Ligation of the Jugular Veins Does Not Result in Brain Inflammation or Demyelination in Mice

An alternative hypothesis has been proposed implicating chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) as a potential cause of multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to evaluate the validity of this hypothesis in a controlled animal model. Animal experiments were approved by the institutional animal care committee. The jugular veins in SJL mice were ligated bilaterally (n = 20), and the mice were observed for up to six months after ligation. Sham-operated mice (n = 15) and mice induced with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (n = 8) were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. The animals were evaluated using CT venography and 99mTc-exametazime to assess for structural and hemodynamic changes. Imaging was performed to evaluate for signs of blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown and neuroinflammation. Flow cytometry and histopathology were performed to assess inflammatory cell populations and demyelination. There were both structural changes (stenosis, collaterals) in the jugular venous drainage and hemodynamic disturbances in the brain on Tc99m-exametazime scintigraphy (p = 0.024). In the JVL mice, gadolinium MRI and immunofluorescence imaging for barrier molecules did not reveal evidence of BBB breakdown (p = 0.58). Myeloperoxidase, matrix metalloproteinase, and protease molecular imaging did not reveal signs of increased neuroinflammation (all p>0.05). Flow cytometry and histopathology also did not reveal increase in inflammatory cell infiltration or population shifts. No evidence of demyelination was found, and the mice remained without clinical signs. Despite the structural and hemodynamic changes, we did not identify changes in the BBB permeability, neuroinflammation, demyelination, or clinical signs in the JVL group compared to the sham group. Therefore, our murine model does not support CCSVI as a cause of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis

Modeling Susceptibility versus Resistance in Allergic Airway Disease Reveals Regulation by Tec Kinase Itk

Murine models of allergic asthma have been used to understand the mechanisms of development and pathology in this disease. In addition, knockout mice have contributed significantly to our understanding of the roles of specific molecules and cytokines in these models. However, results can vary significantly depending on the mouse strain used in the model, and in particularly in understanding the effect of specific knockouts. For example, it can be equivocal as to whether specific gene knockouts affect the susceptibility of the mice to developing the disease, or lead to resistance. Here we used a house dust mite model of allergic airway inflammation to examine the response of two strains of mice (C57BL/6 and BALB/c) which differ in their responses in allergic airway inflammation. We demonstrate an algorithm that can facilitate the understanding of the behavior of these models with regards to susceptibility (to allergic airway inflammation) (Saai) or resistance (Raai) in this model. We verify that both C57BL/6 and BALB/c develop disease, but BALB/c mice have higher Saai for development. We then use this approach to show that the absence of the Tec family kinase Itk, which regulates the production of Th2 cytokines, leads to Raai in the C57BL/6 background, but decreases Saai on the BALB/c background. We suggest that the use of such approaches could clarify the behavior of various knockout mice in modeling allergic asthma

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13

Search for chargino-neutralino production with mass splittings near the electroweak scale in three-lepton final states in √s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for supersymmetry through the pair production of electroweakinos with mass splittings near the electroweak scale and decaying via on-shell W and Z bosons is presented for a three-lepton final state. The analyzed proton-proton collision data taken at a center-of-mass energy of √s=13  TeV were collected between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb−1. A search, emulating the recursive jigsaw reconstruction technique with easily reproducible laboratory-frame variables, is performed. The two excesses observed in the 2015–2016 data recursive jigsaw analysis in the low-mass three-lepton phase space are reproduced. Results with the full data set are in agreement with the Standard Model expectations. They are interpreted to set exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level on simplified models of chargino-neutralino pair production for masses up to 345 GeV

Search for direct stau production in events with two hadronic tau-leptons in root s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of the supersymmetric partners ofτ-leptons (staus) in final stateswith two hadronically decayingτ-leptons is presented. The analysis uses a dataset of pp collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of139fb−1, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LargeHadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No significant deviation from the expected StandardModel background is observed. Limits are derived in scenarios of direct production of stau pairs with eachstau decaying into the stable lightest neutralino and oneτ-lepton in simplified models where the two staumass eigenstates are degenerate. Stau masses from 120 GeV to 390 GeV are excluded at 95% confidencelevel for a massless lightest neutralino

Multiparametric Immunoimaging Maps Inflammatory Signatures in Murine Myocardial Infarction Models.

In the past 2 decades, research on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease has uncovered inflammation to be a key driver of the pathophysiological process. A pressing need therefore exists to quantitatively and longitudinally probe inflammation, in preclinical models and in cardiovascular disease patients, ideally using non-invasive methods and at multiple levels. Here, we developed and employed in vivo multiparametric imaging approaches to investigate the immune response following myocardial infarction. The myocardial infarction models encompassed either transient or permanent left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion in C57BL/6 and Apoe-/-mice. We performed nanotracer-based fluorine magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using a CD11b-specific nanobody and a C-C motif chemokine receptor 2-binding probe. We found that immune cell influx in the infarct was more pronounced in the permanent occlusion model. Further, using 18F-fluorothymidine and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET, we detected increased hematopoietic activity after myocardial infarction, with no difference between the models. Finally, we observed persistent systemic inflammation and exacerbated atherosclerosis in Apoe-/- mice, regardless of which infarction model was used. Taken together, we showed the strengths and capabilities of multiparametric imaging in detecting inflammatory activity in cardiovascular disease, which augments the development of clinical readouts.This work was supported by National Institute of Health grants R01HL143814 (to Dr Fayad), P01HL131478 (Drs Fayad and Mulder), P41EB025815 (Drs Liu and Gropler ), R35HL145212 (Dr Liu), and R35HL139598 (Dr Nahrendorf) and award K22CA226040 (Dr Rashidian). This work was also supported by an Innovation Research Fund Basic Research Award from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Dr Rashidian). Dr Maier was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grants (MA 7059/1 and MA 7059/3-1) and is part of SFB1425 funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (project no. 422681845). All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.S

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

Liver X receptors are required for thymic resilience and T cell output

The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ necessary for optimal T cell development. Here, we show that liver X receptors (LXRs)-a class of nuclear receptors and transcription factors with diverse functions in metabolism and immunity-critically contribute to thymic integrity and function. LXRαβ-deficient mice develop a fatty, rapidly involuting thymus and acquire a shrunken and prematurely immunoinhibitory peripheral T cell repertoire. LXRαβ's functions are cell specific, and the resulting phenotypes are mutually independent. Although thymic macrophages require LXRαβ for cholesterol efflux, thymic epithelial cells (TECs) use LXRαβ for self-renewal and thymocytes for negative selection. Consequently, TEC-derived LXRαβ protects against homeostatic premature involution and orchestrates thymic regeneration following stress, while thymocyte-derived LXRαβ limits cell disposal during negative selection and confers heightened sensitivity to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. These results identify three distinct but complementary mechanisms by which LXRαβ governs T lymphocyte education and illuminate LXRαβ's indispensable roles in adaptive immunity

Cibinetide dampens innate immune cell functions thus ameliorating the course of experimental colitis

Two distinct forms of the erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) mediate the cellular responses to erythropoietin (EPO) in different tissues. EPOR homodimers signal to promote the maturation of erythroid progenitor cells. In other cell types, including immune cells, EPOR and the ß-common receptor (CD131) form heteromers (the innate repair receptor; IRR), and exert tissue protective effects. We used dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) to induce colitis in C57BL/6 N mice. Once colitis was established, mice were treated with solvent, EPO or the selective IRR agonist cibinetide. We found that both cibinetide and EPO ameliorated the clinical course of experimental colitis in mice, resulting in improved weight gain and survival. Correspondingly, DSS-exposed mice treated with cibinetide or EPO displayed preserved tissue integrity due to reduced infiltration of myeloid cells and diminished production of pro-inflammatory disease mediators including cytokines, chemokines and nitric oxide synthase-2. Experiments using LPS-activated primary macrophages revealed that the anti-inflammatory effects of cibinetide were dependent on CD131 and JAK2 functionality and were mediated via inhibition of NF-κB subunit p65 activity. Cibinetide activation of the IRR exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects, especially within the myeloid population, reduces disease activity and mortality in mice. Cibinetide thus holds promise as novel disease-modifying therapeutic of inflammatory bowel disease