Establishment of a human T cell hybridoma cell line producing suppressor factor specific for anti-thyroglobulin antibody production

Thyroglobulin (Tg)-binding peripheral blood T cells from a normal individual were fused with a T cell leukemia cell line (Jurkat-AG9) treated by emetine and actinomycin D. Several cell lines were established from thus-prepared human T cell hybridomas. The culture supernatant from one of these lines (Tg-Ts47) whose phenotype was OKT3- 11+ 4+ 8- suppressed the generation of Tg-specific antibody-forming cells from the lymphocytes of patients with Hashimotos' chronic thyroiditis, but not anti-SRBC and anti-ovalbumin antibody production from both autologous and patient lymphocytes. Tg-Ts47-derived factors also bore Tg antigen-binding sites. The suppressive activity of the supernatants was shown in almost all patients lymphocytes tested. This indicated that the supernatants of Tg-Ts47 line contain a suppressive factor specific for Tg antigen and capable of acting across allogeneic barriers.     

A case of von Recklinghausen's disease associated with pheochromocytoma and papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland

A 58-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital complaining of headache, dizziness and intermittent elevation of blood pressure. Multiple café-au-lait spots and neurofibromas had appeared on the back and the limbs since the age of 30 years. At the age of 54 years she underwent total thyroidectomy because of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland. On admission, the levels of plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine, urinary norepinephrine and normetanephrine were all within the normal range. However, urinary excretion of metanephrine was markedly increased to 1.49 +/- 0.45 (Mean +/- SD) mg/day and that of epinephrine was also slightly increased. The computed tomographic scans of the abdomen and the scintigraphy with 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine revealed a tumor mass in the region of the right adrenal gland. The tumor was histologically confirmed to be pheochromocytoma at the operation. In her family history, her mother and one of her two sisters had von Recklinghausen's disease and another sister suffered from follicular carcinoma of the thyroid gland. As far as we know, this paper is the first report of a patient with von Recklinghausen's disease associated with both pheochromocytoma and non-medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland, and her family.     

Metabolism of C26 bile alcohols in the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana

Metabolism of C26 bile alcohols in the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, was studied. [24-14C]-24-Dehydro-26-deoxy-5 beta-ranol (3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha-trihydroxy-27-nor-5 beta-cholestan-24-one) was chemically synthesized from [24-14C]cholic acid and incubated with bullfrog liver homogenate fortified with NADPH. 24-Dehydro-26-deoxy-5 beta-ranol was shown to be converted into both 26-deoxy-5 beta-ranol and 24-epi-26-deoxy-5 beta-ranol [(24S)- and (24R)-27-nor-5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha,24-tetrols] in addition to 5 beta-ranol [(24R)-27-nor-5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha,24,26-pentol], which is the major bile alcohol of the bullfrog. [24-3H]-26-Deoxy-5 beta-ranol and [24-3H]-24-epi-26-deoxy-5 beta-ranol were prepared from 24-dehydro-26-deoxy-5 beta-ranol by reduction with sodium [3H] borohydride and administered respectively to two each of four bullfrogs by intraperitoneal injection. After 24 h, labeled 5 beta-ranol was isolated from the bile of the bullfrogs that received [24-3H]-26-deoxy-5 beta-ranol. In contrast little if any radioactivity could be detected in 5 beta-ranol or its 24-epimer after administration of [24-3H]-24-epi-26-deoxy-5 beta-ranol.     

Knowledge based diagnosis of inoculum properties and sterilization time in lactic acid fermentation

Summary A knowledge based system has been shown to be a powerful tool for diagnosing microbial activities during a fermentation process. Knowledge about lactic acid fermentation was collected by an experimental study ofLactobacillus casei. The effects of the inoculum properties and sterilization time on the cultivation were expressed in a form of a fuzzy rule-based knowledge network. The system was able to detect abnormal inoculum or sterilization conditions which caused malfunctions in the cultivations.     

Interferon gamma modulates the ability of autologous non-T cells to stimulate T cells to produce and respond to interleukin 2

The interactions of T-cell receptor with self-Ia antigen on non-T cells induced IL-2 production and IL-2 receptors on the cell surface and thus responsiveness to IL-2 of T cells in autologous mixed-lymphocyte reaction (AMLR). Four-day-cultured autologous non-T cells lost their ability to stimulate T cells to produce and respond to IL-2 with concurrent decrease of HLA-DR and HLA-DQ antigen expressed on the cell surface. Culturing of non-T cells with 500 U/ml of recombinant interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) maintained their stimulating ability which was otherwise lost. Treatment of non-T cells with monoclonal anti-HLA-DR or anti-HLA-DQ antibody before mixture with T cells abrogated their ability to induce IL-2 production and IL-2 responsiveness of T cells. The combined data suggested that Ia antigen expressed on non-T cells is modulated by IFN-gamma, which increases the ability of non-T cells to stimulate autologous T cells to produce and respond to IL-2.     

Interleukin 1 alpha mRNA in virus-transformed T and B cells

IL-1 alpha cDNA clone was isolated from a T cell line infected by the human T lymphotropic retrovirus type-I (HTLV-I/ATLV). We found significant amounts of mRNA hybridizing to IL-1 alpha cDNA not only in HTLV-I-transformed T cells but also in Epstein-Barr Virus-transformed B cells. A part of IL-2 receptor inducing activity in Adult T cell leukemia (ATL) cell line seems to be due to IL-1 alpha.     

Isolation and characterization of a hemocyte aggregation inhibitor from hemolymph of Manduca sexta larvae

A protein that inhibits hemocyte aggregation has been isolated from hemolymph of Manduca sexta larvae and named hemocyte aggregation inhibitor protein (HAIP). HAIP has a M_r = 50,000, pI = 8.5, and contains 7% carbohydrate. It is present at 230 ± 20 μg/ml in hemolymph of day 3 fifth instar larvae. Antibodies to HAIP do not cross-react with M. sexta hemolin, which is similar in size and charge and also inhibits hemocyte aggregation. HAIP and hemolin have some similarity in amino acid composition and NH₂-terminal sequence, but are different in overall secondary structure, as determined by CD spectroscopy. The concentration of HAIP in hemolymph is not affected by injection of larvae with bacteria. A protein of approximately 50,000 daltons that reacts with antibody to M. sexta HAIP is present in hemolymph of Bombyx mori, Heliothis zea, and Galleria mellonella. Although the function of HAIP in vivo is not yet clear, it may have a role in modulating adhesion of hemocytes during defensive responses. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

A Tripolar Spindle Formed at Meiosis I Assures the Retention of the Original Ploidy in the Gynogenetic Triploid Crucian Carp, Ginbuna Carassius auratus langsdorfii

A triploid crucian carp, ginbuna ( Carassius auratus langsdorfii ), reproduces by gynogenesis, in which sperm of diploid ginbuna or of other species triggers the development of the triploid eggs, but a male genome makes no contribution to the zygotic genome. Gynogenesis is maintained by two mechanisms: exclusion of male genome during fertilization and retention of somatic ploidy levels during oogenesis. We examined the mechanisms responsible for producing unreduced eggs. Microfluorometry with a DNA staining dye showed that DNA content in the ginbuna oocytes was not reduced in half during meiosis I. Cytological observations revealed that a tripolar spindle was formed at meiosis I and the first polar body was not extruded, whereas an ordinary bipolar spindle was formed and the second polar body was extruded at meiosis II. Activity of histone H1 kinase (as an indicator of maturation-promoting factor) decreased transiently between meiosis I and II, strongly suggesting a "normal" meiotic cycle progression in the ginbuna oocytes. These results have indicated that in the gynogenetic ginbuna the somatic ploidy levels are maintained by inhibiting the first polar body extrusion via the formation of the tripolar spindle at meiosis I.     

Beneficial effect of ACE inhibitor in congestive heart failure

The effects of captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, on congestive heart failure (CHF) were investigated in animal and clinical studies. Congestive heart failure was induced in rats by a combination of pressure and volume overload. Cardiac pressure overload was induced by constricting one renal artery (Goldblatt rat) and volume overload was induced by aorto-caval fistula. Captopril (100 mg/kg/day) was then administered for 14 weeks. Isometric contraction was assessed using isolated left ventricular papillary muscles. The maximum developed tension and the maximum rate of increase in tension (dT/dtmax) were decreased in untreated rats with CHF and improved in captopriltreated rats. The left ventricular myosin isoenzyme pattern was shifted towards V3 in untreated rats with CHF, and was shifted back towards V1 in the captopril-treated rats. In the clinical study, captopril (37.5–75 mg/day) was administered to patients with cardiomyopathy for 12 months. There was no effect on left ventricular mass in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, although systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve disappeared in one patient. In dilated cardiomyopathy, however, left ventricular mass tended to decrease. These results indicate that captopril has a beneficial effect in congestive heart failure.