Chemical chaperones reverse early suppression of regulatory circuits during unfolded protein response in B cells from common variable immunodeficiency patients

B cells orchestrate pro-survival and pro-apoptotic inputs during unfolded protein response (UPR) to translate, fold, sort, secrete and recycle immunoglobulins. In common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) patients, activated B cells are predisposed to an overload of abnormally processed, misfolded immunoglobulins. Using highly accurate transcript measurements, we show that expression of UPR genes and immunoglobulin chains differs qualitatively and quantitatively during the first 4 h of chemically induced UPR in B cells from CVID patients and a healthy subject. We tested thapsigargin or tunicamycin as stressors and 4-phenylbutyrate, dimethyl sulfoxide and tauroursodeoxycholic acid as chemical chaperones. We found an early and robust decrease of the UPR upon endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in CVID patient cells compared to the healthy control consistent with the disease phenotype. The chemical chaperones increased the UPR in the CVID patient cells in response to the stressors, suggesting that misfolded immunoglobulins were stabilized. We suggest that the AMP-dependent transcription factor alpha branch of the UPR is disturbed in CVID patients, underlying the observed expression behavior.

Increased grp78 transcription is correlated to reduced tlr4 transcription in patients surviving sepsis

Regulated transcriptional readthrough during stress maintains genome structure and ensures access to genes that are necessary for cellular recovery. A broad number of genes, including of the bacterial sensor Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4), are markedly transcribed on initiating the systemic inflammatory response. Here we study the transcriptional patterns of tlr4 and of its modulator grp78 during human sepsis, and establish their correlations with the outcome of patients. We measured the daily tlr4 and grp78 RNA expression levels in peripheral blood of septic patients, immediately after admission to intensive care, and modeled these RNA values with a sine damping function. We obtained negative correlations between the transcription of tlr4 and grp78 RNA in the survivor group. In contrast, such relation is lost in the deceased patients. Loss of transcriptional homeostasis predicted by our model within the initial 4 days of hospitalization was confirmed by death of those patients up to 28 days later.

NK1.1 Cells Downregulate Murine Endotoxin-Induced Uveitis Following Intraocular Administration of Interleukin-12

To evaluate the role of IFN-gamma (interferon gamma) in IL-12- (interleukin-12)-induced inhibition of the inflammatory response in the eye during endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU). C57BL/6 wild type mice and IFN-gamma-deficient (GKO) mice were injected with 250 microg of Salmonella typhymurium endotoxin as a model for EIU. Animals were then injected intraocularly with 100 ng of rIL-12 or the equivalent volume of Phosphate-buffer saline (PBS). Histopathologic grading of disease was performed 12, 36 and 72 h after endotoxin injection. Chemokine mRNA expression in the eye was evaluated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Depletion of NK1.1+ cells in vivo was performed using a PK136 antibody. Depletion of IFN-gamma was performed using the R4-6A2 antibody. C57BL/6 mice treated with rIL-12 intraocularly were protected from the development of EIU. Neutralization of IFN-gamma with a monoclonal antibody abrogated such protection. The IL-12 protective effects were lost in NK1.1-depleted mice. Intraocular IL-12 decreased the expression of keratinocyte-derived chemokines (KC) gene but had no effect on macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-2) gene. The protective effect of IL-12 during EIU occurs through production of IFN-gamma by NK1.1+ cells. IL-12-induced higher levels of IFN-gamma are also correlated with lower expression of the chemokine KC, resulting in diminished attraction of neutrophils to the inflammatory site.

[Levels of hepatic fats in jejuno-ileal bypass. Experimental study]

Liver failure is a serious complication when small bowel bypass is used for control of obesity. To analyse the changes in liver microscopic morphology and liver fatty acids content, 42 rabbits divided in two groups were studied. The 21 animals of group I had 50% of the distal jejuno-ileum excluded and anastomosed to the cecum. The proximal 50% were anastomosed to the distal 5 cm of the ileum. The 21 animals of group II were used as controls and were submitted to a laparotomy and small bowel manipulation. Liver histology and fatty acids content were studied at the time of these operations and in the 21st postoperative day. No signficant histologic changes were noticed in both groups. A significant decrease in liver fatty acids content was observed in groups I and II. However, the decrease in group II was less pronounced than in group I. This last observation appears to support the theory of liver lipid metabolism impairment after small bowel bypass, even in the absence of obesity.