Modulation of the immune response by emotional stress

The influence of mild, emotional stress was investigated for its effect on the immune system by subjecting rats to the one-trial-learning passive avoidance test. The reactivity of the immune system was tested by determining the proliferative response after mitogenic stimulation in vitro as well as the capacity to generate a primary antibody response in vivo after immunization with sheep red blood cells. Our results demonstrate that exposure of rats to a single electric footshock (learning trial) or habituation to the passive avoidance apparatus, induces an increase of the immune response in vitro and in vivo. Thus, emotional stimuli seem to facilitate immunological responsiveness. However, when the animal is confronted with a conflict situation, as tested by the retention of the avoidance response after a single learning trial, the initially enhanced reactivity of the immune system decreases. It is concluded that the immune system is capable of reacting specifically and immediately to distinct psychological stimuli.     

Effect of alpha-endorphin on the antigen-induced primary antibody response of human blood B cells in vitro

The interference of alpha-endorphin with the primary antibody response to ovalbumin (OA) of human blood lymphocytes in vitro was investigated. It was found that alpha-endorphin can block the OA-specific IgM-PFC response in a concentration of 0.05 to 0.5 microM. The decrease in the PFC response is due to an inhibitory effect of alpha-endorphin at the T cell level as well as at the B cell level. It appears that the neuropeptide is capable of blocking the production and/or secretion of antigen-specific T cell helper factor as well as of anti-OA antibodies by PFC. In addition, alpha-endorphin was shown to be capable of inhibiting the transition of B cells into PFC, which normally occurs after stimulation with antigen in the presence of adequate T cell helper activity. When alpha-endorphin, lacking the N-terminal amino acid residue tyrosine, is added to the cultures, inhibition of the PFC response is no longer observed. This indicates that alpha-endorphin influences the PFC response via opiate receptor interaction.     

T cells in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. II. Lack of antigen-specific T suppressor cells and their progenitors

Nylon wool-purified T cells (Tn) of two patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia of the B cell type were phenotyped and tested in various assays for antigen-specific T helper (Th), T suppressor effector (Tse), T suppressor precursor (Tsp), and T suppressor inducer (Tsi) function. Antigen-specific Th as well as Tsi activity could be effectively generated. Although phenotypically CD8+ T cells, carrying the receptor for the Fc part of IgG, were present in mononuclear blood cells and Tn fractions, no antigen-specific Tse cell activity could be induced. In addition, Tsp cells were found to be functionally absent. These findings are discussed in relation to a tumor-induced limited heterogeneity within the T suppressor (Ts) cell compartment.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus accumulation and cycling by Nymphoides peltata (Gmel.) O. Kuntze (Menyanthaceae)

In 1980, the seasonal changes in nitrogen and phosphorus concentration of various plant parts of Nymphoides peltata (Gmel.) O. Kuntze, together with aspects of nitrogen and phosphorus cycling by this species were studied in an oxbow lake of the river Waal (The Netherlands). The nitrogen and phosphorus stores of the water, seston, sediment and macrophyte compartments were assessed each month.The underground Nymphoides structures had high nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations before and after the main growing season, while during summer the aboveground plant parts had high nutrient contents. Nymphoides peltata accumulated maximum amounts of nitrogen (334 mmol m⁻²) and phosphorus (56.6 mmol m⁻²) in July. The upper layers of the bottom appeared to be an enormous nutrient reservoir (94–99% of total) of which the largest part was not directly available to Nymphoides. Nutrient uptake from the sediments by N. peltata is suggested by the fact that the bottom and/or interstitial water of the sample station devoid of rooted macrophytes, contained higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus than that of the Nymphoides stands. The annual flux of nutrients from Nymphoides to the detritus compartment was estimated to be ca. 1200 mmol nitrogen and 164 mmol phosphorus per m² of littoral. During breakdown of the detritus there was a relatively fast net conversion of organically bound nitrogen and phosphorus to inorganic forms, especially at higher temperatures.Nymphoides has the potential to function as an important nitrogen and phosphorus pump, which regenerates sediment nutrients.     

Formation of multilamellar vesicles by addition of tannic acid to phosphatidylcholine-containing small unilamellar vesicles

Tannic acid induces aggregation and formation of multilamellar vesicles when added to preparations of small unilamellar vesicles, specifically those containing phosphatidylcholine. Aggregation and clustering of vesicles was demonstrated by cryo-electron microscopy of thin films and by freeze-fracture technique. Turbidity measurements revealed an approximately one-to-one molar ratio between tannic acid and phosphatidylcholine necessary for a fast and massive aggregation of the small unilamellar vesicles. When tannic acid-induced aggregates were dehydrated and embedded for conventional thin-section electron microscopy, multilamellar vesicles were retrieved in thin sections. It is concluded from morphological studies, as well as previous tracer studies, that tannic acid, at least to a great extent, prevents the extraction of phosphatidylcholine. Multilamellar vesicles were also observed in tannic acid-treated vesicles prepared from total lipid extracts from either rabbit or rat hearts. Substantially more multilamellar vesicles were retrieved in the rabbit vesicle preparation. This difference can probably be explained by the difference in the proportion of the plasmalogen phosphatidylcholine, and possibly the content of sphingomyelin, in lipid extracts of rabbit and rat hearts. It is concluded that the dual effect (reduced extraction and aggregation) of tannic acid on phosphatidylcholines should be taken into consideration when tannic acid is used in tissue preparation.     

Classification, error detection, and reconciliation of process information in complex biochemical systems

Bioprocess identification starts with collection of process information. Usually there is a variety of information available, consisting of actual measurement data, historical data, empirical kinetic and yield correlations, and general knowledge available from literature. A central problem is to find out how the various pieces of information should be integrated. In addition, one should know how to deal with missing, inconsistent, or too inaccurate data. Recently, a general systematic method for dealing with these problems, based on conservation constraints, was published, and application shown to simple black box systems. In this article, the scope is generalized by including metabolic network data and dispersed process information of diverse type and nature, such as multiple sources of the value of one particular quantity, use of kinetic expressions, analytical problems, cometabolism or mixed substrate utilization, and chemical reactions. The alkalophilic bacterium Acinetobacter calcoaceticus is used as a model organism, growing on acetate and converting xylose into xylonolactone. It is shown that all relevant pieces of information can be straightforwardly and systematically treated, by considering them as constaints. In general, it is illustrated how the search for directed process improvements starts with an optimal selection of information sources, followed by an accurate analysis of possible metabolic bottlenecks. In this particular case it is shown that the yield of A. calcoaceticus on acetate at varying xylose/acetate feed ratios can be accurately predicted using dispersed process information. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A metabolic model for biological phosphorus removal by denitrifying organisms

A metabolic model for biological phosphorus removal under denitrifying conditions has been established. The model is based on previous work with aerobic phosphorus removal. The form of the kinetic equations used is the same as for the aerobic model. The main difference is the value of P/NADH(2) ratio in the electron transport phosphorylation with nitrate (delta(N)). This value was determined independently from batch tests with an enriched culture of denitrifying phosphorus-removing bacteria. The measured delta(N) was approximately 1.0 mol ATP/mol NADH(2). This indicates that the energy production efficiency with nitrate compared to oxygen is approximately 40% lower. These batch tests were also used to identify a proper set of kinetic parameters. The obtained model was subsequently applied for the simulation of cyclic behavior in an anaerobic-anoxic sequencing batch reactor at different biomass retention times. The simulation results showed that the metabolic model can be used successfully for the denitrifying dephosphatation process. The obtained kinetic parameters for denitrifying enrichment cultures, however, deviated from those obtained for the aerobic enrichment cultures. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.