Role of interferon-α and interferon-β in glomerular injury and repair

Obwohl die immunstimulatorischen Effekte viraler Nukleinsäursen, wie auch IFN -α und IFN-β, während Virusinfektionen eine wichtige Rolle spielen, ist wenig über ihre Funktion bei viraler Glomerulonephritis, wie beispielsweise HIV Nephropathie, bekannt. Virusinfektionen aktivieren, vor allem mittels IFN-α und IFN-β Produktion eine systemische antivirale Immunantwort. Es wurde gezeigt, dass diese inflammatorischen Zytokine einen pleiotropen immunmodulatorischen Effekt auf renale Mesangialzellen ausüben, was direkt zu glomerulären Krankheiten führt. Aber es ist bisher nicht bekannt, ob die viralen Nukleinsäuren und Typ I IFN einen Effekt auf die glomerulären Epithelzellen haben. (z.B. Podozyten und PECs). Um den Effekt von Nukleinsäuren auf Podozyten und PECs zu erforschen, stimulierten wir diese Zellen mit synthetischen dsDNA-(poly-dAdT) Komplexen mit lipofectamine, um eine virale Infektion zu imitieren. Wir haben herausgefunden, dass dsDNA stetig viele IFN-stimulierte Gene in Podozyten und PECs induziert. Desweitern haben wir herausgefunden, dass dsDNA die PECs Proliferation mindert und die CD24+/CD133+PECs Differenzierung zu ausgereiften Podozyten inhibiert. Um unsere Hypothese, dass deis aufgrund von der Sekretion von IFN-α und IFN-β passiert ist, zu bestätigen, haben wir den Effekt von diesen anitviralen Zytokinen auf PECs- und Podozyten-Homöostase etabliert. Wir haben herausgefunden, dass beide IFNs stetig Podozyten und PECs dazu anregen, stetig mehrere IFN-stimulierte Gene zu exprimieren. Trotzdem hat nur IFN-β das Podozytensterben induziert und die Permeabilität der Podozyten-Monolayer erhöht. In der Adriamycin-induzierter Nephropathie bei SCID Mäusen haben Injektionen mit IFN-α oder IFN-β die Proteinurie, den Makrophagen Influx und die Glomerulosklerose verstärkt. Trotzdem induziert nur IFN-β das mitotische Podozytensterben (katastrophale Mitose), welches zu einer reduzierten Podozytenanzahl führt. Wir haben führt, dass IFN-α einen Zellzyklusarrest in-vivo bei PECs induziert, der zur glomerulären Schädigung führt. Balb/c Mäuse, die Adriamycin gespritzt bekommen haben und täglich mit IFN-α und IFN-β behandelt wurden zeigten einen aggravierten Phänotyp mit vermehrter Proteinurie. Im Gegensatz zu dem, was an Studien in SCID Mausen gezeigt wurde, war der Effekt auf die Proteinurie nach IFN-α Behandlung prominenter bei Balb/c Mäusen, verglichen mit IFN-β. Deshalb haben Typ I IFNs einen deutlichen Effekt auf Podozyten und Parietalzellen. Zusammen fördern die Typ I IFNs die Glomerulosklerose durch verstärkten Untergang der Podozyten sowie durch Unterdrückung ihrer Regeneration aus Vorläuferzellen

Promoção do desenvolvimento integrado e sustentável de municípios

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Produção.O objetivo geral desta pesquisa consiste em propor uma estrutura organizacional e um procedimento subseqüente para administrá-la que, juntos, possibilitem a promoção do desenvolvimento integrado e sustentável de Municípios. Procura-se, com a revisão de literatura acerca do desenvolvimento da humanidade, contextualizar a evolução dos conceitos, das características e das formas de avaliação, para evidenciar as questões fundamentais, atualmente consideradas no que concerne ao desenvolvimento integrado e sustentável; busca-se, também, caracterizar e analisar os Municípios brasileiros e seus principais problemas para conhecer a realidade existente. Diante disso, propõe-se uma simulação teórica, na qual é definida uma estrutura organizacional e um procedimento subseqüente a partir da identificação e da conceituação dos elementos do planejamento estratégico, do problema do desenvolvimento, da descrição dos municípios, da definição de critérios e dos atores participantes do processo. Quanto à metodologia, trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratório-descritiva, com caráter histórico e abordagem qualitativa. Os dados utilizados são do tipo secundário e seu tratamento é realizado com base na análise documental. Os resultados revelam que, para buscar o desenvolvimento integrado e sustentável, é necessário considerar a análise sistêmica dos diversos segmentos, através de suas variáveis e indicadores, uma vez que o segmento econômico não pode mais ser privilegiado em detrimento do social e do ambiental, e que os segmentos institucional, tecnológico e legal devem alicerçar os demais. Revelam, também, que a transformação dos espaços locais, por modificações estruturais e comportamentais, torna-os a chave para o desenvolvimento nacional e global. Conclui-se, então, que a estrutura organizacional e o procedimento subseqüente propostos orientam a busca de uma solução para o problema do desenvolvimento de Municípios, uma vez que permitem, de uma forma organizada, planejada, integrada, sustentada e participativa, promover o desenvolvimento, dentro de uma visão de futuro gerada pelo desejo da própria sociedade, sob a representação do Conselho Municipal de Desenvolvimento. Contudo, essa prática deve advir do empenho do setor público e do entendimento e da cooperação por parte da sociedade civil e do setor privado. Essa aliança é o capital social que pode produzir mudanças na cultura política e na qualidade de vida do Município, fortalecendo também a gestão ambiental, ingredientes essenciais ao desenvolvimento integrado e sustentável. Assim, para que os Municípios utilizem a proposta aqui apresentada - a qual se edifica a partir dos princípios do desenvolvimento sustentável e do processo de planejamento, resultantes da gestão participativa - é preciso enfrentar o desafio da educação para essa idéia, ou seja, que ocorra, antes, o entendimento de sua necessidade por parte do governo e da sociedade civil organizada, e o rompimento de barreiras político-culturais

Calcium oxalate crystals induce renal inflammation by NLRP3-mediated IL-1β secretion

Nephrocalcinosis, acute calcium oxalate (CaOx) nephropathy, and renal stone disease can lead to inflammation and subsequent renal failure, but the underlying pathological mechanisms remain elusive. Other crystallopathies, such as gout, atherosclerosis, and asbestosis, trigger inflammation and tissue remodeling by inducing IL-1β secretion, leading us to hypothesize that CaOx crystals may induce inflammation in a similar manner. In mice, intrarenal CaOx deposition induced tubular damage, cytokine expression, neutrophil recruitment, and renal failure. We found that CaOx crystals activated murine renal DCs to secrete IL-1β through a pathway that included NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1. Despite a similar amount of crystal deposits, intrarenal inflammation, tubular damage, and renal dysfunction were abrogated in mice deficient in MyD88; NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1; IL-1R; or IL-18. Nephropathy was attenuated by DC depletion, ATP depletion, or therapeutic IL-1 antagonism. These data demonstrated that CaOx crystals trigger IL-1β–dependent innate immunity via the NLRP3/ASC/caspase-1 axis in intrarenal mononuclear phagocytes and directly damage tubular cells, leading to the release of the NLRP3 agonist ATP. Furthermore, these results suggest that IL-1β blockade may prevent renal damage in nephrocalcinosis

Crystal structure and regulation of the citrus pol III repressor MAF1 by auxin and phosphorylation

MAF1 is the main RNA polymerase (Pol) III repressor that controls cell growth in eukaryotes. The Citrus ortholog, CsMAF1, was shown to restrict cell growth in citrus canker disease but its role in plant development and disease is still unclear. We solved the crystal structure of the globular core of CsMAF1, which reveals additional structural elements compared with the previously available structure of hMAF1, and explored the dynamics of its flexible regions not present in the structure. CsMAF1 accumulated in the nucleolus upon leaf excision, and this translocation was inhibited by auxin and by mutation of the PKA phosphorylation site, S45, to aspartate. Additionally, mTOR phosphorylated recombinant CsMAF1 and the mTOR inhibitor AZD8055 blocked canker formation in normal but not CsMAF1-silenced plants. These results indicate that the role of TOR on cell growth induced by Xanthomonas citri depends on CsMAF1 and that auxin controls CsMAF1 interaction with Pol III in citrusThis work was supported by Sa˜ o Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP grant 2011/20468-1). C.E.B. and A.F.Z.N. received a fellowship from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).Peer reviewe

Lack of the Long Pentraxin PTX3 Promotes Autoimmune Lung Disease but not Glomerulonephritis in Murine Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

The long pentraxin PTX3 has multiple roles in innate immunity. For example, PTX3 regulates C1q binding to pathogens and dead cells and regulates their uptake by phagocytes. It also inhibits P-selectin-mediated recruitment of leukocytes. Both of these mechanisms are known to be involved in autoimmunity and autoimmune tissue injury, e.g. in systemic lupus erythematosus, but a contribution of PTX3 is hypothetical. To evaluate a potential immunoregulatory role of PTX3 in autoimmunity we crossed Ptx3-deficient mice with Fas-deficient (lpr) C57BL/6 (B6) mice with mild lupus-like autoimmunity. PTX3 was found to be increasingly expressed in kidneys and lungs of B6lpr along disease progression. Lack of PTX3 impaired the phagocytic uptake of apoptotic T cells into peritoneal macrophages and selectively expanded CD4/CD8 double negative T cells while other immune cell subsets and lupus autoantibody production remained unaffected. Lack of PTX3 also aggravated autoimmune lung disease, i.e. peribronchial and perivascular CD3+ T cell and macrophage infiltrates of B6lpr mice. In contrast, histomorphological and functional parameters of lupus nephritis remained unaffected by the Ptx3 genotype. Together, PTX3 specifically suppresses autoimmune lung disease that is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. Vice versa, loss-of-function mutations in the Ptx3 gene might represent a genetic risk factor for pulmonary (but not renal) manifestations of systemic lupus or other autoimmune diseases

Human pluripotent stem cell-derived insulin-producing cells: A regenerative medicine perspective

Tremendous progress has been made over the last two decades in the field of pancreatic beta cell replacement therapy as a curative measure for diabetes. Transplantation studies have demonstrated therapeutic efficacy, and cGMP-grade cell products are currently being deployed for the first time in human clinical trials. In this perspective, we discuss current challenges surrounding the generation, delivery, and engraftment of stem cell-derived islet-like cells, along with strategies to induce durable tolerance to grafted cells, with an eye toward a functional cellular-based therapy enabling insulin independence for patients with diabetes

Plasma leakage through glomerular basement membrane ruptures triggers the proliferation of parietal epithelial cells and crescent formation in non-inflammatory glomerular injury

Glomerular crescents are most common in rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis but also occur in noninflammatory chronic glomerulopathies; thus, factors other than inflammation should trigger crescent formation, eg vascular damage and plasma leakage. Here we report that Alport nephropathy in Col4A3-deficient Sv129 mice is complicated by diffuse and global crescent formation in which proliferating parietal epithelial cells are the predominant cell type. Laminin staining and transmission and acellular scanning electron microscopy of acellular glomeruli documented disruptions and progressive disintegration of the glomerular basement membrane in Col4A3-deficient mice. FITC-dextran perfusion further revealed vascular leakage from glomerular capillaries into Bowman's space, further documented by fibrin deposits in the segmental crescents. Its pathogenic role was validated by showing that the fibrinolytic activity of recombinant urokinase partially prevented crescent formation. In addition, in vitro studies confirmed an additional mitogenic potential of serum on murine and human parietal epithelial cells. Furthermore, loss of parietal cell polarity and unpolarized secretion of extracellular matrix components were evident within fibrocellular crescents. Among 665 human Alport nephropathy biopsies, crescent formation was noted in 0.4%. We conclude that glomerular vascular injury and GBM breaks cause plasma leakage which triggers a wound healing programme involving the proliferation of parietal cells and their loss of polarity. This process can trigger cellular and fibrocellular crescent formation even in the absence of cellular inflammation and rupture of the Bowman's capsule. Copyright (C) 2012 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd