Induction of autoimmune phenomena in normal mice treated with natural thymocytotoxic autoantibody

Natural thymocytotoxic autoantibody (NTA) developed spontaneously in New Zealand Black (NZB) mice consists of two autoantibodies in terms of target cell specificity. One of the autoantibodies, NTA-2, is strongly cytotoxic only against desialized lymphocytes, whereas the other one, NTA-1, is cytotoxic against both intact thymocytes and asialolymphocytes. To study the pathogenic role of NTA in murine autoimmunity, DBA/2 mice were injected every other day with affinity-purified NTA (NTA-1, NTA-2). Control mice received normal mice sera (NMS) or saline. After 20 days of treatment, spleen cells from DBA/2 mice treated with NTA-1 or NTA-2 showed a significant increase in the number of anti-ssDNA plaque-forming cells and IgM-producing cells. Sera from NTA-treated mice showed greater DNA binding than sera from control mice did. The levels of proteinuria were moderately increased in NTA-2-treated mice. Con A responsiveness of thymocytes was markedly reduced in NTA-2-treated mice. On the other hand, Con A-activated spleen cells from both control and NTA-treated mice equally suppressed anti-SRBC antibody production in vitro, suggesting that NTA treatment didn't affect the direct precursors of suppressor T cells. Finally, prior absorption of NTA-1 by thymocytes prevented its ability to induce anti-DNA antibodies; however, prior absorption of NTA-2 by thymocytes didn't affect its activity.

Induction of autoimmune phenomena in normal mice treated with natural thymocytotoxic autoantibody

Natural thymocytotoxic autoantibody (NTA) developed spontaneously in New Zealand Black (NZB) mice consists of two autoantibodies in terms of target cell specificity. One of the autoantibodies, NTA-2, is strongly cytotoxic only against desialized lymphocytes, whereas the other one, NTA-1, is cytotoxic against both intact thymocytes and asialolymphocytes. To study the pathogenic role of NTA in murine autoimmunity, DBA/2 mice were injected every other day with affinity-purified NTA (NTA-1, NTA-2). Control mice received normal mice sera (NMS) or saline. After 20 days of treatment, spleen cells from DBA/2 mice treated with NTA-1 or NTA-2 showed a significant increase in the number of anti-ssDNA plaque-forming cells and IgM-producing cells. Sera from NTA-treated mice showed greater DNA binding than sera from control mice did. The levels of proteinuria were moderately increased in NTA-2-treated mice. Con A responsiveness of thymocytes was markedly reduced in NTA-2-treated mice. On the other hand, Con A-activated spleen cells from both control and NTA-treated mice equally suppressed anti-SRBC antibody production in vitro, suggesting that NTA treatment didn't affect the direct precursors of suppressor T cells. Finally, prior absorption of NTA-1 by thymocytes prevented its ability to induce anti-DNA antibodies; however, prior absorption of NTA-2 by thymocytes didn't affect its activity.

Immunochemical quantitation of serum complement components in SFD and AFD infants

Components of complement (protein concentrations of C1q, C3, C3-activator, C4, C5 and C9 and whole complement (hemolytic activity)) were measured in sera from full-term small-for-date (SFD) and appropriate-for-date (AFD) infants and their mothers. (1) Half the SFD infants showed lower C1q levels than the AFD infants. (2) SFD infants showed the same levels of C3 as AFD infants. (3) Although SFD infants showed slightly higher levels of C3-activator than AFD infants, there was no significant difference. (4) SFD infants and AFD infants showed the same level of C4. (5) With respect to C5, half the SFD infants showed lower levels than the AFD infants. (6) Levels of C9 in the SFD infants were essentially the same as those in the AFD infants. (7) The amount of protein in every complement component of an infant was smaller than that of the mother. In AFD infants, the infant-maternal ratios were 0.64 for C1q, 0.45 for C3, 0.29 for C3-activator, 0.43 for C4, 0.54 for C5 and 0.12 for C9. (8) The whole complement titers of umbilical cord sera from the AFD infants were approximately one half of those of the maternal sera. This is due to the smaller amount of complement protein itself in the infant sera. (9) The whole complement titers of umbilical cord serum agreeably correlate with gestational weeks and birth weight of the infants. (10) The whole complement titer in full-term SFD infants was lower than that in normal full-term AFD infants.

Immunoglobulins in newborns, particularly in term SFD infants

The following results were obtained by analyzing serum IgG, IgM and IgA of blood from the umbilical cord chiefly of small-for-date infants (term SFD infants): (1) The serum IgG level was higher in the infant's blood than in the mother's blood in the cases of appropriate-for-date infants (term AFD infants). Its fetus/ mother ratio was 1.25 +/- 0.22. (2) The fetus/mother ratios of IgG in term SFD infants and premature infants were lower than in term AFD infants. (3) The placental transmission of IgG increased as the gestation weeks went by, and its fetus/mother ratio reached 1.0 by the 38th week of pregnancy. (4) The serum IgM level was lower in term SFD infants than in term AFD infants. (5) Term SFD infants showed no difference of serum IgA level from that of term AFD infants.

Left ventricular asynergy in mitral valve diseases. A cineangiographic study

Mode of left ventricular contraction was studied by cine left ventriculography in 22 cases with mitral valve diseases and 7 control cases. In rheumatic mitral valve diseases, local hypokinesis of the left ventricular wall and poor contraction of the mitral annulus were observed frequently, at various location and to various extent. Transient asynergic motion of local wall was also seen either during systole or during diastole. Local hypokinesis was seen even in normal-sized left ventricles, and was associated with decreased cardiac pump performance, when its localization was extensive. Severe mitral regurgitation of rheumatic nature was always associated with poor contraction of the mitral annulus, although the reverse was not true.

Hemodynamic and clinical significances of atrial fibrillation, pulmonary vascular resistance and left ventricular function in rheumatic mitral stenosis

Seventy-four patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis were catheterized and hemodynamic and clinical significances of atrial fibrillation, pulmonary vascular resistance and left ventricular function were studied. These data were also compared to those in the 6 control cases. In addition to the correlation of mitral valve area to the functional classification of patients, significance of atrial fibrillation was also demonstrated. Patients with this arrhythmia had lower cardiac index than those with regular sinus rhythm by approximately 20%, throughout the range of mitral valve area observed. The lower average cardiac index was associated with a higher average left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in cases with atrial fibrillation than in cases without the arrhythmia, in the face of similar average heart rate and average mitral valve area; Average pulmonary vascular resistance correlated to the functional classification, but its systematic influence on the relation between mitral valve area and cardiac index was not observed. Abnormalities of left ventricular function were suggested frequently by various combinations of abnormal values in end-diastolic pressure, end-diastolic volume, ejection fraction, angiographically-measured circumferential fiber shortening velocity (Vcf), and pressure-derived maximal contractile element velocity (Vmax). Patients with enlarged left ventricle had significantly lower average cardiac index than those with normal ventricular size.

Studies on pharmacological and biochemical properties of deamino-dicarba-[GLY-7]-oxytocin (Y-5350)

Pharmacological and biochemical properties were investigated on deamino-dicarba-[Gly-7]-oxytocin (Y-5350). This is a newly developed compound, in which the disulfide bond and [Pro-7] of deamino-oxytocin are substituted by an ethylene linkage and glycine respectively. Bioassayed Y-5350 exhibited 202.6 u/mg of oxytocic activity, 4.6 u/mg of avian depressor activity, 441.2 u/mg of rat milk-ejecting activity and 0.02 u/mg of rat antidiuretic activity, however, adepressor activity was also evident in rats. In particular, the diuration of antidiuretic activity was short. Moreover, the oxytocic activity in pregnant rats and rabbits was weak in comparison with oxytocin. Cumulative dose-response studies were carried out on the isolated rat uterus using van Dyke-Hasting solution. The intrinsic activity was the same level as that of oxytocin, and the pD2 value was 8.62. Oxytocic activity was much enhanced by the existence of 0.5 or 2mM magnesium ion in vitro. However, the agreement between in vivo and in vitro oxytocic activity was not complete when assay was carried out in the prescence of 2 mM magnesium ion. Oxytocin was inactivated by the serum of pregnant women. In the experiment using rats, oxytocin was also destroyed by the extracts of uterus, kidney and liver. In contrast, Y-5350 was not destroyed by any of the enzyme solutions mentioned above.