Atraumatic Pulsatile Leukocyte Circulation for Long‐Term In Vitro Dynamic Culture and Adhesion Assays

Low flow rate pumping of cell suspensions finds current applications in bioreactors for short‐term dynamic cell culture and adhesion assays. The aim of this study was to develop an atraumatic pump and hemodynamically adapted test circuit to allow operating periods of at least several hours. A computer‐controlled mini‐pump (MP) was constructed based on non‐occlusive local compression of an elastic tube with commercial bi‐leaflet valves directing the pulsatile flow into a compliant circuit. Cell damage and activation in the system were tested with whole blood in comparison with a set with a conventional peristaltic pump (PP). Activation of circulating THP‐1 monocytes was tested by measuring the expression of CD54 (ICAM‐1). Additionally, monocyte‐endothelial interactions were monitored using a parallel‐plate flow chamber with an artificial stenosis. The system required a priming volume of only 20 mL, delivering a peak pulsatile flow of up to 35 mL/min. After 8 h, blood hemolysis was significantly lower for MP with 11 ± 3 mg/dL compared with PP with 100 ± 16 mg/dL. CD142 (tissue factor) expression on blood monocytes was 50% lower for MP. With MP, THP‐1 cells could be pumped for extended periods (17 h), with no enhanced expression of CD54 permitting the long‐term co‐culture of THP‐1 with endothelial cells and the analysis of flow pattern effects on cell adhesion. A low‐damage assay setup was developed, which allows the pulsatile flow of THP‐1 cells and investigation of their interaction with other cells or surfaces for extended periods of time.     

Identification of the Chloramphenicol-Binding Protein in Escherichia coli Ribosomes by Partial Reconstitution

50S-derived cores were prepared by treatment of 50S subunits with 0.4 M Licl (0.4c core) and 0.8 M Licl (0.8c core), respectively. 0.4c cores bind chloramphenicol whereas 0.8c cores do not. The split proteins obtained during the transitions 0.4c --> 0.8c were separated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. Reconstitution experiments with the fractionated proteins demonstrated that protein L16 is involved in chloramphenicol binding.In contrast to chloramphenicol, the CACCA-(N-acetyl-leucyl) fragment is bound by the 0.8c core, i.e., this core contains the intact p-site moiety of the peptidyltransferase center.Puromycin can inhibit chloramphenicol binding completely. In the concentration range tested (up to 20 mM) the trinucleotide CCA inhibits chloramphenicol binding as effectively as puromycin, whereas an aminoacid mixture shows no inhibition. It is concluded that chloramphenicol acts exclusively on the a-site part of the peptidyltransferase center interfering with the binding of the last two or three nucleotides (3' end) of aminoacyl-tRNA.     

Does in vitro colony formation and chemosensitivity relate to DNA ploidy and S-phase fractions?

Summary In vitro colony formation and chemosensitivity were analyzed in 65 human solid tumors and compared to proliferation parameters simultaneously obtained by DNA flow cytometry of the same tumor specimens.Colony growth in the human tumor colony assay was enhanced in aneuploid tumors (39/65) in comparison to diploid tumors (26/65, P<0.05). In addition, there was a relationship between % S-phase and colony growth. The existence of polyploid sublines (23/65) improved in vitro growth even in tumors with a diploid main G_0/1-peak or with a low % S-phase. Metastases exhibited a higher proportion of aneuploidy and showed slightly better growth in vitro than primary tumors.Sensitivity testing in 34 of the 65 tumors showed no convincing relation between DNA parameters and the inhibition of colony formation by five standard anticancer agents with different mechanisms of action. This indicates additional factors other than the proliferative activity of the tumor to be responsible for drug sensitivity or resistance.     

Microcephaly with or without chorioretinopathy,lymphoedema, or mental retardation (MCLMR): review of phenotype associated with KIF11 mutations

Microcephaly with or without chorioretinopathy, lymphoedema, or mental retardation (MCLMR) (MIM No.152950) is a rare autosomal dominant condition for which a causative gene has recently been identified. Mutations in the kinesin family member 11 (KIF11) gene have now been described in 16 families worldwide. This is a review of the condition based on the clinical features of 37 individuals from 22 families. This report includes nine previously unreported families and additional information for some of those reported previously. The condition arose de novo in 8/20 families (40%). The parental results were not available for two probands. The mutations were varied and include missense, nonsense, frameshift, and splice site and are distributed evenly throughout the KIF11 gene. In our cohort, 86% had microcephaly, 78% had an ocular abnormality consistent with the diagnosis, 46% had lymphoedema, 73% had mild-moderate learning difficulties, 8% had epilepsy, and 8% had a cardiac anomaly. We identified three individuals with KIF11 mutations but no clinical features of MCLMR demonstrating reduced penetrance. The variable expression of the phenotype and the presence of mildly affected individuals indicates that the prevalence may be higher than expected, and we would therefore recommend a low threshold for genetic testing.     

Iron status in patients with pyruvate kinase deficiency: neonatal hyperferritinaemia associated with a novel frameshift deletion in the PKLR gene (p.Arg518fs), and low hepcidin to ferritin ratios

Pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency is an iron‐loading anaemia characterized by chronic haemolysis, ineffective erythropoiesis and a requirement for blood transfusion in most cases. We studied 11 patients from 10 unrelated families and found nine different disease‐causing PKLR mutations. Two of these mutations ‐ the point mutation c.878A>T (p.Asp293Val) and the frameshift deletion c.1553delG (p.(Arg518Leufs*12)) ‐ have not been previously described in the literature. This frameshift deletion was associated with an unusually severe phenotype involving neonatal hyperferritinaemia that is not typical of PK deficiency. No disease‐causing mutations in genes associated with haemochromatosis could be found. Inappropriately low levels of hepcidin with respect to iron loading were detected in all PK‐deficient patients with increased ferritin, confirming the predominant effect of accelerated erythropoiesis on hepcidin production. Although the levels of a putative hepcidin suppressor, growth differentiation factor‐15, were increased in PK‐deficient patients, no negative correlation with hepcidin was found. This result indicates the existence of another as‐yet unidentified erythroid regulator of hepcidin synthesis in PK deficiency.