Influence of interleukin 10 and transforming growth factor-beta on T cell stimulation through allogeneic retinal pigment epithelium cells in vitro

The effect of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) on the immunological capability of human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells was tested by measuring the proliferation of allogeneic T cells after stimulation through the RPE cells in vitro. For this, human RPE cells were activated with different concentrations of interferon-gamma (0, 50, 100 and 250 U/ml) used as stimulator cells. The following T cell proliferation was measured with a tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay over a period of up to 4 days. Our results show that RPE cells are able to stimulate allogeneic T cells in the presence or absence of professional antigen-presenting cells (macrophages). Additionally, the proliferation could be significantly decreased by IL-10 or TGF-beta. The maximum of suppression, especially by TGF-beta, was found after 48 and 72 h of incubation. This shows that the antigen-presenting properties of human RPE cells can be altered in culture.     

Does exposure of preovulatory oocytes to ultrasonic radiation affect reproductive performance?

Ultrasonography of preovulatory oocytes has been reported to lead to reduced litter size in rats. Because of the growing popularity of ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration in human in vitro fertilization programs, further study of ultrasonic radiation's effect on the preovulatory oocyte is warranted. We used 106 virgin Sprague-Dawley rats which, on the evening of proestrus, received ultrasonic radiation of sham treatment after the onset of the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. No differences were found between control (C) and experimental (US) animals in pregnancy rate, number of corpora lutea, implantations, pups, and mean pup and placental weights at autopsy on day 22 of pregnancy. Ultrasonic radiation applied to meiotically active, preovulatory oocytes did not affect the reproductive performance of these rats.This work was presented in part at the Fifth World Congress of in Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer, April 5–10, 1987, Norfolk, VA (P. 39).     

Effect of eiconol enriched with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on rat behavior and alcohol motivation

We evaluated the effect of eiconol containing polyunsaturated fatty acids on the behavior and alcohol motivation in rats. Administration of eiconol for 10 days to alcoholized rats against the background of ethanol deprivation produced a sustained suppression of alcohol motivation and corrected deprivation-specific behavior.     

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and interleukin-2: dose and schedules of administration in the treatment of metastatic cancer

PURPOSE: The potential for therapeutic use of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), as adoptive cellular therapy has been touted for many years with some encouraging reports in patients with metastatic melanoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We previously described methodologies for TIL production and phenotypic characterization of TIL generated in our laboratory between 1991 and 1995 in semipermeable bags and between 1996 and 2000 in bioreactors. Patients treated in the earlier era were to have received a hybrid bolus and a 12-hour continuous infusion of interleukin (IL)-2 (total, 48 MIU), while in the latter era 4 days of interferon- alpha preceded the TIL and IL-2; which was given by a hybrid schedule that included bolus and 72- hour continuous IL-2 (total, 96 MIU). There were 55 patients, including 23 patients with melanoma, 9 patients with renal cell carcinoma, and 8 patients with colorectal cancer. There was only 1 objective tumor response, which was noted in a patient with renal cell carcinoma. The 55 patients who received these products were grouped in cohorts by treatment era, quantity of TIL received, amount of IL-2 intended, and different combinations of TIL and IL-2. RESULTS: There was no difference in survival by production method (treatment era), or amount of IL-2 given with TIL, but 33 patients who received an intermediate or higher dose of TIL (mean = 54.4 x 10(9)) had a median survival of 11.8 months, compared to 6.4 months for 22 patients who received 1 low-dose TIL (mean = 6.48 x 10(9)) (p = 0.059, log rank test). The objective response rate in this heterogeneous group of patients was not encouraging. The data suggest there may be a dose/benefit relationship between the total number of TIL infused and survival.     

Effect of contrast agent on the incidence and magnitude of ultrasound-induced lung hemorrhage in rats

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that inertial cavitation in the vasculature of the lung is not the physical mechanism responsible for ultrasound-induced lung hemorrhage. METHODS: A factorial design was used to study the effects of two types of injected agents (IA; 0.25 ml per rat of saline or Optison given intravenously) and two levels of pulsed ultrasound exposure (UE; in situ peak rarefactional pressures of 2.74 and 5.86 MPa; respective mechanical indices of 1.02 and 2.14) on the incidence and size of lung lesions. Ten 10-to-11-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to pulsed ultrasound at each of the four combinations of IA and UE at a center frequency of 3.1 MHz, exposure duration of 10 s, pulse repetition frequency of 1,000 Hz and pulse duration of 1.2 micros. In addition, nine rats served as shams in which no lung hemorrhage occurred. RESULTS: Rats administered contrast agent prior to exposure did not have an increase in lesion occurrence or size compared to rats that received saline with no contrast agent. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide further evidence that the mechanism for production of lung hemorrhage is not inertial cavitation.     

Occurrence of Enterobacter sakazakii in food production environments and households

Enterobacter sakazakii occasionally causes illness in premature babies and neonates. Contamination of infant formulae during factory production or bottle preparation is implicated. Advice to health-care professionals focuses on bottle preparation, but the effectiveness of prevention depends on the degree of contamination and contamination sites, which are generally unknown. To keep contamination to a minimum in the finished product depends on knowledge of the occurrence of E sakazakii. We used a refined isolation and detection method to investigate the presence of this micro-organism in various food factories and households. Environmental samples from eight of nine food factories and from five of 16 households contained E sakazakii. The widespread nature of this micro-organism needs to be taken into account when designing preventive control measures.     

Pharmacoeconomics: the cost of prophylactic migraine treatments

Migraine preventive medications considered effective reduce headache frequency by 50 percent in approximately 50 percent of treated patients. In spite of similar effectiveness, these medications vary tremendonsly in their prices. Knowledge of medication prices and employing cost-effective strategies may greatly reduce treatment costs.