[Participation of regional inhabitants in cancer screening]

As part of the strategic planning for increasing participation by community residents in cancer screening, a survey about life style and attitudes toward cancer screening was carried out in Samukawa town, Kanagawa Prefecture. Subjects were males 40 years old or over, and females 30 years old or over selected by random sampling from residents. Number of subjects was 1,916 (822 males, 1,094 females). Self administered anonymous questionnaires were sent and returned by mail. The response rate was 73%. The results were as follows: (1) The reported participation rates for cancer screening under "the Health and Medical Services Law for the Aged" did not reflect the actual participation rate of residents. (2) The major reason for not participation in screening was lack of interest in cancer prevention. (3) Socio-economic status of regular participants in screening was different from persons who did not participate. (4) Persons who did not participate in screening were more passive with regard to obtaining knowledge of cancer than regular participants. (5) Results of this study show that cancer prevention education at various levels such as by clinical offices, TV and radio programs, and newspapers may be effective. In order to increase participation in screening programs, health education that considers the life style characteristics of persons who do not participate in the screening programs is vitally important.

Platelet activating factor antagonists: synthesis and structure-activity studies of novel PAF analogues modified in the phosphorylcholine moiety

New analogues of platelet activating factor (PAF), in which the phosphate and trimethylammonium moieties were replaced with an acylcarbamoyl moiety and a quaternary cyclic ammonium group, were synthesized. Their biological activities as PAF antagonists were evaluated by the inhibition of PAF-induced rabbit platelet aggregation in vitro and protective effects on PAF-induced hypotension in rats and PAF-induced death in mice. Investigation of structure-activity relationships revealed that PAF antagonist activity is strongly influenced by the acyl substituent of the nitrogen atom on the carbamoyl group and the nature of the polar head group at the 3-position of the glycerin backbone. Among the compounds tested, 2-[[N-acetyl-N-[[2-methoxy-3-[ (octadecylcarbamoyl)oxy]propoxy]-carbonyl]amino] methyl]-1-ethylpyridinium chloride (21, CV-6209) was one of the most potent compounds in the in vitro assay (IC50 = 7.5 X 10(-8) M) and the most potent and long-lasting in the in vivo assays. (R)-(-)-21 and (S)-(+)-21 were also synthesized, and no significant differences were observed in PAF antagonist activity in vitro and an inhibitory effect on PAF induced hypotension in vivo between (RS)-21 and its enantiomers.

[Production of human monoclonal autoantibodies that react with islet-cell-surface antigens by EBV-transformed lymphocytes: new method of preselection of ICSA producing lymphocyte by protein A magnetic microspheres]

Because of the low titer of ICSA, as well as the polyclonality of serum, it has been difficult to determine whether there is a variety of autoantibodies, each reacting with a different organ, or whether the autoimmune response is more restricted, with only a limited number of autoantibodies recognizing common antigenic determinants in the different organs. To study this and other questions, we sought to prepare human monoclonal autoimmune ICSA. Peripheral-blood lymphocytes from patients with freshly onset IDDM or other autoimmune abnormalities were transformed by EB virus. And rapid screening on In 111 cells by an ELISA were used to identify monoclonal ICSA. But, ICSA titer was very low even in freshly onset IDDM patients, and reduced very quickly. ICSA positive wells at cloning were extremely rare. So, the methods that enhance the efficiency of cloning were required. Firstly, ultrasensitive Enzyme Immunoassay for ICSA were developed. Secondly, new preselection method of ICSA producing lymphocyte by Protein A Magnetic Microspheres were employed. Thirdly, in vitro immunization was partly employed to enhance the frequency of ICSA producing lymphocytes. Fourthly, EBV-hybridoma technique was employed to stabilize the ICSA producing clone. The efficiency of cloning was increased from 0.07% to 24% by the new preselection method. The sensitivity of the fluorometric enzyme immunoassay for ICSA was 140pg/ml. 21 times sensitivity to usual ELISA was obtained. We describe sure methods for production of Human Monoclonal Autoantibodies that react with Islet-Cell-Surface Antigens.

CV-6209, a highly potent antagonist of platelet activating factor in vitro and in vivo

2-[N-acetyl-N-(2-methoxy-3-octadecylcarbamoyloxypropoxycarbonyl) aminomethyl]-1-ethylpyridinium chloride (CV-6209) inhibited aggregation of rabbit and human platelets induced by platelet activating factor (PAF) with the IC50 values of 7.5 X 10(-8) and 1.7 X 10(-7) M, respectively, and had little effects on the aggregation induced by arachidonic acid, ADP and collagen. The inhibitory effect of CV-6209 on the PAF-induced rabbit platelet aggregation was 104, 9, 8 and 3 times more potent than the PAF antagonists CV-3988, ONO-6240, Ginkgolide B and etizolam, respectively. CV-6209 inhibited [3H]serotonin release from rabbit platelets stimulated with PAF (3 X 10(-8) M) with a similar potency as the inhibition on the platelet aggregation. CV-6209 inhibited PAF (0.3 microgram/kg i.v.)-induced hypotension in rats (ED50, 0.009 mg/kg i.v.) with no effect on the hypotension induced by arachidonic acid, histamine, bradykinin and isoproterenol. CV-6209 (1 mg/kg) inhibited slightly the acetylcholine-induced hypotension. In rats, post-treatment with CV-6209 reversed the PAF (1 microgram/kg i.v.)-induced hypotension rapidly (ED50, 0.0046 mg/kg i.v.); CV-6209 was 74, 20, 185 and over 2100 times more potent than CV-3988, ONO-6240, Ginkgolide B and etizolam, respectively. Thus, the relative potency of the anti-PAF action of PAF analog (CV-6209, CV-3988 and ONO-6240) differed little between the inhibition of PAF-induced platelet aggregation and the reversal of PAF-induced hypotension, but that of nonPAF analogs (Ginkgolide B and etizolam) differed greatly with these assay systems, when standardized with CV-6209.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Characterization of the activity of a platelet activating factor antagonist, CV-3988

CV-3988 inhibited the vascular permeability increase induced by C16-PAF and C18-PAF in rat skin in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibition was shown to be specific and competitive with PAF on its receptor by the following observations: parallel shift of the dose-response curve; crossing of double reciprocal plots on the intersection of the ordinate; and no inhibition on other autacoids such as bradykinin, histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and LTC4. PAF-induced blood pressure fall in rats was also suppressed by pretreatment with CV-3988 selectively.

Activation of mouse peritoneal macrophages by synthetic glyceroglycolipid liposomes

Liposomes composed of chemically synthesized glyceroglycolipids, such as 1,2-dipalmityl-[beta-cellobiosyl-(1'----3)]- glycerol (Cel-DAG), 1,2-dipalmityl-[beta-lactosyl-(1'----3)]-glycerol, or 1,2-dipalmityl-[beta-maltosyl-(1'----3)]-glycerol, were found to enhance protective immunity against transplantable tumor cells (sarcoma 180) in ICR mice. Peritoneal exudate cells prepared from mice treated in vivo with Cel-DAG showed cytostatic activity in vitro against the mouse leukemia cell line, EL-4. Adherent cells separated from this preparation showed similar activity. Peritoneal cells from polypeptone-injected mice acquired appreciable cytostatic activity when incubated in vitro in the presence of glyceroglycolipid liposomes. The adherent cell fraction alone showed rather weak cytostatic activity when pretreated with the glyceroglycolipids, and full activity was restored by supplementing with the nonadherent cell fraction. The ability of glycolipids to induce tumoricidal effects was affected by cholesterol content: with increasing cholesterol content, the activities decreased. Cholesterol-free glycolipid liposomes were taken more efficiently by macrophages than cholesterol-containing liposomes. Cholesterol modifies the surface property of glyceroglycolipid liposomes. Activation of macrophages is responsible for enhancement of protective immunity against tumor cells by injection of these glycolipids in vivo.

Effects of anti-insulin antibody on insulin binding to liver membranes: evidence against antibody-induced enhancement of insulin binding to the insulin receptor

In the presence of anti-insulin antibody, 2-to 3-fold enhancement of 125I-insulin binding to liver membranes was observed when binding was estimated by the radioactivity of 125I-insulin bound to the membrane pellets. However, after 125I-insulin was covalently cross-linked to liver membranes using disuccinimidyl suberate in the presence of anti-insulin antibody, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography showed that 125I-insulin bound to the alpha-subunit of the insulin receptor was inhibited by anti-insulin insulin antibody in an dose-dependent manner. More importantly, at an anti-insulin antibody dilution range between 1:50 and 1:5,000, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed two 125I-labelled bands of mol wt 62,000 and 27,000, while only one band of mol wt 130,000 was revealed in the absence of anti-insulin antibody. These Mr = 62,000 and Mr = 27,000 bands were found to be the heavy and the light chain of anti-insulin IgG molecules respectively. Pepsin digested anti-insulin serum had only an inhibitory effect on 125I-insulin binding to liver membranes. Non-immunized guinea pig serum or IgG completely abolished the enhanced effect of anti-insulin antibody. Further, this enhanced effect was inhibited by Fc fragment-specific anti-IgG serum or H&L-chain-specific anti-IgG serum in a dose-dependent manner. Protein A also inhibited the effect of anti-insulin antibody. In IM-9 lymphocytes and human red blood cell ghosts, which have no Fc gamma receptors, enhancement of insulin binding was not observed in the presence of anti-insulin antibody.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antibodies to nonenzymatically glucosylated albumin in the human serum

The existence of antibodies to nonenzymatically glucosylated albumin was investigated in nondiabetic and diabetic subjects. The sera from both the nondiabetic and the diabetic subjects were shown to contain the proteins which bound to reductively glucosylated albumin. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay demonstrated that the antibodies specific for reductively glucosylated albumin existed in the sera containing the binding proteins. For binding the antibodies glucitollysine as the glucose adduct in reductively glucosylated albumin was an effective competitor. The hexose alcohol epimers glucitol and mannitol were also effective competitors compatible with glucitollysine. Our results suggest that the antibodies to reductively glucosylated albumin are widely present not only in the diabetic subjects but also in the nondiabetic subjects and cross-react with the hexose alcohol.

Activation of guinea pig peritoneal macrophages by platelet activating factor (PAF) and its agonists

The platelet activating factor (PAF: 1-O-alkyl-2-O-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and its analogs were examined to determine their effects on guinea pig peritoneal macrophages. PAF activated macrophages, but its effect on macrophages was much weaker than that observed on platelets: the concentration required for 50% maximum activation was 8.5 X 10(-6) M for macrophages and 2.9 X 10(-10) M for platelets. Three PAF agonists, 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-(N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl)-glycero-3-phosphocholine (Compound I), 1-O-octadecyl-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-glycero-3-phosphocholine (Compound II), and 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine (Compound III), showed higher activity in stimulating macrophage function than PAF. The abilities of these non-metabolizable PAF agonists to activate macrophage paralleled their relative potency to induce platelet activation. The sn-3 enantiomers of PAF and Compound III exhibited activity, while the sn-1 did not. By comparing the activities of derivatives of Compound III, it was shown that the long-chain alkyl-ether group in the glycerol-1 position, a relatively small size of the substituent on the hydroxy group at the sn-2 position, and the choline moiety in the glycerol-3 position must play critical roles in the process of macrophage activation. A specific PAF antagonist, CV3988, which inhibits PAF-induced platelet activation and hypotension, inhibited the activation of macrophages caused by PAF and its agonists.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Differentiation in vitro of human myelogenous leukemia cells from patients in relapse

Leukemia cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia in relapse were treated with various inducers of differentiation of human myeloid leukemia cell lines. Leukemia cells in primary culture from most, but not all, patients underwent morphological, cytochemical and biochemical changes after treatment with inducers of differentiation such as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), retinoic acid, actinomycin D, aclarubicin, and alkyl lysophospholipid. The most effective inducer varied from specimen to specimen. Leukemia cells from patients in relapse were compared with those from untreated patients. The responsiveness to TPA of leukemia cells from patients in relapse was similar to that of leukemia cells from untreated patients. However, retinoic acid or actinomycin D resistance was more frequently observed in leukemia cells from patients in relapse than in those from patients before initial therapy. This is the first report to indicate that leukemic cells from relapsed patients who are resistant to cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drugs can be induced to differentiate into mature cells by appropriate inducers. However, the responsiveness to inducers of leukemia cells from patients in relapse is not the same as that of leukemia cells before therapy.

Antileukemic effect of alkyl phospholipids. II. Prolongation of survival times of leukemic mice by alkyl ethyleneglycophospholipids

Alkyl ethyleneglycophospholipids induced differentiation in vitro of mouse myeloid leukemia M1 cells into mature granulocytes and macrophages. The compounds also prolonged the survival of syngeneic SL mice inoculated with M1 cells. Although in mice with florid leukemia these compounds alone scarcely affected survival, administration of dodecyl ethyleneglycophospholipid with pyridinioethyl as a polar group plus actinomycin D significantly prolonged survival.

Antileukemic effect of alkyl phospholipids. I. Inhibition of proliferation and induction of differentiation of cultured myeloid leukemia cells by alkyl ethyleneglycophospholipids

Various alkyl ethyleneglycophospholipids, i.e., alkyl phospholipids, with ethyleneglycol or its congener in place of glycerol as a molecular backcone, were synthesized and their effects on cell proliferation and differentiation of cultured human (HL-60) and mosue (Ml) myeloid leukemia cells were studied. On incubation with alkyl ethyleneglycophospholipids, proliferation of both cell lines was inhibited and the cells were induced to differentiate into morphologically and functionally mature granulocytes and macrophages. Among the compounds tested, dodecyl ethyleneglycophospholipid with a pyridinioethyl group was the most effective in induction of differentiation of both cell lines.

CV-3988 - a specific antagonist of platelet activating factor (PAF)

CV-3988, rac-3-(N-n-octadecylcarbamoyloxy)-2-methoxypropyl 2-thiazolioethyl phosphate was shown to be a specific inhibitor of platelet activating factor (PAF). This compound in concentrations of 3 x 10(-6) to 3 x 10(-5)M inhibited aggregation of rabbit platelets induced by PAF (3 x 10(-8)M), while it had no effect on the aggregation induced by arachidonic acid, ADP, collagen or A-23187. CV-3988 alone even at a concentration of 10(-3)M had no effect on platelet aggregation. The inhibitory action of CV-3988 on the PAF-induced aggregation was independent of the formation of micelles. The PAF (0.1 to 1.0 micrograms/kg, i.v.)-induced hypotension in anesthetized rats was also inhibited dose-dependently by the i.v. administration of CV-3988 (1 and 10 mg/kg), while the hypotensive actions induced by the i.v. administration of acetylcholine (1 micrograms/kg), arachidonic acid (1 mg/kg), bradykinin (10 micrograms/kg), isoproterenol (1 microgram/kg) and histamine (100 micrograms/kg) were not altered by CV-3988 (10 mg/kg, i.v.). All these findings indicate that CV-3988 specifically inhibits the action of PAF in vitro and in vivo. This is the first report of a PAF antagonist which can specifically inhibit the PAF-induced hypotension as well as the PAF-induced platelet aggregation.

Induction of differentiation of human acute non-lymphocytic leukemia cells in primary culture by inducers of differentiation of human myeloid leukemia cell line HL-60

Leukemia cells from patients with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia were treated with various inducers of differentiation of the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60. All cells in 14 specimens tested underwent morphological, functional and histochemical changes after treatment with some inducers of differentiation of HL-60 cells, but the most effective inducer varied for different specimens. These results suggest that treatment with some inducers should be effective for inducing most acute myeloid leukemia cells to differentiate into morphologically and functionally mature granulocytes and macrophages.

Induction of differentiation of cultured human and mouse myeloid leukemia cells by alkyl-lysophospholipids

Alkyl-lysophospholipids are synthetic analogs of naturally occurring lysophospholipids. The effects of these compounds on cell proliferation and differentiation of cultured human (HL-60) and mouse (M1) myeloid leukemia cells were studied. Both cell lines were induced to differentiate into morphologically and functionally mature granulocytes and macrophages by incubation with a wide variety of these compounds. Some alkyl-lysophospholipids induced differentiation (judged morphologically and by the appearance of abilities to reduce nitro blue tetrazolium, to phagocytize latex particles, and to induce lysozyme activity) of both the cells lines at concentrations of 1 microgram/ml. However, these compounds did not affect colony formation of normal mouse bone marrow cells even at a higher concentration, 20 microgram/ml. These results suggest that alkyl-lysophospholipids induce cell differentiation of myeloid leukemia cells without affecting proliferation and differentiation of normal bone marrow cells. Thus, these compounds could be useful in therapy of myeloid leukemia.

Radioimmunoassay of human calcitonin using labeled [Asu1, 7]-human calcitonin analogue

Application of synthetic human calcitonin analogue ([Asul,7]-hCT) was attempted, since it is chemically more stable than native hCT. [Asu1, 7]-hCT was successfully labeled with 125I to a specific activity ranging from 410 to 540 microCi/microgram. Sensitivity, recovery and reproducibility of the assay system using 125I-labeled [Asu1,7]-hCT analogue, standard synthetic hCT and its antibodies, were 49 pg/ml, 99.8 +/- 4%, and 7.95% (C. V. within assay) or 21.9% (C. V. between assays), respectively. The dilution curve of the sera obtained from patients with medullary carcinoma paralled well with the standard curve. 125-I-labeled [Asu1, 7]-hCT analogue can be used for routine radioimmunoassay of hCT.