

Panax notoginseng saponins inhibit areca nut extract-induced oral submucous fibrosis in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a premalignant and fibrosing disease, which is closely associated with the habit of chewing areca nut. Panax notoginseng Buck F. H. Chen is an often used antifibrotic and antitumor agent. To treat areca nut-induced OSF, we have developed a chewable tablet, in which one of the major medicines is total Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS). In this study, we have investigated the antifibrotic effect and mechanism of PNS on areca nut-induced OSF in vitro. METHODS: Through human procollagen gene promoter luciferase reporter plasmid, hydroxyproline assay, gelatin zymography, qRT-PCR, ELISA, and Western blot, the influences of PNS on areca nut extract (ANE)-induced cell growth, collagen accumulation, procollagen gene transcription, MMP-2/-9 activity, MMP-1/-13 and TIMP-1/-2 expression, cytokine secretion, and the activation of PI3K/AKT, ERK/JNK/p38 MAPK, and TGFß/Smads pathways were detected. RESULTS: Panax notoginseng saponins could inhibit the ANE-induced abnormal growth and collagen accumulation of oral mucosal fibroblasts in a concentration-dependent manner. PNS (25 µg/ml) could significantly inhibit the ANE-induced expression of Col1A1 and Col3A1, augment the ANE-induced decrease of MMP-2/-9 activity, inhibit the ANE-induced increase of TIMP-1/-2 expression, and decrease the ANE-induced transcription and release of CTGF, TGFß1, IL-6, and TNFα. PNS (25 µg/ml) also significantly inhibited the ANE-induced activation of AKT and ERK/JNK/p38 MAPK pathways in oral mucosal fibroblasts and the ANE-induced activation of TGFß/smad pathway in HaCaT cells. CONCLUSION: Panax notoginseng saponins possess excellent anti-OSF activity, and its mechanism may be related to its ability to inhibit the ANE-induced activation of PI3K/AKT, ERK/JNK/p38 MAPK, and TGFß/smad pathways.

Identification of 23-(s)-2-amino-3-phenylpropanoyl-silybin as an antiviral agent for influenza A virus infection in vitro and in vivo.

It has been reported that autophagy is involved in the replication of many viruses. In this study, we screened 89 medicinal plants, using an assay based on the inhibition of the formation of the Atg12-Atg5/Atg16 heterotrimer, an important regulator of autophagy, and selected Silybum marianum L. for further study. An antiviral assay indicated that silybin (S0), the major active compound of S. marianum L., can inhibit influenza A virus (IAV) infection. We later synthesized 5 silybin derivatives (S1 through S5) and found that 23-(S)-2-amino-3-phenylpropanoyl-silybin (S3) had the best activity. When we compared the polarities of the substituent groups, we found that the hydrophobicity of the substituent groups was positively correlated with their activities. We further studied the mechanisms of action of these compounds and determined that S0 and S3 also inhibited both the formation of the Atg12-Atg5/Atg16 heterotrimer and the elevated autophagy induced by IAV infection. In addition, we found that S0 and S3 could inhibit several components induced by IAV infection, including oxidative stress, the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and IκB kinase (IKK) pathways, and the expression of autophagic genes, especially Atg7 and Atg3. All of these components have been reported to be related to the formation of the Atg12-Atg5/Atg16 heterotrimer, which might validate our screening strategy. Finally, we demonstrated that S3 can significantly reduce influenza virus replication and the associated mortality in infected mice. In conclusion, we identified 23-(S)-2-amino-3-phenylpropanoyl-silybin as a promising inhibitor of IAV infection.

Drug screening for autophagy inhibitors based on the dissociation of Beclin1-Bcl2 complex using BiFC technique and mechanism of eugenol on anti-influenza A virus activity.

Autophagy is involved in many human diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and virus infection, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), influenza A virus (IAV) and coxsackievirus B3/B4 (CVB3/B4), so a drug screening model targeting autophagy may be very useful for the therapy of these diseases. In our study, we established a drug screening model based on the inhibition of the dissociation of Beclin1-Bcl2 heterodimer, an important negative regulator of autophagy, using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) technique for developing novel autophagy inhibitors and anti-IAV agents. From 86 examples of traditional Chinese medicines, we found Syzygium aromaticum L. had the best activity. We then determined the anti-autophagy and anti-IAV activity of eugenol, the major active compound of Syzygium aromaticum L., and explored its mechanism of action. Eugenol could inhibit autophagy and IAV replication, inhibited the activation of ERK, p38MAPK and IKK/NF-κB signal pathways and antagonized the effects of the activators of these pathways. Eugenol also ameliorated the oxidative stress and inhibited the expressions of autophagic genes. We speculated that the mechanism underlying might be that eugenol inhibited the oxidative stress and the activation of ERK1/2, p38MAPK and IKK/NF-κB pathways, subsequently inhibited the dissociation of Beclin1-Bcl2 heterodimer and autophagy, and finally impaired IAV replication. These results might conversely display the reasonableness of the design of our screening model. In conclusion, we have established a drug screening model for developing novel autophagy inhibitor, and find eugenol as a promising inhibitor for autophagy and IAV infection.

Serum BAFF and APRIL might be associated with disease activity and kidney damage in patients with anti-glomerular basement membrane disease.

AIM: B cell activating factor belonging to the tumour necrosis factor family (BAFF) and a proliferation inducing ligand (APRIL) are two tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-like cytokines that were found to be elevated in many autoimmune diseases. Anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease is a typical severe autoimmune disease characterized by raised serum anti-GBM antibodies. In this study we aimed to detect the serum levels of BAFF and APRIL in patients with anti-GBM disease, and their clinical significance was further analyzed. METHODS: Forty-seven patients with anti-GBM disease were enrolled in this study. Forty-eight healthy individuals were used as normal controls. The levels of serum BAFF and APRIL were assessed using commercially available enzyme linked immunosorbent assay kits. The association between the levels of serum BAFF and APRIL, and the clinical and pathological parameters were further evaluated. RESULTS: The serum levels of BAFF and APRIL in patients with anti-GBM disease were significantly higher than that in normal controls (12.3 ± 14.1 ng/mL vs. 0.9 ± 0.3 ng/mL, P < 0.001; 19.1 ± 22.9 ng/mL vs. 1.6 ± 4.6 ng/mL, P < 0.001), respectively. The levels of serum APRIL were correlated with the titres of anti-GBM antibodies (r = 0.347, P = 0.041), and the levels of serum BAFF were associated with the percentage of glomeruli with crescents (r = 0.482, P = 0.015) in patients with anti-GBM disease. CONCLUSION: The levels of serum BAFF and APRIL were raised in patients with anti-GBM disease and might be associated with disease activity and kidney damage.

An attenuated coxsackievirus b3 vector: a potential tool for viral tracking study and gene delivery.

Cardiomyocytes are quite resistant to gene transfer using standard techniques. We developed an expression vector carrying an attenuated but infectious and replicative coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) genome, and unique ClaI-StuI cloning sites for an exogenous gene, whose product can be released from the nascent viral polyprotein by 2A(pro) cleavage. This vector was tested as an expression vehicle for green fluorescent protein (GFP). The vector transiently expressed GFP in cell cultures for at least ten passages and delivered functional GFP to the infected cardiomyocytes for at least 6 days. Moreover, the recombinant viruses showed virulence attenuation in vitro and in vivo. The findings suggest that the recombinant CVB3 vector could be a useful tool for viral tracking study and delivering exogenous proteins to cardiomyocytes.

Serum BAFF is elevated in patients with IgA nephropathy and associated with clinical and histopathological features.

BACKGROUND: B-cell-activating factor belonging to the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) has been found to have the function of activating B cells and participating in the class switching of B cells; however, its clinical application needs further study. In the present study, the serum BAFF levels of patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) with different histopathological phenotypes were measured. METHODS: Levels of serum BAFF in 153 patients with IgAN, 55 healthy controls and 20 disease controls were recorded using commercially available ELISA kits. Their correlations with clinical and histopathological features of patients with IgAN were further evaluated. RESULTS: Levels of serum BAFF in patients with IgAN were significantly higher than in controls. Serum BAFF levels were significantly higher in patients with mesangial hypercellularity and segmental glomerulosclerosis than in those without. Serum BAFF levels were associated with the severity of tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis. Serum BAFF levels were significantly positively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate and serum creatinine. Patients with elevated serum BAFF levels showed significantly greater severity in clinical and histopathological stages. CONCLUSION: Levels of serum BAFF were elevated in patients with IgAN and were associated with clinical and pathological features of the disease. Serum BAFF levels could be a noninvasive biomarker for monitoring disease severity of IgAN.

A drug screening method based on the autophagy pathway and studies of the mechanism of evodiamine against influenza A virus.

In this research, we have established a drug screening method based on the autophagy signal pathway using the bimolecular fluorescence complementation-fluorescence resonance energy transfer (BiFC-FRET) technique to develop novel anti-influenza A virus (IAV) drugs. We selected Evodia rutaecarpa Benth out of 83 examples of traditional Chinese medicine and explored the mechanisms of evodiamine, the major active component of Evodia rutaecarpa Benth, on anti-IAV activity. Our results showed that evodiamine could significantly inhibit IAV replication, as determined by a plaque inhibition assay, an IAV vRNA promoter luciferase reporter assay and the Sulforhodamine B method using cytopathic effect (CPE) reduction. Additionally, evodiamine could significantly inhibit the accumulation of LC3-II and p62, and the dot-like aggregation of EGFP-LC3. This compound also inhibited the formation of the Atg5-Atg12/Atg16 heterotrimer, the expressions of Atg5, Atg7 and Atg12, and the cytokine release of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-8 after IAV infection. Evodiamine inhibited IAV-induced autophagy was also dependent on its action on the AMPK/TSC2/mTOR signal pathway. In conclusion, we have established a new drug screening method, and selected evodiamine as a promising anti-IAV compound.

Asymmetric production of nitric oxide in mouse primary cortical mixed glial cell cultures treated with lipopolysaccharide.

Activated glial cells produce many toxic molecules, including cytokines and nitric oxide (NO). There is evidence that excess NO production plays a key role in neuronal cell death. Previous research has demonstrated that cortical glial cells from the left and right cortices of the brain secrete cytokines asymmetrically. However, no evidence to date exists about whether glial cell-produced NO is produced asymmetrically as well. The results of this study show that NO production and inducible NO synthase gene expression are both significantly higher in the right hemisphere-derived mixed glial cell compared with cultures derived from the left.

Activated immune cells in Parkinson's disease.

Recently, an interaction between neurodegenerative processes and the innate and adaptive immune responses has been increasingly recognized. Activation of microglia, infiltration of peripheral T lymphocytes, and T-cell interaction with microglia may strongly affect the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) both in patients and in animal models of the disease. Here, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the role of microglia in the progression of PD. The plasticity of the microglial response is also discussed in the context of PD. In addition, we also focus on the influence of several peripheral T-cell subsets on PD progression as well as on possible pathways by which they might act. This review should help increase our understanding of the effects of innate and adaptive immune cells in the pathogenesis of PD.

Lipopolysaccharide enhances asymmetrical production of cytokines and nitric oxide by left and right cerebral cortical microglial cells in BALB/C mice.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory factors production by the cerebral cortical glial cells in two sides of the murine brain are different. To determine if microglial cells, a subset of glial cells, are involved in asymmetric production, interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and nitric oxide (NO) responses to LPS by microglial cells in the right and left cerebral cortices were examined. Primary microglial cells were isolated from BALB/C neonatal mice, treated with LPS (10 µg ml(-1) ) for 24 h and examined for IL-6, IL-1ß and NO production. At untreated state, the levels of IL-6, IL-1ß and NO showed no statistical difference between left and right. However, after LPS treatment, the levels of IL-6, IL-1ß and NO for the right microglial cells was statistically significant higher than the left (P < 0·05). Our results denote that enhanced production of IL-6, IL-1ß and NO after LPS treatment in microglia is directly proportional to their basal-state levels, and right cortical microglia produce higher levels of IL-6, IL-1ß and NO than left cortical microglia.

Heterologous SH3-p85beta inhibits influenza A virus replication.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signalling pathway can support the replication of influenza A virus through binding of viral NS1 protein to the Src homology 3 (SH3) domain of p85beta regulatory subunit of PI3K. Here we investigated the effect of heterologously overexpressed SH3 on the replication of different influenza A virus subtypes/strains, and on the phosphorylation of Akt in the virus-infected cells. We found that heterologous SH3 reduced replication of influenza A viruses at varying degrees in a subtype/strain-dependent manner and SH3 overexpression reduced the induction of the phosphorylation of Akt in the cells infected with PR8(H1N1) and ST364(H3N2), but not with ST1233(H1N1), Ph2246(H9N2), and Qa199(H9N2). Our results suggest that interference with the NS1-p85beta interaction by heterologous SH3 can be served as a useful antiviral strategy against influenza A virus infection.

Systemic infection of avian influenza A virus H5N1 subtype in humans.

The viral dissemination in a patient with avian influenza A subtype H5N1 infection was retrospectively studied by the immunohistochemical localization of viral nucleoprotein antigen. The pathology was marked by diffuse alveolar damage, lymphoid depletion, and reactive hemophagocytic syndrome. Besides the lung and the upper respiratory tract, viral antigen was detected in the small and large intestinal epithelial cells, hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow, glial cells and neurons of the brain, and lymphocytes. The results confirmed that H5N1 virus disseminated to multiple organs beyond the respiratory system. However, specific pathological changes were noted in the respiratory system only, and productive viral replication confirmed by culture was noted only in the lung. More postmortem studies are needed to elucidate the pathogenesis of this highly fatal zoonotic disease.

The correlation between cytokine production by cerebral cortical glial cells and brain lateralization in mice.

Objectives. This study aims to explore the relationship among the levels of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) produced by cortical glial cells, and identify any correlation between neuromodulation and brain lateralization. Material and Methods. Cortical glial cells from Balb/c neonatal mice were cultured in vitro and the effects of treating or not treating these cells from both hemispheres with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (10 µg/mL) for 24 hours were tested. The levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α in left and right cortical glial cell cultures and the time course of any changes were compared. Rusults. The production of IL-1ß and TNF-α had no significant difference between right and left cortex in the untreated group within 24 hours. IL-6 was significantly higher in the right than the left cortical glial cells. In the LPS-treated group, increased levels of IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-6 were found, particularly for IL-6, and all were significantly increased in cortical glia cells from the right side. The time course shows that the expression of IL-1ß in right cortex and IL-6 in both sides is time-dependent (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Lipopolysaccharide increases cytokine production in both cerebral cortices, three cytokines have different expression time course within 72 hours, but only IL-1ß in right cortex and IL-6 releasing is time-dependent, and more so on the right side than the left in 24 hours. We proposed the increased immunosuppressive activity of right cortex was due to the higher expression of IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-6 in the right cortical glial cells, whereas there would be more immunoenhancement activity of the left cortex due to the lower levels of these three kinds of cytokines, this being a less pronounced effect than that on the right side. One of the reasons for the brain lateralization may be the different production of cytokines by the cortical glial cells on either side.