The role of agglutination in bacterial infection

The process of concentration of microorganisms, which leads to inhibition of their growth and death, is a mechanism of nonspecific resistance and immunity in bacterial infection. It was suggested that inhibition and death of microorganisms are caused by deficiency of essential substances in the concentration site, which determines the significance of agglutination in the immunity. Agglutination of microbial bodies increases their concentration in tissues. By contrast, dispersion of bacteria in the tissues weakens the effect of the concentration factor and, consequently, increases the virulence of the bacteria. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 127, No. 1, pp. 4–8, January, 1999     

Suppression of phagocytosis in immunized animals

It is found that phagocytosis in animals immunized withPseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, andStaphylococcus epidermidis is suppressed in comparison with intact animals, and the degree of suppression rises with the antibody titer. Morphological study of the site of infection shows that antibodies markedly enhance bacteriopyknosis, i.e., convert bacteria into nonphagocytizable detritus. Focal suppression of phagocytosis in immunized animals is attributed to rapid bacteriopyknosis and, consequently, to a sharp decrease in the number of intact bacteria that can be digested by phagocytes. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 122, No. 9, pp. 348–352, September, 1996     

Bacteriophyknosis is a morphological manifestation of bacterial death in the organism

Rats were immunized withPseudomonas aeruginosa. A suspension of bacteria of the same strain was mixed with a sufficient amount of serum from the immunized rats to produce agglutination. This bacteria-serum mixture was injected intramuscularly to intact rats. Rapid dissolution of bacteria (during 1–3 h) was noted in the intercellular space, where microbial cells were reduced to pyknomorphic detritus. The formation of detritus from destroyed bacteria was demonstrated by detecting the radioactivity of the detritus in cases where animals were infected with bacteria labeled with tritium. The phenomenon described is a mechanism of bacterial dissolution in the organism differing from phagocytosis and complement-dependent lysis. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o , 6, pp. 665–668, June, 1995 Presented by D. S. Sarkisov, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Synthesis of nonspecific immunoglobulins in tolerant animals

Immunization of mice with sheep's red cells leads not only to antibody synthesis, but also to a sharp increase in the formation of nonspecific immunoglobulins. Injection of antigen into tolerant animals does not stimulte the synthesis of nonspecific immunoglobulins.Laboratory of Chemistry and Biosynthesis of Antibodies, Laboratory of Immunologic Tolerance, N. F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR P. A. Vershilova.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 2, pp. 190–191, February, 1977.     

Functional indicators of humoral and cellular immunity in viral infectionsin vivo: A comparative analysis

Experimental findings are presented characterizing the relative protective roles of humoral and cell-mediated immunity in classic and African swine plagues and supporting the notion of asymmetry of these two effector arms of immunity. Presented by A. A. Vorob'ev, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Role of various subpopulations of B lymphocytes in production of antigen-induced nonspecific immunoglobulins

Congeneric CBA and CBA/N mice (with and without Lyb5+B cells, respectively) respond to T cell-dependent antigens by the appearance of antibody-producing cells and accumulation of cells synthesizing nonspecific immunoglobulins. Type 2 cell-independent antigens induce similar changes only in CBA mice having mature B lymphocytes. The data suggest that B lymphocytes are responsible for the appearance of antibody-producing cells and polyclonal activation. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditisiny, Vol. 128. No. 12, pp. 681–683, December, 1999     

On the erythron response to inflammation and its mechanisms

Using the mouse model of acute infectious peritonitis caused byEscherichia coli, it is shown that the development of inflammation is accompanied by increases in the number of erythrokaryocytes, erythroid colony-forming units, and erythroid hematopoietic islets in the bone marrow and by rises in the activities of supernatants of cultured stimulated adherent and nonadherent myelokaryocytes and of peripheral blood. The results of this study indicate that a characteristic, feature of acute inflammation is strong activation of erythropoiesis with the development of hyperplasia of the erythroid marrow. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 120, N ^o 10, pp. 382–384, October, 1995     

Allergic reactions of pulsating heart cells in culture

The method of culturing and the characteristics of growth in culture of pulsating human embryonic heart cells are described. The effect of homologous antiheart antibodies and of a complex of ragweed allergen and antiragweed antibody on the contracting heart cells of chick and duck embryos in culture was investigated. Under the influence of these factors pulsation of the heart cells slowed and weakened and they developed vacuoles.Allergologic Research Laboratory, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 10, pp. 440–442, October, 1977.     

Effect of active immunization with serotonin-protein conjugate on the development of experimental Parkinson's syndrome

Experiments on 5- and 10-month-old rats demonstrate a protective effect of active preimmunization with serotonin-protein conjugate on the development and course of the parkinsonismlike syndrome induced by intranigral injection of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium⁺. The protective effect of antiserotonin antibodies was more pronounced in younger animals. The severity of manifestations of the syndrome may depend on the level of antidopamine autoantibodies. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 121, No. 4, pp. 392–395, April, 1996     

Immunological characteristics of skin preparations

Effects of three preparations from porcine skin on the number of antibody-producing mouse splenocytes at the peak of primary immune response and on the restoration of the sensitivity of background rosette-forming splenocytes to inhibitory effect of azathioprine were studied in thymectomized mice. All three preparations were active in the first test, while in the second test only the preparation with molecular weight below 1.4 kD was active. The effects of preparations on B and T immunity have been demonstrated. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 129, No. 2, pp. 194–197, February, 2000     

Detection of antispermal antibodies in female sera

The levels of antispermal antibodies in the sera of women varied within a wide range when spermatozoa from different donors were used. This was probably due to expression of different antigenic structures on the surface of spermatozoa of fertile and sterile men and their different specificity for the tested female serum. Spermatozoa from different donors did not influence the detection of antispermal antibodies in the sera of sterile men. The use of spermatozoa from the husband and a fertile donor is recommended for identification of antispermal antibodies in female serum when examining an infertile couple. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 124, No. 7, pp. 89–91, July, 1997     

Effect of various factors on the formation of immunological memory

Experiments on mice in which sheep's red cells were used as antigen showed that the height of the secondary immune response of spleen cells in situ or in adoptive transfer is inversely proportional to the dose of red cells used for primary immunization. Cyclophosphamide, injected into the animals simultaneously with the antigen, stimulates the immune response of the mice to the second injection of red cells, but this effect is observed only when comparatively large doses of antigen are used for priming. The mechanisms of this phenomenon are discussed.Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Genetics, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 9, pp. 336–339, September, 1977.     

Production of bifunctional monoclonal antibodies to human IgG and horseradish peroxidase and their utilization for testing anti-HIV antibodies

Bispecific antibodies are purified from ascitic fluid by successive affinity chromatography on HRP-Sepharose and IgG-Sepharose. The ability of the affinity purified bispecific antibodies to bind human IgG and horseradish peroxidase is demonstrated in the immunoenzyme assay (identification of anti-HIV antibodies. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, № 3, pp. 291–293, March, 1994 Presented by M. E. Vartanyan Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Epitopic mapping of different mycobacteria with the use of monoclonal antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies reacting with different mycobacteria are prepared. They are used for epitopic mapping ofMycobacteria tuberculosis H37Rv, M. bovis bovinus 8, M. avium, M. kansasii, andM. smegmatis. On the basis of the epitope maps 129 cultures of mycobacteria were identified by immunoblotting with the antibodies. The results of this identification coincided with those of microbiological investigation in 61.5–80% cases, depending on the genus of mycobacteria. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 125, No. 3, pp. 329–331, March, 1997     

Stimulation of humoral immunity to surface antigens of leukemic cells by interferon-containing serum

C57BL/6 mice were immunized by a single injection of L-1210 leukemia cells and (CBA×C57BL/6)F₁ mice were immunized by a single injection of leukemia L-1210 and P-388 leukemia cells. For 8 days (including the day of immunization) the animals received daily intraperitoneal injections of 0.4 ml of allogeneic or syngeneic interferon-containing serum, whereas control animals received the same dose of normal serum from intact mice (the interferon-containing serum was obtained from (CBA×C57BL/6)F₁ mice 24 h after intraperitoneal injection of 2 mg tilorone hydorchloride). Some samples of interferon-containing serum were dialyzed for 48 h against physiological saline. The serum interferon titer was 512–1500 units/ml. On the 9th–10th day after immunization the mouse sera were put through the microcytotoxic test against leukemia cells. Definite stimulation of the cytotoxic activity of sera of mice receiving the interferoncontaining serum was discovered. The syngeneic interferon-containing serum produced a stronger immunostimulant effect than the allogeneic serum.Laboratory of Immunology of Leukemia, Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. A. Fedorov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 81, No. 3, pp. 358–360, March, 1976.     

Antibodies to the glycoprotein ofBacillus megatherium H in patients with oncological and nononcological pathologies of the alimentary canal

A high level of antibodies to the glycoprotein fraction ofBac. megatherium H with a molecular weight of 8–10 kD is demonstrated in stomach cancer; in highly differentiated stomach cancer the level of antibodies to the glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 12–15 kD is also increased. The level of antibodies to the glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 10–12 kD is increased in peptic and duodenal ulcer. It is suggested that these glycoprotein fractions are useful for diagnosing oncological and nononcological diseases of the alimentary canal. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 117, N ^o 5, pp. 520–522, May, 1994 Presented by L. D. Sidorova, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Distinguishing features of humoral immunity in BALB/c mice with Rauscher leukemia

Following injection of a relatively small dose of Rauscher virus into BALB/c mice highly sensitive to this virus an increase in the number of B-lymphocytes was found in association with stimulation of synthesis of nonspecific immunoglobulins. After injection of the virus together with Freund's complete adjuvant, normal cells synthesizing antibodies against surface antigen of Rauscher leukemia and leukemic cells with blocking antibodies adsorbed on their surface were present simultaneously in the spleen of the mice in the early stages of development of the disease.Laboratory of Experimental Therapy of Tumors, P. A. Gertsen Moscow Oncologic Research Institute. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. D. Timofeevskii.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 81, No. 3, pp. 356–358, March, 1976.     

Psychotropic effects of thymogen

Effects of thymogen on the behavior of mice were studied, and the results obtained suggest that this immunomodulator possesses psychostimulatory, antidepressive, and stress-protecting properties which open up new prospects for the use of thymic peptides in psychiatry. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o 2. pp. 199–200, February, 1995 Presented by E. D. Gol'dberg, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Comparative assessment of the properties of macrophage migration inhibiting factor and of interferon

Some functional properties of interferon and of a factor inhibiting migration of macrophages (MMIF), obtained by stimulation of human tonsillar lymphocytes by Newcastle disease virus (NDV) or streptolysin O, were investigated. Both interferon and MMIF were shown to inhibit migration of human tonsillar cells actively, but they differed in their antiviral activity and their sensitivity to heating to 56°C for 30 min, MMIF production reached its maximum later than interferon production. Stimulation of human tonsillar lymphocytes by NDV led to the production of a broader spectrum of mediators of hypersensitivity of delayed type than stimulation by streptolysin O.Laboratory of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Laboratory of Virology, Kiev. Scientific-Research Institute of Otolaryngology. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, L. V. Gromashevskii.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 3, pp. 302–303, March, 1977.