Comparison of immature and mature bone marrow-derived dendritic cells by atomic force microscopy.

A comparative study of immature and mature bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) was first performed through an atomic force microscope (AFM) to clarify differences of their nanostructure and adhesion force. AFM images revealed that the immature BMDCs treated by granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor plus IL-4 mainly appeared round with smooth surface, whereas the mature BMDCs induced by lipopolysaccharide displayed an irregular shape with numerous pseudopodia or lamellapodia and ruffles on the cell membrane besides becoming larger, flatter, and longer. AFM quantitative analysis further showed that the surface roughness of the mature BMDCs greatly increased and that the adhesion force of them was fourfold more than that of the immature BMDCs.

AFM- and NSOM-based force spectroscopy and distribution analysis of CD69 molecules on human CD4+ T cell membrane.

Although CD69 is well known as an early T cell-activation marker, the possibility that CD69 are distributed as nano-structures on membrane for immune regulation during T cell activation has not been tested. In this study, nanoscale features of CD69 expression on activated T cells were determined using the atomic force microscopy (AFM) topographic and force-binding nanotechnology as well as near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM)-/fluorescence quantum dot (QD)-based nanosacle imaging. Unstimulated CD4(+) T cells showed neglectable numbers of membrane CD69 spots binding to the CD69 Ab-functinalized AFM tip, and no detectable QD-bound CD69 as examined by NSOM/QD-based imaging.

Nanostructure and nanomechanics analysis of lymphocyte using AFM: from resting, activated to apoptosis.

The ultrastructural and mechanical properties of single resting, activated and apoptosis lymphocyte have been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Using topographic imaging, we showed that the surface of the resting lymphocyte is smooth, while lymphocyte activation and apoptosis are often accompanied by changes in cell morphology. The apoptosis lymphocyte is rougher than those of the two other morphotypes, and coated with many big particles.

[Analysis of sodium benzoate biotoxicity by atomic force microscope].

Atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to study biotoxicity of food preservative sodium benzoate (SB) at the single cellular level. Lymphocyte morphology and membrane ultrastructure treated with SB at different concentrations and time were analyzed visually. As compared to the normal lymphocyte, the cell morphology and membrane was significantly changed and its ultrastructure was also complicated.

[Effect of Jagged1 on the morphology of DC differentiation observed by atomic force microscopy].

Aim: To explore the effect of Jagged1 on the morphology of dendritic cell(DC) differentiation.

Methods: Mouse bone marrow cells were cultured in the presence of rmIL-4 and rmGM-CSF. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to observe the ultrastructure of these DC.

Anisomycin inhibits the behaviors of T cells and the allogeneic skin transplantation in mice.

There is still a lack of a high potent and low toxic immunosuppressive drug. We accidentally found that a quite low dose of anisomycin was sufficient to block proliferation of T cells. In this study, carboxy-fluorescein diacetate-succinimidyl ester staining showed that over 10.

A novel cell subset: interferon-producing killer dendritic cells.

Recent reports introduce a novel cell subset of DCs with antigenic phenotypes shared by both NK cells and B cells, but without surface markers of pDCs and T cells, appearing to be a chimera of NK cells and DCs, namely interferon-producing killer dendritic cells (IKDCs). IKDCs not only secret type I and type II interferons to recognize and kill tumor cells effectively, but also express MHC-II molecules to present antigens. Thus, IKDCs are considered as important immunosurveilance cells for tumors, providing a link between innate and adaptive immunity.

Nanostructure and force spectroscopy analysis of human peripheral blood CD4+ T cells using atomic force microscopy.

To date, nanoscale imaging of the morphological changes and adhesion force of CD4(+) T cells during in vitro activation remains largely unreported. In this study, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study the morphological changes and specific binding forces in resting and activated human peripheral blood CD4(+) T cells. The AFM images revealed that the volume of activated CD4(+) T cells increased and the ultrastructure of these cells also became complex.

Human TSLP-educated DCs.

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), an IL-7-related cytokine, is widely expressed by epithelial cells in many tissues with different biological effects. Human TSLP (hTSLP) has been shown to play an important role in promoting T cell homeostasis, developing nondeletional central tolerance, amplifying epithelium-induced class switching, inducing atopic diseases and maintaining intestinal noninflammatory environment. Among diverse cells responding to hTSLP, dendritic cells (DCs) are the most obviously characterized target cells.

[The changes of the thymocyte mitochondria mediated by nitric oxide in thymocyte apoptosis].

Aim: To study the changes of mitochondrial potential (delta psi m) and cardiolipin (CL) content during thymocyte apoptosis mediated by nitric oxide (NO).

Methods: SNAP was used as NO's donor to induce thymocyte apoptosis in mice and dexamethasone (DEX) was used as positive control drug. Three experiment groups were set, which were blank control group, SNAP group and DEX group.