Sonic hedgehog is a potent chemoattractant for human monocytes: diabetes mellitus inhibits Sonic hedgehog-induced monocyte chemotaxis.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression of hedgehog (Hh) signaling molecules and the chemotactic activity of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) in monocytes from control (CTR) and diabetic patients with or without coronary artery disease (CAD). Previously several studies demonstrated that exogenous administration of Shh can induce angiogenesis and accelerate repair of ischemic myocardium and skeletal muscles. Blood samples were collected from (1) CTR (n = 25); (2) patients with stable CAD without diabetes mellitus (CAD-DM, n = 10); and (3) with stable CAD with DM (CAD+DM, n = 15).

The ontogeny of mucosal immune cells in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.).

The ontogeny of carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) immune cells was studied in mucosal organs (intestine, gills and skin) using the monoclonal antibodies WCL38 (intraepithelial lymphocytes), WCL15 (monocytes/macrophages) and WCI12 (B cells). In addition, recombination activating gene 1 expression was examined in the intestine with real time quantitative PCR and in situ hybridization to investigate extrathymic generation of lymphocytes.

Rag expression identifies B and T cell lymphopoietic tissues during the development of common carp (Cyprinus carpio).

The generation of lymphoid cells during carp development was studied by analyzing expression of the recombination activating genes (rag) using in situ hybridization and real time quantitative PCR. These data were combined with immunohistochemistry using the mAb's WCL9 (cortical thymocytes) and WCI12 (B cells). Carp rag-1 and rag-2 showed 90 and 89% amino acid identity, respectively, to the corresponding zebrafish sequences.