ESR and TL dosimetry systems: comparative measurements for human phantom

Mixtures of small fragments of tooth enamel as well as thermoluminescence (TL) dosimeters were placed into the tissue-equivalent phantom of the human head with skeleton (approximately at the level of the jaws) and irradiated using 137Cs low dose-rate gamma therapeutic sources ('SELEKTRON' LDR 137Cs). Phantom, samples of teeth and TL detectors were irradiated behind water tank to produce scattered irradiation. The same irradiation with the same geometry was performed in air too. For gamma-spectrometry 137Cs sources with very low activity were used but with the same geometry as therapeutic sources. The absorbed dose in enamel was estimated with the help of ESR spectrometer 'ESP-300 E' (Brucker). The samples of tooth enamel were partially used for preliminary dose evaluation by ESR signal before starting of experiment. TL dosimetry was performed by TL reader model 8800 (HARSHAW) using TL dosimeters calibrated with 137Cs. The paper presents data obtained in comparative aspects.

[Functional activity of T-, B-lymphocytes, and macrophages during suppression of expression of the env gene from an endogenous retrovirus genome]

Incubation of murine spleen cells with antisense oligonucleotide complementary to initiation site of this gene highly increased RNA synthesis relative to the normal T- and B-lymphocytes from spleen. In macrophages, inhibition of gene env expression stimulated phagocytosis and IL-1 production. Under these conditions, the level of expression of proviral envelope transmembrane p15E protein, which in infectious type C retroviruses is known to be immunosuppressive, decreased in spleen cells. Antisense oligonucleotide stimulatory effect on murine spleen cell RNA synthesis is presumably related to the reduced production of endogenous p15E.

Antiproliferative effect of bone marrow cells on leukemic cells

When normal murine bone marrow (BM) cells were cultured with either L1210 lymphoma cells or P815 mastocytoma cells for 24 h, considerable tumor growth suppression without substantial tumor cell lysis was found. Under the same conditions, normal spleen cells also demonstrated the antitumor cytostatic activity, but not as significant as that characteristic of BM cells, whereas both normal thymus and lymph node cells had not any suppressive effect on tumor cell proliferation. The comparable cytostatic effects occurred in both syngeneic and allogeneic BM-tumor cell combinations. The cytostatic BM-effectors were distinct from T and B lymphocytes or mature macrophages. After being separated on a discontinuous Percoll density gradient, the cells active in suppressing tumor growth were recovered predominantly in 1.075 and 1.060 density fractions. The cytostatic BM effectors, at least in their part, were resistant to x-irradiation up to 2000 rad included. Collectively these results suggest that normal BM, being deficient in cell-mediated antitumor cytolytic activity, has a significant leukemia growth inhibitory potential; and that cytostatic BM effectors are similar in their characteristics to natural suppressor cells.

Triggering effects of BCG vaccine on antitumor and interleukin-1 secretory activity of T cell lymphokine-primed macrophages

By using an in vitro model, this work demonstrates that BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) vaccine is able to trigger activation of T cell lymphokine-primed murine macrophages (Mo) for both tumoricidal cytotoxicity and interleukin-1 (IL-1) secretion. The results presented support the view that BCG vaccine may essentially activate primed, but not intact Mo; and that macrophage-mediated both antitumor and immunostimulatory effects of BCG vaccine observed in the body may be largely defined by functional activity of T-lymphocytes responsible for antigen-induced production of macrophage-activating lymphokines.

Bone marrow cells as cytostatic effectors responsible for suppressing leukemia growth in vitro

When bone marrow (BM) cells, isolated from normal (C57BL/6 x DBA/2)F1 mice (H-2b/H-2d), were cultured with leukemic cells for 24 hours, a significant tumor growth suppression, without noticeable tumor cell killing, was found. The level of BM cell-mediated cytostasis of both P815 mastocytoma (H-2d) and L1210 lymphoma (H-2d) cells was dependent on BM-to-tumor cell ratio; 100% growth inhibition was obtained at a ratio of 480/1. In addition, BM cells were found to be able to synergize in suppressing P815 cell growth with lymphoid cells. The synergistic suppressive effects on tumor cell proliferation were observed in BM-spleen, BM-thymus and BM-lymphnode cell co-cultures. The analysis of cytostatic activity of the cell culture supernatants showed that the synergistic leukemia growth suppression could be mediated, at least in part, by cell-derived soluble cytostatic molecules. The data presented herein also indicated that culturing BM cells with either crude supernatant (25%) from allogeneic mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) or recombinant human interleukin(IL)-2 (20 U/ml) for 20 hours led to a 2-fold increase in their cytostatic activity against both P815 and L1210 cells. Taken together, the results suggest that although normal BM cells are ineffective in tumor cell killing, they may play an important role in cell-mediated effector mechanisms responsible for suppressing leukemia development; and that activated T lymphocytes, through producing cytokine(s), may rapidly upregulate leukemia growth inhibitory activity of BM cells.

[Effect of B-cell suppressor factor and erythroblast suppressor factor on the colony-forming capacity of hematopoietic stem cells]

Hemopoietic precursor cloning in healthy donors and patients with lymphoproliferative disorders and its regulation in donors by two novel suppressive factors (BSF and ErSF) are investigated. It is shown that the count of erythroid precursors is increased in peripheral blood of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in contrast to the count of granulocyte-macrophage precursors. BSF inhibits entirely granulocyte-macrophage, macrophage and erythrocyte colony growth. In contrast, ErSF abrogates selectively erythroid precursor cell proliferation and differentiation. The role of the above factor in normal hemopoiesis inhibition mechanism during lymphoproliferative diseases are discussed.

The interaction between interleukin-1 and glucocorticoids in the in vivo antibody response of mice to three concentrations of antigen

Antigenic challenge leads to a transient increase of serum glucocorticoids, a phenomenon that has been implicated in regulation of the magnitude of the immune response. In the present study, we determined the effects of immunization with three different doses of the T-dependent antigen, sheep red blood cells (SRBC), on glucocorticoid levels, IL-1 production by splenic macrophages, and number of splenic antibody-forming cells in mice. Immunization with three doses of antigen caused a dose-dependent increase in serum glucocorticoid after 2-4 h. No effect of immunization on serum corticosteroid-binding globulin levels was found, suggesting that the concentration of free, hormonally active corticosterone was increased. Antigenic challenge resulted in a significant rise of IL-1 production in a dose-related manner 2 h after immunization, except for the group given the highest dose of SRBC, which demonstrated strong elevation of serum corticosterone level by this time. However, IL-1 production by splenic macrophages, isolated at the peak of the hormonal reaction to SRBC (4 h after immunization), was suppressed in a dose-dependent fashion. An inverse relationship between endogenous levels of glucocorticoids and splenic plaque-forming cells number was also revealed. It is concluded that the interaction of IL-1 and glucocorticoids during the first hours after antigenic challenge is one of the factors controlling the magnitude of the immune response.

[The surgical treatment of mandibular prognathism after the elimination of congenital clefts of the upper lip and palate]

In 4.47% of observation in patients after liquidation of the cleft lip and the palate the lower prognathia is diagnosed. From 77 patients being operated for lower prognathia such kind of patients were 7. The subsequence of the treatment measures is the following: correction of the upper jaw on the basis of compactostetomy and it's subsequent widening with orthodontic devices. In case of impossibility of sufficient widening of the dental arch the removable dental prosthesis is made for application on the upper jaw with doubling dental row accounting achievement of the desired bite. At the second stage the osteotomy of the upper jaw brunch and sagittal removement of the central section back are carried out up to achievement of the neutral bite. In dependence on jaw sagittal removement degree operative treatment may be performed by the intravial (I degree) or extravial method (II-III progemy degrees). Quite satisfactory remote results are presented. The paper is illustrated by 4 figures. The list of literature is given.

[Changes in the age structure of the hematopoietic stem cells of older mice under the influence of a factor inhibiting their proliferative activity]

The effect of stem cell proliferation inhibitor (PIF) on hemopoietic stem cell and committed precursor cell subpopulations in aged mice was studied. The following parameters were analyzed: the number of CFUs-5, CFUs-8, and CFUs-12 in bone marrow and spleen, the number of BFUe, CFUs-GM, CFUs-M, and the ability of bone marrow cells of aged mice to repopulate bone marrow of lethally irradiated recipients (MRA). Characteristic of aged mice were an increased number of precursors (mainly in bone marrow), changes in their erythropoietic differentiation, and a decreased MRA of bone marrow cells. The suppression of stem cell proliferation by PIF was accompanied by a decrease in the total number of precursors and led to changes in their migration and differentiation, which might provide for restoration of hemopoiesis in aged mice to the level characteristic of young mice.

[A method for revascularizing the penis]

The authors propose an original method of vasculogenic impotence surgery involving correction of arterial and arteriovenous insufficiency of the penis. This includes isolation of penile dorsal artery and deep dorsal vein in the proximal and middle third, then of the low epigastric artery along the entire length from the branching to the distal third. Upon establishing the shunt from the dorsal artery and vein, it is sutured with epigastric artery end-to-side. The procedure ends by placing the deep dorsal vein into the duplicature of the corpus cavernosum tunica albuginea. Follow-up results (within 3 years) available for 12 surgical patients demonstrate that improvement did not occur only in one case. This patient had corpus cavernosum sclerosis.

[The immunoactive properties of trekrezan]

It was shown that in vivo trecrezan possessed strong immunoactive properties: it decreased the spot-forming activity of polypotent stem blood cells, stimulated lympho- and hemopoesis, antibody formation, possessed steady antiinflammatory activity. It stimulated in vitro mononuclear cell proliferation in man due to its direct action on B lymphocytes and increase in lymphokine and monokine production.

[Role of sympathetic denervation in chemical carcinogenesis in the lungs in the pathogenesis of disorders of interleukin-1 production by alveolar macrophages]

Sympathetic innervation of the lungs and Interleukin-1 (IL-1) production by alveolar macrophages at urethan--induced carcinogenesis have been studied. The decreased of IL-1 production and visual signs of sympathectomy from the third month of carcinogenesis have been found. The injection of nerve growth factor at this period proved to prevent the process of sympathectomy and the decrease of IL-1 production. Production of IL-1 by macrophages was concluded to be regulated by sympathetic nervous system.

[The role of macrophages during the formation of regulatory connections between the immune, nervous and endocrine systems in the course of an immune response]

The study explores the current understanding of the role of macrophages in the process of formation of the regulatory relations in the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems during the immune reactions. Discussion of the effects of the factors of macrophagal origin on the afferent section of the nervous system, on production of neuromediators of the sympathetic and parasympathetic sections of the vegetative nervous system, on production of neuropeptides and the functional activity of adrenals, and of the influence of the neuroendocrine system on the mononuclear phagocytes. Discussion of the role of macrophages in the intersystem regulation of the immune reaction.

[Electropiezolithotripsy in anomalous kidneys]

The results of electropiezolithotripsy (EPL) are presented for 54 patients with anomalous kidneys. Nineteen of them had a shield kidney, 12 had double kidney, 9 showed different types of dystopia, L- and S-shaped kidneys were in 3 and 1 patient, respectively, 2 patients had a sponge kidney. Anomalies of the upper urinary tracts themselves are not a contraindication to extracorporeal EPL under satisfactory urine passage distally from the calculus. EPL to treat urolithiasis in a sponge kidney is recommended in the concrement location in the pelvis or calyces. The attempts of EPL in parenchymal stones resulted in massive macrohematuria and pyelonephritic attacks.

The influence of synthetic peptide from retroviral transmembrane protein p15E on murine spleen cell proliferation and bone marrow hemopoietic precursor colony formation

The retroviral transmembrane p15E peptide is known to suppress a wide variety of immune cell functions, suggesting a role for immunosuppression associated with retroviral infection. The 10-amino acid sequence from the highly conserved portion of p15E (CKS-10) is capable of reproducing this inhibitory activity. In this study we set out to determine the influence of this decapeptide on murine spleen cell mitogen-induced proliferation and hematopoietic granulocyte-macrophage and erythroid precursor colony formation in vitro. A dose- and time-dependent suppression of spleen cell blastogenic response was produced by the CKS-10 peptide. When bone marrow cells were incubated with decapeptide, the significant decrease of CFU-GM colony number was also dose-dependent. In contrast, the same doses of CKS-10 peptide which induced a most significant inhibition of CFU-GM colony formation caused a marked increase of BFU-E colonies. A most pronounced effect of the peptide on bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor activity was produced by prolonged exposure to the peptide. Given the results of this study, it seems likely that, in addition to the cytopathic effect of retroviruses on the lymphocytes, viral peptide-mediated hematopoiesis disorders may also play an important role in the pathogenesis of immunodeficiency associated with retroviral infections.

[The immunomodulating properties of the diuretic bufenoks]

Bufenox, a diuretic with a sodium-uretic and light potassium--uretic effect, has an immediate but short-term effect, stimulates IgM antibody production, depressed delayed-type hypersensitivity. The immunomodulating effect of bufenox may be due to changes in Na+ ions concentrations since sodium load abrogates immunoactive properties of the drug.