Human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (HUCB) have been shown to have a therapeutic role in different models of central nervous system (CNS) damage, including stroke. We evaluated the possible therapeutic potential of HUCB in P7 rats submitted to the Rice-Vannucci model of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain damage. Our results demonstrated that intraperitoneal transplantation of HUCB, 3 h after the HI insult, resulted in better performance in two developmental sensorimotor reflexes, in the first week after the injury. We also showed a neuroprotective effect in the striatum, and a decrease in the number of activated microglial cells in the cerebral cortex of treated animals. We suggest that HUCB transplantation might rescue striatal neurons from cell death after a neonatal HI injury resulting in better functional recovery.

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Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is increased in asthmatic patients and plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of asthma. We show here that mice lacking MIF failed to develop airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR), tissue eosinophilia, and mucus metaplasia. Analysis of the bronchoalveolar fluids revealed a substantial reduction of IL-13, eotaxin and cysteinyl-leukotrienes. The lack of these cardinal features of asthma in MIF -/-mice occurs regardless of high concentrations of IL-4 in the lung and OVAspecific IgE in the serum. Antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation and IL-13 production were similarly increased in the draining lymph nodes of OVA-immunized and challenged MIF -/-mice compared to WT, but were reduced in the spleen of MIF -/-, thus indicating differential roles of MIF in these compartments. Stimulation of naive CD4 + cells with anti-CD3 antibody demonstrated that MIF -/-cells produced increased amounts of IFN-c and IL-4 compared to WT CD4 + cells. Finally, treatment of sensitized BALB/c mice with neutralizing anti-MIF antibody abrogated the development of ARH and airway inflammation without affecting the production of Th2 cytokines or IgE. The present study demonstrates that MIF is required for allergic inflammation, adding important elements to our knowledge of asthma pathogenesis and suggesting that neutralization of MIF might be of therapeutic value in asthma. IntroductionAllergic asthma is a disorder characterized by chronic lung inflammation, reversible airway obstruction and increases in airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) to nonspecific stimuli. Several studies have provided compelling evidences that the lung infiltrating leukocytes and the proinflammatory mediators they produce initiate cellular damage, amplify the immune response, cause airway physiological changes and tissue remodeling [1]. The airway inflammation of asthma has a predominance of Th2 CD4 + lymphocytes, eosinophils and mast cells infiltrating the lung interstitium. Several studies indicate the existence of a mechanism dependent on IL-5 and eosinophils that induce pulmonary damage and intensify AHR [3][4][5]. In other studies, however, the induction of AHR was observed despite the absence of infiltrating eosinophils, suggesting dissociation between these phenomena [6][7][8][9][10]. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pleiotropic molecule and critical mediator of innate and acquired immune responses [11,12]. Pre-formed MIF protein is present in many cell types and is released in response to different stimuli, such as infection and cytokine stimulation [12]. MIF exhibits several proinflammatory functions, including the induction of TNF-a, IL-1 and NO release from macrophages, and the production of arachidonic acid and eicosanoids through the induction of phospholipase A 2 and cyclooxygenase [13,14]. A unique property of MIF is its secretion by immune cells in response to physiological increase in glucocorticoid levels. Once released, MIF can counterregulate the anti-inflammatory effects of steroids on cyt...

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) participates in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, including asthma, in which it enhances airway hypersensitivity and tissue eosinophilia. Herein, we investigated the role of MIF in eosinophilopoiesis and tissue eosinophilia using Schistosoma mansoni infection. MIF-deficient (Mif(-/-)) mice had similar numbers of adult worms, eggs, and granulomas compared to wild-type mice, but the size of granulomas was strikingly reduced due to smaller numbers of eosinophils. MIF did not affect the acquired response to infection, as Mif(-/-) mice produced normal amounts of Th2 cytokines and IgE. Nevertheless, recombinant MIF (rMIF) behaved as a chemoattractant for eosinophils, what could partially explain the reduced eosinophilia in infected Mif(-/-) mice. Moreover, the percentage of eosinophils was reduced in bone marrows of Mif(-/-) mice chronically infected with S. mansoni compared to wild type. Mif(-/-) had impaired eosinophilopoiesis in response to interleukin (IL)-5 and addition of rMIF to bone marrow cultures from IL-5 transgenic mice enhanced the generation of eosinophils. In the absence of MIF, eosinophil precursors were unable to survive the IL-5-supplemented cell culture, and were ingested by macrophages. Treatment with pancaspase inhibitor z-VAD or rMIF promoted the survival of eosinophil progenitors. Together, these results indicate that MIF participates in IL-5-driven maturation of eosinophils and in tissue eosinophilia associated with S. mansoni infection.

Maternal hypertension may alter physiological parameters, dysregulating the release of hormones such as adipokines, thus influencing the fetal growth course. This study investigated whether hypertensive disorders of pregnancy alter cord blood adipokine levels and correlate these with anthropometric parameters in preterm infants. This is a prospective cohort study with pregnant women < 37-week gestation with and without hypertension and their offspring. Cord blood leptin, adiponectin, and ghrelin were analyzed by LUMINEX®. These adipokines were compared between the groups exposed or not to gestational hypertension using non-parametric statistical tests. The hypertensive pregnancies had significantly higher cord blood leptin (1.00 (IQR 0.67-1.20 ng/mL)) and adiponectin (18.52 (IQR 17.52-25.13 μg/mL)) levels than those without hypertension (0.07 (IQR 0.06-0.08 ng/mL) and 8.13 (IQR 6.50-8.68 μg/mL), respectively, p < 0.0001). The adipokine levels were higher in AGA and SGA infants in the exposed group for both moderate and late preterm. SGA had significantly higher ghrelin levels than the AGA infants. Ghrelin levels were negatively correlated with birth weight (r = − 0.613, p < 0.001), birth length (r = − 0.510, p < 0.001), head circumference (− 0.346, p < 0.002), and gestational age (r = − 0.612, p < 0.001).Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate an increase in adipokine levels in the cord blood of preterm newborn infants exposed to maternal hypertension. What is Known:• Clinical evidence suggests that concentration of the serum adipokines may be affected by risk of hypertension in both adults and pregnant women.• Maternal profile as hypertension alters intrauterine environment and could affect the function of fetal metabolism, impairing fetal growth.