Antiparasitic properties of homoallylamines and related compounds

A study of some antiparasitic properties of several homoallylamines and related tetrahydroquinolines and quinolines, previously described, was carried out using in vitro activity assays against the epimastigote form of Trypanosoma cruzi and against Trichomonas vaginalis. Unspecific cytotoxicity against murine macrophages was also studied. Although the antichagasic and trichomonacidal activities are not comparable to those of the standard drugs, nifurtimox and metronidazole, some of the compounds exhibit an interesting specific antiparasitic activity.     

Arsenic trioxide–loaded, microemulsion-enhanced cytotoxicity on MDAH 2774 ovarian carcinoma cell line

The antiproliferative effect of As(2)O(3)-loaded microemulsion (As(2)O(3)-M) on human MDAH 2774 ovarian cancer cells was compared with a regular solution of the As(2)O(3). We used MDAH 2774 as model cell lines for ovarian cancer. The (2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium hydroxide) (XTT) and trypane blue dye exclusion tests were used to evaluate cytotoxicity. Apoptotic effect of solutions was evaluated using cell death detection kit. Standard microemulsion formulation used in this experiment contains 5 x 10(-6) M As(2)O(3). It was clearly demonstrated that As(2)O(3)-M had a significant cytotoxic effect on MDAH 2774 cell line, and the cytotoxic effect of As(2)O(3)-M was significantly higher than that of regular As(2)O(3) solutions. Even approximately 6000 times diluted microemulsion formulation loaded with 5 x 10(-6) M As(2)O(3) showed a cytotoxic effect. As a result, this diluted concentration (approximately 8 x 10(-10) M) was found to be approximately 6000 times more effective than regular As(2)O(3) solutions (5 x 10(-6) M). Moreover, this diluted concentration resulted in 1.5-fold enhancement of apoptosis. According to the in vitro cytotoxicity studies, we concluded that by incorporating As(2)O(3) into the microemulsion (As(2)O(3)-M), which is a new drug carrier system, it is possible to increase antiproliferative effect of regular As(2)O(3) on MDAH 2774 cells. Translating these results to in vivo conditions would open new windows in the treatment of ovarian cancer.     

5种稀土粉尘的细胞毒性研究

本研究应用荧光偏振测量技术测定了豚鼠肺泡巨噬细胞膜流动性,用原子吸收分光光度仪测定细胞钾,并通过测定细胞培养液中乳酸脱氢酶的活性、细胞死亡率及扫描电镜观察巨噬细胞形态学变化,研究了CeO_2、包钢混合稀土、硅铁合金、Y_2O_3及富钇5种粉尘对细胞的毒作用。结果表明,5种粉尘对细胞均产生一定毒性,并有明显的剂量-反应关系。经毒性大小比较,CeO_2毒性较轻,接近TiO_2,包钢混合稀土与硅铁合金相近,毒性居中,Y_2O_3和富钇毒性较大,但轻于SiO_2。     

Comparison of the use of bulk to micro culture of cell preparations for lymphokine-activated cytotoxicity assays.

Different assay systems have been used to quantitate lymphokine-induced natural cytotoxic activity as a measure of immune status. This study compares the effects of inducing cytotoxicity in a bulk culture system, where effector cells are transferred to a micro culture well for assay, to a micro culture system where the effector cells are not transferred. The effector/target ratio for both the bulk and micro culture systems was calculated using the number of viable effector cells present at the time of target cell addition. After overnight incubation with interleukin-2 (IL-2), the lytic activity of murine spleen cells to targets using a micro culture system was increased two-fold over the bulk culture method. This increase was amplified further after 5 days of activation with IL-2, in that the micro culture system resulted in a four-fold increase in cytotoxic activity. The loss of some adherent cells in the bulk culture system did not explain the overall decrease in recovered cytotoxicity. The difference appeared to be related to cell loss during centrifugation. Therefore, the E/T ratios are different in the two systems if not corrected for the number of viable cells.     

Loading anticancer drugs into HDL as well as LDL has little affect on properties of complexes and enhances cytotoxicity to human carcinoma cells

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) has been found to represent a suitable carrier for cytotoxic drugs that may target them to cancer. This study investigated whether very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), LDL and high density lipoprotein (HDL) can be used to effectively incorporate four cytotoxic drugs, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), 5-iododeoxyuridine (IUdR), doxorubicin (Dox) and vindesine; characterized the complexes; and examined the effect of incorporation on drug cytotoxicity against HeLa cervical and MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells. Significant drug loading was achieved into all three classes of lipoproteins, consistent with the sizes and hydrophobicity of the drugs. The relative loading efficiency was found to be vindesine>IUdR>Dox>5-FU for all three classes of lipoproteins. As shown by electron microscopy (EM), drug incorporation did not affect the size or morphology of the lipoproteins. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that drug loading did not significantly change the thermal transition temperature of core lipids in the lipoproteins. The transition enthalpy was changed only for LDL–Dox and LDL–vindesine. The drugs remained stable in the lipoproteins as determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). EM, DSC and HPLC data suggest that drugs were incorporated into lipoproteins without disrupting their integrity and drugs remained in their stable forms inside lipoproteins. Compared with free drugs in cytotoxicity assays, the IC₅₀ values of LDL– and HDL–drug complexes were significantly lower (2.4- to 8.6-fold for LDL complexes and 2.5- to 23-fold for HDL complexes). All free or lipoprotein-bound drug formulations were comparably more cytotoxic against MCF-7 than HeLa cells. Upregulating the lipoprotein receptors enhanced, and downregulating them inhibited, the cytotoxicity, indicating the mechanistic involvement of lipoprotein receptor pathways. Complexes of all four drugs with VLDL, in contrast to LDL and HDL, had the same cytotoxicity as the four corresponding free drugs. Our results suggest that further studies are required of the potential of HDL to be a cancer targeting drug carrier.     

IL-2诱导外周血单个核细胞对肿瘤细胞的杀伤效应

目的　了解白细胞介素 2 (IL 2 )诱导外周血单个核细胞 (PBMC)对肿瘤细胞的杀伤效应 ,探讨其作用机制。方法　IL 2 ( 10 5IU/L)体外诱导PBMC 5d ,并与Raji细胞株共同培养 ,采用MTT法测定不同时间诱导后的PBMC对Raji细胞的杀伤效应 ;采用BAS ELISA法检测杀伤活性最大时的IFN γ、TNF α、sFasL的表达 ,采用流式细胞仪检测诱导后PBMC的FasL、穿孔素、颗粒酶B的表达。结果　IL 2 ( 10 5IU/L)体外诱导PBMC 5d时 ,都能明显增强对Raji细胞的杀伤活性 ,而且在培养的第 4天杀伤活性最高 (P <0 0 5 ) ,诱导PBMC 4d后 ,FasL、穿孔素、颗粒酶B的表达与B组相比 ,明显增加 ,差异有显著性 (P <0 0 5 )。结论　IL 2 ( 10 5IU/L)体外诱导PBMC能明显增强对Raji细胞的杀伤活性 ,主要是通过诱导PBMC表达IFN γ、穿孔素、颗粒酶B和FasL的表达而发挥抗肿瘤细胞的作用     

绿脓杆菌外毒素A的细胞毒性和细胞表面受体密度

用微量细胞法观察了肝癌细胞SMMC-7721,成纤维细胞L929。肺癌细胞A549及中国地鼠卵巢细胞CHOk1等4株传代细胞对绿脓杆菌外毒素A细胞毒作用的敏感性,结果SMMC-7721最敏感,L929次之,A549次于前两者,CHOk1最次,用ELISA法显示各细胞株表面绿脓杆菌外毒素A受体,且用图像分析比较受体密度,结果与细胞毒作用一致,以SMMC-7721为最高,显示了细胞毒敏感程度与受体量呈正相关。     

Depression and immune function

Clinical studies have demonstrated that measures of cell-mediated immune function are altered in bereaved persons and depressed patients. This review article focuses on our recent observations of changes in T cell subpopulations and natural killer cytotoxicity in women undergoing adverse life events including conjugal bereavement. A reduction in natural cytotoxicity has also been found in depressed patients. The mechanism by which psychologic states might influence immune function is discussed.     

甘草甜素和甘草酸单铵促进IL-2增强NK活性的研究

本实验采用乳酸脱氢酶释放法研究甘草甜素和甘草酸单铵对人外周血NK细胞活性的影响。结果表明,甘草甜素和甘草酸单铵本身无增强NK细胞活性的作用,但可明显促进IL-2增强NK活性,这种增强作用与甘草甜素和甘草酸单铵的浓度有关。     

不同免疫缺陷小鼠巨噬细胞功能的初步研究

本文着重检测了不同免疫缺陷的纯合子615-nu、615-bg、615-nu/bg、Ba1b/c-nu和表现型正常的杂合子615/PBI小鼠的巨噬细胞细胞毒活性、吞噬功能,并与它们的NK细胞活性和T、B细胞功能进行了对比分析。实验结果表明:这些不同免疫缺陷的615小鼠其相应的免疫缺陷的性质是确定的。615-nu、615-nu/bg、Ba1b/c-nu的巨噬细胞毒活性与615/PBI无明显差别,但吞噬指数较正常升高,而615-bg的巨噬细胞细胞毒活性和吞噬功能则都显著低于615/PBI的。