Solubilized bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) from mouse osteosarcoma and rat demineralized bone matrix

A selection of proteins including bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) was extracted in a disaggregated form from Dunn osteosarcoma or rat demineralized bone matrix by 4M guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) solution without losing its biological activity. The GuHCl extracts of Dunn osteosarcoma were divied into 4 different fractions by cesium chloride (CsCl) density gradients. Under a dissociative condition, the highest new bone yield was obtained in the low dense top one-third fraction, and BMP acitivity declined with increase in the density of each fraction. No BMP potential was observed in the surface-gel fraction under dissociative conditions. Under an associative condition (low GuHCl concentrations), BMP activity appears in the surface-gel fraction, while under a dissociative condition (high concentrations of GuHCl) BMP appears in the fraction below the surface gel. These facts suggest that under associative conditions, BMP aggregates with other low dense proteins in the surface-gel fraction and that this may be the state of aggregation of BMP in cells and matrix in nature. Present observations support the assumption that BMP is a relatively low density protein and excludes the idea of BMP activity in the collagen molecule, per se. A specific protein, with an apparent molecular weight of 63,000 daltons, is present in all fractions that exhibit BMP activity, and absent in fractions that do not exhibit this activity. BMP is not species-specific; rat BMP induces bone formation in mice. CsCl density-gradient centrifugation is an efficient tool for further purification and isolation of BMP.

Cytotoxic and cytolytic action of the subcellular fraction (60-F) of live hemolytic streptococci against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells

The cytotoxic effect of 60-F, a subcellular fraction obtained from 0.5 approximately 0.6 saturation of cell-free extract of live hemolytic streptococci (Su-strain) with ammonium sulfate on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells was studied by the assay of incorporation of nucleosides and amino acid, and by the in vitro-in vivo cytocidal experiment. Additionally, the cytolytic effect of 60-F was examined by the assay of RNA and DNA released from the tumor cells. It was found that the tumor cells treated with 60-F did not take up thymidine, uridine, or leucine, that 60-F eradicated the transplantability of tumor cells in mice, and that 60-F released RNA but not DNA from the tumor cells.

Comparative experiments with hemolytic streptococcus and its anticancer preparations (OK-431 and OK-432) for their cytolytic activity

The comparative in vitro cytolytic effects of living hemolytic streptococcus, a low virulent su-strain, and its streptococcal preparations (OK-431 and OK-432) on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells were investigated. It was shown that living cocci and OK-431 released 51Cr from 51Cr-labeled tumor cells by contact in vitro, but OK-432 did not release 51Cr at all. Moreover, the effects of living cocci, OK-431 and OK-432 were also examined by assay of the release of RNA and DNA from the tumor cells. It was confirmed that living cocci released RNA and DNA, but OK-431 released slightly RNA, not DNA from the tumor cells, whereas OK-432 did not cause these release at all. Consequently, it appeared that living cocci of Su-strain have more cytolytic activity than OK-431, and that OK-432 have no cytolytic activity in tumor cells.

[The mechanism of anti-vascular permeability of 2-(2-fluoro-4-biphenylyl) propionic acid(Flurbiprofen) (author's transl)]

Effect of 2-(2-fluoro-4-biphenylyl) propionic acid(Flurbiprofen, FP-70) on increased vascular permeability was studied using the potentiation of bradykinin-induced vascular permeability by prostaglandin in the guinea pig skin, as the test system. Prostaglandin E1 or E2 (1 microgram/site) alone did not show increased vascular permeability but did enhance the effect of various concentrations of bradykinin when concomitantly applied, whereas prostaglandin F2 alpha did not potentiate the effect of bradykinin on vascular permeability. Arachidonic acid (100 microgram/site) had no effect on vascular permeability when injected alone or in combination with bradykinin. However, arachidonic acid enhanced the effect of bradykinin when given 30 min before bradykinin. FP-70 had no inhibitory effect on prostaglandin E1 potentiation of bradykinin-induced vascular permeability. On the other hand, FP-70 completely abolished the enhancement of the effect of bradykinin by arachidonic acid. These results strongly suggest that anti-vascular permeability action of FP-70 may be due to inhibition of prostaglandin synthetase. Indomethacin and acetylsalicylic acid also exhibit similar effects. However, the inhibitory effect of FP-70 was 12.5 and 166.7 times as potent as indomethacin and acetylsalicylic acid, respectively.

Cytolytic action of 60-F derived from live hemolytic streptococci against Ehrlich carcinoma cells

The effect of 60-F, a fraction obtained by 0.5 approximately 0.6 saturation of ammonium sulfate of streptomycin-pretreated cell-free extract from live hemolytic streptococci (avirulent Su strain), on release of 51Cr from the 51Cr-labeled Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells was studied with following results: a) 60-F was found to be highly effective in releasing 51Cr from 51Cr-labeled Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells. b) Additionally, destructive picutres of the tumor cells contacted with 60-F in vitro was observed by phase-contrast microscopic examination. c) Indication was that the 51Cr-releasing assay method is also useful for the study of the direct cytolytic effect of 60-F.

Tyramine oxidase activity in needle biopsy of normal livers and diseased livers

Tyramine oxidase and UDP-glucuronyl transferase activities were determined in 52 diseased livers obtained by needle biopsy. 14 liver specimens were also subjected to acetyl CoA carboxylase determination. Tyramine oxidase level was elevated in livers with nonalcoholic fatty change or toxic hepatitis, and reduced in livers with fibrosis or chronic alcoholic injury. UDP-glucuronyl transferase activity was reduced in livers with severe parenchymal damage or hyperbilirubinemia. Acetyl CoA carboxylase activity decreased markedly in an active alcoholic cirrhotic liver, and was elevated in alcoholic fatty livers as well as in a liver with acute venous stasis.

Effect of sulfated polysaccharides on blood-borne pulmonary metastasis in rats

The inhibitory effect of sulfated polysaccharides on blood-borne metastasis was examined. As a model of blood-borne metastasis, the ascitic form of hepatoma AH-109A tumor was injected intravenously into Donryu strain rats. Examination of the pulmonary metastatic nodules developed 2 weeks later showed inhibitory effect of the five sulfated polysaccharides tested. Xylan sulfate was the most inhibitory, and exerted its inhibitory effect when the tumor cells were in the pulmonary capillary beds. However, fromthe rapid disappearance of radioactivity from the lungs after injection of 125IUDR-labeled AH-109A cells, tumor cells seemed to be retained in the lungs for only a very short time. Measurement of the anticoagulative and fibrinolytic activities of three sulfated polysaccharides showed that the inhibitory effect of these compounds on blood-borne metastasis was proportional to their anticoagulative and fibrinolytic activities, xylan sulfate showing the highest activities. These results suggest that sulfated polyaccharides may inhibit blood-borne pulmonary metastasis by inhibiting the lodging of tumor cells in the pulmonary capillary beds.