Production of a monoclonal antibody specific for Mycobacterium avium and immunological activity of the affinity-purified antigen

Three hybridomas which secrete antibodies to Mycobacterium avium were obtained by the fusion of p3u1 myeloma cells with spleen cells of mice immunized with M. avium culture sonicate. The reactivity of these monoclonal antibodies was determined in 16 species of mycobacteria by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. An antibody, designated Avi-3, reacted only with M. avium and not with the reference strains of the other 15 species of mycobacteria tested, including M. intracellulare, M. paratuberculosis, and M. lepraemurium. Specificity of the antibody was confirmed by assay, using a specific DNA probe of M. avium complex in 29 M. avium complex isolates. An antigen was purified from M. avium culture sonicate on a monoclonal antibody Avi-3-coupled affinity column. The purified antigen gave a single band (molecular size, about 27 kilodaltons) upon sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The antigen Avi-3 showed strong skin test activity in guinea pig preimmunized with heat-killed M. avium but not in those sensitized with heat-killed M. intracellulare or M. bovis BCG. Purified protein derivative elicited positive skin reactions in all the immunized guinea pigs. When heat-killed M. avium was used as the immunogen, strong lymphoproliferative responses were observed in cultures stimulated with the antigen Avi-3. These results suggest that M. avium-specific antigen Avi-3 may facilitate the diagnosis of mycobacterial infections.

Cloning and characterization of the gene for immunogenic protein MPB64 of Mycobacterium bovis BCG

The gene for immunogenic protein MPB64 found in culture filtrates of only Mycobacterium tuberculosis and some strains of Mycobacterium bovis BCG was cloned by using a single-probe method and was sequenced. The gene analysis revealed that the structural gene for MPB64 consisted of 618 base pairs, and its deduced molecular weight was 22,400. Twenty-two amino acids for a putative signal peptide and 205 amino acids for the MPB64 protein were observed. In the coding region, the third letter of the codon showed a biased codon and a high G+C content (78.5%). The gene was expressed in Escherichia coli by using an E. coli expression vector. The product showed migration similar to that of the authentic MPB64 protein by electrophoresis and reacted with the polyclonal and the monoclonal antibodies raised against the MPB64 protein. The strict specificity of MPB64 could be applied to immunodiagnosis of tuberculosis.

Inhibitory effect of TI-31 on autoimmune nephritis in NZB/NZW F1 mice through regulation of the immune response

TI-31 (TEI-3096; 6-p-chlorobenzyl-5H-2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-5,7-dioxothiazolo[3,2-a]pyr imidine) is a novel immunomodulator. Various nephritic changes observed in female NZB/NZW F1 (B/W) mice with aging were suppressed by TI-31 when administered orally 5 times per week for 16 weeks at doses of 2, 10, or 50 mg/kg. It suppressed proteinuria, oliguria, the decrease of erythrocyte count, and increase of serum urea nitrogen, immune complex and anti-double-stranded DNA antibody levels. The anti-nephritic effect of TI-31 was confirmed by histopathological evaluation. TI-31 (10 mg/kg) could improve both the elevated polyclonal B cell activation and the depressed antibody response to sheep red blood cells in B/W mice, in comparison with age- and sex-matched BALB/c mice, without any effect on the antibody response in these normal mice. These findings indicate that TI-31 may inhibit B/W nephritis by regulating the antibody production through a mechanism different from that of anti-inflammatory drugs or immunosuppressants.

Immunomodulation by RS-2131, a new non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug

The immunomodulatory properties of RS-2131, 2-[4-(2-oxocyclohexylidenemethyl)phenyl]propionic acid, were studied using normal and autoimmune mice. RS-2131 suppressed the Arthus-type footpad reaction in BALB/c mice when administered orally at the time of immunization with sheep red blood cells, in contrast to indomethacin. This drug also suppressed the direct plaque-forming cell response against sheep erythrocytes in BALB/c mice. Under the same experimental conditions, the percentage ratio of Lyt 2+ cells to Thy 1.2+ cells were increased in the spleen cells. When used in non-immunized normal BALB/c mice, however, RS-2131 produced no effect on the ratio of Lyt 2+ cells to Thy 1.2+ cells in the spleen cells and on the percent distribution of T lymphocyte subsets. In MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr (MRL/lpr) mice, which have been known as a model of autoimmune disease, Lyt 2 cells in the thymus and the lymph node increased on oral treatment with RS-2131. These findings suggest that this drug may induce suppressor T cells only when the immune response in host animals is increased and then results in inhibition of immune responses in mice.

Quantitative analysis of global and regional cardiac performance in normal subjects and patients with coronary artery disease by rest/exercise radionuclide blood-pool study

This study was undertaken to assess regional and diastolic left ventricular (LV) function in relation to LV asynchronous contraction during exercise (Ex). Rest and serial Ex (25w-75w) gated blood-pool study (Tc-99m-RBC) of 6 normal subjects (N), 12 patients with stable angina pectoris (AP) and 8 with LV aneurysm (LVan) were evaluated in regional LV ejection fraction (EF) and Fourier analysis using higher-order harmonics. In the patients with Ex and regional EF showed various responses to Ex. Global LVEF in the patients with AP indicated almost no change during Ex and regional EF declined apparently in anteroseptal segment, corresponding to stenotic left anterior descending artery. Diastolic indices of regional and global cardiac performance, PFR (peak filling rate), TPF (time to PFR) and standard deviation (SD) of TPF histogram, were obtained by Fourier analysis using two-order harmonics. Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) showed significantly lower PFR, longer TPF and higher SD of TPF than normal group, suggesting asynchronous relaxation. We conclude that regional EF response and diastolic indices of cardiac performance to exercise provide useful and sensitive information detecting the severity of CAD.

Effects of immunomodulators on candidacidal activity of normal peritoneal cells in BALB/c mice

Macrophages which play an important role in host resistance against infections are considered to be a target for various immunomodulators. In order to examine the effects of selected immunomodulators on macrophage function, the effects of N-(2-mercapto-2-methylpropanoyl)-L-cysteine (SA96), levamisole (LMS) and D-penicillamine (D-Pc) on the candidacidal activity of the normal peritoneal cells (PC) were investigated. In the in vitro studies, SA96 increased the candidacidal activity of PC 4-fold, while D-Pc and LMS treatments did not increase this activity. In the ex vivo studies, PC obtained from the mice pre-treated with SA96, D-Pc and LMS showed a high candidacidal activity. Elevated candidacidal activity was not due to changes of cell types of PC populations. These results suggest that D-Pc and LMS activate the function of macrophage in vivo and SA96 activates the function both in vitro and in vivo.

[Effect of traxanox sodium on inflammatory response]

Traxanox was inactive against classic acute and subacute inflammation models such as carrageenin paw edema, UV erythema, 6-hr Evans blue-carrageenin (E-C) pleurisy and cotton pellet granuloma formation, and it failed to inhibit the production of prostaglandin E2 and a slow reacting substance from rat peritoneal leucocytes which phagocytize killed bacteria in vitro. On the other hand, traxanox inhibited the anaphylactoid reaction and decreased the pleural fluid in 24-hr E-C pleurisy. Traxanox (100 mg/kg, p.o.) also showed a tendency to suppress dextran edema and cotton pellet granuloma formation in adjuvant arthritis (AA) in rats. In experimental models of delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH), traxanox (100 mg/kg, p.o.) inhibited the accumulation of the exudate and the leucocyte migration in B. pertussis-induced pleurisy in rats. Traxanox (50 mg/kg) did not show any effect on AA in Lewis rats when administered orally for 21 days after the adjuvant inoculation, but the combined administration of traxanox with hydrocortisone (10 mg/kg, p.o.) or indomethacin (0.25 mg/kg, p.o.) resulted in a synergistic inhibition of AA. When the administration of traxanox was started 21 days before the adjuvant inoculation, it inhibited AA in a dose-dependent manner (50-100 mg/kg, p.o.). On the other hand, traxanox (100 mg/kg, p.o.) enhanced the concanavalin A-induced DTH-like skin reaction in guinea pigs. These results indicate that the mode of action of traxanox on inflammatory responses resembles that of D-penicillamine or levamisole, so that it may prove to be clinically effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis.

Are cat lingual muscles dually innervated by the hypoglossal nerve and facial nerve?

The origins of the somatic motor nerve innervating the cat lingual muscles were studied using the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method. Following HRP injection into the lingual muscles, labeled neurons were found not only in the hypoglossal nucleus but also in the facial nucleus, ipsilateral to the injection side. HRP-labeled neurons in the facial nucleus were principally observed in the ventromedial and ventrolateral divisions of the nucleus. This study suggests that cat lingual muscles are innervated by both hypoglossal motoneurons and some of the motoneurons in the ventromedial and ventrolateral divisions of the facial nucleus.