Detection of Monocyte Chemotactic and Activating Factor (MCAF) and Interleukin (IL)-6 in Human Seminal Plasma and Effect of Leukospermia on These Cytokine Levels

PROBLEM : To demonstrate whether monocyte chemotactic and activating factor (MCAF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are present in the seminal plasma, and whether these presence is modulated by leukospermia. METHODS : Semen samples from 53 men were obtained by masturbation and examined for the presence of MCAF and IL-6 by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Semen samples were obtained from 28 infertile men without leukospermia, 16 infertile men with leukospermia, and nine proven-fertile men. The correlation between the amount of MCAF in the seminal plasma with some spermiogram parameters and other cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-8 was statistically evaluated. RESULTS : Immunoreactive MCAF was detected in the seminal plasmas of all 53 subjects. The MCAF titer in the seminal plasma of patients with leukospermia (11.19 ± 2.75 μg/1) was significantly higher than that in the seminal plasma of the patients without leukospermia (3.24 ± 0.53 μg/1) and the fertile men (2.78 ± 0.35 μg/1) (P < 0.001). The IL-6 titer in the seminal plasma of the patients with leukospermia (21.05 ± 4.49 ng/1) was also significantly higher than that in the seminal plasma of the patients without leukospermia (8.77 ± 1.92 ng/1) and the fertile men (6.94 ± 1.27 ng/1) (P < 0.01). There was a high degree of correlation among the levels of MCAF, IL-6 and IL-8 in the seminal plasma. CONCLUSIONS : These findings demonstrated the presence of MCAF and IL-6 in the seminal plasma, and that the levels of these cytokines were elevated in the seminal plasma of the infertile patients with leukospermia.     

A Human Sperm Coating Antigen Isolated From Sperm Cell Membrane

ABSTRACT: A human sperm cell membrane antigen that is highly specific to sperm and seminal plasma was isolated from plasma membrane fraction of spermatozoa using rabbit antiserum against human seminal plasma. In addition to the high specificity to sperm and seminal plasma, the isolated antigen showed the following characteristics: (1) It is a glycoprotein of approximately 12,000 daltons that has an affinity to lentil lectin; (2) it is distributed in human milk other than in sperm and seminal plasma, but is not found in any other organs and tissues including testis; (3) seminal plasma contains the largest amount of the antigen activity, 60-fold greater than spermatozoa and 900-fold greater than milk, suggesting that this antigen could be a sperm-coating seminal plasma antigen.     

Decreased prostaglandin E2 synthesis by lung fibroblasts isolated from rats with bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis

In order to clarify the mechanism of pulmonary fibrosis, we examined the functional changes of lung fibroblasts in bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Lung fibroblastic cells were obtained from rat lungs after an intratracheal treatment of BLM or saline. The spontaneous proliferation of BLM-treated rat fibroblasts (BRF), which was estimated by 3H-TdR incorporation and direct cell counting, was significantly more rapid than that of normal saline-treated rat fibroblasts (NRF). Next, we investigated prostaglandin (PG) E2 synthesis by BRF and NRF, with or without stimulation by interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, and found that PGE2 production by BRF was significantly less than that by NRF. There was no significant difference in cyclooxygenase (COX) activity and COX-2 mRNA level between BRF and NRF, indicating that the change in PGE2 production was independent of COX, a rate-limiting enzyme for the production of PGE2. These results suggest that the proliferation of fibroblasts is down-regulated by PGE2 released from themselves in normal lungs in an autocrine fashion, thus the decreased PGE2 production observed in lung fibroblasts from rats with BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis may result in the excessive fibroblast proliferation in this disorder. Overall, these findings throw some light on the mechanism of development of BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis.     

Reduction of Vasoreactivity and Thrombogenicity with Laser-Thermal Angioplasty: Comparison with Balloon Angioplasty

The vasoreactivity and thrombogenicity of laser-thermal angioplasty were examined and compared with those of balloon angioplasty in an atherosclerotic rabbit iliac artery. Eight rabbits underwent laser-thermal angioplasty with a 1.7-mm hot-tip probe activated at 7 W with a probe temperature of 126 +/- 19 degrees C in one iliac artery. The other iliac artery was treated with balloon angioplasty using a 2.0-mm balloon. Angiographic luminal diameter increased from 0.19 +/- 0.15 to 1.54 +/- 0.35 mm by laser and from 0.29 +/- 0.22 to 1.84 +/- 0.20 mm by balloon (P less than 0.0001, respectively). However, it decreased to 1.34 +/- 0.42 for laser and 0.45 +/- 0.39 for balloon 60 minutes later (P less than 0.0001 vs immediately post). Both iliac arteries were visualized using angioscopy, which revealed thrombotic obstruction of 91% stenosis in the ballooned artery and 8% stenosis in the lased artery. Vasoreactivity of treated vessels was also investigated. Segments 3-mm long were obtained from either treated artery or control artery and examined for noradrenaline (10 -7 M) contraction. The segments were then mounted isometrically with 1 g tension in Krebs-bicarbonate buffer. Developed tension was 0.13 +/- 0.21 g for laser thermal and 2.33 +/- 0.4 g for its control (P less than 0.0001), and 0.15 +/- 0.16 g for balloon dilatation and 2.12 +/- 0.43 g for its control (P less than 0.0001). Neither acetylcholine at 10 -6 M or papaverine at 10 -4 M induced relaxation of treated segments. Histology showed slight thermal injury at thermally-treated sites without thrombus, and intimal and medial dissection with thrombus formation at balloon dilated site. In conclusion: (1) neither a laser-thermal recanalized or a balloon dilated obstructed artery is vasoreactive to constrictive or relaxant agents; and (2) laser-thermal angioplasty results in less thrombogenicity than balloon angioplasty under moderate probe temperature.     

Comparison of Early Recoil after Coronary Excimer Laser Angioplasty with and without Adjunctive Balloon Dilatation

The immediate and early angiographic results in lesions treated solely with percutaneous coronary excimer laser angioplasty were compared with those obtained after combined laser and balloon angioplasty to determine whether early recoil may occur after coronary excimer laser angioplasty. The excimer laser was operated at 308 nm, 25 Hz, 40–60 mJ/mm²/pulse and 135 nsec/pulse and coupled onto multifiber wire-guided catheters of 1.4- to 2.0-mm diameter. Thirty-five consecutive patients (32 men and 3 women; mean age 56 ± 8 years) were studied. Ten patients were treated with laser angioplasty alone (group I), and 25 patients were treated using laser angioplasty followed by balloon dilatation (group II). In group I, the minimal luminal diameter increased from 1.89 ± 0.50 mm immediately after the procedure to 2.17 ± 0.51 mm at the early follow-up (P < 0.01), whereas in group II, the minimal luminal diameter decreased from 1.89 ± 0.45 mm to 1.50 ± 0.60 mm (P < 0.005). At the early follow-up, the minimal luminal diameter of group II was significantly smaller than that of group I (1.50 ± 0.60 vs 2.17 ± 0.51 mm; P < 0.05). These data demonstrate that coronary excimer laser angioplasty alone results in less severe early recoil than adjunctive balloon angioplasty. (J Interven Cardiol 1994; 7:221–228)     

Membrane-Spanning Fcγ Receptor III Isoform Expressed on Human Placental Trophoblasts

PROBLEM: Fc receptor for immunoglobulin (FcγR) is an important mediator of immunological functions in the feto-maternal relationship. We have demonstrated by immunohistochemical means that three distinct classes of FcγRS are expressed in the different cell components of the human placenta. METHOD: In this study, FcγRIII isoform expressed on placental trophoblasts (PTs) was investigated by indirect immunofluorescence and cDNA cloning. PTs, isolated from human term placenta by digestion with proteolytic enzyme, were reacted with monoclonal antibodies (MAb) against the Fc-γRs and other surface markers of leukocytes and subjected to flow cytometric analysis. RESULTS: PTs were positively stained with 3G8 and Leul lb against FcγRIII, partially stained with MAb against MHC class I, but not with 32.2 (FcγRI), IV3 (FcγRII), or MAbs against CD4, CD19, or CD56, indicating that only low affinity receptor, FC7RIII, is γexpressed on PTs. The DNA sequence of cloned FcγRIII CDNA from PTs by PCR was identical to that of natural killer (NK) cell isoform, including the position of the stop codon that differs from the granulocyte isoform by several nucleotide substitutions. We further analyzed the susceptibility of PTs against phosphatidylinositol specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) to determine the structural topology of PT isoform. While the reactivity with 3G8 on PTs was not influenced by treatment with PI-PLC, that on granulocytes was significantly diminished with PI-PLC. CONCLUSIONS: This result confirmed that FcγRIII on PTs is a membrane-spanning molecule, and that it is distinctive from PI anchoring FcγRIII on granulocytes.     

Effect of a Soluble Factor Secreted From Cultured Human Trophoblast Cells on In Vitro Lymphocyte Reactions

ABSTRACT: The immunoregulatory role of trophoblast cells in cell-mediated immunity was investigated. Trophoblast cells were obtained from 8–10-week human placentae by treatment with collagenase followed by differential centrifugation. The cells were cultured for 48 hr, and the culture supernatant was examined for immunosuppressive activity in vitro. The supernatant when added to cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy donors suppressed both their reactivity to different lectins (PHA and PWM) and their activity in one-way mixed lymphocyte reaction. The degree of suppression was dose-dependent. Furthermore, the supernatant was able to reduce the natural killer cell activity against K562 target cells. On the other hand, the supernatant had no inhibitory effect on the effector phase of lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity activity against tumor cell lines RPMI 8866 and Daudi. In all cases, the suppression observed was not due to lymphocytotoxicity or tumor cell mortality. The results indicate that trophoblast cells release a soluble suppressive factor that is a potent inhibitor of cell-mediated immunity.