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The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor rapamycin (RAPA) has been shown to be an effective immunosuppressor in the management of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after bone marrow transplantation. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) also have a protective effect in aGVHD regulation. However, the relationship between RAPA and MDSCs in aGVHD models is unclear. Meanwhile, the effect of RAPA on different subgroups of MDSCs is also less well described. In this study, we demonstrate that in vivo administration of RAPA results in the expansion and functional enhancement of polymorphonuclear MDSCs (PMN-MDSCs) in a murine model of aGVHD. RAPA treatment can enhance the suppressive function of PMN-MDSCs via up-regulation of arginase1 (Arg1) and induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) at later time points. Moreover, RAPA can also induce a strong immunosuppressive function in PMN-MDSCs from murine bone marrow in vitro, but has a contrary effect on monocytic MDSCs (M-MDSCs). We found that RAPA-treated PMN-MDSCs can restrain the differentiation of Th1/Th2 cells and promote induction of regulatory T cells in in vitro studies., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Leishmaniasis is a spectrum of infectious diseases caused by Leishmania protozoan parasites. The purpose of this study was to perform, in vitro, a comparative analysis of the activity amastigotes. Results showed excellent efficacy of all compounds against axenic amastigotes, compared to pentamidine isethionate, the reference drug used. The cytotoxic effect of these mesoionic compounds of six mesoionic compounds (three 1,3,4-thiadiazolium-2-aminide and three 1,2,3-oxadiazolium-5-olate class compounds) was evaluated in mouse peritoneal macrophages using MTT assay, low toxicity (≈ 10%) for these mammalian cells being observed. In an attempt to define a potential drug target, the activities of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and arginase of the parasites treated with the mesoionic derivatives were evaluated. NOS was purified from a cell-free extract of infective promastigotes and axenic amastigotes and all derivatives tested were able to inhibit the enzyme as monitored by the decrease of NADPH consumption. Arginase activity from both stages of the parasite was measured using urea production and none of the compounds inhibited the enzyme activity of axenic amastigotes. However, the compounds without substituents (MI-H and SID-H) were able to inhibit arginase activity of these parasites., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In Leishmania, arginase is responsible for the production of ornithine, a precursor of polyamines required for proliferation of the parasite. In this work, the activation kinetics of immobilized arginase enzyme from L. (L.) amazonensis were studied by varying the concentration of Mn2+ applied to the nickel column at 23 degrees C. The intensity of the binding of the enzyme to the Ni2+ resin was directly proportional to the concentration of Mn2+. Conformational changes of the enzyme may occur when the enzyme interacts with immobilized Ni2+, allowing the following to occur: (1) entrance of Mn2+ and formation of the metal bridge; (2) stabilization and activation of the enzyme at 23 degrees C; and (3) an increase in the affinity of the enzyme to Ni2+ after the Mn2+ activation step. The conformational alterations can be summarized as follows: the interaction with the Ni2+ simulates thermal heating in the artificial activation by opening a channel for Mn2+ to enter., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)