Genetic control of PQ prolongation of the electrocardiogram in the mouse immunized with the killed group A streptococci

Genetic control of PQ prolongation of the electrocardiogram (ECG) in the mouse, immunized with killed group A streptococci, was studied by using various congenic mice. Mice of H-2a, H-2k and H-2f haplotypes showed high frequencies of PQ prolongation, while haplotypes of H-2b, H-2d and H-2s showed low frequencies of PQ prolongation. Studies using various recombinant mice revealed that at least one immune-associated (Ir) gene mapped in the left side of the I-B subregion. High responsiveness of F1 hybrids of H-2b and H-2d, as well as B10.A(5R) and B10.A(3R), suggests the existence of a complementing gene. In addition, the differences between C3H and CKB, as well as differences between C3H.SW and CWB, indicate that another Ir gene maps in the immunoglobulin heavy chain (Igh) coding loci. Repeated injections of anti-I-J or anti-I-A antisera also modified this PQ prolongation. These results suggested that both the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and immunoglobulin (Igh) loci seem to be playing important roles in the pathogenesis of PQ prolongation.

Decomposition of PCB's in the radio-frequency glow discharge plasmas of oxygen, hydrogen, and water vapor

A study was made on the decomposition of PCB's in a radio-frequency glow discharge plasma. PCB's were completely decomposed in plasmas of a few Torr of oxygen, hydrogen, and water vapor. Gaseous products from PCB's in an oxygen plasma were carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water, hydrogen chloride, chlorine, and chlorine dioxide. Hazardous compounds such as phosgene and vinyl chloride were not detected by gc–ms analysis. The total quantity of oxygen flowed past the sample was only about three times the stoichiometric oxygen required for the perfect oxidation of PCB's. In a hydrogen plasma, PCB's gave ethane and isobutane as major gaseous products and several higher hydrocarbons as minor products. Almost all of the chlorine in PCB's was converted to hydrogen chloride. Major products from PCB's in a water vapor plasma were carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen chloride. No other products were detected. The mechanisms for reactions occurring in plasmas are discussed. The importance of the wall effect for the formation of solid products is discussed.

[Antihypertensive and related hemodynamic effects of a thiazide in desoxycorticosterone (DOC)/saline hypertensive rats]

Antihypertensive and related hemodynamic effects of trichlormethiazide (TCM), a thiazide, in DOC/saline hypertensive rats were investigated. To prepare hypertensive rats, 7-week-old male Wistar rats were subjected to nephrectomy of the left kidney, subcutaneously administered DOC (5 mg/kg X 3 times/week, or a 25-mg tablet), and given 1% saline solution as drinking water. When the systolic blood pressure of the rats reached about 200 mmHg, once-a-day oral administration of an arabic gum suspension of TCM was started. The results were: 1) Oral administration of TCM at no less than 3 mg/kg/day showed a dose-dependent, lasting antihypertensive effect throughout the experimental periods. 2) TCM administration effectively prevented the appearance of malignant hypertensive symptoms such as body weight loss, ischemia of the ocular fundus, and slight paralysis of extremities with the following pathological changes: hyalinization and fibrinoid necrosis of renal arteries and glomeruli, degeneration of renal tubules, and cardiac hypertrophy. 3) Although TCM had no effect throughout the experimental periods on the cardiac output (CO), which was determined by a modified dye-dilution method, total peripheral resistance (TPR) decreased from the first week of TCM administration. The antihypertensive effect of TCM in DOC/saline hypertensive rats is presumed to be associated with the decrease of TPR from early stages of therapy.

Direct activation of human adherent cells by yeast cell wall in vitro

Adherent cells from human peripheral blood could be activated by cocultivation with yeast cell wall for 3 days and the acid phosphatase activity of these cells was elevated. Lymphocyte response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was reduced in the presence of yeast cell wall ranging from 0.1 microgram/ml to 1000 micrograms/ml. When the activated adherent cells were added to non-adherent cells or the cells from lymphoid cell line (HD-10), derived from Hodgkin's disease, DNA synthesis of these target cells was suppressed. The supernatants from the activated adherent cells were also inhibitory to the proliferation of the cell line. It is suggested that this in vitro system is useful in investigating the mechanisms of macrophage activation and the roles of macrophages in immune responses.

Elevated cytostatic activity of monocytes from cancer patients

Cytostatic activity of peripheral blood monocytes from patients with head and neck cancer, gastro-intestinal cancer, uterine cervical cancer, benign tumors of the head and neck, inflammatory diseases and pulmonary tuberculosis was studied by using a cultured lymphoid cell line as the target cell. Significantly higher cytostatic activities were observed at an effector-target cell ratio of 5:1 in these patients (except for pulmonary tuberculosis patients) than in healthy controls. The cytostatic activity of the monocytes from gastric cancer patients was more elevated in advanced stages than in stage 1. The cytostatic activity of culture supernatants of monocytes from cancer patients did not differ from that of healthy controls. The activity of the monocytes following radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer was depressed. The significance of elevated cytostatic activity of monocytes in cancer patients is discussed.

In vitro kinetics of functional parameters of macrophage activation with lymphokines and its relation to tumor cell cytostasis

Effect of PPD-induced lymphokine on in vitro activation of peritoneal macrophages of mice was studied. During 15 min of incubation, promotion of macrophage spreading was observed even at 64 fold dilution, but the rate of spreading was rather inhibited after 48 hr. Phagocytosis of formalinized sRBC was stimulated after 30 min and 24 hr of incubation. Full cytostatic activity of macrophages was obtained after 48 hr of incubation with 8 and 32 fold diluted lymphokine-containing supernatants, but PPD alone did not render the macrophages cytostatic until that time. The lymphokine activity to render macrophage cytostatic was in parallel with the activity to induce macrophage spreading. Relation of these parameters in activation process of macrophages in vitro was discussed.

[Hemodynamic effects of some beta-adrenergic blocking agents in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (author's transl)]

The hemodynamic effects of propranolol, pindolol and practolol were investigated i conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Mean blood pressure (MBP), heart rate (HR) ard cardiac output (CO) were measured and total peripheral resistance (TPR) was calculated. CO was determined by the modified dye dilution method using an arterio-venous shunt between the left carotid artery and the right jugular vein. Intraperitoneal administration of propranolol (5 mg/kg), pindolol (0.1 mg/kg) or practolol (50 mg/kg) caused a sustained antihypertensive effect of a similar degree. The antihypertensive effect of propranolol (20-30 mmHg, 0.5-8 hr) was attributed to an early decrease of CO (0.5-4 hr) followed by a reduction of TPR (6-8 hr), while that of pindolol or practolol (30-50 mmHg, 0.5-8 hr, 30 mmHg, 2-8 hr) was apparently related to a reduction of TPR with a CO increment. HR decreased with propranolol but increased with pindolol, while only slight changes were observed with practolol. Antihypertensive effects of propranolol, pindolol or practolol were associated with characteristic hemodynamic changes.

Effects of combination treatment with vitamins E and C on chloasma and pigmented contact dermatitis. A double blind controlled clinical trial

A multi-clinical double-blind study on therapeutic effect of combination preparation of vitamins E and C was undertaken in comparison with single preparation of vitamin E and vitamin C in the treatment of chloasma or pigmented contact dermatitis (PCD). Combination treatment resulted in significantly better clinical improvement than vitamin C alone in both diseases. Objective data compiled from color difference measurements and color photographs revealed significantly better results with combination treatment in chloasma than vitamin C alone and, in PCD, than vitamin E or C alone. Differences in skin luminosity between hyperpigmented and normal areas significantly decreased in all three groups, with the combination group producing the most significant change. The total serum lipoperoxide level and its ratio to total serum lipids tended to decline in the combination group, and decreased significantly in vitamin E group. The sebum lipoperoxide level decreased significantly only in the combination group (EC).

Light induction of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase in etiolated maize leaf tissue

An antibody for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase was used to isolate and to quantitate the enzyme from greening maize (cv. KOU 6) leaves. The increase in enzyme activity during greening was due to de novo synthesis, which was paralleled by increases in enzyme protein and incorporation of leucine. The light-induced activity was due to one specific isoenzyme. The action spectrum for enzyme synthesis had red and blue peaks.

Cardiac output by dye dilution using a left carotid loop in conscious rats

By a modified dye dilution method using a simple dichromatic densitometer, cardiac output (CO) in conscious rats was determined. Under anesthesia, a carotid loop was made in the left carotid artery with a polyethylene tube (PE50) and exteriorized. A sensor of the densitometer was set at the center of the carotid loop. Indocyanine green dye solution was injected into the right atrium via the jugular vein. CO was calculated from the dye dilution curve obtained. In the conscious state (6 hours after ether anesthesia),CO in normotensive, spontaneously and DOC/saline hypertensive rats was determined without affecting blood pressure and heart rate. However, CO in the pentobarbital or urethane anesthetized rats was decreased with other hemodynamic changes. The validity of this method was confirmed with a hydraulic model system and in anesthetized open-chest cats using an electromagnetic flowmetry. From these studies, it was concluded that the modifed dye dilution method for measuring CO in conscious rats was reliable and useful for hemodynamic studies in hypertensive rats.

Cytostatic activity of in vitro activated human adherent cells against human tumor cell lines

Human adherent cells from peripheral blood were cultured with immunostimulant, BCG, yeast wall, or streptococcal preparation (OK-432), for 3 days, and the cytostatic activity of the adherent cells on human tumor cells was examined. The cells cultured in the presence of an immunostimulant exhibited increased phagocytic activity and the number of phagocytosed sheep red blood cells (sRBC) per cell increased. Adherent cells cultured without the immunostimulant showed slight cytostatic activity of 8 approximately 20%. HD-10 cells, derived from Hodgkin's disease, and QG-K and QG-U cells derived from uterine cervical cancer were more susceptible than HeLa cells to the adherent cells activated by OK-432 or yeast cell wall. Relationship between population doubling time and susceptibility to the cytostatic effect mediated by the activated adherent cells was not observed. The supernatant from the activated adherent cells was also effective in inhibiting DNA synthesis of the rapidly proliferating target cells, HD-10 cells and HeLa cells. However, the proliferation of the other two cell lines was enhanced. The effect of activated adherent cells on tumor cell proliferation and its relation to cytostasis were examined and discussed.

Effect of immunochemotherapy with OK-432 and yeast cell wall on the activities of peritoneal macrophages of mice

The effect of chemotherapy combined with immunostimulants on the activities of macrophages in mice was studied. The number of macrophages and exudate cells in the peritoneal cavity increased 3 days after ip injection with mitomycin-C, cyclophosphamide, and 5-fluorouracil together with OK-432 or yeast cell wall and decreased to normal level after 9 days, while the number of the cells remained decreased in mice receiving multi-drugs alone. Acid phosphatase activity of the macrophages of mice was elevated after the simultaneous injection of yeast cell wall and OK-432, and high activity was preserved in the macrophages of mice receiving yeast cell wall even after 9 days. Spreading of these cells was also enhanced. Macrophage activities examined by these assays were maximal in every respect 6 days after combination therapy. Cytostatic activity of the cells was strengthened after 6 days by combined use of OK-432 or yeast cell wall. Role of the activated macrophages in combination therapy was discussed.

A recent trend of drug dependence in Kurume district (southern Japan)

With the intention of grasping the trend of drug dependence in recent years, a comparative study was made of the relative prevalence of three different types of drug dependence, i.e., the sociopathic, neurotic and iatrogenic types, in each of the three postwar decades among patients seen at the neuropsychiatric clinic of Kurume University. As a result it was found that the recent trend of drug dependence has the following features: (1) multiplicity of drugs involved, (2) a continuing high incidence of the iatrogenic types, (3) resurgence of the sociopathic type, making the recent pattern of drug dependence similar to that prevailing in postwar years, and (4) prevalence of dependence or abuse among the younger generation. Consideration was also given to the sociopathologic significance of these recent features of drug dependence.

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity of sera from cancer patients against cultured cervical cancer cell lines

Cytotoxicity of sera from cervical cancer patients mediated by peripheral blood lymphocytes against cervical cancer cell lines was studied. Percentages of reduction of target QG-K by sera from healthy controls and cervical cancer patients were 4.7% and 32.0%, respectively. Sera from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis also exhibited antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) against the cells. Especially, high degree of activity was observed in the sera from patients with stage IV and the activity decreased to the control level in recurrent cases. The titer of the sera varied against different target cell lines, and the activity was found even at 1:10(4) dilution of the sera. These activities remained after absorption of the serum with other tumor cells. Complement-dependent cytotoxic activity of the sera was not observed. The meaning of the cytotoxic activity of the sera from cervical cancer patients was discussed.

Effect of immunochemotherapy on lymphocyte response of patients with gastrointestinal cancer

Patients with gastrointestinal cancer were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in combination with a streptococcal preparation, OK-432, or without OK-432 before operation, and lymphocyte response to PHA was examined. Oral administration of 5-FU with or without intramuscular injection of OK-432 did not affect the response. However, treatment with cytostatic drugs in combination with OK-432 markedly augmented the lymphocyte response to PHA, but the cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes was not elevated.

Antihypertensive effect of trichlormethiazide in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Antihypertensive and diuretic effects of trichlormethiazide (TCM) were investigated in the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The antihypertensive effect of TCM in an acute experiment was observed in male SHR only at a dose over 10 mg/kg given intraperitoneally and not in female SHR and normotensive Kyoto Wistar rats. In a subacute experiment (6 weeks), TCM retarded the development of hypertension in the male SHR loaded with 1% saline solution at an oral dose over 1 mg kg-1 day-1 and such had a diuretic effect. Oral administration of TCM and hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) at 10 mg kg-1 day-1 retarded the development of hypertension in the saline loaded female SHR to the same degree, but the relationship between antihypertensive and diuretic effects of both compounds was obscure. Except for decreases of water contents in the thoracic artery and wet weights of hearts, the electrolyte, uric acid, catecholamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine contents in the serum or/and organs were not affected by either TCM or HCT. It is concluded that the antihypertensive effect of TCM and HCT can be observed in SHR with a saline-load, and that the effect may be due to diuretic actions in the male. The relationship was not apparent in female SHR.

Lymphotoxin production in cancer patients: possible relation to blastogenesis and the degree of tumor disease

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy donors, cancer patients, and noncancer patients were cultured with or without phytohemagglutinin (PHA) for 3 days, supernatant containing lymphotoxin (LT) was added to L cells, and LT activities were examined. LT release by PHA-stimulated lymphocytes from patients with uterine cervical cancer in stages 0 and I decreased and the degree of the decrease was much more marked in stage IV. However, LT activities released spontaneously without PHA were higher in patients with uterine myoma, patients with uterine cervical cancer in stages II to IV, patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, and patients with gastro-intestinal cancer. Relation of LT release and blastogenesis following stimulation with PHA was also examined. Correlation was observed in only 14 out of 43 patients with uterine cervical cancer (32.6%). The role of LT in cancer patients was discussed.

Antitumor effect of combined use of OK-432 and yeast cell wall with mitomycin-C in mice

Tumor-inhibitory effect of combined use of mitomycin-C and streptococcal preparation (OK-432) or yeast cell wall (YCW) was examined. Twenty-four hours after intraperitoneal inoculation of Ehrlich carcinoma cells, combination therapy was carried out and tumor growth was observed for 40 days. About one-half of mice treated with yeast cell wall at a single dose of 1 mg survived free of tumor. Mitomycin-C at a single dose of 2 microgram was not effective. However, in combination with yeast cell wall, tumor suppression was observed in 70% of the mice. This tumor-inhibitory effect was enhanced by subsequent treatment with OK-432 or yeast cell wall. When these materials were injected separately or in combination with mitomycin-C, the number of peritoneal exudate cells increased about 3 to 6 times after 3 days and these cells exhibited cytotoxic effect on tumor cells. Hemagglutinating antibody to sheep erythrocytes was hardly affected by the combination therapy.

Cell-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro of human lymphocytes against a cervical cancer cell line

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with uterine cervical cancer were tested against a cervical cancer cell line by micro-cytotoxicity assay. In stage O, high degree of cytotoxicity was observed but it decreased with progression of disease. In stage IV and recurrent cases, cytotoxic activity was negligible. Lymphocytes from healthy controls and myoma patients were not cytotoxic against target cells. On the other hand, lymphocyte response of phytohemagglutinin as a nonspecific T-cell activity was as high as the of healthy control in stage O, but the response decreased in stages I to IV and recurrent cases. In stages I to III, several cases showed cytotoxic activity but decreased response to phytohemagglutinin.

Mouse strain difference in the expression of antitumor activity of PS-K

Effect of PS-K on tumor growth and antibody production was studied in inbred C57BL/6, SL, C3H/He, and AKR mice, and in colony-bred ICR mice. (1) PS-K exhibited antitumor activity on sarcoma-180 in ICR mice, but not in AKR mice. Growth of sarcoma-180 was suppressed to the intermediate extent in other strains. (2) In ICR strain, antibody production against trinitrophenyl was depressed in mice bearing sarcoma-180 and restored by PS-K. In AKR mice, on the other hand, antibody production was not depressed in tumor-bearing state and was not augmented by PS-K. Other strains showed intermediate degrees of suppression of antibody-producing capacity by sarcoma-180 and its restoration by PS-K.CR strain, the growth of Ehrlich tumor as the challenge tumor was enhanced in mice bearing sarcoma-180 as compared to that in controls. After the treatment with PS-K in this strain, however, not only the growth of sarcoma-180 but also of Ehrlich tumor was inhibited completely. On the other hand, the growth of Ehrlich tumor in AKR strain was neither enhanced in mice bearing sarcoma-180 nor inhibited by PS-K.

Restoration of antibody-forming capacities by PS-K in tumor-bearing mice

PS-K, a protein-bound polysaccharide from a basidiomycetes, was found to suppress tumor growth after grafting of sarcoma-180 or Ehrlich tumor in ICR mice. In the present study, effect of PS-K on antibody-forming capacities was examined in tumor-bearing mice and normal controls. 1) PS-K did not enhance the capacities of normal mice to produce antibodies against sheep erythrocytes (SRBC), hamster erythrocytes (HRBC), and trinitrophenyl group (TNP). 2) The capacities of mice to produce IgG antibody against SRBC, IgM antibody aganist HRBC, and IgG antibody against TNP were depressed after grafting of sarcoma-180. Intraperitoneal injection of PS-K restored these capacities to the normal levels. 3) Oral as well as intraperitoneal administration of PS-K restored the capacity of the mice bearing sarcoma-180 to produce IgG antibody against SRBC. 4) The capacity to produce IgG antibody against SRBC was depressed after grafting of Ehrlick tumor and it recovered to the normal level after intraperitoneal injection of PS-K. These results showed that antibody-fforming capacity of mice was depressed after tumor grafing and recovered after administration of PS-K.