Platelet-derived growth factor is not chemotactic for human peripheral blood monocytes

PDGF is a mitogenic protein stored in platelets and released upon platelet degranulation. Recent evidence indicates that PDGF plays an important role in both physiologic and pathophysiologic processes, particularly in tumorigenesis, wound healing, pulmonary fibrosis, and atherogenesis. In addition to its mitogenic potential, it has been reported that PDGF stimulates monocyte chemotaxis. Since the recruitment of monocytes from the peripheral vasculature is an important event in vivo, the potential role of PDGF as a monocyte chemoattractant has significant biologic implications. However, we now report that homogeneous human PDGF from platelets and a recombinant PDGF-2 homodimer do not stimulate monocyte chemotaxis. In contrast to previous reports these results indicate that PDGF is not a monocyte chemoattractant.     

Cultured primate aortic smooth muscle cells express both the PDGF-A and PDGF-B genes but do not secrete mitogenic activity or dimeric platelet-derived growth factor protein

Proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMC) in the arterial intima of man and experimental animals is important in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Vascular SMC proliferation in vitro is stimulated by a number of agents, including the potent protein mitogen, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Recent studies on rat arterial SMC indicate that these cells may, under certain circumstances, synthesize PDGF protein mitogens, suggesting that the regulation of SMC proliferation in vivo may have an autocrine or paracrine component. In this study we demonstrate that cultured nonhuman primate (baboon) aortic SMC transcribe both the PDGF-A and PDGF-B genes but do not secrete detectable mitogenic activity characteristic of native PDGF. The absence of this activity was not due to the presence in the cell conditioned medium of factors inhibitory for PDGF-mediated mitogenic activity. Metabolic labeling of the cells and immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies to human PDGF did not detect a dimeric (30 kDa) PDGF protein in either the intracellular or extracellular compartments, but instead identified PDGF-related proteins of molecular weight 12 kDa and 100 kDa. These data suggest the presence in vascular SMC of a mechanism regulating the translation of PDGF mRNA that may play an important role in the control of SMC proliferation in vivo.     

Inhibitor binding to isolated chloroplast cytochrome bf complex

Effects of three inhibitors of quinol oxidation in the chloroplast cytochrome bf complex (stigmatellin, tridecylstigmatellin and dibromothymoquinone) were studied in an isolated system comprising Photosystem I (PS I) particles, plastocyanin (PC) and cytochrome bf complex, in the absence of quinol or quinone. Addition of these inhibitors increased the extent of cytochrome f oxidation after a laser flash created oxidised PS I reaction centre (P700) and PC, and decreased somewhat the extent of PC oxidation. The re-reduction of oxidised P700 was more complete than when inhibitor was absent. The data were simulated with reactions which included the putative reduction of cytochrome f by the Rieske centre (FeS) and different rate-coefficients according as to whether inhibitor was bound to the bf complex or not. It was concluded that under the conditions studied the Rieske centre donated electrons to oxidised cytochrome f and plastocyanin with an average rate coefficient of 35 s^–1. This electron transfer was prevented by any of the three inhibitors, which also increased the equilibrium coefficient for the cytochrome f/PC reaction by a maximum factor of two. This increase corresponded to a decrease in the back reaction coefficient and an increase in the forward rate. The equilibrium coefficient for the reduction of oxidised P700 by PC was about 2 in the absence of inhibitor but increased to about 20 in their presence, but only if cytochrome bf complex was additionally present. This was attributed to the transient formation of complexes between P700 with bound plastocyanin, and bf complex. The operative mid-point potential of FeS, if that of cytochrome f is 370 mV, was 390 mV. Deviations in midpoint potentials (P700/plastocyanin) from solution values were attributed to the bound state of the reactants. Estimates were made of the binding coefficient of each of the three inhibitors to p-sites in the cytochrome bf complex in the absence of competing quinol. A stoichiometry of two inhibitors per bf dimer was necessary to cause the above changes in reduction potential of cyt f and PC. A result of one inhibitor per dimer was statistically unlikely, particularly in the case of tridecylstigmatellin.Abbreviations Cyt- cytochrome - DBMIB(H₂)- 2,5-dibromo-3--ethyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone (reduced) - E _m- midpoint reduction potential of a couple relative to the standard hydrogen electrode - e-t- electron transfer - FeS (or R)- Rieske iron-sulphur centre - HEPES- N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N-2-ethanesulphonic acid - Mega-9- nonoyl-N-methylglucamide - n-site (Q_r-site)- quinone reduction site in cytochrome bf complex - PC- plastocyanin - p-site (Q_o-site)- quinol oxidation site in cytochrome bf complex - PQ- plastoquinone - PSI- Photosystem I - P700- reaction centre in Photosystem I - TDS- tridecyl stigmatellin     

A preliminary report on the use of transfer factor for treating stage D3 hormone-unresponsive metastatic prostate cancer

As conventional treatments are unsuccessful, the survival rate of stage D3 prostate cancer patients is poor. Reports have suggested the existence of humoral and cell-mediated immunity (CMI) against prostate cancer tumour-associated antigens (TAA). These observations prompted us to treat stage D3 prostate cancer patients with an in vitro produced transfer factor (TF) able to transfer, in vitro and in vivo, CMI against bladder and prostate TAA. Fifty patients entered this study and received one intramuscular injection of 2–5 units of specific TF monthly. Follow-up, ranging from 1 to 9 years, showed that complete remission was achieved in 2 patients, partial remission in 6, and no progression of metastatic disease in 14. The median survival was 126 weeks, higher than the survival rates reported in the literature for patients of the same stage.     

Efficacy of transfer factor in treating patients with recurrent ocular herpes infections

Recurrent ocular herpes is an insoluble problem for the clinician. As cellular immunity plays an important role in controlling herpes relapses, and other studies have shown the efficacy of HSV-specific transfer factor (TF) for the treatment of herpes patients, an open clinical trial was undertaken in 134 patients (71 keratitis, 29 kerato-uveitis, 34 uveitis) suffering from recurrent ocular herpetic infections. The mean duration of the treatment was 358 days, and the entire follow-up period 189121 before, and 64062 days after TF treatment. The cell-mediated immune response to the viral antigens, evaluated by the lymphocyte stimulation test (LST) and the leucocyte migration test (LMT) (P<0.001), was significantly increased by the TF treatment. The total number of relapses was decreased significantly during/after TF treatment, dropping from 832 before, to 89 after treatment, whereas the cumulative relapse index (RI) dropped, during the same period, from 13.2 to 4.17 (P<0.0001). No side effects were observed. It is concluded that patients with relapsing ocular herpes can benefit from treatment with HSV-specific TF.     

Interaction of trace elements in a longitudinal study of human milk from full-term and preterm mothers

Concentrations of 8 trace elements (Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Pb, Rb, and Sr) at different lactation time were measured by the PIXE multi-elemental technique. Time dependence and interelement correlations were studied. A total of 200 milk samples from 32 lactating mothers were supplied from 2 to 120 d after delivery of 26 full-term and 6 preterm infants. All elements showed a lognormal frequency-distribution. The Fe, Cu, Zn, and Se contents in preterm milk were found to be somewhat different with respect to full-term milk. Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Pb, and Rb concentrations declined with lactation time, both in pre- and full-term samples. Sr and Fe contents did not show any change with time. Detailed analysis of data by partial correlation and multiple regression methods was performed. No substantial differences between preterm and full-term samples were found in the results of partial correlation analysis. Cu and Zn were found to be correlated with lactation time, whereas the measured time dependence for the other elements has to be attributed to the effect of the existing interelement correlation. All the measured elements appeared to be correlated with at least one other element. In particular, Se was inversely correlated with Zn and directly with Cu. The zinc and copper contents in milk can therefore depend on the variation in the mother selenium intake.     

The kinetics of reactions around the cytochrome bf complex studied in an isolated system

The kinetics of oxidation and reduction of P700, plastocyanin, cytochrome f and cytochrome b-563 were studied in a reconstituted system consisting of Photosystem I particles, cytochrome bf complex and plastocyanin, all derived from pea leaf chloroplasts. Decyl plastoquinol was the reductant of the bf complex. Turnovers of the system were initiated by laser flashes. The reaction between oxidised P700 and plastocyanin was non-homogeneous in that a second-order rate coefficient of c. 5×10^–7 M^–1 s^–1 applied to 80% of the P700⁺ and c. 0.7×10⁷ M^–1 s^–1 to the remainder. In the presence of bf complex, but without quinol, the electron transfer between cytochrome f and oxidised plastocyanin could be described by a second-order rate coefficient of c. 4×10⁷ M^–1 s^–1 (forward), and c. 1.6×10⁷ M^–1 s^–1 (reverse). The equilibrium coefficient was thus 2.5. Unexpectedly, there was little reduction of cytochrome f ⁺ or plastocyanin⁺ by electrons from the Rieske centre. With added quinol, reduction of cytochrome b-563 occurred. Concomitantly, electrons appeared in the oxidised species. It was inferred that either the Rieske centre was not involved in the high-potential chain of electron transfer events, or that, only in the presence of quinol, electrons were quickly passed from the Rieske centre to cytochrome f ⁺. Additionally, the presence of quinol altered the equilibrium coefficient for the cyt f/PC interaction from 2.5 to c. 5. The reaction between quinol and the bf complex was describable by a second-order rate coefficient of about 3×10⁶ M^–1 s^–1. The pattern of the redox reactions around the bf complex could be simulated in detail with a Q-cycle model as previously found for chloroplasts.Abbreviations AQS anthraquinone sulphonate - cyt cytochrome - cyt b-563(H) high-potential cyt b-563 - cyt b-563(L) low potential cyt b-563 - FeS(R) the Rieske protein of the cyt bf complex, containing an Fe₂S₂ centre - PC plastocyanin - PS photosystem - P700 reaction centre in PS I     

Effects of pH on the kinetics of redox reactions in and around the cytochromebf complex in an isolated system

Rate-coefficients describing the electron transfer reactions between P700 and plastocyanin, between cytochromef in cytochromebf complexes and plastocyanin, and between decyl plastoquinol and cytochromebf complexes were determined as a function of pH in the range 4–10 from flash-induced absorbancy changes at four wavelengths. The reactions between P700 and plastocyanin, and between cytochromef and plastocyanin were optimised when there was electrostatic interaction between ionised acidic groups in plastocyanin with a pK_a of 4.3–4.7 and ionised basic constituents in P700 (assumed to be in the PSI-F subunit) and in cytochromef, with a pK_b of 8.9–9.4. The basic groups are thought to be lysine rather than arginine. This mechanism agrees with that inferred from effects of ionic strength changes on rate-coefficients. The relation between the second-order rate-coefficient for decyl plastoquinol oxidation by thebf complex and pH was characterised by a pK_a of 6.1. This is interpreted as showing that the anion radical form of that quinol, which has a pK_a of 6, and which becomes progressively protonated when pH is changed from 7 to 5, is essential to reduce cytochromeb-563 (low potential) during quinol oxidation. Above pH 9, permanent effects were observed on this rate-coefficient, which were absent in the reactions between P700, plastocyanin and cytochromef.