No abstract

To clarify the role of IL-15 at local sites, we engineered a transgenic (Tg) mouse (T3b-IL-15 Tg) to overexpress human IL-15 preferentially in intestinal epithelial cells by the use of T3b-promoter. Although IL-15 was expressed in the entire small intestine (SI) and large intestines of the Tg mice, localized inflammation developed in the proximal SI only. Histopathologic study revealed reduced villus length, marked infiltration of lymphocytes, and vacuolar degeneration of the villus epithelium, beginning at ∼3–4 mo of age. The numbers of CD8+ T cells, especially CD8αβ+ T cells expressing NK1.1, were dramatically increased in the lamina propria of the involved SI. The severity of inflammation corresponded to increased numbers of CD8αβ+NK1.1+ T cells and levels of production of the Th1-type cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α. Locally overexpressed IL-15 was accompanied by increased resistance of CD8αβ+ NK1.1+ T cells to activation-induced cell death. Our results suggest that chronic inflammation in the SI in this murine model is mediated by dysregulation of epithelial cell-derived IL-15. The model may contribute to understanding the role of CD8+ T cells in human Crohn’s disease involving the SI.

Long-term observation showed safety and good durability of the open stent-grafting technique for aortic arch disease. This technique could be an attractive treatment option for aortic arch aneurysm with distal extension and aortic dissection requiring aortic arch replacement.

duction path. Without such an elaborate chemical modification, some progress might be possible by using regular enzymes, with required coenzymes, in a mixed conducting suspension of a material such as NMPTCNQ. Progress might include long lifetime, freedom from covering membrane, and possible increased amplification, compared with the now conventional enzyme-catalyzed amperometric sensors. ConclusionsPlasticizing NMPTCNQ with DIBP reduces its electronic conduction linearly, with an extrapolated specific conductivity of 0.1 S/cm at zero plasticizer content. At very high DIBP levels, the electronic conductivity is so low that it is comparable with the apparent ionic component, estimated experimentally at 10-6-10 -7 S/cm. NMPTCNQ/DIBP mixtures are quite stable and ohmic at low voltages, using electronic contacts, except for very high DIBP contents when electric fields may change the orientation of NMPTCNQ particles.Simple redox reagents: copper(II, I, 0) and ferro-/ferricyanide retain electroactivity on plasticized NMPTCNQ coatings on glassy carbon electrodes, and demonstrated the possibility of using suspensions to mediate and promote enzyme/substrate/surface reactions.

Dithienosiloles (DTSs) bearing conjugated aryl substituents on the thiophene rings (1 and 2) were prepared and their optical, electrochemical, and electron-transporting properties were investigated in comparison with those of simple DTSs having no conjugated substituents on the thiophene rings (4-6). UV absorption bands of 1 and 2 are red shifted from those of 4-6 by 40-80 nm, reflecting the expanded π-conjugation, whereas the first oxidation peaks in the cyclic voltammograms of 1 and 2 appear at potentials a little lower or almost the same energies relative to those of 4-6, depending on the nature of the substituents. The electron-transporting properties of 1 and 2 were evaluated by the performance of electroluminescent (EL) devices having vapor-deposited DTS, Alq, and TPD layers, as the electrontransport, emitter, and hole-transport, respectively. The results indicated that introduction of aryl substituents to DTSs led to inferior performance of the devices in most cases, while the device with 1c bearing trimethylsilylpyridyl substituents exhibited high efficiency of current-luminance energy conversion and emitted a green light with a maximum luminance of 16 000 cd/m 2 . A trap-controlled electron transporting model is proposed to explain their performance. OM0103254 (14)