Human alpha fetoprotein in body fluids

Human alpha fetoprotein (AFP) has been detected by the agar double diffusion method in ascitic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and bile, from fetuses, neonates and patients with AFP seropositive hepatocellular carcinoma. AFP was detected in the meconium and faeces of fetuses and neonates respectively. The protein was not detected in the amniotic fluid nor the pericardial fluid. It was found in the urine in only two fetuses that had concomittant renal disease. It was not detected in breast milk of lactating females. When metastases occurred in the lung from a hepatocellular carcinoma producing AFP, the pleural effusions sometimes contained AFP. The concentrations of AFP in the serum and in the other body fluids were about the same. This indicates that other body fluids can be used for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Immunofluorescent localisation of human alpha feto-protein in fetal and neonatal livers and cultured cells from hepatocellular carcinoma

The indirect immunofluorescence technique demonstrated that human alpha fetoprotein (AFP) was present in a focal pattern in the cytoplasm of malignant liver cells of patients whose sera contained AFP. A few fibroblastlike cells in tissue culture of liver biopsies from patients with hepato-cellular carcinoma and AFP in their sera also had the protein. The intracellular localisation of human AFP was confirmed by centrifugation of washed, homogenised and ultra-sonically disrupted neonatal liver cells. Examination of livers of fetuses and neonates showed that AFP was present predominantly in the periportal parenchymal cells.

Yellow fever virus infection. A correlation of complement-fixing antigen with histopathology

A sequential and quantitative survey of brain and liver of suckling mice for infective virus and complement-fixing antigen, after infection with yellow fever virus, showed that while there was progressive increase of infective virus content in both organs, only the brain showed a corresponding rise in CF antigen. Histopathological examination revealed that the liver was not significantly involved. The target organ was the brain, where the progressive pathological changes culminated in an acute encephalitis by the 3rd day of experiment. Organ destruction began with the molecular layer of the grey matter. But by the 4th day after infection the entire cerebral cortex was involved. At the initial stages the hippocampus was particularly affected. Tissue damage did not appear to be entirely due to the differential quantitative localization of infective virus. It was hypothesized that the CF antigen acting singly or in conjunction with some hypothetical proteins may be principally involved in the pathological outcome of the disease.

Nuclear proteins and their metabolism in hormone responsive and unresponsive BR6 mouse mammary tumours

The histone, neutral and acidic nuclear-protein content of BR6 mouse mammary tumours have been measured and related to growth rate and hormone responsiveness. In unresponsive tumours, histone and neutral nuclear-protein content was inversely correlated with growth rate while acidic nuclear-proteins were directly correlated with growth rate. The histone content of these tumours was low when compared to pregnancy dependent tumours growing at the same rate under the same physiological conditions.In vitro incorporation of labelled amino acids into total protein and the nuclear proteins was also measured. Pregnancy independent tumours had higher rates of total protein synthesis than pregnancy dependent tumours The rates of incorporation of amino acids into the nuclear proteins also tended to be higher in independent tumours.

Effects of oestradiol-17-beta and progesterone on total and nuclear-protein synthesis in epithelial and stromal tissues of the mouse uterus, and of progesterone on the ability of these tissues to bind oestradiol-17-beta

1. A method is described for separating uterine epithelium that is 80% pure and connective-tissue stroma that is 60% pure. This was used to study the effects of steroid hormones on total and nuclear-protein synthesis in these tissues. 2. Oestradiol-17beta given alone produces mitoses in the epithelium but not in the stroma. It stimulated incorporation in vitro of [(14)C]lysine into total protein, histones and acidic nuclear proteins to a greater extent in epithelium than stroma. Incorporation into acidic nuclear proteins was most markedly stimulated, reaching four to six times the normal value 4h after treatment, and then declining rapidly. This peak was only seen in epithelial preparations. 3. After pretreatment with progesterone, oestradiol-17beta has the reverse effect, producing mitoses only in stroma. Progesterone alone had no effect on the amounts or rates of incorporation of [(14)C]lysine into stromal nuclear proteins, but changes after oestradiol-17beta treatment were similar to those seen in epithelium with oestradiol-17beta alone. In the epithelium, progesterone alone depressed incorporation into histones and acidic nuclear proteins, but did not abolish the subsequent response to oestradiol-17beta. With this treatment there was a rapid, large and transient increase in incorporation into epithelial total protein not seen with oestradiol-17beta alone. 4. Progesterone had no qualitative effect on the distribution of specific oestrogen-binding proteins, as judged by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation. However, progesterone treatment increased the uptake in vivo of [6,7-(3)H]oestradiol-17beta by stroma, and it is possible that this is important although the differences were not apparent after labelling in vitro.

Effect of actinomycin D, cycloheximide, and acute blood loss of ferritin synthesis in rat liver

1. The mechanism of the stimulation of ferritin synthesis by iron in vivo has been studied in rat liver. Ferritin synthesis and turnover was measured by [(14)C]leucine incorporation. 2. Actinomycin D had no inhibitory effect, after administration of iron, on [(14)C]leucine incorporation into ferritin but appeared to augment the effect of iron on ferritin synthesis. 3. Cycloheximide completely abolished the stimulation by iron of [(14)C]leucine into ferritin and was subsequently utilized to show that iron acts in vivo by translational induction of apoferritin synthesis, rather than by stabilization of apoferritin or its precursors. 4. This conclusion was confirmed by showing that 2 days after acute bleeding, when iron was in the process of being removed from hepatic ferritin stores, ferritin synthesis was decreased whereas breakdown rates were unchanged.

Enzyme activity, acidic nuclear proteins, and prognosis in human breast cancer

The activities of the enzymes lactate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, and phosphohexose isomerase in primary human breast cancer biopsies are shown to be related to the time between mastectomy and recurrence of the cancer. These enzymes have higher activity in malignant breast tissues generally than in non-malignant breast tissues. In tumours from patients with long free periods these differences are not apparent.Evidence is presented which suggests that two different types of breast cancer can be distinguished according to the relative amounts of phosphohexose isomerase and acidic nuclear proteins. It is suggested that this difference may be related to hormone responsiveness.

Acid phosphatase activity in viable and regressing rat corpora lutea

Free and total acid phosphatase activity has been measured in individual corpora lutea from rat ovaries in various reproductive states (both natural and experimentally induced). Significant changes both in weight and enzymic activity were found, and an attempt has been made to correlate these with the growth and regression of the corpora lutea. A possible connexion between acid phosphatase activity, progesterone secretion and/or cellular composition of the corpus luteum is suggested.

Ophthalmia neonatorum in Glasgow

A retrospective clinical and epidemiological comparison was made between gonococcal and non-gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum in Glasgow from 1963 to 1968. Both forms of the disease were fairly mild, responding well to either topical or systemic antibiotic therapy. Neisseria gonorrhoeae was the commonest cause of ophthalmia neonatorum during the period studied. Illegitimate babies, those born in certain hospitals or in their own homes and those whose homes were in the inner suburbs had the highest incidence of gonococcal ophthalmia, and it is suggested that prophylaxis be re-introduced for those babies at greatest risk.

Rhodexin A and rhodexoside in Ornithogalum umbellatum

Two Kedde-positive compounds, isolated in crystalline form from bulbs of Ornithogalum umbellatum, were shown by their infrared and ultraviolet spectra to be cardenolides. Paper chromatographic analyses of the hydrolysates of these compounds indicated that both compounds contain sarmentogenin as the aglycone moiety, and that one is a rhamnoside while the other is the corresponding rhamnoside-glucoside. The identification of the monoglycoside as rhodexin A, i.e. sarmentogenin-α-L-rhamnoside, a glycoside previously isolated from Rhodea (Rohdea) japonica, was confirmed by comparison with an authentic sample. The diglycoside, an apparently new compound of composition sarmentogenin-rhamnose-glucose is designated rhodexoside.

The metabolism of testosterone by tissue from normal and neoplastic mouse breast

The qualitative and quantitative metabolism of testosterone in vitro by normal and neoplastic breast tissues of BR6 mice has been investigated. These tissues contain a Δ4-5α steroid reductase, 3-oxosteroid reductase and 17β-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase. Qualitatively, the pregnancy-dependent and independent tumours differ in that the latter produce androst-4-ene-3α,17β-diol (androstenediol) whereas the former do not. This metabolite could not be detected in incubations with normal mammary tissue from pregnant mice. In general, tumours were more active than normal tissue from pregnant animals. No conversion of testosterone to oestrone or oestradiol was detected.