Effect of a conjugate of daunomycin and purified polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies to rat alpha-fetoprotein on the growth of alpha-fetoprotein-producing tumor cells

Monoclonal antibodies to rat alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were produced by hybridization of mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells from mice immunized with rat AFP. The monoclonal antibodies as well as horse anti-rat AFP antibodies were coupled via a dextran bridge to daunomycin. Both types of conjugates were tested for their antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. They were equally cytotoxic to the rat AH66 hepatoma cell line in culture. Rats challenged with hepatoma cells were treated with the conjugates by either intraperitoneal or intravenous injection. Daunomycin conjugates with horse-anti-AFP and monoclonal mouse anti-AFP were capable of delaying the tumor development more efficiently than were the controls of antibodies or free drug, mixtures of drug with antibodies, and a conjugate of drug and normal Ig. The specific conjugates were considerably more effective when the treatments were given intravenously. The specific conjugates produced 60% long-term survival, whereas the controls only slightly delayed tumor development.

Immunohistochemical study of alpha-fetoprotein in rat embryos during ontogenesis

In order to clarify the dynamics of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) during ontogenesis, the appearance and localization of AFP and albumin in rat embryos were immunohistochemically investigated. AFP began to appear in the embryos on day 9 in some of the cells constituting the embryonic ectoderm. From day 10, both AFP and albumin became strongly stained in the yolk sac. The formation of liver anlage started on day 11; here AFP alone was clearly apparent in the primitive hepatocytes and also in some other cells, such as somites, or those of the central nervous system. After further development of the embryos, AFP, albumin, and transferrin were detected by means of serial section examination in the same hepatocytes. Besides being found in the liver, AFP began to be stained in the dorsal pancreas and mesonephric vesicles on day 12, in the stomach on day 13, and in the lung anlage and metanephros on day 14. Albumin was also localized in the same sites in these tissues, but the intensity of albumin staining was not as strong as that of AFP. Therefore, we assume that AFP plays an important role in the rapid growth of rats during the early gestational stages.

A new procedure for coupling antibody to paper discs for radioimmunoassay: application to the determination of alpha-fetoprotein

Horse anti-alpha-fetoprotein was coupled to CM-cellulose discs by a modified carbodiimide reaction. The resulting coupling CM-discs were used in solid-phase radioimmunoassay of human alpha-fetoprotein. The sensitivity of these discs and conventional BrCN activated filter paper discs coupled anti-alpha-fetoprotein was approximately the same. A fair correlation between the alpha-fetoprotein levels determined by both methods was observed. The coupling procedure with carbodiimide is simple and the use of hazardous BrCN is eliminated.

Enhanced antitumor activity of mitomycin C conjugated with anti-alpha-fetoprotein antibody by a novel method of conjugation

Mitomycin C (MMC) was conjugated to horse anti-rat alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) antibody at the N-1a position through a glutaric acid-derived spacer arm. In vitro studies showed that MMC was spontaneously and slowly released from the conjugate. The conjugate caused a greater inhibition of both the in vitro and in vivo tumor growth of the AFP-producing rat hepatoma AH66 than did a mixture of anti-rat AFP antibody and MMC or a similar conjugate of MMC with normal horse immunoglobulin.

Cytotoxic effects of daunomycin-fatty acid complexes on rat hepatoma cells

The anthracycline antibiotic drug daunomycin has been coupled to fatty acids through formation of a peptide bond with the amino group of its lyxose residue. The arachidonic (C20:4) and docosahexaenoic (C22:6) acid derivatives showed potent in vitro and in vivo cytotoxic activity against rat hepatoma cells producing alpha-fetoprotein. With the exception of the acetate derivative, the complexes with saturated fatty acids showed no activity. The in vivo toxicity of the free daunomycin is markedly diminished when present in the form of these derivatives. The antitumor activities of the polyene fatty acid complexes appear to depend upon the high degree of affinity of alpha-fetoprotein for these acids. These results strongly suggest the use of daunomycin or other cytotoxic drug:polyene fatty acid complexes in the therapy of human tumors producing alpha-fetoprotein.

Effects of coping behavior on gastric lesions in rats as a function of the complexity of coping tasks

In fixed ratio (FR) 2 coping task condition, experimental rats which could avoid and/or escape shock by emitting a disk-pulling operant response developed less stomach ulceration than did yoked "helpless" rats which had exactly the same shock but which had no control over shock. In variable ratio (VR) 5 coping task condition, however, the experimental rats developed more lesions than did the matched yoked rats. Neither the VR 2- nor the FR 5-experimental group was significantly different from its yoked group. Ulceration of non-shock control group was negligible compared to experimental and yoked rats in each of the four coping task conditions. The level of a complexity or difficulty of coping response tasks required has a detrimental effect on ulcerogenesis for "coping" experimental rats. The effectiveness of a coping behavior covaries with the nature or ease of the coping tasks in a stressful situation.

Human prostatic acid phosphatase in seminal plasma: purifications, simple preparation of antibody and development of a new immunoenzymatic assay

Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) was purified from human seminal plasma by precipitation with ammonium sulfate and by serial chromatographies with concanavalin A-Sepharose, Sephadex G-100, and carboxymethyl-cellulose. The purified enzyme was found to be homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, both with and without sodium dodecyl sulfate. The purified enzyme also gave a single precipitin line upon immunoelectrophoresis, when reacted with rabbit antiserum to seminal plasma. A simple method was developed for the preparation of monospecific antibody to PAP. In addition, a new immunoenzymatic assay system for PAP is reported, utilizing filter paper discs as a solid-phase to which monospecific antibody to PAP was covalently coupled. By this method, serum PAP in a range of 1 to 7,000 ng/ml could be accurately measured within 4 hr.

Carbonic anhydrase-III immunohistochemical localization in human skeletal muscle

Using the indirect immunoperoxidase method, we studied the localization of carbonic anhydrase-III (CA-III) in frozen sections of biopsies of human skeletal muscle which had no definite pathology. CA-III was found to be localized in Type-I muscle fibers when compared with serial sections stained with myosin ATPase and other reactions. Our finding was in accordance with the biochemical data so far reported. It was though that CA-III could be used as a marker for abnormal Type-I muscle fibers in several neuromuscular diseases.

Chemotherapy by intravenous administration of conjugates of daunomycin with monoclonal and conventional anti-rat alpha-fetoprotein antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies to rat alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were produced by hybridization of mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells from mice immunized with rat AFP. The monoclonal antibodies as well as horse anti-rat AFP were coupled via a dextran bridge to daunomycin. Both types of conjugates were tested in vitro and in vivo for their anti-tumor activity. They were equally cytotoxic to rat AH66 hepatoma cell line in culture. Rats challenged with hepatoma cells were treated with the conjugates either by intraperitoneal or intravenous injections. Daunomycin conjugates with horse anti-AFP and monoclonal mouse anti-AFP were capable of delaying the tumor development more efficiently than the controls of antibodies or free drug, mixtures of drug with antibodies, and a conjugate of drug and normal immunoglobulin. The specific conjugates were considerably more effective when the treatments were given intravenously. The specific conjugates produced 60% long-term survival, whereas the controls delayed only slightly tumor development.

[Left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive and athlete's hearts: echocardiographic and vectorcardiographic characteristics]

The difference in the patterns of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) between the athlete's heart (Judo player: Judo-Ath group) and the hypertensive heart (HT group) was studied using vectorcardiography and echocardiography. The both groups were classified into two types based on the pattern of a QRS loop vector in the horizontal plane, respectively. One type (type II) satisfied the vectorcardiographic criteria of LVH by Upshaw, and the other (type I) did not satisfy it. The subjects composed of 12 Ath-I, 18 Ath-II, 10 HT-I and 16 HT-II. In the Ath-I, the characteristic vectorcardiogram was demonstrated in the horizontal plane, where an increased amplitude of an initial QRS vector was in the right and anterior direction. A mean ratio of the thickness of the interventricular septum to left ventricular posterior wall (IVSTd/PWTd) was 1.20 (p less than 0.001) in their echocardiograms. In HT-I, on the other hand, a decreased amplitude of an initial anterior vector and an increased amplitude of a posterior vector were observed in the horizontal plane. IVSTd and PWTd did not increase in these patients. These results indicated that an increased amplitude of an initial QRS vector in Ath-I is a reflection of the increased IVSTd. In type II, both IVSTd and PWTd were symmetrically increased. Concerning a spatial maximum QRS magnitude and left ventricular mass (LV mass), there was a significant correlation between the two only in HT-II (r = 0.75, p less than 0.01). It was concluded that there was some vectorcardiographic and echocardiographic differences between the left ventricular hypertrophic patterns of the athlete's heart and the hypertensive heart.

Characterization of serum protein components from Donryu rats which were immune to hepatoma AH-66 tumor cells

Immune serum from Donryu rats which resisted rechallenge with 5 X 10(6) AH-66 tumor cells (1000 X Threshold) was examined for reactivity with these cells using three assays: 1) tumor cell agglutination 2) immunofluorescence and 3) complement mediated cytotoxicity. Whole immune serum and its components had different levels of activities in the various assays and differences in their antigenic specificities were also observed. Whole immune serum showed some activity in all assays to AH-66 tumor cells. Its specificity and that of the IgG "enriched" fraction (insoluble in 40% sat. AmSO4) was studied using the agglutination assay. A general cross-reactivity was seen with all tumor cell lines. These reactions could be eliminated by absorption of the serum or serum fraction with tumor lines other than AH-66 or with embryonic tissue. An IgG "free" derived from the 40% sat. AmSO4 precipitate showed only agglutinin activity but this reactivity, even to AH-66 tumor cells, was abrogated by absorption with embryonic tissue. Incubation of the IgG "free" fraction with tumor target cells blocked the complement mediated cytotoxicity and the immunofluorescence reactivities of the whole immune serum. The alpha 2 macroglobulin component of the IgG "free" fraction appeared to be responsible for its agglutinin activity.

Studies on subunit components of immunoglobulin M from a bony fish, the chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)

Immunoglobulin M (IgM) was isolated from serum of the chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) by means of ion-exchange chromatography followed by gel filtration. The purified chum salmon IgM had a mol. wt of 730,000 and a tetrameric structure. However, a fraction of tetrameric IgM was considered to be non-covalently associated molecules. The amino acid composition was determined for the chum salmon micro-and L-chains and was found to be similar to that reported for other teleost fish micro- and L-chains. No J-chain- like component could be identified in the salmon IgM by either alkaline urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis or by the immunological cross-reaction with antisera to the human and chicken J-chain. The immunoglobulin cross-reactivity between the chum salmon micro-chain and that of 22 other fishes was tested, and only micro-chains from the family Salmonidae revealed cross-reactivity.

Effect of a conjugate of daunomycin and antibodies to rat alpha-fetoprotein on the growth of alpha-fetoprotein-producing tumor cells

Daunomycin was covalently attached via a dextran bridge to specific antibodies against rat alpha-fetoprotein produced in a horse. The effect of this conjugate on an alpha-fetoprotein-producing tumor was investigated in terms of cytotoxicity and inhibition or retardation of tumor development. Under the experimental conditions used, the covalent conjugate was by both criteria more efficient than either daunomycin alone or a mixture of daunomycin and specific antibodies or a conjugate of daunomycin with horse immunoglobulin. These results show that the conjugate may be useful as a specific cytotoxic agent against alpha-fetoprotein-producing tumors.

Purification of specific antibody to alpha-foetoprotein and its immunological effect on cancer cells

Human of rat alpha-foetoprotein (AFP) was highly purified from ascitic fluid or serum of hepatoma bearers. The purification was carried out mainly by means of immunoadsorbent chromatography using Sepharose coupled to specific anti-AFP antibody with BrCN activation, and by Sephadex gel filtration. Horses were immunized with the purified AFP and the specific antibody was isolated from the antiserum by means of an immunoadsorbent coupled to purified AFP. The specific antibody was found to bind specifically with AFP-producing tumour cells. The antibody was applied for radio immunodetection of the tumour. 125I-labelled antibody was administered to patients or rats with hepatoma, and radioactivity localized in the tumours was scintiscanned with a scintillation camera. In this way, the location of the tumour was detected in about 50% of the hepatoma bearers. The cytotoxicity of the antibody was clearly demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo in animal experiments. The antibody was administered to patients with advanced hepatoma. Although no improvement of the disease was demonstrated, serum AFP levels decreased greatly and in some cases low AFP levels were maintained for long periods suggesting that the antibody suppressed AFP-producing hepatoma cells. No significant side effects were observed in patients who had been administered with the horse antibody.