Two qualitatively different effects of hyperthermia on acid phosphatase staining in mouse spleen, dependent on the severity of the treatment

Modulation of cellular glycosidase activity by hyperthermia

We examined the effect of 45 degrees C hyperthermia on the following glycosidases in CHO cells: beta-galactosidase, beta-hexosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase and alpha-mannosidase. Among these, lysosomal alpha-mannosidase exhibited the most dramatic response to hyperthermia with an increase in activity immediately after 45 degrees C hyperthermia. The increase was linearly dose-dependent with a doubling of activity for every 20 min at 45 degrees C. In contrast to alpha-mannosidase, beta-glucuronidase, beta-galactosidase, and beta-hexosaminidase showed only minor alterations in activity, or none, after hyperthermia of 10 to 60 min at 45 degrees C. Induction of thermotolerance enhanced the heat resistance of beta-galactosidase, but caused increased heat sensitivity for alpha-mannosidase. Intracellular beta-galactosidase, measured by histochemical staining, showed a dramatic redistribution in response to mild hyperthermia (10 min, 45 degrees C); the same effect was not observed for beta-glucuronidase. The data argue against non-specific activation of lysosomes by hyperthermia, and suggest that cells contain lysosomal subpopulations that are characterized by different heat sensitivities and variable glycosidase contents.

Rapid hyperthermic cell sensitivity test measured by RNA synthesis using contact-sensitive plates of confluent Balb/c 3T3 cell monolayers

We have developed a hyperthermic sensitivity test for human neoplastic cells using contact-sensitive confluent monolayers of BALB/c 3T3 cells designated as 'contact-sensitive plates (CSP)', which almost completely inhibited the growth of normal cells without influencing the growth of the human neoplastic cells. On 'CSP', the relative [3H]uridine incorporation into RNA of the hyperthermic cultures showed an excellent correlation with the relative clonogenic efficiency of the treated cultures. Since 'CSP' allows for only contact-insensitive tumour cells to proliferate, our assay will predict the hyperthermic sensitivity of only the neoplastic cells. Moreover, even 2 x 10(3) cells derived from clinical tumour tissues can be assayed within only 3 days. This assay system is potentially used as a rapid in vitro hyperthermic sensitivity test for human carcinoma.

Hyperthermic liver perfusion and release of lysosomal enzymes

Perfused rat liver was used to study the relationship between the hepatotoxic effects of hyperthermia and the effects of heat on lysosomes. Livers from fed rats were perfused for 180 min at 37-43 degrees C. Release of lysosomal enzymes into the perfusate during perfusion and lysosomal fragility at the end of perfusion were determined. Lysosomes were then incubated in vitro at 37-45 degrees C with xanthine and xanthine oxidase to generate superoxide in order to study lipid peroxidation as a potential causative factor in heat-induced lysosomal lability. Perfusate lysosomal enzymes p-nitrophenyl phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase increased significantly (P less than 0.05) at 42 and 43 degrees C over enzyme levels at 37 degrees C. Significant differences were not observed until after 120 min. Lysosomal fragility was found to be significantly increased (P less than 0.05) after perfusion at 42 and 43 degrees C when measuring p-nitrophenyl phosphatase, but not when measuring beta-glucuronidase activity. Xanthine oxidase acting on xanthine caused labilization of the lysosomes at all temperatures studied when compared to a control at each temperature. There was a temperature effect with an increase in release of p-nitrophenyl phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase from control lysosomes which became significant (P less than 0.05) at 43 degrees C on comparison to 37 degrees C. There were no significant increases in lysosomal lability with temperature in the presence of xanthine and xanthine oxidase. Lastly, salicylic acid peroxidation was used as a measure of superoxide formation from the action of xanthine oxidase with increasing temperature.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of hyperthermia on plasma glycoprotein catabolism by the isolated perfused rat liver

Clearance and degradation of the glycoprotein, asialofetuin (AF), by the isolated perfused rat liver at supranormal temperatures were investigated. The half-life for disappearance of AF was similar at 37, 41, and 42 degrees C, P greater than 0.05. There was a significant difference between the amount of hydrolysis of AF at 37, 41, and 42 degrees C, P less than 0.05. This indicates that there was significant retardation of lysosomal proteolysis or receptor endocytosis by the hepatocyte at elevated temperatures.

A comparison of the response to hyperthermia of murine haemopoietic stem cells (CFU-S) and L1210 leukaemia cells: enhanced killing of leukaemic cells in presence of normal marrow cells

When the clonogenic survival of mouse haemopoietic stem cells (CFU-S) and leukaemia L1210 cells growth as ascites tumours are compared after being heated in vitro and assayed in vivo by spleen-colony assay, there is no significant difference in the terminal slopes of the survival curves. The shoulders of the survival curves differ, but this may be explained by differences in cell kinetics. By contrast, L1210 leukaemic marrow cells are considerably more susceptible to the lethal effects of hyperthermia (43 degrees C) than either normal marrow stem cells or L1210 leukaemic cells grown as ascites tumours. Moreover, the killing of L1210 ascites cells by hyperthermia can be enhanced by heating L1210 ascites cells with an equal number of normal marrow cells, or as upernatant removed from heated marrow cells. Most cells in lukaemic marrow are normal, and it is postulated that the increased thermal sensitivity of L1210 cells in leukaemic marrow is caused by diffusible factors (e.g. lysosomal enzymes) released by heating normal marrow cells.

Cavitational bio-effects of 1.5 MHz

The effects of continuous wave ultrasound on three different classes of biosystems have been investigated at a frequency of 1.5 MHz. The criteria for cavitation are given, and these are applied to experimentally observed growth retardation of plant roots, cell death and DNA degradation in bacteria and pyknosis of human lymphocytes. An attempt is being made to find common physical mechanisms for all these biological responses, and cavitation processes in particular are examined here. A description is given of the techniques used to monitor the presence of cavitation, and indirect evidence, drawn from pulsed field and elevated pressure experiments, is presented to show that other-non-linear processes are also operative.

The effect of local hyperthermia on the small intestine of the mouse

Small loops of mouse jejunum were exteriorized and heated by immersion in a bath of Krebs-Ringer salt solution. Crypts were lost in the heated regions with a half-time of approximately six hours and reached a steady level of damage by 10--16 hours. There was no recovery in crypt number for one week after hyperthermia. Using a 24 hour assay, crypt survival curves were obtained using various heating times in the temperature range 37.5 degrees C--44.5 degrees C. These curves were qualitatively similar to those resulting from radiation damage, showing a shoulder followed by exponential killing. As the temperature was increased, progressive changes in shape of the curves indicated a proportional inhibition of accumulation of sublethal heat damage combined with increased rate of expression of lethal damage. Over the temperature range 42.3 degrees C--44.5 degrees C, a linear relationship was found between the rate of crypt loss and the reciprocal of the absolute temperature. An activation energy of 600 +/- 70 kJ mole-1 was calculated using the Arrhenius equation. In this temperature range, doubling the heating time had the same effect as increasing the temperature by 1 degree C. At temperatures below about 42.3 degrees C, the tissue became relatively less sensitive to increasing the treatment time.