Prophylactic and therapeutic use of antibodies for protection against respiratory infection with Francisella tularensis

The role of Abs in protection against respiratory infection with the intracellular bacterium Francisella tularensis is not clear. To investigate the ability of Abs to clear bacteria from the lungs and prevent systemic spread, immune serum was passively administered i.p. to naive mice before intranasal F. tularensis live vaccine strain infection. It was found that immune serum treatment provided 100% protection against lethal challenge while normal serum or Ig-depleted immune serum provided no protection. Protective efficacy was correlated with increased clearance of bacteria from the lung and required expression of FcgammaR on phagocytes, including macrophages and neutrophils. However, complement was not required for protection. In vitro experiments demonstrated that macrophages were more readily infected by Ab-opsonized bacteria but became highly efficient in killing upon activation by IFN-gamma. Consistent with this finding, in vivo Ab-mediated protection was found to be dependent upon IFN-gamma. SCID mice were not protected by passive Ab transfer, suggesting that T cells but not NK cells serve as the primary source for IFN-gamma. These data suggest that a critical interaction of humoral and cellular immune responses is necessary to provide sterilizing immunity against F. tularensis. Of considerable interest was the finding that serum Abs were capable of conferring protection against lethal respiratory tularemia when given 24-48 h postexposure. Thus, this study provides the first evidence for the therapeutic use of Abs in Francisella-infected individuals.     

Altered Ca2+ homeostasis and impaired mitochondrial function in cardiomyopathy

This work investigates whether purine metabolism and release is related to cardioprotection with hyperkalemia and hypothermia. Langendorff guinea-pig hearts were used to either monitor metabolism during ischemia or to measure functional recovery, myocardial injury and release of purine during reperfusion. Hearts underwent 30 min ischemia using one of the following protocols: control (normothermic buffer), hyperkalaemia (high-potassium buffer), hypothermia (20°C) and hyperkalemia + hypothermia. At the end of 30 min ischemia, hyperkalemia was associated with similar metabolic changes (rise in purine and lactate and fall in adenine nucleotides) to control group. Accumulation of purine was due to a rise in inosine, xanthine and hypoxanthine and was largely prevented by hypothermia and hyperkalemia + hypothermia. Upon reperfusion, there was a time-dependent release of all purine, lactate and AMP. A fast (peak in less than 20 sec) release of inosine, xanthine, hypoxanthine and lactate was highest in control followed by hyperkalemia then hypothermia and little release in hyperkalemia + hypothermia. Adenosine and AMP release was slow (peak at 3 min), only significant in control and was likely to be due to sarcolemmal disruption as the profile followed lactate dehydrogenase release. Recovery (left ventricular developed pressure) was 63% control, 82% hyperkalemia, 77% hypothermia and 98% for hyperkalemia + hypothermia. The loss of purine during reperfusion but not their production during ischemia is related to cardioprotection with hyperkalemia. The possibility that the consequences of hyperkalemia modulate a sodium-dependent purine efflux, is discussed. The reduced loss of purine in hypothermia or in hyperkalemia + hypothermia is likely to be due to a lower metabolic activity during ischemia.     

Some somatic sequences are absent or exceedingly rare in Xenopus oocyte RNA

A variety of Xenopus laevis cDNA clones derived from somatic cell RNAs were hybridized to oocyte pA⁺ RNA separated on Northern gels. We were unable to detect oocyte pA⁺ sequences complementary to three undefined tadpole cDNA clones. With one of these clones, a complex pattern of bands appears during embryogenesis. With the other two clones, a single band appears. Two additional tadpole clones hybridize to both oocyte and tadpole RNA, but yield a more complex RNA pattern from embryos than from oocytes. One of these additional tadpole clones has complementarity to actin DNA, suggesting that the additional RNA band which appears during embryogenesis is α-actin mRNA (E. A. Sturgess, J. E. M. Ballantine, H. R. Woodland, P. R. Mohun, C. D. Lane, and G. J. Dimitriadis, 1980, J. Embryol. Exp. Morphol.58, 303–320). We have also failed to detect hybridization to oocyte pA⁺ RNA with one vitellogenin and three adult globin cDNA clones. Reconstruction experiments with purified globin mRNA from anemic adult blood cells set the lower level of sensitivity for globin mRNA at one part in 10⁶. The data suggest that some Xenopus mRNA sequences are absent or very rare in the oocyte pA⁺ RNA population.     

Dramatic age-related changes in nuclear and genome copy number in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become one of the most widely used model systems for the study of aging, yet very little is known about how C. elegans age. The development of the worm, from egg to young adult has been completely mapped at the cellular level, but such detailed studies have not been extended throughout the adult lifespan. Numerous single gene mutations, drug treatments and environmental manipulations have been found to extend worm lifespan. To interpret the mechanism of action of such aging interventions, studies to characterize normal worm aging, similar to those used to study worm development are necessary. We have used 4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole hydrochloride staining and quantitative polymerase chain reaction to investigate the integrity of nuclei and quantify the nuclear genome copy number of C. elegans with age. We report both systematic loss of nuclei or nuclear DNA, as well as dramatic age-related changes in nuclear genome copy number. These changes are delayed or attenuated in long-lived daf-2 mutants. We propose that these changes are important pathobiological characteristics of aging nematodes.     

Prenatal development of the biogenic amine systems of the mouse brain

The development of catecholamine- and serotonin-containing neural structures in the brain of the fetal mouse was studied utilizing the Falck-Hillarp technique of histofluorescence. The substantia nigra, ventral tegmental region, and striatum show progressive developmental changes following the initial appearance of fluorescence on gestational day 13. Fluorescent nigrostriatal axons are present on days 13 through 17. The locus ceruleus becomes visible on day 14. Axon terminals in the hypothalamus first are seen on day 19. Cells of the mesencephalic and pontine raphe systems become brightly fluorescent on day 13. Medullary raphe cells appear the following day. No serotonergic axon terminals were visualized in the fetus.