Retrovirus-mediated immunosuppression. II. FeLV-UV alters in vitro murine T lymphocyte behavior by reversibly impairing lymphokine secretion

Murine splenocytes and cloned murine T cells were used to study the in vitro immunosuppressive effects of UV-inactivated feline leukemia virus (FeLV-UV) on lymphokine secretion. FeLV-UV can significantly depress the accumulation of IL 2 in cultures of Con A-stimulated C57BL/6 splenocytes and in cultures containing the alloreactive helper T cell clone B6D/2-2m plus Con A. Inhibition of lymphokine accumulation in these cultures could not be attributed to absorption or inactivation of IL 2 by the FeLV-UV or to the FeLV-UV-induced production of substances which interfere with the IL 2 bioassay. Thus, FeLV-UV appears to block production and/or secretion of IL 2 by a direct inhibitory effect on IL 2-secreting murine T lymphocytes. Additional studies indicate that FeLV-UV impairs IL 2 production only if added very soon after lymphocyte contact with lymphokine-inducing agents and that IL 2 secretion resumes when FeLV-UV is removed from the culture. FeLV-UV also impairs accumulation of MAF (interferon-gamma?) in cultures of Con A-stimulated C57BL/6 splenocytes and in cultures containing the alloreactive cytotoxic T lymphocyte clone B6D/2-7c plus Con A. The latter observation again suggests that FeLV-UV impairs lymphokine secretion by a direct effect on lymphokine-producing T lymphocytes. Furthermore, it suggests that FeLV-UV does not selectively impair production of IL 2 nor does it have selective inhibitory effects on helper T cells. Rather, FeLV-UV appears to have a general inhibitory effect on lymphokine production by T lymphocytes. Finally, concentrations of FeLV-UV which suppress MAF production by the CTL clone have little influence on the cytolysis mediated by the same cloned T cell population. Thus, the immunosuppressive influence of FeLV-UV is selective for phenomena associated with induction of new T lymphocyte functions, such as lymphokine secretion, and spares other immune functions already expressed by the same cells.     

The effect of growth conditions on adenylate cyclase activity and virulence-related properties of Bordetella pertussis

Growth of Bordetella pertussis in Stainer & Scholte medium in which the NaCl had been replaced by one of several inorganic or organic salts resulted in a large decrease in adenylate cyclase activity, histamine-sensitizing activity and in the amounts of two cell-envelope polypeptides of Mr 28000 and 30000. Although some variation between strains was observed, there was never a case where one of these properties was lost independently of the others. Cultures in which these properties were lost had decreased amounts of extracellular cAMP when compared to NaCl-grown cultures. Adenylate cyclase activity was detected in three locations of B. pertussis cultures (extracellular, extracytoplasmic but cell-associated, and cytoplasmic). After growth in medium containing high concentrations of MgSO4, enzyme activity was decreased to a similar extent in all three locations.     

Correlation between the rate of ethanol elimination and the psychophysiological characteristics of rats

Ethanol elimination from the blood of rats with different psychophysiological features was studied using gas chromatographic head-space analysis in the general complex of tests aimed at determination of ethanol consumption. The selection of animals with different levels of the initial alcohol motivation was performed according to modified Porsolt's method. It was shown that the initial level of predisposition to depression-like states is in a dose-dependent correlation with the high rate of ethanol elimination. This is suggested to be one of the genetic indications which promotes the formation of the initial alcohol motivation and the development of experimental alcoholism.     

Resprouting in the Mediterranean‐type shrub Erica australis afffected by soil resource availability

Abstract. Soil resource availability may affect plant regeneration by resprouting in disturbed environments directly, by affecting plant growth rates, or indirectly by determining allocation to storage in the resprouting organs. Allocation to storage may be higher in stressful, low resource‐supply soils, but under such conditions plant growth rates may be lower. These factors could act in opposite directions leading to poorly known effects on resprouting. This paper analyses the role played by soil resources in the production and growth of resprouts after removal of above‐ground plant tissues in the Mediterranean shrub Erica australis. At 13 sites, differing in substrate, we cut the base of the stems of six plants of E. australis and allowed them to resprout and grow for two years. Soils were chemically analysed and plant water potential measured during the summer at all sites to characterize soil resource availability. We used stepwise regression analysis to determine the relationships between the resprouting response [mean site values of the number of resprouts (RN), maximum length (RML) and biomass (RB)] and soil nutrient content and plant water potential at each site. During the first two years of resprouting there were statistically significant differences among sites in the variables characterizing the resprouting response. RML was always different among sites and had little relationship with lignotuber area. RN was less different among sites and was always positively correlated with lignotuber area. RB was different among sites after the two years of growth. During the first months of resprouting, RN and RML were highly and positively related to the water status of the plant during summer. At later dates soil fertility variables came into play, explaining significant amounts of variance of the resprouting variables. Soil extractable cations content was the main variable accounting for RML and RB. Our results indicate that resprout growth of E. australis is positively affected by high water availability at the beginning of the resprouting response and negatively so by high soil extractable cation content at later periods. Some of these factors had previously shown to be related, with an opposite sign, to the development of a relatively larger lignotuber. Indeed, RML and RB measured in the second year of resprouting were significantly and negatively correlated with some indices of biomass allocation to the lignotuber at each site. This indicates that sites favouring allocation to the resprouting organ may not favour resprout growth.     

New labdane resin acids from Pinus elliottii

Slash pine needles and cortex oleoresin have been found to contain a new major diterpene constituent, imbricataloic acid. The closely related imbricatoloic acid, previously reported only in Araucaria imbricata, was found to be present in small amounts in slash pine needle extract. Spectral data are given for an unidentified diterpene alcohol isolated from the cortex oleoresin.