scholarly journals Distribution of Mast Cells and Locations, Depths, and Sizes of the Putative Acupoints CV 8 and KI 16

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Jiyoon Jung ◽  
Haim Song ◽  
Yu Yeon Kim ◽  
Jungdae Kim ◽  
Sungchul Kim ◽  
...  

The anatomical locations and sizes of acupuncture points (APs) are identified in traditional Chinese medicine by using the cun measurement method. More precise knowledge of those locations and sizes to submillimeter precision, along with their cytological characterizations, would provide significant contributions both to scientific investigations and to precise control of the practice of acupuncture. Over recent decades, researchers have come to realize that APs in the skin of rats and humans have more mast cells (MCs) than neighboring nonacupoints. In this work, the distribution of MCs in the ventral skin of mice was studied so that it could be used to infer the locations, depths from the epidermis, and sizes of three putative APs. The umbilicus was taken as the reference point, and a transversal cross section through it was studied. The harvested skins from 8-week-old mice were stained with toluidine blue, and the MCs were recognized by their red-purple stains and their metachromatic granules. The three putative APs, CV 8 and the left and the right KI 16 APs, were identified based on their high densities of MCs. These findings also imply that acupuncture may stimulate, through MCs, an immune response to allergic inflammation.

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Chung Huang ◽  
Chun-Hsun Huang ◽  
Sindy Hu ◽  
Hui-Ling Peng ◽  
Shu-Ju Wu

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a recurrent allergic skin disease caused by genetic and environmental factors. Patients with AD may experience immune imbalance, increased levels of mast cells, immunoglobulin (Ig) E and pro-inflammatory factors (Cyclooxygenase, COX-2 and inducible NO synthase, iNOS). While spilanthol (SP) has anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities, its effect on AD remains to be explored. To develop a new means of SP, inflammation-related symptoms of AD were alleviated, and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) was used to induce AD-like skin lesions in BALB/c mice. Histopathological analysis was used to examine mast cells and eosinophils infiltration in AD-like skin lesions. The levels of IgE, IgG1 and IgG2a were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Western blot was used for analysis of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways and COX-2 and iNOS protein expression. Topical SP treatment reduced serum IgE and IgG2a levels and suppressed COX-2 and iNOS expression via blocked mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in DNCB-induced AD-like lesions. Histopathological examination revealed that SP reduced epidermal thickness and collagen accumulation and inhibited mast cells and eosinophils infiltration into the AD-like lesions skin. These results indicate that SP may protect against AD skin lesions through inhibited MAPK signaling pathways and may diminish the infiltration of inflammatory cells to block allergic inflammation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei-Jing Rong ◽  
Jing-Jun Zhao ◽  
Lei Wang ◽  
Li-Qun Zhou

The international standardization of auricular acupuncture points (AAPs) is an important basis for auricular therapy or auricular diagnosis and treatment. The study on the international standardization of AAPs has gone through a long process, in which the location method is one of the key research projects. There are different points of view in the field of AAPs among experts from different countries or regions. By only analyzing the nine representative location methods, this paper tried to offer a proper location method to locate AAPs. Through analysis of the pros and cons of each location method, the location method applied in the WFAS international standard of AAPs is thoroughly considered as an appropriate method. It is important to keep the right direction during developing an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) international standard of auricular acupuncture points and to improve the research quality of international standardization for AAPs.


2007 ◽  
Vol 204 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoulfia Allakhverdi ◽  
Michael R. Comeau ◽  
Heidi K. Jessup ◽  
Bo-Rin Park Yoon ◽  
Avery Brewer ◽  
...  

Compelling evidence suggests that the epithelial cell–derived cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) may initiate asthma or atopic dermatitis through a dendritic cell–mediated T helper (Th)2 response. Here, we describe how TSLP might initiate and aggravate allergic inflammation in the absence of T lymphocytes and immunoglobulin E antibodies via the innate immune system. We show that TSLP, synergistically with interleukin 1 and tumor necrosis factor, stimulates the production of high levels of Th2 cytokines by human mast cells (MCs). We next report that TSLP is released by primary epithelial cells in response to certain microbial products, physical injury, or inflammatory cytokines. Direct epithelial cell–mediated, TSLP-dependent activation of MCs may play a central role in “intrinsic” forms of atopic diseases and explain the aggravating role of infection and scratching in these diseases.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elin Rönnberg ◽  
Avan Ghaib ◽  
Carlos Ceriol ◽  
Mattias Enoksson ◽  
Michel Arock ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundEpithelial cytokines, including IL-33 and TSLP, have attracted interest because of their roles in chronic allergic inflammation-related conditions such as asthma. Mast cells are one of the major targets of IL-33, to which they respond by secreting cytokines. Most studies performed thus far have investigated the acute effects of IL-33 on mast cells.ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to investigate how acute versus prolonged exposure of human mast cells to IL-33 and TSLP affects mediator synthesis and IgE-mediated activation.MethodsHuman lung mast cells (HLMCs), cord blood-derived mast cells (CBMCs), and the ROSA mast cell line were used for this study. Surface receptor expression and the levels of mediators were measured after treatment with IL-33 and/or TSLP.ResultsIL-33 induced the acute release of cytokines. Prolonged exposure to IL-33 increased while TSLP reduced intracellular levels of tryptase. Acute IL-33 treatment strongly potentiated IgE-mediated activation. In contrast, four days of exposure to IL-33 decreased IgE-mediated activation, an effect that was accompanied by a reduction in FcεRI expression.Conclusion & Clinical RelevanceWe show that IL-33 plays dual roles for mast cell functions. The acute effect includes cytokine release and the potentiation of IgE-mediated degranulation, whereas prolonged exposure to IL-33 reduces IgE-mediated activation. We conclude that mast cells act quickly in response to the alarmin IL-33 to initiate an acute inflammatory response, whereas extended exposure to IL-33 during prolonged inflammation reduces IgE-mediated responses. This negative feedback effect suggests the presence of a novel IL-33 mediated regulatory pathway that modulates IgE-induced human mast cell responses.


Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 109 (12) ◽  
pp. 5293-5300 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bruce Sundstrom ◽  
Jane E. Ellis ◽  
Gregory A. Hair ◽  
Arnold S. Kirshenbaum ◽  
Dean D. Metcalfe ◽  
...  

AbstractWe have proposed that, unlike other HIV-vulnerable cell lineages, progenitor mast cells (prMCs), cultured in vitro from undifferentiated bone marrow–derived CD34+ pluripotent progenitors (PPPs), are susceptible to infection during a limited period of their ontogeny. As infected prMCs mature in culture, they lose expression of viral chemokine coreceptors necessary for viral entry and develop into long-lived, latently infected mature tissue mast cells (MCs), resistant to new infection. In vivo recruitment of prMCs to different tissue compartments occurs in response to tissue injury, growth, and remodeling or allergic inflammation, allowing populations of circulating and potentially HIV-susceptible prMCs to spread persistent infection to diverse tissue compartments. In this report, we provide in vivo evidence to confirm this model by demonstrating that HIV-infected women have both circulating prMCs and placental tissue MCs (PLMCs) that harbor inducible infectious HIV even after highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) during pregnancy. Furthermore, infectious virus, capable of infecting alloactivated fetal cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs), could be induced in isolated latently infected PLMCs after weeks in culture in vitro. These data provide the first in vivo evidence that tissue MCs, developed from infected circulating prMCs, comprise a long-lived inducible reservoir of persistent HIV in infected persons during HAART.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 2131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Eun Kim ◽  
Kyoung-jin Min ◽  
Min-Jong Kim ◽  
Sang-Hyun Kim ◽  
Taeg Kyu Kwon

Hispidulin (4′,5,7-trihydroxy-6-methoxyflavone) is a natural compound derived from traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, and it is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Here, we investigated the effect of hispidulin on the immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic responses in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 mast cells. When RBL-2H3 cells were sensitized with anti-dinitrophenyl (anti-DNP) IgE and subsequently stimulated with DNP-human serum albumin (HSA), histamine and β-hexosaminidase were released from the cells by degranulation of activated mast cells. However, pretreatment with hispidulin before the stimulation of DNP-HSA markedly attenuated release of both in anti-DNP IgE-sensitized cells. Furthermore, we investigated whether hispidulin inhibits anti-DNP IgE and DNP-HSA-induced passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA), as an animal model for Type I allergies. Hispidulin markedly decreased the PCA reaction and allergic edema of ears in mice. In addition, activated RBL-2H3 cells induced the expression of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-4), which are critical for the pathogenesis of allergic disease, through the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Inhibition of JNK activation by hispidulin treatment reduced the induction of cytokine expression in the activated mast cells. Our results indicate that hispidulin might be a possible therapeutic candidate for allergic inflammatory diseases through the suppression of degranulation and inflammatory cytokines expression.


2003 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.G. Alexandrakis ◽  
D.S. Kyriakou ◽  
D. Seretakis ◽  
W. Boucher ◽  
R. Letourneau ◽  
...  

Mast cells play an important role in allergic inflammation by releasing histamine, tryptase and several inflammatory cytokines. Human leukemic mast cells (HMC-1) have been used to study mast cell mediators and their role in inflammatory mechanisms. HMC-1 contain and release several inflammatory mediators, of which the proteolytic enzyme tryptase is most characteristic. Retinoids, including retinoic acid, are naturally occurring and synthetic derivatives of vitamin A. All-trans-retinoic (ATRA) acid had been previously reported to inhibit cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. In the present study, we investigated the effect of ATRA on the proliferation and secretion of tryptase in HMC-1. HMC-1 were treated with ATRA at 10-4M, 10-5M or 10-6M for 3,4 or 5 days in culture. Control HMC-1 were treated with equal amount of culture medium only. ATRA decreased the number of HMC-1 as compared to the control group. The same treatment for 3, 4 or 5 days also decreased intracellular tryptase levels. These results indicate that ATRA significantly inhibits both proliferation and growth as shown by the decreased intracellular tryptase levels in HMC-1. ATRA may be a useful agent in the treatment of mast cell proliferative disorders.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (18) ◽  
pp. 4178
Author(s):  
Ji-Ye Lim ◽  
Ji-Hyun Lee ◽  
Bo-Ri Lee ◽  
Mi Ae Kim ◽  
Young-Mi Lee ◽  
...  

Mast cells are effector cells that initiate allergic inflammatory immune responses by inducing inflammatory mediators. Boehmeria nivea (Linn.) Gaudich is a natural herb in the nettle family Urticaceae that possesses numerous pharmacological properties. Despite the various pharmacological benefits of Boehmeria nivea, its effects on allergic inflammation have not yet been determined. Here, we investigated the effect of the ethanol extract of Boehmeria nivea (BNE) on degranulation rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 mast cells stimulated with anti-dinitrophenyl (anti-DNP) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) during immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic immune response. The results showed inhibition of the release of β-hexosaminidase and histamine from the cells. BNE suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines (Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, Interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6) and reduced T helper (Th)2 cytokine IL-4 expression and/or secretion correlated with the downregulation of p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways in treated RBL-2H3 mast cells. In passive cutaneous anaphylaxis, treatment with BNE during IgE-mediated local allergic reaction triggered a reduction in mouse ear pigmentation and thickness. Taken together, these results indicated that BNE suppressed mast cell-mediated inflammation, suggesting that BNE might be a candidate for the treatment of various allergic disorders.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (46) ◽  
pp. 7135-7141 ◽  
Author(s):  
In-Hwan Lee ◽  
Tae-Lim Choi

Precise control on synthesis of P3HT-b-PT at the molecular level promotes more controlled in situ nanoparticlization to give more well-defined nanostructures.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-17
Author(s):  
Anupam Prakash ◽  
Angel Jemima Ebenezer ◽  
Sugitharini Vasanth ◽  
Gomathi Nagarajan ◽  
Berla Thangam Elden

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