Trichinella spiralis: Comparison with an Arctic isolate

The muscle phase of Trichinella spiralis and of Trichinella sp. isolated in the Arctic was compared in experimental and wild animals. Reproductive capacity indices (RCI) of the Trichinella sp. isolate were significantly lower in laboratory rodents but were similar to T. spiralis in wild rodents. Sprague-Dawley rats were the most refractory to the Trichinella sp. isolate of all laboratory rodents. Outbred strains of mice were more susceptible to both T. spiralis and the Trichinella sp. isolate than inbred strains of mice. T. spiralis muscle larvae survived longer in mice and the survival of both T. spiralis and the Trichinella sp. isolate larvae was higher in female mice. While single pair interbreeding experiments showed reproductive isolation between T. spiralis and the Trichinella sp. isolate, multiple pair and transplant breeding experiments showed reproductive compatibility. Male and female infective larvae of T. spiralis and the Trichinella sp. isolate differed morphometrically, but a convergence in size of worms was observed after prolonged passages of the parasites in mice. Passaging history of the isolate and host species was found to have a significant effect on Trichinella morphology. It is proposed that the Trichinella sp. isolate is a physiological variant of T. spiralis and not a distinct species.     

Dynamic changes of serum gamma-glutamyl transferase in chronic alcoholism.

Elevated serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels were found in 29% of 155 chronic alcoholics undergoing detoxification treatment. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) was increased in 16%, alanine aminotransferase--SGPT (ALT) in 12% of the patients, while 23% had elevations of either AP or ALT or both. Of the foregoing parameters, GGT was the best single indicator of liver involvement. In course of the follow-ups GGT/ALT correlation improved, but GGT/AP correlation deteriorated. In 9 patients, abstinence during follow-up was associated with progressive decrease in previously elevated serum GGT. Because of its unique sensitivity, GGT may be useful as a screening and/or monitoring aid in alcoholism.     

Analysis of lymphocytes reactive to histocompatibility antigens. III. Detection of inclusion among allo-reactive lymphocyte populations by specific depletion of reactive cells.

We have used a quantitative titration assay for mixed lymphocyte interactions to determine the additivity of responses of rat lymphocyte populations to simultaneous stimulation with major histocompatibility complex alloantigens from pairs of apparently unrelated rat strains. Our inability to detect strict additive stimulation led us to investigate inclusion among allo-reactive lymphocyte populations. After specific depletion of reactivity to PVG by negative selection through an AO × PVG F₁ hybrid rat, AO thoracic duct lymphocytes showed an asymmetrical loss of reactivity to the unrelated strains DA and F344. We suggest that this differential loss of reactivity probably reflects alloantigen sharing among rat strains which had been previously undetected using other less sensitive techniques for the quantitation of lymphocyte reactivity after specific depletion of allo-reactive cells.     

Interferon-γ effect on growth regulation of cells with different levels of EGF receptor expression

Interferon gamma (IFNγ) is known to inhibit the proliferation of some transformed cell lines. Recently, we demonstrated the transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in response to IFNγ (Burova et al., 2007) and provided direct evidence for the dependence of IFNγ-induced EGFR transactivation on the EGFR expression level in epithelial cells (Gonchar et al., 2008). This study examines an antiproliferative effect of IFNγ on human epithelial cell lines—A431 and HeLa that express high levels of EGFR, as well as HEK293 that expresses low levels of EGFR. To characterize the IFNγ-induced changes in these cells, we studied cell growth, the cell cycle, and induction of apoptosis. The response to IFNγ differed in the compared cell lines; cell growth was inhibited in both A431 and HeLa cells, but not in HEK293 cells, as was shown by the cell count and MTT. The cell-cycle phases analyzed by flow cytometry were disturbed in A431 and HeLa cells in response to IFNγ. On the contrary, in HEK293 cells, the IFNγ treatment did not alter distribution by cell cycle phases. Our results indicate that IFNγ produces an antiproliferative effect that depends on the increased expression of EGFR in A431 and HeLa cells. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that IFNγ induced the caspase 3 activation in A431 cells, which suggests the involvement of active caspase 3 in the IFNγ-induced apoptosis.     

Immune relations between mother and foetus in the viviparous poeciliid fish Xiphophorus hellerii Haeckel

Advanced embryos of the viviparous poeciliid fish Xiphophorus hellerii (swordtail) were removed from the site of gestation within the ovary and re-implanted into the peritoneal cavities of unrelated immunologically competent adults of the same species. Most of those transplanted with intact fertilization membranes were normal in appearance, and many were clearly still alive. Those transplanted without a fertilization membrane were all dead, with lymphocyte infiltration and other evidence of rejection as allografts. The integrity of the membrane in late pregnancy was indicated by swelling of follicles in hypoosmotic liquid. It was concluded that the fertilization membrane is capable of protecting an antigenically foreign embryo in an immunologically hostile environment, and that it probably serves this function during normal pregnancy.