創傷弧菌Vibrio vulnificus為一種存活於熱帶或亞熱帶海域中的嗜鹽性革蘭氏陰性菌，此菌是一種伺機性的致病菌，對人體來說，一旦感染就容易引發原發性敗血症及次發性敗血症，其死亡率高達50%。巨噬細胞為人體防禦系統中先天性免疫的第一道防線，當外來的病原體侵略人體時，巨噬細胞會出動並進行吞噬作用的動作來清除外來的病原體。那當創傷弧菌感染人體時為什麼會造成嚴重的病癥呢？最主要是因為創傷弧菌會毒殺人體內的巨噬細胞，使其降低免疫力，進而導致嚴重感染的情況。實驗室之前研究發現，創傷弧菌中的毒素對巨噬細胞具有毒殺的能力，會讓巨噬細胞走向細胞死亡。因此我們想了解巨噬細胞因創傷弧菌感染後，巨噬細胞內的訊號蛋白質的表現情形。本實驗用西方墨點法分析發現，巨噬細胞受創傷弧菌感染後，HMGB1的表現量有隨感染時間拉長而變多；NF-B則是在感染30至60分鐘期間表現量增加。 Vibrio vulnificus is a halophilic Gram-negative bacteria living in tropical or subtropical waters. V. vulnificus is an opportunistic pathogen, the mortality rate is as high as 50% once the infection progresses into sepsis. Macrophages of the human innate immune defense system is the first line of defense for infection. V. vulnificus infection frequently causes severe infection since it is able to kill macrophages to reduce the immune response , leading to infection and sepsis.Our previous studies found that the V. vulnificus toxins have the ability to kill macrophages. Here we want to investigate how V. vulnificus infection causes protein expression within the macrophages by using a Western blot. Our results showed that V. vulnificus infection yields increase HMGB1 expression within macrophages in time-dependent manner. In addition, NF-B expression increased between 30 and 60 min within macrophages after infection with V. vulnificus.
