基于胆固醇代谢调控的肿瘤免疫治疗新方法

 免疫检测点阻断疗法等肿瘤免疫疗法近年在临床上取得了重大突破,但仍存在响应率低等显著缺点,需开发新的肿瘤免疫疗法以使更多肿瘤患者受益。胆固醇作为细胞质膜脂质的重要组成成分,其代谢可以影响T细胞的质膜环境及效应功能。本研究发现,通过调控胆固醇代谢可以增强CD8⁺ T细胞的抗肿瘤免疫反应。抑制关键胆固醇酯化酶ACAT1的活性,CD8⁺ T细胞质膜游离胆固醇水平上调,细胞的抗肿瘤免疫应答显著增强,这为肿瘤免疫治疗提供了新思路和新方法。     

雌性中缅树鼩不同生理期血液激素和脂类指标分析

为了阐明雌性中缅树鼩不同生理期血液激素和脂类指标的变化,对其雌二醇(Tradiol,E2)、孕酮(Progesterone,P)、睾酮(Testosterone,T)、甲状腺激素(Thyroxine,T_4)、三碘甲状腺原氨酸(3,3'5-triiodothyromine,T_3)、瘦素、皮质醇、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、乳酸脱氢酶、总胆汁酸、尿酸和总蛋白含量进行了测定。结果表明:较野外种群,实验室驯化种群和繁殖种群血清中雌二醇、孕酮显著降低;而血清中高密度脂蛋白胆固醇、总胆汁酸、乳酸脱氢酶、尿酸含量显著升高;怀孕期血清中睾酮、总蛋白显著降低,雌二醇、孕酮、T_3、T_4、瘦素、皮质醇、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、总胆汁酸、乳酸脱氢酶、尿酸含量显著升高;与未发情期相比,发情期雌性中缅树鼩血液中的雌二醇显著升高,孕酮含量极显著升高。以上结果说明长期驯化的中缅树鼩的动情能力降低,长期圈养同时能降低中缅树鼩的新陈代谢能力。     

Silencing of microRNAs in vivo with 'antagomirs'

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an abundant class of non-coding RNAs that are believed to be important in many biological processes through regulation of gene expression. The precise molecular function of miRNAs in mammals is largely unknown and a better understanding will require loss-of-function studies in vivo. Here we show that a novel class of chemically engineered oligonucleotides, termed 'antagomirs', are efficient and specific silencers of endogenous miRNAs in mice. Intravenous administration of antagomirs against miR-16, miR-122, miR-192 and miR-194 resulted in a marked reduction of corresponding miRNA levels in liver, lung, kidney, heart, intestine, fat, skin, bone marrow, muscle, ovaries and adrenals. The silencing of endogenous miRNAs by this novel method is specific, efficient and long-lasting. The biological significance of silencing miRNAs with the use of antagomirs was studied for miR-122, an abundant liver-specific miRNA. Gene expression and bioinformatic analysis of messenger RNA from antagomir-treated animals revealed that the 3' untranslated regions of upregulated genes are strongly enriched in miR-122 recognition motifs, whereas downregulated genes are depleted in these motifs. Analysis of the functional annotation of downregulated genes specifically predicted that cholesterol biosynthesis genes would be affected by miR-122, and plasma cholesterol measurements showed reduced levels in antagomir-122-treated mice. Our findings show that antagomirs are powerful tools to silence specific miRNAs in vivo and may represent a therapeutic strategy for silencing miRNAs in disease.     

Association of phosphorylation of the T3 antigen with immune activation of T lymphocytes

In human T lymphocytes the antigen receptor (Ti) is associated non-covalently on the cell surface with the invariant T3 antigen which comprises 3 chains: two glycosylated polypeptides of relative molecular mass 26,000 (Mr 26K) and 21K (gamma and delta) and one non-N-glycosylated polypeptide of Mr 19K (epsilon). The proposed function of T3 is to transduce the activation signals delivered via the antigen receptor. Recently we have shown that phorbol esters, which stimulate protein kinase C, can induce phosphorylation of the gamma subunit of the T3 antigen. But the critical question is whether T3 phosphorylation occurs as a normal consequence of immune activation of T lymphocytes. In this respect, it has been shown that immune stimulation of murine T cells results in phosphorylation of Ti-associated polypeptides that may be the functional analogues of the human T3 antigen. We have therefore monitored T3 phosphorylation after exposure of human T cells to antigen or phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). The data show that both stimuli initiate phosphorylation of the gamma subunit of the T3 antigen which indicates that T3 phosphorylation is a physiological response to immune activation.     

腹腔镜手术治疗盆腔炎性包块对T细胞免疫功能及术后恢复的影响

目的探讨腹腔镜手术治疗盆腔炎性包块对T细胞免疫功能及术后恢复的影响.方法随机选取80例盆腔炎患者作为研究对象.随机分为研究组和对照组,研究组采用腹腔镜手术,对照组采用开腹手术,比较两组术后恢复以及对T细胞免疫功能的影响.结果研究组T淋巴细胞亚群手术前后比较差异无统计学意义;开腹组术后CD3+,CD4+,CD8+与术前比较明显降低,72 h时回升,但仍低于术前水平;两组比较,对照组患者的CD3+,CD4+,CD8+降低明显(P0.05);研究组患者术后恢复快,各项指标比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05).结论盆腔炎性包块患者在开腹手术后会出现细胞免疫功能紊乱,腹腔镜手术对T细胞亚群影响较小,对机体的免疫功能影响小,利于术后恢复.     

The T lymphocyte glycoprotein CD2 binds the cell surface ligand LFA-3

CD2 (known also as T11 (ref. 1), LFA-2 (ref. 2) and the erythrocyte rosette receptor (ref. 3] is a functionally important T lymphocyte surface glycoprotein of relative molecular mass 50,000 to 58,000 (Mr 50-58 K) which appears early in thymocyte ontogeny and is present on all mature T cells. Monoclonal antibodies to CD2 inhibit cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated killing by binding to the T lymphocyte and blocking adhesion to the target cell. Such antibodies also inhibit T helper cell responses including antigen-stimulated proliferation, interleukin-2 (IL-2) secretion, and IL-2 receptor expression. Certain combinations of monoclonal antibodies to CD2 epitopes trigger proliferation of peripheral blood T lymphocytes, cytotoxic effector function and expression of IL-2 receptors by thymocytes, resulting in thymocyte proliferation in the presence of exogenous IL-2 (ref. 11). These findings suggest that CD2 can function in signalling as well as being an adhesion molecule. To understand the role of CD2 in T-cell adhesion and activation, it is essential to define its natural ligand. Our previous observation that purified CD2 inhibits rosetting of T lymphocytes with sheep erythrocytes and can be absorbed by sheep erythrocytes suggested it also might bind with detectable affinity to human cells. We now report that CD2 binds to a cell-surface antigen known as lymphocyte function-associated antigen-3 (LFA-3) with high affinity, and can mediate adhesion of lymphoid cells via interaction with LFA-3.     

Isolation of cDNA clones encoding the 20K non-glycosylated polypeptide chain of the human T-cell receptor/T3 complex

The antigen receptor on human T lymphocytes consists of two variable immunoglobulin-like glycoproteins, alpha and beta, which occur in association with three invariable T3 membrane proteins. In humans two of these proteins, T3-gamma and T3-delta, are glycoproteins of relative molecular mass (Mr) 25,000 (25K) and 20,000 (20K), respectively, while the third, T3-epsilon, is a 20K non-glycosylated protein. On the surface of murine T cells, a non-glycosylated protein dimer composed of 17K subunits (T3-zeta) is found associated with the T-cell receptor alpha and beta chains and the three T3-like polypeptide chains. It is generally accepted that major histocompatibility complex-restricted antigen recognition is a function of the alpha-beta heterodimer. This has led to the postulation that the proteins of the T3 complex are involved in the signal transduction that immediately follows antigen recognition via the antigen receptor. Events believed to be involved in early T-cell activation, such as rapid increases in phosphatidylinositol turnover and free intracellular calcium, can be triggered by antibodies directed against either the T3 complex or the clonotypic receptor. We have previously reported our findings on the cloning of the complementary DNA and genomic structure encoding both the human and murine 20K glycoprotein, T3-delta (refs 11-13). We now present our results on the cloning of the cDNA encoding the human 20K non-glycosylated chain, T3-epsilon.     

Regulatory T-cell functions are subverted and converted owing to attenuated Foxp3 expression

The naturally occurring regulatory T cell (T(r)) is the pivotal cell type that maintains self-tolerance and exerts active immune suppression. The development and function of T(r) cells is controlled by Foxp3 (refs 1, 2), a lack of which results in loss of T(r) cells and massive multi-organ autoimmunity in scurfy mice and IPEX (immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked) patients. It is generally thought that, through a binary mechanism, Foxp3 expression serves as an on-and-off switch to regulate positively the physiology of T(r) cells; however, emerging evidence associates decreased Foxp3 expression in T(r) cells with various immune disorders. We hypothesized that Foxp3 regulates T(r) cell development and function in a dose-dependent, non-binary manner, and that decreased Foxp3 expression can cause immune disease. Here, by generating a mouse model in which endogenous Foxp3 gene expression is attenuated in T(r) cells, we show that decreased Foxp3 expression results in the development of an aggressive autoimmune syndrome similar to that of scurfy mice, but does not affect thymic development, homeostatic expansion/maintenance or transforming-growth-factor-beta-induced de novo generation of Foxp3-expressing cells. The immune-suppressive activities of T cells with attenuated Foxp3 expression were nearly abolished in vitro and in vivo, whereas their anergic properties in vitro were maintained. This was accompanied by decreased expression of T(r) cell 'signature genes'. Notably, T cells expressing decreased Foxp3 preferentially became T-helper 2 (T(h)2)-type effectors even in a T(h)1-polarizing environment. These cells instructed T(h)2 differentiation of conventional T cells, which contributed to the immune diseases observed in these mice. Thus, decreased Foxp3 expression causes immune disease by subverting the suppressive function of T(r) cells and converting T(r) cells into effector cells; these findings are important for understanding the regulation of T(r) cell function and the aetiology of various human immune diseases.     

2型糖尿病患者胰岛素样生长因子1水平及相关影响因素

为了探讨2型糖尿病(T2D)患者外周血血清胰岛素样生长因子1(IGF-1)水平与糖脂代谢水平的关系,分析T2D患者血清IGF-1的相关影响因素。通过选取2010年5月～2012年1月就诊于内蒙古医科大学附属医院、内蒙古中医院内分泌科的179例T2D住院患者作为病例组(T2D组),另选取30例内蒙古医科大学体检中心正常健康体检者作为对照组(CK组)。采集研究对象空腹外周血,应用ELISA法检测血清IGF-1水平;检测T2D患者生化血脂指标和糖代谢指标水平,利用调查问卷收集研究对象的一般资料、行为习惯和体格检查,计算体质指数(BMI)、胰岛素抵抗指数(HOMA-IR)及胰岛素敏感性指数(HOMA-IS)。将T2D组患者IGF-1水平按照第25、75百分位数分为低IGF-1水平组(B组)、中IGF-1水平组(C组)和高IGF-1水平组(D组),CK组为对照组(A组)进行比较的方法,研究IGF-1水平与以上指标的相关性。结果表明:T2D组与CK组IGF-1水平差异显著(P 0. 01)。A组、B组、C组和D组比较中,年龄、性别、吸烟史、饮酒史、运动情况及BMI差异显著(P 0. 05);空腹血糖(FPG)、餐后2 h血糖(2PPBS)和糖化血红蛋白(Hb Alc)差异有统计学意义;三组载脂蛋白A(Apoal)均与对照组差异显著,D组的高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C)与A组相比差异有统计学意义。相关性分析显示,血清IGF-1水平与运动情况(Spearman铁相关系数为0. 23,P=0. 001)存在关联。以IGF-1浓度为因变量的多因素Logistic回归分析中,血清IGF-1水平与胰岛素敏感性、年龄、BMI和Apoal、FPG、空腹胰岛素(FINS)及Hb Alc的交互作用正相关,与HDL-C负相关。可见胰岛素敏感性、年龄、BMI及Apoal、FPG、FINS与Hb Alc的交互作用可能为IGF-1水平的独立危险因素,HDL-C可能为独立保护因素。     

Pleiotropic loss of activation pathways in a T-cell receptor alpha-chain deletion variant of a cytolytic T-cell clone

Untransformed T-cell clones maintained in culture are dependent on signals transmitted through their antigen receptors (Ti; alpha and beta chains associated with the CD3 molecules) for growth and effector function. For cytolytic T cells (CTL), Ti stimulation also activates the killing machinery and induces synthesis of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) messenger RNA and IFN-gamma secretion. The Thy-1 molecule, expressed on all murine cells of the T-cell lineage, has been suggested to function in transmembrane signalling, based on the ability of some anti-Thy-1 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to activate T cells. Recently, it was suggested that Thy-1 could function as a signal-transduction molecule when expressed in B-cell lymphomas after transfection of the gene, leading to speculation that the molecule was part of an activation pathway independent of the Ti/CD3 structures. Here we report the immunoselection of a variant CTL clone which has lost expression of mRNA for the alpha-chain of the Ti. The Ti- variant was defective in lectin-mediated activation whether measured by increase in intracytoplasmic Ca2+, CTL effector function or IFN-gamma synthesis. The variant, which expressed normal levels of Thy-1, was also unresponsive to Thy-1 mAb activation as measured by IFN-gamma secretion, whereas it responded to calcium ionophore plus phorbol ester. These results indicate that in a non-transformed, functional mature T-cell, Thy-1 mediated signalling is not an alternative to, but might depend on elements associated with the Ti/CD3-mediated T-cell activation pathway.     

Raf-1 protein kinase is required for growth of induced NIH/3T3 cells

Many growth factors regulate the cytoplasmic Raf-1 protein kinase, consistent with its having a central role in transduction of growth signals. The kinase is ubiquitously expressed and can promote proliferation, presumably in a manner dependent on growth-factor receptors and membrane-associated oncogenes. We have now examined the dependence of serum- and TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate)-regulated NIH/3T3 cell growth on RAF-1 kinase to determine whether Raf-1 is essential for receptor signalling. We inhibited Raf-1 function by expressing c-raf-1 antisense RNA or kinase-defective c-raf-1 mutants. Antisense RNA for c-raf-1 interferes with proliferation of normal NIH/3T3 cells and reverts raf-transformed cells. In revertant cells, DNA replication induced by serum or TPA was eliminated or reduced proportionately to the reduction in Raf protein levels. Expression of a kinase-defective Raf-1 mutant (craf301) or a regulatory domain fragment (HCR) inhibited serum-induced NIH/3T3-cell proliferation and raf transformation even more efficiently. Inhibition by antisense RNA or craf301 blocked proliferation and transformation by Ki- and Ha-ras oncogenes. We conclude that raf functions as an essential signal transducer downstream of serum growth factor receptors, protein kinase C and ras.     

KIR expression on self-reactive CD8+ T cells is controlled by T-cell receptor engagement

Natural killer cell tolerance is maintained by the interaction of killer inhibitory receptors (KIRs) with self-major histocompatibility complex class I gene products. A subset of T cells also expresses inhibitory receptors, but the functional significance of these receptors on T cells is unclear. Here we show that, in the absence of T-cell receptor (TCR) engagement, KIRs expressed on CD8+ T cells are slowly downregulated by KIR ligands expressed on antigen-presenting cells. The resulting expression levels of KIR are no longer able to inhibit T-cell function. In contrast, TCR engagement sustains KIR expression, and re-induces functional levels of KIR expression after ligand-induced downregulation of KIR. Our data indicate that KIR expression on CD8+ T cells in vivo may be maintained through continuous encounters with antigen. As KIR-mediated inhibition of T-cell activation can be bypassed at high antigen concentrations, dynamic KIR expression may mediate T-cell tolerance to self-antigens by sparing self-reactive T cells, thus enabling them to mediate potentially useful immune functions to quantitatively or qualitatively different antigens.     

苦豆子对小鼠的免疫调节作用研究

苦豆子是重要的药用资源,为探讨其免疫调节作用及机理,运用淋巴细胞a-醋酸萘酯酶检验和定量溶血分光光度测定,对比观察T淋巴细胞数量和IgM的抗体生成量,并通过碳廓清试验检测小鼠巨噬细胞吞噬活性.结果表明:苦豆子水煎剂可明显降低T淋巴细胞数量,并可显著抑制IgM抗体的生成.从而初步证实苦豆子是一种以免疫抑制方式起主要作用的中草药.     

五指山小型猪动脉粥样硬化模型的病理学研究

目的观察小型猪动脉粥样硬化模型动脉病变的形态特点、分布规律和发展过程,为小型猪动脉粥样硬化模型的应用提供基础资料。方法3~4月龄五指山小型猪30头,随机分为3组,对照组6头,喂基础饲料,实验组分别饲喂含1.5%胆固醇的高脂饲料(T1组,12头)和含3.0%胆固醇的高脂饲料(T2组,12头),在实验后4、6、8和12个月,T1和T2组分别处死动物3头,对照组分别在实验后6个月和12个月各处死3头,对动物的心血管系统和主要脏器做病理学检查。结果实验后4个月,实验组动物均出现明显的早期动脉粥样硬化病变,至6个月和8个月,动脉病变逐渐加重,在实验后12个月,于动物的大、中血管观察到广泛的动脉病变。动脉病变易发且严重的部位为腹主动脉、髂动脉和冠状动脉,动脉病变少见且较轻的部位为颈总动脉、肠系膜总动脉和肾动脉。动脉病变大体分为3种类型,分别为以胸主动脉为代表的脂纹性病变,以腹主动脉为代表的纤维斑块病变和以冠状动脉为代表的中小动脉病变。动脉病变的发展过程在不同血管和不同部位也有差别,动脉病变的出现时间和严重程度动物个体之间差别较大,T1组和T2组差别不十分显著,以T2组略重。结论小型猪动脉粥样硬化病变与人类十分相似,但是不同部位的血管病变类型和发展过程有所不同,应根据实验需要选择观察血管和实验周期。     

响应面法优化T-2毒素脂质体处方及其抗肿瘤活性

用薄膜超声法制备T 2毒素脂质体（LP-T2）, 用高效液相色谱(HPLC)法测定包封率, 并考察测定方法的线性、 加样回收率、 精密度和重复性; 用单因素法考察有机溶剂、 磷脂种类、 m(药)∶m(脂)、 水合体积、 m(磷脂)∶m(胆固醇)对包封率的影响及响应面法优化处方; 用高压均质法对脂质体整粒, 并测定粒径分布; 用噻唑蓝(MTT)法检测T-2毒素和LP-T2对5种肿瘤细胞和正常细胞的生长抑制作用. 结果表明: LP T2最佳制备工艺为以蛋黄卵磷脂(EPC)为膜材, 薄膜超声法制备, m(药)∶m(脂)=3.5, m(磷脂)∶m(胆固醇)=3.74, 4\|羟乙基哌嗪乙磺酸（Hepes, 20 mmol/L, pH=7.4）水合, 水合体积11.8 mL, 超声10 min; 高压均质整粒后平均粒径为267 nm; LP T2可显著抑制肿瘤细胞的增殖, 活性与丝裂霉素相当, 对正常细胞的IC₅₀值（1 881.54 ng/mL）高于T 2毒素（1 427.83 ng/mL）, 即毒副作用减小; LP-T2的包封率和粒径均符合药剂标准, 具有体外抗肿瘤活性.