No description available.

The thesis describes the effects of various plant flavonoids (curcumin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate [EGCG], luteolin, apigenin, myricetin, quercetin, and cyanidin) on the physiological properties and viability of cultured human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. It is described that, with the exception of EGCG, all flavonoids tested decrease dose-dependently the RPE cell proliferation, migration, and secretion of VEGF. Luteolin, apigenin, myricetin, and quercetin decreased the viability of RPE cells at higher concentrations, by triggering cellular necrosis. Curcumin decreased the viability of RPE cells via induction of early necrosis and delayed apoptosis. The cytotoxic effect of curcumin involved activation of caspase-3 and calpain, intracellular calcium signaling, mitochondrial permeability, oxidative stress, and increased phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and decreased phosphorylation of Akt protein. Myricetin caused caspase-3 independent RPE cell necrosis mediated by free radical generation and activation of calpain and phospholipase A2. The myricetin- and quercetin-induced RPE cell necrosis was partially inhibited by necrostatin-1, a blocker of programmed necrosis. The author concludes that the intake of curcumin, luteolin, apigenin, myricetin, and quercetin as supplemental cancer therapy or in the treatment of retinal diseases should be accompanied by careful monitoring of the retinal function. Possible beneficial effects of EGCG and cyanidin in the treatment of retinal diseases should be examined in further investigations.

Bovine mastitis, or inflammation of the mammary gland, has substantial economic and animal welfare implications. A genetic basis for mastitis resistance traits is recognized and can be used to guide selective breeding programs. The discovery of regions of the genome associated with mastitis resistance, and knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible, can facilitate development of efficient mastitis control and therapeutic strategies. The objectives of this dissertation research were to identify sites of genetic variation associated with mastitis resistance, and to define the contributions of the milk-secreting epithelial cells to mammary gland immune responses and mastitis resistance. Twenty seven regions of the bovine genome potentially involved in mastitis resistance were identified in Holstein dairy cattle. Additionally, this research demonstrates a role of bovine mammary epithelial cells in mastitis resistance, and provides guidance for the use of an in vitro model for mastitis studies. Primary bovine mammary epithelial cells from mastitis-resistant cows have differential expression of 42 inflammatory genes compared with cells from mastitis-susceptible cows, highlighting the importance of epithelial cells in mastitis resistance. Bovine mammary epithelial cells display both similarities and differences in pro-inflammatory gene expression compared to fibroblasts, and their expression of inflammatory genes is influenced by administration of the enzyme phospholipase A2. The growth potential of milk-derived bovine mammary epithelial cells in vitro can be extended, facilitating their use in mastitis studies, by transfection with a viral protein. Collectively, this research contributes to current knowledge on bovine mastitis resistance and in vitro models.

No description available.

No description available.

Celiac disease (CD) is a highly prevalent autoimmune disease in which intestinal inflammation is induced by dietary gluten. The means through which gluten-specific CD4+ T cell activation culminates in intraepithelial T cell (T-IEL) mediated intestinal damage remain unclear. Here, we performed multiplexed-single cell analysis of intestinal and gluten-induced peripheral blood T cells from patients with different celiac disease states and controls. Untreated, active CD (ACD) and potential CD (PCD) were associated with an enrichment of activated intestinal T cell populations including CD4+ follicular T-helper (TFH) cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and Natural CD8+ αβ and γδ T-IELs. Natural CD8+ αβ and γδ T-IELs expressing activating Natural Killer Cell Receptors (NKRs) exhibited a distinct TCR repertoire in CD and persisted in patients on a gluten-free diet (GFD) without intestinal inflammation. Our data further show that NKR-expressing cytotoxic cells, which appear to mediate intestinal damage in CD, arise from a distinct NKR-expressing memory population of T-IELs. Following gluten ingestion, both αβ and γδ T cell clones from this memory population of T-IELs circulated systemically with gluten-specific CD4+ T cells and assumed a cytotoxic and activating NKR-expressing phenotype. In patient-derived organoid (PDO) model of CD, gluten exposure induced the presence of this cytotoxic, NKR-expressing population exclusively in PDOs generated from CD patients. The increased abundance of cytotoxic, NKR-expressing T-IELs following gluten exposure corresponded to histologic observations of altered organoid morphology including degenerated organoid structures and the presence of infiltrating immune cells co-localized with apoptotic epithelial cells. Collectively, these findings suggest that these cytotoxic, NKR-expressing T cells in CD are rapidly mobilized in parallel with gluten-specific CD4+ T cells following gluten ingestion to mediate the destruction of intestinal epithelial cells in CD.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第24796号 / 医博第4988号 / 新制||医||1066(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 竹内 理, 教授 上野 英樹, 教授 椛島 健治 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Mammary gland (MG) is a dynamic organ that is essential for the production and secretion of breast milk. During pregnancy the MG undergoes a critical phase of remodeling, which is accompanied by the differentiation of mammary epithelial cells (MECs). During lactation, the MG requires high level of energy for proper folding of proteins in the secretory pathway, which takes place in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Limited evidence has been reported on the impact of cannabis or its components, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), on the differentiation of MECs. However, both THC and CBD have been reported to induce ER stress in various cell types, resulting in impacting cellular function. Furthermore, consequences of cannabis use in the perinatal period on breast milk composition have not been reported. Using the HC11 cell line, we investigated whether THC and CBD evoke ER stress in MECs resulting in the impaired cellular function. We also reported on the effects of cannabis use during pregnancy and lactation on the levels of macronutrients and bioactive factors in the breast milk of cannabis users. Relative to control, 10μM THC and 10μM CBD reduced mRNA levels of milk proteins (CSN2 and WAP) and lipid synthesizing enzymes (FASN, FABP4, PLIN2 and LPL), as well as whey acidic protein and lipid levels. In addition, 10μM THC, 10μM CBD, and the combination of 10μM THC + 10μM CBD significantly induced the expression of ER stress genes in HC11 cells. Furthermore, in the milk of women who used cannabis during pregnancy and lactation, the levels of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) were decreased, relative to non-users. Altogether, our findings indicate that cannabis use in the perinatal period may have implications on breast milk composition and infant health. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science) / Breast milk is crucial to the nutrition and immunity of the newborn. It is produced by the mammary gland (MG), which is composed of mammary epithelial cells (MEC) that play a key role in producing and secreting proteins and factors into the milk. During pregnancy, the MG undergoes remodeling which is accompanied by differentiation of the MECs (change from unspecialized to a specialized stage that allows the MECs to produce milk proteins and other factors). The disruption in MEC differentiation can result in altered milk production and composition. Cannabis is used by women during pregnancy and breastfeeding. In this study, we investigated the impact of cannabinoids on the MEC differentiation and examined the effect of cannabis use in the perinatal period on the breast milk composition in humans. We reported that cannabinoids reduced the differentiation of MECs and maternal cannabis use during breastfeeding reduced levels of an essential immune factor.

The mammary alveolar cell-T (MAC-T) cell line is able to uniformly differentiate and secrete casein proteins in response to dexamethasone, insulin and prolactin and is extensively used to study bovine mammary epithelial cell function. Growth hormone (GH) has been shown to increase milk protein synthesis both in vivo and in mammary cell models, and induce cytoskeletal rearrangement in 3T3 fibroblast cell line and a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line. Few studies have focused on identifying the mechanisms involved in differentiated MAC-T cells’ response to GH. We tested the hypothesis that MAC-T cells would respond directly to GH and that the response would include alterations in milk protein gene expression, leading to a more appropriate model for mammary cell function than treatment with dexamethasone, insulin and prolactin alone. To identify mechanisms that are involved in MAC-T cells’ response to GH, global protein was assessed through two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and differentially expressed proteins were identified through mass spectrometry. Differentiated cells expressed GH receptor mRNA, and addition of GH to the differentiation medium increased production of α-S1 casein and α-lactalbumin mRNA. Proteins that were differentially expressed are related to metabolism, the cytoskeleton, protein folding, RNA and DNA processing, detoxifying and calcium metabolism. These results indicate that GH is an important factor in inducing a lactogenic phenotype in the MAC-T cell line, and supports GHs involvement in differentiation, while altering cell metabolism in preparation for synthesis and secretion of milk components.

Introduction: The incidence of food allergy has increased substantially in developed countries, with limited treatment and/or prevention options. Milk oligosaccharides have shown to modulate immune responses by serving as prebiotic substrates for the intestinal microbiota. However, some studies suggest that oligosaccharides may exert direct immunomodulatory effects, suggesting their therapeutic potential in preventing allergic diseases. We hypothesized that specific milk oligosaccharides including 6’sialyllactose, 2’fucosylactose, 3’sialyllactose and lacto-N-neotetraose may directly exert immunomodulatory effects on dendritic cells (DCs) and epithelial cells (ECs) by altering their phenotype and/or function in vitro. Methods: The effects of milk oligosaccharides (MOs) on bone-marrow derived DCs and the T84 and MODE-K epithelial cell lines were studied via direct treatment, in vitro. The expression of immunomodulatory cytokines and maturation markers were assessed to measure the effect of MOs on DC phenotype. Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines as well as NFκB p65 activity were measured to assess the effect of MOs on DC and EC function. In addition, in vitro stimulation of CD23 with IgE-Antigen complexes were used to study the effects of MOs on ECs in relation to allergy. Lastly, inhibitory antibodies for Siglec-F and PPARγ were used to elucidate the mechanism used by specific MOs to exert their effects. Results: Of the oligosaccharides studied, 6’siallylactose has direct immunomodulatory effects on DC phenotype and on DC and EC function at high concentrations. 6’sialyllactose increased DC expression of IL-10 and HO-1; it also increased CpG- and LPS- induced IL-10 release and decreased IL-12p70 release. Blocking the PPARγ receptor with GW9662 resulted in attenuation of this latter effect on IL-12p70 release. 6’sialyllactose reduced TNF-α induced IL-8 to a small but statistically significant extent and mKC to a great extent in T84 and MODE-K cells, respectively. In addition, 6’sialyllactose reduced IgE-Antigen stimulated release of IL-8 and CCL20, as well as NFκB p65 activity. Pre-treatment of cells with GW9662 resulted in attenuation of the effect of 6’SL on IL-8 release and p65 activation. In addition, 2’fucosylactose reduced CCL20 release and NFκB activity substantially, but these effects were not exerted via PPARγ. Conclusion: Some oligosaccharides are able to directly modulate the inflammatory response in DCs and ECs, via pathways involving PPARγ activation and/or NFκB inhibition. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)