INHIBITION OF INFLAMMATION

活化的巨噬细胞是许多炎症性疾病的共同标志，在内毒素休克的结果中起重要作用。本课题在体内和体外采用分子和细胞方法研究Mer受体酪氨酸激酶对巨噬细胞的下调作用。本研究的目的是确定Mer受体酪氨酸激酶抑制巨噬细胞的机制以及巨噬细胞下调对炎症的影响。这一发现将对减轻与巨噬细胞相关的炎症具有广泛的意义。具体目标有四个方面：1)。我们将评估Mer抑制LPS信号转导的分子机制。我们将评估转染mer/kd和mer/WT构建物的表达CD14的CHO细胞系中IkBalpha和IkBbeta的变化。我们还将评估Mer在LPS激活的JNK， p38和ERK信号通路中的作用。最后，我们将评估Mer是否相互作用或影响CD14的细胞表面表达。2)。我们将确定Mer在炎症过程中如何调节巨噬细胞。我们将使用mer/kd和mer/WT经受炎症的小鼠，评估组织学、细胞因子谱和巨噬细胞活化的严重程度。此外，我们提出了一种转基因动物在诱导系统的控制下，直接确定炎症过程中Mer表达的后果。3)。我们将确定Mer对tnf - α诱导的凋亡的调控是否位于NF-kappaB上游的控制点。我们将评估Mer是否改变TRAFs水平诱导NF-kappaB。我们还将评估mer/kd和mer/WT小鼠炎症部位的体内凋亡。4）. 我们将确定Mer活性是否与慢性炎症患者的巨噬细胞激活相关。将在患者分离的巨噬细胞中评估Mer的蛋白和磷酸化测定。此外，细胞因子谱和NF-kappaB将被量化以确定与炎症的相关性。

Activated macrophages are a common hallmark of many inflammatory disease and play a significant role in the outcome of endotoxic shock. This proposal studies the down-regulation of macrophages by the Mer receptor tyrosine kinase using molecular and cellular methods, both in vivo and in vitro. The purpose of this proposal is to determine mechanisms by which Mer receptor tyrosine kinase inhibit macrophages and the consequence of the macrophage down-regulation on inflammation. The finding of this proposal would have broad implications toward attenuating inflammation associated with macrophages. The Specific Aims are fourfold: 1). We will assess the molecular mechanism by which Mer inhibits LPS signal transduction. We will assess alteration in IkBalpha and IkBbeta in CD14 expressing CHO cell lines transfected with mer/kd and mer/WT constructs. We will also assess the role of Mer in JNK, p38 and ERK signaling pathways activated by LPS. Finally, we will assess whether Mer is interacting or affecting the cell surface expression of CD14. 2). We will determine how Mer modulates macrophages during inflammation. We will use mer/kd and mer/WT mice undergoing inflammation and assess severity of histology, cytokine profiles and macrophage activation. In addition, we propose a transgenic animal under the control of an inducible system to directly determine the consequence of Mer expression during inflammation. 3). We will determine whether the regulation of TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis by Mer is at a control point upstream of NF-kappaB. We will assess whether Mer alters levels of TRAFs to induce NF-kappaB. Also we will assess in vivo apoptosis in sites of inflammation mer/kd and mer/WT mice. 4). We will determine whether Mer activity can be correlated to macrophage activation from patients with chronic inflammation. Protein and phosphorylation assays of Mer will be assessed in macrophages isolated from patients. In addition, cytokine profiles and NF-kappaB will be quantified to determine correlation with inflammation.