Ichiro Ohmori

Regulation of T helper type-1 immunity in hapten-induced colitis by host pretreatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor☆ ☆

Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) is an immunoregulatory drug whose effects include modulation of antigen-presentation. We investigated the potential ameliorative effect of pretreatment with rhG-CSF in a hapten-induced colitis animal model. Sprague-Dawley rats were given rhG-CSF (125 microg/kg subcutaneously twice a day for 5 days) before a colonic instillation of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) in 50% ethanol. Consequent colonic damage was evaluated pathologically, and cytokine mRNA expression levels in macroscopically inflamed sites were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Pretreatment with rhG-CSF remarkably attenuated both the loss of body weight and colonic wall thickening due to progressive transmural inflammation. In the control, treatment with TNBS led to a statistically significant (p < 0.05) upregulation of IFN-gamma mRNA expression in the inflammatory sites measured at post-treatment day 7. In the experimental group, pretreatment with rhG-CSF abrogated transcription of IFN-gamma (p < 0.05), but was not, however, associated with an upregulation of IL-4 or the regulatory cytokines TGF-beta and IL-10. Furthermore, transcription of IL-12p35 (a rate-limiting factor for the production of IL-12) was significantly (p < 0.05) downregulated by rhG-CSF at 24h post-TNBS instillation, whereas IL-12p40 was not affected. Pretreatment with rhG-CSF drastically attenuated the degree of TNBS-induced colitis through selective downregulation of Th1-associated cytokines.

Upregulation of intragraft interleukin-10 by infusion of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized donor leukocytes

Abstract.We examined the effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-mobilized donor leukocyte infusion (G-DLI) on facilitation of allograft survival using heart transplantation from DA to Lewis rats that were transiently treated with tacrolimus (2 mg/kg i.m. on day 0). Other DA rats were given G-CSF (250 μg/kg/day s.c. from days –5 to 0), and isolated leukocytes were infused into Lewis recipients after surgery. Cytokine mRNA levels were quantified by reverse transcription and real-time polymerase chain reaction. After G-CSF treatment, leukocytes in circulation increased by 7.6 times and secreted in-vitro 6.0-times-higher levels of IL-10 after lipopolysaccharide stimulation than did untreated leukocytes. G-DLI facilitated graft survival dose-dependently. Significant IL-10 mRNA upregulation was detected in grafts 24 h after surgery but not in the recipients heart, spleen, or liver. On day 6, IFN-γ and IL-2 mRNA levels were approximately half those of the control levels. Allograft-restricted IL-10 upregulation followed by type-1 cytokine downregulation can be achieved by the use of G-DLI.

Facilitation of tacrolimus-induced heart-allograft acceptability by pretransplant host treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor: interleukin-12-restricted suppression of intragraft monokine mRNA expression.

Background. Because recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) is known to modulate function of antigen-presenting cells, we examined effects of pretransplant host treatment with rhG-CSF on allograft survival. Methods. In DA-to-Lewis rat heart transplantation, hosts were given pretransplant injections of rhG-CSF (250 &mgr;g/kg/day subcutaneously from day −5–0) and/or posttransplant injections of tacrolimus (2 mg/kg/day intramuscularly from day 0–3). Cytokine mRNA levels in grafts were measured by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results. rhG-CSF pretreatment was effective in prolonging allograft survival only in tacrolimus-treated hosts (P <0.001). Intragraft mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-12 subunits (p35, p40) at 24 hours after transplantation was significantly (P <0.05) down-regulated by the addition of rhG-CSF and was associated with suppression of interferon-&ggr; levels on day 6, although other proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor -&agr;, IL-1&bgr;, IL-6, IL-18) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10, transforming growth factor-&bgr;) were not. Conclusions. rhG-CSF pretreatment down-regulates intragraft expression of the type-1 T-helper cell (Th1)-driving cytokine IL-12 and facilitates tacrolimus-induced graft acceptance.

Downregulation of interleukin-12p35 and upregulation of interleukin-12p40 mRNA expression in heart allografts by blood transfusion from granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-treated donors

Pretransplant treatment of recipients with recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF, 250 microg/kg/day s.c. for 5 days) facilitates heart allograft acceptance in tacrolimus-treated rat recipients. We examined effectiveness of transfusion of in vivo rhG-CSF-treated blood since rhG-CSF induces immunoregulatory cells in human blood. DA heart grafts were transplanted into tacrolimus (2 mg/kg i.m. on day 0)-treated Lewis recipients. Although graft survival prolongation by blood transfusion on day 0 from rhG-CSF-treated syngeneic Lewis was comparable to that in directly rhG-CSF-pretreated recipients (p = 0.22), transfusion of rhG-CSF-treated allogeneic DA blood was much more effective (p = 0.0016). Intragraft cytokine mRNA levels were measured by reverse transcription and real-time polymerase chain reaction at 24 h after transplantation. IL-12p35 expression was downregulated by both treatments. Notably, IL-12p40 was upregulated by rhG-CSF-treated DA blood transfusion but downregulated by transfusion of rhG-CSF-treated isogeneic blood. Differential expression of IL-12 subunits was associated with facilitation of graft acceptance by rhG-CSF-treated donor blood transfusion.

Mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma of the distal bile duct: A case report

Highlights • Mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas (MANECs) of the distal bile duct are extremely rare.• The treatment of MANECs of the bile duct remains controversial and the prognosis is poor.• Larger studies are required to establish standard treatment regimens of MANECs of the bile duct.