In vivo effects of monoclonal antibody to ICAM-1 (CD54) in nonhuman primates with renal allografts

These studies test whether allograft rejection can be blocked by interference with leukocyte adhesion, using a murine IgG2a mAb (R6.5) reactive with monkey ICAM-1 (CD54). In 16 Cynomolgus renal allograft recipients, R6.5 was administered prophylactically as the sole immunosuppressive agent for 12 days (0.01 to 2 mg/kg/day). Survival in 14 recipients with technically successful grafts was significantly prolonged (24.2 +/- 2.4 vs 9.2 +/- 0.6 days for controls; p less than 0.001). Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (CD54) (ICAM-1) was expressed on vascular endothelium in the kidney and other organs in the monkey in a pattern similar to that in humans. During cellular rejection in controls, ICAM-1 expression increased on endothelial cells, infiltrating mononuclear leukocytes and tubular cells. Biopsies during R6.5 administration showed decreased T cell infiltration (CD2, CD8, CD4) compared with controls and decreased arterial endothelial inflammation. No changes occurred in circulating T cells, aside from variable coating with mIgG. In six of eight other recipients R6.5 administration (0.5 to 2 mg/kg/day for 10 days) reversed preexisting rejection that resulted from taper of Cyclosporine to subtherapeutic levels. Responding grafts showed decreased edema and hemorrhage but no consistent change in the infiltrate. At 1 h after the first dose, mouse IgG deposited primarily on the graft vascular endothelium without any change in the inflammatory infiltrate. Mouse IgG also deposited on the endothelium of normal organs without eliciting an inflammatory response and was cleared from the endothelium within 4 days. Inasmuch as the principal site of binding was the vascular endothelium, we hypothesize that the antibody blocks adhesion to graft ICAM-1 molecules on the vessels. Anti-ICAM-1 also binds to recipient cells and may interfere with Ag presentation and/or T cell interactions. Whatever the mechanism(s), these studies indicate that an anti-ICAM-1 antibody inhibits T cell mediated injury in vivo, and that ICAM-1 is a critical molecule in the pathogenesis of allograft rejection.     

Apolipoprotein A-I metabolism in subjects with a PstI restriction fragment length polymorphism of the apoA-I gene and familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia

Familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia (hypoalpha), characterized by a decreased high density lipoprotein level, is associated with an increased incidence of premature cardiovascular disease. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of genomic DNA has detected a polymorphism for the PstI restriction endonuclease near the apoA-I gene, with either a 2.2 or a 3.3 kb fragment. The latter has been previously found to occur with significantly higher frequency in probands of families with familial hypoalpha. ApoA-I was isolated from three unrelated subjects with familial hypoalpha and the 3.3 kb PstI polymorphism of the apoA-I gene, and from normal control subjects. The apoA-I from the hypoalpha subjects was structurally normal as determined by amino acid analysis and by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. When normal apoA-I and hypoalpha apoA-I were simultaneously injected into either normal controls or hypoalpha subjects, both forms of apoA-I were catabolized at the same rate in the same subject, indicating that the hypoalpha apoA-I is also metabolically normal. Analysis of the kinetics of metabolism of apoA-I in the hypoalpha subjects, compared to the normal controls, revealed that the reduced plasma levels of apoA-I were due to an increased apoA-I fractional catabolic rate, and that the synthetic rate was normal. Based on these results, we conclude that the apoA-I gene in these hypoalpha subjects is normal, and the PstI polymorphism near the apoA-I gene, which is associated with familial hypoalpha, is likely to be a marker for a mutant gene closely linked to, but not in, the apoA-I gene.     

Linkage analysis of families with hereditary retinoblastoma: nonpenetrance of mutation, revealed by combined use of markers within and flanking the RB1 gene.

Nonpenetrance of the inherited mutation responsible for retinoblastoma has been reported. By DNA analysis in families with hereditary retinoblastoma, it is possible to identify healthy individuals in whom the mutation is nonpenetrant. This requires the use of DNA markers both within and flanking the retinoblastoma gene. We have analyzed the segregation of several markers in 19 families (69 meioses) with hereditary retinoblastoma. In two families a carrier was identified who showed nonpenetrance of the mutation predisposing to retinoblastoma. The intragenic markers were informative in 15 pedigrees. The use of flanking markers from the same chromosomal region caused an increase of the number of informative families to 18. No crossing-over within the gene was observed. In one family an inherited deletion involving one of the RB1 alleles was detected. Our findings emphasize the use of a combination of both intragenic and flanking markers to obtain both the highest reliability of carrier detection in families with hereditary retinoblastoma and an accurate estimate of the frequency of nonpenetrance.     

Additive inheritance of resistance to pod rot caused by Phytophthora palmivora in cocoa

Summary Quantitative inheritance of resistance to Phytophthora pod rot (Ppr) was studied in cocoa hybrid progeny from 12 Trinitario x Amazonian crosses and their reciprocal crosses. The crossing scheme was similar to a factorial design. Disease was assessed by the number and percentage of infected pods on each tree. Highly significant differences due to general combining abilities (GCA) were obtained for all characters, except for the GCA of Trinitario on total pod production. Differences for specific combining ability (SCA) were not significant for all characters. There were no significant differences between reciprocal crosses. The Trinitario clone K82 provided the only source for the hybrid progenies of strong Ppr resistance to the hybrid progenies, while K20 provided moderate resistance. Other parental clones — KA2-101, KA5-201, KEE 2, KEE 5, and KEE 52 — produced progenies which were susceptible to Ppr. It is evident that resistance to Ppr in cocoa is inherited additively. Maternal and cytoplasmic effects were assumed to have no influence on inheritance of resistance. It is also concluded that resistance to Ppr of the kind shown by K82 is likely to be horizontal resistance. Breeding for high-yielding cultivars combined with Ppr resistance is the most effective way of controlling Ppr of cocoa on the crops of growers with small holdings in Papua New Guinea.     

Purification and characterization of delta helicase from fetal calf thymus.

A DNA helicase (delta helicase) which partially copurifies with DNA polymerase delta has been highly purified from fetal calf thymus. delta helicase differs in physical and enzymatic properties from other eukaryotic DNA helicases described thus far. The enzyme has an apparent mass of 57 kDa by gel filtration and is associated with polypeptides of 56 and 52 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Photo-cross-linking of the purified enzyme with [alpha-32P]ATP resulted in labeling of a polypeptide of approximately 58 kDa, suggesting that the active site is present on the larger polypeptide. Unwinding of a partial duplex requires a nucleoside triphosphate which can be either ATP or dATP but not a nonhydrolyzable analogue of ATP. Other ribo- and deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates have little or no activity as cofactors. delta helicase also has DNA-dependent ATPase activity which has a relatively low Km for ATP (40 microM). delta helicase binds to single-stranded DNA but has little or no affinity for double-stranded DNA or single-stranded RNA. Similar to replicative DNA helicases from prokaryotes and the herpes simplex virus type 1 helicase-primase, delta helicase translocates in the 5'-3' direction along the strand to which it is bound and preferentially unwinds DNA substrates with a forklike structure.     

Inhibition of xanthine oxidase by uric acid and its influence on superoxide radical production.

The inhibition of xanthine oxidase by its reaction product, uric acid, was studied by steady state kinetic analysis. Uric acid behaved as an uncompetitive inhibitor of xanthine oxidase with respect to the reducing substrate, xanthine. Under 50 microM xanthine and 210 microM oxygen, the apparent K(i) for uric acid was 70 microM. Uric acid-mediated xanthine oxidase inhibition also caused an increase in the percentage of univalent reoxidation of the enzyme (superoxide radical production). Steady-state rate equations derived by the King-Altman method support the formation of an abortive-inhibitory enzyme-uric acid complex (dead-end product inhibition). Alternatively, inhibition could also depend on the reversibility of the classical ping-pong mechanism present in xanthine oxidase-catalyzed reactions.     

Growth effects of nagilactone E on cultured cells of lettuce

Nagilactone E, a norditerpene dilactone isolated from a gymnosperm, Podocarpus nagi (Podocarpaceae), was able to stimulate the growth of cultured cells of Lactuca sativa cv. Grand Rapids at 0.1 g ml^-1 but not at 0.01 or 1 g ml^-1. Cell wet weight/unit time and cell number/unit wet weight were increased when they were recorded at the end of the 14-day incubation period. Also, the population of cells treated with that concentration of nagilactone E had a higher percentage of cells with shorter cell length compared to the control (untreated).     

Preliminary study of the distribution of the toxic elements As,Cd, and Hg in human hair and tissues by RNAA

In order to study the relationships between trace element concentrations of hair and internal body burdens, a radiochemical NAA technique has been used for determination of the elements As, Cd, and Hg in autopsy samples of liver, kidney-cortex, lung, and hair from 24 male persons who died by accident. High significant positive correlations were observed between the As concentration in hair and in kidney-cortex, and between Cd and Zn concentrations in kidney-cortex. The contents of Cd, both for lung and kidney-cortex, were related to the smoking habits of the subjects.