Synergistic enhancement of class I major histocompatibility complex antigen expression in K562 cells induced by recombinant human interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor in combination

The effects of recombinant preparations of human interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor (rTNF), alone or in combination, on class I or class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen induction were studied using K562, a multipotent hematopoietic precursor cell line. Class I antigens were weakly induced by rIFN-gamma; however, rTNF at any concentration examined (1-1000 U/ml) showed no effect on the induction of class I or class II antigens in the cells. rIFN-gamma (600 U/ml) induced approximately 20% of the cells to express class I antigens after 72-h exposure, whereas 81% of the cells demonstrated class I antigens on their cell surfaces when the cells were simultaneously exposed to 600 U/ml of rIFN-gamma and 1000 U/ml of rTNF. The class II MHC antigens were not induced by the treatments with rIFN-gamma or rTNF, alone or in combination. A synergistic increase of mRNA for class I MHC molecules was demonstrated by treatments of the cells with rIFN-gamma and rTNF in combination. rTNF, but not rIFN-gamma, weakly induced granulocyte-monocyte antigens on the cell surface; however, no synergism was observed on the induction of these antigens by the combined treatments with rIFN-gamma and rTNF. These results indicate that class I MHC antigen expression on K562 cells can be induced by IFN-gamma in cooperation with TNF in a manner different from myeloid antigen expression.

Biologic and pharmacologic effects of harringtonine on human leukemia-lymphoma cells

Ten human leukemia-lymphoma cell lines were tested for the growth-inhibitory effects of harringtonine (HT). HT was most active against HL-60 acute promyelocytic leukemia cells and least active against DND-41 acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells, with a 70-fold differential activity. Sensitivity of the cell lines is, in decreasing order: HL-60 greater than RPMI-8402 greater than DND-39A congruent to ML-2 congruent to MOLT-3 congruent to KG-1 greater than Daudi congruent to NALL-1 greater than BALM-2 greater than DND-41. The cell lines with rapid cell growth tended to be more sensitive to HT. To further elucidate the selectivity of the differential sensitivity, uptake and release of HT were compared in HL-60 and DND-41 cells. Uptake of [3H]HT into HL-60 and DND-41 cells showed no difference; however, the binding of [3H]HT to cellular components was greater than 16-fold higher in HL-60 cells than DND-41 cells. There were also minor, but significant differences in the inhibition of [3H]leucine incorporation into proteins of these two cell lines in the presence of 1 microgram/ml HT. To test whether the biological effects of HT are related to the concentration of, or exposure time to, HT, KG-1 cells were exposed to HT for different periods of time and the growth-inhibitory effects were compared. Increasing exposure time from 1 h to 3 h resulted in a 100-fold decrease in concentration X exposure time (c X t) at ID50; from 3 h to 6 h, in a 20-fold decrease at ID70; and from 6 h to 24 h, in a 16-fold decrease at ID90. HT was not inactivated by cells up to 24 h. These results indicate that (a) the sensitivity of different cell lines to HT may be related to the degree of HT binding; and (b) the effects of HT are more dependent on exposure time than concentration. Continuous infusion is thus rational for clinical trials of this drug, and the degree of HT binding to leukemic cells may be predictive of clinical response.

Comparison of somatostatin-28 and somatostatin-14 clearance by the perfused rat liver

The hepatic clearances of somatostatin (SS)-28 and SS-14 by the perfused rat liver were compared, using a recirculating, plasma-free, erythrocyte-containing perfusion system. The disappearance rate constant, half time, clearance, and hepatic extraction ratio when 1.2 nM SS-28 was added to the perfusate were 0.0221 +/- 0.0051 min-1, 36.6 +/- 7.6 min, 0.34 +/- 0.08 mL/min, and 17.2 +/- 3.9%, respectively. The corresponding values obtained when SS-14 was added to the perfusate were 0.0405 +/- 0.0022 min-1, 17.3 +/- 1.0 min, 0.71 +/- 0.05 mL/min, and 35.4 +/- 2.6%, respectively. The differences between the SS-28 and SS-14 indices were all statistically significant. In addition, the perfusates with SS-28 added were eluted on Sephadex G-25 fine columns and somatostatinlike immunoreactivity (SLI) was determined. No SS-14 was found in perfusate containing SS-28 at both 5 and 30 min after the beginning of the perfusion. To investigate whether or not the liver plays an important role in the clearance of SS-28 or the conversion of SS-14 in vivo, the plasma disappearance of 2 micrograms SS-28 was compared in the whole rat and the functionally hepatectomized model. The half time of plasma SS-28 was 1.43 +/- 0.12 min in the whole rat, significantly shorter than the 2.20 +/- 0.14 min in the hepatectomized model. Gel filtration of plasma extract samples at 0.5 min after the SS-28 injection showed two major peaks of SLI: a first peak corresponding to SS-28 and a second peak coeluted in the position of SS-14 in both the whole rat and the hepatectomized model. At 4 min after the SS-28 injection, the first peak disappeared and only a small second peak was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Dopaminergic control of aldosterone secretion in man (author's transl)]

To evaluate the dopaminergic control of aldosterone secretion, the following experiments were performed on 10 normal subjects (3 men and 7 women, aged 21 approximately 69 yrs.), 16 diabetics (8 men and 8 women, aged 20 approximately 74 yrs.) and 7 patients with untreated hyperthyroidism (2 men and 5 women aged 16 approximately 58 yrs.). Blood samples were withdrawn from an intravenous cannula indwelled in an antecubital vein at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min after intravenous injection of 10mg metoclopramide with a volus. Plasma aldosterone levels and plasma renin activities (PRA) were measured by radioimmunoassay. In normal subjects, plasma aldosterone levels were significantly increased from basal levels of 111.8 +/- 1.3 Opg/ml (Mean +/- S.E.) to 183.4 +/- 23.3pg/ml 15 min after an intravenous injection of metoclopramide and were sustained for about 90 min. This increase induced by metoclopramide was, however, abolished by pretreatment with 2.5mg of bromocriptine. It is suggested that metoclopramide and bromocriptine are in a competitive relationship at the level of dopaminergic receptor. In diabetics, the mean plasma level of aldosterone was as low as 66.3 +/- 8.7pg/ml, which was significantly lower than that in normal subjects (p less than 0.01), and aldosterone response to metoclopramide was significantly diminished. Although this tendency was more apparent in diabetics with such complications as neuropathy or retinopathy, aldosterone response to metoclopramide implied that aldosterone secretion was under dopaminergic inhibition in this hypoaldosteronemic state. While aldosterone responded well to metoclopramide, PRA was not significantly altered in this treatment in normal subjects and diabetics. In patients with untreated hyperthyroidism, aldosterone response was similar to that in normal subjects.

A case of pituitary apoplexy with spontaneous recovery

A patient, 38-year-old man, with hemorrhage into a prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma, or pituitary apoplexy, is reported. On his admission, clinical examinations revealed typical stigmata indicating that he suffered from an acute attack of pituitary apoplexy probably induced by acute meningitis. He survived the acute attack and recovered spontaneously without an urgent operation. Although there was no suspicious sign and symptom of hypopituitarism, the first study performed immediately after the attack suggested strongly that hypopituitarism might acutely developed during the hemorrhage into the tumor. Moreover, the follow-up studies indicated that TSH, LH and ADH recovered spontaneously from the initial damage following the resorption of hemorrhage for the next 3 months.

Clinical study on early changes in thyroid function of hyperthyroidism treated with propylthiouracil and a relatively small dose of iodide

In order to compare the acute effects of three kinds of antithyroid agents of iodide (I-), propylthiouracil (PTU) and PTU combined with iodide (PTU+I-) on thyroid function in hyperthyroid patients with diffuse goiter, serum concentrations of thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), T3-resin sponge uptake (T3-RU) and free thyroxine index (FT4I) were employed as thyroid function parameters. In the group given iodine (1 mg/day) as iodinated-lecithine, the initial values of T4, T3, T3-RU and FT4I were 20.9 +/- 1.6 microng/100 ml (T4), greater than 740 ng/100 ml (T3), 49.5 +/- 2.3% (T3-RU) and 14.7 +/- 1.8 (FT4I). At the end of one week of therapy, they decreased clearly to 15.6 +/- 2.2 microng/100 ml, 457 +/- 87 ng/100 ml, 42.2 +/- 4.0% and 9.7 +/- 2.4. The so-called "escape phenomenon" from iodide inhibition was observed in serum T4, T3-RU and FT4I values at the end of two weeks of iodide therapy, while serum T3 continued to decrease but the value of T3 was far outside of the normal range. In the PTU group (300 mg/day), thyroid function parameters were 22.5 +/- 0.8 microng/100 ml (T4), greater than 592 ng/100 ml (T3), 54.9 +/- 1.0% (T3-RU) and 18.7 +/- 1.0 (FT4I) before treatment. They decreased continually week by week. At the end of four-week treatment with PTU, the value of each thyroid function parameter was 11.1 +/- 1.9 microng/100 ml, 229 +/- 56 ng/100 ml, 36.6 +/- 4.4% and 5.7 +/- 1.7. In the group of hyperthyroidism simultaneously given both PTU and iodide (300 mg/PTU and 1 mg/iodine), these thyroid function parameters decreased as well as in the group treated with PTU alone for more than two weeks. More rapid or significant decrease of T4, T3, T3-RU and ft4i in PTU+I- group than in PTU group was observed in the present study. These results suggested strongly that iodide alone was not an adequate therapy for hyperthyroidism as well known and they were also compatible with the idea that the concomitant administration of PTU and iodide was more effective in the early phase of therapy of hyperthyroidism than PTU alone.

[A low response of pituitary growth hormone secretion in the patient with diabetes mellitus after intravenous administration of L-dopa (author's transl)]

Recently, L-dopa has been known as one of drugs to stimulate the secretion of growth hormone from the pituitary gland through dopamine, which is a metabolic of L-dopa, without any changes of serum insulin levels, blood sugar values, fatty acids and amino acids concentrations in the serum of human being. The present study was thus designed to assess the effect of L-dopa on the pituitary gland to secrete the growth hormone in the normal subject and the study was further extended to compare the response of the pituitary secretion of the growth hormone following the administration of L-dopa between in the patient with diabetes mellitus and in the normal subject. In the present experiment, 5 normal subjects and 11 diabetes mellitus without obesity were employed and they received a 30 min infusion of 200 mg L-dopa dissolved in 200 ml physiological saline. In normal subjects, serum growth hormone concentration measured by radio-immunoassay was started to increase within 10 min after L-dopa administration and maximum value of serum growth hormone was obtained 60 min after the drug, mean values of it, 30 ng/ml of serum. Then it was declined sharply upto the values of 2-3 ng/ml. In the patients with diabetes mellitus, on the other hand, maximum value of serum concentration of the growth hormone was only approximately 5 ng/ml of serum obtained between 45 and 75 min after the administration of L-dopa. No changes in the serum concentration of IRI (Immunoreactive insulin) and of blood sugar values were observed by the infusion of L-dopa in both normal subjects and diabetes mellitus. From the above mentioned facts, it was concluded that the ability of pituitary gland to secrete the growth hormone was considerably impaired in diabetics when it was compared with normal subjects.

Preparation and properties of thyroxine-binding alpha globulin (TBG)

Thyroxine-binding alpha globulin (TBG) in human serum was isolated from Cohn fractions IV-5,6 and IV-4 by (1) chromatography on carboxymethyl (CM) cellulose, (2) gel filtration on Sephadex G-200, (3) chromatography on diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex, (4) a novel procedure of "double-gel" electrophoresis, and (5) preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The protein was homogeneous by analytical disc gel electrophoresis, immunoelectrophoresis, and ultracentrifugal analyses (sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium), and after addition of thyroxine-(125)I showed a constant specific radioactivity on polyacrylamide electrophoresis. The sedimentation and diffusion coefficients were s(20, w), 3.0 x 10(-13) sec, and D(20, w), 8.05 x 10(-7) cm(2).sec(-1), and the molecular weight obtained by sedimentation equilibrium was 36,500. Gel filtration studies on Sephadex G-200 demonstrated that the protein had the same elution volume as that of native TBG in serum, apparently excluding the possibility of a subunit of the native protein. Chemical composition was ascertained by amino acid and carbohydrate analyses. The maximal thyroxine (T4)-binding capacity measured by reverse flow paper electrophoresis was 15,000 mug per g of protein, representing more than 2100 times that of the starting material, or about 5000 times that of whole serum. Based on the molecular weight obtained, the TBG preparation could bind 0.7 mole T4 per mole of protein, suggesting a single binding site. The association constant for T4 was estimated to be of the order of 10(10) by competitive binding studies employing TBG and T4-binding prealbumin (TBPA).