The meninges are generally considered relatively inert tissues that house the CSF and provide protection for the brain and spinal cord. However, our previous studies using Kit mutant (Kit W/Wv) mast cell-deficient mice demonstrated that mast cells residing in the dura mater and pia mater exacerbate the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the rodent model of the CNS demyelinating disease, multiple sclerosis. These data suggest that the meninges are sites of active immune responses in disease. Gene expression profiles of meningeal tissue from wild type and mast cell deficient mice prior to and at day 6 post-EAE induction were found highly distinct. Increases in both mast cell- and neutrophil-associated transcripts were among the notable disease-related changes observed in wild type mice. Kinetic analyses show that meningeal mast cells are activated within 24 hours of disease induction to express multiple mediators including IL-1b and TNF as well as the neutrophil chemoattractant, CXCL2, an observation corresponding with an influx of neutrophils to the meninges. Neutrophil recruitment as well as the disease-related loss of BBB integrity is dependent on mast cell-derived TNF. These data provide unequivocal evidence that the meninges are sites of early inflammatory events in EAE. Mast cells residing within these tissues promote disease by orchestrating an early and efficient immune cell co-localization resulting in a robust local inflammatory response and a breach of the proximal BBB. We hypothesize that these events reflect an aberrant manifestation of the normal immune surveillance role of the meninges in infection settings.
Mast cell activation and neutrophil recruitment promotes early and robust inflammation in the meninges in EAE.
Specimen part, Disease
View SamplesThe long-term effects of neonatal intermittent hypoxia (IH), an accepted model of apnea-induced hypoxia, are unclear. We have previously shown lasting programming effects on the HPA axis in adult rats exposed to neonatal IH. We hypothesized that neonatal rat exposure to IH will subsequently result in a heightened inflammatory state in the adult. Rat pups were exposed to normoxia (control) or six cycles of 5% IH or 10% IH over one hour daily from postnatal day 2 6. Plasma samples from blood obtained at 114 days of age were analyzed by assessing the capacity to induce transcription in a healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) population and read using a high-density microarray. The analysis of plasma from adult rats previously exposed to neonatal 5% IH vs. 10% IH resulted in 2,579 significantly regulated genes including increased expression of Cxcl1, Cxcl2, Ccl3, Il1a, and Il1b. We conclude that neonatal exposure to intermittent hypoxia elicits a long-lasting programming effect in the adult resulting in an upregulation of inflammatory-related genes.
Intermittent neonatal hypoxia elicits the upregulation of inflammatory-related genes in adult male rats through long-lasting programming effects.
Sex
View SamplesThe complex milieu of inflammatory mediators associated with many diseases is often too dilute to directly measure in the periphery, necessitating development of more sensitive measurements suitable for mechanistic studies, earlier diagnosis, guiding selection of therapy, and monitoring interventions. Previously, we determined that plasma of recent-onset (RO) Type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients induce a proinflammatory transcriptional signature in fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) relative to that of unrelated healthy controls (HC). Here, using an optimized cryopreserved PBMC-based protocol, we apply this approach to inflammatory bowel disease by examining groups of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitus (UC) patients. The induced plasma induced signatures are compared to those of Type 1 diabetes patients (RO T1D) as well as unrelated healthy controls (uHC).
Plasma-induced signatures reveal an extracellular milieu possessing an immunoregulatory bias in treatment-naive paediatric inflammatory bowel disease.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesInflammation is common to many disorders and responsible for tissue and organ damage. However, the associated peripheral cytokine milieu is frequently dilute and difficult to measure, necessitating development of more sensitive and informative biomarkers for mechanistic studies, earlier diagnosis, and monitoring therapeutic interventions. Previously, we have shown that sera from type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients induces a unique disease-specific pro-inflammatory transcriptional profile in fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) compared to sera of healthy controls.
Use of transcriptional signatures induced in lymphoid and myeloid cell lines as an inflammatory biomarker in Type 1 diabetes.
Cell line, Treatment
View Samples2,3,7,8-TCDD (TCDD) is a reproductive toxicant and endocrine disruptor in nearly all vertebrates, yet the mechanisms by which TCDD induces these reproductive alterations have not been fully characterized. Fish are among the most sensitive vertebrates to the toxic effects of TCDD, and even subtle physiologic changes induced by TCDD can impair reproduction. Previously, we have shown that chronic, sub-lethal exposure to TCDD decreased reproductive capacity, reduced serum estradiol and vitellogenin concentrations, and altered follicular development. Here we investigate the transcriptional changes in zebrafish ovary as they relate to observed attenuated estradiol concentrations and ovarian development. We used quantitative RT-PCR to assess TCDDs effects on the expression of several candidate genes important in the regulation of follicular development and steroidogenesis. Additionally, global changes in gene expression in the ovary caused by TCDD exposure were identified using Affymetrix Gene Chip Analysis. Our data suggest that TCDD may inhibit follicle maturation via attenuated gonadotropin responsiveness and/or depressed estradiol biosynthesis. Additionally, genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism, regulation of transcription, and immune function were dysregulated by at least 2-fold suggesting that TCDD alters various integrated networks of signaling pathways. Approximately 89% of dysregulated transcripts contain putative AHR response elements (AHRE) within 5kb upstream of the predicted transcriptional start site suggesting ovarian toxicity is AHRE driven. Furthermore, approximately 49% of dysregulated transcripts contain putative estrogen response elements (ERE) suggesting that dysregulation of estrogen-responsive genes may also contribute to TCDD-induced attenuated follicular development. Patterns in gene expression were correlated with putative EREs and AHREs, and suggest that impacts on the regulation of transcription may play a large role in TCDDs ovarian toxicity. Taken together, these data illustrate the complexity of TCDDs ovarian toxicity.
Molecular targets of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) within the zebrafish ovary: insights into TCDD-induced endocrine disruption and reproductive toxicity.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesHuman regulatory T cells (TR) cells have potential for the treatment of immune mediated diseases, such as graft versus host disease, but the anergic phenotype of these cells makes them difficult to expand in vitro. We have examined the requirements for growth and cytokine expression from highly purified human TR cells, and correlated these findings with the signal transduction events of these cells. We demonstrate that these cells do not proliferate or secrete IL-10 even in the presence of high doses of IL-2. Stimulation with a superagonistic anti-CD28 antibody (clone 9D4) and IL-2 partially reversed the proliferative defect, and this correlated with reversal of the defective calcium mobilization in these cells. Dendritic cells were effective at promoting TR cell proliferation, and under these conditions the proliferative capacity of TR cells was comparable to conventional CD4 lymphocytes. Blocking TGF-beta activity abrogated IL-10 expression from these cells, while addition of TGF-beta resulted in IL-10 production. These data demonstrate the ability of dendritic cells to provide proper costimulation to overcome the anergic phenotype of TR cells. In addition, these data demonstrate for the first time that TGF-beta is critical to enable TR cells to express IL-10.
Requirements for growth and IL-10 expression of highly purified human T regulatory cells.
Specimen part
View SamplesFat metabolism is also peturbed after the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Patients have less fat in the liver (4) and increased fasting lipid oxidation (5) compared to controls. Similarly, in a BioBreeding rat model of type 1 diabetes, the diabetes-prone animals develop a reduced respiratory quotient compared to non-diabetic rats before the onset of hyperglycemia, consistent with an increased use of fatty acids relative to carbohydrates as an energy substrate (6).
Longitudinal analysis of hepatic transcriptome and serum metabolome demonstrates altered lipid metabolism following the onset of hyperglycemia in spontaneously diabetic biobreeding rats.
Age, Specimen part
View SamplesAbstract
Evidence of a functional role for mast cells in the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus in the BioBreeding rat.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Temporal induction of immunoregulatory processes coincides with age-dependent resistance to viral-induced type 1 diabetes.
Sex
View SamplesA need exists for biomarkers in T1D that can 1) sensitively and specifically detect disease-related immune activity prior to, and independent of, measurement of auto-antibodies towards islet cell antigens; 2) define immunopathological mechanisms; and 3) monitor changes in the inflammatory state associated with disease progression or response to therapeutic intervention. In an effort to fill this gap, we have applied a novel bioassay to both human and BB rat T1D whereby the complex milieu of inflammatory mediators present in plasma can be indirectly detected through their ability to drive transcription in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) drawn from healthy, unrelated donors. The resultant gene expressions are comprehensively measured with a microarray. In our human studies, we find that plasma of recent-onset T1D patients induces expression of a pro-inflammatory signature consisting in part of many interleukin-1 (IL-1) regulated genes related to immunological activation and immunocyte chemotaxis compared to unrelated healthy controls. This signature has been found to resolve in long-standing T1D subjects (>10 years post-onset), thus associating it with active autoimmunity. Importantly, this signature has been detected in pre-onset samples of progressors to T1D years prior to onset and prior to development of auto-antibodies directed towards islet antigens.
Temporal induction of immunoregulatory processes coincides with age-dependent resistance to viral-induced type 1 diabetes.
Sex
View Samples