Alba Martínez^1,2, Cristina Bono^1,2, Javier Megías³, Alberto Yánez˜^4,5, Daniel Gozalbo^1,2, M. Luisa Gil^1,2

European Cytokine Network, Vol.28, No.3, pp. 102-110, 2017, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2017.0398

Abstract Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists drive hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) to differentiate along the myeloid lineage in vitro and also in vivo following infection. In this study, we used an in vitro model of HSPC differentiation to investigate the functional consequences (cytokine production) that exposing HSPCs to various pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and Candida albicans cells have on the subsequently derived macrophages. Mouse HSPCs (Lin– cells) were cultured with GM-CSF to induce macrophage differentiation in the presence or absence of the following pattern recognition receptor (PRR) agonists: Pam₃CSK₄ (TLR2 ligand), LPS (TLR4 ligand), depleted zymosan (which only activates Dectin-1),… More >

Kefeng Liu^{1,2, §}, Zhengyu Zhang^{1,3, §}, Ting Pei¹, Ziqing Li⁴, Jingjing Wang¹, Hong Wang¹, Suning Ping¹, Lie Deng¹, Linli Wang¹, Jintao Huang⁵, Puyi Sheng⁴, Shuying Liu¹, Chaohong Li¹

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.14, No.2, pp. 101-123, 2017, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2017.014.099

Abstract This study was designed to investigate the effects of mechanical (MS) and/or oxidized low-density lipoprotein on proliferation and apoptosis of RAW264.7 macrophages and the underlying mechanisms. The cultured quiescent RAW264.7 macrophages were subject to stimulation with MS and/or in the presence or absence of simvastatin and then harvested for Western blot, and immunoflourecence. Either MS or alone could cause increase in cell proliferation and apoptosis, while their combination led to an additive effect. In terms of mechanisms, MS and/or significantly increased phosphorylation levels of MAPKs (ERKs, JNKs and p38MAPK), promoted the reactive oxygen species (ROS) More >

Patrycja Libako¹, Julia Miller¹, Wojciech Nowacki¹, Sara Castiglioni², Jeanette A. Maier², Andrzej Mazur³

European Cytokine Network, Vol.26, No.1, pp. 1-9, 2015, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2015.0361

Abstract Magnesium is highly involved in the metabolic network such that even subtle disturbances in its homeostasis affect many cellular functions, including calcium homeostasis, signal transduction, energy metabolism, membrane stability and cell proliferation. Recently, magnesium level has been proposed to modulate the priming and activity of immune cells. We studied the behavior of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and T lymphocytes after altering the magnesium/calcium balance. We used two different populations of primary APCs, i.e. bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and bone marrow-derived macrophages, while D10.G4.1 cells served as a model of responding Th2 cells. Our principal findings are More >

Marco Presta, Germán Andrés, Daria Leali, Patrizia Dell’Era, Roberto Ronca

European Cytokine Network, Vol.20, No.2, pp. 39-50, 2009, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2009.0155

Abstract Angiogenesis and inflammation are closely integrated processes in a number of physiological and pathological conditions, including wound healing, psoriasis, diabetic retinopathy, rheumatoid arthritis, arteriosclero-sis, and cancer. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) belongs to the family of the heparin-binding FGF growth factors. FGF2 exerts its pro-angiogenic activity by interacting with various endothelial cell surface receptors, including tyro-sine kinase receptors, heparan-sulfate proteoglycans, and integrins. Elevated levels of FGF2 have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases characterized by a deregulated angiogenic/inflammatory response. FGF2 induces the expression of a wide repertoire of inflammation-related genes in endothelial cells, including More >

CHANG SEOK LEE¹, YONG JAE SHIN¹, CHEOLHEE WON¹, YUN-SONG LEE², CHUNG-GYU PARK³, SANG-KYU YE^1*, MYUNG-HEE CHUNG¹

BIOCELL, Vol.33, No.2, pp. 107-114, 2009, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2009.33.107

Abstract Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a key inflammatory response molecule, and associated with many immune functions of monocytes/macrophages. Particularly, interferon gamma (IFNγ)-induced COX-2 expression appears in inflammatory conditions such as viral infection and autoimmune diseases. Recently, statins have been reported to show variable effects on COX-2 expression, and on their cell and species type dependences. Based on the above description, we compared the effect of simvastatin on IFNγ-induced COX2 expression in human monocytes versus murine macrophages. In a result, we found that simvastatin suppresses IFNγ-induced COX-2 expression in human THP-1 monocytes, but rather, potentiates IFNγ-induced COX-2 expression More >

Justin Monnier¹, Véronique Quillien², Claire Piquet-Pellorce³, Claudine Leberre⁴, Laurence Preisser⁵, Hugues Gascan⁵, Michel Samson¹

European Cytokine Network, Vol.19, No.4, pp. 166-175, 2008, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2008.0138

Abstract Prokineticin 1 and 2 (PROK1 and PROK2) are two small proteins largely expressed in inflamma-tory tissues and involved in monocyte activation and differentiation. The focus of this study was to evaluate whether PROK1 was able to induce chemokine secretion in human monocytes, in monocyte-derived macro-phages and in monocyte-derived dendritic cells, an aspect not addressed thus far. Here, we show for the first time, using flow cytometry, that PROK receptors 1 and 2 are present on the surface of human monocytes. Sub-sequently, monocytes were selected to investigate the chemokine response after stimulation by PROK1. Our results… More >

IVÓN TERESA NOVAK, HUMBERTO RAMÓN CABRAL

BIOCELL, Vol.32, No.2, pp. 169-174, 2008, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2008.32.169

Abstract We had previously found in autologous human leukocyte cultures, in which dead neutrophils phagocytosis by macrophages occur, macrophages and T CD4 lymphocytes perform a selective cell-cell interaction showing many figures of either one, two or several T- lymphocytes adhering to a central macrophage were seen. Considering that antigen presentation would be necessary for the formation of these immune synapses, we attempted to block rosette formation (i.e., the formation of macrophage associations with at least three lymphocytes) by interfering with both antigen processing and presentation. Culture samples of autologous leukocytes from 7 healthy donors were subjected More >

Celia Murciano, Alberto Yánez, M. Luisa Gil, Daniel Gozalbo

European Cytokine Network, Vol.18, No.1, pp. 38-43, 2007, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2007.0085

Abstract The in vitro production of TNF-a and IFN-c in response to Candida albicans was investigated in wild type, TLR2-/- and TLR4-/- murine cells. TLR2-/- resident peritoneal macrophages showed a strong impairment of TNF-α production in response to viable and non-viable (heat-killed, antimycotic-treated and formaldehydefixed) yeasts and hyphae (germ tube-bearing cells) of the high virulence C. albicans ATCC 26555 strain, as compared with macrophages from wild-type and TLR4-/- mice. The in vitro production of IFN-γ was investigated in murine splenocytes obtained three days after intravenous injection with the low virulence, non-germinative C. albicans PCA2 strain, and again, TLR2-/- More >

Celia Murciano, Alberto Yánez, M. Luisa Gil, Daniel Gozalbo

European Cytokine Network, Vol.18, No.1, pp. 33-37, 2007, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2007.0085

Abstract The in vitro production of TNF-α and IFN-γ in response to Candida albicans was investigated in wild-type, TLR2-/- and TLR4-/- murine cells. TLR2-/- resident peritoneal macrophages showed a strong impairment of TNF-α production in response to viable and non-viable (heat-killed, antimycotic-treated and formaldehyde-fixed) yeasts and hyphae (germ tube-bearing cells) of the high virulence C. albicans ATCC 26555 strain, as compared with macrophages from wild-type and TLR4-/- mice. The in vitro production of IFN-γ was investigated in murine splenocytes obtained three days after intravenous injection with the low virulence, non-germinative C. albicans PCA2 strain, and again, TLR2-/- splenocytes showed More >

Celia Murciano, Alberto Yánez, M. Luisa Gil, Daniel Gozalbo

European Cytokine Network, Vol.18, No.1, pp. 1-5, 2007, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2007.0085

Abstract The in vitro production of TNF-α and IFN-γ in response to Candida albicans was investigated in wild-type, TLR2-/- and TLR4-/- murine cells. TLR2-/- resident peritoneal macrophages showed a strong impairment of TNF-a production in response to viable and non-viable (heat-killed, antimycotic-treated and formaldehyde-fixed) yeasts and hyphae (germ tube-bearing cells) of the high virulence C. albicans ATCC 26555 strain, as compared with macrophages from wild-type and TLR4-/- mice. The in vitro production of IFN-γ was investigated in murine splenocytes obtained three days after intravenous injection with the low virulence, non-germinative C. albicans PCA2 strain, and again, TLR2-/- splenocytes showed More >