Effect of Zhuangyao Tongluo Formula（壮腰通络方） Containing Serum on TNF-α-mediated Vicious Circle of Pyroptosis of Nucleus Pulposus Cells / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Zhuangyao Tongluo Formula（壮腰通络方，ZTF） in delaying intervertebral disc degeneration. MethodsM1 macrophages were induced from THP-1 cells using LPS， IFN-γ and PMA. The induced M1 macrophages were then co-cultured with nucleus pulposus cells in a transwell system. Fetal bovine serum was used as the control serum， and the effects of different concentrations （5%， 10%， 15%， 20%） of serum from rats treated with ZTF on the activity of M1 macrophages and nucleus pulposus cells were analyzed using MTT assay. Experiment 1 was established， including the nucleus pulposus cell control group， M1 macrophage control group， nucleus pulposus cell + ZTF group， nucleus pulposus cell + TNF control group， nucleus pulposus cell + TNF + ZTF group， co-culture group， and co-culture + ZTF group. The levels of IL-1β， and IL-18 in the culture supernatant were detected using ELISA. The mRNA expression of IL-1β and IL-18 in nucleus pulposus cells was detected using qPCR. Additionally， the expression of GSDMD protein in nucleus pulposus cells was detected using cell immunofluorescence. In experiment 2， co-culture groups were constructed using TNF-α overexpression （OE） or empty vector （EV） plasmids， including co-culture group， TNF-EV + co-culture group， TNF-EV co-culture group + ZTF， co-culture + ZTF group， TNF-OE co-culture group + ZTF， and TNF-OE + co-culture group. The mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α in M1 cells in each group were detected using qPCR and WB. ResultsThe ZTF with 10% serum was selected for subsequent experiments. The results of experiment 1 showed that compared to the control group of nucleus pulposus cells， there was no statistically significant difference in the levels of IL-1β， IL-18， mRNA， and GSDMD expression in the nucleus pulposus cells + ZTF group （P＞0.05）. However， the TNF-α + co-culture group showed a significant increase in IL-1β， IL-18 levels， mRNA， and GSDMD expression （P＜0.01）. When compared to the co-culture group， the ZTF+ co-culture group showed a significant decrease in IL-1β， IL-18 levels， mRNA， and GSDMD expression （P＜0.01）. The results of experiment 2 showed that there was no statistically significant difference in TNF-α mRNA and protein expression between the empty vector plasmids + co-culture group and the co-culture group （P＞0.05）. Compared to the empty vector + co-culture group， the expression of TNF-α mRNA and protein was significantly reduced in the empty vector co-culture + ZTF group （P＜0.01）. Compared to the co-culture group and the empty vector + co-culture group， the expression of TNF-α mRNA and protein was significantly reduced in the co-culture + ZTF group （P＜0.01）. Compared to the co-culture + ZTF group， the expression of TNF-α mRNA and protein significantly increased in the overexpression vector co-culture + ZTF group （P＜0.01）. Compared to the overexpression vector co-culture + ZTF group， the expression of TNF-α mRNA and protein significantly increased in the overexpression vector co-culture group （P＜0.01）. ConclusionZTF serum can inhibit the TNF-α-induced apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells and delay lumbar disc degeneration by reducing the expression of TNF-α in M1 macrophages.

A influência de macrófagos M1, M2 e TAM, e do receptor P2X7 na invasividade e resistência de neuroblastoma / The influence of different macrophages' phenotypes, and of the P2X7 receptor, on the invasiveness and chemoresistance of neuroblastoma

O neuroblastoma é um tumor sólido muito comum em crianças. O estágio mais avançado da doença é altamente agressivo e invasivo, além de pouco responsivo à terapia, que é limitada por mecanismos de resistência e reincidência relacionados à metástase. Muitos estudos tem sido feitos para identificar mecanismos de invasão e quimioresistência de células tumorais, afim de aumentar a sobrevida dos pacientes com câncer. Nesse trabalho, nós estudamos o efeito dos macrófagos, as células imunes mais abundantes no microambiente tumoral, os TAMs (do inglês tumor-associated macrophage) e do receptor P2X7, um purinoreceptor acionado por ATP, nesses processos. Os TAMs respondem e atuam de acordo com a miríade de fatores que encontram, podendo gerar populações heterogêneas e com funções distintas, tanto antitumorais, como pró-tumorais. Altos níveis de ATP extracelular são encontrados no microambiente tumoral, podendo então ativar o receptor P2X7. Este receptor tem sido relacionado tanto a funções inflamatórias como funções na resolução da inflamação de macrófagos. Além disso, o receptor P2X7 está envolvido em uma variedade de eventos celulares, incluindo a secreção de mediadores pró-inflamatórios, a proliferação celular e a apoptose de células tumorais. Primeiramente, foi avaliado o papel do receptor P2X7 na polarização de macrófagos da derivados medula óssea de camundongos wild-type e nocaute para o P2X7 na presença e ausência de fatores secretados por células de neuroblastoma, e então foi estudada a influência desses diferentes macrófagos polarizados em eventos celulares de grande relevância clínica para o neuroblastoma: a invasividade e quimiorresistência. Os resultados demonstraram que, apesar do reconhecido envolvimento do receptor P2X7 na inflamação, a ausência deste receptor não atenua a expressão de marcadores característicos do fenótipo inflamatório, M1. O aumento da expressão do receptor P2Y2, também envolvido na inflamação, nessas células, sugere um mecanismo genético de compensação para não atenuação da inflamação em macrófagos que não expressam o receptor P2X7. Contudo, a ausência do receptor P2X7 levou a alterações no fenótipo alternativo, M2, de modo que a expressão de Tnf, marcador de M2, não foi reprimido. TAMs noucates para P2X7 tiveram a expressão de arg1, marcador de M2, suprimida, reforçando a importância do receptor P2X7 no estabelecimento de fenótipos ativados alternativamente. Nossos dados também sugerem que ausência do receptor P2X7 em TAMs permite a aquisição de um fenótipo capaz de tornar as células de neuroblastoma que expressam P2X7 mais invasivas e mais quimioresistentes à vincristina. Por outro lado, TAMs, independentemente da presença ou ausência do receptor P2X7, induziram a proliferação e quimioresistência das células de neuroblastoma silenciadas para o receptor P2X7, o que nos leva a concluir que o receptor P2X7 em TAMs é desfavorável à progressão de tumores expressando P2X7

Neuroblastoma is a highly common childhood solid tumor. The most advanced stage of the disease is highly aggressive and invasive, besides from being poorly responsive to therapies, which are limited by resistance and recurrence mechanisms related to metastasis. Several studies attempt to identify invasion and resistance mechanisms of the tumor cells in order to increase overall survival of the patients. On the present work, we investigated the effect of macrophages, the most abundant immune cells on the tumor microenvironment, called TAMs (tumor-associated macrophages), and of the P2X7 receptor, an ATP-gated purinoceptor, on these processes. TAMs and cancer cells crosstalk, and behave accordingly to a miriad of factors present at the TME, generating heterogeneous populations with distinct functionalities, either pro- or antitumor. High extracellular levels of ATP are found in the TME, being able to activate the P2X7 receptor. This receptor mediates both pro- and anti-inflammatory functions in macrophages. In addition, it is involved in several cellular events, including the secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators, cell proliferation and tumor cell apoptosis. At first, we evaluated the role of the P2X7 receptor on the polarization of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM), either wild-type or knockout for the P2X7 receptor, in presence or absence or factors secreted by neuroblastoma cells. Next, we investigated the influence of the polarized macrophages in highly relevant cellular events for neuroblastoma, such as invasiveness and chemoresistance. Our results showed that, despite the known involvement of P2X7 receptor on inflammation, its absence did not decrease the expression if inflammatory markers of M1 macrophage populations. An increase in the expression of the P2Y2 receptor, also involved in inflammation, on these cells suggest a genetic compensation mechanism for preventing attenuation of inflammation when P2X7 is lacking. However, P2X7 receptor absence did compromise the M2 phenotype, driving the expression of Tnf. TAMs knockout for the P2X7 receptor were not able to express arg1, also an M2 marker, reinforcing a role of the P2X7 receptor on establishing alternative macrophage phenotypes. Our data also suggest that TAMs lacking the P2X7 receptor acquire a phenotype capable of turning P2X7R-expressing neuroblastoma cells more invasive and chemoresistant to vincristine. On the other hand, TAMs, independently on the presence of the P2X7 receptor, induced proliferation and resistance of neuroblastoma cells silenced for P2X7 receptor expression, leading us to the conclusion that the P2X7 receptor in TAMs is unfavorable for the progression of P2X7R-expressing tumors

Distribution and proportion of M1/M2 macrophages in periodontal tissues in rats with and without periodontitis / 口腔疾病防治

Objective@#To investigate the distribution and proportion of M1/M2 macrophages in the periodontal tissues of rats with and without periodontitis.@*Method@#Twelve Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a chronic periodontitis group (CP, n = 6) and a periodontal health group (PH, n = 6). The periodontitis model was induced at the first mandibular molar using a stainless steel ligature and was confirmed by histological analysis. M1 macrophages were labeled with inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and M2 macrophages were labeled with CD163. The distributions of M1 and M2 macrophages in the two groups were determined via immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence, and the M1/M2 ratios were compared between the two groups.@*Results @#The M1 type macrophage count in the PH group was 12.17 ± 1.40, and the M1 macrophage count in the CP group was 40.00 ± 3.20; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (t = 7.96, P＜0.0001). The M2 macrophage count in the PH group was 4.50 ± 1.09, and the M2 type macrophage count in the CP group was 5.33 ± 0.67. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (t = 0.65, P = 0.53). The M1/M2 ratio in the CP group was 3.72 ± 1.08, and the M1/M2 ratio in the PH group was 8.31 ± 1.37; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (t = 2.63, P= 0.025).@*Conclusion@#During periodontitis, M1 macrophages increased significantly and were widely distributed; they may be involved in the progression of periodontitis and may be closely related to the destruction of the cementum.

M1/M2 macrophage polarization is involved in inflammatory injury and repair process of renal tissues / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM:To investigate the distribution and mechanism of M 1/M2 macrophages in inflammatory injury and repair process of renal tissues .METHODS: SD male rats ( n=45 ) were randomly divided into 2 parts: ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) renal injury.The rats with IRI were divided into sham operation group and operation groups (0, 6, 24, and 72 h after operation), and the rats with UUO were divided into sham operation group and operation groups (3, 7 and 14 d after operation).Automatic biochemical analyzer was used to detect serum levels of creatinine and urea nitrogen .The degree of renal injury in IRI group and UUO group were detected by HE staining.The expression of CD68 was examined by immunohistochemical staining .The levels of inducible nitric oxide syn-thase (iNOS), arginase-1 (Arg-1), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) were measured by ELISA.The polarizations of M1 ( CD68 +, F4/80 + and CD16/32 +) and M2 ( CD68 +, F4/80 +and CD206 +) macrophages were analyzed by flow cytometry .RESULTS:In IRI group, the infiltration of CD68 +macrophages and the degree of injury were increased with the prolongation of time in the renal tissues .At 24 h, the tissue injury and macrophage infiltration were the most serious , but then decreased .At 72 h, the tissue damage and CD68 +macrophage in-filtration were significantly reduced .In UUO group, obstructive injury was increased with the prolongation of time , and at 14 d, marked fibrous hyperplasia occurred .The infiltration of CD68 +macrophages at 7 d was the most serious , but then reduced at 14 d.Flow cytometry analysis showed that M 1 macrophages were the majority in the early stages of UUO and IRI, and the result of ELISA identified the higher level of iNOS .At the late stage of injury , the M1 macrophages were de-creased, while the M2 macrophages were increased with higher level of Arg-1.M1 macrophage-mediated early injury was due to the induction of TNF-αexpression, and M2 macrophage-mediated later recovery was due to enhancing TGF-β1 levels.CONCLUSION:The polarization of M1 and M2 macrophages is involved in the processes of UUO and IRI .M1 macrophages play a key role in early injury , and M2 macrophages contribute to the late stage of fibrotic repair .The polari-zation of macrophages during renal injury and repair provides a guiding significance for the clinical treatment .

E ffect of deacetylase inhibitor VPA on polarization of macrophages / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:By analyzing the effect of deacetylase inhibitors on macrophage polarization process of histone modification,and the influence of the process of macrophage polarization ,analysis deacetylase inhibitors whether have the effect on the activity of the macrophage polarization by altered histone modification of macrophages , in order to provide a new perspective for the treatment of autoimmune diseases .Methods:Using lipopolysaccharide ( LPS) and interferon-γ( IFN-γ) to stimulate J774.1 cells for 24 h,and interleukin-4 ( IL-4 ) to stimulate J774.1 cells for 24 h.And 2 mmol/L valproic acid ( VPA ) was added in the induction process.Collecting J774.1 cells,fluorescent quantitation PCR assay and ELISA assay was used for the detection of specific markers of gene expression in macrophage polarization , flow cytometry and immunofluorescence assay for the detection of histone modifications.Results:J774.1 cells were polarized into M1 macrophages which were stimulated by LPS and IFN-γfor 24 h;and also J774.1 cells were polarized into M2 macrophages which were stimulated by IL-4 for 24 h.The degree of acetylation of H 3K9 for M1 phenotype was increased after VPA treatment , the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6 ) , inducible nitric oxide synthase ( iNOS ) , and chemotactic factor(CCL-2) was decreased,and the expression of CD86 was increased.The degree of acetylation of H3K9 for M1 phenotype was also increased after VPA treatment ,and also the expression of Arginase,Fizz-1,mannose receptor(CD 206) and Ym1 were increased.Conclusion:The polarization state of the macrophages and histone modification had a certain relevance .VPA could induce the transformation of M1 phenotype to M2 phenotype in the induction system of the M1 macrophages,however,the expression of specific genes in M1 phenotype was inhibited in the induction system of the M 2 macrophages.

Transformation of PPS induce M2 subtype to M1 macrophages / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:To study the positive expression rate of M2 subtype of macrophage cell surface molecules and the inflammatory factors of PPS in IL-4-induced M2 macrophage.Methods:The experiment was divided into 5 groups:blank control group, Model group,PPS groups(50 μg/ml,100 μg/ml and 200 μg/ml).The expression of CD206 and CD23 was used as bio-maker to confirm IL-4 induced macrophages by treating RAW264.7 with 20ng/ml of IL-4.IL-4 induced RAW264.7 cells were treated with PPS of 50μg/ml,100μg/ml and 200μg/ml for 24 h.Then the expression of CD206,CD16/32 and CD40 were analyzed by flow cytometry, and the mRNA expression of IL-1β,TNF-α,IL-10 and iNOS were detect by qRT-PCR.Results: After treated with IL-4,the positive rate of CD206 of RAW264.7 were high.After treated with PPS ,the rate of CD16/32 and CD40 in IL-4 induced RAW264.7 cells were high ,the expression of CD206 decreased,and the mRNA level of IL-1βand TNF-αincreased.Conclusion:RAW264.7 cells can be polarlized to M2 subtype macrophage by using 20 ng/ml IL-4.PPS enhances the mRNA of IL-1β,TNF-αand the expression of CD40, CD16/32 in IL-4-induced RAW264.7 cells .These results indicate that PPS can induce the M2 subtype to become M1 macrophages, can improve immune function of macrophages.

Role of macrophage polarization in atherosclerosis and its drug target / 中国药理学通报

Atherosclerosis is a complex metabolic cardiovascular disease. such inflammatory phenomena as the invasion of lipid into the arterial intima and accumulation, the increase of foam cells, the exacerbation of inflammatory lesions, plaque necrosis and disintegration, ulcer bleeding and thrombosis, fibrosis and calcification, etc, are basic pathological characteristics of ather-osclerosis. In this process, macrophages and T lymphocytes play an important role. In recent years,atherosclerosis pathology re-search mainly focuses on the role of macrophage polarization. Basically,macrophage can be divided into two subtypes: classi-cal activation macrophage M1 and alternative activation macro-phage M2. Therefore to paper reviews the meaning of M1 and M2 macrophage polarization during atherosclerosis, regulatory pathways and drug targets research status to provide new direc-tion for innovative drugs and disease treatment.

Macrophage Polarization and Its Role in Development of Atherosclerosis / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

Atherosclerosis (As) is an important pathological basis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The pathogenesis studies of As have been a hot topic in the field of vascular biology research. The inflammation is known as a major participant in the development process of As. And monocyte-macrophage plays a central role in inflam-mation. In recent years, with the deepening research on inflammatory mechanisms, the As macrophage polarization is attracting researchers' attention. Under different environmental inductions, macrophages develop into M1 and M2 phenotypes. M1 macrophages (classical type), which can stimulate the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, is generally considered as pro-inflammatory subtypes and can facilitate the progress of As. Whereas, M2 macrophages (alternative type), which can inhibit pro-inflammatory factor production, function as anti-inflammatory subtypes and likely to inhibit the progression of As. The mechanisms of As, macrophage polarization in As, and opportunities for herbal medicines will be summarized in this review.

Differences of Gpnmb expression in M1 and M2 bone marrow-derived macrophages in mouse / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective To investigate the differences of glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma b (Gpnmb) expression between M1 and M2 bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMφs) in mouse.Meth-ods Primary BMMφs were cultured and then identified by immunofluorescence staining for F 4/80 and flow cytometry testing of CD11b.Interferon-γand lipopolysaccharide were used to induce differentiation of BMMφs towards M1 macrophages and interleukin-4 was adopted to induce differentiation of M 2 macropha-ges.Realtime PCR was performed to analyze mRNA expressions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), induc-ible NO synthase (iNOS), macrophage mannose receptor (MMR), arginase-1 (Arg-1) and Gpnmb.Pro-teins of Gpnmb and MMR were detected by double immunofluorescence staining , Western blot and flow cy-tometry.Results (1) Immunofluorescence staining showed high expression of F 4/80 in BMMφs and flow cytometry results showed that CD11b was expressed in 92.7%±6.1% of BMMφs, suggesting that primary BMMφs were successfully cultured.(2) Compared with M0 BMMφs, mRNAs of TNF-αand iNOS were highly up-regulated in M1 BMMφs (both P<0.01), and mRNAs of MMR and Arg-1 were highly up-regula-ted in M2 BMMφs (both P<0.01), indicating that differentiation of BMMφs towards M1 and M2 BMMφs were successfully induced .(3) Expressions of Gpnmb mRNA and Gpnmb protein were predominantly up-regulated in M2 BMMφs in comparison with those in M0 and M1 BMMφs (both P<0.01).Gpnmb and MMR were co-expressed in M2 BMMφs and 83.2%±9.7% of MMR positive BMMφs expressed Gpnmb. Conclusion Gpnmb expression is significantly increased in M 2 macrophages than that in M 1 macrophages in vitro, indicating that Gpnmb which takes part in the differentiation of macrophages might be used as a marker for identification of M 1 and M2 macrophages .