Proximal obstruction of the inferior canaliculus treated by superior canaliculotomy

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Effects of alpha-amanitin on the stimulation of prostatic ribonucleic acid polymerase by prostatic steroid-protein receptor complexes

Stimulation of prostatic RNA polymerase in vitro by prostatic 17beta-hydroxy-5alpha-androstan-3-one (5alpha-dihydrotestosterone)-receptor complexes has been previously reported. By use of the selective inhibitor, alpha-amanitin, we have shown that both nucleolar and extranucleolar RNA polymerase activities may be stimulated, but stimulation is abolished at high ionic strength.

Changes in cellular enzyme levels and extracellular release of lysosomal acid hydrolases in macrophages exposed to group A streptococcal cell wall substance

Mouse peritoneal macrophages exposed to type-specific polysaccharide and peptidoglycan (PPG) from group A streptococci undergo marked morphologic and biochemical changes. The cells show increases in size and an increased number of lysosomes as demonstrated by vital staining with acridine orange. There are significant elevations in the levels of both lysosomal and nonlysosomal enzymes. Higher doses of PPG cause selective release of the hydrolases into the extracellular environment with no detectable loss of cell viability. The in vitro phenomena may be relevant to understanding the role of macrophages in chronic inflammation.

Stimulation of ribonucleic acid polymerase activity in vitro by prostatic steroid-protein receptor complexes

A system has been developed which allows the stimulation in vitro of prostatic RNA polymerase by prostatic 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone-protein receptor complexes prepared from the tissues of castrated rats. The reconstitution in vitro of such a system necessitates the purification of several subcellular components. Two 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone-receptor complexes are located in the prostatic soluble supernatant fraction, separable by selective ammonium sulphate fractionation, and one complex can be isolated from the nuclear fraction. In the presence of all these complexes, stimulation of RNA polymerase in intact nuclei and nucleoli was observed. The complexes also increased the activity of the enzyme solubilized from whole nuclei. Greater stimulation of this system was noted in the presence of prostatic chromatin as template, as compared with that observed with calf thymus DNA or liver chromatin as template. The effects of the complexes on subnuclear forms of RNA polymerase, of nucleolar and extranucleolar origin, are also described. RNA polymerase solubilized from nucleoli is more susceptible to stimulation by the 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone-receptor complexes than is the ;nucleoplasmic' enzyme. Stimulation occurs less readily in the presence of Mn(2+) and at high ionic strength than in the presence of Mg(2+) and at low ionic strength. Preliminary experiments show that prostatic nucleolar RNA polymerase transcribes prostatic chromatin poorly as compared with the nucleoplasmic enzyme. The observations reported indicate an involvement of non-histone proteins associated with DNA in the process by which stimulation of enzyme activity by the 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone-receptor complexes is achieved. The implications of these findings in the mechanism of steroid hormone action is considered.

Stability of clearing-factor lipase in rat adipose tissue

The stability at 42 degrees C of clearing-factor lipase in adipose tissue, and in intact fat-cells isolated from it, was investigated. That portion of the total activity of the tissue which is associated with the fat-cell is stable under such conditions. This stability is markedly diminished when the fat-cell is disrupted.

Selective release of lysosomal hydrolases from phagocytic cells by cytochalasin B

1. Cytochalasin B (10mug/ml) enhances the release of rabbit polymorphonuclear leucocyte lysosomal acid hydrolases induced by retinol (vitamin A alcohol). 2. This effect is seen at doses of the vitamin that cause selective release of acid hydrolases and those causing more general enzyme release indicated by the loss of lactate dehydrogenase. 3. Cytochalasin B (2-50mug/ml) has no effect on the release of sedimentable acid hydrolases of intact granules obtained from disrupted polymorphonuclear leucocytes. 4. Cytochalasin B (2-10mug/ml) causes a time- and dose-dependent release of mouse peritoneal macrophage acid hydrolases. 5. This effect is selective at all doses of cytochalasin B used, since no release of lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase and leucine 2-naphthylamidase was detected. 6. Treatment with cytochalasin B at doses of up to 10mug/ml for as long as 72h did not significantly change the total activities of any of the enzymes measured. 7. The lack of toxicity of cytochalasin B was shown by dye-exclusion tests and its failure to release radioactive colloidal gold stored in secondary lysosomes.

Cytotoxicity of immune guinea-pig cells. II. The mechanism of macrophage cytotoxicity

Macrophages from immune guinea-pigs, as well as macrophages from non-immune animals in the presence of specific antibody, were cytotoxic to chicken erythrocytes. Elution from macrophages produced a γ₂-globulin which enabled non-immune macrophages to form rosettes with chicken erythrocytes, to phagocytose, and to show cytotoxicity towards such cells. This antibody was target-cell specific; it also rendered spleen cells cytotoxic. Isoelectric focusing of antiserum gave a peak of cytophilic antibody at pH 6.8–7.6 which proved to be in the γ₂ region.

The significance of phagocytosis for the cytotoxic process was examined with the aid of cytochalasin B which inhibited macrophage—phagocytosis, but produced enhanced cytotoxicity in this sytem. At the same time there was greatly increased release of lysosomal enzymes from macrophages in the presence of target cells. It is considered that, although phagocytosis is of significance for macrophage cytotoxicity, target cell destruction can also occur by the liberation of lysosomal enzymes from the plasma membrane into the target cell when this is in close surface contact.

Immunological studies in acute myeloid leukaemia: PHA responsiveness and serum inhibitory factors

Sera from 16 of 20 patients with AML at some stage of the disease inhibited the in vitro PHA transformation of normal lymphocytes assessed by measuring the rate of DNA synthesis after 67-70 hours; 42% of pretreatment sera were inhibitory. Inhibitory activity was overcome at PHA concentrations 2-3 times greater than the concentration which allowed maximum discrimination between NHS and leukaemia sera.PHA transformation of washed lymphocytes obtained from AML patients before treatment and when receiving induction or consolidation (cytoreductive) chemotherapy was reduced only when cultures contained a high proportion of primitive cells. Even in primitive cell contaminated cultures significant responses to PHA could be measured if conditions were modified to prevent increasing acidity.Reports of reduced in vitro immunological reactions in pretreatment and poor prognosis patients may therefore be due to the presence of primitive cells in culture, and in treated patients to the failure of chemotherapy to reduce the circulating primitive cell count. Serum inhibitory factors may have a significant immunosuppressive effect in vivo, but the accurate assessment of the role of immune mechanisms in AML should attempt the measurement of specific immunity.

Carnitine enhances the effect of norepinephrine on oxygen consumption in rats and mice

In adult rats and mice the rise in oxygen consumption due to the subcutaneous injection of norepinephrine is doubled if carnitine (6 or 10 mg/100 g) is also injected.

Characterization of a neutral protease from lysosomes of rabbit polymorphonuclear leucocytes

1. The subcellular distribution has been investigated of a protease from rabbit polymorphonuclear leucocytes, obtained from peritoneal exudates. The enzyme, optimally active between pH7.0 and 7.5, hydrolyses histone but not haemoglobin, sediments almost exclusively with a granule fraction rich in other lysosomal enzymes, and is latent until the granules are disrupted by various means. 2. Enzymic analysis of specific and azurophilic granules separated by zonal centrifugation showed that neutral protease activity was confined to fractions rich in enzymes characteristic of azurophile granules. 3. Recovery of neutral protease activity from subcellular fractions was several times greater than that found in whole cells. This finding was explained by the presence of a potent inhibitor of the enzyme activity in the cytoplasm. 4. The effect of the inhibitor was reversed by increasing ionic strength (up to 2.5m-potassium chloride) and by polyanions such as heparin and dextran sulphate, but not by an uncharged polymer, dextran. 5. The enzyme was also inhibited, to a lesser extent, by 1-chloro-4-phenyl-3-l-toluene-p-sulphonamidobutan-2-one, soya-bean trypsin inhibitor and in-aminohexanoate (in-aminocaproate). 6. The granule fractions failed to hydrolyse artificial substrates for trypsin and chymotrypsin. 7. Partial separation of the enzyme was achieved by Sephadex gel filtration at high ionic strength and by isoelectric focusing. The partially separated, activated enzyme showed an approximately 300-fold increase in specific activity over that in whole cells.

Experimental studies on the chemosterilization of Schistosoma mansoni

Treatment of mice infected with S. mansoni by various sterilants effective against male rodents produced phases of inhibition of schistosome oviposition assessed by miracidial counts. In the treated worms, besides apparent disappearance of the testes, marked involution of ovarian tissue occurred. The gonads of both male and female worms seem to be directly affected by the antifertility substances. It is suggested that gamete production in both sexes follows similar lines in contrast to the finite reservoir of meiotic oocytes in mammals.