逆转录病毒载体介导IL－2导入MCF－7细胞基因表达及对LAK细胞杀伤的敏感性研究

用逆转录病毒载体介导人ＩＬ－２基因导入人乳腺癌细胞系ＭＣＦ－７并获得表达。原位杂交结果证实，转染的ＭＣＦ－７细胞中有ＩＬ－２ｍＲＮＡ的表达，用ＩＬ－２依赖细胞系ＣＴＬＬ－２以ＭＴＴ比色法测得ＭＣＦ－７细胞培养上清液中有ＩＬ－２活性，其活性平均为１０ＩＵ／１０￣６细胞。转导后的ＭＣＦ－７细胞对ＬＡＫ细胞的杀伤敏感性降低。     

Evidence for occurrence of passively adsorbed I antigen activity on a cultured strain of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether I antigen occurs in association with Mycoplasma pneumoniae in a form that may be immunogenic during natural infection or experimental immunization. I antigen activity was detected by radioimmunoassay in suspensions of M. pneumoniae MY11965 and in the soluble phase of mycoplasma lysates prepared with Triton X-100. There was evidence for the occurrence of I antigen in at least two macromolecular forms. The first form partitioned in the lipid phase following chloroform-methanol extraction and chromatographed on thin-layer chromatograms as a ceramide decasaccharide. The second form was associated with the residue after lipid extraction and was solubilized by treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate or pepsin; this component was tentatively designated a glycoprotein or polysaccharide and was not investigated further. In a lipid extract from mycoplasmas that had been surface labeled by the galactose oxidase-NaB3H4 method, two 3H-labeled glycolipids were detected as minor components which chromatographed on thin-layer chromatograms in the region of an authentic I-active ceramide decasaccharide. However, no significant radioactivity was incorporated into glycolipids after metabolic labeling with [3H]glucosamine. These observations suggested that the mycoplasmas contained surface-associated glycolipids with I antigen activity that were of exogenous origin. This was supported by the observations that horse, rabbit, and fetal calf sera contained I antigen activity and that the I antigen activity in M. pneumoniae cultures reflected the levels found in the sera included in the culture media. From rabbit serum, which expressed the highest antigen activity, an I-active glycolipid was isolated that chromatographed as a ceramide decasaccharide. I-active substances passively adsorbed onto M. pneumoniae are potentially immunogenic. However, we consider these unlikely to be the main stimulus for autoantibody production in natural infection, since the autoantibodies elicited are restricted to the I carbohydrate antigen and there is a lack of antibodies to other glycolipids that may be adsorbed from serous and cellular components of the host tissues. In our view, the more likely stimulus is the specific complex formed between the mycoplasma and the sialo-oligosaccharide receptors of the Ii antigen type, as suggested previously.     

The preventive effect of cannabinoids on reperfusion-induced ischemia of mouse kidney

Artery occlusion of an organ results in ischemia. When the occlusion is opened and blood flow reinstated there will be tissue injuries identified as reperfusion-induced ischemia (RII). It has been suggested that cannabinoids (CBs) may be involved in the RII. In this study, we assessed the effect of different doses of anandamide analogs and CB receptor agonists: arachidonylcyclopropylamide (ACPA, a CB1 agonist) and JWH133 (a CB2 agonist) in the RII of the mouse kidney. Three doses (0.2, 1 and 5mg/kg, i.p.) of ACPA or JWH133 were used 30min prior initiation of RII. Kidneys were removed 2 and 24h following RII and checked histologically for the grading of ischemic injury. Appropriate control groups were used as well. RII produced lesion comparable with that of ischemia. Different doses of ACPA or JWH133 prevented RII-induced lesions. It is suggestive of the CB system involvement in the kidney RII in mice.     

Blood group antigens A, B, H, Lea, Leb, and I(Ma) in resting and tetragastrin stimulated gastric juice of patients with non-neoplastic diseases of the stomach.

In view of the anomalous expression of blood group and related antigens in the gastric mucosae of patients with malignant and premalignant diseases of the stomach, and the potential clinical value of their measurement, a preliminary study has been performed on the blood group antigens A, B, H, Lea, Leb, and I(Ma) in glycoprotein rich extracts of the resting and tetragastrin stimulated gastric juice of patients without evidence of gastric cancer. The aim has been to assess whether the antigenic profiles known to distinguish the gastric mucosae of secretors from those of non-secretors are reflected in the glycoproteins of gastric juice. Antigenic profiles which distinguish secretors from non-secretors were observed in the stimulated rather than the resting gastric juice as follows: the A, B or H antigens but not I(Ma) were strongly expressed in the glycoproteins of secretors, while I(Ma) was the antigen characteristic of non-secretors. On the other hand, there was considerable overlap in the Lea and Leb antigen values in the resting and stimulated gastric juice of secretors and non-secretors. Among these antigens, I(Ma) is known to appear as a neo-antigen in the gastric mucosae of secretors with malignant and premalignant diseases of the stomach. Thus this antigenic determinant is potentially a clinically useful marker in the gastric juice of 75% of the population who are secretors. The clinical value of the levels of this antigen in the gastric juice now deserves investigation.     

The comparison of impulsivity and craving in stimulant-dependent,opiate-dependent and normal individuals

The aim of this study was to compare the severity of impulsivity and craving among stimulant-dependent (e.g. methamphetamine and crack) and opiate-dependent (e.g. opium and heroin) patients as well as normal subjects. Forty stimulant-dependent patients, 40 opiate-dependent patients, and 40 normal controls completed the Barratt impulsiveness scale-II (BIS-II) and the craving beliefs questionnaire (CBQ). The results showed that there were significant differences concerning the impulsivity and craving among the three groups. Stimulant-dependent and opiate-dependent patients had more impulsivity and craving than normal controls. Stimulant-dependent patients exceeded opiate-dependent ones on total impulsivity and its subscales except for cognitive impulsivity as well as craving. These findings indicated that increased impulsivity and craving in substance-dependent patients compared with normal community suggest the role of cognitive impairments in substance dependency. Also, impulsivity and craving may be more vulnerable factors to depend on stimulant than opiate substances.     

Dendrosomal curcumin significantly suppresses cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo

Curcumin, the main compound of spice turmeric, is one of the natural products that has been shown to possess effective anti-cancer properties. However, the absorption efficacy of curcumin is too low to make dramatic results in therapy. Therefore, we based the main aim of this study on improving the bioavailability of curcumin taking advantage of dendrosome nanoparticles; and subsequently evaluating in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor properties of dendrosomal curcumin. In vitro studies were carried out utilizing A431 and WEHI-164 cell lines and mouse embryonic normal fibroblasts. Our data revealed that dendrosomal curcumin not only exhibits a much higher bioavailability than void curcumin (P<0.05) but also inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells (P<0.01) in a time- and dose-dependent manner that could be ascribed to the induction of apoptosis. However, dendrosome did not indicate any toxic effect on different types of cell lines. For in vivo studies, BALB/c tumor-bearing mice were treated with dendrosomal curcumin, void curcumin, dendrosome and PBS. The results indicated that dendrosomal curcumin reduces significantly the tumor size in comparison with void curcumin and control samples (P<0.05). Furthermore, in animals treated with dendrosomal curcumin a longer survival was observed (P<0.01). We also found that the mice treated with dendrosomal curcumin, showed a significant increase in splenocyte proliferation and IFN-γ production as well as a significant decrease in IL-4 production. This can be a proof of anti-tumor immunity caused by dendrosomal curcumin. The findings demonstrate that dendrosomal curcumin offers a great potential to be a promising anti-cancer therapeutic agent.