In a variety of tumour systems, individuals carrying progressively growing neoplasms have lymphoid cells with a specific cytotoxic effect on cultured tumour cells from the same individual1–4. Since the sera of tumour-bearing individuals have been shown to prevent tumour cell destruction by immune lymphocytes in vitro2,5–8 and since this serum blocking activity appears early in primary and transplant tumour development5,7, it has been suggested that the appearance of this serum blocking activity might be responsible for the progressive growth of tumours in individuals having cytotoxic lymphocytes. Counteraction of this blocking activity would thus be of primary importance in facilitating the function of an already existing or bolstered cell-mediated immunity. The serum blocking activity might be inhibited in various ways, by preventing the formation of blocking antibody or by interfering with its action (“unblocking”), as demonstrated in Moloney sarcoma regressor sera9. This type of serum also has a therapeutic effect on Moloney sarcomas in vivo10,11, which has been tentatively attributed to its unblocking activity8,9 or, possibly, to a complement-dependent cytotoxicity10. Tumour growth in the Moloney sarcoma system, however, might be due in part to continuous recruitment of neoplastic cells by virus-induced transformation and so the therapeutic effect could be due to a virus-neutralizing serum activity9,10. 相似文献
In the preceding paper (Sheetz, M. and S.J. Singer. 1977. J Cell Biol. 73:638-646) it was shown that erythrocyte ghosts undergo pronounced shape changes in the presence of mg-ATP. The biochemical effects of the action of ATP are herein examined. The biochemical effects of the action of ATP are herein examined. Phosphorylation by ATP of spectrin component 2 of the erythrocyte membrane is known to occur. We have shown that it is only membrane protein that is significantly phosphorylated under the conditions where the shape changes are produced. The extent of this phosphorylation rises with increasing ATP concentration, reaching nearly 1 mol phosphoryle group per mole of component 2 at 8mM ATP. Most of this phosphorylation appears to occur at a single site on the protein molecule, according to cyanogen bromide peptide cleavage experiments. The degree of phosphorylation of component 2 is apparently also regulated by a membrane-bound protein phosphatase. This activity can be demonstrated in erythrocyte ghosts prepared from intact cells prelabeled with [(32)P]phosphate. In addition to the phosphorylation of component 2, some phosphorylation of lipids, mainly of phosphatidylinositol, is also known to occur. The ghost shape changes are, however, shown to be correlated with the degree of phosphorylation of component 2. In such experiment, the incorporation of exogenous phosphatases into ghosts reversed the shape changes produced by ATP, or by the membrane-intercalating drug chlorpromazine. The results obtained in this and the preceding paper are consistent with the proposal that the erythrocyte membrane possesses kinase and phosphates activities which produce phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of a specific site on spectrin component 2 molecules; the steady-state level of this phosphorylation regulates the structural state of the spectrin complex on the cytoplasmic surface of the membrane, which in turn exerts an important control on the shape of the cell. 相似文献
Gold salts and phenylbutazone selectively inhibit the synthesis of PGF2α and PGE2 respectively. Lowered production of one prostaglandin species is accompanied by an increased production of the other. Selective inhibition by these drugs was observed in the presence of adrenaline, reduced glutathione and copper sulphate under conditions when most anti-inflammatory compounds inhibited PGE2 and PGF2α syntheses equally. It is postulated that selective inhibitors may have a different mode of action
and beneficial effects may be related to the endogenous ratio of PGE to PGF required for normal function. 相似文献
Brachyuran crabs are an important ecological and economical, yet often unstudied aspect of intertidal mudflats of the Arabian Peninsula. Here we provide baseline density estimates of crabs at the relatively pristine intertidal mudflats of Barr Al Hikman (Sultanate of Oman) and provide information on their life cycle and habitat preference. Across the winters of 2012–2015 crabs were sampled on a grid covering the entire intertidal depth gradient. 29 species were found and average densities varied between 12 and 54 crabs/m2. Deposit-feeding and herbivorous crabs were the most abundant species across all winters. Size frequency data and the presence of ovigerous females show that most crabs species reproduce in the intertidal area. P. segnis, the most important crab for local fisheries, was found to use the intertidal area as a nursery ground. We analysed the relationships between the two most abundant crab species, Macrophthalmus sulcatus and Thalamita poissonii and the environmental variables: seagrass density, tidal elevation, median grain size and sediment depth using Random Forest models. The predictive capacity of the models and the relative importance of the environmental predictors varied between years, but crab densities in general were positively associated with seagrass density, presumably because seagrass offers feeding habitat.
Little is known about the epidemiology of urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis infection (chlamydia) in Suriname. Suriname is a society composed of many ethnic groups, such as Creoles, Maroons, Hindustani, Javanese, Chinese, Caucasians, and indigenous Amerindians. We estimated determinants for chlamydia, including the role of ethnicity, and identified transmission patterns and ethnic sexual networks among clients of two clinics in Paramaribo, Suriname.
Methods
Participants were recruited at two sites a sexually transmitted infections (STI) clinic and a family planning (FP) clinic in Paramaribo. Urine samples from men and nurse-collected vaginal swabs were obtained for nucleic acid amplification testing. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify determinants of chlamydia. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed to genotype C. trachomatis. To identify transmission patterns and sexual networks, a minimum spanning tree was created, using full MLST profiles. Clusters in the minimum spanning tree were compared for ethnic composition.
Results
Between March 2008 and July 2010, 415 men and 274 women were included at the STI clinic and 819 women at the FP clinic. Overall chlamydia prevalence was 15% (224/1508). Age, ethnicity, and recruitment site were significantly associated with chlamydia in multivariable analysis. Participants of Creole and Javanese ethnicity were more frequently infected with urogenital chlamydia. Although sexual mixing with other ethnic groups did differ significantly per ethnicity, this mixing was not independently significantly associated with chlamydia. We typed 170 C. trachomatis-positive samples (76%) and identified three large C. trachomatis clusters. Although the proportion from various ethnic groups differed significantly between the clusters (P = 0.003), all five major ethnic groups were represented in all three clusters.
Conclusion
Chlamydia prevalence in Suriname is high and targeted prevention measures are required. Although ethnic sexual mixing differed between ethnic groups, differences in prevalence between ethnic groups could not be explained by sexual mixing. 相似文献
Mycopathologia - Cryptococcosis is caused by fungi of the genus Cryptococcus. Owing to its importance, this study aimed to analyze the genetic diversity of C. gattii isolates from animals, humans,... 相似文献
Intracoronary brachytherapy has recently emerged as a new therapy to prevent restenosis. Initial experimental work was achieved in animal models and the results were assessed by histomorphometry. Initial clinical trials used angiography to guide dosimetry and to assess efficacy. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) permits tomographic examination of the vessel wall, elucidating the true morphology of the lumen and transmural components, which cannot be investigated on the lumenogram obtained by angiography. This paper reviews the use of IVUS in the clinical studies of brachytherapy conducted to date. IVUS allows clinicians to make a thorough assessment of the remodeling of the vessel and appears to have a major role to play in facilitating understanding of the underlying mechanisms of action in this emerging field. The authors propose that state-of-the-art IVUS techniques should be employed to further knowledge of the mechanisms of action of brachytherapy in atherosclerotic human coronary arteries. 相似文献
The potential for using polyclonal-antibody-based immunoassays for detection of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on canola petals as part of a disease prediction model was investigated. A commercial ELISA kit designed for Sclerotinia homoeocarpa was evaluated for specificity to S. sclerotiorum in comparison to other Sclerotinia spp., and known phyllosphere fungi. This polyclonal-antibody-based kit cross-reacted with antigens from other Sclerotinia spp., and fungi, and absorbance values obtained from S. sclerotiorum-infested canola petals were poorly correlated with percentages of infested petals as determined by plating on semi-selective medium, except when petals were incubated at high humidity for 24 h at 20 degrees C-22 degrees C prior to ELISA evaluation. Additional polyclonal antibodies were prepared from mycelial and semi-purified cell wall antigens, and these antibodies were more specific to S. sclerotiorum than the ELISA kit. However, absorbance values obtained from S. sclerotiorum-infested canola petals were poorly correlated with percentages of infested petals as determined by plating on semi-selective medium. The results are discussed in relation to the use of polyclonal-antibody-based immunoassays for the prediction of epidemics or crop risk from sclerotinia stem rot of canola. 相似文献
Summary : FT is a tool written in C++, which implements the Fourier
analysis method to locate periodicities in aminoacid or DNA sequences. It
is provided for free public use on a WWW server with a Java interface.
Availability : The server address is http://o2.db. uoa.gr/FT Contact :
shamodr@atlas.uoa.gr
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