Novel application of ProteinChip technology exploring acute rejection markers of rat small bowel transplantation

Gut Permeability and Glucose Absorption Are Affected at Early Stages of Graft Rejection in a Small Bowel Transplant Rat Model

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Background

Intestinal transplantation (ITx) faces many challenges due to the complexity of surgery and to the multiple immunological reactions that lead to the necessity of rigorous follow-up for early detection of acute cellular rejection (ACR). Our aim was to determine the kinetics of ACR using an experimental ITx model, with emphasis in the characterization of the process using different approaches, including the use of functional assays of absorptive and barrier function.

Methods

ITx in rats conducting serial sampling was performed. Clinical monitoring, graft histology, proinflammatory gene expression, and nitrosative stress determination were performed. Also, glucose absorption, barrier function using ovalbumin translocation, and contractile function were analyzed.

Results

The model used reproduced the different stages of ACR. Allogeneic ITx recipients showed signs of rejection from postoperative day (POD) 5, with increasing severity until 12 POD. Histological evaluation showed mild rejection in early sampling and severe rejection at late stages, with alterations in all graft layers. IL-6, CXCL 10, IFNg, and nitrite plasmas levels showed behavior coincident with histopathology. Remarkably, allogeneic grafts showed a marked alteration of glucose absorptive capacity from POD 5 that was sustained until endpoint. Coincidently, barrier function alteration was evidenced by luminal ovalbumin translocation to serum. Contractile function was progressively impaired along ACR.

Conclusions

Glucose absorption and barrier function are altered at early stages of ACR when histological alterations or gene expression changes were much subtle. This observation may provide simple evaluation tools that could be eventually translated to the clinics to contribute to early ACR diagnosis.

Proteomics in transplantation

Proteomics and biochemical profiling have emerged as exciting and powerful tools in clinical biomarker research. In the field of transplantation, proteomics aims not only at developing noninvasive means for immune monitoring but also to gain mechanistic insights into the pathophysiology of the alloimmune response and hence defining new therapeutic targets. This chapter provides an overview of proteomic biomarker-driven approaches and its underlying concepts and discusses the advantages, clinical implications, challenges, and limitations of this novel modality as it relates to solid organ transplantation.

Biomarker discovery in serum/plasma using surface enhanced laser desorption ionization time of flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry

Proteins and peptides that undergo variations in concentration or state as a result of a biological process or disease may be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis or prognosis of diseases and/or for the monitoring of therapy. Serum/plasma is one of the most easily obtained patient specimens and contains thousands of proteins produced and secreted from cells and tissues. While serum/plasma is a valuable specimen for protein biomarker research, especially in the area of infectious diseases, the dynamic range of the proteome presents a technical challenge. Serum/plasma is dominated by high abundance proteins, such as albumin, immunoglobulins, haptogloblulin, which constitute almost 90% of the total serum/plasma protein by weight and make the detection of the low abundance proteins difficult. Therefore, effective fractionation and separation methods are essential to detect potential biomarker proteins present in small quantities for mass spectrometry.The current tests for blood-borne protozoan diseases are inadequate by monitoring treatment efficacy or for prognosis and also lack sensitivity and specificity. To overcome these limitations, we began a program to develop novel assays for infectious diseases using mass spectrometric data directly as well as "next generation" assays that exploit the richness of the MS data converted to standard platforms. Here we focus on high-throughput fractionation and proteomic analysis using Surface Enhanced Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry platform. Separation and enrichment is achieved using stepwise anion exchange fractionation prior to analysis on multiple ProteinChip array chemistries. We have used this approach successfully to identify proteins/peptides or protein "profiles" (biomarkers) in subjects chronically infected with blood-borne protozoan parasites (i.e. Chagas disease, babesia, toxoplasma, malaria), fascioliosis, and cysticercosis.

Serum pattern profiling for analyzing different types of stress by protein chip technology: a preliminary study

ProteinChip is a widely accepted tool for exploring serum pattern profile to evaluate the risk of somatic diseases from different stressors. In this study, by using surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-ToF), the serum proteome from mice under restraint and thermal stresses were profiled in detail and compared with the control group. Around 150 characteristic peaks were detected in all three groups, with m/z ranging from 1500 to 50,000, with most peaks being within the 2000 m/z to 20,000 m/z range. Compared with the control group, three significant protein peaks with m/z values of 2780, 3303 and 3450 appeared specifically in the restrained stress group and four other peaks with m/z values of 7500, 7811, 29,950 and 38,565 in the thermal stress group. Unexpectedly, no universal positive stress peaks were detected. These preliminary results clearly suggested that there might not be a common mechanism shared by various psychophysiological disorders under different stressors. By fast serum proteomics profiling, SELDI-ToF may be a convenient tool for evaluating the risk of stress-induced illness.

Correlation of motility and neuronal integrity with a focus on the grade of intestinal allograft rejection

Intestinal graft motility after small bowel transplantation (SBT) is poorly characterized. The aim of this study was to compare motor patterns with myenteric neuronal cell population as a parameter of graft viability at various degrees of acute cellular rejection (ACR). Three grades of ACR were achieved in orthotopic allografts. Syngeneic transplants and allografts with immunosuppression served as controls. Motor activities were recorded using strain gauge force transducers and analyzed visually. Quantifications of myenteric neurons in whole mounts of intestinal grafts were used to evaluate neuronal population. A typical migrating motor complex (MMC) was found in syngeneic and allogenic transplants with immunosuppression. A high prevalence of discrete clustered contractions (DCC) and nonpropagating contractions (NPC) without MMC was seen in moderately and severely rejected allografts. Neuronal cell loss in the allografts, which could be one of the causes of motor dysfunction, was noted in moderate rejection (19.3%) and progressed until severe rejection (60.1%). Monitoring motility patterns in SBT could be an effective tool for assessing intestinal rejection. Allograft dysmotility, such as absence of MMC and high prevalence of DCC or NPC, could be useful markers of progression of acute rejection and help guide treatment decisions.

Expression patterns and action analysis of genes associated with inflammatory responses during rat liver regeneration

AIM: To study the relationship between inflammatory response and liver regeneration (LR) at transcriptional level.

METHODS: After partial hepatectomy (PH) of rats, the genes associated with inflammatory response were obtained according to the databases, and the gene expression changes during LR were checked by the Rat Genome 230 2.0 array.

RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty-nine genes were associated with liver regeneration. The initial and total expressing gene numbers found in initiation phase (0.5-4 h after PH), G₀/G₁ transition (4-6 h after PH), cell proliferation (6-66 h after PH), cell differentiation and structure-function reconstruction (66-168 h after PH) of liver regeneration were 107, 34, 126, 6 and 107, 92, 233, 145 respectively, showing that the associated genes were mainly triggered at the beginning of liver regeneration, and worked at different phases. According to their expression similarity, these genes were classified into 5 groups: only up-regulated, predominantly up-, only down-, predominantly down-, up- and down-, involving 92, 25, 77, 14 and 31 genes, respectively. The total times of their up- and down-regulated expression were 975 and 494, respectively, demonstrating that the expressions of the majority of genes were increased, and that of a few genes were decreased. Their time relevance was classified into 13 groups, showing that the cellular physiological and biochemical activities were staggered during liver regeneration. According to gene expression patterns, they were classified into 33 types, suggesting that the activities were diverse and complex during liver regeneration.

CONCLUSION: Inflammatory response is closely associated with liver regeneration, in which 239 LR-associated genes play an important role.

Serum proteomic profiling associated with immune system impaired by stress using ProteinChip technology

We set out to use proteomic profiling as a means of defining serum peptides that are indicative of a stress response related to an impact on the immune system. Two types of mouse models with the immune response impaired under stress (restraint stress and thermal stress) comprised the stressed groups (n = 10 in each group), while mice without stress represented the control group (n = 10). ProteinChip technology (surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry) was used to investigate the serum proteomic profiles. Histopathological examination of spleens from the stressed and control groups was performed to select appropriate individuals. Compared with the spleens of normal mice, those of mice subjected to restraint and thermal stress had decreased white pulp and lymphoid nodules, and their distribution and structure changed irregularly. Pathological changes occurred in all individuals in both stressed groups. The m/z values of the protein peaks ranged from 1,500 to 50,000 daltons and were mainly in the 2,000- to 20,000-dalton range. One hundred and fifty protein peaks were detected in the three groups. Four downregulated universal stress protein peaks with m/z of 4,389, 5,341, 5,526, and 6,252 were finally selected. Unexpectedly, no upregulated universal stress protein peaks were detected. These results suggested that impairment of the immune system results from inhibition of growth-promoting factors associated with the immune system. Identified protein peaks may be biomarkers of the impaired immune system under stress.