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As Anemias Hemolíticas compreendem um grupo de doenças em que há redução acentuada na sobrevivência dos glóbulos vermelhos circulantes e a medula óssea não é capaz de compensação, mesmo aumentando sua produção, o que causa anemia desde os primeiros anos da vida da pessoa. Dentre as doenças deste grupo, a Anemia Falciforme (SCA) e a Esferocitose Hereditária (HS) destacam-se por se tratarem de enfermidades com defeitos genéticos intrínsecos das células vermelhas (RBCs) que geram complicações multissistêmicas agudas e crônicas em seus portadores. Por vias patofisiológicas distintas, reticulócitos e respectivas hemácias defeituosas de tais doenças, falciformes e esferócitos, são continuamente aprisionados e fagocitados no baço, importante órgão de destruição de células velhas e/ou defeituosas via hemólise extravascular, o que leva progressivamente à disfunção e eventual perda da função esplênica. O objetivo desse trabalho é avaliar o papel do baço em relação à habilidade e ao fenótipo adesivos de reticulócitos (ret) e eritrócitos (erit) em pacientes com SCA e HS, com e sem função esplênica preservada. Amostras de sangue de 37 pacientes (22 SCA and 15 HS) com função esplênica e 19 pacientes (13 SCA e 6 HS) sem ela foram avaliadas. Ainda, sangue de 22 crianças com SCA foi coletado em estudo longitudinal dos 6 e 29 meses de vida. Todas as amostras de sangue foram analisadas quanto à função esplênica (Contagem de células PIT e de corpúsculos de Howell-Jolly - HJB), quanto ao perfil imunofenotípico celular (em % e em média de intensidade de fluorescência - MFI) e quanto à habilidade de adesão das células vermelhas à laminina e à linhagem celular endotelial HMEC-1. A análise da transição da perda de função esplênica demonstrou que a mesma se intensificou a partir dos 3 anos de idade (PIT: r=0,8; p<0,0001; HJB: r=0,7; p<0.0001). Quanto à imunofenotipagem celular, a contagem PIT se correlacionou positivamente, principalmente com os marcadores CD147 (%ret: r=0,6; p<0,0001; MFIret: r=0,6; p<0,0001; %erit: r=0,7; p<0,0001; MFIerit: r=0,6; p<0,0001), LuBCAM (%ret: r=0,5; p=0,004; MFIret: r=0,6; p<0,0001; %erit: r=0,6; p<0,0003; MFIerit: r=0,4; p<0,004) and CD58 (%ret: r=0,4; p=0,006; MFIret: r=0,5; p<0,0013; %erit: r=0,4; p<0,009; MFIerit: r=0,6; p<0,0001). Na comparação entre ausência ou presença do baço, a perda de sua função exerceu influência no aumento da expressão de adesão de RBCs em SCA, principalmente CD147 (%ret: p=0,002; MFIret: p=0,003; %erit: p<0,0001; MFIerit: p=0,005), LuBCAM (%ret: p=0,0001; MFIret: p<0,0001; %erit: p<0,0001; MFIerit: p<0,0001) e CD58 (%ret: p=0,007; MFIret: p=0,006; %erit: p=0,003; MFIerit: p=0,0004), embora a adesão celular tenha diminuído em pacientes HS esplenectomizados. Na comparação entre as doenças, pacientes HS com o baço apresentaram maior freqüência de adesão celular em relação aos SCA, notavelmente em relação ao LuBCAM (%ret: p=0,0008; MFIret: p=0,03; %erit: p<0,0001; MFIerit: p=0,0002), CD58 (%ret: p=0,0009; %erit: p=0,003) e CD44 (%ret: p=0,009; %erit: p<0,003). No entanto, as amostras SCA sem função esplênica tiveram maior expressão de adesão celular para CD147 (%ret: p=0,006; MFIret: p=0,02; %erit: p=0,02), LuBCAM (%ret: p=0,004; MFIret: p<0,0001), CD36 (%ret: p=0,0002; MFIret: p=0,01), CD242 (%ret: p=0,0008; %erit: p=0,05) e CD49d (%ret: p=0,04). Em relação ao Ensaio de Adesão in vitro, na ausência de baço, os RBCs SCA apresentaram maior adesividade à laminina do que os RBCs SCA com função esplênica preservadaem todas as taxas de fluxo de tensão de cisalhamento empregadas (0,5 dyne/cm2: p=0,01; 1 dyne/cm2: p=0,02; 2 dynes/cm2: p=0,03; 3 dynes/cm2: p=0,03; 5 dynes/cm2: p=0,04 e 7 dynes/cm2: p=0,03). Especialmente, reticulócitos de pacientes sem baço apresentaram maior adesividade à HMEC-1 em baixas tensões de cisalhamento (1 dyne/cm2) em ambas as doenças (SCA: p=0,03; HS: p=0,03). Por fim, reticulócitos apresentaram maior habilidade adesiva à células endoteliais em indivíduos SCA do que em pacientes HS, com (0,5 dyne/cm2: p=0,04; 1 dyne/cm2: p=0,03) ou sem baço (0,5 dyne/cm2: p=0,02; 2 dynes/cm2: p=0,01; 3 dynes/cm2: p=0,03; 5 dynes/cm2: p=0,02 e 7 dynes/cm2: p=0,03). Nossos resultados indicam que embora pertençam ao grupo de Anemias Hemolíticas, as patofisiologias e evoluções clínicas distintas de SCA e de HS levam a padrões imunofenotípicos diferentes de expressão da adesão celular. Na SCA, a ausência de função esplênica teria direta relação com o aumento do fenótipo pró-adesivo e com a adesividade de RBCs SCA, o que traz sérias consequências clínicas aos pacientes, enquanto na HS sem baço, de maneira geral, os eventos de adesão celular são minimizados, embora ainda apresentem reticulócitos e eritrócitos adesivos circulantes após a esplenectomia. / Hemolytic Anemias comprise a group of diseases in which there is marked reduction in the survival of circulating erythrocytes and the bone marrow is not capable of compensation, even by increasing its production, which causes anemia from the first years of the person\'s life on. Among the diseases of this group, Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) and Hereditary Spherocytosis (HS) stand out for being diseases with intrinsic genetic defects of red blood cells (RBCs) that generate acute and chronic multisystemic complications in their patients. By distinct pathophysiological pathways, reticulocytes and these disease\'s respective defective erythrocytes, sickle and spheroid ones, are continuously trapped and phagocytosed in the spleen, important organ of destruction of old and/or defective cells via extravascular hemolysis, which progressively leads to dysfunction and eventual loss of splenic function. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of the spleen in relation to the reticulocyte (ret) and erythrocyte (eryt) adhesive ability and adhesion phenotype in patients with SCA and HS, with and without preserved splenic function. Blood samples from 37 patients (22 SCA and 15 HS) with splenic function and 19 patients (13 SCA and 6 HS) without it were evaluated. Still, blood from 22 children with SCA was collected in a longitudinal study from 6 to 29 months of age. All blood samples were analyzed for splenic function [pitted cells (PIT) and Howell-Jolly bodies (HJB) counting], for the cellular immunophenotypic profile (in % and in mean fluorescence intensity - MFI) and for the adhesive ability of RBCs to laminin and to endothelial cell line HMEC-1. Analysis of the splenic function loss transition showed that it intensified from 3 years of age on (PIT: r=0.8, p<0.0001; HJB: r=0.7, p<0.0001). Regarding the cellular immunophenotyping, PIT count correlated positively, mainly with CD147 markers (%ret: r=0.6, p<0.0001; MFIret: r=0.6, p<0.0001; %eryt: r=0.7, p<0.0001; MFIeryt: r=0.6, p<0.0001), LuBCAM (%ret: r=0.5, p=0.004; MFIret: r=0.6, p<0.0001; %eryt: r=0.6, p<0.0003; MFIeryt: r=0.4, p<0.004) and CD58 (%ret: r=0.4, p=0.006; MFIret: r=0.5, p<0.0013; %eryt: r=0.4, p<0.009; MFIeryt: r=0.6, p<0.0001). In the comparison between spleen absence or presence, the loss of its function exerted influence on the increase of RBCs adhesion expression in SCA, mainly on CD147 (%ret: p=0.002; MFIret: p=0.003; %eryt: p<0.0001; MFIeryt: p=0.005), LuBCAM (%ret: p=0.0001; MFIret: p<0.0001; %eryt: p<0.0001; MFIeryt: p<0.0001) e CD58 (%ret: p=0.007; MFIret: p=0.006; %eryt: p=0.003; MFIeryt: p=0.0004), although cell adhesion has been decreased in splenectomized HS patients. In the comparison between diseases, HS patients with spleen showed higher cell adhesion frequency compared to SCA, notably in relation to LuBCAM (%ret: p=0.0008; MFIret: p=0.03; %eryt: p<0.0001; MFIeryt: p=0.0002), CD58 (%ret: p=0.0009; %eryt: p=0.003) and CD44 (%ret: p=0.009; %eryt: p<0.003). However, SCA samples without splenic function had higher cell adhesion expression for CD147 (%ret: p=0.006; MFIret: p=0.02; %eryt: p=0.02), LuBCAM (%ret: p=0.004; MFIret: p<0.0001), CD36 (%ret: p=0.0002; MFIret: p=0.01), CD242 (%ret: p=0.0008; %eryt: p=0.05) and CD49d (%ret: p=0.04). Concerning the in vitro Adhesion Assay, in the spleen absence, SCA RBCs showed greater adhesiveness to laminin than SCA RBCs with preserved splenic function did at all shear stress flow rates applied (0.5 dyne/cm2: p=0.01, 1 dyne/cm2: p=0.02, 2 dynes/cm2: p=0.03, 3 dynes/cm2: p=0.03, 5 dynes/cm2: p=0.04 and 7 dynes/cm2:p=0.03). Especially, reticulocytes from patients without spleen showed higher adhesiveness to HMEC-1 at low shear stresses (1 dyne/cm2) in both diseases (SCA: p=0.03; HS: p=0.03). Finally, reticulocytes showed greater adhesion ability to endothelial cells in SCA subjects than in HS patients, with (0.5 dyne/cm2: p=0.04 and 1 dyne/cm2: p=0.03) or without spleen (0.5 dyne/cm2: p=0.02, 2 dynes/cm2: p=0.01, 3 dynes/cm2: p=0.03, 5 dynes/cm2: p=0.02 and 7 dynes/cm2: p=0.03). Our results indicate that although both diseases belong to the Hemolytic Anemias group, SCA and HS distinct pathophysiologies and clinical evolution lead to different immunophenotypic patterns of cell adhesion expression. In SCA, the absence of splenic function may have a direct relation with the increase of SCA RBCs proadhesive phenotype and adhesiveness, which brings serious clinical consequences to the patients, whereas in HS without spleen, in general, cellular adhesion events are minimized, although they still present adhesive circulating reticulocytes and erythrocytes after splenectomy.

Human cells from acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients are frequently transplanted into immune-compromised mouse strains to provide an in vivo environment for studies on the biology of the disease. Since frequencies of leukemia re-initiating cells are low and a unique cell surface phenotype that includes all tumor re-initiating activity remains unknown, the underlying mechanisms leading to limitations in the xenotransplantation assay need to be understood and overcome to obtain robust engraftment of AML-containing samples. We report here that in the NSG xenotransplantation assay, the large majority of mononucleated cells from patients with AML fail to establish a reproducible myeloid engraftment despite high donor chimerism. Instead, donor-derived cells mainly consist of polyclonal disease-unrelated expanded co-transplanted human T lymphocytes that induce xenogeneic graft versus host disease and mask the engraftment of human AML in mice. Engraftment of mainly myeloid cell types can be enforced by the prevention of T cell expansion through the depletion of lymphocytes from the graft prior transplantation.

The innate and adaptive immune processes are modulated by hormones including glucocorticoids and by microbiota. The exact mechanisms underlying the microbial and hormonal contributions to this control are not completely clear. Present study is therefore focused to crosstalk between microbiota and de novo biogenesis or local regeneration of glucocorticoids. In particular, the study analysed the effect of commensal microbiota on expression of genes encoding steroidogenic enzymes (Star, Cyp11a1, Hsd3b1, Cyp21a1, Cyp11b1) and regeneration of glucocorticoids (Hsd11b1) in adrenal glands, colon, spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes using conventional and germ-free mice. The expression of all 5 components of steroidogenesis was identified only in the adrenal gland and colon, whereas the lymphoid organs expressed predominantly Star, Cyp11a1 and Hsd3b1 indicating the ability to produce only progesterone but not corticosterone. Microbiota decreased the expression of Star in all studied tissues but the expression of other genes was insensitive to microbiota or did not respond homogenously depending on the tissue and gene. Hsd11b1 expression was upregulated by microbiota in the spleen but not in other tissues. Similarly, the in vitro treatment of immune cells isolated from mesenteric lymph nodes by microbial...

<p>As the human population increases and the demand for aquaculture increases, aquaculturists are coming up with new ways to mitigate stress in fish to increase their production. Cannabidiol (CBD) is an up and coming nutraceutical that may have potential to reduce stress in not only humans but also other vertebrates such as fish. In this project the effect of CBD on the stress physiology and immunology of Nile tilapia was evaluated both <i>in-vitro</i> and <i>in-vivo</i>. In the <i>in-vitro</i> study, spleen cell proliferation was conducted to observe the effect of CBD on fish T and B cells and were compared to mouse T and B cell proliferation. In the <i>in-vivo</i> study, the fish were reared in a recirculating aquaculture system. The effect of CBD on the stress physiology of the fish in short term and long term were evaluated. Based on the short-term acute study, a longer chronic study was designed where tilapia were fed with and without CBD (0.001% of feed weight) and with and without hydrocortisone stress hormone (0.01% of body weight) every day for four weeks. This experiment compared the various growth and feed utilization parameters as well as physiological and immunological parameters such as, plasma cortisol, blood glucose and protein levels, liver and spleen somatic indices (HSI and SSI, respectively), and lysozyme activity of the fish. From our current research, CBD shows potential in stress modulation and in immune modulation. It may have different effects based on the species, whether they need to enhance their immune response or reduce inflammation to be healthy. It also seems to have had different effect on different parts of the immune system. Hematological parameters were not significantly affected by acute stress. CBD did not make any substantial difference in growth. However, in the presence of stress, CBD was able to lower lysozyme activity down to the normal control levels. By administering the proper dosage of CBD on a case by case basis, health benefits can be achieved. Further investigation into the matter may not just be useful in stress mediation in aquatic organisms but may also have implications in human medicine as well.</p>

Hämangiosarkome, maligne endotheliale Neoplasien, werden bei den Haussäugetieren am häufigsten beim Hund beobachtet und treten bei diesem vor allem in Milz und rechtem Herzohr auf. Anhand ihrer Wachstumsmuster werden sie in kapilläre, kavernöse und solide wachsende Tumoren eingeteilt (PULLEY u. STANNARD 1990, HARRY u. PALEOLOG 2003). Die Prognose kaniner Hämangiosarkome der Milz ist schlecht, wobei in der Literatur nach Splenektomie mediane Überlebenszeiten von 19-240 Tagen angegeben werden (JOHNSON et al. 1989, OGILVIE et al. 1996, SPANGLER u. KASS 1997, WOOD et al. 1998) und auch Praktiker von sehr stark variierenden Überlebenszeiten berichten. Die Eignung verschiedener Parameter (z.B. adjuvante Chemotherapie, klinisches Staging) zur prognostischen Beurteilung wurde bereits von zahlreichen Autoren untersucht (BROWN et al. 1985, SORENMO et al. 1993, WOOD et al. 1998). Studien zum eventuellen Einfluss des Wachstumsmusters auf die Variabilität der Überlebenszeiten existieren bisher jedoch nicht. Darüber hinaus können Hämangiosarkome der Milz auch diagnostisch eine Herausforderung darstellen. Dies ist zum Einen bedingt durch die hohe Anfälligkeit der Milz gegenüber einer raschen Autolyse, zum Anderen erschwert die sehr variable Histomorphologie in einigen Fällen eine sichere Diagnosestellung. Mit dem immunhistologischen Nachweis klassischer Endothelzellmarker wie von Willebrand Faktor und CD31 kann in den meisten Fällen die Diagnose gesichert werden. Besonders bei schlecht differenzierten Hämangiosarkomen, erweisen sich die genannten Marker oftmals als z. T. unzuverlässig (VON BEUST et al. 1988, GAMLEM u. NORDSTOGA 2008). Bei rein solide wachsenden Neoplasien kann der Transkriptionsfaktor Fli-1 hilfreich bei der Diagnose sein (STEIGER et al. 2003). Pro- und anti-angiogene Faktoren steuern in einem streng regulierten, stufenweise ablaufenden Prozess die Entstehung neuer Blutgefäße aus präexistenten Gefäßen – die Angiogenese (KERBEL et al. 1998, CARMELIET et al. 1998, RAK et al. 2000, JOUSSEN et al. 2003, DISTLER et al. 2003). Diese Faktoren konnten u.a. in Neoplasien und deren versorgenden Gefäßen nachgewiesen werden (RESTUCCI et al. 2002, RESTUCCI et al. 2004). Ziel der Studie ist (I) die Untersuchung der Überlebenszeiten von Hunden mit lienalen Hämangiosarkomen unter Berücksichtigung des Wachstumsmusters und weiterer Parameter, (II) wird mittels vergleichender immunhistologischer Untersuchungen die Eignung klassischer Endothelzellmarker sowie angiogener Faktoren und deren Rezeptoren zum Nachweis neoplastischer Endothelzellen überprüft. Der Vergleich des Expressionsverhaltens der genannten Marker zwischen Hämangiosarkomen und nicht-neoplastischen Endothelzellen gibt eventuell Hinweise auf die biologische Wertigkeit der Neoplasien.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a devastating recessive neurological disorder thought to be affecting primarily the motor neurons. As such, paralysis, motor weakness and death ensue. While SMA is most commonly seen in infants and children, it can span all ages. Its genetic etiology revolves around the homozygous deletion or mutation of the SMN1 gene, whose product (SMN protein) has critical and ubiquitous roles in mRNA splicing, amongst various other functions in mRNA metabolism. As such, SMN depletion in other non-neuronal cells type is likely to have physiological repercussions, and perhaps modulate the SMA phenotype. Herein, we identify the molecular pathways of atrophy in skeletal and cardiac muscle of two mouse models of SMA and their therapeutic modulation via the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A. We also identify dramatic changes in immune organs in mouse models of SMA, which could impact susceptibility to infections. Furthermore, we establish the presence of important defects in fatty acid homeostasis in the liver and plasma seen in both mouse models and SMA patients. Finally, we provide the first mild mouse model of SMA that reliably reproduces canonical features of SMA, permitting aging studies. This model presents with a prominent myopathic phenotype prior to motor neuron death, without extra-neuronal involvement during the course of its lifespan. Overall, our work shows multiple potentially clinically relevant defects in extra-neuronal organs, provides ways to abrogate them and provides a framework to study them over the course of aging.

Conductive Atomic Force Microscope (c-AFM) was used to measure the conductivity of single horse spleen ferritin (HoSF) and azotobacter vinelandii bacterial ferritin (AvBF) molecules deposited on flat gold surfaces. A 500 micron diameter gold ball was also used as a contact probe to measure the conductivity of a thin film of ferritin molecules. The average current measured for holo HoSF was 13 and 5 times larger than that measured for apo HoSF as measured by c-AFM at 1V and gold ball at 2V and respectively, which indicates that the core of ferritin is more conductive than the protein shell and that conduction through the shell is likely the main factor limiting electron transfer. With 1 volt applied, the average electrical currents through single holo HoSF and single apo HoSF molecules were 2.6 pA and 0.19 pA respectively. Measurements on holo AvBF showed it was more than 10 times as conductive as holo HoSF, indicating that the protein shell of AvBF is more conductive than that of HoSF. The increased conductivity of AvBF is attributed to heme groups in the protein shell.

Our primary goal was to determine if leukocytes are a source of nerve growth factor (NGF) in mouse spleen. Noradrenergic nerves were localized to arteries and white pulp in normal spleens but only to arteries in ultra-immunodeficient R2G2 mice that lack leukocytes. NGF mRNA was detected in vascular cells and leukocytes of normal spleen, and several of the latter were T cells based on double labeling for NGF mRNA and CD3. Our findings indicate NGF is produced by vascular cells and to a lesser extent by leukocytes in spleen and provide support for pleiotropic actions in spleen and salivary glands.

No description available.