Mullerian inhibiting substance reduction of colony growth of human gynecologic cancers in a stem cell assay

Mullerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS), a fetal testicular product that causes regression of the Mullerian duct in the male mammalian embryo, was evaluated for its antitumor effect on the premise that a substance active against this genital precursor in the fetus might also be active against tumors derived from these tissues. Increasingly pure fractions of biologically active MIS, prepared from newborn calf testes, were tested in the soft agar colony inhibition assay against single cell suspensions of fresh tumors derived in ascitic or solid form from patients with gynecologic malignancies. Twenty-eight tumor specimens placed in soft agar culture have provided sufficient growth to assess an MIS effect. Twenty-five of these 28 tumors showed significant colony inhibition after incubation with MIS. Increased antitumor response correlated with increased purification of MIS when the same tumor was treated with preparations of different purity. Samples obtained from the same patient at different times, from both ascites and solid tumor sources, produced nearly identical responses to MIS. MIS preparations, previously shown to be active in microcytotoxicity and colony inhibition assays against established human ovarian and endometrial carcinoma lines demonstrate consistent antitumor activity against fresh human gynecologic cancers removed at surgery.     

Chronic ischemia alters prostate structure and reactivity in rabbits

PURPOSE: Autopsy studies performed in men older than 80 years old have demonstrated that 90% have histological evidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Despite this fact pressure flow studies in men of this age who are referred for the evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms have shown that only 40% have evidence of bladder outlet obstruction. To our knowledge the specific features of benign prostatic hyperplasia responsible for bladder outlet obstruction are not known. To investigate the possible etiological factors responsible for bladder outlet obstruction we determined whether chronic ischemia alters the structural and functional properties of the prostate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male New Zealand White rabbits weighing 3.5 to 4 kg. were divided into a chronic prostate ischemia (12), hypercholesterolemia (8) and age matched control (8) group. The chronic prostate ischemia group underwent balloon endothelial injury of the iliac arteries and received a 0.5% cholesterol diet, the hypercholesterolemia group received a 0.5% cholesterol diet only and controls received a regular diet. After 12 weeks using anesthesia iliac artery and prostatic blood flow was measured by an ultrasonic and laser Doppler flowmeter, respectively. The animals were then sacrificed and the prostate was processed for histological evaluation, immunohistochemical staining for vascular endothelial growth factor expression and organ bath studies. RESULTS: Iliac artery and prostatic blood flow was significantly decreased in the chronic prostate ischemia compared with the hypercholesterolemia and control groups. Histological findings included thickening and fibrosis of the prostatic stroma and cystic atrophy of the epithelium in the chronic prostate ischemia group as well as minor thickening of the stroma in the hypercholesterolemia group. These structural changes correlated with decreased vascular endothelial growth factor expression. Organ bath studies showed that chronic ischemia and to a lesser extent hypercholesterolemia impaired electrical field stimulation induced neurogenic relaxation of the prostatic tissue. Neurogenic relaxation of the prostatic tissue was improved by combined treatment with indomethacin and L-arginine in the hypercholesterolemia but not in the chronic prostate ischemia group. Nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside produced comparable relaxation in all 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic ischemia causes marked changes in prostatic structure and contractility. Ischemia induced glandular atrophy was consistently associated with decreased vascular endothelial growth factor expression. Decreased relaxation of the ischemic tissue to electrical field stimulation appears to involve the nitric oxide pathway. The nitric oxide precursor L-arginine reversed hypercholesterolemia induced impairment of prostatic tissue relaxation. Our study suggests that chronic ischemia results in thickening and fibrosis of the prostate, changing its mechanical properties. Chronic ischemia also impairs neurogenic relaxation in the prostate. We discuss the possible relationship of these changes to clinical bladder outlet obstruction.     

High mobility group proteins 1 and 2 recognize chromium-damaged DNA

Chromium (Cr) is a human carcinogen and a potent DNA damaging agent. Incubation of DNA with CrCl3 resulted in dose-dependent binding of Cr to DNA and, at concentrations >20 microM, altered the electrophoretic mobility of a 100 bp oligonucleotide. We also demonstrate that high mobility group (HMG) proteins 1 and 2 bind Cr-damaged DNA (Cr-DNA). Protein binding was lesion density-dependent, with maximal binding to DNA treated with 100 microM CrCl3. HMG2 binds to Cr-DNA with a calculated Kd of approximately 10(-9) M. These proteins also bound DNA obtained from chromate-treated cells. These results suggest that the covalent attachment of Cr to DNA induces alterations in DNA structure which are recognized by HMG1 and HMG2. Therefore, these proteins may function as Cr-damaged DNA recognition proteins in vivo and as a consequence of binding, may play a role in directing the cellular response to Cr-DNA adduct formation.      

Sputum tumour necrosis factor-alpha and leukotriene concentrations in cystic fibrosis

It is postulated that a vigorous host inflammatory response in the cystic fibrosis lung contributes to lung injury. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) may play a part in that process and in the generation of leukotrienes. Therefore, the relationships between sputum TNF-alpha, leukotriene concentration, and lung function abnormalities in 16 children with cystic fibrosis were investigated. Each subject provided sputum samples and performed spirometry. TNF-alpha was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; individual leukotrienes were separated using high performance liquid chromatography and quantified by radioimmunoassay. The geometric mean concentration of TNF-alpha was 129.7 pg/ml and 95% confidence interval 48.2 to 348.3. Mean (SEM) leukotriene B4 (LTB4) was 97.8 (22.9) pmol/g and total cysteinyl leukotrienes were 60.9 (14.8) pmol/g. Mean (SD) forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) of the group was 53 (15)% of predicted and forced vital capacity (FVC) was 65 (14)% of predicted. There was a significant positive correlation between TNF-alpha and both LTB4 and the total cysteinyl leukotriene sputum content. An inverse relationship existed between TNF-alpha and FEV1 and FVC. Moreover, a negative correlation was observed between sputum LTB4 and FEV1 and FVC. These results suggest that TNF-alpha and the leukotrienes may participate in the airways inflammation and airflow obstruction observed in cystic fibrosis subjects and support the hypothesis that TNF-alpha upregulates the 5-lipoxygenase pathway in vivo.     

Interleukin-1 alpha, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, and IgG concentrations in cystic fibrosis treated with prednisolone

The cytokines interleukin-1 and interleukin-2 participate in the inflammatory response, and may contribute to hypergammaglobulinaemia G and the development of lung injury in cystic fibrosis. Anti-inflammatory treatment with corticosteroids may attenuate this response. The effect of a 12 week course of oral prednisolone on spirometry and serum concentrations of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), and IgG was investigated in 24 children with cystic fibrosis. Prednisolone was administered, in a double blind and placebo controlled manner, at an initial dose of 2 mg/kg daily for 14 days and tapered to 1 mg/kg on alternate days for 10 weeks. The treated group (n = 12) experienced an increase in forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity at 14 days, however, these changes were smaller at 12 weeks. In the treated group, change in pulmonary function was associated with decreased serum IgG and cytokine concentrations. Prednisolone suppresses serum concentrations of these cytokines, which may participate in the inflammatory response, the excessive synthesis of IgG, and airflow obstruction observed in cystic fibrosis patients.     

Peripheral α2-adrenoceptor-mediated sympathoinhibitory effects of mivazerol

Summary— Mivazerol is a new compound that could potentially reduce perioperative cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with or at risk of coronary disease and submitted to surgery. This action of mivazerol depends on a well documented centrally mediated reduction in sympathetic nerve activity, but a direct peripheral decrease in sympathetic neurotransmitter release induced by activation of prejunctional α₂-adrenoceptors located on sympathetic nerve endings could also contribute. To investigate this issue, the effects of mivazerol on the pressor, systemic and regional hemodynamic (pulsed Doppler technique) as well as on the cardiac responses to electrical stimulation of the spinal cord (SCS) were measured in pithed rats in the absence and in the presence of mivazerol. Mivazerol exerted strong sympathoinhibitory effects: SCS-induced increases in blood pressure, total peripheral resistance and heart rate were dose-dependently reduced by mivazerol, but among the regional vascular beds investigated, only the hindlimb vasoconstrictor responses were significantly drug-affected. All these sympathoinhibitory effects of mivazerol were abolished by prior yohimbine administration. Simultaneously, mivazerol did not induce any postjunctional adrenoceptor blockade as it did not affect noradrenaline cardiac and hemodynamic effects. On the contrary, through postjunctional α₂-adrenoceptor stimulation, mivazerol, in this pithed preparation, dose-dependently increased blood pressure, total peripheral and hindlimb vascular resistances, but heart rate was not affected. We conclude that, in the pithed rat, mivazerol exerts strong peripheral sympathoinhibitory effects. The mechanism involved is prejunctional α₂-adrenoceptor activation as i) mivazerol does not display any postsynaptic α-adrenoceptor blocking effect — it even behaves as a postsynaptic α₂-adrenoceptor agonist — and ii) yohimbine abolishes mivazerol's sympathoinhibitory effects. Thus, direct peripheral together with central mechanisms contribute to mivazerol's sympathoinhibitory effects and ultimately to its cardioprotective action.     

Comparison of the effects of halothane on skinned myocardial fibers from newborn and adult rabbit. I. Effects on contractile proteins

The effect of halothane on maximal and submaximal Ca2+-activated tension development of the contractile proteins of newborn and adult cardiac muscle from rabbits was determined. Right ventricular muscle was removed from newborn and adult rabbits, and the sarcolemma was disrupted (skinned) by homogenization. Fiber bundles were dissected from the homogenate and mounted on tension transducers. Fiber bundles were alternately immersed in relaxing solution [( Ca2+] less than 10(-9) M) and contracting solutions (various [Ca2+] from 10(-5.6) to 10(-3.8) M), which were saturated with 100% N2 alone or with three concentrations of halothane-N2 mixture. In the absence of halothane, newborn skinned myocardial fibers were slightly more sensitive to submaximal Ca2+ concentrations than were adult myocardial fibers. [Ca2+] required for 50% maximum tension were 10(-5.43) M and 10(-5.31) M, respectively (P less than 0.05). Halothane (1-3%) decreased the maximal Ca2+-activated tension (at [Ca2+] = 10(-3.8) M) similarly in adult and newborn myocardial fibers in a dose-dependent fashion. Tension was reduced by 5.9% for each 1% increase in halothane concentration. Halothane also decreased the sensitivity of adult myocardial skinned fibers to submaximal Ca2+ concentrations (10(-5.6) M to 10(-5.0) M) by shifting the Ca2+-tension response curve to the right. Only 3% halothane decreased the sensitivity of newborn myocardial skinned fibers to Ca2+. The authors conclude that halothane causes less depression of Ca2+ activation of the contractile proteins in newborn than adult rabbit myocardium and that this effect of halothane cannot account for greater negative inotropy of halothane in the newborn.