Preventive effect of Propionibacterium acnes on metastasis in mice rendered tolerant to tumor-associated transplantation antigens

The present study was carried out to investigate the preventive effect of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) on metastasis formation of C3H/He mice which has been rendered tolerant to tumor-associated transplantation antigen (TATA) of syngeneic X5563 plasmacytoma. C3H/He mice inoculated intravenously (iv) with 10(6) 7000 R X-irradiated X5563 tumor cells 3 times at 4-day intervals. These pretreated mice could not develop immune resistance against X5563 tumor even after the appropriate immunization procedure. In these TATA-tolerant mice, enhanced metastasis associated with the development of visually apparent metastatic nodules in the spleens was observed after intradermal (id) implantation with viable tumor cells, even if the tumor was resected surgically 7 days thereafter. Administration of P. acnes to these TATA-tolerant mice appreciably reduced the metastasis formation. Although the growth of the id primary tumor was not affected by injection with P. acnes, the combined treatment of surgical resection of the primary tumor and P. acnes administration resulted in complete protection against metastasis in TATA-tolerant mice. These results unequivocally demonstrated that the administration of P. acnes is effective for preventing the outbreak of metastasized tumors, which are readily inducible in the TATA-tolerant state.

Enhancement by lead acetate of body weight-decreasing activity of endotoxin: quantitative comparisons of some administration methods of lead acetate

The body weight-decreasing effect of sublethal doses of endotoxin was enhanced in mice administered with such an amount of lead acetate that had no effect by itself on body weight. The enhancing effects of administration of lead acetate prior to, simultaneously with and after endotoxin administration were analyzed and compared by statistical methods. Linear dose-response relation between logarithmic doses of endotoxin and body weight-decreasing responses was obtained over a wide range of endotoxin doses with a constant dose of lead acetate. The non-parallelism between two dose-response lines obtained in lead acetate-treated and control mice was not denied. The relation of the two lines indicated that the more minute the dose of endotoxin, the more intense the enhancing effect of lead acetate appearing in the treated mice within certain limits of minute doses of endotoxin. These results were common in the three administration methods of lead acetate and can be applied to detection of minute doses of endotoxin. It was suggested that the pre-administration method of lead acetate was more suitable for detection of endotoxin than the other methods.

The influence of low frequency acupuncture on a demand pacemaker

Various complications with demand pacemakers have been known to originate from their own sensing mechanisms. In these complications, electromagnetic interference is one of the well known causes of oversensing with demand pacemakers. The influence of low frequency acupuncture as a specific type of electromagnetic interference on a demand pacemaker was examined during a cervical operation. It was found that low frequency acupuncture is a cause of electromagnetic interference with demand pacemakers. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using the low frequency acupuncture on a pacemaker patient.

Cytotoxic effects of ethylnitrosourea on central nervous system of rat embryos. Special references to carcinogenesis and teratogenesis

For the purpose of observing the cytotoxic effect of N-ethyl, N-nitrosourea (ENU), a potent carcinogen on the central nervous system (CNS) at the late period of organogenesis, the embryonal telencephalic wall was hourly examined under the light and electron microscopes. Pregnant rats on the 13th day and 15th day of gestation were given either a single intravenous injection of 40 or 80 mg/kg, of ENU. The cytotoxic effect on the embryo treated on the 15th day of gestation was severer than that treated on the 13th day of gestation. The common pathological changes in both treated groups are; (1) mitotic arrest 1 hour after administration in the most inner zone of the ventricular layer, (2) degeneration and necrosis accurred predominantly in the so-called DNA synthetic zone and resulting in cell loss of the ventricular layer, (3) elimination of degenerating products; and (4) tissue repair. The findings mentioned may indicate a cytotoxic effect inducing microencephalia, and furthermore, the teratogenic and carcinogenic mechanisms are discussed.

Vitamin E and immune response. I. Enhancement of helper T cell activity by dietary supplementation of vitamin E in mice

The effects of vitamin E on the humoral immune response to hamster erythrocytes (HRBC) and 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl (TNP) were studied in mice. Inbred SL mice were fed on a diet supplemented with 0, 20 or 200 mg of vitamin E per kg of food throughout the course of experiments. These mice were immunized primarily with HRBC 50 days after the beginning of treatment with vitamin E supplementation. Secondary immunization with TNP—HRBC, a hapten-carrier conjugate, was given 28 days after primary immunization with HRBC. Anti-HRBC and anti-TNP haemagglutinin titres were increased by supplementing mice with vitamin E. Moreover, the effect of previous priming of mice with HRBC on the hapten-specific antibody response to immunization with TNP-HRBC was also enhanced by vitamin E supplementation. These effects of vitamin E were dose-dependent, and vitamin E as tocopheryl acetate exerted more effect than vitamin E as tocopheryl nicotinate. In experiments with the mouse inbred strain DDD, vitamin E seemed to facilitate the shift of antibody production from IgM to IgG. Initial IgM response and late IgG response were not augmented by treating mice with vitamin E supplementation. These findings suggested that vitamin E stimulated the helper activity of T lymphocytes. This was confirmed using an adoptive transfer system involving stimulation of hapten-primed cells by a hapten-carrier conjugate in the presence of carrier-primed helper cells.

Treatment of the femoral shaft fracture with a curved heat-treated COP clover-leaf nail

The commonly used straight intramedullary nail has certain limitations and disadvantages. Following radiographic and metallurgical studies we have developed a curved heat-treated clover-leaf nail using a newly developed precipitation hardening stainless steel (COP). The nail is bent with a slot on the convex side and the radius of curvature is 115 cm which corresponds to the anatomical antero-lateral convexity of the human femur. The nail has been satisfactory in clinical use since 1971 and has provided not only more stable internal fixation but also allowed fixation of fractures beyond the middle third of the shaft.

Experiment studies on sweating for exercise prescription: total body sweat rate in relation to work load in physically trained adult males

This study was designed to examine whether or not the total body sweat rate can be used as a practical index for prescribing exercise. The sweat rate was experimentally studied in relation to factors such as intensity of exercise, the secretory capacity of sweating mechanism, and body temperature. After determining the maximum sweating rate on the whole body surface, regarded as the secretory capacity of the sweating mechanism, each physically trained subject was made to pedal a bicycle ergometer for 60 min at each of several kinds of mechanical work rates under fixed hot climatic conditions in summer. Total body sweat rate, rectal temperature, and RMR were measured during the experiment. The sweat secreting index (SSI), which is ratio of total body sweat rate to maximum sweat rate, was calculated, and was presumed to indicate the functioning rate of sweat secretory capacity. The total body sweat rate responded to factors such as RMR, SSI, and rectal temperature with a high correlation coefficient. From these results it was concluded that the total body sweat rate can be used as a practical index for prescribing exercise.

Age-Related Changes in Suppressor Functions of Human T Cells

Functions of both naturally occurring suppressor and Con A-activated suppressor cels were compared among newborns, young adults, and aged subjects. When T cells were irradiated to remove suppressor activity and added to PWM-stimulated allogeneic B cell cultures, an enhanced Ig production resulted. This irradiation-induced enhancement for IgG production was significantly lower in aged group than in newborns or young adults (p ≦ 0.01). With regard to IgM production, the enhancement was significantly depressed in aged subjects as compared with newborns (p = 0.05). The radiation dose for the generation of T cells capable of exerting the greatest enhancement was between 900 and 1200 rads in both young adults and aged subjects, but as high as 1600 rads in newborns. Furthermore, newborns were shown to be enriched for T suppressor activity by co-culturing of allogeneic PBL with T cells in the presence of PWM as compared with young adults.

T cells isolated from young adults, but not from aged subjects, enhanced IgM and IgG production by allogeneic B cells beyond the synergy obtained by control T cells when pretreated with mitomycin and then co-cultured with B cells and PWM. The means of maximal enhancements were significantly greater in young adults than in the aged (p = 0.02 for IgG, p < 0.05 for IgM).

The study on the kinetics of generation of Con A-activated suppressor cells revealed that T cells isolated from young adults mediated maximal suppression of Ig production when activated by incubation with Con A for 2 days and added to PWM-stimulated PBL cultures. By contrast, T cells from aged humans required 1 or 2 more days of incubation with Con A to be activated to obtain the maximal suppressor activity. In addition, the means of maximal suppression of IgM and IgG production mediated by Con A-activated T cells were significantly greater in young adults than in the aged (p = 0.02 for IgG and p = 0.05 for IgM).

Impaired function of both naturally occurring suppressor and Con A-activated suppressor cells is discussed in relation to altered immunocompetence seen in aged humans.

Adult T cell leukemia. Histological classification and characteristics

Adult T cell leukemia was classified into two distinct types, monomorphic and pleomorphic, according to their histological and cytological features. The former type is composed of uniform neoplastic cells with round or slightly indented nuclei without any marked deformation. The latter type, on the other hand, occupies a unique position in lymphocytic leukemias with the following characteristics: a) onset in adulthood, b) an acute and subacute course, c) well-differentiated T cell origin of the neoplastic cells, d) pleomorphism of the neoplastic cells with markedly deformed nuclei, e) diffuse proliferation of the neoplastic cells without nodular pattern, f) histologically heterogeneous features of lymph nodes frequently admixing a cluster of normal lymphocytes, proliferation of macrophages and dendritic cells, and well-developed high endothelium venules, g) high incidence of skin lesions due to the infiltration of neoplastic cells, and h) exclusively limited localization of patients' birth places.

Studies on in vivo priming of the TNP-reactive cytotoxic effector cell system. I. Comparison of the effects of intravenous inoculation with TNP-conjugated cells on the development of contact sensitivity and cell-mediated lympholysis

A comparison was made of the effects of i.v. inoculation of trinitrophenyl-(TNP) conjugated syngeneic cells on the subsequent in vitro generation of TNP-reactive effector cell activity and on the in vivo development of TNP-contact sensitivity. The administration of syngeneic TNP-conjugated spleen cells before 2,4,6-trinitro-1-chlorobenzene (TNCB) painting abolished the capability of animals to develop TNP-contact sensitivity. In contrast, the same treatment resulted in an appreciable augmentation in the generation of TNP-reactive cytotoxic effector cell activity as measured by subsequent in vitro sensitization with TNP-conjugated cells. The possible mechanisms by which enhanced TNP-reactive cytotoxic effector cell activity was elicited under conditions identical to those that induced unresponsiveness for TNP-contact sensitivity are discussed.