Interleukin-2 stimulates the colony-forming activity of in vitro irradiated bone marrow

The data are presented on the stimulatory effect of interleukin-2 on the formation of spleen exocolonies from bone marrow irradiated in vitro with doses of 0.5 to 2.5 Gy. It is suggested that the effect observed is associated with the increased proliferation of CFUs survived after irradiation.     

The effect of irradiation on the growth of human laryngeal tumors transplanted under the kidney capsule of immunocompetent mice

A study was made of the influence of gamma-radiation on the growth of human larynx squamous cell carcinoma transplanted under the capsule of the kidney of immunocompetent mice. The transplants were shown to increase in size 6 days after transplantation. Irradiation of animals 24 h after transplantation inhibited considerably the tumor growth. However, the preirradiation (24 h before operation) inhibited the growth of nonirradiated transplants to the same extent as the exposure of mice with the transplanted tumor fragments did: the radiation dose that induced 50% inhibition of the growth was 4.5 Gy and 5.3 Gy, respectively. Preliminary data indicate that tumor fragment of patients with the unfavourable prognosis increase in size and respond to radiation to a lesser extent.     

The enhanced radioresistance (adaptive response) in vivo of splenic colony-forming units (CFU-S) following the exposure of mice to 60Co gamma rays at low doses]

An increase of resistance to radiation damage of human lymphocytes previously exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation from incorporated tritiated thymidine was observed by G. Olivieri et al. in 1984. The phenomenon was named adaptive response and its occurrence was reported by others for many animal and plant cells. In this research we studied the adaptive response of spleen colony formation at different time after previous irradiation of mice with low doses of 60Co gamma rays. Our results suggest that the pretreatments protect spleen colony-formatting units (CFU-S) from the second damaging radiation dose of 1.5 Gy during long time (as many as one month).     

Effect of anti-mouse brain serum on the CFUc in actively proliferating bone marrow

With hydroxyurea injected to donor mice a greater inhibition of splenic colony growth occurred after incubation of a bone marrow suspension with the rabbit antimouse brain serum (RAMBS), and restoration of the colony-formation by thymocytes was less pronounced than in normal bone marrow treated with the antibrain serum. The incubation of the bone marrow cells containing CFUc, which actively proliferate after irradiation or stimulation by vinblastine, with the antibrain serum sharply suppressed the splenic colony growth. In this case however, in contrast to normal bone marrow, the administration of thymocytes failed to exert a favourable action on the colony formation. It is suggested that functioning of accessory cells is not associated with the defined cell cycle stage of CFUc and that, in addition to the previously discovered accessory cell population, some other factors, inactivated by the RAMBS serum, are present in the bone marrow the analogue of which is absent in the thymus.     

The role of cells sensitive to anti-mouse brain serum in the regulation of CFU-S proliferation

CFU-S differentiation and regeneration kinetics in the spleen and femur was studied after treatment of bone marrow cells with RAMB serum. The effect of thymocytes on the rate of CFU-S regeneration was also investigated. It was found that CFU-S regeneration in the spleen was similar in RAMBS-treated and intact cell populations on days 4-14 after transplantation. On the contrary, the rate of CFU-S regeneration in the femur was slower in RAMBS-treated than in intact bone marrow cells. However, the growth rate in the femur could be restored to the normal level by the administration of freshly isolated syngeneic thymocytes to mice pre-injected with RAMBS-treated CFU-S population. The treatment of bone marrow suspension with RAMB serum did not affect the differentiation of spleen colonies. It is suggested that RAMBS eliminates cell population regulating CFU-S proliferation, without affecting its differentiation.     

Purification and some catalytic properties of phosphoglucomutase from maize leaves

Phosphoglucomutase (EC 2.7.5.1, PGM) was purified to homogeneity from maize (Zea mays L.) leaves. The enzyme had specific activity 11. 7 U/mg protein and molecular mass (determined by gel-chromatography) of 133 +/- 4 kD. The molecular mass of PGM subunits determined by SDS-electrophoresis was 66 +/- 3 kD. The enzyme had Km for glucose-1-phosphate and glucose-1,6-diphosphate of 20.0 +/- 0.9 and 16.0 +/- 0.8 &mgr;M, respectively. Concentrations of glucose-1-phosphate and glucose-1,6-diphosphate above 3 and 0.4 mM, respectively, cause substrate inhibition. The enzyme activity was maximal at pH 8.0 and temperature 35 degreesC. Magnesium ions activate the enzyme and manganese ions inhibit it. 3-Phosphoglycerate is an uncompetitive inhibitor of the enzyme (Ki = 1.22 +/- 0.05 mM). Fructose-6-phosphate, 6-phosphogluconate, and ADP activate PGM, whereas ATP, UTP, and AMP inhibit the enzyme. Citrate was also a potent inhibitor, inhibitory effects of isocitrate and cis-aconitate being less pronounced.     

Elimination from bone marrow of a supplementary population participating in the proliferation of pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells using mouse brain antiserum

Changes in the number of spleen exo-colonies and post-radiation repopulation of hematopoietic organs were studied in recipients upon injection of bone marrow treated with anti-brain serum (ABS) with and without thymocytes on days 9-14. It was shown that on days 9-11 colony formation in mice injected bone marrow treated with ABS was much lower than the control level. However, by day 14 the number of colonies increased drastically as compared to the control. Thymocyte supplementation normalized colony formation at any time of observation. Similar pattern is noted in post-radiation repopulation of spleen and bone marrow of mice injected bone marrow pretreated with ABS with or without thymocytes. It is assumed that ABS inactivates bone marrow cells participating in the regulation of CFUs proliferation.     

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in young Maine Coon cats caused by the p.A31P cMyBP-C mutation - the clinical significance of having the mutation

Background  

In Maine Coon (MC) cats the c.91G > C mutation in the gene MYBPC3, coding for cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C), is associated with feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (fHCM). The mutation causes a substitution of an alanine for a proline at residue 31 (p.A31P) of cMyBP-C. The pattern of inheritance has been considered autosomal dominant based on a single pedigree. However, larger studies are needed to establish the significance of cats being heterozygous or homozygous for the mutation with respect to echocardiographic indices and the probability of developing fHCM. The objective of the present study was to establish the clinical significance of being homozygous or heterozygous for the p.A31P cMyBP-C mutation in young to middle-aged cats.     

Mycotoxigenic infestation in samples of cereal straw from Bihar, India

A survey of different types of cereal straw samples viz. paddy, maize and wheat, from Bihar State, India, was conducted in order to examine the mould flora and mycotoxin contamination. Out of 170 samples examined for mould flora,Aspergillus flavus group of fungi had highest level of incidence followed byA niger. Isolates ofA flavus, A ochraceus, Fusarium verticillioides andPenicillium citrinum were screened for their mycotoxins producing abilities. Out of 75, 63 and 68 isolates ofA flavus group obtained from stored straw of paddy, maize and wheat samples, respectively, 27 (36%), 14 (22%) and 24 (35%) were found to be toxigenic which produced different combinations of aflatoxins in different concentrations. The percentage toxigenicity was comparatively lower in the isolates of other mycotoxigenic fungi from all types of samples. Out of 222 samples of straw analysed for natural occurrence of different mycotoxins, besides the aflatoxins present, zearalenone, ochratoxin A and citrinin were also recorded alone or as co-contaminants. A conducive climate together with the socioeconomic conditions of this region are important determinants for the high incidence of mycotoxins in cereal straw samples.