The aim of this study was to determine the influence activating of the recipient immune system on the function of microencapsulated islet xenografts. The skin of WAG or Fisher rats and WAG free or encapsulated (APA) Langerhans islets were transplanted to healthy or to streptozotocin diabetic BALB/c mice. Skin grafts were performed following the method of Billingham and Medawar. Rat islets were isolated from pancreas by the Lacy and Kostianovsy method and encapsulated with calcium alginate- poly-L-lysine-alginate according to the 3-step coating method of Sun. The transplantation of encapsulated WAG islets, despite activation of the host immune system, restored euglycemia for over 180?100 days. A subsequent skin graft taken from the same donor was rejected in the second set mode, but euglycemia persisted. In diabetic recipients, impaired immune response was corrected by successful encapsulated islet transplantation. In diabetic mice, strong stimulation with 2-fold skin transplantation induced primary non-function of grafted islets despite their encapsulation. The survival of an islet xenograft depends on the level of activation of the recipient immune system. The immune response of diabetic mice was impaired, but increased after post-transplant restitution of euglycemia. Microencapsulation sufficiently protected grafted islets, and remission of diabetes was preserved. However, after strong specific or non- -specific stimulation of the host immune system, non-function of xenografted islets developed despite their encapsulation. Therefore, islet graft recipients should avoid procedures which could stimulate their immune systems. If absolutely necessary, the graft should be protected by exogenous insulin therapy at that time.
Type 1 diabetes (also known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or juvenile-onset diabetes) is usually caused by T cell-mediated autoimmunity, with a prediabetic state characterized by the production of autoantibodies specific for proteins expressed by pancreatic beta cells. The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse is a spontaneous model of type 1 diabetes with a strong genetic component that maps to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region of the genome. A specific proteasome defect has been identified in NOD mouse lymphocytes that results from down-regulation of expression of the proteasome subunit LMP2, which is encoded by a gene in the MHC genomic region. This defect both prevents the proteolytic processing required for the production and activation of the transcription factor nuclear facktor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), which plays important roles in immune and inflammatory responses, as well as increases the susceptibility of the affected cells to apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). The proteasome dysfunction is both tissue and developmental stage specific and likely contributes to disease pathogenesis and tissue targeting.
The nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse is a spontaneous animal model for type 1 diabetes characterized by a selective destruction of the insulin producing -cells in the pancreas. As in humans, the disease is controlled by several susceptibility genes some of which maps to the major histocompatibility complex on chromosome 17. However environmental factors contributes also to the development of the disease in the NOD mouse presumably through controlling the balance between the Th1 and Th2 response in the animal. Recent observations have shown that the NOD mouse has abnormalities in the development of bone marrow-derived antigen presenting cells. These include the most potent activators of naive T cells, the dendritic cells, which exist in at least two different sub-populations; DC1 cells responsible for activation of Th1 cells and DC2 cells that produce Th2 cells. In addition to activate na?ve T cells, the dendritic cells are also involved in generating central and peripheral tolerance to self-molecules. In this process DC2 cells appear to be more important for development of peripheral tolerance than DC1 cells. Further to abnormalities in development of bone marrow-derived antigen presenting cells, the NOD mouse has also a defect in the thymic selection of T cells leading to a higher concentration of autoreactive T cells. We speculate that the NOD mouse may develop an imbalance in the two subset of dendritic cells with a skewing towards DC1 cells; thus having a reduced ability to generate peripheral tolerance to a number of autoantigens.
A key concept in medicine is that rational therapy rests on accurate diagnosis; quite simply, therapy that is not tuned to the cause of the disease will not cure the patient. I do not mean to say that effective treatments cannot emerge from faulty diagnoses. In truth, much of our therapeutic ensemble is composed of drugs developed as a result of chance observation, random, screening, intuition, or pre-scientific tradition. Nevertheless, the way to effective therapy is best paved by understanding. Effects are inherent in their causes; so if we want to cure autoimmune diseases using the scientific method, we are obliged to inquire into their causes. By reducing the discordant complexity of the disease to the single cause that underlies it, we can hope to learn the most efficient way to manipulate the disease process. How do we identify a cause when we see one? Quite simply, a single cause is that which is both necessary and sufficient to produce the effect. Here, I explore the general paradigm of autoimmune causality, using multiple sclerosis as a specific example.
Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are formed during non-enzymatic glycation - the process occurring in vitro and in the organism. The glycation products accumulate in tissues and interact with specific receptors, what induces various cellular responses. Some enzymes important in metabolism can be also glycated. The disturbances of homeostasis, related to the glycation products, are the reason for complications observed in diabetes and aging processes. There are presented in this paper: mechanism of the formation of AGEs, their cellular receptor (RAGE), as well as the effects of glycation in aging, diabetes and Alzheimer disease. Finally, there are described the compounds which could be useful as inhibitors of glycation in clinical practice.
Natural killer T (NKT) cells, which comprise a minor population of T cells in primary and secondary lymphoid organs, possess phenotypic characteristics of both NK and T cells. NKT cells respond to various external stimuli by an early burst of cytokines, including IL-4 and IFN-. Thus, a key immunoregulatory role has been attributed to them. Autoimmune diseases, especially type I diabetes (TID), may be caused by dysregulation of the immune system, which leads to hyporesponsiveness of regulatory T helper 2 (Th2) cells and promotion of autoimmune Th1 cells. Furthermore, several lines of evidence exist to support the notion that an NKT cell deficiency in individuals at risk of TID may be causal to TID. As a result, targeting NKT cells using immunotherapeutic agents may prove beneficial in the prevention or recurrence of TID. Indeed, our data demonstrate that stimulation of NKT cells with a specific ligand prevents the onset and recurrence of TID in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice.
We compared the development of sciatic nerve neuropathy in young diabetic rats with that in non-diabetic aged rats. Diabetes was induced in six-month old rats by injection with alloxan and was moderately controlled by single daily injections of insulin. Blood insulin levels in diabetic rats were significantly reduced compared to the aged animals, and glucose was significantly higher in diabetic rats. Sciatic nerve conduction velocities were measured monthly. Both motor and sensory conduction velocities decreased in the diabetic rats to a level that was similar to those in 36-month old rats. The decreases in conduction velocities in the diabetic rats were most dramatic during months 6 through 12 of diabetes. After 6 and 12 months of diabetes, sciatic nerves were examined by electron microscopy and compared to nerves from 24- and 36-month old rats respectively. Ultrastructural changes in the sciatic nerves of diabetic rats at 6 months included disruptions of myelin and dense axoplasm. In comparison, the 24-month old rats only had distorted contours of the nerve fibres. After 12 months of diabetes, the axoplasm had large spaces and the myelin was thickened and deformed. The axoplasm of 36-month old rats was normal in appearance; however the myelin sheath was thickened and split into layers. The Schwann cells were vacuolated and irregular in shape. These observations indicate that diabetes results in the early onset of age-like changes in the sciatic nerve. It suggests that the control of hyperglycemia in humans may preserve sciatic nerve structure and function.
We have previously shown that bovine lactoferrin (BLF) given intravenously (i.v.) protected mice against a lethal dose of E. coli and strongly stimulated both the clearing and killing activities in liver, lungs, spleen and kidney. Since some studies indicated a reduction of the manifestation of experimental pancreatitis with lactoferrin, we decided to examine the protective activity of BLF against lethal E. coli infection in animals with alloxan (Alx)-induced diabetes. It appeared that 48 h diabetes substantially lowered the killing activity in all four organs as well as the clearing rate of E. coli from the circulation. BLF given i.v. o reduced this undesirable effect of diabetes. However, in 10- and 20-day diabetic animals, the diabetes alone stimulated the killing activity in the organs investigated, and upregulated the clearing rate of E. coli from the circulation. Lactoferrin (LF) significantly increased both the killing and the clearing activity in these long-term diabetic animals. In some cases the stimulating effect of BLF was very high, suggesting a concerted action of BLF and diabetes in that category of mice. Despite these beneficial effects of BLF and diabetes on the killing process in the investigated organs, the survival time of animals from all the diabetic groups ( 48 h, 10 and 20 days) was not prolonged by BLF. The protective properties of BLF did not depend on the blood glucose levels in the diabetic animals. BLF partly delayed the development of experimental Alx-induced diabetes, measured by the glucose level, but only if administered shortly after Alx injection. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the state of diabetes alone could increase killing of bacteria in the investigated organs and LF enhanced this process. However, LF had no protective effect against the mortality of diabetic mice infected with a lethal dose of E. coli.
Janus tyrosine kinases (JAKs) are cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinases that play a crucial role in the initial steps of cytokine signaling. JAK3, a member of JAK kinase family of four (JAK1, JAK2, JAK3 and TYK2), is abundantly expressed in lymphoid cells. JAK3 has been found to initiate signaling of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-13 and IL-15. Indispensable role of JAK3 in lymphocyte development and function has been revealed recently. Because of the involvement of JAK3 in T cell activation and proliferation, and the documented genetic evidence for the role of JAK3 in autoimmune or transplant -induced inflammatory disorders, the selective targeting of JAK3 in T cells may potentially be clinically beneficial in T cell-derived pathologic disorders. In this review we discuss inhibitors of JAK3 as a new class of immunomodulatory agents with immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anti-leukemic properties. Preclinical data from multiple experimental model systems of autoimmune diabetes, allergy, solid organ transplantation, pancreatic islet transplantation and bone marrow transplantation are discussed in the context of the clinical need for new immunomodulatory agents with such properties.
Lipoic acid is a prostetic group of H-protein of the glycine cleavage system and the dihydrolipoamide acyltransferases (E2) of the pyruvate, alpha-ketoglutarate and branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complexes. Lipoic acid and its reduced form, dihydrolipoic acid, reacts with oxygen reactive species. This paper reviews the beneficial effects in oxidative stress models or clinical conditions.
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