Strong adjuvant action of Klebsiella O3 lipopolysaccharide and its inhibition of systemic anaphylaxis

Immunization with lipopolysaccharide from Klebsiella O3 as an immunological adjuvant did not cause the death of mice in systemic anaphylaxis to bovine serum albumin. On the other hand, most mice immunized with lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli O111, Klebsiella O4 and Salmonella minnesota did die. Klebsiella O3 lipopolysaccharide enhanced IgM and IgG antibody response to BSA more markedly than Escherichia coli O111 lipopolysaccharide, while it affected the production of IgE antibody only slightly. therefore, it is suggested that the inhibition of systemic anaphylaxis by Klebsiella O3 lipopolysaccharide adjuvant might be related to its strong adjuvant action on IgM and IgG class antibody production, and that high levels of circulating IgM and IgG antibodies might act as blocking antibodies in the development of IgE-mediated systemic anaphylaxis.

Increased phosphodiesters in lipopolysaccharide prepared from the polymyxin B-resistant isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae

A polymyxin B (PXB)-resistant mutant of Klebsiella pneumoniae O3 was isolated. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) extracted from the PXB-resistant isolate bound little PXB, although LPS from the parental strain did. The 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum of PXB-resistant type LPS showed that it contained much less of the phosphomonoesters and the pyrophosphate esters, and an increased amount of the phosphodiesters, compared to the parental type LPS. The decrease in the binding of PXB might be due to altered phosphate groups on the PXB-resistant type LPS, suggesting that it might explain the PXB-resistance of the mutant.

In vivo production of heat shock protein in mouse peritoneal macrophages by administration of lipopolysaccharide

The in vivo production of heat shock protein was studied by administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into mice. Heat shock protein 70 was detected in the extract of adherent peritoneal cells from mice injected intraperitoneally with LPS by using the immunoblotting method. The expression of heat shock protein 70 was found 2 days after injection of LPS and reached its peak 4 days after injection. The intraperitoneal injection of LPS induced the expression of heat shock protein 70, whereas its subcutaneous injection did not. The in vivo production of heat shock protein 70 was inhibited by administration of LPS together with quercetin, an inhibitor of accumulation of heat shock protein 70 mRNA. Tumor necrosis factor alpha enhanced LPS-induced heat shock protein production in vivo. There was a decrease of gamma delta T cells in the peritoneal cavity of mice injected intraperitoneally with LPS. It was suggested that bacterial LPS is a stressful agent which induces the in vivo heat shock protein response, and its administration leads to the production of heat shock protein 70 in peritoneal macrophages.

Localization of apoptosis (programmed cell death) in mice by administration of lipopolysaccharide

Localization of apoptotic cells by administration of lipopolysaccharide into mice was studied by using the in situ specific labeling of fragmented DNA. This method clearly stained the nuclei of thymocytes at the cortex of the thymus. The nuclei of cells in the bone marrow and in the spleen were also positively stained. It was suggested that the cortex in the thymus is where the LPS-induced programmed cell death occurs.

[A case of pontine supranuclear facial palsy]

A 56-year-old hypertensive man suddenly developed difficulty in speaking and numbness in the right hand. On admission, he showed moderate right supranuclear facial palsy and right clumsy hand. Three weeks later, he was discharged with only right supranuclear facial palsy. MRI revealed a small infarction in the middle pons. The lesion was situated in the paramedian borderzone between the base and tegmentum. These findings suggest that supranuclear fibers to the facial nucleus descend as a separate bundle from the main pyramidal tract at the mid-pontine level.

[A case of cerebral pedunclar infarction presenting with pure motor hemiparesis]

Left pure motor hemiparesis occurred in a 42-year-old woman with a history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The left hemiparesis affected the arm and leg equally. The face was almost spared, with only a very slight facial asymmetry. Brain CT and MRI showed a small infarction located in the external 2/3 of the right cerebral peduncle. Cerebral angiography did not reveal significant abnormalities.

In vivo induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death) in mouse thymus by administration of lipopolysaccharide

In vivo administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharide to mice induced DNA fragmentation in the thymus. Fragmented DNA was confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis and laser flow cytometry. DNA fragmentation was predominantly detected in the thymus of young mice, while it was undetectable in the spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. DNA fragmentation in the thymus was roughly dependent on the dose of lipopolysaccharide injected and reached the peak about 18 h after the injection. The addition of lipopolysaccharide to in vitro cultures of thymocytes did not cause DNA fragmentation, suggesting that lipopolysaccharide was unable to induce apoptosis of thymocytes directly. The injection of lipopolysaccharide induced no significant DNA fragmentation in adrenalectomized mice. The injection of anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha antibody together with lipopolysaccharide partially inhibited the appearance of DNA fragmentation in the thymus. On the basis of the fact that DNA fragmentation is one of the characteristics typical in apoptotic cell death, it was suggested that lipopolysaccharide could induce apoptosis in the mouse thymus in vivo. This apoptosis in the thymus might be mediated mainly by the adrenal hormones, but it is likely that tumor necrosis factor alpha might also participate in it.

Novel adjuvant action of lipopolysaccharides that possess mannose homopolysaccharides as O-specific polysaccharides on immune responses to nonimmunogenic autoantigens in mice

The adjuvant action of various lipopolysaccharides on immune responses to syngeneic tissue extract in mice was examined. Only lipopolysaccharides possessing the linear mannose homopolysaccharides as O-specific polysaccharides exhibited definite adjuvant action on immune responses to the autoantigens. The intensity of this adjuvant activity of lipopolysaccharide from Klebsiella O3 seemed to be the strongest.

Detection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and identification of its serotype by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using poly-L-lysine

A new solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for detection of LPS and identification of its serotype with antisera. Since LPS binds poorly to polystyrene microplates, precoating with poly-L-lysine was used before coating LPS on the surface of microplates. The small amount of LPS in complex mixtures (i.e., less than 1 microgram/ml) could be detectable in ELISA. Use of poly-L-lysine with high molecular weight (MW) provided a higher sensitivity than poly-L-lysine with low MW. Precoating with polymyxin B, or poly-L-histidine was less effective in the sensitivity than precoating with poly-L-lysine, but it was still better than no precoating. The newly developed ELISA technique could be also applied for detection of anti-LPS antibodies in sera or for screening of monoclonal anti-LPS antibody.

Novel cell surface antigens expressed on mouse alveolar macrophages

Two new cell surface antigens expressed on mouse alveolar macrophages were defined by rat monoclonal antibodies. One marker, AVM-1, was detected on mouse alveolar macrophages, but it was undetectable on resident peritoneal cells, thioglycollate medium-induced peritoneal cells, and splenic macrophages. Splenic lymphocytes, thymocytes and bone marrow cells were also AVM-1 negative. Anti-AVM-1 monoclonal antibody immunoprecipitated a single polypeptide with a molecular weight of 200,000. Of particular interest was the finding that the anti-AVM-1 antibody could inhibit the formation of EA and EAC rosette on macrophage line cells. A second antigen (AVM-2) was also present on alveolar macrophages, and its molecular weight was 38,000.

Histological and functional changes in the thyroid glands of mice implanted with hybridomas secreting monoclonal autoantibody against mouse thyroglobulin

Mouse hybridoma cells secreting monoclonal antibody (mAb) against mouse thyroglobulin were established. The implantation of the hybridomas succeeded to induce high titers of circulating mAb against thyroglobulin in sera of mice. By using the implantation of the hybridomas in mice, the effect of autoantibody on the thyroid glands was studied histologically and functionally. In these mice the thyroid follicles were significantly swollen and warped, whereas there was no infiltration of inflammatory cells. The 125I-uptake in their thyroid glands was markedly decreased. There were no functional changes in control mice implanted with non-secreting P3U1 partner cells. Therefore, it was suggested that high titers of anti-thyroglobulin autoantibody could definitely cause the histological and functional damages in the thyroid glands.

Transient global amnesia and falcotentorial meningioma--a case report

A 59-year-old woman suffered from a single episode of transient global amnesia (TGA). A computerized tomographic scan and angiographic examinations revealed a falcotentorial meningioma, supplied by the posterior cerebral arteries. We suggest that TGA can be attributed to the vascular insufficiency in this case.

Recovery of DNA fragments specifically bound by monoclonal anti-DNA antibody

A method to recover and identify DNA fragments that were specifically bound by a monoclonal anti-DNA antibody has been developed. A mixture of DNA fragments digested by restriction enzymes was first incubated with a murine monoclonal anti-DNA antibody and then reacted with anti-murine immunoglobulin-conjugated Sepharose 4B. The resulting complex was washed to remove unbound DNA by low-speed centrifugation. The bound DNA fragment was released from antibody by alkaline dimethyl sulfoxide solution or extracted by phenol treatment. The recovered DNA was analyzed by electrophoresis on a polyacrylamide gel.

Pure sensory stroke due to pontine haemorrhage

Two cases of pure sensory stroke due to pontine haemorrhage are reported. Haematomas were located in the dorsolateral tegmentum of the pons, detected by computed tomographic scan. One showed the cheiro-oral syndrome on the left side. The other showed sensory dysaesthesia on the right side of the body, followed by dysaesthesia of cheiro-oral distribution. These cases indicate that the pons can also be one of the lesion sites of pure sensory stroke.

Action of 7-ethylcamptothecin on tumor cells and its disposition in mice

Some biological effects of camptothecin (CPT) and its new derivative 7-ethylcamptothecin (ECPT) were studied. The drugs were effective against murine leukemia; ECPT was more effective than CPT. Ip administration of ECPT or CPT gave maximum treated/control values of 325% and 232%, respectively. The drugs also inhibited the growth of KB cells in vitro, 50% effective doses of 3.5 ng/ml of ECPT and 8.6 ng/ml of CPT, indicating the stronger activity of ECPT. Pharmacokinetic studies of the drugs in mice showed that ECPT had a longer biological half-life in the terminal phase and a larger amount remained in the plasma compared with CPT. After iv administration of ECPT, the drug accumulated in the intestine, suggesting that the main route of excretion of the drug is through the biliary tract. The study on cell cycle progression by flow cytometry suggested that the main effect of both drugs on L1210 cells was the blocking of G2-M phase. These results suggest that the main reasons for the superior antitumor activity of ECPT compared with CPT are as follows: (a) ECPT had a stronger growth-inhibiting activity against tumor cells, and (b) ECPT remained in the intestinal tract for a longer time and in higher amounts when administered in vivo.

A new competitive assay for monoclonal antibodies against phi X174 single stranded DNA

A new method using L-lysine-conjugated Sepharose 4B as a matrix for coupling competitors is described for analysis of the specificity of monoclonal antibodies against single stranded DNA. In this assay, competitor-coupled Sepharose 4B is first incubated with an antibody, and then the competitor is removed (together with the antibody that is bound to it) by low-speed centrifugation of the reaction mixture. The supernatant containing only unreacted antibody is then analysed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The method is simple and does not use radioactive materials. Moreover it is not subject to the data fluctuation that is caused by the binding of competitors to microplates in a commonly used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay employing high concentrations of competitors.

Action of camptothecin and its derivatives on deoxyribonucleic acid

Camptothecin, an antitumor alkaloid, induced alkali-labile linkages to supercoiled closed circular DNA. The induction was dependent on the concentration of salt, and the highest level of induction was obtained in the presence of 1.0 M NaCl. The active site was the OH group at the C-20 in the E ring. Camptothecin interacted with adenine base at the C-7 in the B ring which resulted in inhibition of hyperchromicity in heat denaturation of DNA. Replacement of the H group with a substituent whose chain length was longer than -CH2CH3, such as -CH2OCOCH2CH3 or -CH2(CH2)4CO2CH3, caused a loss of potency for the inhibition of hyperchromicity. In the presence of 1.0 M NaCl, camptothecin interacted with superhelical closed circular DNA at 37 degrees. The apparent number of binding sites per base-pair of superhelical DNA was about one hundredth of ethidium bromide according to the equilibrium dialysis experiment. An intercalative interaction was observed with poly(dG-dC) in a 4 M NaCl concentration, but not in 0.1 M NaCl. A similar intercalation was detected in brominated poly(dG-dC) in the physiological concentration of NaCl. Camptothecin seemed to intercalate into the Z-form region which was favorably induced in a negatively superhelical closed circular DNA.

Applicability of superhelical model for regulation of gene expression

The superhelical model for regulation of gene expression was tested in 41 structural genes of eukaryotes, viruses and plasmids, and in the primer RNA gene for DNA replication in five kinds of enteric bacteria and two kinds of plasmids. The model which was first proposed for regulation of transcription in simian virus 40 was based on the following observations: a stem-loop structure of low free energy was located 3' downstream from the transcriptional initiation site; sequences homologous to the loop were located at the symmetrical site with the stem-loop at the center; and the loop encountered any of these homologous sequences after one rotation of superhelix depending on the superhelical density. If the loop interacted with the complementary sequences in the opposite strand, DNA formed a specific cruciform or T-shaped structure. The superhelical model proposed that transcription was regulated by the conversion of the template DNA in the regular, the cruciform, and the T-shaped structures. The model was applicable to all the structural genes and the primer RNA genes tested so far, except histone genes. In eukaryotes, only one stem-loop structure which conformed to the superhelical model was constructed in most of the genes except the growth hormone genes, the globin genes of human, and the human interferon gamma gene. An average length of the stem-loop was 46 bases, and the 5' end of the stem loop was located at the 30th base downstream from the transcriptional initiation site on the average in eukaryotes. In some genes, a consensus sequence was detected in the loops of the same kind of gene in different species or of different kind of gene in the same species.

Superhelical model of DNA for regulation of gene expression

A superhelical higher-order structure is proposed as a model of template DNA for regulation of transcription in simian virus 40. A stem-and-loop structure is located 3' downstream from the transcriptional initiation site in the sense strand. The complementary sequences to the loop regions in both strands are found between the 70th and the 300th nucleotides at the symmetrical sites as well as at the homologous sites with the stem-and-loop structure as the center. The complementary sequences are located such that both loops in sense and anti-sense strand encounter any of these sequences after one rotation of superhelix depending on the superhelical density. If each loop makes an intrastrand interaction with the complementary sequence at the symmetrical site either 5' upstream or 3' downstream, DNA forms a cruciform open-type structure at the root of the stem-and-loop region. When both loops interact with the complementary sequences at the homologous sites in both strands either 5' upstream or 3' downstream, a T-shaped closed-type structure is formed. The former is proposed as a signal for progression of transcription and the latter, cessation. If the transcription is defined as being regulated by the open- and the closed-structure at the stem-and-loop region which is constructed 3' downstream from the initiation site, the biochemical and genetic properties and activities of simian virus 40 genome are well interpreted.