13 research outputs found

    Stress and Nasal Allergy: Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Stimulates Mast Cell Degranulation and Proliferation in Human Nasal Mucosa

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    Psychological stress exacerbates mast cell (MC)-dependent inflammation, including nasal allergy, but the underlying mechanisms are not thoroughly understood. Because the key stress-mediating neurohormone, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), induces human skin MC degranulation, we hypothesized that CRH may be a key player in stress-aggravated nasal allergy. In the current study, we probed this hypothesis in human nasal mucosa MCs (hM-MCs) in situ using nasal polyp organ culture and tested whether CRH is required for murine M-MC activation by perceived stress in vivo. CRH stimulation significantly increased the number of hM-MCs, stimulated both their degranulation and proliferation ex vivo, and increased stem cell factor (SCF) expression in human nasal mucosa epithelium. CRH also sensitized hM-MCs to further CRH stimulation and promoted a pro-inflammatory hM-MC phenotype. The CRH-induced increase in hM-MCs was mitigated by co-administration of CRH receptor type 1 (CRH-R1)-specific antagonist antalarmin, CRH-R1 small interfering RNA (siRNA), or SCF-neutralizing antibody. In vivo, restraint stress significantly increased the number and degranulation of murine M-MCs compared with sham-stressed mice. This effect was mitigated by intranasal antalarmin. Our data suggest that CRH is a major activator of hM-MC in nasal mucosa, in part via promoting SCF production, and that CRH-R1 antagonists such as antalarmin are promising candidate therapeutics for nasal mucosa neuroinflammation induced by perceived stress

    Re-investigating the Basement Membrane Zone of Psoriatic Epidermal Lesions: Is Laminin-511 a New Player in Psoriasis Pathogenesis?

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    Psoriasis is a complex chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by epidermal thickening on the basis of increased keratinocyte proliferation and insufficient apoptosis. Laminins are important components of the basement membrane (BM) and impact on epidermal keratinocyte growth/apoptosis. Although several laminins are involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, it is still controversial about the expression patterns of laminin isoforms and which laminins are important in the development of psoriasis. Because laminin-511 and -332 are key BM components in human skin, and laminin-511 stimulates human hair follicle growth, we asked whether the BM zone in psoriasis shows any laminin-related abnormalities. This showed that the BM expression of laminin-511 and -332 was significantly increased within the skin lesion of psoriasis. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that laminin-511, -332, and collagen type IV proteins were also significantly increased in psoriasis-like skin lesions of Imiquimod-treated mice. Transmission electron microscopy showed a few gaps of lamina densa, and its thickness was significantly increased. Finally, laminin-511 treatment significantly stimulated the proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of HaCaT cells, while laminin-α5 chain gene knockdown decreased proliferation and induced apoptosis. These phenomenological observations raise the question of whether laminin-511-controlled keratinocyte growth/death may be a previously overlooked player in the pathogenesis of psoriatic epidermal lesions

    Topically-applied collagen-binding serum albumin-fused interleukin-4 modulates wound microenvironment in non-healing wounds

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    Abstract Non-healing wounds have a negative impact on quality of life and account for many cases of amputation and even early death among patients. Diabetic patients are the predominate population affected by these non-healing wounds. Despite the significant clinical demand, treatment with biologics has not broadly impacted clinical care. Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is a potent modulator of the immune system, capable of skewing macrophages towards a pro-regeneration phenotype (M2) and promoting angiogenesis, but can be toxic after frequent administration and is limited by its short half-life and low bioavailability. Here, we demonstrate the design and characterization of an engineered recombinant interleukin-4 construct. We utilize this collagen-binding, serum albumin-fused IL-4 variant (CBD-SA-IL-4) delivered in a hyaluronic acid (HA)-based gel for localized application of IL-4 to dermal wounds in a type 2 diabetic mouse model known for poor healing as proof-of-concept for improved tissue repair. Our studies indicate that CBD-SA-IL-4 is retained within the wound and can modulate the wound microenvironment through induction of M2 macrophages and angiogenesis. CBD-SA-IL-4 treatment significantly accelerated wound healing compared to native IL-4 and HA vehicle treatment without inducing systemic side effects. This CBD-SA-IL-4 construct can address the underlying immune dysfunction present in the non-healing wound, leading to more effective tissue healing in the clinic
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