Phenotypic and functional characteristics of macrophages differentiated in endotoxin-containing environment
HOU Fanfan
(Department of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Guangzhou 510515,P.R.China)
ZHANG Xun, CHEN Pingyan
【 Abstract 】ObjectiveTo further understand the macrophage heterogeneity in the infection and inflammation, we characterized the phenotype and functional behavior of human monocytes differentiated in endotoxin (LPS)-containing cultures. MethodsPurified human peripheral monocytes were cultured with medium containing 1μg/ml of LPS. Their ultrastructure, expression of membrane antigens and production of superoxide and the cytokines were determined at various stages of their differentiation. ResultsMonocytes cultured with LPS underwent substantial changes in morphology similar to that observed when monocytes differentiated into macrophages. However, they exhibited different functional behavior from macrophages matured in autologous serum. The expression of HLA-DR was up-regulated in these cells at day 1 of culture, and down-regulated at day 5. Superoxide production in response to phorbol myristic acetate was maintained in LPS cultured macrophages, but declined with time in cells cultured with serum. Spontaneous secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β was higher in macrophages developed in LPS compared with those matured in serum. ConclusionHuman monocytes maintained in LPS-containing cultures exhibit differentiation-associated activation phenotype, which differs from that of normal monocyte-derived macrophages, characterized by decreased MHC classⅡ antigen expression and higher capacity for generation of proinflammatory mediators.
【 Subject words 】Monocyte/macrophage; Lipopolysaccharide; Endotoxin
单核-巨噬细胞是机体抵御微生物感染的主要效应细胞。单核细胞参与抗感染和炎症反应的能力不仅取决于活化因子,也受其自身衰老速度的调节〔1〕。正常情况下单核细胞在循环中仅生存1至3天,而后迁移至组织中分化成巨噬细胞或通过自发性凋亡而被清除。近年研究证实,内毒素成份脂多糖(LPS)能够防止单核细胞凋亡,从而延长这类细胞的生存期〔2〕。由于单核细胞分化成巨噬细胞需要数天时间,因此延长单核细胞的生存期能够促进这类细胞分化成巨噬细胞。
单核细胞一旦分化成巨噬细胞,其表型和功能将发生明显改变。例如,单核细胞表达低水平的HLA-DR和C3R,而当其成熟为巨噬细胞后,这些功能性抗原或受体的表达明显增强。相反,单核细胞遭受刺激时可生成大量超氧离子(O-2)和白细胞介素-1β(IL-1β),而这些功能随其成熟为巨噬细胞而明显减弱〔3〕。当机体遭革兰氏阴性菌感染时,单核细胞暴露于感染局部的内毒素,这类在含内毒素微环境中分化的巨噬细胞是否具有和正常单核细胞衍生的巨噬细胞相同的功能目前尚不清楚。本文旨在探讨LPS是否影响与分化有关的巨噬细胞的表型和功能。
材料与方法
人类单核细胞的纯化与培养:以6%葡聚糖和Ficoll-Hepaque梯度离心从健康自愿者全血中分离单个核细胞,再用Vario MACS系统(美国Milienvi Bioiec产品),按厂方说明书用CD14免疫磁性阳性选择法纯化单核细胞。FACScan流式细胞仪鉴定分离的单核细胞,最终纯度>99%(CD11C+, CD25-)。将纯化的单核细胞混悬于含10%自身血清、20mmol/L L-谷氨酰胺、25mmol/L HEPES的RPMI 1640中。实验组同时在培养介质中加入终浓度为1μg/ml的LPS(Sigma产品)。细胞置24孔培养板中(106/孔),在37℃、5% CO2孵育箱中培养。
形态学和超微结构检查:单核细胞在24孔培养板上贴附生长1h(0d)至5d,用倒置显微镜观察形态学变化。在培养终点,用Versene 1/5000(美国GIBCO产品)使细胞脱离孔壁。收获的细胞用1.25%戊二醛固定,1%四氧化锇后固定,超薄切片,透射电镜观察。
细胞表面抗原与受体分析〔4〕:单核细胞贴附培养1h至5d后,按上法收获细胞,与单克隆抗人HLA-DR、抗C3R、抗MR及亚型匹配的对照抗体(均为美国PharMingen产品)在冰浴中孵育60min,而后再与FITC结合的大鼠抗小鼠Ig κ轻链(PharMingen产品)反应45min。用FACScan流式细胞仪分析平均荧光强度(MFI)和向前散射光(FSC)。
超氧离子测定:单核细胞在佛波醇肉豆蔻乙酸盐(PMA)刺激下生成O-2的能力,按文献〔5〕方法用细胞色素C底物法测定。所用PMA、还原型细胞色素C和超氧化物歧化酶均为Sigma产品。
TNF-α和IL-1β定量分析:单核细胞贴附生长1h至5d。细胞单层用PBS洗2遍,换入含或不含1μg/ml LPS的新鲜培养液继续培养18h。收获上清,400×g离心5min,同时用上述方法收获并计数细胞。上清液中TNF-α和IL-1β的含量按厂方说明书用ELISA试剂盒检测(美国Endogen产品)。
统计学处理:实验均重复3次以上。数据处理用析因分析及多重比较的SNK法,两样本t检验及完全随机设计的方差分析。经SPSS7.5统计软件处理。统计学处理由第一军医大学统计学教研室完成。
结果
1.形态学和超微结构:单核细胞在含自身血清的介质中培养5d后体积较新鲜分离的细胞明显增大,超微结构显示典型的成熟巨噬细胞特征如胞浆足突增厚,吞饮小泡增多,胞浆出现晶体包涵体和次级溶酶体等。在含LPS介质中分化的细胞具有相似的形态学和超微结构改变,但体积较在不含LPS介质中分化的巨噬细胞略小(图1)。台盼蓝染色证实,所有培养孔中拒染细胞均≥95%。
2.表面抗原和受体的表达:新鲜分离的单核细胞表达HLA-DR(图2)。细胞与LPS共同培养1d后,HLA-DR的表达增加了1.7倍,而在不含LPS介质中培养的单核细胞,此时HLA-DR的表达无明显改变。经5d培养后,在含LPS介质中培养的细胞HLA-DR的表达较新鲜分离的单核细胞减少了4.8倍,而在不含LPS介质中培养的细胞HLA-DR的表达增加了1.8倍(表1)。
图2单核细胞膜抗原的表达
Fig 2. Membrane antigen expression on monocytes
Freshly isolated monocytes were cultured for 1 h (Day 0) to 5 days with RPMI 1640-10% autologous serum in the presence or in the absence of 1μg/ml of LPS. The cells were washed and reacted with McAb against human HLA-DR, MR and C3R (filled peaks) or with the isotype control McAb (unfilled peaks).
新鲜分离的单核细胞亦表达C3R,但不表达MR。经5d培养后,在含与不含LPS介质中培养的细胞其C3R和MR的表达均较新鲜分离的细胞增加(表1)。
图1单核细胞的形态和超微结构改变
Fig 1. Morphologic and ultrastructural characteristics of monocytes
A and D: Fresh isolated monocytes; B and E: Monocytes cultured for 5 days with RPMI 1640-10% autologous serum; C and F: Monocytes cultured for 5 days with medium containing 1μg/ml of LPS. All cell preparations, which were from the same donor, were photographed with a 20× phase-contrast objective on a inverted microscopy (A, B & C), then harvested and examined by transmisson electron microscopy (D, E & F)
