No description available.

No description available.

Orientadores: Edson Antunes, Ivani Aparecida de Souza / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-14T02:35:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mariano_NadiaSabrina_M.pdf: 621386 bytes, checksum: b01cd4d186fa15a5e8ea3c7657df604a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: O Staphylococcus aureus é um tipo de bactéria gram-positiva que produz e secreta uma série de enterotoxinas com propriedade imunomoduladoras. Entretanto, pouco é conhecido sobre os mecanismos envolvidos na exacerbação do influxo celular observado em indivíduos asmáticos expostos a enterotoxinas estafilocócicas. O objetivo desse trabalho é investigar os efeitos da exposição das vias aéreas à enterotoxina estafilocócica do tipo A (SEA) sobre o recrutamento de leucócitos para o pulmão de ratos sensibilizados e desafiados com ovalbumina (OVA). Em nossos protocolos experimentais, ratos foram expostos à SEA 4 h antes ou 4 h após o desafio antigênico com OVA. O lavado broncoalveolar (LBA), a medula óssea e o tecido pulmonar foram obtidos 24 h após o desafio com OVA. A pré-exposição à SEA aumentou significativamente o número de eosinófilos no LBA e no tecido pulmonar de ratos desafiados com OVA, enquanto que o número de neutrófilos e células mononucleares não foi significativamente alterado. Na medula óssea, a pré-exposição à SEA isoladamente aumentou significativamente o número de eosinófilos, sendo esse aumento potencializado em ratos desafiados com OVA. Por outro lado, a pós-exposição à SEA não afetou o número de eosinófilos, neutrófilos ou células mononucleares observadas no LBA. A pré-exposição ao LPS em animais desafiados com OVA aumentou somente o número de neutrófilos no LBA. No LBA de ratos pré-expostos à SEA e desafiados com OVA, notamos uma elevação significativa nos níveis de TNF-? e eotaxina, mas não de IL-10. Os níveis de eotaxina presentes em sobrenadante de cultura de macrófagos alveolares tratados com SEA in vitro aumentaram cerca de 3 vezes em relação a macrófagos não estimulados com SEA. Concluímos que a pré-exposição (mas não a pós-exposição) das vias aéreas de ratos à SEA aumenta seletivamente o número de eosinófilos presente no LBA, tecido pulmonar e medula óssea de ratos desafiados com OVA por mecanismos que envolvem o aumento na síntese de TNF-? e eotaxina / Abstract: Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus releases classical enterotoxins which aggravates allergic airway diseases. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the cell influx exacerbation in asthmatic individuals under exposure to Staphylococcal enterotoxins. We therefore aimed to investigate the effects of airways exposure to Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) to pulmonary leukocyte recruitment in rats sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA). Rats were exposed to SEA at 4 h prior to OVA challenge or at 4 h post-OVA challenge. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, bone marrow and lung tissue were obtained at 24 h after OVA challenge. Preexposure to SEA markedly enhanced the eosinophil counts in both BAL fluid and pulmonary tissue in OVA-challenged rats, whereas neutrophil and mononuclear cell counts remained unchanged. In bone marrow, pre-exposure to SEA alone significantly increased the number of eosinophils, and that was further increased in OVA-challenged rats. Exposure to SEA post-OVA challenge did not affect the number of eosinophils, neutrophils and mononuclear cells in BAL fluid. Pre-exposure to the endotoxin lipopolyssacharide (LPS) in OVA-challenged animals rather enhanced the neutrophil number in BAL fluid. In rats pre-exposed to SEA and OVA-challenged, a marked elevation in the levels of TNF-? and eotaxin (but not of IL-10) in BAL fluid was observed. The eotaxin levels increased by about of 3-fold in alveolar macrophages treated with SEA in vitro. In conclusion, airways pre-exposure to SEA (but not the postexposition) causes a selective increase in eosinophil number in BAL fluid, lung tissue and bone marrow of OVA-challenged rats by mechanisms involving enhancement of TNF-? and eotaxin synthesis / Mestrado / Farmacologia / Mestre em Farmacologia

No description available.

A Doença de Machado Joseph(DMJ) é uma doença genética autossômica dominante de início na vida adulta que afeta a coordenação motora e cursa com sintomas neurodegenerativos. É causada por uma expansão da repetição CAG no gene ATXN3. Há várias hipóteses a respeito da sua fisiopatogenia, e uma delas envolve a resposta inflamatória. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever as concentrações séricas das citocinas em indivíduos sintomáticos, assintomáticos e compará-los com os controles saudáveis. Após a confirmação molecular dos pacientes e controles pareados por sexo e idade, os indivíduos foram convidados a participar do estudo. A idade de início e a duração da doença foram obtidas, e as escalas clínicas Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), Neurological Examination Score for Spinocerebellar Ataxias (NESSCA), SCA Functional Index (SCAFI), and Composite Cerebellar Functional Score (CCFS), aplicadas. O soro dos indivíduos foi coletado e um painel de citocina foi realizado, incluindo a Eotaxina, GM-CSF, IFN-a, IFN-γ, IL-1b, IL-1Ra, IL-2, IL-2R, IL-4, IL- 5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, IP-10, MCP-1, MIG, MIP1a, MIP1b, RANTES e O TNF-a. Entre os indivíduos sintomáticos, o painel foi repetido após 90 e 360 dias. O perfil das citocinas no baseline foi estudado por análise discriminante. Aquelas que apresentaram alterações relevantes entre os grupos tiveram seus níveis sérico reavaliados após 90 e 360 dias e estes dados foram avaliados pela equação de estimação generalizada (GEE). Sessenta e seis sintomáticos, 13 assintomáticos e 43 controles foram estudados. Quando comparados os sintomáticos e assintomáticos com seus respectivos controles saudáveis, não se observou diferenças nos padrões das citocinas. No entanto, apenas uma citocina teve destaque: os níveis séricos de Eotaxina foram significativamente mais elevados em assintomáticos (p = 0,001, ANCOVA) e entre os sintomáticos seus níveis foram menores após 360 dias do que naquelas obtidas no início do estudo (p = 0,039, GEE). A idade, a duração da doença, a expansão CAG, e as escalas NESSCA e SARA não se correlacionaram com os níveis das citocinas. O padrão relativamente benigno de citocinas em portadores sintomáticos sugere que a ativação do micróglia não seja primordial na DMJ. Entretanto, os níveis de eotaxina, um peptídeo secretado por astrócitos para repelir as células imunes circulantes, foram elevados no grupo assintomático, o que sugere que uma resposta específica destas células pode estar relacionada com a ausência de sintomas e/ou que a perda de astrócitos estaria relacionada à progressão da doença em DMJ. / Machado Joseph Disease (MJD) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease of adulthood which affects motor coordination and progresses with neurodegenerative symptoms. It is caused by an expansion of the CAG repeat at ATXN3 gene. There are several hypotheses about its pathogenesis, and one of them involves the inflammatory response. The aim of the present study is to describe the serum concentrations of a broad spectrum of cytokines in symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers of Machado Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD) CAG expansions. Molecularly confirmed carriers and controls were studied. Age at onset, disease duration, and clinical scales Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), Neurological Examination Score for Spinocerebellar Ataxias (NESSCA), SCA Functional Index (SCAFI), and Composite Cerebellar Functional Score (CCFS) were obtained from the symptomatic carriers. Serum was obtained from all individuals and a cytokine panel consisted of eotaxin, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-γ, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-2R, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL- 12, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, interferon gamma-induced protein (IP)-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, monokine induced by gamma interferon (MIG), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-a, MIP-b, regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α was analyzed. In a subgroup of symptomatic carriers, the cytokine panel was repeated after 90 and 360 days. Cytokine distribution among groups was studied by discriminant analysis; changes in serum levels after 90 and 360 days were studied by generalized estimation equation. Sixty-six symptomatic carriers, 13 asymptomatic carriers, and 43 controls were studied. No differences in cytokine patterns were found between controls and carriers of the CAG expansions or between controls and symptomatic carriers only. In contrast, eotaxin concentrations were significantly higher in asymptomatic than in symptomatic carriers or in controls (p = 0.001, ANCOVA). Eotaxin did not correlate with age, disease duration, CAG expansion, NESSCA score, and SARA score. Among symptomatic carriers, eotaxin dropped after 360 days (p = 0.039, GEE). SCA3/ MJD patients presented a benign pattern of serum cytokines. In contrast, levels of eotaxin, a peptide secreted by astrocytes, were elevated in the asymptomatic carriers, suggesting that a specific response of these cells can be related to symptom progression, in SCA3/MJD.

A Doença de Machado Joseph(DMJ) é uma doença genética autossômica dominante de início na vida adulta que afeta a coordenação motora e cursa com sintomas neurodegenerativos. É causada por uma expansão da repetição CAG no gene ATXN3. Há várias hipóteses a respeito da sua fisiopatogenia, e uma delas envolve a resposta inflamatória. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever as concentrações séricas das citocinas em indivíduos sintomáticos, assintomáticos e compará-los com os controles saudáveis. Após a confirmação molecular dos pacientes e controles pareados por sexo e idade, os indivíduos foram convidados a participar do estudo. A idade de início e a duração da doença foram obtidas, e as escalas clínicas Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), Neurological Examination Score for Spinocerebellar Ataxias (NESSCA), SCA Functional Index (SCAFI), and Composite Cerebellar Functional Score (CCFS), aplicadas. O soro dos indivíduos foi coletado e um painel de citocina foi realizado, incluindo a Eotaxina, GM-CSF, IFN-a, IFN-γ, IL-1b, IL-1Ra, IL-2, IL-2R, IL-4, IL- 5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, IP-10, MCP-1, MIG, MIP1a, MIP1b, RANTES e O TNF-a. Entre os indivíduos sintomáticos, o painel foi repetido após 90 e 360 dias. O perfil das citocinas no baseline foi estudado por análise discriminante. Aquelas que apresentaram alterações relevantes entre os grupos tiveram seus níveis sérico reavaliados após 90 e 360 dias e estes dados foram avaliados pela equação de estimação generalizada (GEE). Sessenta e seis sintomáticos, 13 assintomáticos e 43 controles foram estudados. Quando comparados os sintomáticos e assintomáticos com seus respectivos controles saudáveis, não se observou diferenças nos padrões das citocinas. No entanto, apenas uma citocina teve destaque: os níveis séricos de Eotaxina foram significativamente mais elevados em assintomáticos (p = 0,001, ANCOVA) e entre os sintomáticos seus níveis foram menores após 360 dias do que naquelas obtidas no início do estudo (p = 0,039, GEE). A idade, a duração da doença, a expansão CAG, e as escalas NESSCA e SARA não se correlacionaram com os níveis das citocinas. O padrão relativamente benigno de citocinas em portadores sintomáticos sugere que a ativação do micróglia não seja primordial na DMJ. Entretanto, os níveis de eotaxina, um peptídeo secretado por astrócitos para repelir as células imunes circulantes, foram elevados no grupo assintomático, o que sugere que uma resposta específica destas células pode estar relacionada com a ausência de sintomas e/ou que a perda de astrócitos estaria relacionada à progressão da doença em DMJ. / Machado Joseph Disease (MJD) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease of adulthood which affects motor coordination and progresses with neurodegenerative symptoms. It is caused by an expansion of the CAG repeat at ATXN3 gene. There are several hypotheses about its pathogenesis, and one of them involves the inflammatory response. The aim of the present study is to describe the serum concentrations of a broad spectrum of cytokines in symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers of Machado Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD) CAG expansions. Molecularly confirmed carriers and controls were studied. Age at onset, disease duration, and clinical scales Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), Neurological Examination Score for Spinocerebellar Ataxias (NESSCA), SCA Functional Index (SCAFI), and Composite Cerebellar Functional Score (CCFS) were obtained from the symptomatic carriers. Serum was obtained from all individuals and a cytokine panel consisted of eotaxin, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-γ, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-2R, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL- 12, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, interferon gamma-induced protein (IP)-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, monokine induced by gamma interferon (MIG), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-a, MIP-b, regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α was analyzed. In a subgroup of symptomatic carriers, the cytokine panel was repeated after 90 and 360 days. Cytokine distribution among groups was studied by discriminant analysis; changes in serum levels after 90 and 360 days were studied by generalized estimation equation. Sixty-six symptomatic carriers, 13 asymptomatic carriers, and 43 controls were studied. No differences in cytokine patterns were found between controls and carriers of the CAG expansions or between controls and symptomatic carriers only. In contrast, eotaxin concentrations were significantly higher in asymptomatic than in symptomatic carriers or in controls (p = 0.001, ANCOVA). Eotaxin did not correlate with age, disease duration, CAG expansion, NESSCA score, and SARA score. Among symptomatic carriers, eotaxin dropped after 360 days (p = 0.039, GEE). SCA3/ MJD patients presented a benign pattern of serum cytokines. In contrast, levels of eotaxin, a peptide secreted by astrocytes, were elevated in the asymptomatic carriers, suggesting that a specific response of these cells can be related to symptom progression, in SCA3/MJD.

A Doença de Machado Joseph(DMJ) é uma doença genética autossômica dominante de início na vida adulta que afeta a coordenação motora e cursa com sintomas neurodegenerativos. É causada por uma expansão da repetição CAG no gene ATXN3. Há várias hipóteses a respeito da sua fisiopatogenia, e uma delas envolve a resposta inflamatória. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever as concentrações séricas das citocinas em indivíduos sintomáticos, assintomáticos e compará-los com os controles saudáveis. Após a confirmação molecular dos pacientes e controles pareados por sexo e idade, os indivíduos foram convidados a participar do estudo. A idade de início e a duração da doença foram obtidas, e as escalas clínicas Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), Neurological Examination Score for Spinocerebellar Ataxias (NESSCA), SCA Functional Index (SCAFI), and Composite Cerebellar Functional Score (CCFS), aplicadas. O soro dos indivíduos foi coletado e um painel de citocina foi realizado, incluindo a Eotaxina, GM-CSF, IFN-a, IFN-γ, IL-1b, IL-1Ra, IL-2, IL-2R, IL-4, IL- 5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, IP-10, MCP-1, MIG, MIP1a, MIP1b, RANTES e O TNF-a. Entre os indivíduos sintomáticos, o painel foi repetido após 90 e 360 dias. O perfil das citocinas no baseline foi estudado por análise discriminante. Aquelas que apresentaram alterações relevantes entre os grupos tiveram seus níveis sérico reavaliados após 90 e 360 dias e estes dados foram avaliados pela equação de estimação generalizada (GEE). Sessenta e seis sintomáticos, 13 assintomáticos e 43 controles foram estudados. Quando comparados os sintomáticos e assintomáticos com seus respectivos controles saudáveis, não se observou diferenças nos padrões das citocinas. No entanto, apenas uma citocina teve destaque: os níveis séricos de Eotaxina foram significativamente mais elevados em assintomáticos (p = 0,001, ANCOVA) e entre os sintomáticos seus níveis foram menores após 360 dias do que naquelas obtidas no início do estudo (p = 0,039, GEE). A idade, a duração da doença, a expansão CAG, e as escalas NESSCA e SARA não se correlacionaram com os níveis das citocinas. O padrão relativamente benigno de citocinas em portadores sintomáticos sugere que a ativação do micróglia não seja primordial na DMJ. Entretanto, os níveis de eotaxina, um peptídeo secretado por astrócitos para repelir as células imunes circulantes, foram elevados no grupo assintomático, o que sugere que uma resposta específica destas células pode estar relacionada com a ausência de sintomas e/ou que a perda de astrócitos estaria relacionada à progressão da doença em DMJ. / Machado Joseph Disease (MJD) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease of adulthood which affects motor coordination and progresses with neurodegenerative symptoms. It is caused by an expansion of the CAG repeat at ATXN3 gene. There are several hypotheses about its pathogenesis, and one of them involves the inflammatory response. The aim of the present study is to describe the serum concentrations of a broad spectrum of cytokines in symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers of Machado Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD) CAG expansions. Molecularly confirmed carriers and controls were studied. Age at onset, disease duration, and clinical scales Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), Neurological Examination Score for Spinocerebellar Ataxias (NESSCA), SCA Functional Index (SCAFI), and Composite Cerebellar Functional Score (CCFS) were obtained from the symptomatic carriers. Serum was obtained from all individuals and a cytokine panel consisted of eotaxin, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-γ, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-2R, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL- 12, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, interferon gamma-induced protein (IP)-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, monokine induced by gamma interferon (MIG), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-a, MIP-b, regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α was analyzed. In a subgroup of symptomatic carriers, the cytokine panel was repeated after 90 and 360 days. Cytokine distribution among groups was studied by discriminant analysis; changes in serum levels after 90 and 360 days were studied by generalized estimation equation. Sixty-six symptomatic carriers, 13 asymptomatic carriers, and 43 controls were studied. No differences in cytokine patterns were found between controls and carriers of the CAG expansions or between controls and symptomatic carriers only. In contrast, eotaxin concentrations were significantly higher in asymptomatic than in symptomatic carriers or in controls (p = 0.001, ANCOVA). Eotaxin did not correlate with age, disease duration, CAG expansion, NESSCA score, and SARA score. Among symptomatic carriers, eotaxin dropped after 360 days (p = 0.039, GEE). SCA3/ MJD patients presented a benign pattern of serum cytokines. In contrast, levels of eotaxin, a peptide secreted by astrocytes, were elevated in the asymptomatic carriers, suggesting that a specific response of these cells can be related to symptom progression, in SCA3/MJD.

Allergic asthma is an immunological disease, mediated by CD4+ Th2 cells, and its prevalence has increased over recent decades. Features of allergic asthma include airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), airway eosinophilia, excessive airway mucus production, and increased IgE and Th2 cytokine levels. Airway remodeling with pulmonary fibrosis is noted in the progress of asthma. In this thesis, a murine model of allergic asthma was used to investigate the effect of cyclophosphamide (CY) on asthma and the involvement of regulatory T cells (Treg), and the role of Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating-factor (GM-CSF) in allergic asthma by using GM-CSF knockout mice. CY is a cytotoxic agent, which paradoxically augments several immune responses. The first part of this thesis was aimed to study the effects of CY in a murine model of allergic airway inflammation. BALB/c mice were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) on days 0 and 14, and challenged with aerosolized OVA from days 21 to 27. Some mice additionally received CY on days -2 and 12. In the CY-treated animals, pronounced worsening of inflammatory features was noted, including increases in eosinophil infiltration, epithelial thickness, mucus occlusion and eosinophil numbers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Increased total and OVA-specific serum IgE were also noted in the CY-treated animals. In cell cultures from peritracheal lymph nodes, the Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-5 were elevated in animals treated with CY. It was hypothesized that the effects of CY could be caused by reduced immunosuppression mediated by Treg. mRNA expression of the immunosuppressive cytokines IL-10 and TGF-beta was reduced in the lungs of CY-treated mice. The expression of FoxP3, a marker of naturally occurring Treg, was significantly reduced in spleens, thymuses and peritracheal lymph nodes after the second injection of CY, and in the lung tissue after allergen challenge in CY-treated mice. Furthermore, lung IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells and CTLA-4+-bearing CD4+ T cells were reduced after allergen aerosol challenge in CY-treated mice. Thus CY worsened the features of allergic pulmonary inflammation in this model, in association with increased production of IgE and Th2 cytokines. The reduction in expression of FoxP3 and immunosuppressive cytokines by CY suggests that toxicity to Treg may contribute to the increased inflammation. GM-CSF plays a role in the growth, development, and maturation of bone marrow hemopoietic cells into mature blood cells, and has been proposed to be involved in potentiating the function of inflammatory cells in allergic inflammation. In the second part of this thesis, GM-CSF knockout (KO) mice were used to investigate the role of GM-CSF. In allergic KO mice, airway eosinophils were only shown in the perivascular, but not peribronchial areas in the lung, compared to the allergic wild-type (WT) mice in which eosinophil infiltration appeared in both areas. Eosinophil numbers were drastically reduced in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of KO mice. IL-5 production in the lung tissue and BALF in allergic KO mice was reduced; similar results were also found in peritracheal draining lymph nodes after in vitro stimulation assays. However, IL-4 and IL-13 production, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), and serum IgE production were not affected in allergic KO mice. Surprisingly, lung IFN-gamma mRNA and BALF levels were increased in allergic KO mice. Lung mRNA levels of CCR3, a key chemokine receptor on eosinophils, were significantly reduced in allergic KO mice, whereas expression of the chemokines eotaxin and RANTES were at similar levels in allergic KO and WT mice. Lung mRNA levels of the IFN-gamma-inducible chemokines Mig (CXCL9) and IP-10 (CXCL10), which are antagonists of CCR3, and their receptor CXCR3 were increased in allergic KO mice, compared with allergic WT mice. Data obtained from flow cytometry showed more eosinophils survived in the lung of WT mice than KO mice. Another allergy model, a peritoneal allergy model was performed to investigate inflammation in a different model. Leukocyte subpopulations such as neutrophils, eosinophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes were reduced in the peritoneal lavage fluid of allergic KO mice. The findings revealed that GM-CSF is essential for IL-5 production, pulmonary airway eosinophilia and eosinophil survival. In the absence of GM-CSF, over-production of IFN-???? may induce chemokines, including Mig and IP-10, which are antagonists for CCR3 and may reduce airway eosinophil infiltration. In this thesis, a murine model of allergic asthma has been used to obtain novel findings on the regulation of allergic inflammation. The results with CY are relevant to the treatment of asthma patients with CY and other cytotoxic agents. The findings in the GM-CSF KO mice suggest that GM-CSF is a potential therapeutic target in asthma, and that in assessment of new therapeutic agents for asthma, effects on GM-CSF should be considered.

Allergic asthma is an immunological disease, mediated by CD4+ Th2 cells, and its prevalence has increased over recent decades. Features of allergic asthma include airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), airway eosinophilia, excessive airway mucus production, and increased IgE and Th2 cytokine levels. Airway remodeling with pulmonary fibrosis is noted in the progress of asthma. In this thesis, a murine model of allergic asthma was used to investigate the effect of cyclophosphamide (CY) on asthma and the involvement of regulatory T cells (Treg), and the role of Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating-factor (GM-CSF) in allergic asthma by using GM-CSF knockout mice. CY is a cytotoxic agent, which paradoxically augments several immune responses. The first part of this thesis was aimed to study the effects of CY in a murine model of allergic airway inflammation. BALB/c mice were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) on days 0 and 14, and challenged with aerosolized OVA from days 21 to 27. Some mice additionally received CY on days -2 and 12. In the CY-treated animals, pronounced worsening of inflammatory features was noted, including increases in eosinophil infiltration, epithelial thickness, mucus occlusion and eosinophil numbers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Increased total and OVA-specific serum IgE were also noted in the CY-treated animals. In cell cultures from peritracheal lymph nodes, the Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-5 were elevated in animals treated with CY. It was hypothesized that the effects of CY could be caused by reduced immunosuppression mediated by Treg. mRNA expression of the immunosuppressive cytokines IL-10 and TGF-beta was reduced in the lungs of CY-treated mice. The expression of FoxP3, a marker of naturally occurring Treg, was significantly reduced in spleens, thymuses and peritracheal lymph nodes after the second injection of CY, and in the lung tissue after allergen challenge in CY-treated mice. Furthermore, lung IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells and CTLA-4+-bearing CD4+ T cells were reduced after allergen aerosol challenge in CY-treated mice. Thus CY worsened the features of allergic pulmonary inflammation in this model, in association with increased production of IgE and Th2 cytokines. The reduction in expression of FoxP3 and immunosuppressive cytokines by CY suggests that toxicity to Treg may contribute to the increased inflammation. GM-CSF plays a role in the growth, development, and maturation of bone marrow hemopoietic cells into mature blood cells, and has been proposed to be involved in potentiating the function of inflammatory cells in allergic inflammation. In the second part of this thesis, GM-CSF knockout (KO) mice were used to investigate the role of GM-CSF. In allergic KO mice, airway eosinophils were only shown in the perivascular, but not peribronchial areas in the lung, compared to the allergic wild-type (WT) mice in which eosinophil infiltration appeared in both areas. Eosinophil numbers were drastically reduced in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of KO mice. IL-5 production in the lung tissue and BALF in allergic KO mice was reduced; similar results were also found in peritracheal draining lymph nodes after in vitro stimulation assays. However, IL-4 and IL-13 production, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), and serum IgE production were not affected in allergic KO mice. Surprisingly, lung IFN-gamma mRNA and BALF levels were increased in allergic KO mice. Lung mRNA levels of CCR3, a key chemokine receptor on eosinophils, were significantly reduced in allergic KO mice, whereas expression of the chemokines eotaxin and RANTES were at similar levels in allergic KO and WT mice. Lung mRNA levels of the IFN-gamma-inducible chemokines Mig (CXCL9) and IP-10 (CXCL10), which are antagonists of CCR3, and their receptor CXCR3 were increased in allergic KO mice, compared with allergic WT mice. Data obtained from flow cytometry showed more eosinophils survived in the lung of WT mice than KO mice. Another allergy model, a peritoneal allergy model was performed to investigate inflammation in a different model. Leukocyte subpopulations such as neutrophils, eosinophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes were reduced in the peritoneal lavage fluid of allergic KO mice. The findings revealed that GM-CSF is essential for IL-5 production, pulmonary airway eosinophilia and eosinophil survival. In the absence of GM-CSF, over-production of IFN-???? may induce chemokines, including Mig and IP-10, which are antagonists for CCR3 and may reduce airway eosinophil infiltration. In this thesis, a murine model of allergic asthma has been used to obtain novel findings on the regulation of allergic inflammation. The results with CY are relevant to the treatment of asthma patients with CY and other cytotoxic agents. The findings in the GM-CSF KO mice suggest that GM-CSF is a potential therapeutic target in asthma, and that in assessment of new therapeutic agents for asthma, effects on GM-CSF should be considered.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / More than 300 million people world-wide suffer from breathlessness, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing characteristic of chronic bronchial asthma, the global incidence of which is on the rise. Allergen-sensitization and challenge elicits pulmonary expression of chemoattractants that promote a chronic eosinophil-rich infiltrate. Eosinophils are increasingly recognized as important myeloid effectors in chronic inflammation characteristic of asthma, although few eosinophil molecular signaling pathways have successfully been targeted in asthma therapy. p21 activated kinases (PAKs), members of the Ste-20 family of serine/threonine kinases, act as molecular switches in cytoskeletal-dependent processes involved in cellular motility. We hypothesized that PAK1 modulated eosinophil infiltration in an allergic airway disease (AAD) murine model. In this model, Pak1 deficient mice developed reduced inflammatory AAD responses in vivo with notable decreases in eosinophil infiltration in the lungs and broncho-alveolar lavage fluids (BALF). To test the importance of PAK1 in hematopoietic cells in AAD we used complementary bone marrow transplant experiments that demonstrated decreased eosinophil inflammation in hosts transplanted with Pak1 deficient bone marrow. In in vitro studies, we show that eotaxin-signaling through PAK1 facilitated eotaxin-mediated eosinophil migration. Ablating PAK1 expression by genetic deletion in hematopoietic progenitors or siRNA treatment in derived human eosinophils impaired eotaxin-mediated eosinophil migration, while ectopic PAK1 expression promoted this migration. Together these data suggest a key role for PAK1 in the development of atopic eosinophil inflammation and eotaxin-mediated eosinophil migration.