Release of human epidermal growth factor from platelets in accordance with aggregation in vitro

We measured the intra-platelet content of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) and beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG) and the quantities of these released from platelets during in vitro aggregation. The intra-platelet amounts of hEGF and beta-TG in 10(8) platelets were 104.9 +/- 18.9 (Mean +/- SEM) pg and 2920.9 +/- 149.9 ng, respectively. During platelet aggregation elicited by 9, 11-epithio-11, 12-methano-thromboxane A2, a stable thromboxane A2 agonist, hEGF and beta-TG were released in amounts about 50% and 40% of the respective content in platelets. Also during arachidonate-induced aggregation, hEGF and beta-TG were released at about 60% and 50%, respectively. Various concentrations of thromboxane A2 antagonist, (9, 11), (11, 12)-di-deoxa-9, 11-dimethyl-methano-11, 12-methano-13, 14-dihydro-13-aza-14-oxo-15-cyclopentyl-16, 17, 18, 19, 20-pentanor-15-epi-thromboxane A2, suppressed both aggregation and release reactions in a dose-dependent manner. There were good correlations between the platelet aggregation rate and released beta-TG (r = 0.9368, p less than 0.01) or hEGF (r = 0.8931, p less than 0.01) and between released beta-TG and hEGF (r = 0.9385, p less than 0.01). These results suggest that hEGF is released from platelets in a similar fashion to beta-TG in vitro.     

Peri-operative immunotherapy with OK-432

Pre- and postoperative intradermal administration of OK-432 enhanced the SU-PS skin reaction in patients with gastric cancer, but failed to prevent a fall in the NK activity induced by the operation.The change in NK activity was not associated with a change in the proportion of Leu 7-positive cells, but was related to Leu 11a-positive cells. Intradermal injection of OK-432 increased the proportion of Leu 7-positive cells in the patients in whom they accounted for less than 20% of lymphocyte population. The case was the same with Leu 11a-positive cells.Intravenous injection of OK-432 tended to increase suppressor-inducer T cells (CD4⁺2HA⁺ cells), B cells and Leu 7-positive cells. Particularly, the proportions of OK-M₁-positive cells and MHC class II antigen-positive cells increased in all patients. Immunotherapy with OK-432 given intravenously at a dose of 0.1 KE appeared to be safe because no side effects were essentially observed.     

The computerized derivation of rate equations for enzyme reactions on the basis of the pseudo-steady-state assumption and the rapid-equilibrium assumption.

A computer program is developed for the derivation of the rate equation for enzyme reactions on the basis of the pseudo-steady-state assumption and the combination of the pseudo-steady-state and the rapid-equilibrium assumptions. The program not only has an easy input method, but also can obtain a complete rate equation in itself on only one run. The usefulness of the program is demonstrated by deriving the rate equations for some typical enzyme reactions. Details of the program have been deposited as Supplementary Publication SUP 50141 (42 pages) at the British Library Lending Division, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7QB, U.K., from whom copies may be obtained as indicated in Biochem. J. (1988), 249, 5.     

Suppressor cells in the effector phase of autologous cytotoxic reactions in cancer patients

Summary Cytotoxicity was induced in lymphocytes (CL) from 10 out of 15 patients by autologous mixed lymphocyte tumor cell culture and further cultivation with recombinant interleukin-2. In cells from 3 of the 10 patients, cytotoxicity was suppressed by more than 50% when autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from the patients with large tumors were added to the autologous killing system. The cells responsible for suppressing the cytotoxicity in the effector phase were adherent or nonadherent to plastic depending on the patient examined. The T cell fraction from 1 patient significantly suppressed the cytotoxic activity, and this suppression was seen only in the autologous system. On the other hand, plastic adherent cells but not T cells from PBMC of 2 subjects suppressed the cytotoxic activity of CL. The reason why the main cell population suppressing the CL activity differed among the patients is unclear. However, the findings that the suppression was mostly abrogated following resection of the tumor mass suggested that suppressor cells, either of macrophage lineage or T cells, are induced in patients with a large tumor mass. This speculation is supported by the finding that the PBMC from a patient with tumor recurrence regained the suppressive activity.     

Modification of regression of virally xenogenized tumor cells by cyclophosphamide and busulfan

Summary Rat fibrosarcoma cells infected with Friend leukemia virus (FV-KMT-17) grow for a short time and then regress spontaneously in syngeneic hosts. This regression mechanism was examined by analyzing the immunomodulating action of the antitumor drugs busulfan (BU) and cyclophosphamide (CY). In preliminary experiments, the optimum dosages of BU and CY for the enhancement of DTH responses to SRBC were 10 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg respectively. Treatment of rats with BU (10 mg/kg) on day 5 induced the regression of KMT-17 cells, while in contrast, the same drug delayed the spontaneous regression of FV-KMT-17 cells. Pretreatment with CY (40 mg/kg) on day 5 did not affect the growth of KMT-17 or FV-KMT-17 cells. After the same treatment schedule, BU inhibited humoral antibody formation against SRBC and against virus-associated antigen (VAA), NK cell activity, and ADCC effector cell activity. On the other hand, CY did not affect the activities of NK cells or ADCC effector cells, although it significantly augmented the DTH responses to SRBC and the production of antibody to VAA but had no effect on production of antibodies to SRBC. These results suggest that NK cells and ADCC may play an important role in the initial stage of the spontaneous regression of FV-KMT-17 cells.Supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Cancer Research from the Japanese Ministry of Education Abbreviations used: BU, busulfan; CY, cyclophosphamide; PFC assay, plaque forming cell assay; VAA, virus-associated antigen; NK cell, natural killer cell; ADCC, antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity; MuLV, murine leukemia virus; DTH, delayed type hypersensitivity; SRBC, sheep red blood cells; C.I., cytotoxic index; CRBC, chicken red blood cells; IL-1, interleukin 1; IL-2, interleukin 2; IFN, interferon     

Surface Charge Density Estimation of Vigna mungo Protoplasts Using a Fluorescent Dye, 9-Aminoacridine

We showed that the surface charge density of protoplasts canbe estimated by the 9-aminoacridine method. The estimated surfacecharge density of the protoplasts isolated from elongating regionsof Vigna mungo root was – 39 ? 8 mC/m². The negative surfacecharge density increased when protoplasts were treated withglutaraldehyde or when EDTA was added to the protoplast suspensionmedium. These results support the validity of our estimationof the surface charge density of protoplasts by the 9-aminoacridinemethod. The concentration of amino groups at the surface ofthe protoplasts was estimated to be 34 mC/m². (Received June 19, 1987; Accepted April 11, 1988)     

Morphology and Hormone Levels of Tobacco and Carrot Tissues Transformed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens I. Auxin and Cytokinin Contents of Cultured Tissues Transformed with Wild-Type and Mutant Ti Plasmids

Carrot and tobacco plants were transformed with Agrobacteriumtumefaciens harboring wild-type, aux^– or cyt^– Tiplasmids. In tobacco, these wild and mutant Ti plasmids inducedthe formation of non-morphogenic galls, galls with shoots, andgalls with roots, respectively. In carrot, however, transformationwith any of these plasmids resulted in only the formation ofamorphous tumors. Determination of IAA and cytokinin contentsshowed that in tobacco, significantly high amounts of cytokininsor IAA are present in the cells transformed with Ti plasmidspossessing cytokinin or IAA biosynthetic genes, respectively.In carrot, cytokinin contents were also high in the cells transformedwith Ti plasmids having cytokinin biosynthetic genes, whereasIAA contents of the cells were similar regardless of the plasmidsused for transformation. These results suggest that the mechanism regulating IAA metabolismmay be different in tobacco and carrot. (Received June 25, 1987; Accepted February 1, 1988)     

Morphology and Hormone Levels of Tobacco and Carrot Tissues Transformed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens II. IAA Biosynthetic Activity of Cultured Carrot Tissues Transformed with Wild-Type and Mutant Ti Plasmids

IAA biosynthetic activity was examined in cultured carrot tissuestransformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring wild-type,aux^– or cyt^– Ti plasmids. In vitro IAAM hydrolaseactivities in tissues transformed with wild-type, and cyt^–Ti plasmids were 3.09 and 19.82 nmol/g proteins/30 min, respectively,but not detectable when aux^– Ti plasmids were used. Theactivity of IAA biosynthesis, determined by the incorporationof radioactivity into IAA in tissues fed with [¹⁴C]-tryptophan,was 34.13, 10.92 and 32.47 pmol/g fr wt/30 min in tissues transformedwith wild type, aux^– and cyt^– Ti plasmids, respectively.The incorporation of radioactivity into the IAAM fraction wasdetected only in the tissues transformed with wild type andcyt^– Ti plasmids. These results showed that the T-DNAencoded pathway of IAA biosynthesis was active in tissues transformedwith wild-type and cyt^h Ti plasmids, and that the activity ofIAA biosynthesis in those tissues was higher than that in tissuestransformed with the aux^– Ti plasmid. (Received March 16, 1988; Accepted July 31, 1988)