Project description:We inflicted TBI to chemokine-deficient mouse lines in order to establish involvement of various signalling pathways that may be addressed therapeutically. Interacting chemokine pathways in brain regulate distinct inflammatory cells. Activated microglia are separate from invading phagocytes and dendritic cells. Findings show potential targets to interfere with specific inflammatory responses after brain injury. TBI was carried out in Ccl3-/- and Ccr2-/- mice, total RNA prepared from injured cerebral neocortex after three days. RNA samples were from uninjured Ccl3-/- and Ccr2-/- mice as reference for hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.
Project description:Different inflammatory stimuli contribute to the formation of atherosclerosis. It is hypothesized that although the end result is the same - plaque formation in arterial vessels - the pathogenesis is dependent on the etiology. In particular, platelets will respond differently depending on the inflammatory stimuli and timepoint. Using a microarray and platelet inflammatory function studies, we identified the transcriptional and functional changes that occur early and late with different inflammatory stimuli. ApoE-/- C57BL/6 mice were left untreated (control) or administered oral P. gingivalis (Pg) or intranasal C. pneumoniae (Cp) for 3 weeks, and sacrificed either 1 day (early timepoint) or 9 weeks (late timepoint) after this 3-week period. A separate group of animals was fed a Western Diet (WD) for 9 weeks and then sacrificed. Whole blood samples were collected from each animal into citrate solution and serially centrifuged to produce a pure platelet population. RNA was extracted and pooled from each experimental group and hybridized to Affymetrix Mouse Gene 1.0 ST microarrays.
Project description:Sterile stimuli can trigger inflammatory responses, and in some cases can lead to a variety of acute or chronic diseases. In this study, we hypothesize that a benzimidazole inhibitor may be used as a therapeutic in the treatment of sterile inflammation. In vitro, this inhibitor blocks TLR signalling and inflammatory responses. The benzimidazole inhibitor does not prevent mouse macrophage activation after stimulation with 2, 6, 10, 14-tetramethylpentadecane (TMPD, also known as pristane), a hydrocarbon oil that mimics features of sterile inflammation when injected in vivo. However, C57BL/6 female mice treated with the benzimidazole inhibitor exhibited a significant reduction of pristane-dependent induction of splenocyte number and weight. Conversely, no significant difference was observed in males. Using mass spectrometry, we found that the urine of pristane-injected mice contained increased levels of putative markers for several inflammatory diseases, which were reduced by the benzimidazole inhibitor. To study the mechanism, we showed that pristane-injected mice had increased cell free DNA in serum, which was not impacted by inhibitor treatment. However, chemokine release (e.g. MCP-1, RANTES and TARC) was significantly reduced in inhibitor-treated mice. Thus, the benzimidazole inhibitor might be used as a new drug to block the recruitment of immune cells during sterile inflammatory diseases in humans.
Project description:CD14+ monocytes, the predominant population in human blood, are primarily engaged in host defense and pro-inflammatory cytokine responses. Aberrant monocyte activity causes life-threatening cytokine storms, while dysfunctional monocytes lead to 'immunoparalysis.' Understanding the mechanisms controlling monocyte functions is therefore paramount. Here, we reveal platelets' vital role in human monocytes' pro-inflammatory responses. Natural low platelet counts in patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) , platelet depletion in healthy human monocytes, or in vivo platelet depletion in mice, result in monocyte immunoparalysis, characterized by reduced pro-inflammatory gene expression and weakened cytokine responses to immune challenge. Remarkably, supplementation with fresh platelets reverses monocyte immunoparalysis. In mice, thrombocytopenia results in down-regulation of myeloid innate immune genes, and compromised host defense transcriptional programs in monocytes despite normal responses to LPS. Platelets control monocyte cytokines independently of traditional cross-talk pathways, acting as reservoirs of transcription factors like NF?B and MAPK p38. We pinpointed a vesicle-derived NF?B2 transfer to human monocytes by mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Functionally, platelets proportionally restored impaired cytokine secretion in human monocytes lacking MAPK p38a and NF?B p65 and NF?B2. We unveil the intercellular transfer of inflammatory regulators, positioning platelets as central checkpoints in monocyte-mediated inflammation.
Project description:We inflicted TBI to chemokine-deficient mouse lines in order to establish involvement of various signalling pathways that may be addressed therapeutically. Interacting chemokine pathways in brain regulate distinct inflammatory cells. Activated microglia are separate from invading phagocytes and dendritic cells. Findings show potential targets to interfere with specific inflammatory responses after brain injury.
Project description:Different inflammatory stimuli contribute to the formation of atherosclerosis. It is hypothesized that although the end result is the same - plaque formation in arterial vessels - the pathogenesis is dependent on the etiology. In particular, platelets will respond differently depending on the inflammatory stimuli and timepoint. Using a microarray and platelet inflammatory function studies, we identified the transcriptional and functional changes that occur early and late with different inflammatory stimuli.
Project description:Atherosclerosis, the underlying vascular cause of cardiovascular disease, has a strong inflammatory component. The co-stimulatory CD40-CD40 ligand (CD40L) signaling axis is a pivotal regulator of immune responses in atherosclerosis. However, therapeutic long-term inhibition of CD40L will severely compromise the immune system making it a non-viable treatment option. To circumvent this issue, cell-specific inhibition may present a better approach to target the CD40-CD40L axis. Therefore, we generated T cell and platelet-specific knockout mice for CD40L and apolipoprotein E, which were aged for 28 weeks to study their effects on immune status and atherosclerosis. Here, we show that T cell specific deficiency in CD40L signaling reduced plaque progression through hampered Th1 polarization as well as reduced antigen-dependent proliferation and oxLDL IgM production. DC-specific CD40 deficient mice displayed a similar phenotype. Platelet-specific CD40L deficiency, however, failed to decrease atherosclerosis, but ameliorated atherothrombosis. Together, our results illuminate the divergent cell-specific mechanisms of CD40-CD40L signaling in atherosclerosis, which may lead to advances in targeted therapies.