Preparation of soluble immune response suppressor and macrophage-derived suppressor factor

Concanavalin A-activated murine suppressor T cells act via the mediator, soluble immune response suppressor (SIRS) which non-specifically suppresses IgM and IgG antibody responses to a variety of antigens, cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses and proliferative responses to alloantigens and mitogens in vitro. SIRS is a protein with an apparent MW of 45,000-55,000; the target of SIRS is the macrophage (M phi). M phi following treatment with SIRS release a second factor, M phi-derived suppressor factor (M phi-SF), which is directly responsible for the observed suppression of responses. Moreover. M phi-SF appears to be modified SIRS by all criteria used to date; M phi-SF can be obtained by reacting SIRS with low concentrations of H2O2 in the absence of M phi. Thus, M phi appear to serve only as a source of H2O2 and the mechanism of M phi-SF action action appears to have an oxidative basis. M phi-SF activity is lost following treatment with sulfhydryl reagents such as 2-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol or cysteine, reducing agents such as NaBH4 and a variety of peroxidase substrates such as pyrogallol, phenylenediamine, and ascorbic acid. Additionally, M phi-SF-mediated inhibition can be reversed by high concentrations of 2 mercaptoethanol or dithiothreitol under appropriate conditions. Since M phi-SF appears to be modified SIRS, oxidized by peroxide, and not a distinct second mediator produced by M phi in response to SIRS, we propose eliminating the term M phi-SF and using SIRSox to denote the active form of SIRS produced either by the SIRS-H2O2 reaction or SIRS-treated M phi.

Successful treatment by defibrination with ancrod in a patient with hyperacute renal allograft failure and a deficiency of plasma prostacyclin stimulating factor

Hyperacute and renal allograft failure, whether due to rejection or other mechanisms, such as perfusion injury, is usually associated with extensive intraglomerular fibrin deposition and allograft loss. Defibrination with ancrod was used to treat a patient with hyperacute renal allograft failure and extensive glomerular fibrin deposition and necrosis. The patient's plasma had normal fibrinolytic activity but a complete absence of the ability to generate prostacyclin-like activity from rat aortic endothelium "in vitro". Treatment was associated with complete recovery of renal function, disappearance of glomerular fibrin, and restoration toward normal of glomerular structure.

International collaborative study on the assay of commerically available high and low molecular weight urokinases

Urokinases of different molecular weights are now commerically available. An international collaborative study (eight laboratories) has been conducted to investigate the effect of type and concentration of plasminogen on the assay of two different urokinase preparations against the International Reference Preparation (IRP). Considerable inter-laboratory variation in relative potency estimation was found, and a small effect of plasminogen concentration, independent of type, was apparent.

The Limulus amebocyte lysate endotoxin assay: current status

Research conducted during this decade has clearly established the Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) test as the most sensitive assay for bacterial endotoxin. In addition, the assay is easily performed, relatively inexpensive, specific for endotoxin, and can be used to test materials that are toxic to rabbits employed in the rabbit pyrogen test. The LAL test has been used in the diagnosis of meningitis, urinary infection, mastitis, and endotoxemia. Other broad applications of the test include quality assurance of parenteral solutions and medical devices as well as the microbial quality of food and water. A review of recent developments in LAL testing is presented and experimental applications of the assay are discussed.

Digital picture analysis in microphotometry of biological materials

Automatic evaluation of two-dimensional thin-layer-chromatograms exemplarily demonstrates the applicability of signal processing, image analysis, and pattern recognition to microphotometry by an enlarged dynamic range of the photometer, improved reproducibility by noise reduction, discrimination between objects and background, feature extraction and automatic classification of the results. Emphasis is put on simple procedures which are tested in routine work and can be implemented on minicomputers.

[Study of Vibrio cholerae fractions. III. The gel chromatographic and immunochemical characteristics of vibrionin]

Three fractions differing by molecular weight (fraction 1--greater than 14 x 10(4)--less than 2 x 10(6) dalton, fraction 11--greater than 7 x 10(4)--less than 14 x 10(4) dalton, fraction III--greater than l0(4) less 35 x 10(3) dalton) were isolated from vibrionin, a preparation of cholera allergen, by gel chromatography on Sephadex G-150. These fractions possessed a different immunochemical activity and were capable of detecting the state of increased sensitivity to cholera vibrio.

[Study of Vibrio cholerae fractions. II. A comparison of the immunochemical and biological properties of preparations of alkaline extracts (vibrionin) and the endotoxin of Vibrio cholerae]

Comparative study of immuno-chemical and biological properties of vibrionin and cholera vibrio endotoxin showed vibrionin to contain up to 73.5% of protein, whereas endotoxin preparations contained only 25% of protein. Use of disc electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel permitted to determine the relative electrophoretic mobility of the protein component bands of both preparations. Residual quantities of O-antigenic cholera vibrio determinants were revealed serologically in the vibrionin preparations. Study of biological properties of vibrionin (cholera allergen) demonstrated a possibility of using vibrionin in the capacity of a new bacterial allergen.

[Role of calcium ions in stabilizing rat liver adhesion factor]

Highly purified native preparation of adhesion factor (AF) from rat liver was shown to inactivate after dialysis against deionised water or after action of chelating agent (EGTA). Isoelectric point of inactivated AF was less than 2.0 Rf value in PAG in presence of SDS was significantly increased. The results obtained suggest that inactivation of AF during electrofucusing depends on ampholyne binding of Ca(II) which may be constituent in AF.

[The content of gonadotropic hormones in commercial immunoglobulin preparations]

The authors carried out a comparative quantitative and biological determination of gonadotropins in 32 batches of immunoglobulin preparations made of the abortive, placental, and donor blood sera. The maximal amounts of gonadotropins were contained in preparations obtained from the abortive blood serum. It was shown that purification by Kohn's method (variant B) led only to the partial purification of immunoglobulins from the gonadotropin admixtures.

Myxobacterial slime and proteolytic activity

An extracellular protein-polysaccharide-lipide (PPL) complex from exponentially growing cultures of Myxococcus virescens was purified by phosphate precipitation and gel chromatography. The high molecular weight slime polymer appeared homogenous upon isoelectric focusing. The PPL complex exhibited proteolytic activity against gelatin and the activity was only partly reduced by heat treatment. The function of the slime polymer as protein denatured was studied. The complex formed micelles similar to anionic detergents and it inhibited the precipitation and coagulation of proteins by trichloroacetic acid. Lysozyme was totally inactivated when treated with the PPL complex. By gel chromatography binding studies, the PPL complex was found to bind lysozyme in the ratio of 1 to 5.8 (w/w). After separation of added protein from the complex the anticoagulation effect on the protein remained. The biological function of the PPL complex was demonstrated with hemoglobin. When all susceptible peptide bonds in PPL-treated hemoglobin were hydrolyzed by trypsin only 20% in the urea-denatured protein were attacked. The combined role of slime and proteolytic activity is discussed.

Specific factors influencing histotypic aggregation of chick embryo hepatocytes

Conditions are described for the reproducible assay of substances affecting the in vitro rate of aggregation of isolated chick embryo hepatocytes. Two low molecular weight (less than 1000) fractions--one that promotes hepatocyte aggregation (HAP) and the other that inhibits this stimulation (HAI)--have been isolated and partially purified from adult chicken liver. One major active component of HAP was identified as taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonate). The presence of HAP during the entire time of assay was required for largest aggregate formation. HAP had no effect on aggregation of chick embryo neural retina, kidney, or heart cells. Our results and the fact that puromycin completely inhibits aggregate formation suggest that HAP and HAI influence the specific synthesis and interaction of membrane macromolecules involved in the aggregation process.

Critical factors of the vacuum-oven technique which influence the estimation of moisture in veterinary biologics

When striving toward standardization of lyophilized products, it is often difficult to correlate biological characteristics and residual-moisture content because of the great variety of assay procedures being used to estimate residual moisture. Even when moisture assays are performed according to the same general assay procedure, there are often subtle differences that cause large variations in results. Critical factors of the vacuum-oven technique such as: homogeneity and number of samples, size of samples, moisture adsorption of dry weighing dishes, efficacy of disiccator jars, influence of ambient conditions, controlling time-sequence of the test, tolerances of the test, etc. are discussed and data presented to demonstrate how some of these factors can strongly influence the results of the assay. The validity of the assay and the subsequent judgement about the quality of the final product are greatly dependent upon how well these factors are controlled.

Agar plate tests of enhanced sensitivity for detecting biologically active products of staphylococcal filtrates

Optimal conditions for detecting staphylokinase, phosphatase, protease, lipase, esterase, egg yolk factor, lysozyme, deoxyribonuclease, hyaluronidase, penicillinase, and alpha-, beta-, and delta-hemolysins in cell-free filtrates of selected strains of staphylococci by agar plate methods were established by studying the effect of factors such as buffer composition, pH, ionic strength, type of agar, nature and concentration of substrate, and certain metal ions. The final tests that evolved from this study are simple to perform, require only 6 mul of the sample per test, and are capable of detecting microgram and, in some cases, nanogram quantities of the product. The zones of reaction can also be quantitatively related to the amount of material present. The test may also be useful for the detection of extracellular products of other microorganisms.

Review of United States requirements for residual moisture in drugs

Officially recognized procedures for residual moisture determinations on biological products are described. These include gravimetric at ambient temperature and thermogravimetric analysis at specified temperatures for specific products. The bases for selecting the optimum residual moisture for a new product are discussed and values established for currently licensed products are listed. Comparisons are made between the procedures and requirements for biological products and the water determinations specificed in U.S. Pharmacopeia XIX.

Moisture analysis of lyophilized allergenic extracts

A simple, relatively fast, coulometric method to determine both the surface-moisture and bound-moisture content of a wide variety of lyophilized, allergenic extracts has been developed. The method has been found suitable for the detection of residual-moisture levels in both lyophilized protein and carbohydrate samples. Isothermal rate-changes in moisture desorption, normalized with respect to sample size and plotted versus time, yield desorption curves which are characteristic of several individual classes of lyophilized materials. The method, when compared to the Official Loss on Drying Procedure for Lyophilized Biologicals, has proven to be faster (1.5 hr.) and more sensitive, with increased specificity and accuracy.

An all-purpose injection system for gas chromatographic analyses of biological samples

A versatile injection system for the direct introduction of samples into the gas chromatograph (GC) is described. Several years of experience in biological and pharmaceutical chemistry have led to the construction and final modification of this device. No modification of the injection port of the GC is necessary.

Limulus test, parenteral drugs and biological products: an approach

The Authors report the results concerning the control of presence of bacterial endotoxins in parenteral drugs, blood products and immunological materials, by means of Limulus amebocyte lysate test. All the data suggest that Limulus assay is a simple, rapid, specific and sensitive test for endotoxin detection, mostly when it is correctly performed.

Retention of mercurial preservatives in desiccated biological products

A variety of bacterins, vaccines, and antisera retained greater than 90% of their original level of mercurial preservative after lyophilization, and this might influence certain uses of these products.

Retention of preservative levels of formaldehyde in desiccated biological products

Concentrations ranging from 8 to 100% of the preservative level of formalin (37% formaldehyde solution) were retained by desiccated biologics, with most products retaining about 50% regardless of the amount originally present.