TGF-β inhibits lipopolysaccharide-stimulated activity of c-Jun N-terminal kinase in mouse macrophages

AbstractTransforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a potent anti-inflammatory cytokine. Although this cytokine inhibits lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated septic shock, the molecular mechanism of TGF-β is not well known. Since recent studies showed that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), one of the mitogen-activated protein kinases, plays an important role in LPS signalling, we focused here on the inhibitory action of TGF-β1 on LPS-stimulated JNK activity in mouse macrophages. TGF-β1 inhibited LPS-stimulation of phosphorylated JNK1 and JNK2 and consequently of JNK activity in the cells. This JNK activity resulted in a decreased level of phosphorylated c-Jun protein. Using Western blotting, we also observed TGF-β1 inhibition of newly synthesized c-Jun protein in LPS-stimulated cells. These results demonstrate that TGF-β1 inhibits LPS-stimulated JNK activity in mouse macrophages. Also, our present study suggests a possible inhibitory mechanism of TGF-β in signalling of LPS-induced inflammatory responses

A Case of Choroidal Neovascularization Secondary to Unilateral Retinal Pigment Epithelium Dysgenesis

Aim: To report a case of choroidal neovascularization secondary to unilateral retinal pigment epithelium dysgenesis (URPED), which was resistant to posterior subtenon injection of triamcinolone acetonide (STTA) and intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVB). Case Report: An 8-year-old boy was referred to us because of a unilateral unique clinical appearance on funduscopic examination in his left eye (OS). A geometric lesion at the retinal pigment epithelium level of the interpapillomacular area was disclosed OS. The optic nerve was slightly hyperemic OS. Findings from the right fundus examination were normal. Based on these characteristic findings, he was diagnosed as having URPED. Best corrected Landolt ring chart visual acuity (BCVA) was 1.0 in both eyes. Twenty-three months after the first visit, the patient presented with visual disturbance OS. Funduscopic examination showed an expansion of the geometric lesion and the development of a subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV). BCVA was 0.4 OS. Two-time STTA (40 mg/1 ml) was performed at the onset of CNV and 6 months later, and additional IVB (1.25 mg/0.05 ml) was done 10 months later for the treatment of CNV, but the geometric lesion and CNV were resistant to the treatment and continued to expand. Seven years after the first visit, the geometric lesion and the CNV kept expanding steadily. Conclusion: URPED is a rare clinical entity, and the prognosis of this disease is still unclear. The visual prognosis may depend on whether CNV fully develops

Macular Edema Formation and Deterioration of Retinal Function after Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injection for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Purpose: To report a case of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) showing transient macular edema (ME) and deteriorated retinal function after intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVB). Methods and Results: A 53-year-old man received IVB (1.25 mg/0.05 ml) in both eyes for the treatment of PDR. There was no treatment-related complication. However, he complained of photopsia in both eyes 6 h after the injection. Slit-lamp examination revealed mild cellular infiltrations (1+) in the anterior chamber in both eyes. Optical coherence tomography showed ME formation in the left eye. Both full-field and multifocal electroretinography (ERG) revealed the deterioration of all parameters in both eyes compared with pretreatment. The inflammation in the anterior segment and ME disappeared 1 day after the injection. ERG parameters were improved 9 days after the injection, except for the N1 and P1 amplitude of multifocal ERG in the left eye. Conclusion: We propose that patients who undergo IVB should be carefully informed and followed up for possible complications including temporal ME formation and retinal function deterioration

Transformation of peptide nanotubes into a vesicle via fusion driven by stereo-complex formation.

Two types of peptide nanotubes, one is prepared from an amphiphilic peptide having a right-handed helix segment and the other from that having a left-handed helix segment, are shown to transform the morphology into a vesicle by membrane fusion due to stereo-complex formation between these helical segments

Geochemistry of eclogite- and blueschist-facies rocks from the Bantimala Complex, South Sulawesi, Indonesia: Protolith origin and tectonic setting

We present the first data on bulk-rock major and trace element compositions for\ud a suite of eclogite- and blueschist-facies rocks from the Bantimala Complex, Indonesia,\ud with the aim of better constraining the protolith origins and nature of the subducted crust.\ud The eclogites can be classified into two groups: glaucophane-rich eclogite and glaucophanefree\ud eclogite, whereas the blueschists are divided into albite???epidote glaucophanite and\ud quartz???glaucophane schists. SiO2 contents of the eclogites are 43.3???49.6 wt%, with\ud Na2O + K2O contents 3.7???4.7 wt%. The blueschists show a wider range of compositions,\ud with SiO2 = 40.7???63.8 wt% and Na2O + K2O = 2.7???4.5 wt%. Trace element data suggest that\ud the eclogite protoliths include both enriched and normal mid-oceanic ridge basalt\ud (E-MORB and N-MORB) and also gabbroic cumulates. The blueschists show more variation\ud in protoliths, which include N-MORB, Oceanic Island Basalt (OIB) and Island Arc\ud Basalt (IAB). Plots of element concentrations against the immobile Zr show considerable\ud mobility of large ion lithophiles but not of high field-strength elements during highpressure\ud metamorphism, and indicate that the high SiO2 content of some blueschists is\ud probably due to metasomatism by a LILE-rich siliceous aqueous fluid. Strong correlations\ud between K, Rb, Ba and Cs suggests that enrichment of these elements occurred by a single\ud process. All the protoliths were subducted, metamorphosed to blueschist/eclogite-facies\ud and subsequently exhumed. It is noteworthy that the samples deduced to have come from\ud thicker-crust environments (OIB, IAB) were subducted to shallower depths (blueschistfacies)\ud than MORB-derived samples, all except one of which reached eclogite-facies conditions.\ud The geochemical data of this study demonstrate the variety of ocean floor types\ud that were subducted under the southeast margin of Sundaland in the late Jurassic period