Abstract-To analyze in vitro the migration of monocytes to the subendothelial space, their differentiation into macrophages, and the subsequent formation of foam cells in vitro, we have developed a 2-coculture system with rabbit aortic endothelial cells (AECs), aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and a mixture of matrix proteins on polyethylene filters in chemotaxis chambers. AECs were seeded on a mixture of type I and IV collagen with or without various types of serum lipoproteins (method 1) or on matrix proteins secreted by SMCs (method 2). In these coculture systems, rabbit AECs can maintain a well-preserved monolayer for up to 2 weeks. When human CD14-positive monocytes were added to the upper medium of the system, with monocyte chemotactic protein-1 treatment Ϸ60% of the monocytes transmigrated within 24 hours and were retained for up to 7 days, whereas without MCP-1 treatment, Ͻ30% of monocytes transmigrated. On day 1, transmigrant monocytes were negative for immunostaining of type I and II macrophage scavenger receptors but by day 3, became positive for scavenger receptors as well as other macrophage markers. When oxidized low density lipoprotein was added to the matrix layer of the method I coculture, on day 4 transmigrant cells exhibited lipid deposit droplets, and by day 7, they had the appearance of typical foam cells. Some of the transmigrant cells recovered in the lower medium on day 7 also appeared to be foam cells, indicating foam cell motility and escape from the coculture layer through the filter. In summary, this coculture system is a useful in vitro tool to dissect the cellular and molecular events that make up the process of foam cell formation. (Arteriosclerosis and
We report an autopsy case of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) with cerebral hemorrhage. A 38-year-old woman with a typical FAP pedigree started developing severe diarrhea and sensori-motor polyneuropathy at the age of 28 years; autonomic nervous system, heart and renal dysfunction manifested themselves in the following years. Genetic analysis revealed a single amino acid substitution at codon 30 of transthyretin (ATTR Val30Met). Ten years after her initial symptoms, the patient died of a sudden convulsive attack and respiratory failure. Autopsy revealed lethal cerebral hemorrhages and uremic lungs. Histochemical and immunohistochemical analyses revealed TTR-derived amyloid protein in every tissue examined, particularly in glomeruli and peripheral vessels. Severe meningo-cerebrovascular amyloidosis was also detected. Because uremia causes oxidative damage to the vascular system and amyloid formation is closely associated with oxidative stress, it is possible that uremic endothelial damage facilitated an unusual cerebral amyloid deposition. In typical FAP (ATTR Val30Met), cerebral amyloid angiopathy does not usually have clinical manifestations. However, cerebral amyloid angiopathy should be considered to explain FAP symptoms when some risk factors such as uremic vascular damage are accompanying features.
Granulomas are characterized histologically by a nodular collection of macrophages with occasional admixture of epithelioid cells, multinucleate giant cells, and other immunocompetent cells. Chemokines are considered to play an important role in the recruitment of these constituent cells of granulomas. The present study has examined the effect of a deficiency of C-C chemokine receptor-2 (CCR2) on hepatic granuloma formation induced by a single injection of Zymosan A. In CCR2+/+ mice, the number and the size of granulomas gradually increased until they reached peak values at 10 days after the injection. In contrast, both the number and the size of granulomas were smaller in CCR2-/- mice than in CCR2+/+ mice from days 5 to 21. They showed low peaks at day 5, after which the number and the size of the granulomas gradually decreased. Immunohistochemical analysis of the constituent granuloma cells using cell type-specific monoclonal antibodies revealed rapid accumulation of blood monocytes, with subsequent differentiation to macrophages, in CCR2+/+ mice during days 2-10. This process was greatly impaired in CCR2-/- mice and granulomas remained small. At all time points, the percentage of polymorphonuclear cells in granulomas was higher in CCR2-/- mice than in CCR2+/+ mice. Interestingly, multinucleate giant cells were frequently observed in granulomas in CCR2-/- mice, whereas they rarely appeared in CCR2+/+ mice. Profiles of liver cytokine RNA levels as well as serum cytokine levels revealed reduced expression of the Th1 cytokine IFN-gamma in CCR2-/- mice. These data clearly indicate that signalling through CCR2 has many effects on the normal growth and development of hepatic granulomas.
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