Prolonged survival in mice with advanced tumors treated with syngeneic or allogeneic intra-bone marrow–bone marrow transplantation plus fetal thymus transplantation

Thymic function decreases in line with tumor progression in patients with cancer, resulting in immunodeficiency and a poor prognosis. In the present study, we attempted to restore thymic function by BALB/c (H-2^d) syngeneic (Syn), or B6 (H-2^b) allogeneic (Allo) bone marrow transplantation (BMT) using intra-bone marrow–bone marrow transplantation (IBM–BMT) plus Syn-, Allo- or C3H (H-2^k) 3rd-party fetal thymus transplantation (TT). Although the BALB/c mice with advanced tumors (Meth-A sarcoma; H-2^d, >4 cm²) treated with either Syn- or Allo-BMT alone showed a slight improvement in survival compared with non-treated controls, the mice treated with BMT + TT showed a longer survival. The mice treated with Allo-BMT + Allo-TT or 3rd-party TT showed the longest survival. Interestingly, although there was no difference in main tumor size among the BMT groups, lung metastasis was significantly inhibited by Allo-BMT + Allo-TT or 3rd-party TT. Numbers of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, Con A response, and IFN-γ production increased significantly, whereas number of Gr-1⁺/CD11b⁺ myeloid suppressor cells and the percentage of FoxP3⁺ cells in CD4⁺ T cells significantly decreased in these mice. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between survival days and the number of T cells or T cell function, while there was a negative correlation between survival days and lung metastasis, the number of Gr-1⁺/CD11b⁺ cells, or the percentage of FoxP3⁺ cells. These results suggest that BMT + TT, particularly Allo-BMT + Allo-TT or 3rd-party TT, is most effective in prolonging survival as a result of the restoration of T cell function in hosts with advanced tumors.     

Epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-α, and epidermal growth factor receptor expression and localization in the canine endometrium during the estrous cycle and in bitches with pyometra

Gene expression and immunohistochemical localization of epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) were compared between the endometrium of bitches (Canis familiaris) with pyometra accompanied by cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) and that of healthy bitches at similar stages of the estrous cycle. In normal bitches, endometrial TGF-α mRNA levels were highest at proestrus and gradually decreased as the cycle progressed to anestrus. Epidermal growth factor receptor mRNA levels were not significantly affected by the stage of the estrous cycle. Epidermal growth factor mRNA levels were higher at Day 35 of diestrus than at other stages of the estrous cycle (P < 0.05). In bitches with pyometra, endometrial TGF-α and EGF-R mRNA levels did not differ significantly from those at diestrus in normal bitches, but EGF mRNA levels were lower than those at Day 35 of diestrus in normal bitches (P < 0.05). In normal bitches, positive immunohistochemical staining for TGF-α, EGF, and EGF-R was mainly present in the glandular and luminal epithelial cells of the endometrium. In contrast, in bitches with pyometra, immunoreactivity for EGF was clearly present in endometrial stromal cells. Inflammatory cells that had infiltrated the endometrial stroma stained strongly for TGF-α and EGF-R. Luminal and glandular epithelial cells also stained positive for EGF-R. In conclusion, expression of TGF-α by inflammatory cells and a low level of expression and differential localization of EGF may be involved in aberrant growth of endometrial glands and development of CEH.     

Effect of hepatocyte growth factor on long term hematopoiesis of human progenitor cells in transgenic-severe combined immunodeficiency mice

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which was originally isolated as a liver generating factor, enhances hematopoiesis. To study the effect of HGF on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), we generated severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice producing human (h) HGF and/or stem cell factor (SCF) by transferring the relevant genes to fertilized eggs, and then transplanted hematopoietic progenitors from human cord blood into the transgenic (Tg) SCID mice. Six months after transplantation, a significantly larger number of human cells were found in the Tg SCID mice than in non-Tg controls. Characteristically, the recipient SCID mice producing h HGF (HGF-SCID) had a significantly increased number of h CD41+ cells, whereas the SCF-SCID recipients had more CD11b+ cells. Significantly large numbers of CD34+ progenitors were found in the SCID mice transferred with both h HGF and h SCF genes (HGF/SCF-SCID) when compared with HGF-SCID or SCF-SCID mice. These results imply that HGF supports the differentiation of progenitors in megakaryocyte lineage, whereas SCF supports that in myeloid lineage. The results also imply that HGF acts on HSCs/HPCs as a synergistic proliferative factor combined with SCF. We have demonstrated the advantage of the human cytokine-producing animal in the maintenance of human HSCs.     

Efficient synthesis of enantiomeric ethyl lactate by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida antarctica</Emphasis> lipase B (CALB)-displaying yeasts

The whole-cell biocatalyst displaying Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) on the yeast cell surface with α-agglutinin as the anchor protein was easy to handle and possessed high stability. The lyophilized CALB-displaying yeasts showed their original hydrolytic activity and were applied to an ester synthesis using ethanol and l-lactic acid as substrates. In water-saturated heptane, CALB-displaying yeasts catalyzed ethyl lactate synthesis. The synthesis efficiency increased depending on temperature and reached approximately 74% at 50°C. The amount of l-ethyl lactate increased gradually. l-Ethyl lactate synthesis stopped at 200 h and restarted after adding of l-lactic acid at 253 h. It indicated that CALB-displaying yeasts retained their synthetic activity under such reaction conditions. In addition, CALB-displaying yeasts were able to recognize l-lactic acid and d-lactic acid as substrates. l-Ethyl lactate was prepared from l-lactic acid and d-ethyl lactate was prepared from d-lactic acid using the same CALB-displaying whole-cell biocatalyst. These findings suggest that CALB-displaying yeasts can supply the enantiomeric lactic esters for preparation of useful and improved biopolymers of lactic acid.     

Rolling round bottle culture of HmLu-1 cells and the production of bovine ephemeral fever virus.

An attempt was made to cultivate HmLu-1 cells in a rolling round bottle. As a result, the optimum conditions of cultivation were found to consist in the number of cells transplanted per bottle being 1 X 10(8), the volume of growth medium per bottle being 250 ml, and the velocity of rolling being 6 revolutions per hour. It was possible to make a monolayer of cells develop all over the glass surface under these conditions. A preliminary experiment was carried out to clarify the production of virus in the tube culture. In it, the highest virus titer was obtained two days after inoculation of a 4-day-old culture with a 1:100 dilution of stock virus. On the other hand, when the 4-day-old culture cells in the rolling round bottle were inoculated with virus suspension and when 100, 500, or 800 ml of maintenance medium was added to each bottle, there was little difference in virus titer obtained among the culture bottles. Then the virus yield per cell was compared between the rolling round bottle culture method and the stationary square bottle culture method. The highest virus titer was reached two days after virus inoculation, regardless of the culture method. The virus yield was 1.9 times as high in the rolling method as in the stationary method. From the results mentioned above, it was clarified that the rolling round bottle culture method made it possible to obtain a large amount of bovine ephemeral fever virus at a high titer in a labor-saving manner.     

Diagnosis of bovine respiratory syncytial virus infection by complement fixation test.

The complement fixation test by the microtiter method was applied to the serological diagnosis of bovine respiratory syncytial (RS) virus infection. When used as complement fixing antigens, untreated infected cell culture fluid, fluorocarbon-treated, and ether-treated materials showed no differences in antigenicity among them. The complement fixing antigenicity of bovine RS virus appeared in bovine kidney and Vero cell cultures for the first time 4 days after inoculation. Both the infectivity and complement fixing antigenicity reached a maximum 6 days after inoculation. In detecting complement fixing antibody from infected cattle, the most outstanding specific reaction was obtained when 5% fresh normal calf serum had been added to the diluent of complement. Neutralizing and complement fixing antibodies were examined in serum samples from two cattle in the course of experimental infection. It was found that both antibodies turned to be positive 2 weeks after inoculation. There was a linear correlation between neutralizing and complement fixing antibody titers, when serum samples from 40 natural cases were tested in the acute and convalescent stages. In addition, common antigenicity was demonstrated between the virus of bovine origin and the Long strain of human RS virus by complement fixation test.     

Bovine Adenovirus

Nine strains of an adenovirus serotype were recovered in bovine testicle cell cultures from Japanese cattle suffering with an acute febrile illness accompanied by rhinorrhea and diarrhea. The isolated virus was shown to have the physicochemical properties of the adenovirus group such as the nucleic acid type, the size and ultrastructure of the virion, and the resistance to ether and chloroform. The isolated virus produced eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies characteristic of adenoviruses and the group specific antigen of adenovirus in bovine testicle cell culture. According to the results of cross-neutralization tests the isolated virus represents a serological type distinct from bovine adenovirus types 1, 2 and 3 and from the Nagano virus. The isolated virus agglutinated erythrocytes of cattle, sheep, goat, guinea pig, rat, hamster and mouse, but not those of vervet monkey, horse, goose and chicken. HI test using cattle erythrocytes corroborated the results of serological typing by neutralization tests.     

Mapping of ATP-dependent trypsin-sensitive sites on the beta chain of outer-arm dynein from sea urchin sperm flagella.

The beta chain of sea urchin outer-arm dynein showed a peculiar tryptic digestion pattern in the presence of ATP (or ADP) plus Vi. Examination of the molecular mass of the products formed by photocleavage of tryptic fragments indicated that the trypsin-sensitive sites on the 165-kDa ATP-binding polypeptide in the presence of ATP and Vi are located 15 kDa apart from its amino-terminus, 2 kDa apart from its carboxy-terminus, and near the middle portion between the adenine- and gamma-Pi-binding sites. On the other hand, the carboxy-terminal region of the beta chain, the 135-kDa polypeptide, was cleaved into a 96-kDa polypeptide by tryptic digestion in the presence of ATP and Vi. Peptide mapping of 135-kDa, 96-kDa, and carboxy-terminally truncated polypeptides of the 135-kDa polypeptide revealed that the 96-kDa region is located at the amino-terminal portion of the 135-kDa region. These results indicate that the changes of trypsin susceptibility of dynien beta chain caused by binding ADP and Vi occur not in local region but over an extensive region on the beta chain.