Experimental and mathematical approaches to quantify recirculation kinetics of lymphocytes

One of the properties of the immune system that makes it different from nervous and en-docrine systems of mammals is the ability of immune cells to migrate between different tissues. Lymphocytes such as T and B cells have the ability to migrate from the blood to secondary lymphoid tissues such as spleen, lymph nodes, and Peyer’s patches, and then migrate back to the blood, i.e., they can recirculate. Recirculation of lymphocytes has been a subject of intensive investigation decades ago with wealth of data on the kinetics of lymphocyte recirculation available. However, these data have not been widely used to estimate the kinetics of recirculation of different lymphocyte subsets in naive and immunized animals. In this paper we review pioneering studies addressing the question of lymphocyte recirculation, overview quantitative approaches that have been used to estimate the kinetics of lymphocyte recirculation, and provide currently published estimates of the residence times of resting lymphocytes in secondary lymphoid tissues of mammals.

A nanocomplex of C60 fullerene with cisplatin: design, characterization and toxicity

The self-organization of C60 fullerene and cisplatin in aqueous solution was investigated using the computer simulation, dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy techniques. The results evidence the complexation between the two compounds. The genotoxicity of С60 fullerene, Cis and their complex was evaluated in vitro with the comet assay using human resting lymphocytes and lymphocytes after blast transformation. The cytotoxicity of the mentioned compounds was estimated by Annexin V/PI double staining followed by flow cytometry. The results clearly demonstrate that water-soluble C60 fullerene nanoparticles (0.1 mg/mL) do not induce DNA strand breaks in normal and transformed cells. C60 fullerene in the mixture with Cis does not influence genotoxic Cis activity in vitro, affects the cell-death mode in treated resting human lymphocytes and reduces the fraction of necrotic cells.

Decreased lymphocyte dopamine transporter in romantic lovers

ObjectiveThe role of dopamine (DA) in romantic love is suggested by different evidence and is supported by the findings of some brain imaging studies. The DA transporter (DAT) is a key structure in regulating the concentration of the neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft. Given the presence of DAT in blood cells, the present study aimed to explore it in resting lymphocytes of 30 healthy subjects of both sexes in the early stage of romantic love (no longer than 6 months), as compared with 30 subjects involved in a long-lasting relationship.MethodsAll subjects had no physical or psychiatric illness. The DAT was measured by means of the [3H]-WIN 35,428 binding and the [3H]-DA reuptake to resting lymphocytes membranes. Romantic love was assessed by a specific questionnaire developed by us.ResultsThe results showed that the subjects in the early phase of romantic love had a global alteration of the lymphocyte DAT involving both a decreased number of proteins (Bmax) and a reduced functionality (Vmax).ConclusionsTaken together, these findings would indicate the presence of increased levels of DA in romantic love that, if paralleled by similar concentrations in the brain, would explain some peculiar features of this human feeling.