Comparative study of pinocytosis and the production of prostaglandin E2 by hepatic and peritoneal resident macrophages in mice

Pinocytosis and prostaglandin E2 production are two major functions of the mononuclear phagocyte system. The goal of this study was to compare the pinocytosis of horseradish peroxidase and the prostaglandin E2 production between the hepatic and peritoneal resident macrophages in the mouse. Hepatic resident macrophages were isolated by collagenase digestion, differential centrifugation and adherence. Peritoneal resident macrophages were isolated by peritoneal cavity washing followed by adherence. Horseradish peroxidase was endocytosed by hepatic macrophages at a significantly higher rate (118 +/- 12 ng/10(6) cells/60 min) than by peritoneal macrophages (21 +/- 4 ng/10(6) cells/60 min). Prostaglandin E2 production was measured in the culture medium of unstimulated and lymphokine-stimulated hepatic and peritoneal resident macrophages. Prostaglandin E2 concentration in the culture medium of unstimulated peritoneal macrophages was 36.6 +/- 26.8 ng/ml after a 24 h incubation. It was increased by 83 p. 100 in presence of a lymphokine-enriched secondary mixed lymphocyte culture supernatant. In contrast, hepatic macrophages did not produce any significant amount of prostaglandin E2, even if they were incubated in presence of lymphokines. This study shows that hepatic resident macrophages have a higher pinocytic capacity than peritoneal resident macrophages, suggesting that the role of the liver in the clearance of gut-derived antigens is not only due to its portal irrigation but also to the presence of macrophages highly differentiated in their endocytotic properties. The lack of prostaglandin E2 production in hepatic macrophages, in basal conditions as well as after lymphokine-stimulation, suggests that these cells play a minor role in the regulation of the immune response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Corticotropin-releasing hormone-containing neurons in the hypothalamo-hypophyseal system in rats six weeks after bilateral lesions of the paraventricular nucleus

Adenosine is now considered as a major regulatory agent in the mammalian central nervous system. Its actions are mediated by specific receptors which are coupled with an adenylate cyclase system via a G protein. The postnatal development of adenosine A₁ receptors was studied by quantitative autoradiography using [³H]N⁶-cyclohexyladenosine, a potent receptor agonist in 42 rat brain structures. The coupling of these sites to G proteins was examined by measuring the effects of in vitro addition of guanylyl-5′-imidodiphosphate, a stable analogue of guanosine triphosphate, on N⁶-cyclohexyladenosine binding. [³H]N⁶-Cyclohexyladenosine-specific binding was quite low at birth, around 10% of adult levels, and exhibited a rather homogeneous distribution pattern, except in thalamic nuclei. Data showed a sequential development of adenosine A₁ receptors in relation to the time course of maturation of cerebral structures with a proliferation peak which paralleled rapid brain growth.

The time period by which adult levels are reached differed according to the cerebral region studied. N⁶-Cyclohexyladenosine-specific binding sites appeared to be functionally linked to G proteins in all structures and at all postnatal stages. However, the potency of guanylyl-5′-imidodiphosphate to displace N⁶-cyclohexyladenosine binding was significantly lower before 5 days of age, suggesting functional changes during postnatal maturation in cerebral pathways modulated by adenosine.     

Risk factors for death caused by pneumonia in children younger than 1 year old in a metropolitan region of southeastern Brazil. A case- control study]

In a case-control study, a sample of post-neonatal deaths from pneumonia occurring in the Metropolitan Area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1986-1987) were compared with healthy controls who lived in the same neighborhood. Risk factors investigated were variables related to the mother's pregnancy history and the child's birth, to the family's social condition and to the use of health services. Using the univariate logistic regression model, the coefficients of each independent variable, the relative risk and its confidence limits were first estimated. Birth weight and age of weaning were strongly associated with the dependent variable. After adjustment by means of the multiple logistic regression model, only 4 variables remained statistically associated with mortality: age of weaning, birth weight, over crowding, and BCG vaccination. Based on the available data, it was concluded that mortality from pneumonia in children under 1 year of age is significantly related to the social condition of the family, particularly to that of the mother.     

Epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis in northeast Brazil.

Epidemiologic aspects of the relationship between infection with Leishmania chagasi and development of clinical visceral leishmaniasis (VL) were studied in all children < 11 years old in a defined, endemic, rural area of the state of Ceará in northeast Brazil. Antileishmanial antibodies were measured in the same subjects by ELISA on six occasions between May 1987 and August 1989. Seroconversion was documented during this period in 108 children, with a cumulative annual incidence of 4.6%. Twelve (11.1%) of these children developed VL. Age < 4 years, hematocrit < 33%, and living in the mountains predicted the development of clinically apparent VL after seroconversion. Despite a high percentage of dogs serologically positive in the region (38%), there was no increased risk of infection for children living in the same household with dogs. Since children in households with a prior case of VL had a threefold increased risk of infection, human-sandfly-human transmission might have been important.