Comparative effects of a recombinant and a mutein type of granulocyte colony stimulating factor on the growth of Meth-A fibrosarcoma with 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy

The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of a recombinant human G-CSF (rhG-CSF) and a mutein G-CSF(KW-2228) on leucopenia and tumor growth in mice treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). In normal mice, the number of leucocytes (white blood cell, WBC) reached the peak 12 hours after a single injection of either type of G-CSF and decreased to the normal level after 24 hours. Daily administration induced a continuous increase in the WBC count, however, administrations at intervals did not. Meth-A fibrosarcoma was subcutaneously inoculated into the backs of syngeneic BALB/c mice. The mice were treated with 5-FU alone or with G-CSFs. Chemotherapy with 5-FU alone resulted in leucopenia and an insignificant inhibition of tumor growth. The conjunctive administration of G-CSFs with 5-FU resulted in a significantly augmented inhibition of tumor growth, and leukopenia was not seen. This augmenting effect was more prominent with KW-2228.These results suggest that in 5-FU chemotherapy G-CSFs may be beneficial in restoring the number of leucocytes from leucopenic state and in augmenting the tumor inhibitory effect. Furthermore, KW-2228 may be more beneficial than the natural type rhG-CSF.     

Bradykinin-induced generation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in fibroblasts and neuroblastoma cells: effect of pertussis toxin, extracellular calcium, and down-regulation of protein kinase C

The net content of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] was measured in bradykinin (BK)-stimulated NIH3T3 fibroblasts and neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cells (NG108-15). BK-mediated production of Ins(1,4,5)P3 was not affected by replacing the medium with Ca2+-free medium, but addition of EGTA (1mM) to Ca2+-free medium markedly prevented production of Ins(1,4,5)P3. Although pertussis toxin (PT) treatment caused ADP-ribosylation in both NIH3T3 cells and NG108-15 cells, the BK-induced Ins(1,4,5)P3 formation was considerably reduced in the former cells but not in the latter cells, suggesting that PT-sensitive and PT-insensitive GTP-binding proteins are involved in phosphoinositide phospholipase C (PI-PLC) activation in fibroblasts and neuroblastoma cells, respectively. In NG108-15 cells down-regulated in protein kinase C (PKC) by long-term exposure to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), BK-stimulated Ins(1,4,5)P3 accumulation was significantly enhanced compared to control cells.     

Selective acylation of alkyllysophospholipids by docosahexaenoic acid in Ehrlich ascites cells

Ehrlich ascites cells were cultured with 1-O-[3H]alkylglycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (1-[3H]alkyl-GPE) or 1-O-[3H]alkylglycero-3-phosphocholine (1-[3H]alkyl-GPC) to reveal the selective retention of polyunsaturated fatty acids at second position of ether-containing phospholipids. Although small percentages of the lysophospholipids were degraded into long-chain alcohol, both alkyllyso-GPE and -GPC were acylated at the rate of approximately 2 nmol/30 min per 10(7) cells. Alkylacylacetylglycerols were prepared from the acylated products by phospholipase C treatment, acetylation and TLC, and fractionated according to the degree of unsaturation by AgNO3-TLC. The distribution of the radioactivity among the subfractions indicated that both alkyllysophospholipids were mainly esterified by docosahexaenoic acid and to a somewhat lesser extent by arachidonic acid. The selectivity for docosahexaenoic acid in the esterification of 1-alkyl-GPE was much stronger than in that of 1-alkyl-GPC. Although acyl-CoA: 1-alkyl-glycerophosphoethanolamine acyltransferase activity of Ehrlich cell microsomes with arachidonoyl-CoA and docosahexaenoyl-CoA as acyl donors was negligible compared with the acyl-CoA:1-alkyl-glycerophosphocholine acyltransferase activity, a significant amount of 1-alkyl-GPE was acylated in the microsomes without exogenously added acyl-CoA. HPLC analysis revealed that docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid were mainly esterified by the microsomal transferase. Acylation of 1-alkyl-GPC with docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid was also observed in the absence of added acyl-CoA, but the activity was lower than that for 1-alkyl-GPE. Although the source of the acyl donor in the acylation has not been determined, the acylation is probably due to the direct transfer of acyl groups between intact phospholipids. The above results provided the first evidence that the lysophospholipid acyltransferase system including the transacylase activity participates in the selective retention of docosahexaenoic acid in intact cells and a cell free system.     

A bioassay for thyroid stimulating immunoglobulins of patients with Graves' disease using porcine thyroid monolayer cells

A bioassay for thyroid stimulating immunoglobulins (TSI) of patients with Graves' disease was developed by porcine thyroid monolayer cells. Thyroid cells were prepared by dispersion using collagenase and trypsin. Aliquots of the cell suspension (2 X 10(6) cells/1.5 ml/dish) in Ham's F-12 medium (pH 7.2) containing 10% calf serum and 1.5 mM Hepes were seeded and cultured in air at 36 C. On day 6 of culture, cells were incubated with test samples (IgG or bTSH) in 1 ml of serum-free, 0.5 mM IMX-included fresh medium for an additional time, and cAMP in the cells was measured by radioimmunoassay. Intracellular cAMP was increased within 5 minutes after the addition of bTSH and the maximal increase was observed after 30 min. Responses of cAMP were in a dose-related manner up to 10 mU/ml of bTSH. With the addition of IgG from untreated Graves' patients, dose-related increases in cAMP were also observed up to 10 mg/ml IgG and the maximal response was seen at 2 hours incubation. Thyroid stimulating activity in IgG's from normal subjects and patients with Graves' disease was tested with a dose of 10 mg/ml and 2 hours incubation and the activity was expressed as a percent of the control (incubated in the same experiment without IgG). One hundred forty one of 145 untreated patients showed higher activity (228 +/- 51.8%, mean +/- SD; 127-393%, range) than normal subjects (103 +/- 13.3%, mean +/- SD, n = 24; 80-129%, range). Sequential changes in TSI activity in 27 patients after initiating thionamide drugs were studied for 24 months. Initially all 27 patients showed positive TSI and 6 months later 15 remained positive. At 6 months after that, 10 of 23, 4 of 16, and 2 of 6 followed patients showed positive TSI. These results indicate that this bioassay is clinically useful for detecting TSI.     

Clinical significance of serum bone Gla protein and urinary gamma-Gla as biochemical markers in primary hyperparathyroidism

The serum bone Gla-protein (BGP) and urinary gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (gamma-Gla) levels were determined in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP). The mean serum BGP and urinary gamma-Gla levels were 18.6 +/- 2.34 ng/ml and 65.5 +/- 4.62 nmoles/mgCr, respectively, for the 11 patients with the skeletal type of PHP, 5.13 +/- 0.85 ng/ml and 45.2 +/- 1.33 nmoles/mgCr for the 4 with the chemical type, and 7.91 +/- 2.43 ng/ml and 43.2 +/- 3.47 nmoles/mgCr for the 5 with the renal type. Thus, patients with skeletal-type PHP had significantly higher serum BGP and urinary gamma-Gla levels than those with the other type of PHP. Serum BGP levels had significant positive correlations with serum Ca (r = 0.64, P less than 0.005), serum A1-p (r = 0.77, P less than 0.001) and serum PTH (r = 0.45, P less than 0.005). Urinary gamma-Gla levels also had significant positive correlations with serum Ca (r = 0.50, P less than 0.05), serum A1-p (r = 0.67, P less than 0.005), serum 1,25(OH)2D (r = 0.62, P less than 0.02), and serum BGP (r = 0.72, P less than 0.001). Mineral content in the left radius had significant negative correlations with serum BGP levels (r = -0.73, P less than 0.001) and urinary gamma-Gla levels (r = -0.59, P less than 0.01). As these data show, serum BGP and urinary gamma-Gla levels clearly reflect the abnormal bone metabolism and can therefore be useful biochemical markers in PHP.     

Inhibitory action of cyclic GMP on secretion, polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis and calcium mobilization in thrombin-stimulated human platelets

The effect of cyclic GMP (cGMP) on human platelet activation was investigated, using its metabolically stable analogue, 8-bromo cGMP (8-bcGMP). Thrombin-induced serotonin secretion was inhibited by pretreatment with 8bcGMP in a dose-dependent manner. Production of inositol trisphosphate (IP3), a Ca2+ releaser was inhibited by 8bcGMP pretreatment of platelets. Preincubation of platelets with 8bcGMP was without effect on the basal level of cytosolic free Ca2+, measured by fluorescent indicator quin2, but suppressed its thrombin-induced enhancement independently of extracellular Ca2+. These results indicate that cGMP may be implicated in phospholipase C activation and Ca2+ mobilization (both influx through the plasma membrane and efflux from internal stores) in thrombin-activated human platelets.     

Chromosomal localization of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome in Bloom's syndrome B-lymphoblastoid cell lines transformed with EBV

The localization of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome in chromosomes of human B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) transformed with EBV, and the effect of EBV DNA on the level of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) in Bloom's syndrome (BS) B-LCLs, were examined with chromosomal in situ hybridization techniques using a ³H-EBV DNA probe. EBV DNA was detected in chromosomes 1–5 and 13–15 at specific G band regions in BS as well as in normal B-LCLs, regardless of SCE. Several chromosomal sites (1p31, 1q31, 4q22–24, 5q21, 13q21, 14q21) carrying EBV DNA seemed to be very characteristic in normal as well as in BS B-LCLs. There was no statistically significant difference in silver grain counts due to EBV DNA and their distribution in different chromosomes or groups among normal and BS B-LCLs with normal and high SCE. These findings strongly indicate that EBV infection did not introduce a correcting factor for BS SCE.     

A wasp venom mastoparan-induced polyphosphoinositide breakdown in rat peritoneal mast cells

The phospholipid metabolism of rat peritoneal mast cells stimulated with mastoparan, a secretagogue purified from wasp venom, was investigated. Mastoparan at 20 micrograms/ml caused a rapid secretion of histamine. Mastoparan induced a transient decrease of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate on 32P labeling and generation of a water-soluble degradation product, inositol trisphosphate on [3H]inositol labeling, suggesting the activation of phospholipase C upon stimulation.     

Mutants of Group D1Salmonella Carrying the Somatic Antigen of Group A Organisms: Isolation and Serological Characterization

O antigen mutants were obtained from Salmonella durban, a group D(1) organism, by treatment with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Serological studies demonstrated that the mutants lost the O-9 antigen factor of the parent organism but acquired the O-2 factor specific to group A Salmonella. Lipopolysaccharides of the mutant strains contained paratose which determines the specificity of O-2 factor. Tyvelose, present in the wild-type lipopolysaccharide, was not found in the mutants. H antigens and other biological characteristics of the mutant strains were the same as those of the wild-type organism. The present finding implies that group A Salmonella species might be derived from group D(1) organisms.     

Mutants of Group D1Salmonella Carrying the Somatic Antigen of Group A Organisms: Evidence for the Lack of Cytidine Diphosphate Paratose-2-Epimerase Activity

The mutant strains of Salmonella durban that possessed O antigen 2, 12 of group A Salmonella were defective in the cytidine diphosphate paratose-2-epimerase activity. The enzyme preparation of the mutant strains catalyzed the conversion of cytidine diphosphate glucose into cytidine diphosphate paratose but not into cytidine diphosphate tyvelose. The defect in the epimerase activity was also confirmed by the use of purified cytidine diphosphate paratose as a substrate. The specificity of dideoxyhexosyl transferase catalyzing the formation of the group-specific determinant is discussed.