Effects of EEG of the osmotic opening of the blood-brain barrier in rats

EEG activity was recorded in rats submitted to osmotic opening of the BBB by intracarotid mannitol infusion.This procedure produced an immediate short-lasting depression of the EEG and a tardive paroxysmal EEG activity. Both these phenomena were more relevant on the ipsilateral hemisphere. In some instances a tonico-clonic seizure was recorded.Pre-treatment with diazepam abolished the occurrence of the tardive EEG and behavioral modifications.In accord with previous findings, focal seizure activity is likely to be responsible for the metabolic abnormalities associated with osmotic opening of the BBB. This preparation therefore produces in the brain unphysiological states in respect to local metabolism and electrical function.     

Personality,Relationship Conflict,and Teamwork-Related Mental Models

This study seeks to explore whether neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness moderate the influence of relationship conflict experienced in groups on changes in group members'' evaluative cognitions related to teamwork quality (teamwork-related mental models). Data from 216 students, nested in 48 groups were analyzed using a multilevel modeling approach. Our results show that the experience of relationship conflict leads to a negative shift from the pre-task to the post-task teamwork-related mental models. Moreover, the results indicate that conscientiousness buffered the negative association between relationship conflict and the change in teamwork-related mental models. Our results did not support the hypothesized moderating effect of agreeableness and show that the detrimental effect of relationship conflict on the shift in teamwork-related mental models is accentuated for group members scoring low rather than high on neuroticism. These findings open new research venues for exploring the association between personality, coping styles and change in teamwork-related mental models.     

Mesothelioma Tumor Cells Modulate Dendritic Cell Lipid Content,Phenotype and Function

Dendritic cells (DCs) play an important role in the generation of anti-cancer immune responses, however there is evidence that DCs in cancer patients are dysfunctional. Lipid accumulation driven by tumor-derived factors has recently been shown to contribute to DC dysfunction in several human cancers, but has not yet been examined in mesothelioma. This study investigated if mesothelioma tumor cells and/or their secreted factors promote increases in DC lipid content and modulate DC function. Human monocyte-derived DCs (MoDCs) were exposed to human mesothelioma tumor cells and tumor-derived factors in the presence or absence of lipoproteins. The data showed that immature MoDCs exposed to mesothelioma cells or factors contained increased lipid levels relative to control DCs. Lipid accumulation was associated with reduced antigen processing ability (measured using a DQ OVA assay), upregulation of the co-stimulatory molecule, CD86, and production of the tolerogenic cytokine, IL-10. Increases in DC lipid content were further enhanced by co-exposure to mesothelioma-derived factors and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, but not low-density lipoproteins. In vivo studies using a murine mesothelioma model showed that the lipid content of tumor-infiltrating CD4⁺CD8α^- DCs, CD4^-CD8α^- DCs DCs and plasmacytoid DCs increased with tumor progression. Moreover, increasing tumor burden was associated with reduced proliferation of tumor-antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cells in tumor-draining lymph nodes. This study shows that mesothelioma promotes DC lipid acquisition, which is associated with altered activation status and reduced capacity to process and present antigens, which may impair the ability of DCs to generate effective anti mesothelioma T cell responses.     

A sensitive high performance liquid chromatographic method for determining small amounts of glycosylproteins

We developed a simple isocratic high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the quantitative determination of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfuraldehyde (5-HMF) liberated by mild hydrolysis of small amounts of glycosyl proteins. The absorbance of hydrolysate components after HPLC separation was recorded at 280 nm. To detect substances possibly interfering with the 5-HMF peak we always recorded the ratio of the peak heights A280 nm/A254 nm which was a constant value of 4.4. For each sample the blank was obtained by reduction with NaBH4 before hydrolysis with oxalic acid 1 mol/l. The best NaBH4/protein ratio was found to be 4 mg/mg. With this method we measured the nonenzymatic glycosylation (glycation) as 5-HMF in samples with a protein concentration as low as 0.8 mg/ml. 5-HMF produced per milligram of protein was independent from protein concentration for a wide range (0.8-10 mg/ml). The mean coefficient of variation for within assay and between precision was 6.8 and 11.6%, respectively. The 5-HMF measured on plasma proteins from normal subjects (n = 7) was 0.16 +/- 0.04 nmol/mg. Protein from insulin-dependent diabetic patients was 0.31 +/- 0.07 nmol/mg. With this method we succeeded in detecting an excessive glycation of platelet membrane proteins in 13 type-I diabetic patients.     

Human carcinoma cell lines xenografted in athymic mice: biological and antigenic characteristics of an intraabdominal model

Summary In order to investigate in vivo clinical applications of murine monoclonal antibodies directed against human ovarian carcinoma a preclinical in vivo model was developed using BALB/c athymic mice. Three human carcinoma cell lines (MCF7, HT29, and SW626) were injected into the peritoneal cavity of pristane-primed animals and the biological and antigenic characteristics of the i.p. grown tumors were studied. The animals were killed when moribund or 6–8 weeks after tumor injection. At autopsy tumor take was observed in 85% of the injected animals, whereas palpable nodules were evident in only 83%. Examination of the peritoneal cavity revealed intraabdominal carcinomatosis with tumor masses varying in size between 0.2 and 0.5 cm in diameter and tumor sheets. The most frequently affected organs were the diaphragm, the liver, and the reproductive system. Ascitic fluid formation was rare and no animal developed tumors outside the peritoneal cavity. To determine whether the in vivo tumors retained the same antigenic characteristics as the in vitro cell lines, four monoclonal antibodies (MBrl, MOv2, MOv8, and MOv15) directed against ovarian carcinoma-associated antigens and two different experimental approaches (immunofluorescence and immunoblotting) were used. Variations at either a quantitative or a qualitative level were observed for some antigens, whereas no evident changes were apparent for others. In particular, the antigens detected by MBr1 and MOv15 on the MCF7 line both maintained high levels of expression and immunoblotting staining pattern, whereas the antigens detected by MOv2 on the HT29 and SW626 lines, although present at a high level, clearly changed their staining pattern. As regards the antigens recognized by MOv8 and MOv15 on the HT29 and SW626 lines, we observed a drastic decrease in the level of their expression and in many cases a drop below the threshold of detectability of the test. The intraabdominal carcinomatosis described partially mimics the growth characteristics of human ovarian cancer and maintains the expression of some antigenic markers associated with epithelial tumors of the ovary and may therefore be useful in devising immunodiagnostic and/or immunotherapeutic strategies for ovarian carcinoma.     

Further research on the role of prostanoids in controlling renal function in humans in normal potassium balance and acute experimental potassium depletion. I: Studies of normal potassium balance. Effects of indomethacin

The renal function was studied by clearance (cl.) method during hypotonic polyuria (oral water load followed by 5% dextrose solution infusion) and successive relative antidiuresis induced by lysine-8-vasopressin (LVP) administration (5 microU in bolo followed by continuous infusion at a rate of 0.04 microU/min). Four 15 min and two 60 min clearance (cl.) periods were performed during hypotonic polyuria and antidiuresis, respectively. Glomerular filtration rate was estimated by creatinine cl.; the osmotic cl. (Cosm, CH2O), the absolute and fractional excretions of water, sodium, potassium and chloride were determined by usual methods. The urinary PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TxB2 concentrations were determined by RIA method. Fourteen healthy women submitted to a normal sodium and potassium daily intake were studied; in 6 of them paired studies in absence and in presence of indomethacin (100 mg, i.m.), respectively, were performed. LVP induced a significant reduction of creatinine cl., urinary flow rate and of prostanoid excretion. In hypotonic polyuria, indomethacin significantly reduced the creatinine cl. and the diuretic response to the water load; moreover the urinary PGE2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha excretions were significantly lower (85.6 +/- 1.9% and 37.7 +/- 3.2%) while the reduction of urinary TxB2 excretion was not significant (34.4 +/- 13%). Indomethacin did not affect significantly the LVP renal effects in normal potassium balance.     

Role of prostanoids in the control of renal function in normal potassium balance and in acute experimental potassium depletion. 4. Relation of extrarenal parameters, renal function parameters and urinary excretion of prostanoids

The renal function has been evaluated by clearance (cl.) method during hypotonic polyuria and successive moderate antidiuresis induced by a low dose of lysine-8-vasopressin; four 15 min and two 60 min cl. periods were performed, respectively. Glomerular filtration rate was estimated by creatinine cl.; the osmotic cl. (Cosm, CH2O), the absolute and fractional excretions of water, sodium, potassium and chloride were determined by usual methods. The urinary concentrations of PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha (6KPGF) and TxB2 were measured by RIA. The study protocol was applied in normal potassium balance and experimental potassium balance (KD), both in absence and presence of indomethacin. In KD groups with a potassium cumulative deficit of 198.4 +/- 22.2 meq (D3; n = 6) during polyuria significant correlations are consistent with the hypothesis that the lower the plasma potassium concentration is the higher the urinary chloride excretion and the inhibition of distal fractional chloride reabsorption. Moreover, by utilizing the polyuria and antidiuresis data pool, the effects of urine flow rate changes on PGE2 and 6KPGF urinary excretions are blunted as compared to normal potassium balance (n = 14). After indomethacin treatment (D3.I) the following functional relationships are disclosed: a) the lower the kaliemia is the lower the urinary chloride and potassium excretions and the higher the fractional isosmotic reabsorption; b) the lower the urinary potassium excretion is the lower the urinary chloride excretion. In both D3 and D3.I experimental groups the positive correlation between urinary chloride excretion and urinary potassium excretion is significant.     

Inhibition ofCandida albicans andStaphylococcus aureus by phenolic compounds from the terrestrial cyanobacteriumNostoc muscorum

Phenolic compounds were determined in methanolic extract from the algal mass of aNostoc muscorum culture. Bioassays with two human pathogens,Candida albicans andStaphylococcus aureus indicated that algal phenolic compounds evoked significant growth inhibition for both species (89.1% and 88.2%, respectively). It is suggested that this strong inhibitory effect is of potential medicinal value.