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Macrophages (/ ˈ m æ k r oʊ f eɪ dʒ /; abbreviated Mφ, MΦ or MP) are a type of white blood cell of the innate immune system that engulf and digest pathogens, such as cancer cells, microbes, cellular debris and foreign substances, which do not have proteins that are specific to healthy body cells on their surface.
Foamy macrophages are also found in diseases caused by pathogens that persist in the body, such as Chlamydia, Toxoplasma, or Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In tuberculosis (TB), bacterial lipids disable macrophages from pumping out excess LDL, causing them to turn into foam cells around the TB granulomas in the lung. The cholesterol forms a rich ...
The terms "macrophage" and "microphage" were originally used in this sense by Jordan and Hirsch (1927; cited in Yonge 1928). [2] Although they have been used in ecology texts as recently as 2002, [1] the terms macrophage and microphage today are primarily used to describe two different types of white blood cells in the vertebrate immune system
The mononuclear phagocyte system and the monocyte macrophage system refer to two different entities, often mistakenly understood as one. [citation needed] "Reticuloendothelial system" is an older term for the mononuclear phagocyte system, but it is used less commonly now, as it is understood that most endothelial cells are not macrophages. [2]
Csf1r loss-of-function mice exhibit several reproductive system abnormalities in the estrous cycle and ovulation rates as well as reduced antral follicles and ovarian macrophages. It is not clear whether ovulation dysfunction in Csf1r loss-of-function mice is due to loss of the protective effects of ovarian macrophages or loss of CSF1R ...
In general, monocytes and their macrophage and dendritic cell progeny serve three main functions in the immune system. These are phagocytosis , antigen presentation, and cytokine production. Phagocytosis is the process of uptake of microbes and particles followed by digestion and destruction of this material.
Macrophage polarization is a process by which macrophages adopt different functional programs in response to the signals from their microenvironment. This ability is connected to their multiple roles in the organism: they are powerful effector cells of the innate immune system, but also important in removal of cellular debris, embryonic development and tissue repair.
[18] [19] [20] MIF plays a role in the regulation of macrophage function in host defense through the suppression of anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids. [20] [21] [22] This lymphokine and the JAB1 protein form a complex in the cytosol near the peripheral plasma membrane, which may indicate a role in integrin signaling pathways. [23]