Effect of intravenous or intra-amniotic injection of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate on oestrogen levels in urine and serum in late pregnancy with live anencephalic foetuses

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHAS) was injected intravenously or intra-amniotically into eight volunteers carrying live anencephalic foetuses (including one microcephalic foetus). Urinary and unconjugated serum oestrone, oestradiol and oestriol were measured before and after DHAS administration. In seven pregnant women with live anencephalic foetuses the urinary excretion of oestriol was very low, and the ratio of oestriol to oestrone + oestradiol was much less than that during normal pregnancy. Increases of urinary oestrone and oestradiol but no significant change in the ratio of oestriol to oestrone + oestradiol were observed 24 h after i.v. administration of DHAS to five patients. In three patients, between 1 and 12 h after i.v. administration of DHAS (100-200 mg), the concentrations of serum oestrone, oestradiol and oestriol increased to 13-5, 6-8 and 3-1 times the control values, respectively. After injection of DHAS (200 mg) intra-amniotically into two patients, the urinary excretion of all three oestrogens increased much more on day 2 than on day 1, and the ratio of urinary oestriol to oestrone + oestradiol rose greatly. On the other hand, the concentrations of unconjugated serum oestrogens in these patients increased progressively between 1 and 12 h or more after DHAS administration, and the maximal level of serum oestriol was 9-8 times the control value while those of oestrone and oestradiol were 4-6 times and 5-0 times the control values, respectively. These results suggest that in late human pregnancy DHAS in the circulation of the mother is converted to oestriol largely via the phenolic pathway (DHAS leads to oestrone leads to oestriol), whereas DHAS circulating within the foeto-placental compartment is converted to oestriol via both the phenolic and the neutral intermediates.

Nonspecific inhibition of tumor growth in vivo by admixed allogeneic tumor-sensitized lymphoid cells and identical inactivated allogeneic tumor cells

With the in vivo tumor neutralization test (Winn test), growth of a transplanted (KMT-17) from Wistar-King-Aptekman rats was inhibited by allogeneic tumor (AH-66 from Donryu rats)-sensitized syngeneic lymphoid cells admixed with mitomycin C (MMC)-treated AH-66 cells. The observed tumor inhibition may be immunologically nonspecific, since no cross-antigens were detected by membrane immunofluorescence on the surfaces of KMT-17 and AH-66 cells. Close contact among KMT-17, AH-66-sensitized lymphoid cells and MMC-treated AH-66 cells was required for the inhibition of KMT-17 growth. AH-66 cells pretreated with formalin or ultrasonication lost tumor inhibitory activity when they were admixed with AH-66-sensitized lymphoid cells, and only MMC-treatment effectively preserved the tumor inhibitory activity of AH-66 cells. The sensitized spleen cells, draining lymph node, or peripheral blood cells inhibited tumor growth when they were admixed with MMC-treated AH-66 cells, whereas nucleated cells from bone marrow, thymus, or distal lymph node did not. Growths of KMT-17 were inhibited by admixed sensitized spleen cells and MMC-treated AH-66 even when pre-irradiated rats were used as recipients.

Nonspecific Inhibition of Tumor Growth in Vivo by Admixed Allogeneic Tumor-Sensitized Lymphoid Cells and Identical Inactivated Allogeneic Tumor Cells

With the in vivo tumor neutralization test (Winn test), growth of a transplanted tumor (KMT-17) from Wistar-King-Aptekman rats was inhibited by allogeneic tumor (AH-66 from Donryu rats)-sensitized syngeneic lymphoid cells admixed with mitomycin C (MMC)-treated AH-66 cells. The observed tumor inhibition may be immunologically nonspecific, since no cross-antigens were detected by membrane immunofluorescence on the surfaces of KMT-17 and AH-66 cells. Close contact among KMT-17, AH-66-sensitized lymphoid cells and MMC-treated AH-66 cells was required for the inhibition of KMT-17 growth. AH-66 cells pretreated with formalin or ultrasonication lost tumor inhibitory activity when they were admixed with AH-66-sensitized lymphoid cells, and only MMC-treatment effectively preserved the tumor inhibitory activity of AH-66 cells. The sensitized spleen cells, draining lymph node, or peripheral blood cells inhibited tumor growth when they were admixed with MMC-treated AH-66 cells, whereas nucleated cells from bone marrow, thymus, or distal lymph node did not. Growths of KMT-17 were inhibited by admixed sensitized spleen cells and MMC-treated AH-66 even when pre-irradiated rats were used as recipients.

Typhlohepatitis in hamsters infected perorally with the Tyzzer's organism

Tyzzer's organisms from a hamster case were administered perorally to 6- to 8-week-old APG hamsters and the growth of organisms and lesions produced in the intestine and the liver were studied. When cortisone was given after oral infection with 2 X 10(5) or more organisms, most animals died in 4 to 7 days showing severe necrotic lesions in the liver but no diarrhea was observed. Without cortisone, watery diarrhea was seen between 2 and 7 days after infection and some animals died in 7 to 13 days. Dead and surviving animals showed liver lesions to a lesser degree as compared to those with cortisone treatment. Two days after inoculation either with or without cortisone, a number of organisms were found within mucosal epithelial cells of the cecum and colon, and 1 or 2 days later when focal necrosis occurred in the liver, they were also found in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. Inoculated into a ligated cecal sac, organisms were shown to multiply in epithelial cells and the lamina propria of the ligated sac, then producing hepatic lesions in 3 to 4 days when bacterial growth was not detected at any other parts of intestines, suggesting that organisms might gain access to the liver from the cecum via the portal circulation or lacteals.

Inhibition of syngeneic tumor growth in rats immunized with allogeneic skin grafts

The growth of a transplantable tumor (KMT-17) in syngeneic Wistar King Aptekman/Mk (WKA) rats was inhibited by preimmunization with allogeneic normal cells from Donryu strain rats. The phenomenon is referred to as allogeneic cell immunity. A slight inhibition was observed in rats immunized with normal liver, spleen, kidney, embryonal cells, whole blood and white blood cells from allogeneic Donryu rats. A strong inhibition was observed in animals which had rejected allogeneic skin grafts, particularly from the Donryu and Kyoto rats. The inhibition was comparatively weak after immunization with skin grafts from the Long Evans, ACI, Buffalo, Ficsher, Sprague Dawley or Tokyo allogeneic rat strains. This immunizing effect was dependent on the viability of the grafts and was easily abrogated by low-dose irradiation. The mechanism of allogeneic cell immunity is considered to be a non-specific stimulation of the immunity against antigenic tumors in the syngeneic host

Absence of neuraminidase from influenza C virus

Influenza C viruses did not possess neuraminidase activity when examined using either fetuin or sialyllactose as substrate. Purified preparations of influenza C virus inhibited hemagglutination by NWS hemagglutinin. The hemagglutination inhibiting activity was abolished by treatment of influenza C virus with neuraminidase. These findings indicated the absence of neuraminidase activity on influenza C virus particles.

Effect of combination treatment with cyclophosphamide and nonspecific passive immunization on a transplantable tumor in WKA rats

Combination of cyclophosphamide (CY) and passive immunization with lymphoid cells sensitized to allogeneic tumor was studied in the treatment of a methylcholanthrene-induced transplantable fibrosarcoma in WKA rats. For determination of the most effective timing of combination treatment, rats given an injection of CY on Day 3 received passive transfer of the sensitized lymphoid cells on Day 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6. A remarkable therapeutic effect was observed only when the passive transfer was combined on Day 4 with CY on Day 3. Rats inoculated with tumor succumbed in all cases without any treatment. After i.v. injection of CY on Day 3, 2 of 28 rats were cured (7.1%). Passive immunization with the sensitized lymphoid cells on Day 4 resulted in no therapeutic effect. After combination of CY on Day 3 and transfer of nonsensitized normal lymphoid cells on Day 4, 2 of 15 rats survived (13.3%). However, combination of CY and passive transfer of the nonspecifically sensitized lymphoid cells resulted in 23 survivors of 29 rats (79.3%).

Partial proteolysis of some cellulase components from Trichoderma viride and the substrate specificity of the modified products

An endo-cellulase component [EC 3.2.1.4] or random type, F II, was obtained from "Cellulase Onozuka," a commercial product from Trichoderma viride, and was subjected to partial proteolysiats with a protease preparation of the same fungal origin. The resulting modified cellulase was fractioned by two steps of column chromatography, and the resulting patterns, together with the substrate specificity expressed in terms of the randomness of CMC hydrolysis and the immunological properties against anti-F II-rabbit se-um, were examined. The chromatographic patterns were very similar to those of cellulase subfractions without proteolytic treatment. Moreover, the immunological response of the modified cellulases from F II was mostly positive and their randomness of CMC hydrolysis was generally lower, compared with subfractions of F II which were not subjected to proteolysis. The subfractions of Peak III, which were obtained from F II by proteolysis, showed mostly negative immunological response and higher randomness of CMC hydrolysis compared with subfractions of Peak III which were not subjected to proteolysis. Thus, some limited proteolysis of cellulase components may, at least in part, be responsible for its multiplicity in vivo.

Change of antigenic expression on rat tumor cells after their transplantation

Antigenic expression of 3-methylcholanthrene-induced transplantable fibrosarcoma KMT-17 cells was investigated in relation to days after ip transplantation. Cytotoxicity tests with antiserum against tumor-associated surface antigen of KMT-17 cells revealed that cytotoxic sensitivity and absorbing capacity decreased after transplantation, but they increased when other normal rats were given transplants of tumor cells. A decrease in the sensitivity was observed when immunosuppressively irradiated rats were given tumor transplants. Tumor cell density in the abdominal cavities of rats directly and absorbing capacity of KMT-17 cells to antiserum against the histocompatibility antigen did not change after transplantation. The possible mechanisms of antigenic change of KMT-17 cells were discussed.

Transmissible enterocolitis in hamsters caused by Tyzzer's organism

An outbreak of enteric form of Tyzzer's disease occurred in a golden hamster colony, and 60% of diseased animals examined were found to have severe enterocolitis without hepatic lesions. Organisms were detected within mucosal epithelial cells, especially in the lower ileum, cecum and colon showing degenerative and necrotic changes, and in some cases organisms were also detected in the smooth muscle layer. Infiltration of neutrophils and mononuclear cells in the lamina propria and submucosa was observed. Hamsters either having been cage-mates with diseased ones or given perorally cecal contents from affected animals, suffered from severe diarrhea and were shown to have necrotic foci in the liver. By intravenous inoculation with affected hamster liver homogenate into cortisone-treated mice, hepatic lesions characteristic of Tyzzer's disease were produced. Moreover, such infected mouse liver was found to cause severe diarrhea in hamsters when administered perorally.