Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received dexamethasone (DEX; 0·1 mg/kg/day) or saline at gestational days 14–20. Male offspring were killed at day 7 or day 120 after birth. Spleens were collected for immune study. Of the inflammation mediators, matrix metalloproteinase-9, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor mRNAs decreased in the prenatal DEX group at an early stage after birth. Upon concanavalin learn more A stimulation, prenatal DEX treatment reduced TNF-α production, but not interferon-γ production,

by splenocytes at day 120 after birth compared with the vehicle group. Decreased levels of active chromatin signs (acetylation of histone H3 lysines, H3K4me1/3, and H3K36me3) in TNF-α promoter were compatible with the expressions of TNF-α. Our results suggest that prenatal DEX has a profound and lasting impact on the developing immune system even to the adult stage. Epigenetic histone modifications regulate TNF-α expression following prenatal DEX in rats. “
“Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a lipid second messenger that signals via five G protein-coupled receptors (S1P1–5). S1P receptor (S1PR) signalling check details is associated with a wide variety of physiological processes including lymphocyte biology, their recirculation and determination of T-cell phenotypes. The effect of FTY720 (Fingolimod,

Gilenya™) to regulate lymphocyte egress and to ameliorate paralysis in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of multiple sclerosis led to the use of FTY720 as a first-line oral agent for treatment of relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis. However, a significant body of research suggests that S1P signalling may participate in diverse immune regulatory functions other than lymphocyte trafficking. This review article discusses the current knowledge of S1P

signalling in the fate and function of T regulatory, T helper type 17 and memory P-type ATPase T cells in health and disease. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a lipid second messenger that signals via five G protein-coupled receptors (S1P1–5).[1] The S1P receptor (S1PR) signalling is associated with a wide variety of physiological processes, such as vascular development,[2] central nervous system homeostasis,[3] and lymphocyte biology, particularly their recirculation and determination of T-cell phenotype.[4] This review will focus on the signalling pathways of S1PR in T cells, which is mainly limited to S1P1 and S1P4. As the majority of studies have investigated the role of S1P1, our knowledge of S1P4 function in T cells is limited. For comprehensive reviews of the biochemistry, metabolism and structural biology of S1P and its signalling in other cell types, the reader is referred to these reviews.