The major histocompatibility complex (CyLA) of the cynomolgus monkey. I. Serologic definition of 21 specificities

Thirty-seven lymphocytotoxic antisera, 27 of which were raised by immunization with skin grafts and blood from partially matched donors, were tested against cells obtained from 218 unrelated animals and 205 offspring from a colony of cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis). Evidence was obtained for the presence of at least 21 specificities defined by cluster analysis and segregation within families. Allelic relationships between 16 specificities was suggested by segregation patterns, the absence of triplets and statistical analysis of association in the unrelated population sample. The data support a two-locus model, with tentative assignment of seven specificities to the A locus and six to the B locus. That these lymphocyte alloantigens constitute the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) of the cynomolgus monkey is suggested by analogy with other known MHCs and by the increased survival times of skin grafts between paternally matched half sibs compared to haplodistinct full sibs.     

Membrane carbohydrates of lymphoid cells: the receptor for interleukin 2

The contribution of sialic acids and of N-linked sugars to the biological activity of the receptor for IL 2 has been evaluated by treating activated cells with Neuraminidase or by growing them in the presence of inhibitors of N-linked glycosylation or processing. After treatment with Neuraminidase, Con A-activated spleen cells had not lost their ability to bind IL 2. The IL 2-absorbing capability was, however, strongly reduced after trypsinisation. 6 hours after Trypsin treatment, this property was again expressed. Proliferation of the IL 2-dependent CTLL cells was normal in the presence of Swainsonine but strongly impaired in the presence of Tunicamycin. Glycosylation of the IL 2 receptor may thus be required, but integrity of the sugars is not critical.     

Renewal of the membrane complex of Schistosoma mansoni is closely associated with lipid metabolism

Metabolic pathways leading to lipid biosynthesis in four different developmental stages of Schistosoma mansoni were explored and quantified by incubation in the presence of labeled precursors in a chemically defined medium. At the schistosomulum stage and in male, female, or paired worms, glycerol and oleate incorporation into neutral lipids, mainly in the form of triacylglycerols, was greater than into phospholipids, whereas in 11-and 15-day-old worms, synthesis mainly led to phospholipids. Incorporation into phospholipids was recovered largely in phosphatidylcholine, and distribution into other phospholipids depended on the developmental stage. Incorporation of choline and ethanolamine into their respective phospholipids represented up to 15% of the parasitic phospholipid content. The formation of phosphatidylcholine by phosphatidylethanolamine methylation occurred mainly in the immature parasitic stages. Inositol incorporation was also measurable, whereas [14C]serine incorporation was low or undetectable. Addition of 1-palmitoyl-2-[14C]oleyl phosphatidylcholine revealed a very high uptake of this phospholipid by the immature stages but further metabolism was not detectable. In contrast, adult S. mansoni were completely unable to take up or absorb this exogenous phospholipid. The most striking aspect of this study was the relatively high metabolic activity in 11-day-old worms and the lower but sustained activity on day 15 and at the schistosomulum stage. By comparison, biosynthetic activity in adult S. mansoni, on which research studies have been focused until now, was very low. We also discuss the participation of lipid metabolism in the constant renewal of the membrane complex which is essential to parasitism by S. mansoni.     

A statistical analysis and comparison of soma diameter spectra for classical neurones from different regions of the cat retinal ganglion cell layer

Multimodal soma diameter spectra for neurones of the cat retinal ganglion cell layer have been represented by three subpopulations of independent, normal diameter distribution. Recurrent computation according to the technique of Vibert and Caille (1978) has extracted best fit populations for samples from various regions of central and peripheral retina. The model subpopulations from all these regions did not differ significantly in their relative proportions or variance. Significant progressive variation between subpopulations representing different regions of retina were observed only in the mean diameter of the and mode cells. The parameters of the mode population were statistically uniform across the retina. The cat retina thus appears to be more homogeneously organized than has been suggested elsewhere.     

T suppressor lymphocytes reverse ongoing acute allograft rejection

(LEW X BN)F1 cardiac allografts are rejected within 8 days in untreated LEW recipients. At the critical time point of 5 days after transplantation, the obviously rejecting grafts are enlarged and maximally infiltrated by host cells as shown by 111In-labeled lymphocyte tracer studies. However, when such hearts were retransplanted back to naive (LEW X BN)F1 secondary hosts, they survive indefinitely, showing that even late rejection is reversible in the absence of sustained host immunological drive. Attempts were then made to abrogate this advanced immune responsiveness using Cyclosporine (CsA). CsA therapy (15 mg/kg/day for 7 days) starting from day 5 produced indefinite graft survival, similar as if initiated at the time of operation. Addition of exogenous IL-2, which drives the proliferation of Tc, could not reverse this effect. Serial changes in phenotype of lymphocyte subpopulations infiltrating both acutely rejecting and indefinitely functioning cardiac allografts in unmodified and CsA treated hosts, respectively, were then studied. Ratio of Th:Tc/s cells in acutely rejecting grafts was 1.6 by day 3; it inverted abruptly to 0.7 by day 5-6, suggesting predominance of Tc/s during the later stages of allograft rejection. Similarly, treatment with CsA produced a transient depression of Th, with recovery of original Th:Tc/s ratio during the next 2-3 weeks. Adoptive transfer experiments were then performed to investigate the functional significance of these findings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Polyamines in Trichomonas vaginalis

Trichomonas vaginalis was grown in a modified Bushby's medium and putrescine, spermidine and spermine levels were determined in extracts from 24- and 48-h cultures and also in the culture media. All three polyamines were present in T. vaginalis extracts; the putrescine level and putrescine/spermidine ratio were much higher than those reported for other protozoa or for mammalian tissues. There were no significant differences between 24-h and 48-h amine levels per mg protein in these extracts, but amine levels per cell were higher at 24 than at 48 h. The spent culture media had a much higher putrescine content than corresponding uninoculated media and it was concluded that T. vaginalis secreted putrescine into the culture medium.     

Noninvasive method for measuring the electrical properties of deep tissues using an open-ended coaxial probe

A new noninvasive method of measuring the structure and the electrical properties of bilayered biological tissues was evaluated as a potentially useful diagnostic means for detecting changes in subcutaneous tissues. First, the input impedance of an open-ended coaxial probe radiating into a bilayered model was calculated using a full-wave method, the results showed that the evanescen higher order modes do not have a significant influence on the reflection coefficient of muscle layer surface. Then, it was clearly proven that the phase shift and the modulus of the reflection coefficient of muscle layer surface depending on the frequency are useful to estimate the thickness of fat layer and the electrical properties of muscle respectively. The experimental results showed an excellent agreement with the theoretical relationship between the phase shift and the thickness. The sensitivity of estimation of the electrical properties of muscle was shown to be not enough for differentiating between normal and diseased deep tissue because of noises from the experimental systems.     

Forebrain and lower brainstem participation in facilitatory and inhibitory regulation of the display of lordosis in female rats

Neural transection of the dorsal extrahypothalamic descending afferents by means of an L-shaped Halász knife at the anterior commissure (anterior roof deafferentation. ARD) markedly potentiated the display of lordosis and soliciting behaviors. Bilateral lesions of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) attenuated lordotic activity in the ARD sham females but not in the ARD females. In contrast, the lesions in the pontine central gray concurrently with ARD effectively inhibited the display of lordosis but not soliciting behaviors. These results suggest that the VMH may not be a primary focus of the dorsal extrahypothalamic inhibitory influence on lordosis. The influence of this inhibitory system seems to be dominant in regulating the expression of lordosis behavior, compared to that of the hypothalamic lordosis facilitating system. Furthermore, the dorsal extrahypothalamic inhibitors influence which could be removed by ARD must be modified by the neural mechanism in the lower brain stem in which the pontine central gray may be actively involved.     

Immunohistochemical evidence for epinephrine-containing retinal amacrine cells

The enzyme for the synthesis of epinephrine, phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase, has been localized, by an indirect immunofluorescent staining method, to a subpopulation of amacrine cells in the rat retina. The immunoreactive cells are located primarily in the inner nuclear layer and send a single process to the inner plexiform layer. Most of the immunoreactivity is found in the center of the inner plexiform layer. A small percentage of immunoreactive cell bodies were found in the inner plexiform layer and occasionally cells were observed in the ganglion cell layer. These epinephrine-containing amacrine cells are morphologically distinct from the dopamine-containing amacrine cells previously described by formaldehyde fluorescence and we speculate from reports in the literature that epinephrine-containing amacrine cells may play a role in modulating the activity of dopamine-containing amacrine cells.     

路氏乳杆菌JCM1081黏附相关蛋白的初步鉴定

目的研究路氏乳杆菌(Lactobacillus reuteri,也称罗伊氏乳杆菌)JCM1081菌体表面蛋白对其黏附HT-29细胞的影响。方法将路氏乳杆菌JCM1081菌体进行胰蛋白酶、蛋白酶K处理;用氯化锂和盐酸胍对乳杆菌表面的蛋白进行抽提,进行SDS-PAGE后与黏蛋白受体进行Western blot,并对杂交阳性蛋白进行质谱分析鉴定。结果路氏乳杆菌JCM1081菌体经胰蛋白酶、蛋白酶K处理后,其对HT-29细胞的黏附力显著下降(P<0．01);用氯化锂去除路氏乳杆菌JCM1081菌体外表面的S层蛋白后,路氏乳杆菌JCM1081对HT-29细胞的黏附力无显著变化;Western blot结果显示相对分子质量(Mr)为29×103和14×103的两种菌体表面蛋白与黏蛋白受体杂交中出现了强阳性;质谱分析结果显示29×103蛋白与路氏乳杆菌ATCC55730的h0793蛋白相似性高达71．1％。结论路氏乳杆菌JCM1081菌体表面的蛋白参与了乳杆菌的黏附,其中29×103和14×103的两种胞壁表面蛋白能够特异地识别黏蛋白受体并与之结合,29×103蛋白属ABC转运蛋白家族。