Magnetic cell sorting: a fast and effective method of concurrent isolation of high purity viable astrocytes and microglia from neonatal mouse brain tissue.

Pathologically altered functions of astrocytes and microglia play a pivotal role in diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The complexity of the CNS makes it difficult to determine the function of individual glial cells in vivo. Insight into the role of individual glial cell function lies in their successful isolation and purification to maintain phenotype and realistically mimic in vivo conditions.

Upregulation of chemokine receptor expression by IL-10/IL-4 in adult neural stem cells.

It has been shown that adoptively transferred adult neural stem cells (NSCs) ameliorate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) by differentiating into myelin-forming cells. However, NSC migration into the lesion foci is inefficient and relatively slow, resulting in only modest therapeutic effect. A possible reason for the inefficient migration of NSCs could be the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines by these cells, which might in turn suppress their migration.

IL-12R beta 2 promotes the development of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells.

We have previously shown that mice lacking the IL-12-specific receptor subunit beta2 (IL-12Rbeta2) develop more severe experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis than wild-type (WT) mice. The mechanism underlying this phenomenon is not known; nor is it known whether deficiency of IL-12Rbeta2 impacts other autoimmune disorders similarly. In the present study we demonstrate that IL-12Rbeta2(-/-) mice develop earlier onset and more severe disease in the streptozotocin-induced model of diabetes, indicating predisposition of IL-12Rbeta2-deficient mice to autoimmune diseases.

CD11c+CD11b+ dendritic cells play an important role in intravenous tolerance and the suppression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

The central role of T cells in the induction of immunological tolerance against i.v. Ags has been well documented.

Inflammatory demyelination induces axonal injury and retinal ganglion cell apoptosis in experimental optic neuritis.

Optic neuritis is an inflammatory disease of the optic nerve that often occurs in patients with multiple sclerosis and leads to permanent visual loss mediated by retinal ganglion cell (RGC) damage. Optic neuritis occurs with high frequency in relapsing-remitting experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis, with significant loss of RGCs. In the current study, mechanisms of RGC loss in this model were examined to determine whether inflammation-induced axonal injury mediates apoptotic death of RGCs.

Bowman-Birk inhibitor suppresses autoimmune inflammation and neuronal loss in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.

The Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI) is a soybean-derived serine protease inhibitor. BBI concentrate (BBIC) is an extract enriched with BBI, but predominantly contains other ingredients including several protease inhibitors. We previously found that BBIC administration to Lewis rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) significantly suppresses disease.

Proposal for ultra-high performance infrared quantum dot.

In this paper, effect of an introduced defect on electrical and optical properties of quantum box and spherical quantum dot is studied. 3D-self-consistent solution of the Schrödinger-Poisson equations for evaluation of the proposed complex quantum box and analytical solution for spherical quantum dot are used. It is shown that with increasing the defect size and height a considerable enhancement in matrix element, optical nonlinearities (second order, quadratic electro-optic effect and the resonant third order nonlinear susceptibilities), optical linear absorption coefficient ( 4.

Role of the innate immune system in autoimmune inflammatory demyelination.

Considerable research has been devoted to the role of the adaptive immune system in the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammatory demyelination (AID). AID is thought to occur spontaneously in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a common cause of neurological disability. AID is also observed in the best characterized animal model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).

Inducible IL-23p19 expression in human microglia via p38 MAPK and NF-kappaB signal pathways.

Activated microglia can release a variety of proinflammatory cytokines that play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). IL-23, a novel proinflammatory cytokine, is required for the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Previously we demonstrated that IL-23 is expressed in MS lesions and that microglia are one cellular source of IL-23 in MS patients.

Anti-interleukin-12 antibody: potential role in preventing relapses of multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system. Immunological evidence from patients with multiple sclerosis and experimental models suggests that the cytokine interleukin-12 (IL-12) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory demyelination. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of multiple sclerosis, antibodies that block IL-12 can prevent relapses of the disease.

Antigen presenting cells treated in vitro by macrophage colony-stimulating factor and autoantigen protect mice from autoimmunity.

Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) is a critical cytokine in the development of monocytic lineage and may have immunoregulatory properties. Here we show that peritoneal antigen presenting cells (APCs) treated with M-CSF produced decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokines IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and IL-12. These APCs treated with M-CSF+autoantigen peptide significantly suppressed antigen-specific T cell proliferation, induced regulatory CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in vitro and in vivo, and significantly suppressed experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).

Suppression of autoimmune inflammation of the central nervous system by interleukin 10 secreted by interleukin 27-stimulated T cells.

Excessive inflammation occurs during infection and autoimmunity in mice lacking the alpha-subunit of the interleukin 27 (IL-27) receptor. The molecular mechanisms underlying this increased inflammation are incompletely understood. Here we report that IL-27 upregulated IL-10 in effector T cells that produced interferon-gamma and expressed the transcription factor T-bet but did not express the transcription factor Foxp3.

Determination of sensitivity of male Wistar rats to an equal dose of ketamine/xylazine injection at anesthetic dose in a chronic model of hypernatremia in comparison with control group.

Objective: To determine the sensitivity to an equal dose of ketamine/xylazine injection at anesthetic dose in a chronic model of hypernatremia.

Methods: This study was conducted at the Department of Physiology, Zanjan University of Medical Science, Zanjan, Iran in 2004. Sixty male Wistar rats, weighing 250 +/- 20 g were randomly allocated to 3 groups.

Domino electrocyclization/azide-capture/schmidt rearrangement of dienones: one-step synthesis of dihydropyridones from simple building blocks.

Simple 1,4-dien-3-ones undergo Lewis acid-catalyzed Nazarov electrocyclization and intermolecular trapping by various azides to furnish 3,4-dihydropyridin-2-ones in moderate to good yields. The reaction is proposed to proceed via nucleophilic trapping of the 2-oxidocyclopentenyl intermediate, followed by Schmidt-type rearrangement to give a transient 1,4-dipole. In unsymmetrical examples, complete regioselectivity in favor of attack on the less substituted side was observed.

Proposal for optical fiber designs with ultrahigh effective area and small bending loss applicable to long haul communications.

A proposal for the multiclad MII optical fiber structure with ultralarge effective area and small bending loss is presented. For the proposed structure small dispersion and dispersion slope are obtained thanks to what we believe to be a novel design method. The suggested design method is based on a weighted fitness function, which is applied to the genetic algorithm optimization technique.

Suppressive effect of IL-27 on encephalitogenic Th17 cells and the effector phase of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

IL-27 has been shown to play a suppressive role in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) as demonstrated by more severe disease in IL-27R-deficient (WSX-1(-/-)) mice. However, whether IL-27 influences the induction or effector phase of EAE is unknown. This is an important question as therapies for autoimmune diseases are generally started after autoreactive T cells have been primed.

Narrowband DWDM filters based on Fibonacci-class quasi-periodic structures.

In this paper, we propose a narrowband DWDM filter structure, whose reflection band characteristics, meets the ITU-T standard. The proposed filter structure is based on Fibonacci quasi-periodic structures composed of multilayers with large index differences. Studying the effects of the optical and geometrical parameters of Fibonacci quasi-periodic structures on its filtering properties, we have realized that to achieve the ITU-T standard, we need to cascade two successive structures both with the same generation numbers j=4 and orders n=25 and apodized refractive indices.

SIRT1 activation confers neuroprotection in experimental optic neuritis.

Purpose: Axonal damage and loss of neurons correlate with permanent vision loss and neurologic disability in patients with optic neuritis and multiple sclerosis (MS). Current therapies involve immunomodulation, with limited effects on neuronal damage. The authors examined potential neuroprotective effects in optic neuritis by SRT647 and SRT501, two structurally and mechanistically distinct activators of SIRT1, an enzyme involved in cellular stress resistance and survival.

Effect of DAB(389)IL-2 immunotoxin on the course of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in Lewis rats.

Activated T cells express the high affinity interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R also CD25) that binds interleukin 2 (IL-2) and transduces signals important for the proliferation and survival of these cells. We investigated the effect of the genetically engineered immunotoxin DAB(389)IL-2 on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) mediated by activated myelin-reactive T cells. EAE is the most commonly used animal model of the human disease multiple sclerosis (MS).

Serum biochemistry and hematology values and hemoglobin electrophoresis in Persian squirrels (Sciurus anomalus).

Background: Serum biochemical and hematologic parameters are important in the management of game species in Iran, such as Persian squirrels.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish baseline serum chemistry and hematology values in Persian squirrels (Sciurus anomalus) and describe blood cell morphology and the electrophoretic pattern of hemoglobin.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from 30 Persian squirrels (Sciurus anomalus) maintained in captivity in the Tehran Zoo.

The PD-1/PD-L pathway is up-regulated during IL-12-induced suppression of EAE mediated by IFN-gamma.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), is mediated by autoantigen-specific T-helper1 (Th1) cells. IL-12, an inducer of Th1 cell development, exerts immunomodulatory effects in EAE. Programmed death-1 (PD-1) and PD-1 ligand (PD-L), new members of the B7 superfamily of costimulatory molecules, play a critical role in regulating EAE.

The protease inhibitor, Bowman-Birk Inhibitor, suppresses experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: a potential oral therapy for multiple sclerosis.

Available treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) require frequent injections and have significant side effects. Proteases generated during inflammation are involved in the induction of tissue damage during inflammatory demyelination in the central nervous system (CNS). The Bowman-Birk Inhibitor (BBI), a soy-derived protease inhibitor with anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties, has been shown to be well tolerated in clinical trials for pre-cancerous conditions, such as oral leukoplakia and the inflammatory disease, ulcerative colitis.

Intramolecular azide trapping of the Nazarov intermediate: formation of peroxy-bridged indolizidinones via a deep-seated rearrangement and aerobic oxidation.

Cross-conjugated dienones with pendent azide side chains undergo interrupted Nazarov trapping, leading to peroxy-bridged indolizidinones in good yields. This process is proposed to involve skeletal rearrangement of the initial trapping product, with loss of dinitrogen, to give an intermediate 1,4-betaine, which then undergoes reaction with atmospheric oxygen. The endoperoxide products can be reduced under catalytic hydrogenation conditions to furnish alpha-hydroxylactams.

Cutting Edge: TLR3 stimulation suppresses experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by inducing endogenous IFN-beta.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis is a well-characterized model of cell-mediated autoimmunity. TLRs expressed on APCs recognize microbial components and induce innate immune responses, leading to the elimination of invading infectious agents. Certain TLR agonists have been reported to have adjuvant properties in CNS autoimmune inflammatory demyelination.

Retinal ganglion cell loss induced by acute optic neuritis in a relapsing model of multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) are marked by inflammatory demyelinating lesions throughout the central nervous system, including optic nerve. Neuronal loss also occurs in MS and EAE lesions, but it is not known whether neuronal loss occurs secondary to inflammation, or as a primary process. In the current study, the relationship of inflammation to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss during acute optic neuritis is examined.