Protective and anti-inflammatory effects of acetylcholine in the heart

Author(s):  
Cibele Rocha-Resende ◽  
Aristobolo Mendes da Silva ◽  
Marco A. M. Prado ◽  
Silvia Guatimosim

The innate and adaptive immune systems play an important role in the development of cardiac diseases. Therefore, it has become critical to identify molecules that can modulate inflammation in the injured heart. In this regard, activation of the cholinergic system in animal models of heart disease has been shown to exert protective actions that include immunomodulation of cardiac inflammation. In this mini-review, we briefly present our current understanding on the cardiac cellular sources of acetylcholine (ACh) (neuronal versus nonneuronal), followed by a discussion on its contribution to the regulation of inflammatory cells. Although the mechanism behind ACh-mediated protection still remains to be fully elucidated, the beneficial immunomodulatory role of the cholinergic signaling emerges as a potential key regulator of cardiac inflammation.

2019 ◽  
pp. 2-20
Author(s):  
Bibiana Bielekova

The chapter begins with a short introduction to the components of the immune system, outlining both the innate and adaptive components. It discusses the role of the immune system in protecting against infections and abnormal tissues. It describes the concepts of self-antigens, antigen presentation, and immune synapse. It then examines immune tolerance and the differing functions and capacities of the innate and adaptive immune systems. Finally, the chapter considers infections and autoimmune phenomena and how the immune system responds to these challenges.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Contreras ◽  
F. E. Figueroa ◽  
F. Djouad ◽  
P. Luz-Crawford

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that are able to immunomodulate cells from both the innate and the adaptive immune systems promoting an anti-inflammatory environment. During the last decade, MSCs have been intensively studiedin vitroandin vivoin experimental animal model of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Based on these studies, MSCs are currently widely used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) characterized by complex deregulation of the immune systems. However, the therapeutic properties of MSCs in arthritis are still controverted. These controversies might be due to the diversity of MSC sources and isolation protocols used, the time, the route and dose of MSC administration, the variety of the mechanisms involved in the MSCs suppressive effects, and the complexity of arthritis pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the role of the interactions between MSCs and the different immune cells associated with arthritis pathogenesis and the possible means described in the literature that could enhance MSCs therapeutic potential counteracting arthritis development and progression.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 2096
Author(s):  
Thao N.D. Pham ◽  
Christina Spaulding ◽  
Hidayatullah G. Munshi

A number of studies have clearly established the oncogenic role for MAPK-interacting protein kinases (MNK) in human malignancies. Modulation of MNK activity affects translation of mRNAs involved in cancer development, progression, and resistance to therapies. As a result, there are ongoing efforts to develop and evaluate MNK inhibitors for cancer treatment. However, it is important to recognize that MNK activity also plays an important role in regulating the innate and adaptive immune systems. A better understanding of the role of MNK kinases and MNK-mediated signals in regulating the immune system could help mitigate undesired side effects while maximizing therapeutic efficacy of MNK inhibitors. Here, we provide a systematic review on the function of MNK kinases and their substrates in immune cells.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa A. Walker ◽  
Stefano Volpi ◽  
Katherine B. Sims ◽  
Jolan E. Walter ◽  
Elisabetta Traggiai

Mitochondria are critical subcellular organelles that are required for several metabolic processes, including oxidative phosphorylation, as well as signaling and tissue-specific processes. Current understanding of the role of mitochondria in both the innate and adaptive immune systems is expanding. Concurrently, immunodeficiencies arising from perturbation of mitochondrial elements are increasingly recognized. Recent observations of immune dysfunction and increased incidence of infection in patients with primary mitochondrial disorders further support an important role for mitochondria in the proper function of the immune system. Here we review current findings.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e32125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga D. Chuquimia ◽  
Dagbjort H. Petursdottir ◽  
Muhammad J. Rahman ◽  
Katharina Hartl ◽  
Mahavir Singh ◽  
...  

mBio ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Jorth ◽  
Marvin Whiteley

ABSTRACTNatural transformation by competent bacteria is a primary means of horizontal gene transfer; however, evidence that competence drives bacterial diversity and evolution has remained elusive. To test this theory, we used a retrospective comparative genomic approach to analyze the evolutionary history ofAggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a bacterial species with both competent and noncompetent sister strains. Through comparative genomic analyses, we reveal that competence is evolutionarily linked to genomic diversity and speciation. Competence loss occurs frequently during evolution and is followed by the loss of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs), bacterial adaptive immune systems that protect against parasitic DNA. Relative to noncompetent strains, competent bacteria have larger genomes containing multiple rearrangements. In contrast, noncompetent bacterial genomes are extremely stable but paradoxically susceptible to infective DNA elements, which contribute to noncompetent strain genetic diversity. Moreover, incomplete noncompetent strain CRISPR immune systems are enriched for self-targeting elements, which suggests that the CRISPRs have been co-opted for bacterial gene regulation, similar to eukaryotic microRNAs derived from the antiviral RNA interference pathway.IMPORTANCEThe human microbiome is rich with thousands of diverse bacterial species. One mechanism driving this diversity is horizontal gene transfer by natural transformation, whereby naturally competent bacteria take up environmental DNA and incorporate new genes into their genomes. Competence is theorized to accelerate evolution; however, attempts to test this theory have proved difficult. Through genetic analyses of the human periodontal pathogenAggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, we have discovered an evolutionary connection between competence systems promoting gene acquisition and CRISPRs (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats), adaptive immune systems that protect bacteria against genetic parasites. We show that competentA. actinomycetemcomitansstrains have numerous redundant CRISPR immune systems, while noncompetent bacteria have lost their CRISPR immune systems because of inactivating mutations. Together, the evolutionary data linking the evolution of competence and CRISPRs reveals unique mechanisms promoting genetic heterogeneity and the rise of new bacterial species, providing insight into complex mechanisms underlying bacterial diversity in the human body.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 2007-2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhys D R Evans ◽  
Marilina Antonelou ◽  
Scott Henderson ◽  
Stephen B Walsh ◽  
Alan D Salama

AbstractSalt intake as part of a western diet currently exceeds recommended limits, and the small amount found in the natural diet enjoyed by our Paleolithic ancestors. Excess salt is associated with the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, but other adverse effects of excess salt intake are beginning to be recognized, including the development of autoimmune and inflammatory disease. Over the last decade there has been an increasing body of evidence demonstrating that salt affects multiple components of both the innate and adaptive immune systems. In this review we outline the recent laboratory, animal and human data, highlighting the effect of salt on immunity, with a particular focus on the relevance to inflammatory kidney disease.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adair L. Borges ◽  
Bardo Castro ◽  
Sutharsan Govindarajan ◽  
Tina Solvik ◽  
Veronica Escalante ◽  
...  

CRISPR-Cas systems are adaptive immune systems that protect bacteria from bacteriophage (phage) infection. To provide immunity, RNA-guided protein surveillance complexes recognize foreign nucleic acids, triggering their destruction by Cas nucleases. While the essential requirements for immune activity are well understood, the physiological cues that regulate CRISPR-Cas expression are not. Here, a forward genetic screen identifies a two-component system (KinB/AlgB), previously characterized in regulatingPseudomonas aeruginosavirulence and biofilm establishment, as a regulator of the biogenesis and activity of the Type I-F CRISPR-Cas system. Downstream of the KinB/AlgB system, activators of biofilm production AlgU (a σEorthologue) and AlgR, act as repressors of CRISPR-Cas activity during planktonic and surface-associated growth. AmrZ, another biofilm activator, functions as a surface-specific repressor of CRISPR-Cas immunity.Pseudomonasphages and plasmids have taken advantage of this regulatory scheme, and carry hijacked homologs of AmrZ, which are functional CRISPR-Cas repressors. This suggests that while CRISPR-Cas regulation may be important to limit self-toxicity, endogenous repressive pathways represent a vulnerability for parasite manipulation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hélène Chabas ◽  
Viktor Müller ◽  
Sebastian Bonhoeffer ◽  
Roland R. Regoes

AbstractAdaptive immune systems face a control challenge: they should react with enough strength to clear an infection while avoiding to harm their organism. CRISPR-Cas systems are adaptive immune systems of prokaryotes that defend against fast evolving viruses. Here, we explore the CRISPR-Cas control challenge and look how its reactivity, i.e. its probability to acquire a new resistance, impacts the epidemiological outcome of a phage outbreak and the prokaryote’s fitness. We show that in the absence of phage evolution, phage extinction is driven by the probability to acquire at least one resistance. However, when phage evolution is fast, phage extinction is driven by an epidemiological critical threshold: any reactivity below this critical threshold leads to phage survival whereas any reactivity above it leads to phage extinction. We also show that in the absence of autoimmunity, high levels of reactivity evolve. However, when CRISPR-Cas systems are prone to autoimmune reactions, intermediate levels of reactivity are evolutionarily optimal. These results help explaining why natural CRISPR-Cas systems do not show high levels of reactivity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaromir Myslivecek

Social species form organizations that support individuals because the consequent social behaviors help these organisms survive. The isolation of these individuals may be a stressor. We reviewed the potential mechanisms of the effects of social isolation on cholinergic signaling and vice versa how changes in cholinergic signaling affect changes due to social isolation.There are two important problems regarding this topic. First, isolation schemes differ in their duration (1–165 days) and initiation (immediately after birth to adulthood). Second, there is an important problem that is generally not considered when studying the role of the cholinergic system in neurobehavioral correlates: muscarinic and nicotinic receptor subtypes do not differ sufficiently in their affinity for orthosteric site agonists and antagonists. Some potential cholinesterase inhibitors also affect other targets, such as receptors or other neurotransmitter systems. Therefore, the role of the cholinergic system in social isolation should be carefully considered, and multiple receptor systems may be involved in the central nervous system response, although some subtypes are involved in specific functions. To determine the role of a specific receptor subtype, the presence of a specific subtype in the central nervous system should be determined using search in knockout studies with the careful application of specific agonists/antagonists.


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