Distinct Expression of Cytokines and Mitogenic Inhibitory Factors in Semen of Fertile and Infertile Men

PROBLEM: To assess the effect of seminal plasma (SP) of fertile and infertile men on leukocyte mitogenic response, and the capability of sperm cells to produce IL-1. METHODS: This study included four groups: fertile men (donors, normal), infertile men with azoospermia (azoo), oligo-terato-asthenozoospermia (OTA), and OTA with genital infection (OTA-inf). Mouse spleen cell proliferation in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Concanavalin-A (Con-A) was examined in the presence of SP from the above four groups. Supernatants (sup) and lysates (lys) of sperm cells from fertile and oligoteratoasthenospermic (OTA) men were evaluated for IL-1 bioactivity by specific bioassay. RESULTS: Seminal plasma (SP) of the four groups were shown to inhibit the mitogenic response of mouse spleen cells to LPS and Con-A. SP of fertile men was significantly more inhibitory than SP from infertile men. Sperm cells from fertile and OTA infertile men constitutively produced IL-1. Sperm cells of both groups produced similar levels of IL-1 as examined in the supernatants and lysates. CONCLUSIONS: Seminal plasma of fertile men had more inhibitory mitogenic activity than that of OTA. Sperm cells constitutively produce IL-1. It is possible that the factors involved in this inhibition are not only anti-proliferative immune factors. Cytokines and inhibitory factors of mitogenesis in the seminal plasma may be involved in the physiology and pathophysiology of sperm functions and thus affect male fertility.     

Neutrophil superoxide release and interleukin 8 in acute myocardial infarction: distinction between complicated and uncomplicated states

Superoxide release in neutrophils and sera levels of interleukin 8 (IL-8) were determined in 15 patients with complicated acute myocardial infarction (MI) and 15 patients with uncomplicated MI. All patients showed increased superoxide release in unstimulated and stimulated neutrophils compared with healthy control subjects, indicating priming of these cells. Superoxide release of unstimulated or stimulated neutrophils was found to be significantly higher in patients with complicated MI than in patients with uncomplicated MI. Thrombolytic therapy did not affect the rates of superoxide release. The neutrophil chemoattractant/activator IL-8 was detected in the sera of all patients, with significantly higher levels in those with complicated MI. The highest levels of IL-8 were detected at admission to the Coronary Care Unit and significantly decreased thereafter, suggesting its contribution to neutrophil-mediated tissue injury. The high levels of IL-8 may be one of the major contributors to the priming of neutrophils in these patients.     

The allergen of Ficus benjamina in house dust

Ficus benjamina, a member of the Moraceae family, is a tropical, non-flowering green plant which is widely used for ornamental purposes. It is an occupational allergen in plant keepers but sensitization is also increasingly found in non-occupationally exposed atopic and non-atopic patients. The allergen of Ficus benjamina is located in the plant sap, also-called latex. By radioallergosorbent test-(RAST)-inhibition studies allergen could also be demonstrated in the dust collected from the leaf surface and in dust samples from the floor of rooms where the plant was placed. These findings could result in more extensive preventive measures in patients sensitized to Ficus benjamina, In addition there is some evidence that possibly a crossreactivity between latex of Ficus benjamina and latex from the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis, a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, may exist.     

Effect of intrajejunal elemental diet perfusion on local secretion of soluble CD4 and CD8

The effects of nutrients on the mucosal immune system are poorly understood. The aim of this work was to study the cellular mucosal immune response to intrajejunal perfusion of an elemental diet (ED) or a control (C) electrolyte solution by measuring jejunal secretion of soluble CD4 (sCD4) and sCD8. sCD4 and sCD8 are markers of helper/inducer and suppressor/cytotoxic regulatory functions of T cells, respectively. A four lumen tube with a proximal occluding balloon at the angle of Treitz was used for jejunal perfusion in seven healthy volunteers (mean age 23 years). The length of the test segment was 40 cm. The jejunum was successively perfused with C for 80 min and then with ED containing 21.3g/l of free amino acids and 104.2g/l of oligosaccharides for 100 min. Jejunal fluid and serum concentrations of sCD4 and sCD8 were measured and their jejunal outputs calculated. When compared with C perfusion, jejunal perfusion with the ED resulted in a significant increase of sCD8 but not sCD4 jejunal secretion rates. sCD8 jejunal values increased early after ED perfusion and stayed at roughly the same level during the perfusion. Serum concentrations of sCD4 and sCD8 were not modified during ED perfusion. These data support the hypothesis that ED suppresses the immunologic tone of the gut, which could explain its beneficial effect in the management of intestinal inflammatory disease.     

THE CAPACITY OF MACROPHAGES FROM DIFFERENT MURINE TISSUES TO METABOLISE ETHANOL AND GENERATE AN ETHANOL-DEPENDENT NON-DIALYSABLE CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY IN VITRO

Tissue macrophages obtained from liver, bone marrow, spleenand thymus of C57 BL/6 mice closely resembled blood-monocyte-derivedhuman macrophages in three characteristics. These were: (1)the rate of metabolism of ethanol to acetate, (2) the biochemicalpathways involved in ethanol metabolism and (3) the abilityto generate an ethanol-dependent non-dialysable cytotoxic activityin vitro. The metabolism of ethanol by all four types of murinetissue macrophage was only slightly suppressed by pyrazole,4-iodopyrazole and 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, which are known toinhibit alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), ADH and catalase respectively.By contrast, ethanol metabolism by these cells was stronglysuppressed by three inhibitors of the cytochrome P-450-dependentmicrosomal ethanol-oxidising system—namely, carbon monoxide,metyrapone and tetrahydrofurane.