Macrophages are a specific group of cells found in all body tissues. They have specific characteristics in each of the tissues that correspond to the functional needs of the specific environment. These cells are involved in a wide range of processes, both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory ("wound healing"). This is due to their specific capacity for so-called polarization, a phenotypic change that is, moreover, partially reversible compared to other differentiated cells of the human body. This promises a wide range of possibilities for its influence and thus therapeutic use. In this article, we therefore review the mechanisms that cause polarization, the basic classification of polarized macrophages, their characteristic markers and the effects that accompany these phenotypic changes. Since the study of pulmonary (and among them mainly alveolar) macrophages is currently the focus of scientific interest of many researchers and these macrophages are found in very specific environments, given mainly by the extremely high partial pressure of oxygen compared to other locations, which specifically affects their behavior, we will focus our review on this group.

• MeSH
• antiflogistika * farmakologie   MeSH
• buněčná diferenciace fyziologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• makrofágy * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antiflogistika * MeSH

Toxoplasma gondii Nicolle et Manceaux, 1909, the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis, was considered a clonal population with three distinct genetic lineages (I, II and III); however, sequence analysis of different strains has revealed distinct atypical genotypes. Macrophages are essential for immunity against toxoplasmosis and differential cell regulation may affect the course of the disease. In this context, our study aims to investigate the infection by TgChBrUD2, a highly virulent atypical Brazilian strain of T. gondii, on the activation and polarisation of human macrophages. Human macrophage-like cells obtained from THP-1 cells were infected with TgChBrUD2, RH or ME49 strains of T. gondii to evaluate the impact of parasite infection on macrophage polarisation. Our results indicate that the TgChBrUD2 and ME49 strains of T. gondii induced a classic activation of human macrophages, which was confirmed by the high rate of spindle-shaped macrophages, low amount of urea and increase in the levels of nitrite, as well as the down-regulation of M2-markers. In contrast, RH strain promoted an alternative activation of macrophages. The polarisation of human macrophages towards an M1 subtype mediated by TgChBrUD2 and ME49 strains resulted in a low parasite burden, with high levels of IL-6 and MIF. Finally, the M2 subtype triggered by the RH strain culminated in a lower intracellular proliferation index. We concluded that the atypical (TgChBrUD2) and clonal (ME49) strains are able to elicit an M1 subtype, which results in parasitism control, partially explained by the high levels of IL-6 and MIF produced during the infection by these genotypes. In contrast, the clonal (RH) strain promoted a macrophage polarisation towards an M2 subtype, marked by a high parasite burden, with a weak modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Thus, atypical strains can present different mechanisms of pathogenicity and transmissibility compared to clonal strains, as well as they can use distinct strategies to evade the host's immune response and ensure their survival.

• Klíčová slova
• TgChBrUD2 strain, clonal strains, macrophage polarisation, toxoplasmosis,
• MeSH
• cytokiny MeSH
• dusitany MeSH
• interleukin-6 MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• makrofágy parazitologie   MeSH
• močovina MeSH
• paraziti * MeSH
• Toxoplasma * MeSH
• toxoplazmóza * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Brazílie epidemiologie   MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cytokiny MeSH
• dusitany MeSH
• interleukin-6 MeSH
• močovina MeSH

Excessive connective tissue accumulation, a hallmark of hypertrophic scaring, results in progressive deterioration of the structure and function of organs. It can also be seen during tumor growth and other fibroproliferative disorders. These processes result from a wide spectrum of cross-talks between mesenchymal, epithelial and inflammatory/immune cells that have not yet been fully understood. In the present review, we aimed to describe the molecular features of fibroblasts and their interactions with immune and epithelial cells and extracellular matrix. We also compared different types of fibroblasts and their roles in skin repair and regeneration following burn injury. In summary, here we briefly review molecular changes underlying hypertrophic scarring following burns throughout all basic wound healing stages, i.e. during inflammation, proliferation and maturation.

• Klíčová slova
• burn, cell interaction, pathological scar, skin, stem cell, wound healing,
• MeSH
• epitelové buňky metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• extracelulární matrix metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• fibroblasty metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• hojení ran genetika   MeSH
• jizva hypertrofická genetika   imunologie   patologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• popálení genetika   patologie   MeSH
• proliferace buněk genetika   MeSH
• zánět genetika   patologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is comprised of many different cell populations, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts and various infiltrating immune cells, and non-cell components of extracellular matrix. These crucial parts of the surrounding stroma can function as both positive and negative regulators of all hallmarks of cancer development, including evasion of apoptosis, induction of angiogenesis, deregulation of the energy metabolism, resistance to the immune detection and destruction, and activation of invasion and metastasis. This review represents a summary of recent studies focusing on describing these effects of microenvironment on initiation and progression of the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, focusing on oral squamous cell carcinoma, since it is becoming clear that an investigation of differences in stromal composition of the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma microenvironment and their impact on cancer development and progression may help better understand the mechanisms behind different responses to therapy and help define possible targets for clinical intervention.

• Klíčová slova
• Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, Head and neck cancer, Tumor metabolism, Tumor microenvironment,
• MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádorové mikroprostředí * MeSH
• nádory hlavy a krku patologie   MeSH
• progrese nemoci MeSH
• spinocelulární karcinom patologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• systematický přehled MeSH

If misregulated, macrophage (Mϕ)-T cell interactions can drive chronic inflammation thereby causing diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We report that in a proinflammatory environment, granulocyte-Mϕ (GM-CSF)- and Mϕ colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF)-dependent Mϕs have dichotomous effects on T cell activity. While GM-CSF-dependent Mϕs show a highly stimulatory activity typical for M1 Mϕs, M-CSF-dependent Mϕs, marked by folate receptor β (FRβ), adopt an immunosuppressive M2 phenotype. We find the latter to be caused by the purinergic pathway that directs release of extracellular ATP and its conversion to immunosuppressive adenosine by co-expressed CD39 and CD73. Since we observed a misbalance between immunosuppressive and immunostimulatory Mϕs in human and murine arthritic joints, we devised a new strategy for RA treatment based on targeted delivery of a novel methotrexate (MTX) formulation to the immunosuppressive FRβ+CD39+CD73+ Mϕs, which boosts adenosine production and curtails the dominance of proinflammatory Mϕs. In contrast to untargeted MTX, this approach leads to potent alleviation of inflammation in the murine arthritis model. In conclusion, we define the Mϕ extracellular purine metabolism as a novel checkpoint in Mϕ cell fate decision-making and an attractive target to control pathological Mϕs in immune-mediated diseases.

• Klíčová slova
• adenosine, chronic inflammation, macrophage polarization, macrophage-T cell interaction, methotrexate, purine metabolism, rheumatoid arthritis,
• MeSH
• adenosin imunologie   MeSH
• buněčná diferenciace * MeSH
• faktor stimulující granulocyto-makrofágové kolonie farmakologie   MeSH
• faktor stimulující kolonie makrofágů farmakologie   MeSH
• imunosupresiva aplikace a dávkování   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• makrofágy imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• methotrexát aplikace a dávkování   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
• monocyty účinky léků   MeSH
• myši MeSH
• proliferace buněk MeSH
• puriny metabolismus   MeSH
• revmatoidní artritida farmakoterapie   imunologie   MeSH
• synoviální tekutina cytologie   imunologie   MeSH
• zánět farmakoterapie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• adenosin MeSH
• faktor stimulující granulocyto-makrofágové kolonie MeSH
• faktor stimulující kolonie makrofágů MeSH
• imunosupresiva MeSH
• methotrexát MeSH
• puriny MeSH

BACKGROUND: Within the last decade, macrophages have been shown to be capable of differentiating toward a classically activated phenotype (M1) with a high antimicrobial potential or an alternatively activated phenotype (M2). Some pathogens are capable of interfering with differentiation in order to down-regulate the anti-microbial activity and enhance their survival in the host. RESULTS: To test this ability in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, we infected porcine alveolar macrophages with wild-type Salmonella Typhimurium and its isogenic mutants devoid of two major pathogenicity islands, SPI-1 and SPI-2. The induction of genes linked with M1 or M2 polarization was determined by quantification of gene expression by RT-qPCR. The ΔSPI-1 mutant induced a high, dose-dependent M1 response but a low M2 response in infected macrophages. On the other hand, wild-type Salmonella Typhimurium induced a low M1 response but a high, dose-dependent M2 response in infected macrophages. The response to ΔSPI-2 mutant infection was virtually the same as the wild-type strain. CONCLUSIONS: We therefore propose that Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 studied here can polarize macrophages towards the less bactericidal M2 phenotype and that this polarization is dependent on the type III secretion system encoded by SPI-1.

• MeSH
• alveolární makrofágy cytologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• bakteriální proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• cytokiny metabolismus   MeSH
• polymerázová řetězová reakce s reverzní transkripcí MeSH
• prasata MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u bakterií fyziologie   MeSH
• Salmonella typhimurium genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• signální transdukce MeSH
• transkriptom MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH
• Názvy látek
• bakteriální proteiny MeSH
• cytokiny MeSH
• Spi1 protein, Salmonella MeSH Prohlížeč

Epithelial cells represent an important source of cytokines that may modulate the influx and functions of mononuclear phagocytes. The aim of our study was to characterize changes in the gene expression of selected cytokines in human macrophages co-cultured with respiratory epithelial cells. The A549 alveolar type II-like cell line was co-cultured with THP-1 cells (monocyte/macrophage cell line) in filter-separated mode to avoid their cell-cell contact. At different time-points (0, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h), the cells were harvested separately to evaluate their gene and protein expression (IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and GM-CSF). Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed prominent changes in the THP-1 cytokine gene expression induced by a co-culture with A549 cells. Fourfold upregulation of mRNA expression has been found in 12 genes and 4-fold downregulation in 5 genes as compared to the unstimulated control sample with a p value smaller than 0.05. The induction of inhibin beta A and IL-1 beta mRNA after 12 h and the expression of IL-1 alpha and GM-CSF mRNA after 24 h were the most prominent. When looking at the cytokine levels in culture supernatants, IL-1 beta and IL-8 were induced early (at 8 h) as compared to the release of IL-6 and GM-CSF (at 24 h). We conclude that respiratory epithelial cells constitutively regulate the cytokine gene expression of macrophages located in their environment and might further modulate the release of cytokines by posttranslational pathways.

• MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• cytokiny biosyntéza   imunologie   MeSH
• epitelové buňky cytologie   imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• kokultivační techniky MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• messenger RNA biosyntéza   imunologie   MeSH
• monocyty cytologie   imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese imunologie   MeSH
• stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cytokiny MeSH
• messenger RNA MeSH