PHA-L analysis of projections from the supramammillary nucleus in the rat.

The projections of the supramammillary nucleus (SUM) were examined in the rat by the anterograde anatomical tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L). The majority of labeled fibers from SUM ascended through the forebrain within the medial forebrain bundle. SUM fibers were found to terminate heavily in the hippocampal formation, specifically within the granule cell layer and immediately adjoining molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. In addition, SUM fibers were shown to distribute densely to several structures with strong connections with the hippocampus, namely, the nucleus reunions of the thalamus, the medial and lateral septum, the entorhinal cortex, and the endopiriform nucleus. SUM fibers were also shown to project significantly to several additional subcortical and cortical sites. The subcortical sites were the dorsal raphe nucleus, the midbrain central gray, the fields of Forel/zona incerta, the dorsomedial hypothalamic area, midline/intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus (posterior paraventricular, rhomboid, central medial, intermediodorsal, and mediodorsal), the medial and lateral preoptic areas, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the substantia innominata, the vertical limb of the diagonal band nucleus, and the claustrum. The cortical sites were the occipital, temporal, parietal, and frontal cortices. Some notable differences were observed in projections from the lateral as compared to the medial SUM. For example, fibers originating from the lateral SUM distributed heavily to the hippocampal formation and parts of the cortex, whereas those from the medial SUM projected sparsely to these two regions. The SUM projections to the hippocampal formation and associated structures may serve as the substrate for a SUM involvement in the generation of the theta rhythm of the hippocampus and the gating of information flow through the hippocampal formation.     

Novel enzyme immunoassay of anti-insulin igG in human serum

A novel enzyme immunoassay of anti-insulin IgG in human serum is described. A serum sample containing anti-insulin IgG was treated with dextran-charcoal at pH 6.0 to remove endogenous insulin and subsequently incubated with dinitrophenyl biotinyl nonspecific rabbit IgG-insulin conjugate. The reaction mixture was further incubated with a rabbit (antidinitrophenyl bovine serum albumin) IgG-coated polystyrene ball to trap the complex formed between anti-insulin IgG and the conjugate. After washing to eliminate nonspecific IgG in the test serum, the polystyrene ball was incubated with dinitrophenyl-L-lysine to elute the complex. The eluate was incubated with an avidin-coated polystyrene ball. Finally, the amount of human anti-insulin IgG in the complex trapped onto the avidin-coated polystyrene ball was measured by incubation with rabbit (antihuman IgG (γ-chain)) Fab'-peroxidase conjugate. This enzyme immunoassay was 1,000-fold more sensitive than the conventional enzyme immunoassay, in which an insulin-bovine serum albumin-coated polystyrene ball was incubated with a serum sample containing anti-insulin IgG and subsequently with rabbit (antihuman IgG (γ-chain)) Fab'-peroxidase conjugate. The principle of the novel enzyme immunoassay can be used to more sensitively measure antibodies for most kinds of haptens and antigens than the conventional enzyme immunoassay.     

A Ro/SS-A auto-antibody positive mother's infant revealed congenital complete atrioventricular block,followed by insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and multiple organ failure

We experienced a congenital complete atrioventricular block infant who was born from a Ro/SS-A antibody positive mother. Ro/SS-A antibody was also found in this baby which was presumed to be mediated by the maternal placenta. Temporary cardiac pacing was required at birth and pacemaker implantation was performed at 9 months. At 11 months of age, the baby fell into shock and experienced multiple organ failure because of diabetes mellitus-induced coma. The association between congenital complete heart block and the Ro/SS-A antibody is well known. However, the accompaniment of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus has not been reported previously. As the Ro/SS-A antigen appears in the cytoplasm of many tissues, the possibility of an association between Ro/SS-A antibody and diabetes mellitus is difficult to deny. We report this rare case to draw attention to the possibility that babies who are born from an Ro/SS-A antibody positive mother may develop diabetes mellitus as well as congenital complete heart block.     

A Series of Serological Tests for the Detection of Antigens and Specific Antibodies in Deep-Seated Candidosis: Experimental Aspects/Eine Gruppe von Antigen- und Antikörpertests zur Serodiagnose von tieflokalisierten Candida-Mykosen: Experimentelle Aspekte

Summary: We describe a series of six serological tests for the diagnosis of deep-seated candidosis. The array comprises two commercial tests (antigen test, Ramco Inc., and antibody test, Roche), as well as four enzyme immunoassays which have been developed in this laboratory: an antigen test for detection of Candida-proteinase, the corresponding assays for monitoring of anti-proteinase antibodies, and two assays for monitoring of IgG and IgM against heterogenous metabolic antigens of C. albicans. The highly sensitive and specific proteinase antigen-test tolerates samples with high concentration of serum proteins. Proteinase antigen was detected in 10 out of 11 normal mice after intravenous infection with C. albicans blastospores. The proteinase antigen peaked between the second and fourth day after infection. A rise in corresponding antibodies was observed in all animals. No proteinase antigen was detected in sera of healthy human individuals; anti-proteinase antibody titers in these sera amounted up to 1:8000. In related ELISAs, using metabolic fungal antigens, titer values of specific IgG and IgM amounted to 5120 and 1280, respectively. The six tests were carried out in an comparative study under diagnostic conditions, the results of which are the subject of a forthcoming communication. Zusammenfassung: Ein Satz von sechs serologischen Tests für die Diagnostik der tiefen Candida-Mykosen wird vorgestellt. Die Gruppe schließt zwei kommerziell vertriebene Testbestecke ein (Latex-Agglutinationstest zum Antigennachweis, Ramco Inc., und Hämagglutinationstest zum Antikörpernachweis, Roche). Vier weitere Enzymimmuntests wurden von uns entwickelt: Ein Antigentest zum Nachweis von sekretorischer Candida-Protease, ein entsprechender Test zum Nachweis von Antikörpem gegen Candida-Protease, und zwei Assays zum Nachweis von IgG-bzw. IgM-Antikörpem gegen heterogene metabolische Antigene von C. albicans. Der empfindliche spezifische Protease-Antigentest toleriert hohe Konzentrationen unspezifischer Serumproteine und kann deshalb auf Serumproben in geringer Verdünnung (z. B. 1:20) angewandt werden. Protease-Antigen war in 200 fach verdünnten Seren von 10 aus 11 intravenös infizierten NWNI-Mäusen nachweisbar. Die höchste Antigen-Konzentration trat zwischen dem 2. und 4. Tag nach Infektion auf; die Serum-Halbwertszeit von gereinigter Protease in der Maus betrug etwa 60 nun. Ein Anstieg korrespondierender Antikörper war in alien infizierten Tieren zu beobachten. Auch im Serum gesunder Probanden waren Antiprotease-Antikörper bis zu einem Titer von 1:8000 nachweisbar; der Protease-Antigentest fiel hingegen immer negativ aus. Die Titer von Antikörpern gegen metabolische Candida-Antigene erreichten in derselben Gruppe von Seren Werte von 1:5120 bzw. 1:1280. Die sechs Tests wurden unter diagnostischen Bedingungen verglichen; Ergebnisse dieser Studie sind Gegenstand einer weiteren Mitteilung.     

肾移植受者血清巨细胞病毒IgE和IgA抗体检测

采用间接ＥＬＩＳＡ检测２３名肾移植受者血清巨细胞病毒（ＣＭＶ）抗体，共检出１８名（７８％）活动性ＣＭＶ感染，其中１０名（４４％）为原发性感染。结果证实ＣＭＶ－ＩｇＥ和－ＩｇＡ具有较好的血清学诊断价值，优于ＣＭＶ－ＩｇＭ。     

应用单克隆抗体检测肺癌病人外周血中T细胞亚群

本文应用单克隆抗体检测33例原发性肺癌病人治疗前后外周血中T淋巴细胞亚群变化。结果提示:肺癌病人外周血中T细胞亚群明显有别于正常人,主要表现为T_H细胞降低和T_S细胞升高以及T_H/T_S比值明显倒置。短期观察结果表明,肺癌病人外周血中T_S细胞持续升高和T_H/T_S比值持续降低者,预后不良。临床检测T细胞亚群变化及它们的动态变化可作为判断宿主抗肿瘤免疫功能状态、病情发展和预后的敏感指标。     

Immunological blockade of endogenous thyrotropin-releasing hormone impairs recovery from hyperglycemia in mice

Administration of antiserum to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) into the lateral cerebral ventricle of mice significantly attenuated recovery from hyperglycemia induced by treatment with 2-deoxyglucose but had no effect on the plasma glucose of saline-treated mice. TRH, injected centrally together with the anti-TRH antibody, reversed the effect of the antiserum and blocked the development of hyperglycemia. These findings suggest that activation of TRH neurons in the central nervous system may be a physiological event influencing recovery from hyperglycemia.     

Increased reactivity to chemical but not to heat noxious stimuli in mice producing anti-idiotypic antibodies for substance P

Mice immunized against anti-substance P (anti-SP) monoclonal antibodies produced anti-SP anti-idiotypic antibodies (SPAb2). In a previous report. SPAb2 antibodies were found to have in vitro biological activity i.e. to behave either as agonists or as antagonists for substance P (SP) depending on the biological test. In this study, the involvement of SPAb2 in vivo biological activity has been tested. Because of the possible implication of SP in the generation and transmission of nociceptive information, we have tested the responsiveness of SPAb2 responding mice in behavioral nociceptive tests. SPAb2 mice showed very small behavioral variations in the hot plate test as compared with a control group of mice immunized against an unrelated monoclonal antibody. In the formalin test, however, SPAb2 mice displayed a significant increase in paw licking time, which was significantly correleted with SPAb2 serum concentration. These results are discussed in terms of the use of SPAb2 as pharmacological tools for studying the biological properties of SP receptors and more generally of auto anti-idiotypic antibodies in modulating behavior responses.     

Antibodies against dengue virus E protein peptide bind to human plasminogen and inhibit plasmin activity

Both mice and rabbits immunized with dengue virus E protein peptide spanning amino acids 100–119 (D4E) produced antibodies that reacted not only with the D4E peptide itself but also with human plasminogen, as shown by ELISA and Western blot. Sera from dengue virus-hyperimmunized mice and dengue patients also contained antibodies against D4E and plasminogen. Furthermore, such sera all contained plasmin inhibitory activity. Using affinity-purified anti-D4E antibodies and free D4E peptide for competitive inhibition, we demonstrated that the inhibition of plasmin activity was due to anti-D4E antibodies rather than other substances in the sera. Taken together, these results suggest dengue virus E protein amino acids 100–119 are a cross-reactive immunogenic region, and antibodies against this region may interfere with human fibrinolysis.     

EFFECTS OF SARAFOTOXIN S6c ON RENAL HAEMODYNAMICS AND URINE FORMATION IN ANAESTHETIZED DOGS

1. The effects of sarafotoxin S6c (S6c), a selective endothelin ETB receptor agonist, on renal haemodynamics and urine formation were examined in anaesthetized dogs. 2. Intrarenal arterial infusion of S6c at a rate of 1 or 5 ng/kg per min produced a transient increase in renal blood flow (RBF), with no change in systemic blood pressure and heart rate; RBF then decreased gradually to below the basal value. There were significant and dose-dependent increases in urine flow and free water clearance and decreases in urine osmolality during S6c infusion, whereas urinary excretion of sodium and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) remained unchanged. Simultaneously, S6c administration elicited a marked increase in urinary excretion of nitric oxide (NO) metabolites, N0₂^? and N0₃^? (UNO*V). 3. In dogs simultaneously administered S6c (5 ng/kg per min) and iV^G-nitro-L-arginine (NOARG; 40 (jig/kg per min), a NO synthase inhibitor, the renal vasodilator effect of S6c was abolished and marked reductions in RBF and GFR were observed. The S6c-induced diuretic action was not affected by NOARG. In the presence of NOARG, there was a small amount of UNO_xV at the basal level and the administration of S6c did not increase UNOxV. 4. These results suggest that an intrarenal arterial infusion of S6c enhances the production of NO in the kidney and that this enhancement contributes to the peptide-induced renal vasodilation. In contrast, it is unlikely that S6c-induced water diuresis is related to NO production stimulated by this peptide.