The myelodysplastic syndrome: prognostic factors in relation to the "in vitro" clonogenic assay.

The object of this study was to determine whether the "in vitro" parameters of medullary and blood granulopoiesis in patients with MDS, furnish information of either prognostic or diagnostic value. This study covered 94 patients with MDS. All patients were studied at the onset of disease. In order to identify the factors related to patients' survival, Cox Multiple Regression analysis was performed by the BMD P2L program. When analyzing by means of actuarial curves the survival probability of patients with benign development versus those of malignant development (those who developed ANLL), the significance between both groups was p = 0.0001. Different variables of patients included in this study were analyzed and all showed great significances. Fab: p = 0.0022, disease evolution: p = 0.0001 and presence of blastic aggregates: p = 0.0011. Cox's regression analysis revealed that the only predictable survival variable is the presence of blastic colonies and/or clusters. Accordingly, two groups were constructed: favourable and unfavourable. In the favourable group, 40% of the patients belonged to the RA group, while in the unfavourable group, 55% belonged to the RAEB group. This study shows the validity of the elaboration of prognostic groups in MDS according to the presence of blastic colonies and/or clusters in CFUGM medullary and/or peripheral cultures. The "in vitro" myeloid progenitors culture techniques may therefore be advantageously applied in these disorders for formulating a diagnosis and predicting the patient's short term evolution.     

Thermoregulatory adjustments during continuous heat exposure

Body temperature regulation was studied in 6 male subjects during an acclimation procedure involving uninterrupted heat exposure for 5 successive days and nights in a hot dry environment (ambient temperature = 35 degrees C, dew-point temperature = 7 degrees C; air velocity = 0.2 m.s-1). Data were obtained at rest and during exercise (relative mechanical workload = 35% VO2max). At rest, hourly measurements were made of oesophageal and 4 local skin temperatures, to allow the calculation of mean skin temperature, and of body motility and heart rate. During the working periods these measurements were made at 5 min intervals. Hourly whole-body weight loss was measured at rest on a sensitive platform scale while in the working condition just before starting and immediately after completing the bicycle exercise. The results show that, in both exercise and at rest, the successive heat exposures increased the sweat gland output during the first 3 days. Afterwards, sweat rate decreased without any corresponding change in body temperature. For the fixed workload, the sweat rate decline was associated with a decrease in circulatory strain. Adjustments in both sweating and circulatory mechanisms occur in the first 3 days of continuous heat exposure. The overall sweat rate decline could involve a redistribution of the regional sweating rates which enhances the sweat gland activities of skin areas with maximal evaporative efficiencies.     

Eukaryotic DNA topoisomerase I reaction is topology dependent.

The effects of supercoiling on the topoisomerization reaction by eukaryotic DNA topoisomerases I have been analyzed. The systems used were: DNA topoisomerase I from wheat germ, chicken erythrocyte and calf thymus on a 2.3 kb DNA fragment which encompasses the immunoglobulin kappa-light chain (L kappa) promoter of the mouse plasmacytoma MPC11; S. cerevisiae DNA topoisomerase I on a 2.2 kb DNA fragment from the same organism which encompasses the regulatory and the coding region of the ADH II gene; wheat germ DNA topoisomerase I on the plasmid pUC18. It was found in every system that lack of torsional stress prevents topoisomerization of the substrate. A simple regulatory model of DNA topoisomerase I function, based on topological considerations, is presented.     

DR antigen expression on ovarian carcinoma cells does not correlate with their capacity to elicit an autologous proliferative response

Summary Expression of HLA-DR antigens by purified preparations of human ovarian carcinoma cells freshly isolated from surgical specimens was examined in parallel with the capacity of tumor cells to elicit a blastogenic response from autologous lymphocytes in mixed lymphocyte-tumor culture (MLTC) assay. Of 21 tumor preparations, 11 (52%) reacted with monoclonal antibodies 279 and/or 949 specific for a monomorphic determinant of HLA-DR antigens, with heterogeneous positivity, ranging between 30% and 95%. In this series of patients positive MLTC occurred in 8/21 individual experiments. The HLA-DR expression was proportionally similar in tumors giving positive MLTC (4/8=50%) and negative MLTC (7/13=53%). The lack of correlation between DR expression on tumor cells and stimulatory activity in autologous MLTC and the fact that DR-negative tumors could induce lymphocyte stimulation, support the hypothesis that blastogenesis occurs upon recognition of tumor-associated antigens, different from DR molecules, possibly tumor-specific antigens.     

Secreted proteins induced by epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor beta in EL2 rat fibroblasts. Role in the mitogenic response

Most growth active hormones and peptides are mitogenic only in the presence of other growth factors [e.g., Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) and Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) in "competence-progression" fibroblast model]. We have previously described that EGF alone is able to induce the signals which appear necessary for the mitogenic stimulation of EL2 rat embryo fibroblast line. Recently, we have demonstrated that Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGF beta) slightly stimulates the mitogenic response in EL2 cells. Here, we show that in EGF-treated EL2 cells the induction of at least four inducible-secreted proteins (ISPs, range from 29,000 to 68,000 Mr) is accompanied by a marked increase in DNA synthesis. In contrast, TGF beta or different concentrations of EGF induce a slow increase of the ISPs proportional to slow induction in DNA synthesis. Our results suggest that the mitogenic response in EL2 cell line may be connected with the qualitative and quantitative induction of these secreted proteins.     

Long-delay learning in rats with parabrachial pontine lesions

Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that ratswith lesions in the parabrachial nucleus of the pons (PbN) canacquire conditioned taste aversions only if the conditionedand unconditioned stimuli are presented close together in time.In experiment 1, rats with lesions in the medial PbN, lateralPbN or outside of the PbN (lesioned control), and unoperatedcontrol rats were trained to avoid Na-saccharin in a one-bottletest. In this procedure, a 5-min delay was imposed between the15-min Na-saccharin presentation and an injection of LiCl (0.3M, 1 % body weight, i.p.). Results showed that, after threeNa-saccharin-LiCl pairings, all rats, except the medial PbNgroup, acquired a strong aversion to Na-saccharin. In experiment2, the same rats were presented with LiCl (0.12 M) in their15-min daily access to fluid on 3 alternate days. Although ratsin the medial PbN group drank more LiCl on day 1 than rats inthe other groups, they significantly reduced their LiCl consumptionon day 2 and did not differ from other groups by day 3. Resultsare discussed in terms of possible behavioral and physiologicalmechanisms that might account for these phenomena.     

DNA flow cytometry of endoscopically examined colorectal adenomas and adenocarcinomas

DNA ploidy of 64 colorectal adenomas and 49 adenocarcinomas, examined endoscopically, was studied by flow cytometry. We found DNA aneuploidy in none of the 105 normal mucosa samples (0%), in 20 adenomas (31%), and in 36 adenocarcinomas (74%). DNA ploidy of adenomas correlated with size (P = 0.02) and degree of dysplasia (P less than 0.01) but not with histologic type. Adenomas had a 45% incidence of DNA aneuploid stem lines in the DNA index range of 0.80-1.20, compared with 8% in the case of adenocarcinomas. The distribution of the DNA index values of adenocarcinomas was approximately normal, with a mean value 1.63 +/- 0.28. The mean DNA index for the three cases of "carcinoma in adenoma" with invasion of the stalk of the adenoma was 1.52 +/- 0.18. These results, using DNA flow cytometry, provide evidence for the progression of colorectal adenoma to adenocarcinoma. The classification of adenomas according to DNA ploidy may be information of considerable practical value to the clinician in predicting risk of further adenomas and/or risk of cancer.     

Fura-2 secretion and sequestration in macrophages. A blocker of organic anion transport reveals that these processes occur via a membrane transport system for organic anions

Fura-2, loaded into J774.2 macrophages as the acetoxymethyl ester, is sequestered into intracellular vacuoles within 90 min after the beginning of the loading at 37 degrees C. The dye is also efficiently secreted from the cells. Sequestration and secretion of fura-2 reduce the accuracy of measurements of cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration in this cell line. Fura-2 is also sequestered and secreted by J774.2 when the dye is loaded into the cytoplasm as the pentapotassium salt by reversible permeabilization of the plasma membrane. Regardless of the mechanism by which fura-2 is loaded into the cytoplasm, both sequestration and secretion are prevented by 2.5 mM probenecid, a blocker of organic anion transport. Probenecid has no effect on resting or stimulated cytosolic free Ca2+ levels or on FcR-mediated phagocytosis. These findings suggest that macrophages express a transport mechanism for the anionic form of fura-2. This transport system is responsible for the clearance of fura-2 from the cytoplasm of this cell type. Furthermore we suggest that use of probenecid to block secretion and intracellular sequestration of fura-2 may overcome problems arising in the application of this Ca2+ indicator to macrophages and perhaps to other cell types.