The CD8+ Dendritic Cell Subset Selectively Endocytoses Dying Cells in Culture and In Vivo

Dendritic cells (DCs) are able in tissue culture to phagocytose and present antigens derived from infected, malignant, and allogeneic cells. Here we show directly that DCs in situ take up these types of cells after fluorescent labeling with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) and injection into mice. The injected cells include syngeneic splenocytes and tumor cell lines, induced to undergo apoptosis ex vivo by exposure to osmotic shock, and allogeneic B cells killed by NK cells in situ. The CFSE-labeled cells in each case are actively endocytosed by DCs in vivo, but only the CD8+ subset. After uptake, all of the phagocytic CD8+ DCs can form major histocompatibility complex class II–peptide complexes, as detected with a monoclonal antibody specific for these complexes. The CD8+ DCs also selectively present cell-associated antigens to both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Similar events take place with cultured DCs; CD8+ DCs again selectively take up and present dying cells. In contrast, both CD8+ and CD8− DCs phagocytose latex particles in culture, and both DC subsets present soluble ovalbumin captured in vivo. Therefore CD8+ DCs are specialized to capture dying cells, and this helps to explain their selective ability to cross present cellular antigens to both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells

Actin Family in INO80 Complex

Nuclear actin family proteins, comprising of actin and actin-related proteins (Arps), are essential functional components of the multiple chromatin remodeling complexes. The INO80 chromatin remodeling complex, which is evolutionarily conserved and has roles in transcription, DNA replication and repair, consists of actin and actin-related proteins Arp4, Arp5, and Arp8. We generated Arp5 knockout (KO) and Arp8 KO cells from the human Nalm-6 pre-B cell line and used these KO cells to examine the roles of Arp5 and Arp8 in the transcriptional regulation mediated by the INO80 complex. In both of Arp5 KO and Arp8 KO cells, the oxidative stress-induced expression of HMOX1 gene, encoding for heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), was significantly impaired. Consistent with these observations, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay revealed that oxidative stress caused an increase in the binding of the INO80 complex to the regulatory sites of HMOX1 in wild-type cells. The binding of INO80 complex to chromatin was reduced in Arp8 KO cells compared to that in the wild-type cells. On the other hand, the binding of INO80 complex to chromatin in Arp5 KO cells was similar to that in the wild-type cells even under the oxidative stress condition. However, both remodeling of chromatin at the HMOX1 regulatory sites and binding of a transcriptional activator to these sites were impaired in Arp5 KO cells, indicating that Arp5 is required for the activation of the INO80 complex. Collectively, these results suggested that these nuclear Arps play indispensable roles in the function of the INO80 chromatin remodeling complex

気管支喘息におけるCTによる気腫性変化｡喫煙症例と非喫煙症例の比較｡

The percentage of attenuation area < -950HU (% LAA) on high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was compared between 17 smoking and 24 nonsmoking patients with asthma. 1. FEV1/FVC value was lower in smoking patients (56.4%) than in nonsmoking patients (66.0%), however, the difference was not significant. 2. The percentage of LAA of the lung was larger in smoking patients compared with that in nonsmoking patients in all the three anatomic levels: the % LAA was 14.4% in nonsmoking and 20.3% in smoking patients at lower lung level (3cm above the top of the diaphragm). However, this was not significant. The maximal % LAA among the three lung levels on HRCT was 21.6±12.5% in smoking, and 15.7±11.9% in nonsmoking patients. This suggested that the maximal % LAA was larger in smoking patients, however, this was not significant. 3. The mean CT number of the lung on HRCT was smaller in smoking patients (-897.3HU) than in nonsmoking patients (-884.7HU). 4. Three of 4 nonsmoking patients whose % LAA was more than 30% had severe intractable asthma with long-term glucocorticoid therapy. The results suggest the possibility that smoking influences the % LAA of the lung on HRCT in asthma. It could be also speculated that % LAA is influenced by severity of asthma.HRCT (high resolution computed tomography)による-950HU以下の肺野のlow attenuation area(LAA)について,17例の喫煙喘息症例と24例の非喫煙喘息症例で比較検討した｡1.FEV1.0%値は,喫煙症例(56.4%)で非喫煙症例(66.0%)に比べ低い値が示されたが,両群間に有意の差は見られなかった｡2.% LAAは,肺野のいずれの高さにおいても,非喫煙症例に比べ喫煙症例で高い傾向が見られたが,有意の差ではなかった｡Maximal % LAAは,喫煙症例で21.6%,非喫煙症例15.7%であり,同様に喫煙症例で高い傾向が見られたが,有意の差は見られなかった｡3.平均CT値は,非喫煙症例(-884.7HU)に比べ,喫煙症例(-897.3HU)で低い値であった｡4.% LAAが30%以上を示 す4例の非喫煙症例のうち,3例がステロイド依存性の重症難治性喘息であった｡これらの結果より,喫煙が肺野の% LAAに影響をあたえる可能性もあるものの,疾患の重症度がより影響が強い可能性が示唆された

気管支喘息におけるHRCTによるLow attenuation area(LAA)と平均CT numberとの関連

The maximal percent low attenuation area < -950 HU (% LAA) among three anatomic lung levels on high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was examined in patients with asthma, classified by the degree of % LAA, in relation to the mean CT number, % FVC of the predicted value, and FEV 1/FVC (FEV1%). 1 . The mean CT number was closely related to the degree of % LAA of the lungs. The mean CT number was significantly lower in patients with high % LAA (mean CT number-915.3HU, % LAA 37.6%) than in those with low % LAA (-852.9HU, 4.7%). 2. The FEV1% value was significantly lower in patients with high % LAA (47.8%) than in those with low % LAA (62.2%)(p<0.05). The % FVC value was also significantly lower in patients with high % LAA (77.1%) compared to the value in those with low % LAA (101.2%). The results suggest that a large volume of LAA<-950HU of the lungs can be observed in patients with asthma, and the % LAA is closely correlated with mean CT number and the values of FEV1% and % FVC.HRCT (high resolution computed tomography)により,-950HU以下のlow attenuation area(LAA)を3つの高さの肺野レベルで観察し,そのなかの最も高い値をmaximal% LAAとして表し,この値と平均CT number, % FVCおよびFEV1.0%の値と比較検討した｡1.平均CT numberは,maximal% LAAと密接な関連を示した｡そして,平均CT numberは,% LAAが低い症例(% LAA :4.7%, mean CT number:-852.9HU)に比べ,% LAAが高い症例(% LAA :37.6%, mean CT number:-915.3HU)において低い傾向が見られた｡2.FEV1.0%値は,% LAA値が低い症例(62.2%)に比べ% LAA値が高い症例(47.8%)において有意に低い値を示した(P<0.05)。% FVC値も同様% LAA値が低い症例(101.2%)に比べ高い症例(77.1%)で低い値を示したが両群間に有意の差は見られなかった｡これらの結果より,気管支喘息においも,HRCT上肺野で-950HU以下のLow attenuation area(LAA)を示す症例が見られること,そして,% LAAは,mean CT number,FEV1.0%や% FVC値とある程度関連していることが示唆された

Chronic coadministration of carbamazepine together with imipramine produces antidepressant-like effects in an ACTH-induced animal model of treatment–resistant depression: Involvement of 5-HT 2A receptors?

The use of carbamazepine has been reported to be an effective treatment for severe depression. We have already shown that the antidepressant-like effects of tricyclic antidepressants in the rat forced swim test (FST) are blocked by chronic treatment with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). In the present study, we examined the effect of the chronic administration of carbamazepine on the FST and the wet-dog shakes induced by (+/-)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aiminopropane (DOI), a 5-HT2A receptor agonist, in ACTH-treated rats. Chronic administration of carbamazepine did not affect the duration of immobility in saline-treated and ACTH-treated rats. The reduction of immobility, induced by chronic administration of imipramine, was blocked by treatment with ACTH. When carbamazepine was administered concurrently with imipramine, we observed a significant decrease in immobility in rats treated with ACTH. Chronic ACTH treatment increased the number of the wet-dog shakes induced by DOI. This effect of ACTH was significantly increased by the coadministration of carbamazepine and imipramine. These results suggest that the use of carbamazepine together with tricyclic antidepressants had the effect of reducing immobility time in the FST in a tricyclic antidepressant-treatment-resistant depressive model induced by chronic ACTH treatment. </p

Photo-Fenton degradation of methylene blue using hematite-enriched slag under visible light

This study aims to find a suitable method to transform the amorphous iron oxides obtained from the incineration of combustible waste slag into hematite. The resulting samples were utilized as heterogeneous photocatalysts for the photo-Fenton degradation of methylene blue (MB) aqueous solution. A good correlation was found between the MB degradation and the amount of hematite phase as confirmed by XRD and Mössbauer measurements. The largest rate constant (k) was (4.1 ± 0.08) × 10−2 min−1 for MB decomposition under visible-light for the sample N5-50-800. The results are promising for both low-cost photocatalysts and recycling of combustible waste slags

Changes of behavior and consciousness in COVID-19

新型コロナウイルスの感染症の拡大と長期化に伴い，世の中はパンデミック状態にある一方でテレワークの普及によって，個人生活にとってはメリットもあると考えられる．そこで現在の行動やコミュニケーション等の意識の変化，さらにフレイルなど健康面の課題について①生活，行動と意識に関するアンケート，②通勤，勤務と行動と意識に関するアンケート2種類のWeb調査により実態を明らかにした．その結果，未知のウイルスに対する脅威感から，人々の意識やライフスタイルも大きく変容していて，在宅時間の増加によりメリットもある一方で，時間の使い方は自己への投資などには回っておらず，健康面では不安を抱えていることが明らかになり，フレイル等により健康寿命の短縮が危惧されるなど，新たな日常スタイルに向けての課題があることが明らかになった．With the spread and prolongation of the new coronavirus infection, the world is in a pandemic state, but the spread of telework is thought to have benefits for personal life. Therefore, awareness of current behavior and communication, etc. Regarding changes and health issues such as frailty, (1) questionnaires on life, behavior and consciousness, and (2) questionnaires on commuting work and behavior and consciousness, the actual situation was clarified by two types of Web surveys. As a result, people's consciousness and lifestyle have changed significantly due to the threat of unknown viruses, and while there are benefits to increasing the time spent at home, spending time is not used for self-investment. However, it became clear that he was worried about his health, and that there were issues for a new daily style, such as fear of shortening healthy life expectancy due to frailty syndrome